Tetris

At first, the two of them were still a little reserved, their controls somewhat awkward. But as the first line of "garbage" appeared, the atmosphere abruptly grew tense.

The meeting room was no longer quiet or filled with low murmurs as before; instead, it was thick with the tension of spectators watching a match. Everyone was drawn in by the rapidly changing situation on the screen.

Both sides worked hard to speed up their inputs, hoping to clear a few more lines and create even more trouble for their opponent.

In the end, a long bar block failed to drop into place and piled up to the top.

"Game Over!"

Nakayama Takuya looked at the heated scene before him, the corners of his mouth rising slightly.

A demonstration of only a few minutes had already completely changed the atmosphere in the meeting room.

Seeing the light flickering in everyone's eyes, Nakayama Takuya knew the time was ripe.

He paused the game demonstration, straightened up, and swept his gaze over every Sega executive present.

"Everyone, this is the first gift I have prepared for Sega—Tetris. I want to add a more easily recognizable subtitle to it—Tetris—using the name of an exotic game from behind the Iron Curtain to attract players' interest, as well as its 'Sega Versus Edition.'"

"But having only a good game is not enough."

His tone turned serious and solemn.

"First is copyright."

He looked toward the head of the legal department.

"The prototype for this game comes from the Soviet Union. We must act immediately, with the company stepping forward through formal channels to negotiate with the Soviet side. As everyone knows, a GCZY country like the Soviet Union has no intellectual property rights, but our game is to be sold in Japan and the Western world, where the core commercial rule is still intellectual property. So we need to contact the Soviet Foreign Trade Committee and purchase the copyright from them."

He deliberately mentioned the "Soviet Foreign Trade Committee" (ELORG), showing that he was not unprepared.

"What we want is not authorization for a certain platform, but exclusive authorization for this game worldwide, on all known platforms and all platforms that may appear in the future! What we want are indisputable rights, clearing away every legal obstacle for the subsequent global promotion!"

The emphasis on the importance of copyright, as well as the pursuit of "all platforms" and "exclusive," made some of the veterans present nod to themselves in secret.

"Second is platform strategy."

He switched the projected image, displaying a simple planning chart.

"The arcade platform will be our first stop."

"The arcade version has a faster rhythm and stronger confrontation. It can quickly verify the gameplay, accumulate word of mouth, and bring in direct cash flow."

"But this is only the beginning."

His finger pointed to the next part of the planning chart.

"We need to simultaneously plan development of the console version. I know our existing console's performance and market results are facing challenges, but supporting our own platform is a necessary stance. Moreover, the game itself is not complicated; the technical difficulty and resource investment of porting Tetris are relatively controllable."

Finally, his finger landed at the end of the planning chart, on a field many people might not yet have paid much attention to.

"Looking further ahead, I believe the true flashpoint for Tetris may be on future handheld game platforms!"

Handhelds?

The concept made some people frown faintly.

Everyone should have seen Nintendo's Game & Watch. The content and scale of Tetris are very suited to being made for a platform of that level. We need to cover all platforms in every direction and earn as much profit as possible for the company.

"When I was developing it earlier, my older sister also took part in playtesting. She actually isn't interested in our other Sega games, but she could play Tetris for an entire afternoon. To a certain extent, this shows that Tetris, like board and card games, has a certain appeal to women. The current game audience is mainly male, and Tetris can attract women; that is a blue ocean market. And once women participate in games, they will also attract more men to join in. That is another expansion of the audience."

"Imagine," Nakayama Takuya said, his voice carrying an infectious force that painted the future, "players in the future, whether men or women, old or young, able to take out portable gaming devices, connect through data cables, and battle in Tetris anytime, anywhere. Confrontation between people has far more variation than confrontation between a person and a preset program, so the game's replayability will rise even further."

"This is not merely a game. This will be an entirely new social experience! A phenomenal pop culture!"

The meeting room was deathly silent.

Everyone was drawn in by the blueprint he had described, pondering that possibility.

From a primitive little Soviet program to a grand plan that included arcades, consoles, and even future handhelds, while emphasizing global exclusive copyright and social attributes.

What this newly appointed "deputy group leader" had brought was far more than just a game.

Nakayama Hayao had been listening quietly all along, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the tabletop.

At this moment, he finally raised his eyes, his sharp gaze falling on his son. Deep within that look, something seemed to be surging.

He did not immediately state his position. He only spoke slowly, his voice carrying unquestionable authority as it echoed through the quiet meeting room.

"Regarding the copyright negotiations," Nakayama Hayao's gaze first turned to the head of the international business department, a stern-looking middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, "the international business department will follow up immediately. Takuya," he turned to Takuya, "will provide the preliminary information and direction. As for matters involving the Soviets, come up with a feasible plan as soon as possible. I want to see results."

The head of the international business department immediately bowed slightly. "Yes, President. We will set up a special task force at once." Then he said to Takuya, "Deputy Group Leader Nakayama, please hand over the information and channels you have collected to us after the meeting." Nakayama Takuya nodded noncommittally.

Then Nakayama Hayao continued, "The legal department will be responsible for review and oversight. Don't let the Soviets or anyone else exploit loopholes. Make certain that what we obtain is all global copyrights."

"Yes, President." The head of the legal department also bowed slightly and agreed.

"Regarding development," he looked toward the head of the development department, "the Third Development Group will, based on Nakayama Takuya's proposal, immediately establish the Tetris project team and prioritize development of the arcade version. For technical support, coordinate with the hardware development department to resolve it."

"Yes, President!" The leader of the Third Development Group hurriedly accepted.

"And! I don't need to say much about basic confidentiality, do I? I don't want a simple copyright acquisition to sprout extra branches outside the knot, creating unnecessary trouble and costs." Nakayama Hayao added one final sentence.

"Hai!" Everyone present nodded in acknowledgment.

With just a few brief sentences, the tone for this enormous plan was set.

The atmosphere in the meeting room quietly changed.

The scrutiny and suspicion directed at Nakayama Takuya began to be replaced by a mix of surprise, curiosity, and even a trace of expectation.

This young man seemed to truly have something to him. Moreover, standing behind him was Nakayama Hayao himself.

Nakayama Takuya's heart steadied slightly, but he knew that this was merely obtaining the ticket to enter.