Monday, 21 June 2001
More than a week had passed since the Renkonan family learned that Ayumi was pregnant with twins. The news had brought even more warmth and noise into their household, but outside the family home, Zaboru had already returned to his usual routine.
ZEPS 4 development had officially begun at the start of June.
For the first month, however, Zaboru had deliberately stopped the development teams from rushing directly into full production. Every major team had ambitious ideas, and several team leaders were already eager to begin creating enormous worlds, complex combat systems, cinematic sequences, and online experiences. But Zaboru knew enthusiasm could become dangerous when developers had not yet properly understood their tools.
Instead, he instructed every team to spend June familiarizing themselves with the newest version of ZAGE's famous development engine.
Unreal Engine 4.
The name was familiar to nearly everyone inside ZAGE, but this version was far beyond the previous engines they had used. It was not simply an upgraded renderer with better graphics. Unreal Engine 4 had been rebuilt around the needs of ZEPS 4, while also drawing from years of information gathered through earlier Unreal Engine projects.
That information came from several directions.
ZAGE's internal teams had contributed years of reports about rendering problems, animation bottlenecks, memory limitations, physics systems, AI behavior, level design tools, and production difficulties. Team Nexus had supplied enormous amounts of data from its advanced arcade engines, especially regarding high-speed asset loading, stable performance, input responsiveness, and large numbers of moving objects on-screen. Third-party studios that had licensed earlier versions of Unreal Engine had also submitted suggestions, complaints, bug reports, and custom modifications.
Zaboru and the engine teams had taken all of it.
Every success.
Every failure..
Every strange workaround created by a programmer who refused to let the hardware defeat him.
All of it had become part of Unreal Engine 4's foundation.
The new engine offered far stronger tools for animation, physics, audio, lighting, online integration, world streaming, motion controls, and asset management. It also contained templates and scalable systems that allowed different teams to build very different kinds of games without recreating the same basic technology every time.
There were still bugs, of course. It was new technology, and several parts remained experimental. But the engine was already powerful enough that many developers felt as though they had skipped an entire generation of development tools.
Because this was ZAGE, the teams also learned frighteningly quickly.
Part of that came from talent. ZAGE had spent years gathering some of the most creative and technically gifted developers in the world. Part of it came from the company's culture, where sharing knowledge between teams was encouraged rather than treated like surrendering territory to internal rivals.
And part of it came from Zaboru himself.
His Aura of Influence quietly affected the people working around him. It did not place information directly into their minds, nor did it magically turn amateurs into geniuses. Instead, it strengthened their motivation, focus, confidence, and willingness to believe difficult things were possible. Developers who might normally spend days hesitating over a new tool instead became eager to experiment with it.
That influence spread through meetings, internal demonstrations, recorded lessons, and even the messages Zaboru posted through ZAGE's internal communication system.
The system was called Slack.
Zaboru had originally created it as a simple company chat application, but as ZAGE grew across Japan, the United States, Korea, China, England, and other regions, the software had become essential. During the early stages of ZEPS 4 development, he updated it again with better file sharing, team channels, technical discussion rooms, searchable message history, voice-conference support, and project-specific groups.
The result was immediate.
A programmer from Team Tempest in the United States could ask a question about world streaming, and a Team Nexus engineer in Japan could answer it within minutes. Team Dynasty could share an online-lobby test with Team OMNI. Team NIWA could upload animation problems and receive advice from Team KODO. Engine developers could watch discussions across multiple branches and correct misunderstandings before they grew into production disasters.
It did not make global development effortless, but it made the distance between teams feel much smaller.
Zaboru found it satisfying.
He knew that in July, he would once again be forced to travel across the world. His first destination would be Europe, where he planned to visit Italy and inspect the development of Inter Milan. After that, he would travel to Brazil and several other South American countries to meet representatives from B.E.A.K., ZAGE's official distribution partner for Latin America.
The ZAGE Foundation had already begun expanding several social and educational programs throughout Latin America during the previous year. Some programs focused on schools, technology access, and computer education. Others supported local game-development communities, sports facilities, and youth programs. Zaboru had received plenty of reports, but he wanted to see the results personally.
That journey was still several weeks away.
For now, he was sitting inside a meeting room on Team NOVA's floor in ZAGE Tower, eating a sandwich while several of ZAGE Japan's most important development leaders gathered around him.
Technically, this was supposed to be a short discussion during their break.
In practice, the moment Zaboru appeared, developers from several nearby teams had quietly joined them. Some stood near the wall, others took unused chairs, and a few pretended they had entered only to retrieve documents before remaining for the entire conversation.
