Friday, 9 January 1995
Following the finance meetings for 1994 that took place yesterday, Zaboru convened another high-level gathering today, this time involving top executives from both the Japanese branch and ZAGE USA. The venue was ZEB, the ZAGE event building, which Zaboru had carefully modified to accommodate the scale and importance of this major event. Unlike previous internal meetings, this one had a broader scope—executives from other ZAGE-owned companies and international divisions had been notified as early as January. Now, they had all converged at the newly arranged ZEB Japan, where seats, tables, and presentation equipment were set up to support focused and comfortable discussions among the distinguished attendees.
Every company in which ZAGE held a majority share also attended the meeting. This included major names like Marvel, Saiko Machine, Mirai Manufacture, Nickelodeon, YaDo, Hakushensha, Nanco, Zen Tech, Sora Distribution, HanDai, Ninzendo, Rekka, AKAI, Emerald Wings, and Flocks. Their presence underscored the significance of the gathering and the unified direction ZAGE hoped to establish across its portfolio.
As for companies in which Zaboru owns less than a 50% stake, he opted to exclude them from this particular gathering. Instead, he plans to conduct separate, focused meetings with each of them—such as NVIDIA and AMD. Notably, Zaboru previously held a 50% stake in Nickelodeon until last year. However, he has since increased his ownership to 90%, with the remaining 10% retained by the former majority owner. Similarly, Miyagi Batteries will receive its own dedicated meeting at a later date.
Now, the higher-ups were seated together and engaged in conversation, while Zaboru's father, the ZAGE CTO, observed them with a warm smile. "These are the people my son has managed to bring together," he thought proudly. From the tone of their voices and the nature of their discussions, it's clear that they hold Zaboru in the highest regard. Zanichi felt a renewed sense of pride—both as a father and as a subordinate—grateful to witness his son command such respect and admiration.
Not long after, Zaboru came onto the main stage wearing a sleek black suit—tailored and sharply pressed, radiating an air of professionalism and quiet authority. The room, previously buzzing with conversation and anticipation, fell instantly silent as all eyes turned toward him. Without hesitation, Zaboru began to speak in clear, confident English, his voice carrying easily through the well-equipped conference hall. Fortunately, every participant in attendance was either fluent in or had sufficient understanding of English, ensuring that his words reached everyone without a hitch.
"Good morning, everyone," Zaboru began with a confident smile, his voice clear and firm. "Welcome to ZEB, and a special welcome to Japan for those of you who have traveled from overseas to join us today. I sincerely appreciate the effort each of you has made to be here, and I'm excited to have this opportunity to share our vision and work alongside such a diverse and talented group of professionals."
Zaboru smiled warmly and then continued, his tone both heartfelt and resolute. "In this meeting, I want to clearly share with you what my vision for 1995 looks like. I consider each of you not just business partners, but precious comrades in a shared journey to elevate both my company's future and the success of your own organizations." The participants responded with a round of applause, their enthusiasm echoing through the hall. Zaboru then turned slightly, clicking a mouse to activate the projector. The big screen behind him lit up, displaying the opening slide of his PowerPoint presentation, setting the stage for what was to come.
"1st: ZAGE Goals"
Zaboru then began to explain. "Our goals here are not revenue or a specific monetary milestone—that's boring. What I want ZAGE to achieve is much deeper and longer-lasting. I want us to be continuously trusted and recognized as leaders not only in the video game industry, but in every corner of the entertainment world—whether that's anime, cartoons, comics, manga, or any form of storytelling and creative expression. I envision a future where, the moment someone sees the ZAGE name attached to a project, their first thought is, 'This must be good.' That level of recognition and quality is what we're aiming for. I want to hear our customers say that, unprompted and genuinely. Their happiness and continued support are ZAGE's most important priorities. And to achieve that, like we've done since our establishment in 1991, we will keep delivering excellence—consistently, passionately, and boldly."
Zaboru then showed the first slide: Good Quality and Quantity Games
"We at ZAGE have amazing teams, both in Japan and the USA. I am committed to ensuring that we produce a minimum of 24 games this year or two games per month—whether they come from ZAGE Japan or ZAGE USA. The quality of these games must be high; I will personally make sure of that. We've already proven that we're more than capable of achieving this, so this goal should be well within our reach.
Of course, 24 is just the baseline. Ideally, I want us to surpass that number. And when it comes to game ideas, rest assured—I have plenty of them right here," Zaboru said, tapping his temple with a smile.
The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.
The meeting continued as Zaboru moved methodically through the list of companies under the ZAGE umbrella, highlighting each of their respective goals and tailored strategies. For Marvel, he emphasized a renewed focus on developing compelling and high-quality comic books that both honor legacy characters and introduce fresh, engaging narratives. For Hakushensha, he elaborated on a dual-pronged mission: ensuring existing readers remain satisfied through consistent quality and variety, while actively recruiting the next generation of talented mangaka to bring new voices into the fold.
He went company by company—discussing innovative plans for content development at Nickelodeon, another anime for YaDo, and enhanced distribution strategies for Sora Distribution. Each section of his presentation was marked by thoughtful detail, laying out specific benchmarks, timeframes, and goals that demonstrated his hands-on leadership style.
Zaboru then shifted to global ambitions, announcing comprehensive plans to formally enter the China and Korea markets. These initiatives, he said, would be executed with cultural sensitivity and strategic partnerships to ensure lasting impact. Looking further ahead, he revealed that ZAGE was also preparing for a robust expansion into the LATAM market, with groundwork already being laid to understand regional trends and consumer expectations.
The meeting and discussions were smooth and continued for a while. Then Zaboru dropped a bomb:
"I have a target that in the early 2000s, we—ZAGE—will not only surpass Microsoft, but become the most valuable and influential tech and entertainment company in the entire world. And we'll achieve this remarkable feat while remaining a private company, free from the constraints and short-term pressures of public shareholders. I have absolutely no plans to take ZAGE public. Our strength will come from our independence, our unified vision, and the unwavering commitment we have to our creative freedom and long-term goals. This isn't just ambition—it's a promise."
It was a strikingly bold declaration, one that commanded attention and left no room for doubt. The participants responded with a resounding round of applause, their clapping filled with both admiration and conviction. Had anyone else dared to make such a grand claim, the room might have responded with chuckles or raised eyebrows. But because it was Zaboru—whose leadership, track record, and unwavering confidence they had come to trust deeply—the statement carried immense weight. No one questioned his audacity; instead, they were energized by it, inspired to believe in the extraordinary vision he laid out. With that powerful ending, the most pivotal and ambitious meeting of the year concluded for ZAGE, leaving its attendees charged with purpose and unified resolve.
Meanwhile, in the USA, an elderly gentleman lounged comfortably in his spacious living room, completely immersed in the colorful world of Super Mario World on his massive television and the ZEPS 2 console. There was an unmistakable spark of joy in his eyes, a youthful glee that belied his age. That man's last name? Disney.
To be continued
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