February 14th, Valentine's Day, the air was filled with the scent of chocolate and anticipation.
But for countless Japanese players, this day brought a "sweet bomb."
Konami released their latest masterpiece, contra, on the Nintendo FC platform.
The explosive combat scenes.
The joy of fighting side-by-side in the two-player cooperative mode.
And, the adrenaline-pumping high-difficulty challenges.
The game quickly became popular nationwide. After school, children no longer only discussed which maze was the hardest in dragon quest ii, or which hidden location they hadn't found yet in the legend of zelda 2, but now had a new topic: how to beat contra with thirty lives, or who could reach which stage when playing two-player co-op. Even Mrs. Sato's grandson, the little guy who cried because he couldn't get dragon quest ii, started saving his allowance, eyeing a contra cartridge.
It followed in the footsteps of dragon quest ii, becoming another phenomenal work.
The hot topic of media and players was almost exclusively dominated by Nintendo FC.
On TV, in magazines, reports about the arrival of Nintendo FC's "Golden Age" were everywhere.
The craze for dragon quest ii had not yet fully subsided.
contra followed closely behind.
The New Year's money that children had just been ravaged by the legend of zelda 2 and dragon quest ii was instantly facing new temptations.
At the same time, pokémon peripheral products also became increasingly popular.
The third set of Poké Ball electronic pets was about to be released.
Constantly innovating cards.
These were like small whirlpools, competing for the limited funds in children's hands.
The "New Year's Money Defense War" became the most popular topic among children after school.
Sega Headquarters.
Takuya Nakayama did not invest too much energy into the current craze. He knew that this was a barrier built by Nintendo based on its first-mover advantage and market accumulation.
Sega's current accumulation was not enough to break this barrier.
He regularly listened to reports from the pokémon project team regarding the production progress of the Poké Ball electronic pets, the strict control of quality in the quality control Link, and the rhythm of promotion before release. For every detail, he demanded that it be steadily pushed forward according to plan. He knew that these peripheral products were an important step for Sega to build brand recognition in children's hearts and a channel for accumulating initial funds.
Occasionally, he would propose some ideas for promotional copy or activities that initially sounded "out-of-the-box." For example, designing a hidden Easter egg for the electronic pet, or planning a unique offline interactive activity. These ideas often worked wonders, always accurately grasping children's psychology and keeping them continuously fresh and anticipating the pokémon series.
In the Arcade Development Department, Takuya's figure also frequently appeared. He personally supervised the progress, discussing the performance optimization of the 16-bit arcade board and the creative implementation of new games with the engineers. He emphasized that arcade games were the front-line testing ground for new technologies and a key link for cultivating development teams and accumulating 16-bit development experience.
These technical accumulations and talent reserves in arcade games would be the cornerstone of future home console success. He not only focused on technology but also deeply understood game gameplay and market reaction, ensuring that every new arcade game maximized hardware performance and attracted players.
But what he cared about most was the development progress of the new console. This was the real "trump card" in his heart. He almost went to the Hardware Development Department every other day to "punch in." He understood the latest test data and inquired about technical problems encountered. The head of the Hardware Department both loved and "feared" his "close monitoring" attitude. They loved Executive Director Takayama's understanding and support for technology, which could provide guidance or resources at critical moments; they feared his sharp questions that occasionally popped up, directly hitting the core of the problem. Sometimes he would even bring Yu Suzuki along, and the two top technical and product experts would "consult" at the same time, putting immense pressure on the Hardware Development Department, but also stimulating the team's potential.
The long struggle finally saw the light of day. Late March, Hardware Development Department.
The head of the Hardware Department, with a slightly tired but incredibly excited expression, showed Takuya the unassuming prototype machine. It lay quietly on the workbench, with a simple appearance, not even encased in a shell, exposing circuit boards and heat sinks. But its "core" was incredibly powerful.
