Leaving the development department, Takuya Nakayama was in high spirits. Hideo Kojima's unleashed creative drive reassured him—once freed, its energy was staggering.
Back in his office, his assistant had tea ready and a file waiting. "Executive, here's the first-month sales report," she said, her voice steady but tinged with subtle excitement.
Takuya sipped his tea, leisurely picking up the report. He opened it, eyes scanning the numbers.
Japan: 1,215,700 units.
North America: 498,300 units.
Europe: 221,400 units.
Global total: 1,935,400 units.
The office was quiet, only the rustle of pages breaking the silence. Takuya flipped through, his finger tapping the near-two-million total, a faint smile curving his lips. This debut surpassed even his best expectations. Launching with a juggernaut like *Final Fantasy*, the MD had jolted the industry.
"How are Technosoft and Game Arts responding?" Takuya asked.
"Very positive," the assistant replied. "*Thunder Force* sold over 100,000 units in its first week, and Game Arts' PC port *Zeliard* moved 60,000. Both are thrilled and already planning their next MD titles."
Perfect. Shooters and platformers secured their core audiences, proving MD's power and market potential across mainstream genres. These successes would soon lure hesitant third-party developers.
Takuya set the report down, sipped coffee, and continued, "Next week's releases are *The Revenge of Shinobi* and *Ace Attorney*, right? How's prep?"
The assistant checked her notepad. "*The Revenge of Shinobi* is in production and stocking; marketing's rolling out. But *Ace Attorney*'s initial production volume and marketing plan are still uncertain."
Takuya pondered, recalling *Ace Attorney*'s real-world slow-burn success. "Produce 100,000 units first. It's a game that builds through word-of-mouth, not just hype. For marketing, push 'Be Your Own Master Detective' or similar, focusing on its mystery-solving appeal."
The assistant jotted it down swiftly.
Seeing her linger, Takuya asked, "Anything else?"
"One more thing." She handed over another document. "A French company, Ubisoft, applied for a dev kit. Our review shows they lack independent game development experience, focusing mainly on distribution."
"Ubisoft?" Takuya's brow rose. He scanned the file, marked "Ubisoft Entertainment S.A."
The assistant added, "Per our standards, dev kits go to companies with proven development. They—"
"Give it to them," Takuya cut in.
"Pardon?" She blinked.
"Send them the kit," he said, tossing the file back. "Distributors know what players want and don't want—sometimes more valuable than cloistered dev experience. Their finances are solid?"
"Yes, very healthy."
"Then it's fine. Let them try. It's a chance for them and us. They might crack open the French-speaking market."
The assistant, puzzled but compliant, nodded. "I'll handle it immediately."
After she left, Takuya stood, gazing out his large window. Nearly two million units meant MD had a foothold, surviving its launch. A sales dip might follow—New Year to now, with blockbuster games and consoles, kids' pocket money was likely spent.
But MD's conquest was just beginning. He needed more "Kojimas" and more "Ubisofts."
He pressed the intercom. "Get Marketing's Suzuki to my office."
Minutes later, Masao Suzuki knocked and entered. "Executive, you called?"
Takuya gestured him to sit. "Our first victory's done, but third parties will flood in soon. That's good, but mismanaged, it's a disaster." His voice was calm but firm. "I need you and production to build a third-party coordination system."
"Coordination system?" Suzuki leaned forward, attentive.
"Yes. Marketing must actively track all third-party projects—progress, genres, release windows. Production helps them plan capacity, especially for small devs; no neglecting low-volume orders. Most critically," Takuya raised a finger, "if multiple companies' similar big titles risk clashing, you step in. Stagger their releases, even by a week or two."
Suzuki's eyes lit with understanding, admiration clear. "Got it, Executive! We're not just a rent-collecting platform—we provide service and guidance. I'll set it up."
"Go. Don't act high-and-mighty like Nintendo. If needed, pull clashing devs together for talks. We're not lofty judges—we're traffic cops, ensuring everyone's path is clear, avoiding pileups." Takuya stressed, knowing Japanese corporate arrogance too well.
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