Takuya Nakayama had just finished handling the follow-up matters with Sunrise Animation and hadn't even had a chance to drink some water when the internal phone on his desk rang urgently.
It was the Hardware Development Department on the other end, and Department Head Nakamura's voice carried an irrepressible excitement.
The first engineering sample of the Z80-compatible chip they had been eagerly awaiting had successfully come into being.
Takuya Nakayama's spirits lifted, and he immediately put down the documents in his hand and strode towards the Hardware Development Department.
When Department Head Nakamura saw Takuya, the pride of a technical professional almost overflowed from his face.
He carefully took out a black chip the size of a fingernail from an anti-static box, holding it in his palm as if showcasing a rare treasure.
"Nakayama-san, the first version of the solution was successful."
"Thanks to your insistence on 'pre-research' back then, our goals were very clear after this project was approved, and we hardly took any detours."
Takuya Nakayama took the chip, which was still warm; though light in his hand, it carried Sega's heavy hope of opening a second battlefield.
He did not stint on his praise, expressing sincere admiration for Department Head Nakamura and his team's efficient work.
However, this joyful atmosphere did not last too long.
Takuya changed the subject, his expression becoming serious.
"Department Head Nakamura, I just received an important piece of intelligence."
Takuya examined the small chip, but his next words cooled the air.
Department Head Nakamura's smile hadn't fully receded before it froze on his face.
"Nintendo has also secretly launched their handheld console development project."
"Nintendo?" Nakamura almost subconsciously repeated, as if confirming he hadn't heard some irrelevant name.
He carefully placed the Z80 chip back into the anti-static box, closing the lid with even more caution than when he had taken it out.
"Yes, that Nintendo," Takuya's tone was calm. "Although the specific progress is still unclear, we can make a reasonable inference. The technical bottlenecks currently encountered in the industry are pretty much the same, and the components they can get, we can also get. The hardware level of the final product will most likely be on par."
Department Head Nakamura fell silent. He rubbed his hands, then put them into the pockets of his white lab coat.
The smell of solder and flux in the lab seemed to become particularly pungent with the silence. He looked up, his eyes no longer relaxed, replaced by the focus and frustration of a technical professional facing a difficult problem.
"I knew those Hanafuda-selling guys wouldn't let us develop things peacefully," Nakamura muttered softly, which was more like cheering himself on than complaining.
Takuya Nakayama's mouth twitched, revealing an expression that was not quite a smile.
"Therefore, we must seize the initiative."
"Time is now the most precious resource." He paused, letting the weight of this sentence sink in.
"From now on, we can consider any measures that can accelerate the development progress. Even if certain aspects incur some additional costs, progress must be ensured."
He took a step forward, looking directly into Nakamura's eyes.
"I give you maximum authority. Whatever the Hardware Development Department needs, just do it directly. If you need more people, I will coordinate with the Human Resources Department; if you need to purchase more expensive testing equipment, I will communicate with the Finance Department; even, if to meet the deadline, you need to outsource some non-core circuit designs and engage in some parallel research and development that can accelerate progress, I can also agree."
Takuya's voice was not loud, but every word was like a hammer, striking Nakamura's heart. It was as if he was announcing the beginning of a war to him and handing him a loaded gun.
"I only have one request," Takuya held up a finger, "There can be no compromise on the schedule."
Department Head Nakamura's tightly furrowed brows, instead, relaxed. Under immense pressure, the veteran technical expert's fighting spirit was completely ignited.
He nodded, his tone solemn.
"Understood. I will re-evaluate all processes and compress the development cycle by the day." He glanced at the workbench behind him, where various blueprints and tools were still scattered. "Tonight, I will get the first version of the development board up and running."
Seeing Department Head Nakamura's instantly tensed expression, Takuya Nakayama reached out and patted his shoulder, his tone softening slightly, trying to offer him some comfort.
"No need to be overly nervous."
"We have our core advantages."
He reminded him.
"In chip development, we also have certain development capabilities ourselves, and we have a top semiconductor giant like Toshiba as a deep partner."
"As for Nintendo, they currently rely mainly on Sharp."
"Sharp indeed has unique strengths in LCD screens, but in the core chip design and manufacturing fields, their accumulation and investment cannot be compared with Toshiba."
"As long as our strategy is appropriate, this will be our key to victory."
These words were like a shot in the arm, causing Department Head Nakamura's tightly furrowed brows to relax slightly.
That's right, this was indeed Sega's advantage.
After calming down slightly, Takuya Nakayama began to inquire about more specific design issues.
"Do you have a preliminary plan for the overall external layout of the handheld console?"
Department Head Nakamura turned and retrieved a very finely drawn design blueprint from the workbench.
It was a very simple rectangular shape.
The screen was centered.
On the left was the familiar circular D-pad that Sega players knew so well.
On the right were the Start button and two action buttons, A and B.
"The horizontal layout, consistent with mainstream controller operating habits, is the right direction."
Takuya acknowledged this basic layout.
But he immediately pointed out deeper issues.
"However, we must do more in terms of external recognition and comfort of grip."
"It must be clearly distinguished from electronic calculators or other ordinary electronic products on the market."
His finger lightly traced the blank spaces on both sides of the blueprint.
"We can design curves that fit the human hand, or even some anti-slip grooves, on both sides of the handheld console, which are the areas where the hand naturally grips."
"This will not only improve comfort during long gaming sessions but also allow players to hold it more steadily."
Department Head Nakamura immediately took out a pencil and quickly sketched on the blueprint.
Takuya continued.
"Also, visually."
"We can design a very striking contrasting color trim around the edge of the handheld console, for example, using white or yellow."
Nakamura's pen tip paused. Such a purely decorative design seemed somewhat superfluous to a pragmatic technical professional like him.
"Don't underestimate this line," Takuya saw his doubts. "This will not only instantly enhance the product's visual impact but also lay the groundwork for us to launch limited edition models in different colors in the future."
Department Head Nakamura's eyes lit up, and he immediately noted Takuya's request.
"We can even add a lanyard hole in one corner of the device."
This suggestion made Department Head Nakamura pause.
"Allowing players to hang their favorite personalized small accessories or lanyards."
"We want this handheld console to transcend being a mere gaming device."
"Let it integrate into fashion, becoming a trendy item for young people to express their individuality."
Department Head Nakamura stopped writing. He looked at Takuya Nakayama seriously, his eyes filled with admiration.
Ergonomics, visual recognition, fashion elements, consumer psychology.
These details, starting from the actual user experience and even touching upon consumer psychology, could indeed give the product a completely different appeal beyond cold technical parameters.
"I understand."
Nakamura nodded solemnly. He put away the sketching pencil and took out an ink pen from the pen holder, meticulously recording every one of Takuya's suggestions. This was no longer a casual suggestion but a design guideline that had to be strictly followed.
"I will immediately arrange for the industrial design team to try to incorporate these elements into the next version of the prototype design and evaluate the effects as soon as possible."
Seeing Department Head Nakamura's positive feedback, Takuya nodded with satisfaction.
He patted Nakamura's shoulder again, encouraged the staff, and then left the Hardware Development Department.