Ken Kutaragi froze for a moment, his eyes widening slightly.
He had never expected Nobuyuki Idei—always so domineering, valuing control more dearly than life itself—to so bluntly admit his strategic shortcomings before his old rival, Norio Ohga.
"Actually—we have good games too." Ken Kutaragi hurriedly added, trying to salvage some dignity for the Electronic Entertainment Department. "The Crash Bandicoot developed by the Naughty Dog studio we funded has performed exceptionally well in North America. Its first-week sales may not compare to an unreasonable monster like Final Fantasy VII, but it has genuinely boosted PlayStation's installed base in Europe and North America. That proves that as long as the game is good enough, players are willing to pay for a PlayStation!"
"But there is only one Crash Bandicoot." Nobuyuki Idei cut him off coldly, rapping the tabletop hard with his fingers. "And Naughty Dog is only a mid-sized studio, with limited output. What we need is a blockbuster bomb that can settle the matter with a single blow! We need a phenomenon-level masterpiece that will make players brave the winter wind and line up to fight for a PlayStation just to play it!"
Norio Ohga turned to Nobuyuki Idei, his gaze profound. "What do you mean?"
"Throw money at it." Nobuyuki Idei spat out the two words without hesitation, greed and dominance befitting a capital tycoon erupting in his eyes. "Sony lacks nothing—least of all money! Sega can provide Square with underlying technology and all-encompassing promotional channels, but Sony can give them even more!"
Nobuyuki Idei abruptly rose and walked to the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the glittering waters of Tokyo Bay and the forest of high-rises.
"Starting today, all budget approvals for the Electronic Entertainment Department will go through my special authorization as president. Sony's overall financial situation