After the initial surprise, Yu Suzuki immediately realized that this seemed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and volunteered:
"Mr. Lin, our AM2 team is currently developing a motion-sensing chassis."
"R360, right?"
Lin Lixin didn't seem surprised at all; instead, he directly called out the project's code name.
As it is their own subsidiary, although Sega is currently focusing on the Japan market, Lin Lixin is still paying close attention to their situation.
After all, Sega is a crucial foothold for Gamenova in the Japan market.
It would be difficult for Gamefreak to achieve much in such a closed and exclusive market on its own.
Of course, keeping a close eye on Nintendo and Sony is also one of their main tasks.
Although Lin Lixin seems to have never had any dealings with AM2, he spends most of his time with AM8 and AM10, after all, Sonic the Hedgehog and Metal Slug are his own creations.
However, as Sega's core product and a major player in the arcade market, AM2 was naturally something Lin Lixin couldn't completely ignore.
"Oh, so you knew all along."
Yu Suzuki's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood. No wonder they called him here now; could it be that they valued his talent?
"A 360-degree freely rotating arcade machine is indeed an amazing idea."
Lin Lixin nodded.
This thing is practically a tangible manifestation of Yu Suzuki's personality.
It is absolutely one of the craziest and most irrational products in the world.
Yu Suzuki is completely different from ordinary game designers.
Lin Lixin couldn't say whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Unlike other designers who viewed arcade machines as a medium for games, Yu Suzuki's view was completely the opposite.
The game itself is the medium, a tool used to showcase the charm of the mechanical structures on arcade machines.
In the gaming industry, every renowned producer has their own unique style.
Take, for example, the three powerful figures under Lin Lixin's command.
Will Wright, who focuses on systemic simulation and emergence; Sid Meier, who advocates for decision-making and strategy.
John Carmack devoted himself entirely to computer graphics and algorithms.
The three people have completely different design styles.
Yu Suzuki is the same.
Its success lies in immersion, and its downfall also stems from immersion.
His approach, which disregards project scale and cost and excessively demands a sense of immersion, is very similar to Lin Lixin's.
Unfortunately, he didn't die.
The same applies to R360 and Shenmue.
Ultimately, Yu Suzuki brought Sega countless critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful "commercial garbage" products, causing Sega to drown in the ocean of its ideals.
"However, we don't need the super-large frame of the R360."
"I don't know if you've done any technical verification, Suzuki? Or did you just assume it would work and start working on it?" "Uh... we tried doing some simple tests..."
And the result?
"Everyone thinks it's really cool... I mean, it really is cool, people tumbling through the sky with the plane..."
Have you considered the issue of dizziness?
Lin Lixin waved his hand and said.
The numerous advantages of the r360 are also precisely its disadvantages.
"Have you considered that players aren't professionally trained pilots? They might experience dizziness, nausea, or even vomiting. The R360 isn't suitable for extended gameplay; it's ultimately just a novelty."
Yu Suzuki frowned, instinctively feeling somewhat indignant at Lin Lixin's denial.
However, he could not offer any rebuttal, because what Lin Lixin said was indeed true.
"I want to provide players with the most immersive experience, even without repeat purchases..."
"What about the costs? How many of these machines do you expect to have in an arcade?" "... But Ace Combat also..."
" Ace Combat has DOD and Lockheed as backups, yet it still hasn't broken even in arcades."
Ace Combat is not a typical arcade game.
It's simply Gamenova's annual showcase of technical prowess, designed to demonstrate their skills and test cutting-edge technologies on arcade platforms.
Lin Lixin's expectations for the arcade division have always been very clear.
A platform better suited for testing new hardware technologies.
As for its profitability... it depends a lot.
"The revenue from a batch of ' Hotline Miami ' easily surpasses that of ' Ace Combat ' in a month, and if I'm not mistaken, the cost of the R360 is even more outrageous than that of ' Ace Combat '."
Upon hearing this, Yu Suzuki murmured something and fell silent again.
Lin Lixin's words are true.
The cost of one R360 is conservatively estimated at around $70,000.
No arcade would be willing to spend such a high price to buy a machine that takes up several square meters. To put it bluntly, the cost and space it occupies are enough for the arcade owner to display a long string of games like Hotline Miami or Diablo.
These are the real money-making assets.
It will never be a money-making project.
Even if it's a predictable money-loser, it will bring a huge financial burden to Sega.
"So... Mr. Lin, you don't have a positive outlook on the R360 project?"
