The smoke of the Christmas season had barely cleared when new battle reports came flying into Nakayama Takuya's office like snowfall.
His assistant rushed in with a stack of faxes in his arms, even more excited than when he had last reported the sales rankings—he practically floated across the room.
"Executive Director! The phone lines are exploding!" He slapped the documents onto the desk, his voice brimming with vindicated delight. "Namco, Taito, IREM—plus a bunch of small and mid-sized studios—everyone's calling to ask about joining our MD Classic Titles Promotion! "
"They all want in?" Nakayama asked calmly, as if this outcome had been expected from the beginning.
"Yes! Every last one of them!" The assistant nodded vigorously. He pointed to the top fax. "Especially those who missed the Christmas release window—they're regretting it to death. Now they all want to hitch a ride on our bandwagon and clear out their leftover stock."
Nakayama glanced over the first fax—Namco's politely worded request for cooperation—and smiled, unsurprised.
This was exactly why he had used Sega's own million-seller titles as the lead bait for the campaign.
Look—follow Sega, and even last year's games can earn front-row seats on store shelves again.
"The discounts won't be as steep as ours," the assistant added, "but they all say that as long as Sega can help shoulder part of the cost, they'll offer their sincerest terms."
"Oh?" Nakayama raised an eyebrow.
Just then, his desk phone rang.
Nakayama picked it up, a faint smile on his lips.
"Hello, this is Sega's Nakayama speaking."
A bright, powerful voice boomed from the other end, full of hearty laughter.
"Nakayama-san! This is Kamizuki from Konami!"
Nakayama chuckled politely.
"President Kamizuki, having you call me personally is far too flattering."
"No, no! You're being too formal!" Kamizuki's laughter was warm enough to melt the receiver. "Sega's Christmas campaign was magnificent! As part of the MD family, we at Konami are thrilled—our blood is boiling with pride!"
The assistant beside him quietly rolled his eyes. This sly fox… as if pocketing a mountain of cash from Contra wasn't enough, now he's after more benefits.
"We've been doing some reflecting," Kamizuki continued, shifting smoothly to the real reason for the call. "As Sega's most steadfast ally, surely we can do more for the thriving MD ecosystem! When we saw your promotional campaign, it was like a revelation. We've got a few older titles too—good quality, but bad timing. If we could join the campaign, players would get a great deal, and it would boost the MD lineup even further. What do you think, Nakayama-san?"
"With such sincerity from President Kamizuki, of course I welcome it." Nakayama leaned back in his chair and spoke leisurely. "Sega will cover thirty percent of the promotional discount for all participating partners. Royalties will be adjusted accordingly. In return, retailers must agree that any unsold units after the campaign ends will be returned to the publishers' warehouses."
There was a two-second silence on the line.
Kamizuki clearly hadn't expected Nakayama to be so direct—leaving no room for haggling. He had probably prepared a whole speech to negotiate for forty or even fifty percent.
"Hah! Refreshing as always!" Kamizuki burst into laughter. "That's Nakayama-san for you! Then it's settled! Konami will fully cooperate—we'll make this campaign shine!"
When the call ended, Nakayama glanced at his assistant, who wore an expression that said I knew it, and smiled.
"Now go tell the other third-party studios this—"
"President Kamizuki of Konami has already secured the best terms for everyone."
The assistant froze—then his eyes lit up.
"Brilliant! That's absolutely brilliant!"
He dashed out to spread the "good news."
That one line—"the top publisher fought for these terms"—swept through the nationwide sales channels like a warm spring breeze.
Retailers were overjoyed. They all knew these were publishers clearing out old stock—but if the games sold, great profit; if not, they could return them at full price.
A business with zero risk and guaranteed upside—who wouldn't take it?
Within days, Sega's shelf space across Japan ballooned. MD cartridges filled the display walls, so densely packed they seemed ready to overflow. Compared to that, the SFC shelf—sparse, lonely, propped up only by Super Mario World and a few overpriced third-party titles—looked almost pitiful.
---
Yamada Electronics — Game Section
On the first weekend after New Year, the place had become a paradise for kids.
In previous years, children clutching fresh New Year's money would rush toward the Nintendo shelves, fighting over the newest cartridge.
But this year was different.
Nintendo's display looked deserted—aside from Super Mario World, there were only a few scattered titles with price tags sharp enough to make your eyes water.
Meanwhile, Sega's shelf was a fortress.
Rows of blue MD boxes covered the racks from top to bottom. A huge promotional poster dominated the center:
"New Year Appreciation Festival! Classic Titles — Limited-Time Discounts!"
"Look! Golden Sun! I wanted this so badly last year!"
A boy in a baseball jacket nearly pressed his face against the display.
"You idiot, don't focus on just one!"
A slightly older boy—clearly the "leader"—held a sheet of paper covered in tiny writing: his battle plan.
"Listen up," he said, clearing his throat and lowering his voice as if commanding a real operation. "All the newspapers are saying the economy's bad. My New Year's money got cut in half. Yours too, right?"
Four little heads nodded in tragic unison, radiating shared suffering.
"So we have to spend smart!" He tapped his paper with authority.
"Ohhh…"
The boys' eyes lit up with determination.
"Here's the plan." He unfolded the sheet.
"My money goes to Art of Fighting and Konami's Contra—both two-player games. Kentaro, you're buying Street Fighter and the half-price Sonic. We'll take turns trying for record times. As for the rest…"
He turned to the smallest kid.
"Ryosuke, you're in charge of the games with the biggest discounts—puzzle and racing titles. When we get tired of fighting games, yours will keep our brains fresh."
"No problem!" Ryosuke puffed out his chest, feeling honored by the important assignment.
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