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Chapter 92: Starting Lineup Preparation (4)
🕑 Added 2025-09-29 11:29:41 +0000 UTCTakuya keenly sensed the shift in the room’s atmosphere, but he was well aware of a critical concern lingering in everyone’s minds.
His tone calmed as he proactively addressed it.
“I know that integrating so many robot anime IPs, each owned by different animation studios and copyright holders, into a single game will involve extremely complex—perhaps even daunting—licensing negotiations.”
The atmosphere in the meeting room grew momentarily heavier, a slight hush falling over the group.
Indeed, this was an unavoidable hurdle.
“No need to worry excessively about this,” Takuya said, flashing a confident smile.
“I will personally lead the marketing team in actively communicating and negotiating with the various copyright holders.”
“With Sega’s sincerity and the immense potential and innovative vision of this game, I’m confident we can secure their authorization and support.”
His willingness to take on this responsibility reassured the developers significantly.
Just as Takuya finished speaking, a figure from a quieter corner of the meeting room—the leader of Development Team 8—abruptly stood up.
His face was flushed with excitement, his voice trembling with fervor.
“Executive Director Nakayama!” he practically shouted.
“Please, please entrust the Super Robot Wars project to Development Team 8!”
The Team 8 leader’s eyes burned with determination, radiating an undeniable passion.
“From myself to every member of our team, almost all of us grew up watching these robot anime! They’re deeply etched into our youthful memories!”
“We have an indescribable love and passion for these works and their robots!”
“We’re absolutely confident and brimming with 200% enthusiasm to make Super Robot Wars: The First a true masterpiece that will go down in gaming history!”
Several Team 8 members behind him also stood, nodding vigorously in agreement, their eyes alight with the same fervor and anticipation.
The room’s atmosphere was instantly ignited by this sudden burst of passion.
Takuya smiled and nodded slowly.
This was exactly what he wanted to see—genuine love for the source material and a proactive drive to take on the challenge.
Only a team that truly cherished these works could infuse that soul-deep emotion into every detail of the game.
However, amidst this fervent atmosphere, another corner of the meeting room stood out in stark contrast.
The members of Development Team 9 seemed out of place, their faces lacking the excitement of their peers, instead tinged with an unmistakable sense of dejection and bitterness.
Team 9 had always been in an awkward position within the company.
They had primarily worked on games for the SG-1000 platform and subsequent early Sega home consoles.
As was widely known, Sega’s early ventures into the home console market had been far from successful.
With lackluster console sales, the games’ performance naturally suffered as well.
Over time, this had fostered a growing sense of frustration among Team 9’s members.
Their team morale had remained low.
Now, watching other development teams—especially the star teams that had repeatedly succeeded in the arcade market—receive thrilling flagship projects for the new console, while their own prospects remained uncertain, deepened their sense of gloom.
It was a feeling of being marginalized, even forgotten.
Takuya’s sharp gaze had already picked up on the subtle atmosphere surrounding Team 9.
A fleeting, complex emotion flickered in his deep eyes.
He didn’t immediately address their predicament.
Instead, he waited until the excitement from Team 8 had subsided slightly.
Then, he turned to his briefcase and pulled out another proposal document, its cover strikingly simple, almost plain.
Takuya’s face once again bore his signature gentle smile, tinged with a hint of mystery.
His gaze cut across the meeting table, landing precisely on the Team 9 leader, who sat in the corner with a downcast expression.
“Now then,” Takuya said, his voice clear and soothing, carrying a calming strength.
“Here’s a little gift prepared for Team 9.”
His words caused a stir.
Not only did Team 9’s members snap their heads up, their eyes flashing with shock and disbelief, but everyone else in the room—including Yuji Suzuki and Yuji Naka, who had just been buzzing with excitement over Super Robot Wars—turned their attention to the new, yet-to-be-revealed proposal in Takuya’s hands.
Another surprise?
Just how many groundbreaking ideas did this young executive director have up his sleeve today?
The air in the meeting room grew tense with anticipation once more, every pair of eyes fixed on the proposal in Takuya’s hands.
Team 9’s members, in particular, whose earlier dejection had dulled their gazes, now showed a mix of astonishment and nervous hope they scarcely dared to entertain.
Takuya’s face retained its gentle, trademark smile.
His eyes, carrying a subtle encouragement, slowly met the anxious face of the Team 9 leader.
He paused deliberately, letting the curiosity and tension ripple through every corner of the room, building to a crescendo.
Then, he raised his hand and projected the proposal’s title onto the screen.
Ace Attorney.
Below the four concise Chinese characters was an image of a young lawyer in a blue suit, his distinctive hairstyle unforgettable. One hand rested on his hip, the other pointed forward decisively, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s, as if piercing through lies and fog.
Unlike the metallic intensity and adrenaline-pumping energy of Super Robot Wars: The First, Ace Attorney exuded a unique air of calm and intellectual rigor.
Team 9’s members exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise and a growing sense of confusion.
Other team leaders, accustomed to the chaos of gunfire and swordplay, wore thoughtful expressions.
Could this… really stand alongside Fatal Fury and Shinobi as part of the new console’s flagship lineup?
The Team 9 leader’s face flickered with a complex mix of emotions—gratitude for being personally acknowledged by Takuya, mingled with deep uncertainty about this novel project’s prospects.
After all, in Sega—indeed, in the entire gaming industry—this type of game felt far too “unconventional.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, please take a look,” Takuya said, breaking the brief silence and drawing everyone’s attention back.
He began to detail the core appeal of Ace Attorney.
“Players will take on the role of a rookie lawyer brimming with a sense of justice.”
“The game is divided into two core components: the ‘Investigation Phase’ and the ‘Courtroom Phase.’”
“In the ‘Investigation Phase,’ players will meticulously gather evidence at crime scenes, interact with relevant individuals, and uncover clues to the case.”
“The ‘Courtroom Phase’ is where the real climax unfolds.”
“Players will engage in fierce verbal battles in the courtroom against seasoned prosecutors.”
“You’ll need to listen carefully to witness testimonies, identify contradictions, and at the critical moment, present decisive evidence while shouting—”
He deliberately emphasized his tone, mimicking a iconic scene from the game.
“‘Objection!’”
“Or, ‘Hold it!’”
Those two lines alone carried a peculiar magic, sending a jolt through the room’s atmosphere.
“Through persistent questioning, challenging, and refuting, players will unravel the truth and secure a not guilty verdict for their wrongfully accused clients.”
“The thrill of the plot’s twists and turns, combined with the immense sense of achievement and relief when the truth is revealed, will be the core fun of this game.”
Team 9’s members nodded thoughtfully, showing some agreement with Takuya’s description of the gameplay but still harboring doubts about whether this new game type could achieve commercial success.
