Tokyo.
Sony Business Division, Boardroom.
If there's anything that can give these industry giants, who are practically at the top of the consumer electronics field, a headache...
There can only be one answer.
gamenova.
To be precise, it's Lin Lixin.
Inside the meeting room, then-chairman Akio Morita sat at the head of the table.
This undisputed the Godfather of Sony single-handedly built the business empire that stands at the top of the world today.
It's 1990 now.
Just how terrifying is Sony's overall strength?
To put it simply, if we're using the North America market as an analogy, Sony is roughly equivalent to Apple + Disney + Warner Music + Paramount...
Add to that Japan dominant home appliance giant Panasonic and semiconductor giant Toshiba, and the ongoing, well-developed collaboration with gaming giant Nintendo. And then there's the company's massive cash reserves as a listed company...
If we had to find a company qualified to counter Gamenova at this point in time, the answer would definitely be Sony.
What do you think?
Although Akio Morita was seated in the first seat, his gaze was fixed on Norio Ohga, who was sitting in the second seat next to him.
Rather, it's more accurate to say that all the senior executives in the entire conference room were like that without exception.
Although Akio Morita remains the chairman of Sony.
But everyone present knew exactly who was in charge of Sony now.
The Regent, the true leader.
Norio Ohga, who was the president and CEO at the time.
Unlike others, Norio Ohga was an outlier in this company of engineers.
Because he has a background in music.
But this same man forcefully pushed through the acquisitions of Columbia Pictures and CBS Records. In the near future, he will also be the one to forcefully protect the PlayStation project.
The entire meeting room was filled with anticipation for the real emperor to speak.
This isn't the first time Gamenova has dabbled in the entertainment industry...
Norio Ohga pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly.
Looking back at Gamenova's journey, they had already planted the seed of Roppongi Agency when they first entered the Japan market.
However, because it has never been very noticeable and has not caused any significant impact, it has generally been ignored by everyone.
There is even a consensus on this within the industry in Japan.
That means Roppongi Agency is probably one of Gamenova's most unprofitable projects.
Unlike research projects, which are expensive but can bring substantial technological advantages, it is not.
It doesn't possess the same level of commercial potential as those commercial projects.
With the entire Japan entertainment industry on the opposite side, Roppongi Agency poses virtually no real threat.
Especially with Sony, the music industry giant, involved, it's even less likely they'll let Gamenova expand unchecked. "So what are your thoughts? Will they just throw money away and get nothing in return, like last time?"
"Lin Ke isn't that kind of person..."
Norio Ohga shook his head, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
Gamenova's move this time was significant, but it was also baffling.
They went on a signing spree of young talents, assembled their own top music team, and even brought in Gainax, an animation studio.
This lineup is rather chaotic and doesn't fit into Sony's own style.
According to Sony's own core operating logic, it is actually a typical case of content serving hardware.
Why spend billions of dollars to buy film and record companies in the United States?
Of course, it's for selling hardware.
They sell their own Walkmans and CD players.
Oh right, and a television.
Content serves hardware; this is the foundation of Sony's business and a consensus reached from top to bottom. However, Gamenova seems to completely reject this approach.
The core asset has shifted from the hardware to the role itself.
It's as if you can make money just by creating these characters without developing the accompanying hardware.
Norio Ohga couldn't understand it, but he knew who Lin Lixin was.
This is a ruthless person who has never misjudged anyone.
Since he chose to go through with such fanfare, he must already be confident of victory.
"He wants to use the idol economy as a foundation, starting with the entertainment industry."
Norio Ohga said,
"Regardless of what he's planning, judging from the current trends, his next move will definitely be music CDs and games. We must intervene in advance."
What is Sony's most profitable business?
Need I say more? It's the music business, of course.
The creation of the game and MJ's abrupt departure have already given Sony a lot to deal with. There are countless lawsuits related to MJ alone.
Before everything was even fully resolved, Lin Lixin, fearless as ever, came to Japan to confront them head-on.
In the United States, Sony doesn't have the guts to play dirty tricks; this is their home turf here!
"They want to poach talent to form idol groups, right? Then let's do that too. They're just idols; we can have as many as we want."
Norio Ohga glanced at the crowd.
"Not only do we want to sign them, we also want to poach them, no matter the cost, we want to take away members from Roppongi."
Sony certainly has the confidence to do this.
Album releases, film and television resources, promotional channels, cash cows...
Even the most loyal soldiers are still human. Faced with a mountain of gold right in front of them, how many can truly remain calm and unwavering?
