Chapter Summaries

Nakayama Takuya helped Eri rethink how to manage the stalled Cooking Master Boy production in Beijing, advising her to focus on getting usable footage on schedule rather than fixing the local team’s procedures. Eri regained her confidence and prepared to put his advice into practice.

• Eri called Takuya and described how delays and bureaucratic procedures had stalled filming and equipment clearance in Beijing.
• Takuya told Eri to focus on delivering footage on time and within budget instead of trying to manage or reform the Chinese team.
• Takuya advised Eri to empower a capable local collaborator, provide flexible funding, and allow the station to use copies of the finished footage.
• Eri understood Takuya’s advice, felt reassured by his support, and resolved to move forward with the production.

Eri reported that Takuya’s logistics support plan had resolved production obstacles in China, and Sega’s November games and Game Pocket were performing strongly. Takuya pushed new development plans while preparing Sega to profit before he expected Japan’s economic bubble to burst.

• Eri told Takuya that the Chinese producer had used the logistics budget to speed up filming, secure locations and cooperation, and complete the first batch of master tapes for shipment to Tokyo.
• Takuya’s assistant reported strong sales for Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Grand Strategy, and Shinobi 2, while Game Pocket had pushed Nintendo’s Game Boy below twenty percent market share.
• Takuya ordered the Shinobi 2 team to develop an action game for Sega’s new arcade board, Group Eight to prepare a Game Pocket port of Grand Strategy, and Group Three to accelerate Pokémon Gold/Silver.
• Takuya reflected that he had scheduled Sega’s major releases for November to earn players’ money before the bubble burst, leaving December’s sales opportunity to third parties.

At the Gundam 10th Anniversary press conference, Yoshiyuki Tomino explained that he was stepping back to recover and credited Sega’s Nakayama Takuya with inspiring the new Mobile Fighter G Gundam and its model technology. A report cataloging Takuya’s many hit-game contributions made him a sensation among players, who hailed him as Sega’s counterpart to Shigeru Miyamoto.

• Bandai president Yamashina Makoto unveiled a glue-free snap-fit commemorative model, and Sunrise announced Mobile Fighter G Gundam.
• A reporter challenged Yoshiyuki Tomino about not directing the new series, and Tomino said health issues had led him to rest while he entrusted the project to a new team.
• Tomino credited Nakayama Takuya with advising him to recover and with providing the creative idea behind the new Gundam work.
• A Bandai executive said Nakayama had also inspired the snap-fit model technology, prompting reporters to publicize his role.
• A report listed Nakayama’s many games and industry contributions, leading players to call him Sega’s answer to Shigeru Miyamoto.

As Sega’s November game releases lost momentum and third-party hits dominated December, Nakayama Takuya worried that Japan’s economic bubble was about to burst. He urged Director Hattori to pursue affordable-brand partnerships, beginning with Uniqlo, so Sega’s licensed characters would reach consumers as spending tightened.

• Takuya reviewed strong December sales for Konami’s Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and discussed the varied fortunes of other third-party games with his assistant.
• Takuya reflected that the coming economic downturn could devastate companies and considered how Sega could prepare beyond shifting domestic assets.
• Takuya went to Sega Galaxy and praised Director Hattori’s licensing business, which was generating substantial revenue from Sega characters such as Sonic.
• Takuya told Hattori that Mieno Yasushi had replaced Satoshi Sumita as central bank governor and warned that rising interest rates would end Japan’s economic frenzy.
• Takuya proposed partnering with affordable brands such as Uniqlo and offering favorable licensing terms to expand Sega’s reach as consumers cut spending.
• Hattori agreed to pursue the plan, and Takuya urged him to start with Uniqlo.

Takuya watched the premiere of Eri’s cooking program, Cooking Master Boy, and praised its presentation and home-cooking segment. His mother, Nakayama Miyuki, approved of the show and warmly spoke with Eri, leaving Takuya under orders to treat her well.

• Takuya stayed home to watch Cooking Master Boy’s premiere because Eri had asked him to see it.
• The program showcased a master preparing Steamed Qilin Fish, then demonstrated a simplified version using ingredients available in Japanese supermarkets.
• Nakayama Miyuki watched the show and said she wanted to try making the dish herself.
• Takuya called Eri in Guangzhou and told her that his mother had enjoyed the program.
• Nakayama Miyuki spoke with Eri, invited her to visit, and told Takuya to treat his future fiancée properly.

