Monday 9 June 1999 ZAGE Tower Japan.
Two days after the recent interview, Zaboru returned to work as usual. The interview itself had beco a surprisingly big topic across Japan, spreading through magazines, television talk shows, and word of mouth among gars. Yet, as always, Zaboru paid little attention to the noise. Praise, criticism, rumors—it all faded quickly in his mind. For him, interviews were fleeting monts. Real progress was made only through work.
That morning, Zaboru was already inside ZAGE Tower, settled in his office on the 51st floor. His schedule was packed, but today carried particular importance. He was preparing to assign the next major tasks to two of his core Japanese teams: Team NIWA and Team IZAN. Both teams had just completed their May releases—Team IZAN with ZAN – The Cowboy Samurai, and Team NIWA with Dragon Quest V. Normally, Zaboru would allow a short recovery period after such major launches. However, there was a reason he was moving quickly this ti.
Both teams had personally requested additional flexibility in their schedules so they could focus more intensely on developing titles for the upcoming ZGBA handheld. After reviewing their plans and workloads, Zaboru had approved the request. Now, with that adjustnt finalized, it was ti to formally define their next main assignnts so developnt could continue smoothly without wasted montum.
At that mont, Zaboru was already inside one of the main eting rooms at ZAGE. Instead of holding separate briefings, he deliberately decided to summon both teams at once. Doing so would make the assignnt process faster and more efficient, but more importantly, it gave each team a clear understanding of what the other was working on. Zaboru believed that transparency between teams encouraged better coordination, reduced overlap, and sotis even sparked unexpected ideas across projects.
Without further ado, Zaboru moved straight to the point and began assigning the next task. For Team IZAN, the new project was none other than Winning Eleven 99. This title would serve as the direct continuation of Winning Eleven 98, which Team IZAN had developed previously. Because the core gaplay systems were already solid and well-received, Zaboru made it clear that this installnt did not need radical changes or risky experintation. The foundation was already there; what mattered now was refinent, balance, and smart evolution rather than reinvention.
Zaboru explained that his goal was not to reinvent the entire ga, but to aningfully push it forward. He wanted the team to update player rosters to reflect the latest changes, introduce new types of skills to deepen tactical variety, and elevate the overall gaplay feel. In particular, he emphasized improvents to Master League—better transfer systems, more realistic negotiations, and smarter AI behavior that would make managing a club feel more alive and dynamic.
In addition to that, Zaboru also requested a brand-new storyline for the Becoming Legend mode, one that would be clearly different from the previous installnt. He didn't want this entry to feel like a simple re-release of last year's ga with minor tweaks. It needed to have noticeable, aningful improvents that players could imdiately feel the mont they started playing.
At the sa ti, Zaboru was very aware of the developnt tiline. He didn't want this project to drag on unnecessarily. His target was a tight three-month developnt cycle, with completion scheduled for August. Team IZAN had no objections to this plan, as the project did not require a full overhaul of systems. Instead, it was closer to a large, carefully planned evolution—almost like an extensive patch built with purpose. Naturally, Winning Eleven 99 would be released on the ZAGE console ZEPS 3, continuing the series' strong presence on the platform.
Also, the current task of Team IZAN, Super Shot Football, was already nearing completion and was expected to be released next month, in July. This particular project was slightly different from their Winning Eleven work—more experintal, more exaggerated, and far less grounded in realism. Zaboru himself wasn't entirely sure how players would react to it. So might find it strange, others might find it ridiculous, but that uncertainty was part of its charm.
What Zaboru did know, however, was that Super Shot Football would be an amazing and absurd take on the sport, leaning heavily into over-the-top chanics, dramatic special shots, and arcade-style intensity rather than strict simulation. It was designed to be fun first and serious second, a sharp contrast to Winning Eleven's grounded approach. Whether players loved it or argued endlessly about it, one thing was certain—it would leave a strong impression and add another unique identity to Team IZAN's growing portfolio.
Next was Team NIWA. This team specialized in developing JRPGs, and Zaboru intended to keep them firmly on that path. Aside from their responsibilities related to upcoming ZGBA releases, he assigned them two major projects. The first was Persona 2: Innocent Sin, a title that leaned heavily into narrative depth, psychological thes, and character-driven storytelling—an area where Team NIWA consistently excelled. Zaboru trusted them to preserve the ga's emotional weight while refining its systems and pacing for this world.
After that, Zaboru revealed the next major assignnt: another Final Fantasy title—specifically Final Fantasy VIII. This imdiately caught the team's attention. In Zaboru's previous life, Final Fantasy VIII had been a strong entry in the series. While it wasn't considered as universally grand or iconic as the seventh installnt, it surpassed it in several key areas, particularly in graphics presentation and overall gaplay fluidity. Zaboru wanted to replicate—and surpass—that balance here.
