Another world Game Developers in Japan`s 1991-Chapter 280 - 249 Sonaya Condition

Monday, April 7, 1992, marked a tense atmosphere at Sonaya's Japan headquarters. The gaming division was in complete disarray, struggling under immense pressure after the departure of Zanichi Renkonan. His one-month notice period had ended, leaving a gaping hole in leadership. Hikaru Kurata, Sonaya's CEO and major shareholder, had hastily appointed Kazuha Nakata as the new head of the gaming department. Nakata had once worked at Atari, bringing with him a history of experience in game development—or at least, that's what was supposed to be the case. However, it quickly became apparent that he lacked the ability to lead a game development team effectively. His ideas were outdated, his management style was rigid, and worst of all, he had no patience for the fast-evolving nature of the gaming industry.

Among those who had been enticed to leave ZAGE for Sonaya was Riku Nishima, and within just a month, he deeply regretted his decision. The promise of higher pay, better benefits, and a "more prestigious" position had blinded him to the reality of Sonaya's work culture. What he found instead was a chaotic, mismanaged environment riddled with excessive overtime, poor leadership, and an alarming lack of clear direction. Compared to ZAGE's structured and efficient game development process, Sonaya was floundering.

The stark contrast was evident in their output. While ZAGE had announced six new game releases for April, Sonaya had only managed to scrape together two titles—one of which wasn't even close to being ready. Despite having far greater financial resources and a larger workforce, Sonaya's inefficiency was proving to be its greatest downfall. Morale among developers was at an all-time low, with several employees openly complaining about the lack of organization and impossible deadlines. Rumors had already begun circulating that some of the developers were considering leaving, and Riku was beginning to wonder if he should follow suit.

Riku slumped at his desk, exhausted from the constant stress. He found himself reminiscing about his days at ZAGE, where projects had clear direction, teams worked with synergy, and employees were treated with respect. His former boss, Zaboru Renkonan, had a visionary mind and a work ethic that inspired his team. Under Zaboru's leadership, development was structured and goal-oriented, ensuring that every game had a strong foundation before moving forward. ZAGE had fostered a culture where creativity and technical excellence flourished, while Sonaya seemed content with throwing money at problems and hoping they would fix themselves. At ZAGE, Zaboru often prevented employees from working excessive overtime, encouraging them to leave unless absolutely necessary. It was an open secret that while he enforced this policy for his staff's well-being, he himself frequently worked late into the night and even on weekends to ensure ZAGE operated at its best. His passion for game development extended far beyond financial gain—he was genuinely invested in creating groundbreaking experiences, constantly innovating and refining ideas to push the industry forward. While many saw him as an entrepreneur, those who worked closely with him knew he was, above all else, a developer at heart.

Thinking back, Riku couldn't help but sigh and thought 'I should have never left... I heard from my friends at ZAGE that salaries were recently increased. If only I hadn't been so short-sighted... Working at ZAGE was like heaven compared to this mess.'

Before he could dwell on it further, Kazuha Nakata approached his desk with a hardened expression. "Nishima, how's the progress on the Thunder Warrior game mechanics?" Thunder Warrior was one of Sonaya's ambitious game projects, originally slated for release at the mid of April. At least, that was the plan before production delays and constant changes derailed the timeline. The game was designed as a side-scrolling beat 'em up, featuring a protagonist wielding a mighty thunder-infused war Axe, smashing through waves of enemies with electrifying attacks. Conceptually, it had the potential to be a standout title, but under Nakata's disorganized leadership, the project had fallen into development chaos. Mechanics were being altered on a whim, assets were incomplete, and the overall balance of the gameplay remained uncertain. What should have been a smooth development cycle had turned into a stressful, ever-changing mess, and Riku could see that the original vision was slipping further away with each passing day.

Riku straightened in his seat. "We've already adjusted the mechanics according to your latest specifications, Nakata-san, but since the requested changes are extensive, we still need more time to implement and test them properly. If we rush this, we risk breaking major parts of the game's balance."

Nakata's face twisted with frustration. Without warning, he slammed his hand against Riku's desk, causing several papers to scatter. "You incompetent fool! How can it take this long just to make those changes? I told you to have it done today! Do you think this job is a joke?"

Riku kept his head low, clenching his fists under the desk. "I apologize, Nakata-san. I will do my best to complete it by the end of the day."

Nakata scoffed, shaking his head. "You'd better. Otherwise, you can forget about your bonus. I thought ZAGE employees were supposed to be elite, but clearly, they're just overhyped nobodies."

Riku remained silent, forcing himself to suppress the anger boiling within him. The changes Nakata demanded weren't minor tweaks—they required an extensive overhaul that no competent developer would expect to be completed in just a single day. If it were someone like Zaboru Renkonan handling the task, it might have been possible, but under this kind of leadership, it was outright unrealistic. It wasn't just Riku who was suffering either—he could see the frustration on the faces of his colleagues. The entire development team was overworked, burned out, and losing confidence in Sonaya's ability to compete with ZAGE.

As Nakata walked away, Riku stared at his screen, his mind heavy with regret. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he had traded away something valuable for an empty promise. 'In search of gold, I lost a diamond," he muttered under his breath and worse, he can't come back to ZAGE because ZAGE already said those who leave to Sonaya at that time, will never be allowed to return.

Later that evening, as he continued struggling to meet Nakata's impossible demands, he overheard two senior developers whispering near the break room. "I heard another group from ZAGE got in touch with recruitment agencies. Some of them might be looking to leave Sonaya already," one said. The other nodded. "Can't blame them. This place is going downhill fast. We might be next but can they leave though? Sonaya contracts are really insane even though the pay is good."

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Riku clenched his jaw. If this continued, Sonaya's gaming division wouldn't last long. And with how things were going, it wouldn't be long before he made his own decision about whether to stay or leave.

Unknown to Kazuha Nakata, Hikaru Kurata was secretly observing the gaming division of Sonaya, carefully watching the scene unfold. He had long suspected internal mismanagement, but seeing the sheer level of dysfunction firsthand confirmed his worst fears. His sharp eyes analyzed every detail—the frustration on the developers' faces, Nakata's explosive outburst, and the growing sense of dissatisfaction in the air. Hikaru silently took note of every flaw, every failure, knowing that the time to intervene was fast approaching. 'That fucker exaggerated his experience, pretending he could lead game development, but all he has done is create chaos. Unlike Zanichi, who handled things efficiently, this fool is ruining everything. I need to fire him and find someone competent... but it's such a hassle to find the right person,' Hikaru thought, sighing. 'Why do both father and son have to be so damn good at making games? Zanichi left because he refused to compete with his own son, Zaboru... Damn it!' Hikaru clenched his fists, seething with frustration.

To be continue

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