Chapter 114: Hidden Concerns About Costs
When Hideo Kojima followed Takuya into Sega's heavily guarded Hardware Development Department, he was instantly captivated by the sight before him. The air was filled with a unique blend of solder, circuit boards, and coffee, along with a tense yet excited atmosphere. Technicians were busy around several oddly shaped machines, screens flickering with complex data and graphics, occasionally punctuated by the sound of keyboard clicks and hushed discussions.
"This is—" Hideo Kojima's gaze was firmly fixed on one of the machines running a demo program. On the screen, a colorful warrior, far more complex in design than any 8-bit character he had ever seen, was smoothly performing actions like running, jumping, and swinging a sword. The background was a forest composed of multiple scrolling layers, with the distinct layering of leaves and the haziness of distant mountains rendered vividly. The detail in the graphics was far more refined than anything he had previously seen on MSX2 or FC. The visual impact made him feel as if a whole new creative dimension had opened up before him.
"This is the next-generation home game console we are secretly developing," Takuya's voice carried an undeniable sense of pride. "A 16-bit central processing unit, Motorola's MC68000, and a dedicated Z80 chip for sound effects. It has more powerful graphics processing capabilities, a palette of 512 colors, and memory capacity far exceeding existing consoles."
A bespectacled technician nearby skillfully operated the machine, and the screen switched, displaying various astonishing effects: smooth multi-layer scrolling, simulated 3D effects of rotation and scaling, and the ability to process dozens of active objects simultaneously. A giant BOSS appeared, occupying half the screen, bullets rained down, and the protagonist deftly dodged them, the display remaining fluid.
Hideo Kojima watched in stunned silence, unconsciously taking a few steps forward, his fingertips almost touching the cold screen. This functionality—it was too powerful!
In his mind, game concepts that he had been forced to compromise or even abandon due to the MSX2's limitations were now intensely re-activated, surging forth.
Everything, in front of this powerful 16-bit console, seemed within reach.
The creative desires mercilessly suppressed by Konami and Nintendo's Managing Director found a breakthrough at this moment, surging out. In Hideo Kojima's eyes, a burning light rekindled, a desire for the unknown and an extreme pursuit of creation. He almost forgot the disappointment caused by the temporary shelving of metal gear; his entire mind was occupied by these new possibilities.
"How is it, Kojima-san?" Takuya looked at the undisguised excitement and fervor on Hideo Kojima's face, chuckling inwardly. Indeed, to deal with a producer who valued their work so highly, one had to use solid goods. "With this, many of the things you want to do, don't they seem more feasible now?"
Hideo Kojima suddenly turned his head, looking at Takuya with a gaze full of disbelief and an almost greedy desire: "Takuya-kun, this machine—can it really achieve the effects just demonstrated?"
"Only better," Takuya patted the casing of the prototype. "This is just an early prototype; there's still huge room for software optimization and hardware adjustment. I believe, with your talent, Kojima-san, you will surely be able to create truly great works on this."
Hideo Kojima's breathing was somewhat rapid; he seemed to already see countless novel game ideas becoming reality on this machine. He licked his somewhat dry lips and asked, "Can I—can I start conceiving games based on this platform now?"
"Of course," Takuya said with a smile, "That's why I brought you here, Kojima-san!"
He briefly introduced some of the new console's confirmed features, as well as Sega's preliminary ideas for future game development directions, and then greeted the leaders of various development teams.
Then, he "left" Hideo Kojima in this environment full of development and creation.
"Kojima-san, you are welcome to look around freely here and communicate with our technicians."
"Feel it, think about it, and see what this new console can bring to your creativity."
"I won't disturb you anymore."
With that, Takuya quietly left, leaving Hideo Kojima alone, like a curious child entering a candy store, greedily absorbing all information about this new 16-bit console.
After settling Hideo Kojima, Takuya Nakayama immediately went to the core conference room of the Hardware Development Department.
While the new console's performance could ignite creators' passion, the cold cost figures were equally crucial in determining its market fate.
The head of the Hardware Department reported the latest progress to Takuya with a solemn expression.
"Managing Director, after our team's efforts during this period, having carried out initial integration and optimization of various modules, the estimated single unit production cost of the new console is currently around 26,000 Japanese Yen."
Upon hearing this figure, Takuya's brow subtly furrowed.
26,000 Japanese Yen.
This figure quickly compared with his memories from his previous life.
When the MegaDrive was officially released on October 29, 1988, its pricing strategy was quite aggressive, aiming to be more cost-effective in competition with Nintendo's FC.
And at the current point in time, there was still some distance until 1988. This cost figure, in his opinion, was already quite well controlled, but it was still too high for users.
This meant that if it were to be released almost a year earlier than in his previous life, and the final pricing were based on this cost, then Sega's new console's price competitiveness in the market would be greatly reduced.
Especially when directly competing with Nintendo, whose FC had already been released for four years and had a vast user base, price was often a crucial leverage point to tip the market balance. One must know that the FC had not yet lowered its price; its current cost was already far below its initial selling price. A price war had to be guarded against.
Although he was not entirely satisfied with this cost figure, Takuya knew that technological iteration and the natural decline in component prices all required time.
He also could not excessively pressure the Hardware Development Department team due to an eagerness to control costs, leading them to compromise on performance, stability, or quality control.
That would be like drinking poison to quench thirst.
Therefore, he did not express strong dissatisfaction on the spot but pondered for a moment.
"2
His fingertips gently tapped on the table, his gaze sweeping over the core technical personnel in the conference room.
"Can I get a report on the cost breakdown of each major component?"
The head of the Hardware Development Department immediately handed over the detailed cost analysis report that had been prepared.
Takuya took the report and began to review it carefully.
His gaze moved across the dense numbers and technical parameters, his mind rapidly working, trying to find breakthroughs from a higher level.