The mall opened its doors precisely on time.
The massive crowd filed in, instantly splitting into two streams.
The smaller group headed straight for the daily necessities section, where most of the customers were housewives.
The rest of the people, without hesitation, rushed headlong towards electronic products.
Damn it, we have to get our hands on it!
This is a first-release model; even if you don't play it, it's already worth the price just by reselling it.
Mike was a skilled cyclist, and John had done plenty of heavy lifting.
The two men reached the shelf almost instantly, without even glancing at the $99.99 price tag, and without hesitation bought two units, then promptly grabbed all the first-release cartridges as well.
" Mike, cover me as I break out!"
"Receive!"
Ahead, several other quick buyers, who had also secured their positions, had completely blocked the path leading deeper into the area.
Behind them, there were endless newcomers, all intent on devouring them.
This kind of scene is probably what looting for supplies during a zombie apocalypse would look like.
"Lin, guess how many NovaPockets sold on its first day?"
Inside the room, Sam hung up the phone call with Meyer and asked Lin Lixin mysteriously.
However, the twitching of his facial muscles completely betrayed him.
"Hmm... 500,000 units?"
This number far exceeds the initial release quantity of the Game Boy.
"Too few." Sam shook his finger. "Including unexpected losses, we've sold one million NovaPockets so far!"
Sam's voice trembled as he announced the number.
This electrifying scene is completely different from the initial state of NovaBox's debut.
Even Sam, who had prepared himself mentally, was still stunned by the number, his head spinning.
However, what's most frightening isn't how large the number is.
Sold out??
Lin Lixin was taken aback. For this Black Friday, GAMENOVA had contacted the contract manufacturer to work overtime to prepare a full one million units in stock.
This has already used up all the production capacity of the Z80Y and NovaWonder.
Lin Lixin originally thought that having twice the inventory based on Game Boy's initial data should be more than enough, at least enough to last until the next batch of chips was produced and shipped.
"That's right! Sold out! F***ing sold out! Hahahaha!!!!"
One million is the upper limit for inventory, not the upper limit for NovaPocket.
Keep in mind that this is a game console that costs a full hundred dollars, not some household bread maker or other appliance.
It has absolutely no other use besides playing games.
"Is it because of the built-in game 'Tetris'...?"
Tetris, the soul that has spanned the entire history of gaming, has finally found the perfect vessel for itself.
After the emergence of a host of high-quality games like "1942" and " Contra," player attention to this pioneer of game nova dropped to its lowest point.
Street Fighter, Wolfenstein, the Legend of Zelda...
One game after another shatters common sense and obliterates logic, constantly raising the bar for players.
Everyone is waiting to see what kind of amazing product GAMENOVA will come up with next.
Then, what appeared before everyone was the most solid foundation of GAMENOVA.
Oh, the invincible god of handheld gaming...
Praise be to the god of video games, the messiah of Tetris...
Lin Lixin picked up the NovaPocket on the table and watched the cubes slowly fall from it, suddenly feeling a little numb.
"We were originally planning to further stimulate consumption with Pokémon, but now it's the manufacturers who should be worried."
He glanced at the two Pokémon Red and Green cartridges on the table and shook his head.
They haven't even used their full strength yet! How did they win?
Day two of the Christmas shopping season.
The number of people in the queue did not decrease; in fact, it became even more exaggerated.
As the hype grew and first-time players shared their experiences, NovaPocket's popularity reached new heights.
However, what awaited them was a devastating piece of news.
"Gone? Not a single one left?"
Players who thought the next day wouldn't be so crowded and were planning to snag a bargain were all dumbfounded.
If it sold out on the first day, so be it! Why not restock on the second day?
"Let me see, the seller's contact number..."
Meyer felt like he was going through the most terrifying trial of his life.
It's painful, yet joyful.
The customer service department, which has been expanded several times, is constantly ringing; there's never a moment of peace.
Game stores, arcades, and retail stores across the country were calling in like crazy.
And their problems were exactly the same.
When will the stock be restocked?!
"Sir, I'm really not lying to you. We've had a cooperative relationship for so many years. If there were any opportunities, I would definitely prioritize supporting you."
Meyer wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, finally managing to persuade a major client with whom he frequently collaborated.
When will it be available?
He's just a salesman; his word doesn't count for this kind of thing!
With a planned production of only one million units, what can that possibly do?
Meyer recalled that he was initially worried when he first heard that Lin Lixin's first batch of shipments would be a full one million units.
It seems that to curry favor with someone powerful, you have to trust them unconditionally and wholeheartedly!
Let alone one million units, even two million or five million units would probably be sold out by the end of this Christmas season.
However, what truly alarmed Meyer was that he knew better than anyone else just how much GAMENOVA had prepared for this Christmas season.
" Pokémon aren't even available yet, what are we going to do...?"
I never imagined in my life that what would limit my earning potential would be production capacity rather than sales volume.
We can sell as many as we can produce!
A week later, a local California newspaper published an interesting little news story.
Reporters obtained photos taken by Schwarzenegger's agent showing him engrossed in playing with a NovaPocket on a plane.
Convenience stores across the country finally received a new batch of NovaPocket stock after a full week of shortages.
Meanwhile, long-hidden areas within arcades, centered in California, have finally revealed their true appearance.
Pokémon Center are now officially open!
This news instantly ignited the community, easily overshadowing the discussion surrounding NovaPocket.
After all, players have been curious about GAMENOVA's large-scale construction project for a long time.
Today is the day to reveal the secret!
However, many people were stunned as soon as they rushed in.
This place is practically a small gift shop.
The shelves are filled with all sorts of bizarre and unusual dolls and related everyday items.
Garlic-shaped turtle, a real turtle, a pink ball, a yellow mouse, a red... lizard?
Although they look incredibly diverse, their design style is surprisingly consistent, making them both cute and unique.
Aside from the eye-catching plush toys and the new Pokémon game cartridges on the shelves, what really caught people's attention were the strange-looking machines on the table.
What is Pokémon Trading Machine?
No, we need to steal the cassette tape first!