1988 Retro Game Tycoon - Chapter 67



Only Noblemtl

Episode 67 – Game Pocket

After looking at the Nintendo Game Boy and Game & Watch and deciding to make a portable gaming device, I started by organizing a plan.

The basic outline is similar to Nintendo’s Game & Watch.

An inexpensive portable game console that can only play one game built-in. The exterior is designed to resemble a baseball field, just like the sketch drawn by AD Choi, and it has the game in it, and it allows two-player play with a cable like the Game Boy.

The idea was clear, but making it a reality involved a lot of steps, from product development, to test manufacturing, parts purchasing, mold making, assembly, and shipping the finished product.

This is a completely different level of work from the simple ROM pack production that only requires one or two chips to be inserted.

Our company did not yet have the necessary research or production facilities, let alone someone to take charge of this process.

But if you don’t have the power, you can just borrow it. I decided to ask for help from Myeongseong Electronics and first do a practical verification of how feasible it would be.

The best way to verify something is to try it out yourself. I went to see Lee Ki-cheol.

“You want to make this little game console?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry for asking you to do something else in the middle, but you can make it in a similar format to this. We’ll program our game and put it in here.”

I showed Lee Ki-cheol the Crystal Screen, the latest version of Game & Watch.

The LCD screen is completely transparent, with a background picture embedded behind the screen.

“Hiya~, there are game consoles like this. It’s amazing. The CPU is 4-bit. It reminds me of my Oscilloscope game.”

Lee Ki-cheol took apart the Game & Watch, examined its internal components, and said:

“Well, I don’t think it will be that difficult.”

“Really? How long will it take?”

“How long does it take? Just wait a minute.”

Lee Ki-cheol took out a small universal circuit board from that spot and cut it in the middle.

“The parts composition and such don’t have to be the same, right? I can just do whatever I want.”

“Hey, do whatever you want, hyung.”

Lee Ki-cheol installed an 8-bit CPU on a universal circuit board, attached a battery and various capacitors, and attached sensors to act as controllers to the left and right sides of the circuit board.

Then he made a phone call to someone and brought out a screen the size of half the palm of his hand, installed it on a perforated PCB, and added a serial port for data input.

“Well, the signal is going. I guess I can make a game and put it here?”

Lee Ki-cheol made a portable game console on the spot and handed it to me.

I returned to work with the Golden Sun portable game prototype. I connected the prototype to my computer and started programming it for the portable game console.

Since this is just for testing, it doesn’t have to be a complete game. Just an imitation is enough.

I first created a game that only allowed hitting, and tested it. It was much simpler in appearance than for Jemix, but it seemed to be enough to capture the feel of baseball.

“Does this taste good? It has a cute taste.”

“The screen is simple, but it feels much faster. And it looks fun.”

I looked at the portable version of side by side with the Game Boy baseball game with the programmers.

“I think this will work.”

We concluded that the game is playable even on a portable device.

Having gained confidence, I requested a meeting with the president of Myeongseong Electronics.

This meeting is very important.

When it comes time to make a home game console later, I definitely need the help of Myungsung Electronics. Considering overseas exports, I need to produce at least a million consoles, but it is difficult for me to set up production facilities myself.

Cooperation with Myeongseong Electronics is essential, but even with my father’s help, it is not easy to get things working together right away.

This portable game console will be a rehearsal for console development and production. It cannot be done haphazardly.

“hello.”

“Oh my, sir. Nice to see you again.”

When I arrived at the appointed time, my father and the president of Myeongseong Electronics were already talking.

But why does the president of Myeongseong Electronics treat me so much brighter than before?

“How are you doing these days, boss?”

“Oh, of course. Thanks to the Return of the Stars event, our Myeongseong TV is doing very well.”

“Thanks to the return of the stars?”

“I heard that the marketing team of Myungsung Electronics also visited Dongdaemun Stadium several times this time. After watching the game, they came up with the marketing idea that ‘sports should be viewed on a large scale’ and promoted large TVs along with the opening of the professional baseball season, and it is working very well.”

“How is that my fault? It’s because the marketing team got the point across well.”

