By December, Tokyo's streets were already glowing with bright and colorful New Year decorations.
Just as Takuya Nakayama had predicted, the major titles Sega released in November had enjoyed a month of booming sales, and were now naturally beginning to cool off.
The stage of the gaming market now belonged to the third-party developers who had been biding their time.
And among them, none shone brighter than Konami.
"Director, Konami's Castlevania: The Legend has just been released. Here's the first-day sales report." The assistant placed a folder lightly on Takuya's desk.
He glanced at it, raising an eyebrow at the impressive numbers.
"Not bad," he said calmly.
"Not just 'not bad,'" the assistant couldn't help adding. "The players are going wild! The new multiple-character switching system and branching storylines have old fans absolutely hooked. Some are calling it the peak of the entire Castlevania series. Others are shouting that it deserves 'Action Game of the Year!'"
Takuya nodded slightly. Konami's strength was indeed formidable.
The assistant continued, "By the way, TECHNOS Japan's Double Dragon II and Sunsoft's Batman really lucked out."
"Oh?" Takuya glanced up.
"If they'd released just a week later, Castlevania would've completely stolen their thunder. As it is, they lost some heat—but at least they got to eat a piece of the pie first," the assistant explained, clearly enjoying the analysis.
Indeed, when a title of Castlevania's caliber hit the market, anything released in the same window would pale in comparison.
"How's Data East's Metal Max doing?" Takuya asked.
"Not a blockbuster, but quite steady," the assistant flipped to another page. "The post-apocalyptic setting is unique, and the story and world-building attracted a loyal following. The word of mouth is fantastic—especially about that 'monster companion everyone wants'—Pochi."
"The dog?" Takuya asked with an amused smile.
"Yeah, a Shiba Inu that can fire a tank cannon." The assistant chuckled.
Takuya laughed. That kind of quirky creativity was exactly what made Japanese RPGs charming.
Besides Metal Max, games like KaNa Fighter and Hot-Blooded Basketball were also carving out their own space this lively December. The whole market was bustling with success.
Seeing all these third-party studios making piles of cash, the assistant couldn't help sounding a little envious.
"Director, we really just let them have this perfect release window? If Golden Sun had dropped in December, sales could've gone up another notch."
"Let them have it," Takuya said, gazing out the window toward Ginza, where neon lights shimmered even in daylight. "Money never stops being made."
He knew full well—this might be the last truly prosperous winter for these third-party developers in years to come.
At the peak of the bubble, everything glittered—but the cold was creeping in.
Soon, when the new governor of the Bank of Japan finally pierced the illusion, countless people would fall straight from the heights of euphoria into the depths of despair.
The assistant, watching his boss's unreadable expression, scratched his head and chose not to ask more.
He just thought—maybe that was the kind of calm that came from standing at the top.
He quietly left the office.
In truth, Takuya was simply thinking that the collapse of the bubble was getting closer—and wondering what else he could do.
His decision earlier that year to have the investment management division move Sega's domestic assets abroad now looked incredibly wise.
But it still wasn't enough.
Sega was a massive ship—one wave wouldn't just test the rudder. It could capsize the entire vessel.
Looking out at the street below, where fashionable men and women hurried along with bright faces and endless confidence, Takuya thought—they all looked like they stood on top of the world.
But at the top, the wind cuts the sharpest.
Then, a name suddenly surfaced in his mind—Uniqlo.
A future empire of affordable fashion that would grow wildly through the coming economic winter.
Without hesitation, he left his office and headed to another floor—Sega Galaxy.
Sega Galaxy oversaw all of Sega's intellectual property licensing and brand collaborations. It was a crucial piece of Takuya's long-term plan.
Outside the president's office, the secretary quickly stood up when she saw him.
"Director Nakayama."
"Is President Hattori in?"
"Yes, I'll notify him right away."
Moments later, the office door opened, and a slightly plump, cheerful-looking middle-aged man greeted him warmly.
"Takuya! What a rare guest! What's this, bored of development reports and finally came down here to see where the real gold's made?" Hattori laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.
Sega Galaxy was his domain—and his pride.
"Hattori-san, you're too kind. I just came to absorb a bit of that golden glow." Takuya smiled as he entered, glancing at the desk cluttered with colorful merchandise design sketches. "Looks like licensing's been doing great this year."
"'Great'? That's an understatement!" Hattori said proudly, waving a brief report. "The numbers are still being finalized, but I can tell you this—our revenue's definitely in Sega's top three! That blue hedgehog makes more money printed on shirts than packed into cartridges!"
Hattori laughed heartily, sharing a few light stories from business deals before turning serious again.
"Alright, enough bragging. You wouldn't come here just to humor me. What's on your mind? You can skip the formalities."
He knew full well that his comfortable position was thanks to Takuya and his father's support.
Takuya's smile faded. His tone turned grave.
"Hattori-san, have you been following the news? Last Sunday—December 17th."
Hattori's expression changed. Of course he knew what happened that day.
"Yasushi Mieno," Takuya said slowly, "has officially replaced Satoshi Sumita as the new governor of the Bank of Japan."
The atmosphere in the room immediately grew heavy.
"There are already whispers this morning," Takuya continued quietly but clearly. "They're going to raise interest rates again. The party's over."
Hattori fell silent. He remembered a few months ago, when Takuya had stood alone at the board meeting, arguing fiercely that directors Hoshino and Sugiura should shift Sega's investment strategy. Back then, people had thought he was overreacting. Now, Hattori felt a chill run down his spine.
"Japan's economic fever is about to break," Takuya said, eyes sharp. "When it does, people will hold on to their wallets. The money they used to spend on a designer suit—they'll start spending on ten affordable ones instead. Consumption levels will fall off a cliff. And that's where our opportunity lies."
"Opportunity?" Hattori blinked.
"Yes. Opportunity." Takuya's tone hardened, his gaze focused. "We need to make sure that when people start buying cheaper alternatives, they can't miss our characters—our IP—on those very products."
"You mean—"
"Partnerships with affordable fashion brands," Takuya said clearly. "Like the one I just thought of—Uniqlo. We can negotiate flexible licensing fees, even offer them irresistible terms. We're not after quick cash. What we want is reach. When the market resets, Sega's characters should be everywhere."
Hattori understood instantly.
He looked at the young man before him—so much younger than himself—and felt both admiration and awe.
Where others saw crisis, he saw gold beneath the rubble.
Taking a deep breath, Hattori nodded firmly. "I see. You want Sega's characters to stay by the people's side—through the winter."
"Exactly," Takuya said, standing up. "Let's start with Uniqlo, Hattori-san. They'll be one of the winners of the new era."
"And we," he added with quiet conviction, "need to make sure we're standing beside the winners—before anyone else does."
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