On a summer evening in Tokyo, the air was thick with heat and humidity. Takuya Nakayama drove his RX7 back to Tokyo from Osaka, his mind filled with thoughts throughout the journey. Although the meeting with Konami didn't yield an immediate, clear answer, he knew he had planted a seed in Kozuki Kagemasa's mind.
The scenery outside the car window gradually changed from the monotony of the highway to Tokyo's familiar sea of Japan lights. Takuya loosened his tie, feeling the cool air from the air conditioning. In the coming days, he needed to visit more third-party game developers to pave the way for Sega's new console launch.
Upon returning to his apartment, Takuya didn't rest much. He immediately opened his laptop and began planning his upcoming visits. The blue light of the screen reflected on his focused face, and his fingers tapped out a series of names on the keyboard: COMPILE, Game Arts, Technosoft… These were all his next targets.
"Start with the staunch allies first," Takuya murmured to himself, drawing an asterisk next to COMPILE's company name.
COMPILE was founded in 1982 and was known for developing puzzle games, especially the pokémon series, which enjoyed considerable popularity worldwide. More importantly, COMPILE had always maintained a close cooperative relationship with Sega, making them Sega's "staunch ally."
Takuya closed his laptop, lay on the bed, and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, the journey would continue.
The next morning, Takuya woke up early, put on a dark blue suit, and tied his tie. In the mirror, he looked energetic, showing no signs of fatigue from days of travel.
COMPILE's office was located in an unassuming office building in downtown Tokyo. Unlike Konami's glittering building, this place seemed much simpler, but countless sparks of creativity were nurtured within.
The elevator doors opened, and Takuya walked into COMPILE's office area. The walls were covered with various game posters, mostly brightly colored puzzle games. Several young programmers were gathered, discussing something. Seeing Takuya enter, they all looked at him with curiosity.
"Executive Director Nakayama! Welcome!" Masamitsu Niitani greeted him warmly. As the president of COMPILE, Niitani was a middle-aged man in his early forties, wearing round glasses, and always sporting a friendly smile.
After a few pleasantries, the two came to the conference room. Unlike Konami's formal reception room, this place felt more like a creative studio, with game concept art and character designs plastered on the walls, and various development documents scattered on the table.
"Sega has been quite active recently. I heard you've visited several game companies in a row," Niitani said, pouring Takuya a cup of coffee, his tone teasing.
Takuya took the coffee and took a small sip. "That's right. We are preparing for the launch of our new console and hope to have more excellent third-party game support."
"New console?" Niitani's eyes lit up. "16-bit?"
Takuya nodded, taking a document from his briefcase. "These are the technical specifications and third-party development policies for our new console."
Niitani took the document and quickly browsed through it. As an old friend, Takuya didn't need to be as secretive as he was with Konami.
"This performance is indeed impressive," Niitani said, flipping through the material. "Especially the color expression and processing speed, they are much stronger than existing 8-bit machines."
Takuya put down his coffee cup and leaned slightly forward. "Because of this, I hope COMPILE can develop a major title for our new console."
Niitani looked up, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "Do you have any specific ideas?"
Takuya stood up and walked to the whiteboard. "Considering COMPILE's expertise in puzzle games, I have a bold concept." He picked up a marker and wrote "Party Game" on the whiteboard.
"Party game?" Niitani repeated the term, a slight frown on his brow.
"Exactly." Takuya began to outline his ideas on the whiteboard. "A game that combines a large number of mini-games that are easy for both adults and female players to pick up, integrated into one game through various combinations, emphasizing the living room party attribute. Multiple players participate simultaneously, with simple rules but endless variations, capable of eliciting laughter and interaction."
Niitani nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds interesting, but there are already quite a few similar games on the market."
Takuya smiled slightly and wrote "Sega All-Stars" on the board.
"This is our trump card. This party game is not just COMPILE's own IP, but it gathers characters from all of Sega's well-known games."
