Monday afternoon, three o'clock, Sega Development Department conference room.
On both sides of the long conference table sat the core figures of the Sega Development Department.
Suzuki Masao of the Marketing Department sat upright, his notebook already open and a pen in his hand, his expression serious.
The team leaders from various development groups were all present; some looked down at their fingers, while others stared blankly at the wood grain of the table.
Takuya Nakayama pushed the door open, a habitual smile on his face, breaking the silence in the room.
"Everyone, there's no need to be so formal."
His voice was relaxed, as if he were just attending an afternoon tea party.
Takuya walked to the head of the table and sat down, his gaze sweeping around the room.
"Before we begin today's topic, let's first briefly synchronize the progress of the projects you all have on hand."
The reports began.
The heads of the Eighth and Ninth Development Teams spoke first. Their arcade porting projects, "Battlefield Troopers," "Hang-On," and "OutRun," had been successfully completed and entered the final production stage, with release windows already scheduled.
Next, Yuji Naka and his team reported on the development progress of "phantasy star." The improvement plans Takuya had discussed with Yuji Naka earlier had all been redesigned, and they were currently rewriting the relevant code. Although the progress lagged behind other projects, it was now completely on track.
Hideo Kojima's "metal gear" had entered its final testing phase, and the radio system had also been completed, with the radio text content currently being written.
Takuya listened quietly, nodding frequently; the situation of each project was almost exactly as he had anticipated.
The development team responsible for "DDR" had just completed the design of the home dance mat and dedicated player, and was currently trial-producing samples for testing.
He specifically looked at the heads of several arcade development teams, especially Yu Suzuki.
"The Eighth and Ninth Development Teams, and Mr. Suzuki's team, your efficiency is very high. Thank you for your hard work."
Takuya paused slightly, and after drawing everyone's attention, he abruptly changed the subject.
"So, I'd like to ask those of you who have completed your tasks."
"After completing your current porting tasks, do any of you have any new original game proposals for the MD platform, or even just some initial ideas?"
The question was thrown out directly.
The conference room fell silent again.
Several arcade team leaders exchanged glances, eventually turning their gaze to Yu Suzuki.
Yu Suzuki slowly opened his eyes, his tech-obsessed gaze as calm as an ancient well.
"Managing Director, after completing the port of 'OutRun,' my main energy has been focused on technical pre-research for the next generation of arcade machines."
His voice was steady and frank.
"Regarding a completely new project for MD, I don't have one yet."
The several team leaders next to him also nodded, indicating similar situations.
Their roots were in arcade games, which was their main battlefield for showcasing their talents and pursuing the limits of technology. Home consoles were more like a channel for secondary monetization of arcade glory.
Takuya's smile remained unchanged, and he nodded gently.
All of this was within his expectations.
"I see. I understand everyone's pursuit of new technology."
Takuya leaned slightly forward, his fingers interlocked on the table.
"In that case, why don't we have a brainstorm session right here today?"
"Let's talk about some of the inspirations that have flashed through your minds recently during development, or while playing other games—some thoughts like 'what if we did it this way?'"
"There are no restrictions; let your imaginations run wild and speak freely."
He emphasized his words.
"MD needs a more diversified software lineup. We cannot only have hardcore action games; we cannot only have classic arcade ports."
"The reputation of 'ace attorney' proves that there are a large number of players in the market who crave new experiences. We need to think about how to continuously bring freshness to the game market and how to keep players' attention focused on MD."
Takuya's gaze swept over everyone again, finally resting on Yu Suzuki.
"Suzuki-san, why don't you go first?"
Yu Suzuki, whose name was called, pondered for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts.
"My recent research has been focused on upgrading the chips for arcade boards; I haven't really thought much about game-related inspirations."
His words were filled with the rigor of a technical professional.
"However, I've been wondering if there could be other, more varied forms of game control?"
Takuya caught the keywords, and a game from his previous life flashed through his mind. He decided to give it a push.
"For example, what if we made a game about playing taiko drums?"
"Taiko?"
Yu Suzuki was momentarily stunned, and the other people in the conference room also showed puzzled expressions.
"Yes, taiko."
Takuya's voice was full of allure.
"We design a dedicated taiko peripheral controller. Players follow the rhythm on the screen to strike the drumhead and drum rim. The music can be popular hits, famous anime songs, or even our game theme songs."
"The rules are simple and intuitive, easy to pick up. But to become a master, it requires extremely high skill. Isn't this exactly what Suzuki-san you are best at—creating entirely new experiences with technology?"
A strange light instantly flickered in Yu Suzuki's eyes.
A taiko drumming game?
A crazy idea that combined an ancient instrument with electronic games.
A completely new control experience, entirely free from the constraints of traditional controllers.
His fingers began to tap unconsciously on the conference table, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, as if he were conceiving what kind of device could precisely capture the drum beats.
Seeing that Yu Suzuki had entered developer mode, the other development team leaders could no longer hold back.
The leader of Development Team Three calmly spoke: "Managing Director, we want to continue to delve deeper into fighting games."
Takuya looked at his old comrade-in-arms, nodding with a smile.
"Regarding 'fatal fury,' which you mentioned before, we believe we can build a grander martial arts world. This new project could perhaps be the story of another group of fighters within the same world background, with a differentiated style. This way, future animations and movies can all be integrated."
"That's a very good approach." Takuya affirmed this, "A rich worldview is itself the most valuable asset. You can boldly conceive; make sure to differentiate it from 'fatal fury.' If there are any issues with the synchronized animation, you can also come to me."
The leader of Development Team Eight, the man who had risen to fame with "super robot wars," also chimed in: "Our team has accumulated a lot of experience in strategy board games and wants to try making a strategy board game with a completely original story background."
"You need to focus on two key points." Takuya immediately offered advice, "First, a combat system and unit design with its own distinct characteristics. Second, the story must be engaging and absolutely not perfunctory. Bring out the same passion you had when you made super robot wars."
"Understood!"
Someone else suggested: "Managing Director, we don't have many titles in the sports game market yet, and we'd like to try our hand at it."
"You can." Takuya turned to Suzuki Masao, "The Marketing Department here can contact the North America branch to understand what types of sports games EA has already laid out, and we'll try to avoid subject overlap."
He immediately added: "Or, consider a different approach. Make a sports game compilation in the form of an athletic meet. The rules are simple, but you can add disruptive elements that interfere with each other, allowing even those who are not good at games to quickly get started and enjoy the fun of family entertainment. You can refer to 'kira kira island adventure' for ideas; our goal is to let everyone easily find joy in interaction."
Other development teams also put forward their ideas. In the conference room, various ideas collided and surged.
The sparks of inspiration, initially still nascent, gradually converged into a raging fire under Takuya's guidance.
After listening to everyone's speeches, Takuya raised his hand, signaling for silence.
"Excellent. Many of your ideas today are extremely valuable. I see even broader possibilities for MD's future."
"Next, each development department must quickly refine these inspirations into concrete, actionable project proposals, as well as a promotional document. Suzuki Masao, the Marketing Department needs to coordinate with the Public Relations Department to rhythmically release news of our new games starting next month to maintain MD's presence."
"Our goal is to reserve at least three to five key new titles for MD within the next six months to a year that can spark market discussion."
"The types must be as diverse as possible, and the quality must be absolutely top-notch. Let's go!"