In this world, ZAGE had already pushed Final Fantasy VII's visuals to match what Final Fantasy VIII looked like in his previous life. Because of that, Final Fantasy VIII in this tiline needed to go even further. Zaboru envisioned a more refined visual style, smoother animations, and a more cinematic presentation that would clearly distinguish it as the next step forward rather than a simple sequel. He wanted players to imdiately feel the generational leap the mont they saw the ga in motion.
For this ambitious task, Zaboru allocated a total developnt period of nine months, targeting a release window in March 2000. Team NIWA had no objections to this schedule. Given their experience, pipeline efficiency, and familiarity with the series, they agreed it was a reasonable and achievable tiline. More importantly, they were confident they could deliver a JRPG that would et Zaboru's expectations without sacrificing quality or identity.
After finishing the eting, Zaboru quickly returned to his office on the 51st floor and continued working without wasting any ti. His desk was already filled with docunts, schedules, and early drafts for future projects. Even as the day moved forward, his mind was already drifting toward what lay ahead. He had clear plans for the next year, and those plans were steadily taking shape.
Zaboru leaned back in his chair and let out a quiet chuckle. "Next year… there will be many projects coming from my other developers," he muttered to himself. ZAGE was filled with incredibly talented people—so of them even famous nas from his previous life. In this world, however, most of them spent their ti focusing on the tasks Zaboru personally assigned. He gave them more than enough freedom to propose and develop their own gas, yet many of them chose not to do so just yet. They preferred to grow within structured projects before fully stepping out on their own.
Of course, there were exceptions. A few developers, like Hideo Kojima and Yugo Kanai, had already begun creating gas driven entirely by their own visions. Watching them work independently only reinforced Zaboru's belief that, given ti, more creators within ZAGE would eventually find the confidence to do the sa.
But Zaboru understood very well that if he allowed his developers to fully focus on making their own original gas, it would naturally take a great deal of ti. Unlike him, most developers needed to start from the very beginning—drafting the story, carefully thinking through gaplay systems, designing characters, and refining concepts again and again. Because of that, it was realistic for a single developer or a small team to complete only one ga per year, or sotis even take two years to finish a single project. Zaboru genuinely didn't mind this at all. To him, quality, growth, and creative confidence mattered far more than speed.
"In the next end-of-year eting, I'll highlight this," Zaboru muttered to himself with a light chuckle. "And hopefully it will align well with their manpower."
Right now, all ZAGE teams have beco incredibly efficient. They often finished their assigned tasks ahead of schedule, sothing that would have been rare in most other companies. This wasn't by accident. ZAGE offered generous benefits, maintained a healthy and supportive work environnt, and encouraged long-term growth instead of burnout. On top of that, Zaboru's Aura of Influence subtly affected everyone working within ZAGE—pushing them to work harder, think smarter, stay motivated, and absorb new knowledge at an accelerated pace. Together, these factors created a developnt environnt where productivity and morale rose naturally, without force.
Many ZAGE developers were deeply attached to the company. They didn't want to leave, and ZAGE itself had no desire to lose them either. The environnt, the culture, and the sense of shared purpose made ZAGE feel less like a workplace and more like a long-term ho for creators. However, reality was reality. There were still so developers who were strongly motivated by money. From ti to ti, outside companies would approach them with extrely generous offers—higher salaries, lucrative bonuses, and promises of leadership positions. For so, those offers were simply too tempting to ignore.
When that happened, and a developer chose to resign from ZAGE, Zaboru never took it personally. As long as the resignation process was handled properly and respectfully, he accepted their decision without resentnt. In fact, many of those who left ZAGE went on to beco leaders, directors, or ace developers at other studios. Their skills and discipline carried over, often elevating the teams they joined.
Still, it was also true that quite a few of them eventually felt regret. Outside of ZAGE, they realized just how rare its benefits truly were—not just in salary, but in work-life balance, creative freedom, support systems, and long-term stability. Many found that their motivation and work spirit were never quite the sa again. The difference was obvious, especially to those who had once worked under Zaboru. His Aura of Influence was no longer there to subtly push them to work smarter, grow faster, and stay inspired.
Even so, one thing remained undeniable across the entire industry. Whether they stayed at ZAGE or left it behind, developers who ca from ZAGE were widely recognized as elite. The ZAGE na on a résumé carried weight, respect, and a quiet acknowledgnt of excellence wherever they went.
Zaboru also had a strict policy regarding departures: anyone who chose to leave ZAGE could not return, regardless of circumstance or regret. This rule was not born out of spite or arrogance, but from principle. Zaboru wanted to make it clear that ZAGE was a professional company, not a place people could freely walk in and out of when it suited them. Decisions had weight, and careers had consequences.
By enforcing this policy, Zaboru set a clear example both inside and outside the company. Joining ZAGE was a commitnt, not a temporary stepping stone. Those who stayed did so with resolve, and those who left did so knowing there would be no second chance. To Zaboru, this clarity was essential—it protected the company's integrity, reinforced discipline, and reflected the seriousness with which he viewed ZAGE as an institution rather than just another ga studio.
To be continued .
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