The current leaders in the video game industry are all a bunch of uneducated peasants who don't know the rules.
Even now that Gamenova has completely crushed North America, Trip's belief in this point remains unchanged.
In Trip's mind, the true ideal of the consumer electronics industry is the personal computer (PC).
To be precise, it's Amiga.
Dave and RJ Robert were engineers at Amiga and also engineers at Atari's Lyn.
Having just finished their work at Lyn, Dave and Robert traveled to California to meet Trip Hawkins.
If the name 3D0 still left them scratching their heads, Trip's other identity was certainly well-known.
The CEO of Electronic Arts EA) is also the CEO of this newly established subsidiary called "3D0".
Currently, it is second only to one person in the sports gaming field.
"Welcome!"
Trip eagerly extended his hand and shook hands with both of them, showing them the proper courtesy.
Faced with this stance, both men hesitated and did not immediately make a statement.
Trip offered them an extremely generous salary, trying to persuade them to join this little-known small company.
0
This is truly quite strange.
"Mr. Trip, what exactly is 3D0?
"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce you both."
Trip smiled, noticing their confusion, and explained, "This is a concept I came up with."
He took out a document with three lines of text neatly printed on it.
[Audi-0 (Audio)]
[Video-0]
The last line was specially enlarged and bolded.
[3D-0 (Three-dimensional)]
"This name comes from my vision for it: an interactive multimedia entertainment platform that integrates video games, music, movies, and other functions."
Dave and the other man's eyes widened slightly.
Although Trip's expression wasn't entirely clear, both of them were industry professionals and immediately understood what Trip meant.
What exactly does "it" refer to?
"Mr. Trip —you're also planning to develop—a game console?"
EA is planning to develop its own hardware platform? That's certainly surprising news.
The hardware market is indeed a lucrative prize that everyone wants a piece of.
Whoever manages to break through will reap the rewards.
Unfortunately, Atari failed.
"A game console? Sorry, I'm not going to make something that's so stupid."
Trip shook his head. "In my opinion, game consoles are nothing more than a compromise made by a group of third-rate manufacturers who can't compete with PCs and other consumer electronics in order to survive in the cracks."
Whether it's Game Nova, Nintendo, Sega, or Atari, they are all the same.
What's with all this talk about game consoles? Isn't it just that they can't compete with the other giants in the PC market?
ridiculous.
"I've said it before, what I want to create is an interactive multimedia entertainment platform, not some so-called game console."
Trip envisions this machine perfectly replacing current CD players and game consoles, completely dominating users' living rooms.
Take over their television.
This is the ambition a potential hegemon should have.
It's so boring to just focus on games and act tough in a small circle.
Upon hearing this, Dave and his companion finally understood why Trip had poached them with such high salaries.
Unlike other engineers, the most distinctive feature of these two is their prestigious Commodore background.
He has been fighting alongside Commodore since the Amiga era, and continues to dedicate himself to Atari to this day.
This was naturally an instruction from the parent company, Commodore.
Before taking charge of Atari's game console project, the two of them came from a proper background in making PC hybrids.
If Trip wants to create a multi-functional entertainment device similar to a personal computer, then these two are indeed the most suitable choices.
"I see, that's truly a brilliant idea!"
Dave's eyes lit up.
According to Trip's plan, it seems there's actually potential.
This integrates various previously separate entertainment devices into a single, unified solution.
"But—our opponent is GAMENOVA."
Robert frowned after a brief moment of surprise.
Having just completed the Lyn project, his understanding of NovaPocket, a competitor, is far deeper than many others.
GAMENOVA's assembly technology and hardware capabilities are absolutely in a class of their own.
In response to these words, Trip did not give a direct answer. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back and said meaningfully, "Do you know why Atari failed this time?"
"Why?"
"You're not fast enough, and you're not ruthless enough."
Trip said.
Where exactly did Atari go wrong?
According to Trip, Atari's failure should be attributed to two factors.
"You entered the market after GAMENOVA had already established a solid foundation; by then, it was too late."
"What's worse, as successors and challengers, the finished product you've presented is far too weak; the configuration is far too inadequate."
Quasi-16-bit machine? The most powerful 8-bit machine?
What's the point?
"We shouldn't be fixated on red ocean markets that everyone has already cultivated; instead, we should set our sights on the longer-term future."
Why does Gamenova keep winning? Because they're faster than anyone else.
"While others thought the gaming industry was finished, they were one step ahead and saw the potential of the gaming market, making a strong counter-cyclical investment in the video game industry."
"Facts have proven that they made the right choice, and are now riding the crest of the new era."