These are exactly the things that Roppongi Agency lacks most.
No matter how beautiful you are or how sweet your voice is, if we don't give you performance opportunities or exposure, you can only be an underground idol.
"Contact Fuji Television and TBS. No matter what, we want an exclusive, exclusive agreement. We need to shut out these bumpkins from United States." No idol can live without a television set.
When all the television stations in Japan Daimon to Roppongi, even with the support of Gamenova's Galactic Battleship team and top-notch film, television, and music resources, where could they showcase their work?
Which user in Japan doesn't rely on Sony's music ecosystem for their livelihood?
After arranging a whole host of blockade operations, Norio Ohga finally stopped, picked up his glass, and moistened his throat.
His fingers tapped on the table from time to time, demonstrating the intense brainstorming going on in his head.
We've already made our move.
However, there is still one problem that hasn't been clarified.
What exactly is Gamenova trying to do?
Norio Ohga closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples.
To be honest, he really couldn't see through it.
Gamenova seems to be playing something very new, just like before.
They always manage to discover hidden gems that everyone else overlooks. Unfathomable...
"Snort..."
Norio Ohga let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes.
Even if they can't see through it, they still have to follow up.
Or rather... imitation.
Find a viable model, then rapidly inject your vast resources to completely overwhelm and replace the original leader.
This is a common tactic used by Sony.
"Since Gamenova is making idol groups, then we'll do it too, and we'll use higher costs and more resources."
As long as we can ensure a higher team quality, whatever Gamenova's plans are, they're destined to benefit us.
A large amount of traffic will be directly drawn to Sony, becoming their source of sustenance.
Around noon, Lin Lixin had just returned to Roppongi from an inspection of Sega when he received some rather bad news. "President, Fukuda also..."
Yui Asaka said timidly.
In the past few days, Sony seems to have completely abandoned all pretense and has directly unleashed its financial power.
In just a few days, many core members of Roppongi Agency received offers of recruitment to varying degrees.
Sony, already utterly enraged, didn't care about non-compete agreements or breach of contract penalties at all.
Their goal is very clear: to remove this thorn in Tokyo Metropolis by any means necessary and drive Gamenova out of Japan.
Roppongi is thriving, but to be honest, it's not a monolithic entity.
Yui Asaka naturally wouldn't leave. She knew better than anyone that only by clinging tightly to this super-powerful figure and licking his boots to the bone could she truly have a chance to rise above others.
But it's not necessarily the case for others.
Lin's energy is limited; it's impossible for him to sleep with everyone in turn.
Those artists who are already on the fringes, lack resources, and have no hope of ever getting ahead will naturally have the idea of switching agencies.
"What's there to be afraid of? Let them dig it up. Just consider it giving money to Roppongi." Lin Lixin waved his hand, laughed, and didn't take it seriously at all.
Rather, it's Sony's current actions that have finally put his mind at ease.
" Sony, Sony, in the end, it was this hardware-centric mentality that ruined you."
Sony is also going to create its own idol group.
What the hell is this "Sony Idol Project" called?
Simply put, it's the " Sony Idol Project ".
To put it bluntly, Sony plans to use its own film, television, and music resources to forcibly create a girl group.
I heard they're planning to poach a few top-tier national idols recently.
For example... Shizuka Kudo.
Lin Lixin expressed regret, but that was about it.
Because although Sony's every move seemed fraught with danger, it caused Roppongi to suffer repeated defeats.
But a closer look reveals that Sony's series of moves didn't damage the very foundation of the project. It went completely astray, terribly as it could have been.
Sony seems to think it wants to seduce girl groups.
"Ignore it, Xiao Yui, we have our own rhythm."
Thinking of this, Lin Lixin laughed and called out to Yui Asaka.
"Don't delay, you still have singing practice this afternoon. I'll personally write a chart-topping single for you."
Let Sony do what they want.
By the time they've painstakingly built up their idol group, their side will have already gained the upper hand.
Sony has yet to fully realize the terrifying potential of the 2.5D idol project.
No matter how many tricks they use, they can only scratch the surface.
Honestly, even if they had realized Lin Lixin's true purpose and turned to intercept him in the 2.5D field, it would have been a different story.
Lin Lixin wasn't worried at all.
Ultimately, why did I even bother with Tokimeki Memorial? "This is a perfect smokescreen..."
By the time Sony realizes what's happening, it will suddenly discover that Gamenova, far away in the United States, has already quietly put lithium batteries with graphite anodes into commercial production.