Recaps

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 celebrated Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’s ratings success as advertisers rushed to buy its remaining slots.
• Nakayama Takuya and Hoshino profited from Britain’s withdrawal from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, securing funds for Sega’s research and development.
• Nakayama Takuya persuaded Sega’s board to approve a next-generation console project and assigned Yuji Naka and Department Head Nakamura to develop its CPU and memory-card systems.
• Nakayama Takuya arranged a North American promotional team for Yu Suzuki’s VR Racing debut at Suzuka, where Mark Cerny and Kevin helped transform Sega’s booth into a polished attraction.
• Nakayama Takuya gave Ron Dennis safety proposals for protecting F1 drivers, while VR Racing and Pikachu merchandise drew large crowds at the Japanese Grand Prix.
• Nakayama Takuya launched Chrono Trigger as a lavish Sega-CD release, and its positive reviews and perfect Famitsu score fueled sales and fan interest.
• Nakayama Takuya promoted a New Year Grand Thank-You Festival with third-party publishers, prompting Nintendo to match Sega’s discounts as shoppers bought games from both companies.
• Nakayama Takuya refused Casio’s request to reissue the sold-out Chrono Trigger watch, leaving disappointed buyers more willing to wait for the Mega Drive version.

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.

• Nakayama Takuya warned Tom Kalinske that Mortal Kombat and Night Trap could provoke public backlash, prompting American companies to establish the ESRB rating system.
• Nakayama Takuya brought Mark Cerny to Sega to help plan a next-generation console, and Yu Suzuki challenged him to find a game that showcased analog controls.
• Nakayama Takuya approved new proposals including Phantasy Star III, a Pokémon adventure, a police-chase racing game, and a Japanese yokai Metroidvania.
• Sony abandoned its Nintendo-controlled console deal, renamed its project PlayStation, and partnered with Namco to develop the System 11 arcade board.
• Nakayama Takuya redirected Sega’s development teams toward next-generation hardware while allowing selected Mega Drive and System 32 projects to continue.
• Nakayama Takuya arranged for Sega to work with Hong Kong’s Nine-Tattoo Dragon to move cheap and pirated Sega products into Mainland China while preventing them from returning to other markets.
• Nakayama Takuya assigned Shimizu’s team Mobile Suit GUNDAM: Battle Operation, designed to showcase Model 2 graphics, dual-stick controls, and customizable mecha.
• Sega and Madhouse posters appeared across Akihabara in March, drawing attention to Sega’s anime-game crossover strategy.

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.

• Sega launched Sakura Wars alongside its television anime, and players bought Sega-CD systems to continue Sakura’s story in the game.
• Nakayama Takuya released Chrono Trigger for the Mega Drive, then traveled to California to coordinate Sega’s Jurassic Park game and film promotion.
• After Steven Spielberg praised the game, Nakayama secured wider promotion, while Nine-Tattoo Dragon’s console-rental business expanded into mainland China.
• Jurassic Park became a worldwide hit, driving sales of Sega games and consoles as well as Bandai’s dinosaur merchandise.
• After disasters in Japan prompted him to consider preparedness, Nakayama recruited Hisao Oguchi and twelve veteran employees to coordinate development teams.
• Nakayama assigned the Sonic Pinball team to create 72 Hours After the Disaster, a survival game centered on preparedness, resource management, and rescuing neighbors.
• Matsushita launched the REAL-3DO in the United States for $699, and buyers admired its games but balked at the price as Samsung left the 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.

• Yamauchi Hiroshi ordered Nintendo to begin Project Reality after the 3DO’s $699 price revealed that the next-generation console race had begun, while Sony pursued PlayStation and Atari’s Jaguar drew skepticism.
• Nakayama Takuya attended Square’s sold-out game-music concert, where Nobuo Uematsu introduced him and Yasunori Mitsuda’s Chrono Trigger performance earned a standing ovation.
• After Sega and Nintendo ended their holiday discount battle, Sega’s R3000S prototype succeeded, and Nakayama Takuya approved Jupiter as the new console’s codename.
• Sega’s TheKingofFighters2 and the R3000S-powered Virtua Fighter 2 demonstrated Sega’s arcade strengths, while Nakayama Takuya prepared Model 2 development kits and a Jupiter prototype for Sega of America.
• Nakayama Takuya visited Blizzard, encouraged Mike Morhaime and Chris Mason to expand Warcraft’s setting and lore, and later urged Silicon Valley Online to invest in its growing community despite rising costs.
• Nakayama Takuya proposed a website directory, WebLog, ICQ Show, and a search engine and portal for Silicon Valley Online, while Frank Marshall and Tom Kalinske planned technical assessments and wagered on the company’s IPO valuation.
• Nakayama Takuya and Miyagawa Yasuo pitched Mashin Hero Wataru and Mado King Granzort to Ted Turner, then negotiated a tiered Cartoon Network deal that increased Bandai’s revenue share if the anime’s ratings rose.
• Nakayama Takuya arranged talks for Turner to acquire TV Tokyo’s quiz-show format, and after returning to Sega of America he found Mark Cerny looking exhausted beside a vending machine.