"Pioneering 3D technology, leading the way in 16-bit computing, and collaborating on audio chips----"
"Every step they take is never into existing mature markets, but into new territories that no one has ever thought of or dared to step into."
"I think that's the key to their success."
During the period of rapid technological development, this fearless and reckless spirit is precisely what these large listed companies lack.
"I have contacted ARM in the United Kingdom and we are currently in talks regarding the licensing of their 32-bit RISC processor."
Trip nodded slightly.
This time, they have to run faster than anyone else.
"If we're going to do it, let's be the strongest, the strongest in the world!"
Such a statement was undeniably shocking.
For a moment, both of them were moved by the grand vision he had described.
Although something felt off, it definitely sounded really exciting!
"That's so right! That's so right! Wait a minute—"
Dave readily agreed, but then something that had been causing quite a stir in the gaming world suddenly flashed through his mind. "GenesisNEO—isn't it just a 32-bit processor gaming console?"
It's not only 32-bit, but it's also a 32-bit version produced by Gamenova itself.
What kind of company would design an entire architecture and go through the tape-out process when making a game console?
No, they are "quasi-32-bit".
Trip shook his head.
He had naturally considered this point long ago.
According to Trip, while the GenesisNE0 machine seemed powerful, it had two very serious problems.
Firstly, there's the bizarre new architecture of the ATHENA chip.
"ATHENA's performance is indeed very strong, that's undeniable, but it severely crippled itself for gaming, making it unsuitable for the tasks of a PC processor. This was the worst move Lin Lixin made!"
This design would require an investment of at least hundreds of millions of dollars.
Lin Lixin's approach to this architecture essentially means that he has proactively given up the future market for dual-use machines.
This gave Trip a golden opportunity.
"Besides this piece of junk that can only be used for gaming, GenesisNE0 also lacks a necessary coprocessor."
"What I want to make is a true 32-bit device."
"Two 32-bit RISC chips! At least 2MB of RAM, 1MB of video memory, and 16-bit quad-channel stereo sound."
These are just the initial parameters he set.
According to Trip's own ideas, 3D0 will eventually spawn a whole host of peripheral devices.
At that time, a single 3D0 will be sufficient for any electronic entertainment activity.
After that, game consoles will become a pseudo-concept, something from the past.
"But—won't that make it very expensive?"
Robert mentally estimated its cost and immediately felt a headache coming on.
If this thing actually comes to fruition, its price will probably be four times that of a current 16-bit machine.
Trip strode forward, facing the map in the office.
"You two are both geniuses from the field of dual-purpose machines, and you've even developed excellent machines like the Amiga."
He still didn't directly answer Robert's question, but instead started talking about something seemingly unrelated, "I'm sure you all know how IBM, as the dominant player in home computers, succeeded."
IBM----
The two looked at each other, and after a long while, they understood what Trip meant.
How did IBM achieve its success?
It's important to understand that before IBM became the dominant force in the PC industry, before it became the "Big Blue" it is today, its main competitor was Apple.
However, it easily seized the victory.
The reason for this may be inseparable from the ubiquitous IBM multi-purpose machines available today.
These machines were not actually manufactured by IBM itself.
All they did was open up their IBM personal computer technical data to the public in 1982 and develop a set of "PC specifications".
IBM has repeatedly succeeded in establishing standards, and it has indeed made a fortune from this approach.
"Mr. Trip, you mean—not developing game consoles, I'm sorry, I mean not developing entertainment platforms, but rather—establishing a standard?"
"That's right."
Trip smiled; this was the best move he could think of.
This was also a powerful move he intended to save for Gamenova.
"Behind 3DO are not only EA, but also Panasonic, Sanyo, AT&T, Universal Group, and Time Group ----"
After this period of work, he has officially made contact with a number of companies all over the country.
Soon, 3D0 will be officially restructured and listed on the stock exchange.
These veterans, unwilling to be relegated to the ranks of Gamenova or Nintendo, have been waiting for such an opportunity.
Instead of getting involved themselves, if 3D0 can actually create a standard specification and license it to them, they can save themselves the trouble of development and only be responsible for production and sales.
"In addition, Nintendo's recent falling out with Namco is also a case in point."
Trip's smile grew increasingly confident, as if he could already see that victorious future. "We'll only charge hardware manufacturers licensing fees, which will allow us to significantly reduce licensing fees for game developers."
This is also the last piece of the puzzle he left for 3D0.
Once a large number of developers switch to his platform due to the low revenue sharing, the rise of 3D0 will be complete.