“But would I have thought that way if I hadn’t gone to Dongdaemun Stadium and watched the game with all those people? Oh, when the CEO went up to the mound and threw the first pitch, my heart really sank! I’m sure all the members of Myeongseong Group who were there felt the same way.”

“Was it so?”

Uh… I just went out because my father said he wouldn’t do it.

I guess that was a touching point for the people at Myeongseong Group.

“These days, whenever I meet someone, the first thing they say is that they enjoyed the game. The employees are also very happy about it. You did a great job.”

“Yes, Chairman. Our company also had a very fierce competition to get tickets. We are all grateful to you for making good memories.”

“You should be thanking Namjoon, not me. If it weren’t for Namjoon, how could we have imagined such an event?”

My father and the president of Myeongseong Electronics shared a laugh.

A warm atmosphere was naturally created, making it ideal for conversation.

“So, I prepared a new item that can continue the excitement of Dongdaemun Stadium.”

I took out the Nintendo Game Boy and Game & Watch from my bag and got down to business. I showed them Nintendo’s portable game consoles and briefly explained the history of Nintendo’s portable game consoles.

“Is this the new Game Boy? It definitely feels much more advanced than the previous ones.”

“If you connect it with a cable like this, it can be used by two people.”

I connected the two Game Boys and handed them to my father and the president of Myeongseong Electronics. The two of them started playing a baseball game.

“Oh! I’m sorry, Chairman. I dared to hit you against you…”

“No, no. It’s a game. I always lose to Namjoon at home.”

The president of Myeongseong Electronics was fidgeting after hitting a ball against my father. My father just laughed.

“Mr. Chairman! This was absolutely, absolutely not intentional! I had no intention of hitting a home run.”

“Heh heh heh heh! It’s a game, a game. Just enjoy it. Heh heh heh heh!”

When the president of Myeongseong Electronics finally hit a home run, he looked like he was about to kneel. Even my father was laughing, but this time he seemed to have a little bit of emotion in him.

“It seems like games are much more fun when played with people, Namjoon.”

“Of course. No matter how much computer AI develops, it will never be as fun as playing with real people.”

There is a reason why became a national game in the Internet age and was elevated to a folk game, and remained the best e-sports game for over 10 years.

The best part about video games is that they aren’t just something to watch, but something you constantly interact with as the main character.

And interactions are much more fun with people than with machines.

Of course, sometimes it really pisses me off.

I’ll start by showing you the charms of Nintendo’s portable gaming consoles and then get to the real point.

“Now, please look at this.”

“What is this?”

When I showed him a well-made portable game console and handed him a thing with only a screen and a few buttons on a universal circuit board without a case, my father looked puzzled.

But as soon as I launched the game, the look in his eyes changed.

“Is this like ?”

“That’s right. I was playing a baseball game on Game Boy, and some of my coworkers at work said, “We have a baseball game too, so let’s make it portable.” I said that wasn’t the right time, but they said, “Why don’t we add a communication battle function to the Game & Watch style?” and I felt like I had been hit with a battling blow.”

“Hehehehe, Namjoon, you got beat up in a game. I don’t know who you are, but you must be a very smart guy. Is that why you created this?”

“Yes, the best way to find out if something is really feasible, fun, and worth trying is to make it yourself. It’s a prototype, so it’s a bit rough around the edges, but as you can see, I’m sure the game is plenty fun.”

Having shown the game, I finally took out the plan I had prepared and handed it to the two of them.

It was a plan for a portable game console called that I had neatly organized using the word processor I had invested in.

“Game Pocket?”

My father picked up the plan, looked at the title, and asked.

“This is the name of the portable game console I’m proposing. It means a portable game console that you can carry in your pocket.”

The two of them carefully examined the plan as it was handed over to them, and I continued my explanation.

“Is this a product design? In the shape of a baseball field?”

“Yes, because the original was a game modeled after Dongdaemun Stadium itself. It was about trying to capture the feel of a baseball game as much as possible.”

“If it comes out like this, it will be enough to grab people’s attention. What do you think? From your perspective, sir. Does it look like it can be commercialized?”

