The story of Sega's Tokyo office in the late 1980s is a fascinating, yet controversial chapter in gaming history. Mark Cerny, the renowned PlayStation hardware architect, recalls his time working there, painting a picture of intense pressure and unique challenges.
Cerny describes Sega's approach during this period as akin to a 'sweatshop', a bold statement that sets the tone for the rest of the narrative. In an era where Nintendo dominated the market, Sega's strategy was to flood the market with games, aiming to outnumber Nintendo's offerings. This meant small teams, tight deadlines, and an intense work environment.
"Atari had one-man games; Sega had teams of three creating cartridges. We'd sleep at the office, trying to meet the former Sega president's goal of 80 games for the Master System to rival Nintendo's 40," Cerny explains.
However, Cerny argues that this strategy was flawed. He believes Sega should have focused on creating fewer, more impressive titles with larger teams. He cites examples like Nintendogs and Brain Training, which he believes sold the DS console, as evidence that quality trumps quantity.
And yet, Sega did allocate more resources to one particular game: Sonic the Hedgehog. Despite its success, Sonic's creator, Yuji Naka, faced intense criticism for going over budget.
"The Million Seller Project aimed to create a million-selling game, and Sonic was it. But even with extra resources, Naka and his team still faced budget issues. Despite the game's success, Naka was yelled at and eventually left the company," Cerny reveals.
The question remains: Did Sega learn from this experience? While Sonic's sales were a success, Cerny notes that Naka, despite his $30,000 annual salary (which was doubled that year with a bonus), was tired of the intense work environment.
"It's an interesting paradox. Naka was yelled at but also rewarded. It was a unique environment, to say the least," Cerny muses.
Despite the challenges, Cerny's time at Sega was not all negative. He worked alongside industry legends like Naka and Rieko Kodama, who went on to create Skies of Arcadia. But ultimately, Cerny's path led him back to the U.S. and his long-standing partnership with PlayStation.
This story raises questions about the balance between creative freedom and commercial success in the gaming industry. It's a fascinating insight into the early days of console wars and the people behind the games we love.
