After meeting with the arcade faction, Takuya immediately immersed himself in his busy work.
A few days later, his assistant knocked on the Managing Director's office door again.
"Managing Director, this is the initial sales feedback after the release of super shinobi and ace attorney."
Takuya looked up from a pile of documents and motioned for him to continue.
"super shinobi lived up to expectations, with first-week sales reaching 80,000 units. Player reviews are very high, calling it a must-play action game on the MD. Many game magazines have praised it as the best action game on the MD."
The assistant's tone was filled with pride.
This was an undeniable success, a direct reflection of Sega's powerful first-party development capabilities.
Takuya merely nodded calmly, his gaze falling on another report in the assistant's hand.
The assistant opened this report, his voice hesitating slightly.
"As for ace attorney, first-week sales were only 34,000 units."
As the assistant spoke this number, his voice unconsciously dropped, as if the number carried a shameful weight.
For a brand-new IP published by Sega's first-party, it seemed a bit dim compared to the brilliance of super shinobi.
The atmosphere in the office seemed to freeze for a moment because of this number.
However, Takuya's expression did not change. He didn't seem to care much about this seemingly uninspiring sales data.
"What about player feedback and magazine reviews?"
He was more concerned about this.
"Ah, feedback…" The assistant clearly didn't expect the Managing Director to ask about this first. He quickly flipped to the latter half of the report, which summarized letters from readers of various game magazines, as well as some fragmented feedback collected from video game stores.
"The feedback is… very peculiar."
"Players who have purchased it give it incredibly high ratings. Many people wrote in saying, 'This is the most unique game they've ever played.'"
"Someone said, 'The tension of the plot is no less than any mystery movie.'"
"Someone else said, 'I played through the first case all night, and it felt like I really became a lawyer, more satisfying than reading a mystery novel.'"
"And someone else said, 'When I shouted "Objection!" in court, I felt like I truly became a lawyer.'"
"There was even a female player who said, 'Finally, there's a game that isn't just about fighting and killing. I hope Sega releases more works like this.'"
"Our slogan, 'You too can become a great detective,' seems to have sparked heated discussion in the player community, who feel that this slogan is very fitting."
As the assistant read these feedbacks, the confusion on his face was gradually replaced by a strange excitement.
A hint of a smile finally appeared at the corner of Takuya's mouth.
"That's enough."
He took the report from the assistant's hand, his fingertip lightly tracing the number "34,000," but there was no trace of disappointment in his eyes.
"The seeds of word-of-mouth have been planted, and they are sprouting faster than I imagined. What we need is not to pull up seedlings to help them grow, but to patiently wait for them to grow into a forest."
He said to the assistant,
"Continue to monitor long-term feedback. Inform the Marketing Department that this game does not need price reductions or promotions; just maintain normal distribution. Pay special attention to restocking in the next two weeks; make sure we keep up."
"Yes."
The assistant respectfully agreed, and the trace of worry in his heart completely disappeared.
The Managing Director's composure was the best reassurance.
Not long after, Suzuki Masao from the Marketing Department came to report on his work.
"Managing Director, the third-party communication and coordination mechanism you previously instructed to establish has begun to operate."
Suzuki Masao's expression was very serious, clearly showing his immense dedication to this work.
"Most capable third parties are very cooperative. We have already grasped their general development plans for the next six months, and some coordination work has already been communicated in advance with relevant manufacturers."
"Very good."
Takuya affirmed this.
Suzuki Masao changed the subject, a hint of difficulty appearing on his face.
"However—a new problem has also emerged."
"Several smaller third parties, all of whom recently transitioned from PC platforms, find the MD's hardware architecture too unfamiliar. Porting work is progressing very slowly, and they are very anxious. Several companies have requested technical support from us."
This was within Takuya's expectations.
For developers accustomed to the open PC environment, a closed hardware platform was indeed a significant hurdle.
"This is a good thing."
Takuya's response surprised Suzuki somewhat.
"Their anxiety shows that they are optimistic about our platform and want to release their products quickly to make money."
Takuya leaned slightly forward, looking at Suzuki Masao,
"We cannot look down on them struggling; we must respond well to their requests for help."
"Here's what we'll do: go back and tell all the department heads in the Development Department to assign capable personnel, according to game type, to provide one-on-one technical support to these third parties."
Suzuki frowned.
"Managing Director, asking our own development personnel to provide technical support… they might feel emotional, thinking it's a banishment. After all, our current development tasks are not light."
This was indeed a tricky problem.
Takuya's fingers tapped lightly on the table. After a moment, he looked up.
"Tell the heads of each development team."
"Starting today, we are launching a third-party technical support incentive program."
"What?"
Suzuki Masao was stunned for a moment.
"Any development team that successfully helps a third-party manufacturer complete game development smoothly, and the game does not have critical bugs after launch, then the development budget for that development team's next project will be specially approved by me, in my capacity as Managing Director, to increase by 5% to 10%."
Takuya's voice was not loud, but it was clear and resonant.
"If they help them create a masterpiece with sales exceeding 100,000 units, then the promotional budget will also increase by 5% to 10%."
Suzuki Masao's eyes instantly lit up.
This was not banishment; this was clearly a golden opportunity to pave the way for their future.
Using their mature technology to guide others would not only earn them a good reputation but also genuinely secure more resources for their next project.
"I understand, Managing Director!"
Suzuki Masao bowed slightly, excitedly.
"I will convey this spirit immediately. I believe everyone will be very happy to help our new friends."
"Remember to make it clear to third parties that Sega's platform is not just a landlord collecting rent."
Takuya added.
"We hope to become a platform where all developers can create with peace of mind, a partner that allows everyone to make the pie bigger together."
After seeing Suzuki Masao off, the office became quiet again.
Takuya, alone, his thoughts drifted further away.
The initial launch frenzy and the New Year's bonus effect were like a dazzling fireworks display, lighting up the night sky, but eventually returning to calm.
Market enthusiasm is limited, and players' wallets even more so.
He could sense that, for a while, MD sales might enter a relatively flat "sage time."
He took out a schedule of MD software releases for the next few months from his drawer.
On the table, besides the few already announced titles, there were several obvious blank periods in the middle.
Something had to be done to maintain market enthusiasm and continuously instill confidence in players and the industry.
He picked up a pen and slowly wrote a few words on a fresh blank sheet of paper.
Software diversity.
Continuous exposure.
Developer support.
Overseas expansion.
The expansion of the MD had a long way to go.
He put down the pen and dialed his assistant's internal line, his voice steady and clear.
"Inform the main Person in charge of the Marketing Department and Development Department to meet next Monday at 3 PM in the Development Department conference room."
"The topic is how to prepare ammunition for the MD's next offensive."