January 6 1996 Wednesday
After Monday's eting with Jensen Huang from NVIDIA and Jerry Sanders from AMD, Zaboru quickly returned to Japan aboard his private jet. Without delay, he resud the previously postponed etings, starting with the ZAGE 1995 Finance Report.
A few days before his trip to the USA, Zaboru had announced the decision to postpone the 1995 Finance Report eting. The reason was clear: he had urgent and high-stakes etings scheduled with NVIDIA and AMD to discuss the strategic roadmap for the upcoming ZEPS 3 project.
All of ZAGE's executives in Japan were in attendance, and Sayuri Yamaguchi, the Head of Finance, took the lead in presenting the financial data. She laid out the numbers for ZAGE's product sales—gas, arcade machines, rchandise, and ho consoles—along with the profits generated. She also noted contributions from ZAGE's various subsidiaries. But with a smile, she added that she was saving the most impressive highlights for last: the sales performance of Tamagotchi Digimon and the ZEPS 2 console this year.
Sayuri smiled and said, "Next is Tamagotchi Digimon. And honestly, boss, this is one of the best ideas you've ever co up with. I truly admire your vision on this one."
She continued with a more analytical tone. "Let's break it down. The production cost of each Tamagotchi Digimon unit is approximately 800 yen. We sell it to retailers for about 1,500 yen, and the retailers themselves sell it to consurs for around 1,900 yen. That gives us roughly 700 yen in profit per unit sold."
Sayuri paused for emphasis, then smiled again. "Now, here's where it gets really impressive. Tamagotchi has been launched in Japan, the USA, Europe, Korea, and China — and it has sold approximately 12 million units so far. That translates into a direct profit of around 8.4 billion yen for us. And what's even more exciting is that these numbers are still climbing. The product continues to grow in popularity, and it's not just appealing to gars. Tamagotchi Digimon has successfully captured the attention of non-gars too — thanks to its affordability, accessibility, and the simple charm of being sothing you can carry around easily. It's quickly becoming one of ZAGE's most iconic and beloved products to date."
All the eting attendees applauded, clearly impressed. Zaboru smiled and nodded in quiet satisfaction. He had expected this outco—Tamagotchi really was sothing special. He always believed that Tamagotchi Digimon would sell well, and now he was glad to see he had been right all along.
Next, moving on to the ZEPS 2 section, Sayuri smiled and said, "As we all know, last year ZEPS 2 sold around 4.5 million units following its release in late March. However, this year, ZEPS 2 has truly broken records. Thanks to significant improvents in our distribution channels across Europe, the USA, Japan, China, and Korea — and the continued growth of the ZAGE brand recognition — we've seen a massive surge in sales."
She glanced around the room before continuing with a proud tone. "ZEPS 2 has sold 13 million units this year alone. That's nearly triple last year's number. With an average profit of around 6,000 yen per unit — factoring in frequent promotional discounts and bundle deals — we've earned an incredible total profit of 78 billion yen just from ZEPS 2."
Sayuri took a brief pause and added, "What's even more impressive is that these numbers reflect only the console sales. We haven't yet touched on the additional revenue from peripherals, accessories, and ga royalties"
Zaboru's eyes widened in surprise—he hadn't expected the numbers to nearly triple compared to the previous year. It was far beyond his projections. Still, he couldn't help but grin and nod in approval. ZAGE was becoming financially stronger than ever. With such a healthy financial outlook, the company would be well-positioned to carry out its 1997 expansion plans without hesitation.
Not only that, but this success gave Zaboru additional confidence to further invest in ZAGE's subsidiaries. He knew that boosting their production capabilities could push the company even further ahead in the coming year.
Next, the eting continued with a breakdown of ZAGE's 1995 operational expenses. Sayuri detailed the full cost structure, including employee salaries, office maintenance, factory operations, R&D budgets, marketing expenditures, equipnt upgrades, investnt initiatives, tax obligations, and international logistics. The leadership team listened attentively as the full scope of the company's financial footprint was laid bare.
Despite the size and complexity of ZAGE's operations, the overall financial picture remained extrely healthy. Not only were revenues climbing, but cost-efficiency had also improved across several departnts—especially in manufacturing and international distribution. This indicated a well-balanced growth strategy that impressed even the more conservative executives in the room.
With the financial review concluded, Zaboru stood and thanked everyone for their hard work throughout the year. He was already planning to reward all employees with a generous bonus, a gesture of appreciation for their dedication and contribution to the company's success. Before finalizing it, though, he knew he needed to speak with Sayuri first regarding this bonus
Sayuri had always been extraordinary—Zaboru truly valued her more than words could express. Without her, managing ZAGE's complex and rapidly growing finances would have been nearly impossible. But with her at the helm, everything ran with precision and grace. Her consistency and accuracy were a quiet force behind the company's strength, and Zaboru never took that for granted.
It wasn't just Sayuri — all of ZAGE's higher-ups had perford exceptionally well, and Zaboru wanted to make sure they were recognized too. He wasn't a stingy or greedy person by nature. In fact, if it were entirely up to him, Zaboru would hand out bonuses regularly as a way to show appreciation and keep morale high. However, both his father and Sayuri had advised caution, warning that frequent bonuses could set unrealistic expectations and create long-term financial strain if not managed properly. Zaboru understood their concerns and respected their judgnt — they weren't wrong. Still, he couldn't help but feel a strong personal pull toward generosity.
Having lived through a past life as a salaryman, he knew exactly what it felt like to count every yen, to live from paycheck to paycheck, with no room for surprise expenses or personal growth. That experience never left him. Now that he had the authority, influence, and financial ans, he felt a responsibility to ensure his employees were not only compensated fairly, but also treated with respect, dignity, and occasional rewards that reminded them they were valued.
Aside from that He then announced that another strategic eting would be held the following day, focused entirely on the developnt and roadmap of ZEPS 3. That session would involve his core Japanese developnt team, and it would help define the next big chapter in ZAGE's next gen console.
To be continue
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