*United States, Sega Branch*
Isao Okawa, David Rosen, and Bruce Lowry, the current de facto head of Sega's North American Branch, gathered at David Rosen's private residence.
Bruce Lowry, who had sounded so resolute on the phone, now adopted a humble and respectful demeanor. He poured red wine for the two men, engaging in lighthearted conversation.
Do Americans not understand social etiquette? On the contrary, they understand it all too well. Even old Hollywood legends would rise to toast their peers.
After the toasts and pleasantries, Isao Okawa cut to the chase: "Sega Headquarters has already voted overwhelmingly in favor. Sega North America must fully cooperate with this promotional campaign."
Bruce Lowry glanced at David Rosen, then back at Isao Okawa, lowering his voice: "I'm afraid that might not be wise. According to our market analysis, the current American market—"
"This is the decision of the Sega Board of Directors!" Isao Okawa interrupted, repeating the statement for emphasis.
Since it was the Board's decision, compliance was mandatory. He saw no need to explain further to Bruce Lowry.
Bruce Lowry's face instantly stiffened.
"Sega Headquarters has immense confidence in this console. Moreover, we're launching it with a flagship first-party title—what we're calling a 'AAA' game—to serve as a launch title. We must seize market share before Nintendo catches on."
Isao Okawa placed the prototype console and cartridge on the table.
This mutual support meant Sonic would be MS's flagship first-party title, while the MS Console would be Sonic's flagship platform.
Bruce Lowry, initially skeptical, reluctantly plugged in the console and played for a few minutes, adhering to the principle of following his superior's instructions.
Collapsing skyscrapers, a character sprinting at breakneck speed, perfectly timed yet slightly annoying enemies that had to be dodged, and even a Boss battle—
In just half an hour, Bruce Lowry, head of the North American Branch, went from disdain to confusion to astonishment.
"Incredible! Is this really the flagship first-party title for the MS Console?"
Bruce Lowry struggled to find the right word.
*Smooth? Effortless? Exhilarating?*
As he pondered, Isao Okawa cut to the chase: "Satisfying."
"Exactly!" Bruce Lowry's eyes widened.
That was the feeling.
*Satisfying!*
The development team, Atlas, had masterfully used onomatopoeia and screen distortion to create a visceral sense of impact in their 2D world.
When Frankenstein's Monster's limbs were struck, the corresponding area of the screen would briefly distort, accompanied by a slightly muffled, flesh-piercing sound effect.
The final result was that, even though Sonic only had one move—a punch—each blow against the Boss felt satisfyingly meaty and impactful.
For Bruce Lowry, an American whose gaming instincts had lain dormant for years, this felt like a reawakening.
He wanted to shout:
*Who made this?! It's way too fun!*
Under direct pressure from Isao Okawa, with the entire Sega Headquarters board of directors acting as guarantors, the North American sales agreement finally began to move forward smoothly.
The agreement's terms were exceptionally generous, offering both retailers and players a ten-year warranty.
This meant that retailers could return defective consoles to Sega factories for replacement at any time within ten years. Players could also return damaged MS Consoles to game stores for replacement within the same period.
Such extravagant terms seemed almost unbelievable, like a charitable act rather than a business deal!
***
Unbeknownst to many, Nintendo had stormed the North American market with a near-charitable approach. Though they initially suffered significant losses, this strategy successfully opened the market and ultimately yielded higher profits.
At the request of the North American Branch, the marketing and distribution department ramped up its efforts. One key tactic was hiring large numbers of part-time students as field promoters to visit game stores across North America, urging them to stock and sell the MS Console.
Lin Dengwan, a 19-year-old college student, came from a relatively comfortable background but chose this work-study job primarily because he was smitten with a particularly attractive girl among the part-time staff. He saw it as an opportunity to spend more time with her.
Lin Dengwan was a second-generation Chinese American. His ancestors had emigrated from Fujian Province to the United States.
As for how they arrived, well, let's just say Mazu, the sea goddess, had declared their lineage eligible to settle in America. Naturally, they went wherever they pleased.
By the time Lin Dengwan was born, his family had been in the US for three generations.
While he felt little connection to or understanding of China, Lin Dengwan possessed the characteristic Asian traits of resilience and perseverance deep in his bones.
"Sir, have you heard about Sega Games?"
"Madam, Sega Games."
"Sega Games—"
After a morning of hustling, they couldn't claim complete failure, but the results were hardly impressive.
