The lights in the banquet hall dimmed.
A single spotlight cut through the darkness, illuminating the center of the stage.
Square's Chairman Masafumi Miyamoto and President Tetsuo Mizuno walked onto the stage side by side.
The audience fell silent instantly.
Mizuno adjusted the microphone.
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"Five million copies." Mizuno's voice trembled as he read the number aloud. "A month ago, none of us dared to even imagine this. Square bet its entire future on Final Fantasy VII. And we won."
Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
Miyamoto raised his hand to quiet them.
"While I want to thank all the developers who worked day and night, today, I must also represent Square in expressing our deepest gratitude to our most important partner." Miyamoto turned toward Takuya Nakayama in the audience and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Sega! Thank you, Executive Director Nakayama! It was Sega that handled our North American distribution, and it was the Jupiter Console's powerful capabilities that allowed Final Fantasy VII to be presented to players worldwide in its most perfect form!"
Applause erupted once more, all eyes now fixed on Takuya Nakayama.
Takuya Nakayama placed his glass on a passing tray, straightened the hem of his suit jacket, and stepped onto the stage.
He took the microphone, sweeping his gaze across the excited crowd below.
"Five million is just the beginning," Takuya said, his tone casual. "Square has proven what an RPG in the optical disc era should be. Sega is honored to be part of this gaming revolution."
He turned to face Masafumi Miyamoto and Tetsuo Mizuno.
"Sega and Square are more than just a platform holder and a developer. We are comrades-in-arms." Takuya tapped the microphone. "The road ahead is long. Nintendo won't go down without a fight, and Sony is already waving their checkbook, poaching talent all over the world. What we need to do is crush them with even better games."
The atmosphere in the hall ignited instantly.
The developers raised their glasses, cheering loudly.
Takuya handed the microphone back to Tetsuo Mizuno and stepped off the stage.
A five-tier custom cake was sliced open.
Waiters pushed dessert carts through the banquet hall, distributing plated slices of cake to the guests.
The mood of the entire room shifted rapidly from formal solemnity to uninhibited revelry.
In a corner, several round tables had been pushed together, where the Square development team had already completely let loose.
Ties were tugged askew, suit jackets draped carelessly over the backs of chairs.
A dozen or so programmers and artists raised beer-filled mugs, their boisterous cheers forcing the lead programmer to drink.
"Drink up! Anyone who walks out of here standing is a Shinra lackey!"
"Fill 'em up! Don't let the glasses go dry!"
Beer foam spilled over the rims, dripping down their hands onto the carpet.
No one reproached them for their unbridled revelry.
For the past few months, this crew had slept on the office floor, eating cold convenience store meals and surviving on black coffee and energy drinks.
Now, with five million copies sold, they were the ones who had made it all possible.
Takuya Nakayama carried a plate of cake to a quiet sofa area at the edge of the banquet hall and took a seat.
Oguchi Hisao and Yuji Naka followed him.
Soon after, Tetsuo Mizuno, Masafumi Miyamoto, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and Nobuo Uematsu also arrived, glasses in hand, and settled onto the opposite sofa.
Tetsuo Mizuno unbuttoned his suit jacket and let out a long sigh.
Takuya Nakayama placed the cake plate on the glass coffee table in front of them and wiped his hands with a napkin.
The noise of the party felt more distant here.
With several executives gathered together, the conversation naturally shifted from the game's sales to its potential for future spin-off revenue.
Oguchi Hisao unzipped his briefcase, pulled out a folded report, and spread it flat on the coffee table. Takuya Nakayama had originally told him not to bring such things to the celebration party, but Oguchi had brought it anyway.
"The game is selling well, so we can't let the merchandise fall behind," Oguchi said, pointing to a few sets of data on the report. "The production lines at all the merchandise factories were already running at full speed last month."
Tetsuo Mizuno leaned in to take a closer look.
"Starting last week, all the merchandise has been fully stocked through Sega Galaxy's offline direct-sales stores and partner channels," Oguchi said, looking up and scanning the room. "Everyone, the situation is even more exaggerated than we anticipated."
Masafumi Miyamoto picked up his glass and took a sip of champagne.
"The bundled set of the art book and the original soundtrack CD is selling the craziest," Oguchi said, tapping a line of numbers. "Priced at 7,800 yen per set, over 500,000 copies were shipped in just one week."
Hironobu Sakaguchi froze, his glass suspended in mid-air.
"Five hundred thousand?" Sakaguchi swallowed hard. "For a single merchandise set?"
"Absolutely true," Oguchi said, leaning back on the sofa with his arms crossed. "Actually, the Marketing Department's initial plan was very conservative. Just after the New Year, players' New Year's money and year-end bonuses had basically been emptied. We were worried that if we set the price too high, players' pockets would be too tight, and it wouldn't sell."
Takuya Nakayama took a sip of water.
"But reality gave us a pleasant surprise," Oguchi Hisao chuckled. "The lines at our brick-and-mortar stores are no shorter than they were on launch day. Some high schoolers are willing to eat instant noodles for a whole month just to bring home the Cloud and Sephiroth art books. Many stores were already hanging 'sold out' signs on the first day."
Tetsuo Mizuno joined in the laughter, shaking his head repeatedly.
"It's not just the art books," Oguchi Hisao said, flipping a page. "The figures made directly from the game's high-precision 3D model data are already pre-ordered three months out. And the strategy guides are selling out as fast as we can print them."
Yuji Naka pushed up his glasses.
"The higher the model's precision, the more accurate the mold," Naka added. "Sega's technical team is helping the contract manufacturer optimize the data conversion process. We can still improve the yield rate by another ten percent."
"I've already spoken to the production line," Oguchi Hisao said, folding the reports and sliding them back into his briefcase. "They're running three shifts for an expedited rush. For the upcoming spring break window, we'll double our promotional spending. We need to strike while the iron's hot and push this hype to its absolute peak."
Oguchi turned to Nobuo Uematsu, who had remained silent throughout the meeting.
The ace music producer from Square was staring blankly at the whiskey glass on the coffee table.
"Mr. Uematsu," Oguchi called out.
Uematsu snapped back to attention and straightened his posture.
"The soundtrack CD is selling like crazy, and your music is the primary reason," Oguchi said, raising his glass in a toast from across the room. "About that second symphony concert we discussed—can we start the planning and promotion?"
Uematsu set down his whiskey, his fingers drumming nervously on his knee.
"The setlist has actually been finalized for some time," he said, clearing his throat. "I've been keeping in touch with the orchestra. I've already revised the live arrangements for Bombing Mission and One-Winged Angel three times. We can start rehearsals whenever you're ready."
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