Niitani's eyes widened instantly. "You mean…"
"That's right, for example, characters from pokémon and fatal fury, and other well-known Sega game characters. We can even consider collaborating with third parties to include more famous characters." Takuya's voice was full of passion. "Imagine, players can choose their favorite characters and compete in various mini-games."
Niitani stood up and walked to the whiteboard. "This idea is brilliant! We can design various types of mini-games, allowing players to experience different game styles." Niitani became more excited as he spoke. "This will not only attract core gamers but also allow ordinary family members to participate."
Takuya watched Niitani's excited expression, secretly pleased. He knew his proposal had hit the mark. COMPILE was good at making games with simple rules but rich content, and the "Sega All-Stars" concept would add infinite charm to the game.
"We can immediately form a dedicated team to handle this project," Niitani said, putting down his pen, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "This will be a groundbreaking work!"
Takuya extended his hand and shook Niitani's tightly. "I look forward to COMPILE's masterpiece."
The first stop was successfully completed, next was Game Arts.
Game Arts, founded in 1985, is a game company known for its exquisite graphics and delicate storylines. In his previous life, their Grandia and Lunar series were highly praised among RPG enthusiasts. More importantly, Game Arts had an investment relationship with Sega, which made the cooperation between the two companies even closer.
Game Arts' office is located in a modern office building in the center of Tokyo. Unlike COMPILE's creative studio style, this place appears more professional and refined. Exquisite original game art hangs on the walls, each one like a work of art.
"Executive Director Nakayama, sorry to keep you waiting," Yoichi Miyaji greeted him. As the president of Game Arts, Miyaji was an elegant middle-aged man, speaking gently yet with conviction.
The two came to the conference room, with Tokyo's bustling streetscape outside the window. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, adding a bright touch to the entire space.
"I imagine you've already heard about Sega's new console," Takuya said, getting straight to the point.
Miyaji smiled and nodded. "I have indeed heard. A 16-bit console, powerful performance, right?"
"That's right." Takuya took out the technical documents and handed them to Miyaji. "These are the detailed specifications. I believe that with Game Arts' technical strength, you will be able to fully utilize the potential of this console."
Miyaji carefully reviewed the documents, nodding occasionally. "Color expression, processing speed, memory capacity… These parameters are indeed high-spec."
"Precisely," Takuya said, looking directly into Miyaji's eyes, "I hope Game Arts can develop an RPG or visual novel game for the new console."
Miyaji put down the documents, deep in thought. "The intricate storylines of RPGs are indeed our strength. But you know, developing a quality RPG requires a lot of time and resources."
"Sega is willing to provide comprehensive technical support," Takuya said firmly. "We can send technical personnel to assist you in familiarizing yourselves with the new console's development environment, ensuring that you can fully leverage its performance advantages."
Miyaji's eyes brightened. "If we can break through the limitations of existing consoles, we indeed have many ideas that can be realized. A grander worldview, more delicate character shape, a smoother combat system…"
Takuya smiled and added, "As well as more exquisite graphics and sound effects. I know Game Arts has always paid great attention to the audio-visual experience of games."
"That's right." Miyaji stood up and walked to the window. "We have always hoped to create a truly immersive fantasy world, allowing players to explore, adventure, and grow within it. But existing hardware always limits our imagination."
Takuya stood up as well and came to Miyaji's side. "Now, these limitations will be broken. Sega's new console will provide you with a stage to showcase your talents."
Miyaji turned around, his eyes sparkling with the passion of a creator. "We've had a project concept for a long time, a fantasy RPG that blends Eastern and Western mythological elements. If it can be realized on the new console, it will be a breakthrough attempt."
"That sounds very appealing," Takuya said sincerely. "I believe Game Arts can create astonishing works."
The two shook hands, reaching an agreement on cooperation. Takuya felt another surge of joy, as the second stop was also successfully completed.