Hideo Kojima stared at Zaboru's sandwich for several seconds before letting out a tired sigh. "Boss, you know something? One time, security came after me because I ate udon in a meeting room late at night. But you're sitting there casually eating during a development discussion like the rules don't exist."
Zaboru took another bite before replying with a shameless grin. "First of all, Hideo, you were eating steaming udon. The smell probably entered three different departments which is provocations. Mine is only a sandwich. It barely smells at all."
Hideo narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't answer why you're allowed to eat here."
Zaboru leaned back comfortably and replied, "That is one of the many super benefits of being ZAGE Number One."
Several developers laughed, while Hideo looked toward the ceiling as though asking for patience.
Shinji Mikami folded his arms and said, "At least he admits he abuses his authority."
Zaboru pointed the sandwich toward him. "It's not abuse if I explain it honestly."
Satoru Iwata smiled and added, "I don't believe that is how company policy works, Boss."
Zaboru chuckled. "Then consider this a live test of flexible management."
The room laughed again, but Shigeru Miyamoto remained thoughtful. After the joking settled, he leaned forward slightly and asked, "Boss, there is still one part of your ZEPS 4 plan that I don't completely understand."
Zaboru glanced toward him. "Which part?"
Shigeru adjusted his posture before answering. "The Demake Project."
The room became more attentive. Several developers had been wondering about the same thing.
Shigeru continued, "The ZEPS 4 concepts are already extremely ambitious. Most of us are excited about learning new tools, experimenting with Unreal Engine 4, and creating games that couldn't exist properly on ZEPS 3. That part makes sense. But why do you want us to create demakes after completing some of those games? Especially when the ZEPS 4 versions will already exist?"
Zaboru's grin slowly widened.
The Demake Project was one of the stranger ideas he had carried from his previous life.
The basic concept sounded simple. After a major ZEPS 4 project was completed, selected members of the development team would create a separate version of the game for ZEPS 3.
If ZAGE released something like Assassin's Creed on ZEPS 4, then the ZEPS 4 edition would be the complete next-generation experience. It could feature large cities, crowds, smooth parkour, advanced animation, complex AI, cinematic storytelling, and systems designed around the new hardware.
The demake, however, would be a different interpretation created within the limits of ZEPS 3.
It would have lower graphical quality, smaller environments, fewer complex systems, and simpler animation. But Zaboru did not want it to become a lazy joke version or a broken imitation of the original.
It needed its own identity.
Perhaps the ZEPS 3 demake would use smaller but denser levels. Perhaps it would become more linear and stealth-focused. Perhaps it would use a different camera style, different mission structure, or even a slightly different story. It did not need to perfectly imitate the ZEPS 4 game.
It only needed to preserve its heart.
Zaboru placed the sandwich back on its wrapper and looked around the room. "The answer is simple, Shigeru-san. A demake is a challenge. Creating something with stronger hardware is exciting, but taking an idea designed for next-generation technology and rebuilding it for an older machine forces developers to think differently."
He tapped one finger against the table before continuing. "When you have less power, you cannot solve every problem by adding more detail, more memory, or more processing. You have to decide what truly matters. What is the core of the game? What emotion must survive? Which mechanic defines the experience? What can be removed, and what must never be lost?"
Several developers nodded thoughtfully.
Zaboru smiled and continued, "Imagine a ZEPS 4 game with an enormous city, advanced crowds, and complex movement. The ZEPS 3 version might not be capable of reproducing all of that. Fine. Then don't reproduce it badly. Find another answer. Maybe the city becomes a series of smaller districts with stronger level design. Maybe the gameplay becomes more tactical. Maybe the art style becomes more exaggerated. Maybe the story changes to fit the smaller scale."
Shigeru's expression brightened slightly. "So the demake should not be an inferior copy."
"Exactly," Zaboru replied. "It should be a sibling. The same blood, but a different personality."
Hideo leaned forward with visible interest. "That could become quite cinematic in its own way. The same story interpreted with different limitations could create different pacing and presentation."
Zaboru nodded. "Right. And it also proves something important about Unreal Engine 4. The engine isn't only built to make ZEPS 4 games. It should also improve ZEPS 3 development. Better tools, cleaner asset pipelines, more efficient workflows, and stronger optimization systems can help teams push the older console in ways they couldn't before."
Satoru adjusted his glasses and said, "That means the Demake Project is also a practical test of the engine's scalability."
Zaboru pointed at him. "Exactly. If the engine can support both a powerful next-generation game and a carefully redesigned ZEPS 3 version, then we know our tools are flexible."
Toshi, who had wandered into the meeting from Team FUMA and was now eating someone else's snacks, raised a hand. "Boss, does that mean the ZEPS 3 version can become completely different? Like if the ZEPS 4 game is a large action game, can the demake become more like an arcade game?"
