Waiting for the Right Price
The streets of Osaka are a little less impetuous and a little more solid than those of Tokyo.
Nakayama Takuya drove the RX7 through the business district, the roar of the engine echoing among the tall buildings.
The scenery outside the window gradually changes from the bustling shopping street to the industrial park. The twelve-story modern office building of Konami headquarters is shining in the sun.
It is in sharp contrast to the slightly old building Square.
This company is clearly on the upswing.
The glass curtain walls of the building are spotless, the flower beds at the entrance are neatly trimmed, and even the security guards' uniforms are neatly ironed.
Takuya parked the car in the visitor parking space and straightened his tie.
Today's negotiation partner is not a troubled company like Square, but a business beast with a keen sense of smell.
The decoration style in the hall is simple yet elegant, and classic game posters of Konami over the years are hung on the wall.
The receptionist's smile is standard and professional, her uniform has no wrinkles, and the folders on the table are neatly arranged by color.
"Mr. Nakayama, President Kozuki is already waiting for you in the reception room."
The layout of the reception room reveals the taste and strength of the owner.
The Genuine Leather sofa exudes a faint scent of cowhide. The tea set on the coffee table is of the finest Arita Ware. Although the calligraphy and paintings on the wall are not authentic works by famous artists, they are beautifully framed and obviously cost a lot of money.
Takuya had just sat down for less than three minutes when the door was pushed open.
Kozuki Kagemasa strode into the room. He was of medium height, with a well-tailored suit and well-polished leather shoes.
The most eye-catching thing is the pair of eyes - shining shrewdly through gold-rimmed glasses, as if they can see through all business secrets.
"Nakayama is a professional, a great name that I have admired for a long time."
Kozuki Kagemasa's handshake is just right, showing politeness and hinting at one's position.
His smile was gentle, but there was a sense of distance unique to businessmen in that gentleness.
"President Kozuki, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet."
Takuya responded to this commercial politeness while observing the other party's reaction.
After the two sat down, Kozuki Kagemasa personally poured tea for Takuya, his movements were skillful and elegant.
"I heard that Sega has been making a lot of moves recently. It seems that it is going to flex its muscles in the home machine market."
This sentence may seem casual, but it is actually testing the true purpose of Takuya's visit.
Takuya Picked up the tea cup and took a sip. The quality of the tea was indeed good.
"President Kozuki is indeed well-informed. Indeed, Sega is preparing a new generation of 16-bit console. I came here today hoping that Konami can become our partner."
Straight to the point, no unnecessary foreshadowing.
Kozuki Kagemasa's eyes brightened slightly, but his expression still maintained the restraint of a businessman.
"Oh? What are the conditions for Sega?"
Asked directly to the core, he is indeed a shopping mall veteran.
Takuya put down the tea cup and explained Sega's third-party policy that he had previously told Square.
After Takuya finished speaking, there was a brief silence in the reception room.
Kozuki Kagemasa picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then thought quietly for a while.
Takuya did not disturb his thinking and patiently sipped the tea.
"Nakayama Specialist, these conditions are indeed very attractive."
Kozuki Kagemasa raised his head and looked into Takuya's eyes.
"But I have a few questions. As a challenger, does Sega really have the strength to support these policies?"
This question goes to the heart of the matter.
Takuya has been prepared for a long time, and his expression is still confident and calm.
"President Kozuki's concerns are very reasonable. But please consider a question - why does Sega dare to put forward such a condition?"
"Because we are confident that we can gain market share through content advantages, rather than relying on monopoly to maintain profits."
Kozuki Kagemasa picked up the tea cup again, but didn't drink it, just held it in his hand.
"With such preferential treatment of third parties, where is Sega's own profit point? How long can this policy be maintained?"
The old fox's true nature is fully revealed, and every question hits the mark.
Takuya stood up and walked to the window. The sunlight cast mottled light and shadow on him through the blinds.
"President Kozuki, how long do you think Nintendo's monopoly can last? Especially when it is so harsh on third parties."
He turned around and asked Kozuki Kagemasa a rhetorical question.
"The market is always changing. Control will only make the cake smaller and smaller, but what we have to do is make the entire market bigger."
"When the market is large enough, even a smaller share can bring significant gains."
Kozuki Kagemasa put down the tea cup, a thoughtful light flashed in his eyes.
This statement does make sense. Nintendo's overbearing policies have caused dissatisfaction in the entire industry.
"For the well-informed Konami, I don't have to hide it," Takuya sat down again and his voice became more serious, "There are not only two choices on the market, Nintendo and Sega."
This sentence caused a subtle change in Kozuki Kagemasa's expression.
"I heard that Hudson has been in contact with NEC for a long time, very closely and frequently."
Takuya did not put pressure directly, but pointed out the complexity of the market.
"By then, there will be multiple OEMs competing on the market. The third party's contribution to the sales of new consoles will certainly not be insignificant, so the sincerity of the new OEMs will be very important. That's why we at Sega have given such generous policies."
Kozuki Kagemasa listened to Takuya's straightforward explanation, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the handrail. This subtle movement revealed the turmoil in his heart.
Of course he is aware of the cooperation between Hudson and NEC. Although Hudson itself is limited in size, NEC does have good technical strength.
If a tripartite situation really forms, choosing a camp really needs to be put on the agenda.
Although Hudson and NEC have not started to contact third-party manufacturers, the conditions currently proposed by Sega are undoubtedly the most friendly to third parties.
"Specialist Nakayama, your analysis makes sense."
Kozuki Kagemasa reorganized his words, the businessman's caution prevented him from expressing his position easily.
"But for such an important decision, I need to fully discuss it with the board of directors."
This answer was expected by Takuya.
Businessmen like Kozuki Kagemasa don't make decisions on the first meeting.
"Of course it's understandable."
Takuya stood up, "I just hope Konami can seriously consider this opportunity."
"Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared and those who dare to seize the opportunity."
Kozuki Kagemasa also stood up, and the two shook hands again.
"Specialist Nakayama, thank you for your candor. I will seriously consider Sega's proposal and maintain communication."
The polite words reveal the shrewdness of a businessman, neither promising anything nor closing the door.
When walking out of the Konami building, Takuya looked back at the sparkling building.
He knew that he had planted a seed in Kozuki Kagemasa's heart. A profit-seeking businessman like Kozuki Kagemasa was destined to enter the game at the right time, because he knew that Konami was one of the first well-known third-party manufacturers to develop games for MD.
But when this seed will sprout depends on changes in the market structure and the actual performance of the new Sega console.
But at least, Konami has heard the voice of Sega.
The battle has just begun, and every third-party manufacturer is a chess piece that needs to be fought over carefully.
Square's desperation makes them easily persuaded, but Konami's good experience and status can make them more eager to sell.
This is the reality of the business world - everyone is looking out for their own interests.
But it was this kind of calculation that made him believe that Sega's favorable conditions would eventually come into play.
After all, in business, interests are the best lobbyists.