Naming the New Console
The brand manager shrank back slightly and quickly pointed to the next one. "How about the Sega32? It visually demonstrates the 32-bit architecture—"
"That's so outdated," Nakayama Takuya interrupted mercilessly. "What 32-bit, 64-bit? It sounds like an old-fashioned home appliance. Don't forget the joke Atari made two months ago. Gamers don't care how many bits your console has; the key is having good games on it and a reasonable price."
After several proposals were rejected in succession, the atmosphere in the meeting room became somewhat somber.
Nakayama Takuya closed the folder, leaned back in his chair, and said, "Actually, I have a suggestion."
All eyes immediately focused on him.
According to our internal generational classification, the SG-1000 is the first generation, the Mark II is the second generation, and the Mark...
The III is the third generation, while the MD, which is currently sweeping the market, is our fourth-generation home console.
Nakayama Takuya held up four fingers, then flicked out a thumb. "So this one is the fifth generation."
What is the fifth planet in our solar system?
"Jupiter," Director Takahashi blurted out, his eyes immediately lighting up.
"That's right, it's Jupiter." Nakayama Takuya stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and wrote the letters "JUPITER." "In Greek Mythology, the god corresponding to Jupiter is Zeus."
"Zeus— " Nakayama Hayao chewed on the name, his eyes gleaming with increasing intensity.
"King of the gods, ruler of the sky and thunder." Nakayama Takuya turned to look at his father, a confident smile playing on his lips. "Now, the Mega Drive has over 60% market share globally; we are the de facto kings of the industry. Naming the new console after the incarnation of Zeus not only aligns with the fifth generation's naming convention but also subtly Sega's dominance in the industry."
Compared to the previous few unoriginal proposals, "Jupiter" is clearly more in line with Sega's current aggressive and all-out offensive stance.
"Furthermore," Nakayama Takuya added, "Jupiter is the largest and fastest rotating planet in the solar system."
This also symbolizes the immense power and lightning-fast processing capabilities of our new mainframe.
The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds.
"What a magnificent king of the gods!"
Nakayama Hayao slammed his hand on the table.
Several directors who had originally intended to suggest other names considered the matter for a moment, then realized that their suggestions couldn't compare to this name, so they stopped offering suggestions and nodded in agreement.
"Jupiter, that sounds powerful."
"Whether it's the symbolism or not, the fifth generation, the fifth planet—it all makes perfect sense."
"I agree, it's much better than those fancy names."
Naming it after stars in the universe is both romantic and avant-garde; young people will definitely think it's cool.
Nakayama Hayao glanced around and waved his hand dismissively. "It's settled then. Codename: Jupiter. Also, notify the Marketing and Publicity Department that the design style of the Atami should be a combination of Greek Mythology and space science fiction. I want that kind of overwhelming, awe-inspiring feeling!"
Thus, Jupiter passed the naming vote for the new host with a unanimous vote.
In February 1994, while the cold wave in the Northern Hemisphere was still putting up a stubborn fight, the frozen period of the gaming market had already come to an end.
Those game cartridges that had been kept under wraps all winter finally roared and rushed onto the shelves of game stores like wild beasts released from their cages.
If the end of last year was a frenzy of giants throwing money around, then now is the time for various players to fight tooth and nail.
After several years of hard work and the iteration of new development tools, those third-party vendors seem to have unlocked their full potential, squeezing the capabilities of the two old machines, MD and SFC, to an insane degree.
Square is the best example.
The Mega Drive version of Final Fantasy V was a huge surprise to all RPG fans who were still waiting to see what would happen.
"This graphics, is it really possible for an MD to run?" In a video game store in Akihabara, the players watching the demo had their eyes practically popping out of their sockets.
On the screen, Bartz's movements as he wielded the greatsword were incredibly smooth, with no noticeable frame drops even when the magical effects exploded.
Compared to its predecessor, Final Fantasy IV, the progress in this installment is clearly visible, especially the job change system, which is reflected in the character models in real time.
"People used to say that the Mega Drive's color reproduction wasn't good enough, but look at it now, it's like Square is scrutinizing every pixel with a microscope!" The store manager sighed as he counted money, noting that Final Fantasy V was disappearing from the shelves at a visible rate.
Sega's games performed exceptionally well, but Nintendo's were equally impressive.
Although Shigeru Miyamoto is still recovering, Nintendo has a deep and rich history.
Yokoi Gunpei, who was once marginalized due to the failure of the Game Boy project but was reinstated to the core by exposing Sony's conspiracy to switch the project with another one, has finally delivered his answer.
Super Metroid.
This game doesn't have a ton of "GG" messages, and even the cover art has a cool, sci-fi vibe.
But as soon as you insert the cartridge into the Super Famicom, the suffocating sense of loneliness and the ingenious level design instantly captivate the player.
"Is this Yokoi-san's counterattack?"
Nakayama Takuya sat in his office, holding the newly purchased Super Metroid cartridge in his hand, his expression somewhat subtle.
It has to be admitted that experience matters.
Yokoi Gunpei proved one thing with this cartridge with only 24MB of memory: in the art of game design, he remains a master that countless younger generations can kneel and call him "teacher."
Samus Alan's figure traversing the maze not only saved the galaxy but also became Nintendo's flagship character at the start of 1994.
"Executive Director, should we do some public relations work regarding Nintendo's new title?" Sato Hideki tentatively asked from the side, "For example, by emphasizing that our action game is more exhilarating?"
"No need." Nakayama Takuya waved his hand, tossing the cartridge to Sato. "Good games deserve respect. Besides, while players' wallets may be limited, they can always squeeze out money for truly good things. Instead of focusing on our competitors, let's look at our own achievements."
He turned around and looked at the project progress chart on the wall.
On that densely packed progress chart, the System 32 Board section was specially circled in red.
There was a line of bold black text written there: <The King of Fighters 2>.
If Super Metroid was the Super Famicom's defensive counterattack on the console, then this new arcade title running on the Sega System 32 Board is Sega's opening act for the new year in the arcade market.
Inside a large arcade in Shibuya, the air was thick with the smells of smoke and sweat.
The area in front of the new machines at the very back was packed with onlookers, so much so that even the aisles were filled with heads craning their necks to peer inside.
"Make way! Let me see that red-haired madman!"
Someone behind them was jumping up and down in frustration.