After Japan’s stock market crashed, Sega’s directors feared the company would be devastated, but Nakayama Hayao and Nakayama Takuya revealed that they had prepared for the downturn. The meeting ended with the directors impressed by Takuya’s plans to protect and expand Sega’s business.

• The Nikkei 225 reached a record 38,915 points before plunging on January 12, 1990, triggering panic and mass selling.
• Sega’s directors gathered for an emergency board meeting, where Hoshino and Sugiura regretted opposing the Nakayama family’s asset liquidation plan.
• Nakayama Hayao reassured the directors that Sega had shifted its investments and capital to European and American markets before the crash.
• Nakayama Takuya outlined plans to expand Sega’s overseas markets, focus development on arcades and handhelds, and release games before the holiday sales cycle.
• Takuya described partnerships with affordable-goods brands, including Uniqlo, and plans to sell used SG-1000 consoles and handhelds in Eastern Europe.
• The directors offered a few suggestions before ending the meeting with renewed respect for Takuya’s preparation.

Nakagawa Eri returned to Tokyo after filming Cooking Master Boy, and Nakayama Takuya welcomed her home. Eri met Takuya’s parents, who warmly approved of her, and invited him to meet her own parents the next day.

• Nakayama Takuya welcomed Nakagawa Eri at Haneda Airport after her production crew returned from China.
• Nakagawa Eri told Nakayama Takuya about completing five episodes ahead of schedule and training local television staff.
• Nakayama Miyuki warmly welcomed Eri to the Nakayama family home, where Eri presented gifts to Takuya’s parents and Takuya.
• Nakayama Miyuki showed Eri embarrassing childhood photos of Takuya, while Nakayama Hayao enjoyed the tea Eri had brought.
• Nakagawa Eri invited Takuya to meet her parents, and Takuya agreed to visit the next day.

Nakayama Takuya visited Nakagawa Eri’s family and won Nakagawa Jun’s approval by supporting Eri’s career and proposing a new direction for her program. He left after a warm family dinner, while Jun became eager to review Takuya’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire proposal.

• Nakayama Takuya visited the Nakagawa home, gave Nakagawa Eri plush dolls, and reassured Nakagawa Jun that he would support Eri’s ambitions.
• Takuya proposed turning Cooking Master Boy into Money-Saving Battle, a budget cooking competition suited to households facing economic hardship.
• Nakagawa Jun praised Takuya’s idea and accepted his promise to help Eri and support the television station.
• At dinner, Takuya recognized Eri’s fish-fragrant shredded pork tamagoyaki and praised her cooking.
• Eri told Nakagawa Jun about Takuya’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire proposal, making Jun eager to see it, but Nakagawa Takako stopped them from discussing work during the visit.
• Takuya said goodbye to Eri at dusk, and she watched his car leave before returning inside with a smile.

As Japan’s downturn weakened Sega’s arcades, Nakayama Takuya proposed a strategy built on better 2D hardware, modular arcade peripherals, and shared investment in 3D. He outlined racing and realistic 3D fighting games for Yu Suzuki, who eagerly named the latter VirtuaFighter.

• Director Takahashi reported that arcade traffic had fallen for three weeks and said home consoles were taking business from arcades.
• Nakayama Takuya urged Takahashi and Yu Suzuki to focus on games with strong coin-in rates and differentiate arcades through experiences unavailable at home.
• Takuya proposed upgrading the System-18 Board, making arcade peripherals modular with costs shared by the home console department, and investing broadly in 3D technology.
• When Yu Suzuki pressed him for concrete game plans, Takuya described a high-speed first-person night racing game on the Wangan Line and a realistic 3D fighting game based on real martial arts.
• Yu Suzuki enthusiastically named the fighting-game project VirtuaFighter and rushed out to celebrate with Takuya.

As the stock market crash threatened Sunrise’s revenue and cash flow, Nakayama Takuya proposed measures to cut costs and find new income, then used the crisis to secure Sega’s alliance with Sunrise. The next day, he rejected Bandai’s overtures and assessed other weakened game companies as potential targets.

• Sunrise’s executives reported falling toy sales, shrinking revenue, and growing risks of delayed licensing payments, while disagreeing over whether anime should promote merchandise more aggressively.
• Nakayama Takuya recommended low-priced IP merchandise, overseas and domestic videotape licensing, expanded Chinese outsourcing, and lower-budget original anime to stabilize Sunrise’s finances.
• In private, Nakayama Takuya offered Sega’s support and proposed an alliance, and President Ito agreed while remaining president of Sunrise.
• After reviewing a report on game manufacturers, Nakayama Takuya ordered his staff to reject Bandai’s attempts to seek cooperation, citing its past treatment of Sega.
• Nakayama Takuya examined the financial troubles of Hudson, Namco, Taito, and Konami as potential opportunities.

