Takuya Nakayama nodded.
"Sega will handle the venue," Takuya promised. "The Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre or the Budokan. If we're doing this, we're doing it big. We'll bring game music into the great halls."
Nobuo Uematsu nodded vigorously, lifted his glass of whisky, and drained it in one gulp.
"The promotional budget will be charged to Sega," Oguchi Hisao added. "TV commercials, magazine interviews—we'll arrange it all. We're going to make this concert a carnival for the entire Japanese gaming industry."
Tetsuo Mizuno raised his glass.
"To Final Fantasy VII!"
Several glasses clinked together over the coffee table, producing a crisp sound.
In the distance, the table where the development team sat erupted into even louder cheers, as if someone had won a drinking contest.
Takuya Nakayama leaned back on the sofa, listening to the commotion, his fingers tapping gently on the armrest.
The noise in the banquet hall rose and fell in waves.
At the bar in the corner, Yasunori Mitsuda sat alone on a high stool.
A glass of oolong tea with ice sat before him.
Across the room in the lounge area, Nobuo Uematsu was surrounded by a group of young audio engineers. They raised their glasses, chatting and laughing loudly. The news that the Final Fantasy VII original soundtrack had sold 500,000 copies in its first week had already spread throughout the banquet hall.
Yasunori Mitsuda watched the commotion from afar, then lowered his head and took a sip of his tea. The cold liquid sliding down his throat cleared his mind a little.
He wasn't jealous.
Nobuo Uematsu was a senior colleague whose talent was undeniable. Even he had couldn't help but be impressed by the arrangement of Bombing Mission.
But his heart still ached.
It was a desperate longing for a major project.
Ever since completing the score for Chrono Trigger, he hadn't encountered another top-tier project that could command his full devotion. Square was funneling all its resources into the Final Fantasy series, leaving him to rotate through smaller, mid-sized titles.
It left him feeling unable to fully unleash his potential.
He felt his talent being slowly worn away by the grind of routine, mundane work.
He wanted a chance.
A chance to write a piece as breathtaking as "Wind Scene" once again.
Takuya Nakayama walked past the bar, carrying a platter of freshly sliced fruit.
His eyes immediately fell on Yasunori Mitsuda.
The future master of game music was staring blankly at the ice cubes in his glass, radiating a sense of displacement and disappointment that clashed with his surroundings.
Takuya approached and set the fruit platter on the bar.
"Mr. Mitsuda. Why not join me for a few drinks over there?" Takuya pulled out the chair beside him and sat down.
Yasunori snapped out of his reverie, quickly set down his glass, and leaned forward slightly. "Executive Director Nakayama. I can't drink much. I get drunk after just a few sips."
Takuya handed him a piece of watermelon.
"Final Fantasy VII's music was a massive success," Takuya said, eating a piece of honeydew melon. "Mr. Uematsu really outdid himself this time."
"He did," Yasunori agreed, taking the watermelon. "Mr. Uematsu's arrangements are grand and majestic. I heard the live performance; it was incredibly moving."
"Your work is no less impressive," Takuya said, pulling out a napkin to wipe his hands. "Even now, many players are still writing to Sega's customer service department asking where they can buy the original Chrono Trigger soundtrack on CD."
Yasunori Mitsuda froze.
He never expected such high praise for his work from a man of Takuya Nakayama's influence at Sega.
"Unfortunately, there haven't been any suitable projects since then," Mitsuda sighed, placing a slice of watermelon on a plate. "Square is focusing all its resources on the Final Fantasy series right now. Other projects just can't get much support."
Takuya Nakayama watched Mitsuda intently.
He knew all too well the true value of Yasunori Mitsuda.
In his past life, the soundtrack for Chrono Trigger 2 was hailed by countless players as a masterpiece. Mitsuda possessed an unparalleled talent for creating exotic, otherworldly atmospheres and the sense of interwoven timelines.
Sony was currently waving its checkbook, scouring the globe for major titles.
Sega had to make its move early and lock down every potential hit exclusively for the Jupiter Console.
The Chrono Trigger IP was absolutely not something they could afford to miss.
"Mr. Mitsuda," Nakayama said, tapping the bar counter. "Don't lose heart. Your new stage will be ready very soon."
Mitsuda looked up, his face a mask of confusion.
Takuya Nakayama didn't offer any further explanation. He picked up the fruit platter and turned toward the sofa area.
Hironobu Sakaguchi was leaning back on the sofa, eyes closed, resting.
The high-intensity promotional campaign over the past month had been exhausting. Although he wasn't personally responsible for much, the constant state of high tension had taken its toll.
Yuji Naka sat beside him, scribbling in a small notebook.
Takuya walked over and placed the fruit platter on the coffee table.
"Department Manager Sakaguchi. Care to discuss a new project?" Takuya sat down on the single-seater sofa opposite them.
Hironobu Sakaguchi opened his eyes and sat up straight. He took a piece of watermelon. "Does the Executive Director have a new idea?"
"Chrono Trigger 2," Takuya got straight to the point.
Sakaguchi's chewing stopped instantly.
He swallowed the watermelon and wiped his hands with a napkin.
"Chrono Trigger 2?" Sakaguchi frowned. "Executive Director Nakayama, you know Square's current situation. Final Fantasy VII has just been released, and there are several spin-off projects to push forward. The pre-production for Final Fantasy VIII is also about to start. We simply can't spare our core RPG team to work on a sequel to Chrono Trigger."
"I know your hands are tied," Takuya waved his hand. "You won't need to provide your core team."
Sakaguchi was surprised.
"Sega will provide the staff," Takuya revealed his trump card. "Rieko Kodama's team is available right now."
Hironobu Sakaguchi immediately recalled that capable female producer.
"After Phantasy Star IV was finished, Rieko Kodama's team has been helping out on other projects," Takuya Nakayama explained. "They aren't in a rush to make a sequel to Phantasy Star. This team has a deep understanding of RPGs and a strong technical foundation. Let them take the lead and serve as the main development force for Chrono Trigger 2."
Yuji Naka looked up from beside them. "Kodama's team has indeed been idle for a while. She was complaining to me the other day that her staff's skills are getting rusty."
Hironobu Sakaguchi sank into thought.
The first Chrono Trigger was a joint venture between Sega and Square.
At the time, Rieko Kodama had led Sega's team in deep involvement in its development.
The game had been a massive hit on the Mega Drive platform, achieving both critical acclaim and commercial success.
"You provide the planning, the core settings, and steer the overall direction," Takuya Nakayama continued, raising the stakes. "The actual development work will be handled by Sega. The revenue share will follow the old rules."
The old rules.
Hironobu Sakaguchi quickly ran the numbers in his head.
Sega's revenue share had always been very generous.
For the previous Chrono Trigger, Sega had utilized its global sales channels and even came up with many ideas for merchandising. Square had reaped a huge profit with almost no effort.
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