"No cables to buy, no sockets to find, not even the need to know each other beforehand." Takuya Nakayama doubled down, cutting straight to the commercial essence of the matter. "As long as they have the consoles and are in the same place, they can start playing anytime, anywhere. This 'social interactivity'—the ability to take the game out and go—is something home consoles can never achieve. It's the inherent advantage of handheld consoles."
"Once they get hooked on the joy of four-player multiplayer, they'll spontaneously recruit their friends who don't have the console to buy one, just to complete their gaming group." Takuya's long fingers tapped the table, his point piercingly sharp. "This is the cheapest and most efficient form of viral marketing. We'll use infrared communication to let the players, through their own social circles, willingly promote our new handheld for us!"
"Tetris is just the hook, used to cultivate the players' habits." Oguchi Hisao brought the conversation back on track. "This is one of the core pillars I've set for the new handheld: social attributes. If the proposals in your hands aren't stunning enough in terms of single-player content, then they must have absolute highlights in their 'social attributes'!"
As Oguchi Hisao's voice faded, Meeting Room 6 fell silent, the only sound the steady hum of the air conditioner.
The team leaders, who had been eager to pitch just moments ago, were now breaking into cold sweats. They kept their heads down, frantically flipping through their documents, their minds racing as they tried to figure out how to seamlessly weave the "social attributes" into their single-player-focused proposals.
Takada, the leader of Team 8, was the first to break the silence.
He pushed off the table with both hands, stood up, grabbed the thick proposal in front of him, and strode to the head of the conference table. He split the proposal into two copies and respectfully slid them toward Oguchi Hisao and Takuya Nakayama.
"Director Koguchi, Managing Director. Since everyone else is hesitating, Team 8 will go first!" Takada's voice was loud, tinged with an irrepressible excitement.
Oguchi Hisao said nothing, simply flipping open the first page of the proposal.
Takuya Nakayama took a sip of his iced Americano through the straw, his deep gaze fixed on the bold title on the cover:
[ Next-Gen Super Robot Wars Proposal Draft (Subtitle TBD) ]
"Our team is now fully dedicated to the development of the Super Robot Wars series. Each entry has been well-received, and we've built a loyal player base," Takada said, pointing to the proposal, his words coming in a rapid-fire stream. "For this handheld launch, we're planning to release a mainline sequel."
Oguchi Hisao's finger traced the paper, stopping precisely on the list of participating works. He raised an eyebrow. "The handheld's hardware can't compete with consoles, and cartridge capacity is severely limited. If you want a mainline sequel, what's your plan for cutting back?"
"Cut back on the visuals, double down on the roster!" Takada replied instantly, clearly prepared for the question. "We'll abandon complex battle animations. Instead, we'll use the latest UE Engine to create a 2D animation plugin specifically for handhelds. This will save much more storage space than the battle animations on the Mega Drive. We'll use all that extra capacity to cram in more participating works, mechs, and missions!"
He paused, his voice rising as he unveiled his trump card. "Beyond the usual Sunrise staples like Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and Gundam, we've added two major titles that will prove our sincerity to every mecha anime fan!"
Takada pointed to the list in front of Oguchi Hisao.
"Macross 7 and Gundam Sentinel!"
The moment those two names were mentioned, a commotion immediately erupted from the back row of the conference table.
The Team 7 Leader's eyes widened as he bluntly challenged him on the spot: "Takada, are you insane?! The plan looks great on paper, and your imagination is wild, but have you even thought about the copyright issues?"
He pointed toward the whiteboard as if looking at a complete idiot: "Everyone in the industry knows the Macross copyright is a notorious mess! Who doesn't know how stubbornly Tatsunoko clings to their share? You put it in the proposal, and then halfway through development, Tatsunoko sends over an international lawyer's letter, and the whole project goes down the drain. Can you afford that kind of loss?"
Another Team Leader shook his head in agreement. "And Gundam Sentinel! As a mecha game developer, shouldn't you know about the conflict between Bandai and Masaya Takahashi over the model kit rights? This proposal is nothing but a pipe dream. It'll never see the light of day!"
Facing the barrage of criticism from his colleagues, Takada was momentarily speechless.
Before he could even retort—
Tap.
Takuya Nakayama set his plastic coffee cup on the table.
The sound was faint, yet the conference room fell silent instantly.
"The copyright issues are none of the Development Team's concern." Takuya leaned back comfortably in his chair, his hands clasped in front of him, a faint, inscrutable smile playing on his lips.
He scanned the room, meeting the eyes of each team leader.
"Director Hattori personally signed the exclusive partnership agreement with Big West and Studio Nue yesterday afternoon. Sega Galaxy now holds all future game development and merchandising rights for the Macross series, with the exception of the original game."
The team leaders froze, their mouths slightly agape. "Then... what about Tatsunoko? They've been holding out so stubbornly..."
"Tatsunoko is not your concern." Takuya leaned forward, a flicker of authoritative dominance in his gaze. "Sega's Legal Department has already confirmed the copyright boundaries of the original series with Harmony Gold in the United States and secured the core memorandum. If necessary, Sega's legal team will teach Tatsunoko a lesson in how to behave. Just focus on making the game. If the sky falls, Sega Galaxy and the Legal Department will hold it up for you."
The team leaders exchanged glances, each seeing the same shock mirrored in the others' eyes.
Sega is playing hardball now, isn't it? They just forced the copyright holders into submission.
Is this the new Sega—the one that devoured Sotsu and then Bandai?
"As for your concerns about Bandai," Takuya Nakayama continued, "once the restructuring and liquidation are complete next month, Bandai will be reduced to nothing but a design studio and a manufacturing plant. From then on, Sega will have the final say on all model copyright disputes and project profit distributions."
"Regarding Gundam Sentinel, Director Hattori has already reached an agreement with Masaya Takahashi."
With Takuya Nakayama's words acting as an anchor, the last stone of worry in Takada's heart finally fell.
His face flushed with excitement, and he seized the moment to strike while the iron was hot.
"Managing Director, your vision is brilliant! Regarding the gameplay, we plan to make Basara, the protagonist of Macross 7, the first non-combat protagonist in the history of the Super Robot Wars series!" Takada flipped to the settings page in the middle of the proposal. "He won't carry any offensive weapons. The only command in his menu will be 'Sing'!"
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