Nakayama Takuya secured Sunrise's agreement to accept Sega's investment and proposed a Kirby game and animated adaptation as the first joint project. He left the game design and development details with Team Leader Shimizu while Sega prepared to negotiate the investment.

• Nakayama Takuya reported that Sunrise president Masatoshi Ito had agreed to Sega's capital injection and presented the signed letter of intent.
• Nakayama Hayao praised Takuya's achievement and ordered Yoshikawa and Hattori to negotiate with Sunrise as allies while defending Sega's core interests.
• Takuya decided to develop a Kirby handheld game and a synchronized Sunrise animation, outlining rules for Kirby's silent communication and the Pupupu Land setting.
• Takuya showed Team Leader Shimizu Kirby's design and explained the inhaling, ability-copying gameplay, four initial powers, simple difficulty, and unified art style.
• Team Leader Shimizu agreed to bring in artists and stage designers who had worked on Pokémon Adventure.

Nakayama Takuya visited GALLOP Animation Production to reshape the mythology for the second Pokémon film and propose a larger divine-beast system. Director Kunihiko Yuyama accepted Takuya’s invitation to help build it as an outside consultant for Sega Galaxy’s Children of the Star Ring creative department.

• Nakayama Takuya called Kunihiko Yuyama to discuss an idea for the second Pokémon theatrical film and visited GALLOP to review its Lugia concept art.
• Takuya challenged the idea of Lugia as the ruler of the sea, arguing that its supremacy over the Legendary Birds would weaken the story’s conflict.
• Takuya proposed that Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno represent balanced natural elements, while Lugia regulates ocean currents and restores balance when they lose control.
• Takuya outlined a broader Pokémon mythological universe linking Ho-Oh with life and Lugia and the Legendary Birds with the environment, alongside future divine beasts tied to other forces.
• Takuya invited Yuyama to join Sega Galaxy’s Children of the Star Ring creative department as an outside consultant and chief designer of the Pokémon divine-beast system, and Yuyama accepted.

Nakayama Takuya inspected Sega’s North American headquarters and, after seeing the success of its consoles, proposed embedding Sega products in television and film to make them part of everyday American life. Tom Kalinske embraced the plan and prepared to pursue Hollywood partnerships.

• Nakayama Takuya flew to San Francisco to assess the North American branch and Tom Kalinske’s performance.
• After noticing a game console was missing from the family living room on Growing Pains, Takuya wrote down an idea for a new marketing strategy.
• Tom Kalinske reported that Mega Drive sales had passed eleven million units in North America and GamePocket sales had exceeded five million.
• Takuya explained that Sega should place its consoles and handhelds in television shows and movies to normalize gaming for American families.
• Tom Kalinske recognized the potential of product placement, became excited, and proposed approaching Hollywood productions and exploring movie adaptations into games.

Tom Kalinske and Nakayama Takuya negotiated with Hollywood filmmakers to place Sega products in Home Alone and secure game rights to major film projects. Spielberg agreed to connect Takuya with Michael Crichton, leaving Sega with three major projects in play.

• Tom Kalinske, Bernard, and Nakayama Takuya flew to Los Angeles to negotiate with Hollywood studios.
• Kalinske offered John Hughes money to feature Sega consoles and a GamePocket in Home Alone, and Hughes accepted.
• Takuya asked Steven Spielberg about the game rights to Michael Crichton's unpublished dinosaur novel, surprising Spielberg with his knowledge of it.
• Bernard showed Spielberg a list of games planned by Takuya, and Spielberg admired Takuya's work and offered to arrange a meeting with Michael Crichton.
• Kalinske celebrated as the group headed back after securing three major projects.

Tom Kalinske and Nakayama Takuya visited Paramount Pictures, where Takuya impressed producer Mace Neufeld with his knowledge of Tom Clancy’s work and asked to meet the author about adapting his military world into games. Neufeld agreed to arrange an introduction, leaving Sega to persuade Clancy themselves.

