America: The Godfather of Game Development

Chapter 336 Namco, the traitor

"Nakayama Hayao————"

To his utter surprise, at this critical juncture, his former arch-rival Sega actually took the initiative to approach him.

This company, which once rivaled them in the arcade business, is now in a completely different situation.

Although he was severely beaten by Nintendo and almost died, he still suffered a terrible fate.

But at this critical juncture, a mysterious company on the other side of the Pacific Ocean suddenly and forcefully intervened in the Japanese market, contrary to its usual practice.

With such generosity, Sega was able to be brought back from the brink of death in one fell swoop.

Even—even became lively and energetic again.

The reason for this may be inseparable from the game "Metal Slug" that is currently sweeping across the country.

Having worked in the game industry for most of his life, Masaya Nakamura had never seen a game like this before.

It achieves the same exhilarating arcade-level experience while being nearly perfect in every aspect.

"A super HP potion custom-made by GAMENOVA for Sega."

Forget about being on the verge of collapse, just based on the Gensis NEO that was officially launched these past two days, Sega's financial report this month will probably make many companies envious.

That's wonderful!

GAMENOVA was tailor-made for Sega, and Sega really hit the jackpot by meeting a benefactor.

On the other hand, what about our own side?

Masaya Nakamura sighed.

They've done things like GAMENOVA before.

In the two years that Atari's fart shattered the North American market, Warner Bros., its dream broken, split Atari into two companies and sold them separately.

Namco, leveraging its deep pockets, acquired over 60% of Atari's gaming division in one fell swoop, thus gaining controlling interest.

Strictly speaking, Atari Games is now a neon company.

However, Namco Entertainment doesn't seem to have the same ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary as Game Nova.

This money-grabbing stuff has really caused them a lot of trouble.

Masaya Nakamura took a deep breath and stood up from his chair.

He needs to go see Hayao Nakayama and see what Sega looks like now.

If Namco continues to follow Nintendo, it will be completely drained.

Based on the address given to him, Masaya Nakamura changed into a formal suit and went directly to AM10 in Shinagawa Ward.

Hayao Nakayama, who had just returned from his business trip in North America, is here at this moment.

As for the development team that had a sign that read "Nazca Studio," Masaya Nakamura glanced around.

The more I look at them, the more familiar they all seem.

"Has President Nakayama acquired IREM?"

As another powerful competitor in the arcade game industry, Masaya Nakamura was well aware of his rival's situation.

At first glance, this group of people is clearly the core team of IREM.

Standing in the crowd, Hayao Nakayama looked quite energetic, with his hair neatly combed and his sharp suit making him look ten years younger.

The fact that someone who is already in his fifties, almost sixty, can display such energy speaks volumes.

It seems this guy has been having a pretty good time lately.

Hayao Nakayama looked relaxed. Noticing the newcomer's movements, he pushed up his glasses and stepped out from the crowd.

"President Masaya Nakamura, it's been a long time."

His spirited demeanor made Masaya Nakamura feel a little envious.

The former business rivals, now Masaya Nakamura has no desire to tear them apart.

Masaya Nakamura's Adam's apple bobbed, and after a brief silence, he brought up a matter of mutual concern: "We at Namco have recently run into some problems—just like Sega, except we didn't have GAMENOVA to lend us a hand."

"Royalty clause?"

"Yes----"

Hayao Nakayama's lips curled up slightly.

The timing was perfect, and it was almost exactly as Lin Lixin had told him.

Hiroshi Yamauchi is truly incorrigible.

"President Masaya Nakamura, raise your head."

He placed his hand on Masaya Nakamura's shoulder. "I once said that my purpose in life is to make Nintendo uncomfortable." Now that we share the same goal, then—welcome, President Nakamura.

Bringing Namco into its camp is definitely not a good thing for Nintendo.

Namco's numerous development teams are just enough to fill Sega's current most scarce gap in game lineup.

"but----"

Hayao Nakayama abruptly changed the subject, "Before that, I want to take you to meet someone."

GameFreak headquarters.

Lin Lixin dragged the puzzle piece and placed it in the corresponding position.

Then, with a "snap," the entire puzzle piece was completely eliminated.

A glimpse of the female character behind them is revealed.

"I think this Muranishi Toru is really a talented person."

The jigsaw puzzle with the "clothes-tearing" effect is well done!

Previously, 1llusion had to outsource these tasks to Blizzard or other studios.

Now that their business has matured, they've even been able to come up with some projects on their own.

However, it might not be so easy for this product to enter the NX market.

Without an ESRB rating or any other certifications, it's a completely unregistered product.

Given GAMENOVA's current efforts to clear its name, it's not easy to let this thing pass easily.

Lin Lixin reluctantly put down the controller and looked at Xiao Zhi, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Alright, let him keep messing around like this, but don't let him ruin our NX platform. Keep making arcade games, and Sega can do the manufacturing anyway."

To be honest, Satoshi Tajiri never expected that this thing could actually be made.

He had initially thought that Lin Lixin had created Ilusion simply as a covert operation, something he was just messing around with for fun.