“I need to review it more with my staff, but it seems like it’s definitely possible to make. The only problem is the price.”

My father asked me.

“So, Namjoon, you want me to take charge of the planning and marketing of this product, and Myungsung Electronics to take charge of the product development and production?”

“Yes, we do not have the capacity to build our own production facilities yet, and we do not plan to do so in the future.”

“why?”

“I plan to focus on what I can do well. I have the sense and development ability to figure out how to make games and what kind of games are fun. I also know what kind of hardware is needed to make it happen. However, I don’t have the ability to directly produce and manage that hardware.”

“Are you thinking of doing only what you can do well and leaving the rest to others? If that’s the method, then it’s a method. If you rely too much on others, they might suddenly throw a tantrum and your business could be in jeopardy.”

“Isn’t that why I came to see the person I trust the most?”

“Are you talking about me? Hehehehe.”

The president of Myeongseong Electronics burst into laughter at my words.

“What do you think? Is Myungsung Electronics capable of taking on this task now?”

“We are busy making TVs right now, but compared to TVs, it is much easier to make, so I think we can do it. However, it is impossible to make tens of thousands of units.”

There is a reason why big companies are big companies. They have huge amounts of money and manpower, but if they don’t reach a sufficient size, they can’t even start a new business.

“Don’t worry about that. The Nintendo Game & Watch hit, Donkey Kong, which you saw earlier, has sold over a million units.”

“A million each?”

“It was about 6,000 yen each, so if you sell one million units, the sales would be over 6 billion yen. And that’s just for this one game console.”

“Then, for us, it would be around 30 billion.”

“Yes, it is by no means a small size, and Game & Watch is not just this one type. If you include other types, it easily exceeds 100 billion. Nintendo, which had a lot of debt, was able to pay off all of its debt with Game & Watch and still turn a profit.”

“But Nintendo is Japanese, so I don’t think it’s possible to make a 1:1 comparison with Korea···.”

“Of course. There is a big difference in economic power between Japan and Korea. If it were a different game, I wouldn’t have thought this way. But this is . It’s a game that everyone in the country knows. Would you like to read this?”

I took out the fan letter I had prepared in advance and showed it to him.

“These are letters from people who really, really want to play but can’t because the G-Mix is ​​expensive. There are also people who say they are office workers and want to play baseball games but aren’t interested in other games, so they didn’t buy the G-Mix because it was a waste.”

“How many copies of are being sold right now?”

“It will probably exceed 180,000 units soon. It is probably the best-selling game among the Gemix games. However, in Korea, there are many more people who do not own Gemix than those who do. And since it is portable, it is perfect for office workers who like baseball to play with. In Japan, too, Game & Watch is a game console that many office workers buy.”

“I don’t think it will be a big burden for office workers with purchasing power.”

“Also, if you make it possible for two people to play it by connecting it with a cable like the Game Boy, it will sell much better. If you can mass-produce it and lower the price to around 20,000 won, I think you can easily sell at least 500,000 units in Korea.”

“500,000? If it really comes to 10 billion, I think it’s something we can definitely try.”

“That’s just the beginning. Games like , , and , which is currently in development, can all be made into portable versions and sold. Once the platform is created, games will continue to be released, making it much easier to expand.”

The president of Myeongseong Electronics nodded and put down the plan.

“How are you, sir?”

I waited for the answer with a slightly anxious heart.

If you use your father’s power, you can somehow make progress. But if you force things under pressure, people won’t do their best.

“To be honest, I don’t know much about games, sir. No, I should say I don’t know anything about them at all.”

The president of Myeongseong Electronics opened his mouth.

“But now, I trust your business sense. We will do our best to make this Game Pocket. I trust you will make a good game.”

“Thank you, sir. Thank you!”

I expressed my sincere gratitude to the president of Myeongseong Electronics. We shook hands firmly and pledged to make Game Pocket a success.

It seems that the Return of the Stars event played a big role in winning the heart of the president of Myeongseong Electronics.

My father was looking at me with a pleased face.