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Chapter 560 First Plan and Unexpected Visit
🕑 Added 2025-08-05 01:57:32 +0000 UTCMonday, 12 January 1995 – ZAGE Offices USA
After concluding meetings with the entire ZAGE executive team on Friday last week, Zaboru departed Japan to address critical business matters in the United States. Meanwhile, he outlined a clear strategy for the Japanese branch. He directed the Tokyo team to prioritize the Tamagotchi-Digimon project, considering its massive potential and cross-generational appeal. At the same time, he assigned the Osaka team a separate task, distinct from their previous involvement with Pokémon Crystal, which had already completed development and testing earlier in the year. With preparations finalized, Zaboru scheduled its global release for the end of January and was determined to ensure the launch proceeded smoothly and on time.
For the Osaka team, Zaboru finally assigned them a fresh and exciting new task slated for release the following month: an arcade game titled Sunset Riders, a humorous and fast-paced 4-player cowboy-themed beat-'em-up adventure. The project was refreshingly straightforward in scope, requiring no additional resources beyond the standard arcade cabinet setup already available to the team. The gameplay concept was lively, colorful, and highly engaging—an experience designed to be both accessible and entertaining for players of all ages. Confident in the game's commercial appeal and potential for arcade success, Zaboru drafted a comprehensive proposal and handed it off to Shigeru Miyamoto at the ZAGE offices in Osaka. The assignment thrilled Shigeru, who had long harbored a personal desire to experiment with arcade game development alongside his Osaka-based team.
As for the Tokyo team, although the majority of their manpower had shifted to the high-priority Tamagotchi project, Zaboru still saw potential in running a parallel development effort. He planned to allocate a compact but skilled subgroup to tackle an innovative new game slated for February—none other than the much-anticipated Hideo Kojima and Yugo Kanai collaboration: ROBOT VS MONSTER. The concept had already been outlined by the visionary duo,. Zaboru trusted their creative instincts and pledged his full support, assigning dedicated programmers and artists to assist with development. He intended for the project to hit the market by late February, adding another feather in the Tokyo branch's cap and ensuring that innovation continued alongside commercial pursuits.
As for ZAGE USA, Zaboru was now assisting the team in finalizing Duke Nukem for PC. He believed the game could be ready for release in late January, launching simultaneously with Pokémon Crystal for ZGB. This meant that for this month, no new titles would debut for the ZEPS 2 platform.
Zaboru chuckled to himself when thinking about Duke Nukem. To him, the character embodied the exaggerated stereotype of what many Japanese imagined an American white male to be: blond, handsome, muscular, cigar-chomping, and utterly enamored with guns and explosions. It was a character so over-the-top that it circled back around to being captivating.
Zaboru was confident that Duke Nukem would resonate well with the American market—just as it had in his previous life. He remembered how the old game had achieved cult status before the sequel in his past life eventually damaged the franchise’s legacy. This time, however, Zaboru was determined to avoid the same mistakes. With careful guidance and marketing, he believed Duke Nukem had the potential to become a major hit once more.
For the USA team’s next major task, Zaboru mapped out the development of a new PC strategy game set for a March release—none other than the legendary Civilization. Drawing inspiration from Civilization II in his previous life, Zaboru envisioned a turn-based experience that balanced historical depth with accessible gameplay. The goal was to recreate the magic of Civ II . Coincidentally, Sid Meier was already part of the ZAGE team, albeit as a junior developer. Despite his position, Sid's raw talent and strategic thinking had already impressed the senior staff. However, Zaboru made a deliberate choice: the game would be released simply as Civilization, omitting “Sid Meier’s” name from the title. While this was a nod to his past life, Zaboru wanted to avoid confusion or unwarranted speculation about the developer’s influence or role. His decision was rooted in ensuring the game stood on its own merits within this new timeline.
Now, in his USA office, Zaboru continued refining the Civilization draft while also pouring his creative energy into an original comic book project he hoped Marvel would publish—a standalone series centered entirely on Venom. The character had already become a fan favorite after several memorable appearances in Marvel's Spider-Man comics, which had been reinvigorated following ZAGE's acquisition of Marvel and the subsequent reboot of its continuity into the MRU (Marvel Re-Universe). In these latest issues, Venom's presence had struck a chord with readers, earning praise for both his striking design and his morally ambiguous nature, making him an ideal candidate for a solo spotlight.
Despite Venom’s rising popularity and powerful visual impact, the character's origin remained largely unexplored. This lingering mystery inspired Zaboru to develop a dedicated Venom comic book series that would delve deep into both Venom’s personal backstory and the alien Symbiote’s enigmatic origins. His goal was to create a compelling narrative that added emotional depth and mythological weight to the character. Naturally, Spider-Man would play an important supporting role in the storyline, serving as both a moral contrast and a pivotal figure in Venom’s journey, ensuring continuity with the broader Marvel Re-Universe.
In addition to his work on the MRU, Zaboru envisioned establishing a Marvel subsidiary dedicated exclusively to comics that were not connected to the MRU. These stories would embrace a darker, more mature tone and function independently of any shared universe—much like Dark Horse Comics did in his previous world. Zaboru had already discussed the idea with Marvel executives and Stan Lee, both of whom were supportive. With their approval, Marvel began laying the groundwork for its very first subsidiary comic imprint. Zaboru aimed to produce a variety of standalone titles under this new label, either by illustrating them himself or collaborating with other artists and writers. These comics would form a separate creative sphere, wholly distinct from the Marvel Re-Universe, offering greater freedom in storytelling and genre experimentation.
Similarly, he planned to apply the same expansion strategy for Hakushensha. At present, Hakushensha only published the Weekly and Monthly Shōnen Magazines, but Zaboru envisioned a broader future. He intended to diversify their publication line-up by venturing into the Seinen and Shōjo genres, catering to older teens and young adults, as well as female readership. In addition, Zaboru was also contemplating the creation of dedicated subsidiaries under Hakushensha that would specialize in light novels. He recognized the immense potential of the light novel market based on his experience in his previous life.
Zaboru was immersed in his work when an urgent knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Standing there was James Yoel, ZAGE USA Supervisor and a key figure at Emerald Wings, his expression tense with urgency. "Boss! We've got an emergency!" he blurted out. Raising an eyebrow, Zaboru promptly stood and opened the door. "What is it, James?" he asked, his tone calm but curious.
James sighed deeply, his expression a mixture of disbelief and awe. "It's... Walt Disney, boss. He's actually here to see you."
Zaboru blinked, confused. "You mean a Disney representative?"
James shook his head emphatically. "No, boss—it's Walt Disney himself. The legend in the flesh."
Zaboru's eyes widened in stunned disbelief. "Walt Disney is still alive!? Unbelievable! That means the entire Disney timeline must have diverged drastically from the one I knew in my previous life. But why is he looking for me? What could he possibly want?"
Zaboru turned to James and asked, "Alright, James—where is Walt Disney now?"
"He’s in the guest room, boss," James replied without missing a beat.
With a sharp nod Together, he and James walked briskly toward the guest room to meet Walt Disney.
To be continue
