Festival of Lights · Diwali
Nakayama Takuya used his enhanced Tetris to win support inside Sega and proposed a new fighting game, Project K, as part of a broader plan to challenge Nintendo. He secured Oba Kotaro and Masami Kurumada for a preliminary Fatal Fury collaboration as Sega prepared to exploit controversy around Nintendo’s NES promotion.
Takuya used Fatal Fury’s anime tie-in and tutorial to drive an arcade hit while Nintendo strengthened its home-console position with The Legend of Zelda and the Disk System. He won approval for Sega’s 16-bit console plan and began building Pokémon into a new electronic pet, anime, and merchandise project.
Nakayama Takuya expanded Sega’s Fatal Fury tournament and Pokémon plans while Nintendo faced pressure from rivals and a North American publicity scandal. The arc ended with Pokémon’s anime premiere drawing huge audiences and the electronic pet selling briskly, as Nakayama Takuya asked Director Yuyama to address potentially harmful flashing effects.
Kyosuke’s Pikachu became part of the Pokémon boom as Sega expanded its Pokémon services and Nakayama Takuya prepared a new console and its games. After recruiting several developers, Takuya faced resistance over anime licensing and decided to investigate the business ties behind Sunrise’s refusal.
Nakayama Takuya secured cooperation with Sony and Bandai while advancing Sega’s new console, handheld research, and arcade projects. The stretch ended with Sega’s robot fighting game proving profitable and the board approving a major chip order from Toshiba.
Sega launched the Mega Drive with Pokémon games and a citywide campaign, then used the console’s strong sales to recruit third-party developers and plan a handheld. The arc left Sega building a broader game lineup as Nintendo prepared its own 16-bit response.
Nakayama Takuya built Sega’s third-party partnerships and expanded its ambitions into animation, manga, and connected IP worlds while overseeing new games. The arc ended with Takuya bringing Rieko Kodama into the Phantasy Star team and setting the team to develop Golden Sun as a trilogy.
Sega built anticipation for Mewtwo Strikes Back, prepared the Game Pocket, and launched it with Pokémon and a broad lineup of games. After Game Pocket outsold Nintendo’s Game Boy, Takuya pushed Sega’s next plans and backed Tom Kalinske’s proposal for an autonomous North American operation.
Nakayama Takuya steered Sega away from risky domestic investments while expanding its games, licensing, and overseas ambitions, and he helped reshape anime and toy projects. The stretch left Sega preparing for an economic downturn as Takuya’s relationship with Eri deepened and her television program premiered.
Takuya steered Sega through the market crash, expanded its entertainment and Hollywood partnerships, and pursued new hardware and game projects. The arc left him engaged to Eri and building a tactical-game venture around a standardized firearms rail.
Nakayama Takuya secured film and firearm partnerships, launched new Sega projects, and married Eri as Sega prepared to challenge Nintendo’s Super Famicom. Sega’s promotions drew publishers toward the Mega Drive, leaving Yamauchi Haku demanding that Nintendo rely on more first-party games.
Nakayama Takuya advanced Sega’s game projects while building a cross-Pacific network and email system with government and academic support. The email trial impressed officials, and Sega prepared to expand its services and promote them to other ministries.
Nakayama Takuya expanded Sega’s BBS plans into Silicon Valley Online and launched ICQ, drawing users and major investors while overseeing Sega’s game projects and the birth of his son. The arc ended with Sequoia and KPCB investing $10 million in Silicon Valley Online as the company prepared to announce its next target.
As Sega’s arcade and game releases challenged Nintendo, Nakayama Takuya reorganized Sega’s development teams and pushed new projects. Nintendo uncovered Sony’s contractual route into the console market and turned to Philips, while Square began planning a new time-spanning game.
Nakayama Takuya prepared Sega’s CES showcase as Sony and Nintendo’s clash reshaped the console race, and Norio Ohga backed Ken Kutaragi’s effort to build a new Sony console. Meanwhile, John Wick became a major success across theaters and arcades, leaving Tom Kalinske and Ron Meyer planning a wider franchise.
Nakayama Takuya helped Daigo Umehara rise from an arcade newcomer to national King of Fighters champion while advancing Sega’s next console plans and pursuing new partnerships and investments. The stretch ended with Nakayama and Eri watching Money Quiz as its contestant risked his winnings on an uncertain answer.
Nakayama Takuya turned the success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire into funding and momentum for Sega’s next-generation hardware, while VR Racing and Chrono Trigger became major promotional successes. The arc ended with Sega’s New Year campaign expanding the market and the limited Chrono Trigger watch selling out as Sega refused to reissue it.
Nakayama Takuya steered Sega toward new hardware and games while responding to controversy over violent titles and pursuing opportunities in China. The stretch ended with Sega’s Gundam project underway and its anime-game strategy gaining attention in Akihabara.
Sega turned Sakura Wars and Jurassic Park into major hits while Nakayama Takuya expanded the company’s development capabilities and began a disaster-prevention game. The arc ended with the expensive REAL-3DO launching in the United States to cautious buyers and a shrinking alliance.
Nakayama Takuya oversaw Sega’s next-generation hardware and games while helping Blizzard expand Warcraft and Silicon Valley Online develop new services. He also negotiated a Cartoon Network deal for Sunrise’s anime and returned to Sega of America, where he found Mark Cerny exhausted.