Chapter Summaries

Lin Lixin asked Gerald to develop a gravity sensor module for the NPC handheld, inspired by Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation. Gerald agreed to investigate the technology, and his doubts about his place at GameNova deepened as he considered an idea he was not yet ready to pursue.

• Lin Lixin told Gerald to try building a gravity sensor module for the NPC over the next few days.
• Gerald agreed to test the latest MEMS technology and reflected on feeling inadequate compared with other GameNova specialists.
• Gerald remembered Atari’s Marble Madness and decided to visit Nova Arcade to ask Gary about it.
• Lin Lixin sent Carmack away and considered how cartridge-based gravity sensing could enable creative gameplay for the NPC.

Gerald visited Sega’s headquarters and met Mark Cerny, whose work on Marble Madness had drawn Gerald’s interest. Their conversation left Gerald considering how Sega’s new Sega Technical Institute could combine talent and lessons from Japanese and American game design.

• Gerald toured Sega headquarters with Hayao Nakayama, who explained Sega’s plan to establish the Sega Technical Institute in America.
• Hayao Nakayama introduced Mark Cerny as a key reason for creating the new department, and Gerald recognized him as Marble Madness’s creator.
• Gerald met Mark Cerny and discussed their early game-development experiences, including Gerald’s failed company, VideoSoft.
• Mark Cerny explained that working in Japan had taught him to judge game design from the player’s perspective and warned that excessive personal expression could lead creators to neglect players.

Gerald discussed game-development methods and hardware architecture with Mark Cerny, who recognized that Lin Lixin wanted the NPC to be simple for any developer to program. Gerald recruited Cerny to GameNova and brought him to meet Lin, who welcomed him and gave Gerald an improved gravity-sensing board to review.

• Mark Cerny described his design-first development system, and Gerald confirmed that GameNova used a similar process under Lin Lixin.
• Gerald raised hardware architecture and interaction, prompting Cerny to realize that the NPC was meant to be easy for any developer to master.
• Gerald invited Cerny to meet Lin Lixin, and Cerny eagerly left Sega and traveled with him to California.
• Gerald introduced Cerny to Lin, who agreed to hire him and sent him to begin onboarding.
• Lin gave Gerald an improved gravity-sensing board, while Cerny reacted with astonishment at Lin's hardware expertise.

Lin Lixin and Gerald refined the handheld’s gravity controls, while Mark Cerny proposed a movable counterweight to provide tactile feedback. After GameNova’s summer silence, the company unveiled the NovaPocket-compact, an 8-bit handheld promoted by a lineup of famous stars.

• Lin Lixin visited the hardware department and showed Gerald a gravity-control demo that felt floaty and lacked tactile feedback.
• Gerald suggested adding a vibration motor to the cartridge, and Lin Lixin agreed the idea was feasible despite its power and cost drawbacks.
• Mark Cerny proposed a movable counterweight that would shift the handheld’s center of gravity, and Lin Lixin ordered a prototype for testing.
• Throughout June, Screeps continued attracting players, whose automated factories and team battles kept the game thriving.
• On Independence Day, GameNova released an ad featuring Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Schwarzenegger, and Harrison, revealing the 8-bit NovaPocket-compact.

Ethan bought GameNova’s new GG handheld and discovered its launch game, “Clefairy's Universal Gravitation,” used the console’s tilt controls and a shifting cartridge mechanism. The chapter left him astonished as the cartridge’s moving weight created a clear impact when he tilted the handheld.

• Ethan bought the new handheld, tested its backward compatibility with NP games, and found that its battery lasted through hours of play.
• Ethan noticed that the “Clefairy's Universal Gravitation” cartridge was unusually heavy and felt as if it contained a concentrated metal block.
• Ethan started the game and followed its instructions to hold and tilt the handheld until the screen’s ground appeared level.
• Ethan tilted the handheld to roll a boulder across a U-shaped ramp, discovering that the game responded to the console’s orientation.
• Ethan tilted farther and felt the cartridge’s center of gravity shift, then heard and felt a thud as its weight struck the handheld’s left side.

Ethan played Clefairy's Universal Gravitation, using the console’s tilt controls to solve increasingly varied platforming challenges, and praised GameNova’s craftsmanship. At GameNova headquarters, Lin Lixin discussed Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand with Hideo Kojima before Gerald arrived.

• Ethan began Clefairy's Universal Gravitation and tilted the console to unroll turf into a path and turn a vertical wall into a climbable slope.
• Ethan guided Clefairy through an icy level by tilting the console to build momentum on a U-shaped ramp, then continued through levels with new gravity-based mechanics.
• Ethan finished the game and praised GameNova, while Lin Lixin read a fan letter and planned to have Sam send signed items to the fan.
• Lin Lixin visited Hideo Kojima and discussed choosing a sunny release date for Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand, which used a solar sensor and a real-time clock.
• Kojima described the game’s night-time stealth mode and suggested adding vibration to the cartridge as Gerald arrived in the development department.