Takuya couldn't wait to conduct preliminary tests. When the screen displayed colors far exceeding Nintendo FC, more refined textures, and smoother scrolling, a subtle glint flashed in his eyes. On the test screen, characters no longer had obvious afterimages when moving, the background scrolling was incredibly smooth, and the music was rich in layers, no longer monotonous electronic sounds. The fluidity of the picture and the more layered sound effects all heralded the arrival of a new era. He had no extra praise, just silently operated the simple test program, feeling the response speed from his fingertips. Every operation was precise and fast, without any delay.
But he quickly calmed down. He inquired in detail about various key parameters and stability, including processor frequency, memory capacity, graphics processing capabilities, and long-term running stability test results. He listened to every piece of data with extra care, occasionally asking several professional questions.
The head of the Hardware Department reported the cost issue with a difficult expression. "Executive Director Takayama, the performance has met expectations, and the stability is also very good." He paused, "But... the current material cost is as high as 30,000 Japanese Yen." He added, "This is mainly because the prices of some customized chips and high-end memory are still very high." He did not hide his worries, "We are confident that when we mass-produce on a large scale at the end of the year, we can control the cost to around 20,000 Japanese Yen through supply chain optimization and technological maturity." He sighed, "But this is still a considerable challenge. A cost of 20,000 Japanese Yen means our selling price must be at least 30,000 Japanese Yen or even higher, which is much more expensive than Nintendo FC."
Upon hearing this, Takuya frowned slightly. A cost of 30,000 Japanese Yen, or even 20,000 Japanese Yen, meant that the final retail price would be much higher than Nintendo FC, which would be the biggest obstacle to market promotion. He knew the importance of price for market promotion, especially at a critical moment in competing with Nintendo FC. He briefly discussed possible cost optimization directions with the team, from chip packaging to power supply design, every link was carefully scrutinized. But he firmly stated, "Performance is our lifeline." He looked at the prototype machine in front of him, "Cost can be found ways, through scale, through technological iteration, through other links to compensate. But the core experience must never be compromised." This was his bottom line, and also the fundamental basis for Sega's future. He knew that only by relying on overwhelming performance advantages could they tear a gap in the copper wall and iron barrier built by Nintendo.
Despite the immense cost pressure, the success of the prototype machine still reassured Takuya. A heavy weight was lifted from his heart. The hardware foundation had been established, and now it was time for software.
He immediately convened all the leaders of the game development team. They used the conference room on the top floor of the headquarters.
Takuya stood before everyone, his gaze sweeping over each member. These people were Sega's most valuable asset, the creators who were about to infuse the new console with soul. "Gentlemen," his voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed in the conference room, "Our 'weapon' already has a prototype." He pointed downstairs, "A powerful machine whose performance far exceeds existing home consoles." His voice gradually rose, carrying a kind of passion that was about to ignite everything, "Now, it's time to forge the sharpest 'blade' for it!"
He passionately elaborated on the importance of the launch lineup prepared for the new console. He had each development team leader report on the progress of their current projects and asked them to select a few titles to port to the new console after completing their arcade development work, both to facilitate more complete testing of the console and to prepare for the new console's launch lineup. Successful arcade ports would not only quickly fill the game library but also allow players to initially experience the new console's performance advantages. The developers listened, their faces showing excitement; they were all tech enthusiasts with a natural craving for new hardware. Some were already quietly discussing which arcade games were most suitable for porting and which visual expressions could be fully and faithfully reproduced on the new console.
Then, Takuya proposed an even more important task: flagship titles that would fully utilize all the new console's capabilities in a home console setting. These would be unprecedented gaming experiences that could only be achieved on this new machine. He needed them to bring out their creativity, their technology, and all of Sega's strength to create masterpieces that would define a new era and amaze players. In the conference room, the developers' expressions shifted from initial surprise to excitement, and then to a sense of solemnity at being entrusted with such a significant responsibility. They knew that a tough battle was about to begin.