**Chapter 366: Accountability**
Finally, a voice broke the deathly silence.
"President Oga," Director Iwata began, his tone measured and smooth, revealing little emotion. "We've all heard about the events in Chicago. A... rather lively press conference."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ken Kutaragi's bloodless face.
"Overnight, Sony became the center of global attention. But this method... seems somewhat... inappropriate."
"Mr. Kutaragi and Mr. Nakabachi demonstrated remarkable creativity in advancing the project. However, there appears to have been a slight oversight in assessing the commercial risks. We may have placed excessive faith in our allies' reputation, neglecting the human element behind the contracts."
Iwata's words were meticulously crafted, pinpointing the problem while precisely assigning responsibility to Kutaragi and his direct supervisor. He completely shielded President Oga Norio, who had approved the project, and Nobuyuki Idei, who had championed the video game business.
"Now, the PlayStation name has become a laughingstock. The capital we invested, the talent we recruited—all have been reduced to a grand parade celebrating Nintendo and Philips."
Director Iwata sighed, his face etched with anguish.
"At this point, our only option is to cut our losses. We're outsiders in the video game industry, after all. It's better to retreat to our familiar territory and focus on being a hardware supplier. The development costs were shared with Nintendo's initial funding, and even Sega covered a portion of the CD-ROM development expenses. The losses remain within manageable limits.
Withdrawing now is far better than dragging the entire group into this quagmire."
His words drew nods of agreement from several conservative directors.
Sony had already taken on massive debt to acquire Columbia Pictures. Gambling further on an unproven new field went against their cautious approach.
Ken Kutaragi clenched his fists at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to argue, but realized he had no right to speak. He was a defeated general.
"I object."
A calm voice cut through the tension.
All eyes turned to Nobuyuki Idei, who had joined the board only a few years prior and was renowned for his sharp intellect.
Instead of looking at the anguished Iwata, Idei fixed his gaze directly on President Oga Norio, who sat at the head of the table.
"I understand Director Iwata's concerns, but since when did Sony learn to be a coward?"
"We announced our entry into the market under the world's gaze. Now, because of a single setback from our competitor, we're going to tuck our tails and run? What will the 'SONY' brand be worth after that?"
Nobuyuki Idei stood up, walked to the conference table, and leaned forward, bracing his hands on the surface. His gaze swept across everyone in the room.
"Moreover, how many people did we poach from Konami, Namco, Capcom, and the entire gaming industry to build Sony Computer Entertainment? They abandoned their previous positions, betting on Sony's future. Now we're going to tell them that future is gone and they should go home? How do we account for that? How do we write those losses into our financial reports? You all know better than I do what that will do to our stock price!"
Director Iwata's expression darkened. "Then what do you suggest? Sell a machine with an unusable name that could be banned at any moment?"
"Of course not." A faint smile played at the corner of Idei's lips. "The solution has been right in front of us all along."
He turned to Ken Kutaragi. "Kutaragi-kun, how long would it take to redesign our prototype, stripping out Nintendo's licensed technology and starting fresh?"
Kutaragi paused, the question piercing through the fog in his mind like a ray of light. He blurted out almost instinctively, "The core technology is all ours! Stripping out the Nintendo components is far less complex and costly than designing from scratch. Except for a few Nintendo-patented areas, the rest is mature technology. Our headquarters' technical department has already made a preliminary assessment—at most a year! No, if we allocate sufficient resources, ten months!"
"Excellent." Idei turned to the head of the Legal Department. "What are our chances of winning the trademark dispute over 'PlayStation'?"
The Legal Department head immediately stood up, adjusted his glasses, and said in a deep voice, "Very high. This trademark originated from our joint project with Nintendo, but the concept, naming, and primary investment all came from us. Nintendo's attempt to claim full ownership has no legal basis. However, the litigation process will be lengthy—we estimate around eighteen months."
"Did you hear that?" Nobuyuki Idei spread his hands. "Machines, ten months. Names, a year and a half. We're trading a year and a half for a bright and legitimate future. Director Iwata's proposal, on the other hand, would condemn us to a lifetime of being branded as deserters."
"Absurd!" Director Iwata nearly leaped from his chair, his usually smooth face now flushed with anger. "Idei-kun, you're gambling the entire group's future on a lawsuit with an uncertain outcome!
A year and a half? Do you realize what that means? Columbia Pictures' debt is still bleeding us dry! Where will we find the money and resources to fill this bottomless pit?"
"Exactly, Idei-kun! Your ideas are too idealistic!" another director chimed in. "We're a publicly traded company! We have a responsibility to our shareholders, not to street brawlers! Cutting our losses now is the only rational choice!"
"Rational? What do you call rational?" Idei stood his ground, his voice rising. "Handing back the talent we spent so much to acquire? Telling them Sony is a company that breaks its promises? Is that what you call rational?"
"Letting the whole world see us get played by Nintendo, then slinking back to our old business like cowards—is that what you call rational?"
The tension in the conference room thickened, the argument threatening to tear the roof off.
"Enough."
The single word, spoken neither loudly nor softly, fell like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the flames.
Oga Norio slowly tapped his unlit cigar against the ashtray.
*Tap.*
The crisp sound silenced everyone.
He raised his gaze, his eyes not focusing on anyone in the room, but seeming to pierce through the walls, looking into the distance.
"Iwata-kun," he began slowly, "I have a question for you. When you walk into an electronics store and see two televisions on the shelf—one is the latest product from an ambitious challenger, the other from an established manufacturer too afraid to innovate—which one would you buy?"
Director Iwata's face flushed crimson. His lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word.
"Since when has Sony become so timid?" Oga Norio's voice remained steady, yet carried an undeniable force that left the conservative faction gasping for air.
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