The spotlight "accidentally" swept across Ken Kutaragi's face.
The head of Sony Computer Entertainment wore a stiff expression, forcing a polite smile. His reaction was so priceless, it could have been the headline in tomorrow's newspapers.
Using parts supplied by their rival to arm themselves and then delivering a crushing blow to that same rival—this move was truly ruthless.
"Finally, and most importantly..."
Takuya Nakayama's smile faded. Behind him, the screen displayed a logo all arcade owners would instantly recognize:
—Model 2.
"We've brought the arcade home. Jupiter's architecture is highly compatible with Sega's Model 2 arcade board. What does this mean? It means developers can seamlessly transfer their arcade experience to this console. If you have a great idea, we'll provide you with the sharpest sword."
He spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the entire venue, as if to embrace the coming 32-bit Era.
"Add to that Sega's long-standing expertise in game development tools and their relentless pursuit of innovation."
"High performance, ease of development, massive capacity. This is what we call the future has arrived."
The spotlight on stage continued to flash, and Takuya Nakayama's declaration—"The future has arrived"—struck Ken Kutaragi's heart like a hammer.
He stared at the Jupiter, still glowing with its blue light, unable to suppress the bitter taste in his mouth.
As a technologist, he immediately recognized the cleverness of the console's design.
Compared to the PlayStation's plain, gray-and-white box, this thing was undeniably "alluring."
On the shelves, children would instinctively reach for this black beast first.
"This light pollution is like a nightclub," he muttered under his breath, trying to mask his anxiety with disdain.
Losing the appearance battle wasn't the real issue. The core was what mattered.
R3000S chip, over 320,000 polygons.
Kutaragi quickly ran through the PlayStation's specifications in his mind.
Half a pound is half a pound. Sega couldn't outclass Sony in performance, and Sony couldn't crush Sega in hardware.
Since neither side could pull ahead on technical specs, the battle would come down to the most primal level: a knife fight. It would be a battle of who had deeper pockets and who could assemble a more dazzling game lineup.
The thought of "money" caused Ken Kutaragi's tense shoulders to relax slightly.
When it came to burning cash, when had Sony—a company that started with Walkmans—ever feared Sega, the arcade giant?
Sega's scale was nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to Sony's vast electronic empire.
With just a signature from President Oga, a few hundred million dollars in marketing could turn even a brick into gold.
However, before he could fully relax, a cold thought slithered into his mind like a snake, sending a chill down his spine.
Damn it, how could I forget that?
He still vividly remembered the oppressive atmosphere in Oga Norio's office during last week's report.
Although the group's financial results hadn't been publicly released yet, executives at his level had already heard the rumors: Sony's gamble in Hollywood had been a catastrophic failure.
The acquisition of Columbia Pictures had turned into a bottomless pit.
According to internal leaks from the Finance Department, the write-down of assets alone was likely to exceed $2.5 billion. Add to that the messy legal settlements, and another $500 million had gone down the drain.
A $3 billion deficit.
And this was $3 billion in 1994.
Even a behemoth like Sony would have to bleed profusely if such a blow struck its main artery.
At this critical juncture, voices within the group were already calling for "scaling back operations and cutting non-core businesses."
Though President Oga had championed the Electronic Entertainment Division as a "star of tomorrow," the conservative board members saw it as a money-losing venture that was still too immature to stand on its own.
If Sega were to launch a price war or a massive subsidy offensive at this moment—
Ken Kutaragi instinctively reached for the cigarette case in his pocket, then remembered he was at a press conference and quickly withdrew his hand.
If the group slashed the gaming division's budget due to Columbia's mess, PlayStation would be malnourished before it was even born.
If we don't have the money to secure exclusive deals with third-party manufacturers, or the funds to push GG, how can we compete with those lunatics at Sega?
"Mr. Kutaragi, you don't look well," Kenzo Tsujimoto said, leaning over and lowering his voice, his face wearing that irritatingly shrewd smile. "Feeling a little unsettled by how quickly Sega's 'future' has arrived?"
Ken Kutaragi forced a stiff smile and didn't respond.
He felt like he was holding a winning hand, only to discover the dealer could see his cards and was about to flip the whole table.
Takuya Nakayama on stage, seemingly bored with the front row, made his laser pointer dot dance again. The screen flickered and changed.
"A great sword deserves a swordsman worthy of it," Nakayama's voice drew everyone's attention back from the hardware. A row of logos appeared on the screen. "Next, let's unveil Jupiter's launch lineup."
Ken Kutaragi's heart sank.
The moment he dreaded most had arrived.
The screen abruptly went black, replaced by the familiar crackle of static.
"Welcome to the Net Level."
The classic Sega GG phrase hung in the air for a moment before a thunderous drumbeat erupted.
The first thing that filled the screen was Akira Yuki's dōgi, rippling with each breath.
No longer a fleeting glimpse through the glass and haze of an arcade, this time the high-definition signal projected every polygon in unsparing detail onto the massive screen.
Virtua Fighter 2.
No compromises, no annoying loading black screens.
Akira Yuki's Crushing Cloud Body Double Tiger Palm sent his opponent flying to the edge of the screen, the visceral impact of the blows vibrating through the top-tier sound system, making the front row audience's eardrums tingle.
"I know what you're thinking," Takuya Nakayama said, standing at the edge of the stage where light and shadow mingled. He pointed to the screen. "This is just arcade footage, right? Who are you trying to fool?"
"No, this is the real deal—Jupiter running live." He grinned. "From now on, you won't have to wait in line at the arcade and smell other people's sweat to practice your combos. You can just blast away in your own living room, cool as a cucumber."
The audience erupted in knowing laughter.
The screen flickered, and the roar of an engine drowned out the laughter.
The dented muscle car from The Fast and the Furious launched into the air from a San Francisco slope, its suspension compressing with a jaw-grindingly realistic physical feedback upon landing.
Next came Gundam Battle Operation. The heavy footsteps of the Zaku I crushed debris underfoot, and the mechanical whirring of its single eye-monitor made every Gundam fan in the audience sit up straighter.
"Gundam players, don't worry about the unique controls," Nakayama continued. "The dual-stick controller we're bundling with the console supports every operation in Gundam Battle Operation flawlessly."
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