Gerald resigned from GameNova after five years, believing the company needed a younger chief architect for the coming era. As he left, Lin Lixin urged him to start making games again, and Gerald agreed to try.

• Gerald handed Lin Lixin his resignation letter and explained that he felt unable to keep pace with GameNova’s needs.
• Gerald thanked Lin Lixin for giving him a place in the games industry again and recommended Mark Cerny as his successor.
• Lin Lixin inscribed the first NovaBox prototype for Gerald, who completed his handover and left GameNova.
• Lin Lixin called after Gerald and invited him to restart VideoSoft or choose a new name and make games for the platform he had developed.
• Gerald agreed to make games again, and the two said goodbye.

Lin Lixin told Mark Cerny that Gerald had resigned to pursue game development and had recommended Cerny as his successor. Cerny became GameNova’s new chief architect and was assigned to build a team and investigate standardizing the Ace Combat arcade board for a new project inspired by Marble Madness.

• Lin Lixin explained that Gerald had left GameNova and had asked him to consider Cerny as his successor.
• Cerny argued that console design needed to balance hardware, software, developers, players, and business, and that his game-development experience gave him a different perspective on architecture.
• Lin Lixin appointed Cerny as the new architect and told him to build a team capable of filling the gap Gerald had left.
• Lin Lixin sent Cerny to work with Gary on standardizing the Ace Combat board for a project requiring 3D performance.
• Lin Lixin said the project’s inspiration came from Cerny’s Marble Madness.

Lin Lixin pitched Ruth Handler an electronic hamster toy to accompany GameNova's upcoming Hamsterball game. He explained how the toy would work and described how Activision had once reworked Hamsterball into a ZhuZhu Pets tie-in.

• Ruth Handler puzzled over Lin Lixin's idea for an electric hamster toy, and he explained it would offer children a pet-like companion without the cleanup.
• Lin Lixin introduced the hamster-themed game Hamsterball and showed Ruth the real hamster he had brought along.
• Lin Lixin described an electronic hamster that could sense touch, move around, and make sounds, with GameNova handling its control systems.
• Lin Lixin recounted how Activision had reskinned Hamsterball as ZhuZhu Pets (Hamsterball) during the toy brand's surge in popularity.

Mark Cerny and Gary revisited the canceled motorized trackball idea from the development of "Marble Madness" and began planning how NovaArcade could finally realize it. Lin Lixin laid out the design for a 3D "Hamsterball" arcade game, while reflecting on Cerny’s willingness to experiment and the advantages of GAMENOVA’s N Language compiler.

• Cerny met Gary and explained that Lin Lixin wanted them to develop an arcade game inspired by "Marble Madness."
• Gary showed Cerny several restored machines, and the two recalled the game’s development and the canceled plan for motor-driven trackballs.
• Cerny explained that he had wanted the trackballs to provide uphill and downhill force feedback, and Gary agreed the idea was worth pursuing.
• Cerny proposed using force-feedback technology from Thrustmaster as a reference, and he realized Lin Lixin wanted him to experiment freely.
• Lin Lixin outlined "Hamsterball" as a genuine 3D game with physics-based multiplayer races and sumo modes.
• Lin Lixin considered how Cerny’s preference for high-level languages and GAMENOVA’s N Language compiler could avoid the performance limits that had constrained "Marble Madness."

Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi considered Sony’s proposal to develop a PlayStation compatible with SFC cartridges and optical-disc games, hoping it would solve Nintendo’s storage problem. He recognized the agreement gave Sony dangerous control and left negotiations unresolved, asking Sony to develop an external optical-disc drive for the SFC first.

• Hiroshi Yamauchi read Ken Kutaragi’s letter of intent to deepen cooperation between Nintendo and Sony.
• Yamauchi weighed Nintendo’s need for optical-disc storage against the threat posed by GAMENOVA’s high-capacity format.
• Ken Kutaragi presented Sony’s plan for a dual-compatible PlayStation and an external CD-ROM drive for the SFC.
• Yamauchi noticed that Sony’s draft gave it control over PlayStation disc-game licensing, a share of third-party sales, and unilateral upgrade rights.
• Yamauchi set aside the compatible console proposal and asked Sony to develop a usable external optical-disc drive for the SFC first.

Yamauchi Katsuhito arrived in the United States to begin work at NOA under Minoru Arakawa, while Lin Lixin and GameNova tested a new arcade game and explored ways to improve its feedback. The chapter left GameNova considering an arcade cabinet that incorporated a capsule toy machine.

