Saturday, 1 November 1993
Hikaru Kurata stood in the Sonaya headquarters alongside Junpei Hoshida, his Head of Game Development, and key members of the R&D team behind Project Kagutsuchi—the company's long-awaited 16-bit console. After more than a year of development, the project was finally complete. Now, the focus shifted to launch preparations and marketing efforts. Sonaya knew they needed a major success to stand a chance against the industry behemoth, ZAGE.
Hikaru grinned from ear to ear. "Finally, it's complete."
Junpei nodded with satisfaction. "Yes, boss. It's an incredible outcome. We've even secured four games to accompany the console's release."
"That's acceptable," Hikaru said, his tone measured but pleased. "Next, we roll out the advertising."
He smirked. "And we've already poured a huge chunk of our budget into it. Let's stop calling it Project Kagutsuchi—it's time the world meets Titan Drive."
Titan Drive. The name alone carried weight. It conjured visions of raw power, of a console that could shake the market. Hikaru envisioned it as the centerpiece of Sonaya's comeback story—a true challenger to ZAGE's dominance. Marketing campaigns had already been prepared weeks in advance, with full commercials set to air tomorrow. Today, a brief teaser had already aired on television, sparking curiosity among gamers.
The Titan Drive was a powerful 16-bit console, capable of delivering visuals and performance on par with the current arcade machines. In terms of specs, it left the aging 8-bit systems—ZAGE's ZEPS and Sonaya's own MGB [Mugen Game Box]—in the dust. Featuring two controller ports and a sleek design, the console was set to launch at a premium price of 24,000 Yen. Each game cartridge would retail for 8,000 Yen, while a special launch bundle including the console and four games would cost 52,000 Yen.
The launch titles were:
Sun Knight 3 – the long-awaited sequel to one of Sonaya's most iconic franchises.
J Yagyu 16 – a baseball simulation showcasing the console's 16-bit graphical power.
Ultimate Brawler – a fast-paced fighting game clearly "inspired" by ZAGE's Street Fighter, yet optimized to deliver an arcade-level experience previously impossible on 8-bit systems.
Sherif Juan 2 – the sequel to the fan-favorite platformer Sherif Juan, bringing new stages and upgraded visuals.
While the launch lineup wasn't massive, the visual leap provided by 16-bit graphics was a major selling point. Hikaru had played each of the titles himself and found them genuinely engaging. He was confident that players would feel the same.
Grinning and lifting a glass of wine, Hikaru turned to Junpei. "Junpei, with this lineup, we can finally topple ZAGE, right?"
Junpei smiled, hopeful. "Let's hope so, boss. I have a good feeling—Titan Drive is going to make a real impact."
Hikaru nodded. "That's something I definitely agree with."
Although Junpei was worried about how ZAGE might respond to the Titan Drive's release, he had a strong feeling that ZAGE wouldn't stay idle for long. Still, for now, he chose to maintain his boss Hikaru Kurata's optimistic mood.
Junpei then thought to himself, "If this all depends on how successful the Titan Drive becomes, I might feel confident. But how long will that confidence last? It really depends on ZAGE. I know it's unlikely they've already developed any 16-bit consoles or games—but the chance isn't zero. After all, Zaboru is the one leading ZAGE, and he has a way of making the impossible happen."
Junpei sighed and continued monitoring the Titan Drive's performance, while Hikaru Kurata sipped his wine, clearly in a good mood. Hikaru leaned back, his thoughts drifting: Let's see… If Titan Drive becomes insanely successful, I still doubt we could truly overtake ZAGE. But even so, it would be nice to see them become the second choice—at least for a little while.
Meanwhile, at ZAGE headquarters, Zaboru was far from surprised. He had long been aware that Sonaya was working on a 16-bit console. But he wasn't worried. In fact, deep within his personal Workshop he already had a working prototype of their own next-gen console and games plans for them. He simply hadn't revealed it yet.
The 16-bit console era was Zaboru's favorite period in his previous life. It was a time of breakthroughs and unforgettable moments, before the rise of the 3d generation of consoles took over entirely. Because of that, he had already prepared designs and game concepts for 16-bit systems, casually crafting them during his spare time whenever he could find a moment.
Despite the rivalry, Zaboru was genuinely curious—and even a bit excited—to see what Sonaya would bring to the table. Competition, after all, often led to innovation.
Zaboru chuckled after seeing a teaser for Sonaya's ad on TV its about the teaser that tomorrow there will be major Ads for Sonaya gaming sections. "Hehehe... Sonaya, let's hope you've made something worthwhile. Zaboru the Gamer is ready to have some fun!"
To be continued
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