Zaboru nodded immediately. "Yes. As long as it still captures the same identity. You can change perspective, structure, or even genre elements if the result makes sense. I want you to experiment, not torture yourselves trying to squeeze an impossible game into weaker hardware."
Toshi grinned. "That actually sounds fun."
Shinji Mikami remained more cautious. "It sounds interesting, but what about the customers? If two versions of a game exist, people might become confused. They might assume the cheaper one is only a bad port."
"That's why the presentation must be clear," Zaboru explained. "The word Demake needs to appear directly in the title and marketing. The game also needs its own visual identity, cover art, screenshots, and promotional description. We must explain that it is a reinterpretation, not the main ZEPS 4 version."
Shinji nodded slowly. "And the price?"
"Much cheaper," Zaboru replied. "It won't be priced like a new full-scale ZEPS 4 title. I'm making this project for experimentation, developer growth, and fun—not because I expect every demake to become a major commercial success."
Hideo smiled. "Some of them might become successful anyway."
Zaboru chuckled. "Then that's a pleasant bonus."
Satoru Iwata smiled warmly. "That is a healthy mindset, Boss. But are you sure Sayuri-san will agree with the phrase 'not for profit'?"
Zaboru's confidence immediately weakened.
He scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "Well... I haven't explained the complete financial structure to her yet."
The room became silent for one brief moment.
Then everyone laughed.
Hideo pointed at Zaboru and said, "So this project isn't approved. It is merely waiting to survive Sayuri-san."
Zaboru shook his head. "It will be approved."
Shinji looked unconvinced. "You said that like a man trying to convince himself."
Toshi quietly moved his snacks closer to his chest. "Should we pray for Boss?"
Yugo Kanai, who had been listening with suspicious intensity, immediately raised one fist and declared, "Boss-sama will prevail! Even Sayuri-san cannot extinguish the flames of his vision!"
Everyone slowly turned toward him.
Yugo's confidence weakened under their stares.
Satoru sighed gently and said, "Yugo-san, Sayuri-san controls the budget."
Yugo lowered his fist. "Boss-sama will negotiate bravely."
The room broke into laughter again.
Not long afterward, Zaboru finished his sandwich and stood. He still had another important meeting to attend with ZAGE's senior leadership regarding the proposed Web Novel division. Before leaving, he looked toward the developers and said, "For now, keep learning Unreal Engine 4. Don't rush your projects just because you're excited. Experiment, share results through Slack, and help the other teams. We're building the foundation right now. If the foundation is weak, every ambitious idea above it will collapse."
The developers nodded.
Zaboru then smiled. "And think about the Demake Project. I'm not forcing every game to receive one, but I want each team to propose at least one idea. Surprise me."
Once the door closed behind him, the remaining developers stayed seated for a while.
Hideo leaned back and smiled thoughtfully. "Demake games, huh? It's unconventional, but I understand what Boss means. Taking away power can sometimes reveal whether an idea is actually strong."
Shigeru nodded. "It may not be the best decision from a pure business perspective, but creatively, it could be valuable. Developers are often trained to think about what technology allows them to add. A demake forces them to think about what can be removed without destroying the game."
Satoru smiled. "It could also help younger developers. A smaller reinterpretation might become a safer place for them to lead parts of a project."
Shinji rested one arm against the table and gave a quiet chuckle. "That's what makes Boss unusual. Most company leaders ask whether a project makes more money. He asks whether it will make the developers smarter, happier, or more creative. Then he says, 'Fine, do it,' and leaves the finance department to experience spiritual damage."
Several people laughed.
Hideo nodded. "It's reckless."
Shigeru smiled. "But it's also one of the reasons people stay here."
Yugo immediately sat straighter and declared with absolute sincerity, "Naturally. Boss-sama's greatness is unparalleled. His decisions transcend ordinary business logic."
Everyone sighed at the same time.
Then Satoru chuckled. "That is a very generous way to describe financial recklessness."
Yugo crossed his arms proudly. "History will understand him."
Shinji replied flatly, "Sayuri-san has to understand him first."
That earned another burst of laughter.
Meanwhile, Zaboru had already entered another meeting room elsewhere in ZAGE Tower.
Zanichi was there, looking tired but alert. Sayuri sat with several financial documents arranged neatly in front of her. Shinsuke had brought marketing reports, Kudou carried legal files, Yuna represented ZAGE's subsidiaries, and Shiki Spencer had joined to license related stuff.
These were some of ZAGE's Japan most important leaders.
And placed in the center of the table was Zaboru's newest proposal.
ZAGE WEB NOVEL PLATFORM
The real meeting was about to begin.
To be continued.
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