After saying that, Yu Suzuki slumped down completely, his previous spirits instantly shattered.
Lin Lixin's every word hit the machine's weak points.
It's simply... a "spectacle".
It's like an expensive marketing campaign that serves no purpose other than boosting Sega's influence and brand awareness.
"Hmm? How could that be? I actually think a lot of good things about this project."
Lin Lixin laughed heartily.
Although this thing has little commercial value, that doesn't mean they can't do it. "Funding isn't a problem. With Gamenova involved, how could AM2 possibly lack a budget? Don't worry, I won't interfere with AM2's project."
"Can..."
"The R360's main battleground isn't the arcade, Suzuki; it should be in amusement parks, where there's plenty of open space and players waiting for dizzyingly exciting rides."
It's more like a totem.
It attracts a constant stream of tourists.
Even if those people don't intend to actually go and experience it, but are merely coming to visit.
But that's enough.
Its purpose is achieved when tourists are drawn into the store and the amusement park.
In the original timeline, the R360 was Yu Suzuki, representing the pinnacle of the motion-sensing era.
But it is also the end.
The market delivered a resounding slap to Yu Suzuki's face, the hardest slap in history, and also served as a wake-up call.
This led to later works like " Virtua Racing," " Virtua Fighter," and "Daytonausa," which returned to simplicity yet were still excellent. This was Yu Suzuki's destined tribulation, and an inevitable trial.
"In short, we won't be using the R360 this time, or even any large chassis. It will be very lightweight, and won't even have a cockpit or seats."
"Uh? So how do we do motion sensing?"
Yu Suzuki was taken aback.
He was a very devout and fervent cockpit enthusiast.
Lin Lixin smiled; this was precisely one of the main reasons he sought out Yu Suzuki.
He wanted to give Yu Suzuki a heads-up in advance.
The future excellent arcade racing game "Daytonausa" does an outstanding job of balancing commercial appeal and motion-based gameplay.
It has even been hailed as the "gold standard" of arcade racing games, and its influence on later generations has been enormous.
Even back in the " Rock N' Roll Racing " era, Lin Lixin had already tried to apply some of the techniques from the show.
"We'll rely on vibration and sound."
"But we don't have any seats..." "Indeed, we don't, but what if we start here?"
Lin Lixin stretched out his finger and pointed to the ground beneath his feet.
Yu Suzuki's eyes lit up.
"You mean... a platform, a platform that can vibrate?"
"That's right."
Lin Lixin gestured for Yu Suzuki to look at the parameters on the screen again.
"You see, human perception of rhythm is actually very limited. We don't need the entire music to participate in the vibration, but only the rhythmic elements."
"Drums and bass?"
Yu Suzuki seemed to be deep in thought, his gaze falling on the two sets of low frequencies.
Each drumbeat vibrates the soles of your feet, and the deep bass frequencies cause the floor to vibrate continuously.
It seems... quite feasible?
"My understanding of motion sensing differs slightly from that of the AM2, Suzuki. I prefer it to be a means to enhance the player experience, rather than something that overshadows it." "However, I don't oppose the AM2's approach; the market certainly needs products that push motion sensing to its limits."
"Low-frequency vibrations of tens of hertz provide players with a strong sense of rhythm without taking away too much of their attention."
"Let's add some Japan lights, a subwoofer, an air cannon, and other gadgets to the machine."
As Yu Suzuki listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he felt his thoughts becoming clearer and clearer.
He didn't intend to give up his current motion-sensing approach, but Lin Lixin's words did make him realize many things he had previously overlooked.
"Human perception of speed... largely comes from sound—engine sounds, the sound of wind cutting through the air... If I could create an engine sound effect that changes in real time based on RPM..."
Thinking about this, he seemed to have a vague feeling that he had grasped something.
"This is truly enlightening! Thank you, Mr. Lin, for your guidance!"
"Alright, enough talk. Let Sam take you to your lodgings to rest. We'll get to work tomorrow; you'll be busy these next few days."
Lin Lixin waved his hand, indicating that he could leave first.
However, before Yu Suzuki could leave, Lin Lixin remembered something and added a sentence.
"By the way, Cerny is upstairs. Just go see him tomorrow; he's our chief architect now." "Sure."
Yu Suzuki nodded.
Mark Cerny was also a genius in Sega's arcade scene, leaving a deep impression on many.
The story of him being poached by Gerald to become the new chief architect at Gamenova had long Sega a legend at Sega, known to everyone.