Over the past month, under Takuya Nakayama's directives, Sega, the massive war machine, had operated with remarkable efficiency and secrecy across all departments.
In a top-security testing lab within the Hardware Development Department, the air was thick with the scent of soldering and equipment cooling.
Yuji Naka stood before a modified Model 1 motherboard, his expression focused as he worked.
On the screen, a rudimentary humanoid figure moved.
It was called rudimentary because it lacked textures, being merely a "skeleton" composed of dozens of simple polygons.
Yet it was extraordinary because its movements were remarkably fluid, each gesture exuding power.
"Look here." Yuji Naka tapped the keyboard.
Instantly, the polygonal skeleton's surface was "clothed" in a magnificent "garment." The previously bare geometric form transformed into a martial artist in a gi, his well-defined muscles clearly visible.
This "outer layer" wasn't a 3D texture, but rather an exquisitely detailed 2D sprite.
As the skeleton moved, the "skin" stretched, rotated, and overlapped perfectly, offering a visual fidelity far superior to the angular characters in Virtua Fighter.
"Hardware load... well within acceptable limits," Yuji Naka said, pointing at the fluctuating data stream on the nearby monitor. His voice remained calm, but a glimmer of excitement couldn't be hidden in his eyes. "We've successfully shifted the majority of the graphical processing from the 3D polygon processing unit to our specialty—2D sprite rendering. This approach works!"
Yu Suzuki stood nearby, arms crossed, staring intently at the screen, his mouth slightly agape.
He watched the character perform a side kick. The bulging thigh muscles, the creases in the pants—all these details were rendered with breathtaking precision through the dynamic 2D sprites.
This... this is the expressiveness I've been dreaming of!
"Department Manager Nakamura, what do you think?" Takuya Nakayama's voice broke the silence.
Department Manager Nakamura of the Hardware Development Department remained silent. Unlike Yu Suzuki, who focused solely on performance, Nakamura's mind was rapidly calculating the costs.
"Managing Director," Nakamura said, pushing up his glasses with a serious expression, "if we adopt this proposal, the graphics chip's architecture can leverage much of our existing mature technology. This would effectively control both development risks and manufacturing costs. This... is highly feasible."
With final confirmation from both key technical experts, Takuya Nakayama felt a surge of confidence.
Validating the technical approach was only the first step.
A few days later, several thick reports landed on Takuya Nakayama's desk.
The first report was from Nakamura's Hardware Department. After conducting a detailed market survey of televisions, they had set the video output specifications for the new console at a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels and 24-bit true color.
This specification would meet the display capabilities of mainstream televisions for the next few years without causing hardware costs to spiral out of control.
The second report was a player questionnaire analysis submitted by the Marketing Department.
As Takuya Nakayama flipped through the pages, the smile on his lips grew wider.
The report showed that the vast majority of players remained devoted to 2D games, loving Sonic and being addicted to various RPGs and side-scrolling platformers.
At the same time, a significant number of those surveyed expressed strong curiosity and anticipation for "true 3D games."
Many hardcore players explicitly stated in the questionnaire that they could tell Extreme Pursuit and similar light gun games were "pseudo-3D" and desperately wanted to play real 3D masterpieces where characters weren't just "blocky figures."
The players' needs perfectly aligned with his "2D as the foundation, 3D as the spearhead" strategic vision.
The third document was a batch of responses to the "intent survey" he had sent to all the major producers within the company.
The feedback was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
Especially the action game producers, who were practically wailing.
Designing action mechanics within the 2D framework had become formulaic; they felt their creativity was drying up, and they desperately needed the new dimension of 3D to save their dwindling inspiration.
One particular email made Takuya Nakayama chuckle despite himself.
Sender: Hideo Kojima
The email was a passionate, tearful plea.
"Executive Director Nakayama! My Snake is fully prepared! The complete script for Metal Gear Solid 2 and hundreds of storyboard sketches have been locked in my office safe for months."
"If I'm not allowed to develop 3D games soon, my creative soul will wither."
Takuya Nakayama could almost see Hideo Kojima's earnest yet dramatic face.
This guy... he's truly a treasure.
He chuckled and shook his head, closing the email.
The technology was feasible, the market was eager, and the internal teams were clamoring for the project.
All the puzzle pieces were now in his hands.
Leaning back in his chair, Takuya gazed out the window, taking in the vibrant cityscape of Tokyo. All the research, testing, and preparation had converged.
It was time to have a proper discussion with those old men on the board, who were happily counting their money, about Sega's "future."
October deepened, bringing a crisp autumn chill.
Yet inside the boardroom at Sega Headquarters, the atmosphere was worlds apart from the cool autumn air outside—warm, even stifling.
Around the long conference table sat the directors who controlled the lifeblood of this massive corporation, most of them with hair already streaked with gray.
Takuya Nakayama, Executive Director of Operations, sat below the head of the table, his expression calm.
The meeting proceeded methodically: financial reports, sales summaries—every number attested to the MD Console's glory, and the directors' faces glowed with satisfaction.
Sparse applause echoed as they nodded contentedly, savoring the fruits of their victory.
Just then, Takuya Nakayama stood up.
"Next, I will present a proposal regarding the company's future direction." His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly focused everyone's attention.
His opening remarks froze the room's relaxed atmosphere. Several directors frowned, displeased that their celebration of victory, complete with champagne, was being interrupted.
Unfazed, Nakayama didn't immediately produce his plan. Instead, he first distributed research reports from the Marketing Department, Hardware Department, and internal developers to each director.
Then, he activated the projector and began presenting the results of his month-long efforts: detailed research reports, technical validation data, and player surveys—each piece of evidence meticulously laid out.
From the hybrid 2D and 3D technology path to Yuji Naka's crude yet groundbreaking demo video; from players' dissatisfaction with "blocky characters" and their anticipation for true 3D to the producers' hunger for new dimensions within the company.
A low murmur of laughter filled the conference room, easing the tense atmosphere.
But when Takuya Nakayama's PowerPoint reached the final slide, revealing a projected development budget exceeding one billion dollars, the room fell into a deathly silence.
"Ahem." A white-haired director cleared his throat and spoke slowly, "Executive Director Nakayama, your plan is ambitious. But why rush to slaughter the golden goose, the Mega Drive, to replace it with an egg that might not even hatch?"
"Exactly," another director chimed in. "Being a late adopter is the safest strategy. Nintendo's Super Famicom is a perfect example.
Matsushita and that American company are working on the 3D0, right? Let them blaze the trail. We'll follow behind, learn from their successes, and avoid their mistakes. Wouldn't that be better?"
This was the classic conservative argument: steady, but also a missed opportunity to seize the initiative.
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