The lingering influence of Atari still loomed large. Game stores showed little interest in stocking Sega's consoles, preferring the reliability of computers and arcade machines.
The part-time workers gathered by the roadside, each buying a black pepper sausage from a street vendor. They sat on the steps facing the street, eating together.
Lin Dengwan, his mouth full of grilled sausage, couldn't take his eyes off the part-time girl next to him.
She was the quintessential American girl: flaxen hair cascading down her shoulders, a gap-toothed grin, and a smattering of freckles. Despite the early spring chill, she wore only a spaghetti-strap tank top.
Not conventionally beautiful, but her assets were undeniable.
Lin Dengwan was a simple man; he appreciated ample curves.
His ancestors had taught him that such women were fertile, ensuring both child and father would never go hungry.
"If we can't promote these consoles by the end of the day, what'll we do?"
"No promotions means no performance bonuses. Without those bonuses, we'll have to go home. And without money, we can't hit the bars and have any fun."
The part-timers continued to grumble.
Lin Dengwan remained silent, his mind churning. He was trying to figure out how to push the consoles and earn his share.
Suddenly, he stood up.
"I want to try again."
As Lin Dengwan headed toward the game store diagonally across the street, the part-time workers were shocked. "Lin En, don't even think about it! Boss Thomas is the hardest to deal with! Let's start with the easy ones first!"
Lin Dengwan turned, his determination unwavering. "If we can crack the toughest nut, the rest will fall into place, right? I have to try."
Without waiting for their reactions, he pushed open the game store door. The door creaked and groaned loudly before finally stopping against the resistance.
The middle-aged man behind the counter looked up at Lin Dengwan.
"Boss, want to hear about Sega Games?"
"Arcade games?"
"No! Home consoles!"
Boss Thomas's face twisted into an expression of disdain, as if arguing would be beneath him.
*Who even plays home consoles anymore?*
*Home consoles are the least popular thing in America right now!*
He raised his hand to shoo Lin Dengwan away, but Lin Dengwan stood his ground.
"Wait! It's not exactly a home console—it's a toy!"
Seeing Thomas seemed willing to listen, Lin Dengwan pressed on, his voice strained. "Sega isn't selling game consoles, but a kind of toy with electronic features called the Master System. It's a large toy that combines various toy characteristics."
"Sega Corporation guarantees a ten-year warranty and exchange policy for all MS Toys purchased in-store! Customers can exchange defective units for new ones directly, and the old units will be sent to Sega Corporation. This policy remains valid for ten years!"
"The initial release of the toys will include unique features developed by Atlas!"
Thomas suddenly looked up.
Atlas wasn't a household name in the United States yet, but it held considerable renown within certain circles.
This was due to *Jormungandr*.
Since its introduction and promotion by Hasbro last year, the *Jormungandr* arcade game had become immensely popular in American bars and arcades.
The game's popularity surged further when MJ casually praised it after a concert, drawing even more players to the arcade cabinets.
While Hasbro manufactured the arcade cabinets, Atlas was the development company behind the game.
After a long silence, Thomas pressed, "A ten-year, no-questions-asked return policy? Does Sega provide replacement consoles or cash refunds?"
Lin Dengwan replied, "When a customer returns a console, the store provides a replacement, and Sega directly reimburses the store."
As Lin Dengwan left the game store, his part-time colleagues across the street watched him anxiously.
Lin Dengwan felt like he had finally seen the light of day.
It had actually worked!
Thomas had agreed to pre-order fifty MS Consoles after their release. While fifty units might seem like a small number for a large game store, it was undoubtedly a good start!
The group rushed across the street to Lin Dengwan, their eyes fixed on him.
"Lin En, how did it go?"
"Did that guy give you a hard time?"
Lin Dengwan shook his head and held up one finger.
"It's done! Mr. Thomas has agreed to pre-order fifty consoles and their accompanying games! Here's the signed pre-order agreement!"
A wave of excitement swept through the small group.
It had actually worked!
"Lin En!" The American girl grabbed Lin Dengwan's hand, shaking it vigorously, almost pressing it against her chest. "I'm so proud of you!"
Lin Dengwan grinned so wide his jaw felt like it had been split open by Jigsaw's jawbreaker.
It was done! He vaguely sensed he had gained some valuable experience, but he didn't want to talk about it.
Perhaps it was because someone else had already broken into the market that he was able to convince the game store!
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