To be honest, this Pokepal doesn't have much to offer in terms of software.
Essentially, it's a combination of Little Computer People and a large number of Activision mini-games.
Neither the gameplay nor the art style offers much innovation.
but!
On the hardware level, it's practically a collection of Nobel Prize!
Blue LED, the world's first truly functional SoC (System-on-a-Chip), a miracle of rechargeable batteries—lithium-ion batteries, TFT-LCD screens, SDRAM memory chips, NAND flash memory chips...
Any one of these elements could transform a semiconductor company from a bottom-tier player to a top-tier one.
And with this kind of technology... Gamenova completely monopolized it.
Of course, the downstream procurement chain still needs to go through material companies like Corning.
But in terms of integration and technological foundation, Gamenova is unmatched.
Invincible in the literal sense.
A game company that has created countless groundbreaking innovations that will surely win Nobel Prize in the future. The PokéPal, a device smaller than the palm of your hand, is so unique that no other company can replicate it independently.
Intel's semiconductor technology may be unmatched, but it lacks LCD and lithium battery technology, and even more importantly, it lacks blue LED technology.
The same principle applies to companies like Sharp.
Unless they settle for a 4-bit MCU version as a competitor, Pokepal will remain unique for a long time to come.
But even if they actually managed to copy one, it wouldn't affect Pokepal's historical status at all.
Thanks to the high degree of integration between upstream and downstream industries, coupled with top-notch cost control of SoCs, a single Pokepal can be priced at just $15.
At this price, Gamenova could even make a profit.
People who would buy a Pokepal wouldn't go and buy a knock-off with vastly different performance and gaming capabilities just for a few dollars' price difference.
People who wouldn't buy a Pokepal are even less likely to spend the same price on a knock-off.
What does $15 mean?
For Americans during their golden age, it was truly as easy as squeezing money out of their fingernails with a wave of their hand.
Buying a cute little gadget for a child or yourself to play with won't put any financial strain on you. It's even much cheaper than a game cartridge or disc.
Unfortunately, it also contains a large number of 8-bit video games.
Not buying this would be considered somewhat unfilial.
Thus, a massive buying frenzy officially began.
Lin Lixin didn't ask his good friends MJ or anyone else to be his spokesperson; this time, Gamenova really relied entirely on its own brand awareness.
It forcefully tore a hole in the portable device market.
Then... a new demand was created out of thin air.
Looking at the Pokepal as a whole, it's actually a product with a very vague and ambiguous positioning.
Unlike other handheld devices, it doesn't have a high demand or even become a necessity.
Communication devices such as Motorola's early United States Telephone and Telegraph Company.
For those big bosses who make tens of millions every minute, this is definitely a necessity.
For ordinary people, there are everyday entertainment devices like Sony's Walkman and Gamenova's NovaPocket to fill the gaps in their lives. But PokePal...
Upon closer inspection, its positioning actually overlaps somewhat with that of NP (non-player character).
But it still exploded.
The reasons are simple: a much lower price than the NP, superior battery life compared to any other mobile device, and a rechargeable design that eliminates the need to purchase a separate battery...
Under standard usage scenarios, this thing can even run for up to six months.
Even if the lithium battery fails, the original LR44 button battery will continue to operate in power-saving mode, which can extend its life by at least one month.
Wow, what level of battery life is that?
To put it simply, the Sony Walkman WM-EX series from the same year only had a battery life of 20 to 40 hours when using two AA batteries.
It's not bad compared to other portable devices, but compared to Pokepal, which is used by companies on a monthly basis, it's completely inadequate.
As for its sales figures...
Inside the Gamenova headquarters office.
Sam stared at the endless stream of emails flooding his computer screen, practically snot bubbles of joy bubbling from his nose. He kept his eyes glued to the system time, watching it tick closer and closer to midnight.
"Please... just a little more..."
Finally, at the very moment midnight Arrival, he burst into a cheer.
"91,000 units! That's 1,000 more! Awesome!!!"
"Alright, this isn't the first time we've had a big sale. Relax, this is just the beginning."
Lin Lixin glanced at him helplessly and put the pile of good stuff he brought back from CES into the display case.
90,000 units is not enough for a company like NP, which has over 100 million devices in stock.
but...
This thing was just released a day ago.
Nearly 100,000 units were sold in one day!
This is already one-third of Tamagotchi's sales in its first month.
However, the real boom for this thing hasn't even begun yet. Because this marketing campaign is entirely geared towards CES, most of the viewers who get their hands on the device first are there with a speculative attitude.
