Mid-March in Tokyo — the chill was finally fading.
In the top-floor conference room of Sega’s headquarters, the presentation for the handheld console’s launch lineup was underway...
2025-11-01 09:05:03 +0000 UTC View PostJanuary 7, 1989.
A piece of heavy news spread across every corner of Japan through television and radio.
The Emperor had passed away.
It was as if the entire ...
2025-11-01 09:03:05 +0000 UTC View PostKonami Corporation, President’s Office.
Kamizuki Masamasa held a freshly brewed cup of coffee and stood by the tall floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the winter streets of Osa...
2025-11-01 09:00:36 +0000 UTC View PostOn December 4th, posters announcing the release of the PC Engine CD-ROM expansion kit appeared across Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district.
A number of hardcore gamers lined up eagerly, r...
2025-10-31 10:37:59 +0000 UTC View PostNintendo Hardware Development Division.
“Kamitani-san, Takeda-san,” Ken Kutaragi leaned slightly forward, fingers interlocked on the table as his gaze shifted between the two men. ...
2025-10-31 10:30:51 +0000 UTC View PostAfter the development team meeting, Takuya Nakayama sat alone in his office, his fingertips gliding over the open release schedule for upcoming MD (Mega Drive) games.
On the table, the...
2025-10-31 10:29:17 +0000 UTC View PostAfter a month of intense development, the handheld console’s development tools were finally ready for final testing.
The lead programmer ran the final set of data through the tool. W...
2025-10-30 10:39:19 +0000 UTC View PostAfter arranging the development schedule for Pokémon Red/Green, Takuya Nakayama called out to the leader of Team Three, who was about to leave.
“Shimizu-san, how’s the arcade feed...
2025-10-30 10:37:21 +0000 UTC View PostWhile programmers were working hard to develop tools for the new handheld console, Takuya's office phone rang.
It was Chuta Mitsui of Bandai, calling to arrange a meeting that evening.
...
2025-10-30 10:26:52 +0000 UTC View PostThe first Friday of October, Sega Hardware Development Department.
Takuya Nakayama and Yu Suzuki stood outside a testing room surrounded by various instruments and cables, watching the...
2025-10-29 09:07:08 +0000 UTC View PostIn the president's office, the ashtray was already overflowing.
The young planner pressed the stop button on the VCR.
The faint click from the videotape was the only sound...
2025-10-29 09:05:17 +0000 UTC View PostTime has come to late August.
*Mewtwo Strikes Back* slowly came to an end amid exclamations of amazement, with its final box office settling at a figure that everyone had to look up to...
2025-10-29 09:03:21 +0000 UTC View Post*Mewtwo Strikes Back*’s summer viewing storm showed spare seats only on day five. Theater managers eyed sky-high occupancy with mixed joy—bonuses secured—and worry: staff had rotated nonstop ...
2025-10-28 09:37:03 +0000 UTC View PostOn premiere day, managers at every Toho theater obsessively eyed schedules, hunting films to cut for more *Mewtwo Strikes Back* slots. Pre-sales were exhausted; even non-prime seats for the next tw...
2025-10-28 09:35:21 +0000 UTC View PostTwo weeks before *Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back*’s release, Pokémon Centers halted invitation distribution, disappointing latecomers while inflating recipients’ pride. The final promotional wa...
2025-10-28 09:33:56 +0000 UTC View PostEarly July. In Sega’s top-floor office, the air conditioner hummed, sealing out Tokyo’s humid clamor. Takuya Nakayama reviewed a Dentsu report on *Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back*’s first two p...
2025-10-27 09:03:36 +0000 UTC View PostWith *Golden Sun*’s development underway, Takuya Nakayama felt a weight lift. The renewed fire in Yuji Naka and Rieko Kodama’s eyes bolstered his confidence in Sega’s RPG future. As he turned...
2025-10-27 09:01:26 +0000 UTC View PostTakuya Nakayama’s fingers traced the edge of a stack of sales reports. *Phantasy Star*’s lackluster sales curve stung like a thorn. Technical triumphs and market damage control couldn’t hide ...
2025-10-27 08:59:09 +0000 UTC View PostThe board meeting adjourned, and Director Hattori, clutching the gold-embossed authorization papers, beamed with excitement. He clapped Takuya Nakayama’s shoulder, voice brimming with ambition. ...
2025-10-26 09:38:25 +0000 UTC View PostThe boardroom buzzed with approval and ease, directors awaiting Hayao Nakayama’s call to adjourn. But Takuya Nakayama’s calm, clear voice cut through, drawing all eyes back. “Regarding ‘Seg...
2025-10-26 09:36:25 +0000 UTC View PostAfter a week-long rural retreat, Takuya Nakayama drove back to Tokyo, revitalized. The weary Sega executive was gone, replaced by a game developer brimming with confidence and creative passion. At ...
2025-10-26 09:34:31 +0000 UTC View PostWith the third-party war settled, Sega secured a lineup rivaling Nintendo’s. Coupled with MD’s performance edge, the outlook was bright. Now, the battle hinged on game libraries, particularly f...
2025-10-25 10:09:19 +0000 UTC View PostWhile Hideo Kojima hustled for the *Metal Gear* artbook, sales reports for Konami’s *Contra* (7万 units first week) and Koei’s *Nobunaga’s Ambition: National Edition* (5万 units first week)...
2025-10-25 10:06:06 +0000 UTC View PostAmid the whirlwind of work, May arrived. Two weeks after *Metal Gear*’s release, a detailed sales and feedback report landed on Takuya Nakayama’s desk. The numbers were solid, profitable, but l...
2025-10-25 10:04:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe day after *My Neighbor Totoro*’s premiere, Takuya Nakayama returned to his battlefield of phone lines, fax paper, and caffeine. Rubbing his temples, he pushed aside thoughts of Mamoru Oshii...
2025-10-24 10:04:28 +0000 UTC View Post“Snap.”
A soft sound broke the silence. Hayao Nakayama gently placed his pen on the desk, his gaze on his son brimming with pride and admiration before turning to the directors. ...
2025-10-24 10:02:44 +0000 UTC View PostEarly April in Tokyo, inside Sega’s executive operations office, a warm, freshly printed fax landed on Takuya Nakayama’s desk, rushed in by a subordinate. Department heads gathered, their faces...
2025-10-24 10:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostLate March arrived. Sega MD’s buying frenzy, after its initial surge, settled to a steady hum. Nintendo’s FC shelves, stripped of heavyweight third-party Konami, looked desolate. This brief lul...
2025-10-23 09:57:40 +0000 UTC View PostEarly March in Tokyo carried the lingering chill of late winter. In Akihabara’s electronics stores, Sega MD shelves buzzed with crowds, their popularity unwavering. In stark contrast, Nintendo’...
2025-10-23 09:55:05 +0000 UTC View PostLeaving the hardware department, Takuya Nakayama returned to his office and checked his schedule. His watch showed perfect timing. A car awaited downstairs, gliding toward Suginami. The city’s co...
2025-10-23 09:53:01 +0000 UTC View Post