• Tom Kalinske celebrated the prospect of securing a dinosaur-film project while he and Takuya toured the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Tom Kalinske and Nakayama Takuya visited Paramount Pictures and met producer Mace Neufeld after a screening of The Hunt for Red October.
• Takuya discussed the novel’s submarine details and asked Neufeld how the film had recreated its atmosphere, drawing the producer into the conversation.
• Takuya proposed meeting Tom Clancy to explore building his military world into interactive entertainment.
• Neufeld called Clancy’s agent to arrange a meeting, warning Takuya and Tom that Clancy might resist working with video-game makers.

Takuya and Tom Kalinske secured a brief meeting with Tom Clancy after Takuya convinced Mace Neufeld that Sega would not rush out a shoddy game. Takuya then visited Industrial Light & Magic, where he met director James Cameron, the famous truck driver.

• Mace Neufeld called Tom Clancy's agent and repeated Takuya's promise that Sega would avoid the kind of rushed game that had followed Atari's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
• Clancy agreed to meet Takuya and Tom Kalinske for half an hour the following Wednesday, though Neufeld warned them that Clancy distrusted game makers.
• After leaving Paramount, Takuya asked Bernard to arrange a visit to Industrial Light & Magic.
• At Industrial Light & Magic, Takuya and Tom saw motion-capture performers working under James Cameron's direction.
• Bernard introduced James Cameron to Tom Kalinske and Nakayama Takuya, and Tom recognized Cameron as the famous truck driver.

Takuya visited Hollywood with Tom Kalinske and Bernard, explored motion-capture technology for Sega, and rejected low-quality film projects. He then prepared a detailed tactical game concept to impress the stubborn writer Tom Clancy.

• Takuya asked James Cameron about using motion capture for a realistic 3D fighting game, and Cameron referred Sega to Motion Analysis Corporation.
• Bernard explained that his connections in Hollywood came through his father’s position at the Academy and said he had joined Sega to help create the future.
• Takuya declined several film pitches, telling Bernard that Sega wanted to pursue only premium projects.
• Tom Kalinske returned to Sega headquarters and urged Takuya to win over Tom Clancy.
• Takuya spent the weekend designing a tactical-planning game concept for Clancy’s novels, and Bernard was stunned by its detail and realism.

Takuya visited a private shooting range with Bernard, where he tried several firearms and discovered how much faster and more effective a rifle with a red dot sight was for him. After declining a professional tactical course, he left with Bernard, who suggested they spend the next day relaxing.

• Takuya asked Bernard to take him to a shooting range, and Bernard found a private facility with a former Marine instructor.
• Takuya tried several handguns and an M16A2, then criticized the iron sights for narrowing his field of view.
• Takuya used a competition AR-15 with a Swedish red dot sight and hit the nine-ring area or better with all five rapid shots.
• Takuya tried a Winchester lever-action rifle and a Remington shotgun, enjoying their different handling and power.
• Takuya declined the instructor's offer to run a tactical course, and Bernard proposed a relaxing day the next day.

Takuya and Bernard traveled from California to Maryland to meet Tom Clancy about adapting one of his novels into a Sega game. Takuya rejected The Hunt for Red October as unsuitable and pitched a tactical game based on Clear and Present Danger, leaving Clancy absorbed by the plans and maps.

• Bernard took Takuya to a Malibu beach restaurant before they flew to Washington and drove to Owings, Maryland.
• Takuya and Bernard waited at Clancy Insurance Associates, then met Tom Clancy for their scheduled appointment.
• Takuya told Clancy Sega was not seeking The Hunt for Red October rights because current game technology could not do the novel justice.
• Takuya proposed adapting Clear and Present Danger and showed Clancy detailed tactical maps and plans for a squad-based strategy game.
• Takuya described hiring military consultants and asked Clancy to introduce Sega to suitable military contacts.

Takuya secured Tom Clancy’s cooperation on a game based on his novel, then traveled across North America to inspect Sega’s retail and arcade presence firsthand. The trip showed him that Sega attracted teens, but Nintendo appealed more to families, while DDR’s difficulty and the arcade scene’s competitive culture shaped how players chose games.

• Tom Clancy agreed to help Takuya find a military consultant, provided he could play the finished game before its release and approve it.
• After Bernard returned to Redwood City to report to Kalinske, Takuya chose to travel across North America with Mark and inspect the market.
• At Walmart, Takuya saw more families gathered around Nintendo and learned that clerks recommended it as a child’s first console, unlike Sega’s teen-focused appeal.
• At Toys "R" Us, Takuya found Sega and Nintendo evenly matched, while Game Pocket faced little competition.
• At a Chicago arcade, Takuya saw crowds around Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury but few players trying DDR, and learned that newcomers feared being laughed at by experienced players.