This involves distributors and agents from various regions.
Once these people start to exert their influence and the community effect begins to take shape, the Pokepal culture will transform into a terrifying storm that will rapidly sweep across the globe.
These current sales figures are really nothing.
"That's different. This is hardware that makes money. We don't have many profitable hardware products on the consumer side."
It's obviously unrealistic to expect Sam to calm down after getting carried away.
He excitedly exclaimed, beaming with joy as he looked at the tons of receipts and reports from various places in his mailbox.
This hasn't even been calculated by the finance department yet; even just his rough estimate shows such an outrageous number.
It's important to understand that this thing isn't a graphics card or a game console; it's not something we're willing to pay to gain market share.
Every unit sold generates real profit.
"Let Satoshi get ready, the Japan side needs to get ready to start too! Buckle up, Sam, the real work is about to begin."
Almost all of its products come from its own production facilities, so Gamenova doesn't suffer from the same inventory shortages as Bandai. How much stock they can prepare depends entirely on Lin Lixin's boldness and the market's appetite.
If it weren't for concerns about overstocking leading to a situation like Atari's idiotic failure, Lin Lixin would really like to mass-produce tens of millions of units and sell them slowly.
The United States market alone could be saturated with popular culture.
The situation in Japan is likely even more extreme.
For consumers who are already feeling the pressure at the tail end of the bubble, an affordable and reliable entertainment device like Pokepal is exactly what they need.
This device should be enough to usher in a new era.
After the excitement came the silence of midnight.
Only cleaning, security, and operations staff were still moving around inside the Gamenova headquarters building.
And of course, there are the two brothers in the office.
Lin Lixin looked out the window at the street.
This isn't downtown San Francisco, so it's quite quiet at night.
" Sam, I'm giving you two tasks," he said suddenly, his tone more serious.
"I'll be going on a business trip to Los Angeles for a while. It's not far, but I need to take over a few important projects, so it's inconvenient for me to travel back and forth every day."
Lin Lixin was making plans in his mind.
There are two main objectives for this trip.
One was to bring together " Lucas Arts," which was nominally a new game company under Lucasfilm.
The second is Activision and its subsidiaries in its Southern California studio cluster.
After a while, there are probably very few projects that won't come through.
During this period, the entire Gamenova headquarters could not simply be left idle.
How so?
" Street Fighter II and the King of Fighters 91."
The development of fighting games did not happen overnight.
Although Lin Lixin really wanted to upgrade Street Fighter to the level of Street Fighter 6, and the King of Fighters to something like King of Fighters 02, strictly speaking... it's impossible.
Even if it were possible, the leap couldn't really be that large.
Otherwise, aside from the characters being the same, it would be no different from releasing a new IP for the players.
The community needs time to transition to the new work.
Ideally, it would be enough to simply rehash some old material and upgrade the visuals and sound to a modern level.
When the time is right, we can gradually introduce features like the Battle Aura system and Blue Defense.
As for " The King of Fighters," the purpose of this remake is quite simple.
The addition of dodge and avoidance features further accelerates the game's pace, differentiating it from Street Fighter and completely differentiating its gameplay paths.
Frankly speaking, this is undoubtedly just rehashing old ideas.
It's not a completely innovative work like "mk"; it lacks sufficient groundbreakingness.
But it is also an indispensable transitional work.
Such groundwork is necessary for a truly groundbreaking sequel in the future. Rather than letting Lin Lixin handle it, it's better to leave this opportunity to Gamenova headquarters, which can also serve as a trial.
Whether you succeed or not, it will all be part of your growth.
Even if it were just a screen overhaul and an improvement in the board's manufacturing process, gamers would still be willing to pay for it.
It simply won't create a huge sensation.
There is a safety net in place.
"Huh? I'll take responsibility? You're serious?"
Sam was taken aback, then jumped up from his chair.
Excitement, surprise, and... nervousness.
If he understands correctly, this situation is different from the past.
Although Lin Lixin often appointed certain people as project leaders on a regular basis.
Ultimately, however, it was Mr. Lin who was in charge behind the scenes, ensuring that everything stayed on track.
This time is clearly different. This time, the responsibility is truly full responsibility.
Lin himself will go directly to Los Angeles to take charge of other projects.
The question is... am I really capable of doing this job?
Sam frowned.
To be honest, Gamenova has become too deeply intertwined with Lin Lixin as it has developed to this point.
Without Lin himself as the pillar of strength and the key figure to stabilize the situation, anyone would feel intense unease and anxiety.
"I... I'm not sure if I can do it well."