Now it seems they might be serious.

Is this an attempt to cultivate an underground adult game emperor?

"He is indeed very talented —"

Satoshi Tajiri's lips twitched.

"Mahjong Academy" gave Ilusion a lot of capital to go crazy.

Lin Lixin had always been indifferent to how the company was run, so Xiaozhi simply let go and allowed Muranishi Toru to do whatever he wanted.

So far, he's actually managed to come up with a few decent-looking borderline games.

Relying on its artist resources, Illusion's funds not only did not decrease, but instead expanded further.

There's even a trend of it developing into a major arcade game manufacturer.

"Let him keep causing trouble for now. As always, keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't actually cross any red lines. I don't have time to waste on him."

It's a minor, insignificant problem; Lin Lixin doesn't need to intervene personally. Satoshi Tajiri could easily resolve it with a wave of his hand.

But if things really get out of hand and Lin Lixin has to step in, then things will get really serious.

"Understood, then the Pokémon—"

Satoshi Tajiri nodded, about to say something more, when several steady and powerful knocks sounded at the door.

He immediately stood up and opened the door.

The visitor was none other than Hayao Nakayama, president of Sega.

Of course, there was also Masaya Nakamura, who was walking obediently behind him.

Satoshi Tajiri raised an eyebrow and immediately understood what had happened.

"Mr. Lin is inside the house."

"grateful."

Hayao Nakayama nodded and then winked at Masaya Nakamura.

The other party understood immediately and pulled out an exquisitely packaged parcel.

Judging from the packaging, it should be sake and some kind of high-end shochu (roasted sweets), a very standard and traditional high-end souvenir.

"A small token of my appreciation."

Masaya Nakamura considers himself a worldly person.

If he had known he would have the chance to meet the top leader of GAMENOVA today, he would have gotten a bespoke suit first.

"Um.

""

Satoshi Tajiri adopted an air of high-class sophistication, took the items, and then gestured for the two to go inside.

Masaya Nakamura felt his heart race as he followed Hayao Nakayama into the house, finally meeting the legendary figure.

Lin Lixin sat in front of a television with his legs crossed, casually fiddling with it.

In the scene, Marco is holding a flamethrower and burning through a group of enemies in front of him.

It's obviously Metal Slug, which has recently shaken up the gaming world.

A hint of surprise flashed in Masaya Nakamura's eyes.

He was younger than he had imagined.

"Chairman Hayashi, this is Masaya Nakamura, the president of Namco."

Although Lin Lixin had entrusted him with this task, Nakayama Hayao naturally wouldn't just reveal his true intentions directly; he still had to pretend that he was the one who had recommended him.

"President Lin, I've long admired your name."

"Um.

""

Lin Lixin nodded and grasped the hand that the other person extended.

It seems that things are going very smoothly on Hayao Nakayama's end. I didn't expect it to be handed over to Namco so quickly.

This is a great opportunity.

It was not only an opportunity to mess with Nintendo, but also an opportunity to dig a hole for Sony, the new hegemon of the 90s.

In the upcoming PS era, Namco will be a third-party exclusive developer for the PS1.

It must be said that Namco's talent for choosing sides is comparable to that of Italy; at every crucial historical juncture, they can find the most suitable path for themselves.

After creating the golden age of the Famicom with Nintendo, it achieved another glorious era with the PS1 with Sony in the 90s.

even----

Namco is the reinvention parent of the PS1.

What kind of machine is the PS1?

Historically, it was actually a new model that Sony designed independently after the collaboration between Sony and Nintendo went bankrupt.

From the very beginning, its goal was likely to challenge the position of SFC.

Therefore, the earliest PS1 should actually be considered an enhanced version of the SFC.

Namco, who was then single-mindedly seeking a wise ruler, naturally spotted the problem at a glance.

Without 3D performance, isn't that just asking for trouble?

At this crucial juncture, when Sony is just beginning to formally engage with Nintendo, poaching Namco would definitely be a powerful blow to them.

Although their test engineers will eventually find the same path, they will definitely take many detours.

"I understand. That's no problem. President Nakayama can decide for himself."

After listening to the other party's account, Lin Lixin nodded casually. "Sega does seem to need a partner like Namco. I believe the two of you will have a lot in common."

According to the original timeline, Namco did indeed seek a merger with Sega in the future.

However, Sega was already half-dead by then due to the failure of the Dreamcast console, so naturally they had no interest in paying attention to them.

Ultimately, the destination of Namco, the master of job-hopping and a treacherous thief, was naturally a certain glue-stealing kingpin.

Bandai, the most notorious toy manufacturer in Japan, the king of stolen plastic, and a nightmare for tokusatsu fans and plastic model enthusiasts.

"As for why you came to me—you want to get a game that can hold its own, like SEGA did, a game that can maintain its reputation."

The games they produce?

"Exactly! Exactly!"

Masaya Nakamura's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"That's no problem at all. I do have a work that's very suitable for Namco, but before that, I have another project to discuss with President Nakayama."

This naturally refers to the game that was agreed upon with the other party not long ago, a game that could completely revive Sega.

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