• Hiroshi Yamauchi sent his eldest son, Yamauchi Katsuhito, to join NOA and gain business experience.
• Yamauchi Katsuhito met Minoru Arakawa, who assigned an assistant to show him around and keep an eye on him.
• Lin Lixin, Sam, Cerny, and Christopher tested a party-mode demo on a trackball arcade machine, and Lin Lixin won the match.
• Cerny explained how movable friction plates beneath the trackballs simulated different surfaces, and Lin Lixin suggested adding subtle vibration.
• Lin Lixin noted that the arcade game needed stronger rewards for winning and proposed integrating a capsule toy machine into the cabinet.

Henry received eight Hamsterball arcade machines from GameNova’s field operations team and inspected their setup and controls. The chapter ended with Henry considering the trackball craze and Lin Lixin’s influence on the game industry.

• GameNova’s field operations team delivered eight Hamsterball machines to Henry, who signed the delivery forms.
• The team leader told Henry that GameNova had acquired Atari Games and that he was now part of the company family.
• Henry examined the machines, noting that they were positioned near the arcade entrance and designed as a family-friendly multiplayer game featuring Pokémon artwork.
• Henry recognized Pikachu from the cabinet art and admired its potential as a mascot.
• Henry identified the machine’s oversized trackball and reflected on how Marble Madness had sparked a widespread trackball craze.

Henry tested GameNova’s Hamsterball arcade cabinet, discovering how its trackball changed friction and vibration to match the game’s terrain and hazards. After he won and loaded the capsule prizes, he remembered the arcade was supposed to open that day; meanwhile, Lin Lixin spoke with Mark Cerny about the game before Will brought news from Activision.

• Henry found that the trackball’s resistance changed with slopes and became nearly frictionless when Pikachu fell off a cliff.
• Henry played through Hamsterball’s stages, encountering sticky tar, bouncing mechanisms, and traps, and earned the title Hamster Emperor.
• The cabinet reported that it lacked capsules, so Henry loaded ZhuZhu Pets capsules and won a track segment.
• An employee reminded Henry that the arcade had not opened, and Henry hurried to prepare the machines and staff.
• Lin Lixin discussed Hamsterball with Mark Cerny, who credited Gerald’s advice during development.
• Will told Lin Lixin that Activision had obtained something interesting and asked him to look at it.

Will showed Lin Lixin a demo of Populous, a god simulation game made by the British studio Bullfrog, and Lin decided GAMENOVA would publish it. He then asked Will to approach Bullfrog about moving to the United States and becoming a wholly owned GAMENOVA subsidiary.

• Will told Lin Lixin that a British studio had brought a PC game demo to Activision, and he showed him the game on an Amiga.
• Lin Lixin recognized Populous as Bullfrog’s game and understood that the studio had been inspired by Will’s SimCity.
• Lin Lixin played the demo, praised its civilization-building and terrain-shaping gameplay, and decided Bullfrog was worth pursuing.
• Will suggested Activision publish Populous, but Lin Lixin said GAMENOVA would publish it instead.
• Lin Lixin asked Will to contact Bullfrog about moving to the United States and becoming a wholly owned GAMENOVA subsidiary.

After Activision declined to commit to publishing Bullfrog Studio’s game, Lin Lixin offered the studio a place under GameNova. The exhausted Peter Molyneux received the news overnight, leaving Bullfrog’s future tied to GameNova’s plans to expand into PC games.

• Les Edgar told Peter Molyneux that Activision had not given Bullfrog Studio a definite answer, though Will Wright had taken a demo disk to show Lin Lixin.
• Molyneux and the Bullfrog developers took Activision’s response as a rejection, and the developers left him alone in the studio.
• While playing Populous late at night, Molyneux received an excited call from Les Edgar at GameNova headquarters.
• Will Wright told Molyneux that Lin Lixin was interested in Bullfrog Studio and asked whether it would become a wholly owned GameNova subsidiary.
• Lin Lixin considered recruiting Bullfrog as part of GameNova’s effort to expand into PC gaming and weaken EA’s position.

Bullfrog Studio settled in California, and Populous sold around 700,000 copies in its first week. Lin Lixin then told Michael Dell that GameNova should challenge Intel, leaving Dell to consider the idea.

• Bullfrog Studio moved to California, where GameNova provided it with an office and Will to coordinate its work.
• GameNova released SimCity: Gold Edition in a discounted bundle with Populous, which sold about 700,000 copies in its first week.
• Lin Lixin sent Will to celebrate with Bullfrog Studio and asked its team to meet him the next day about a new project.
• Michael Dell visited Lin Lixin, who argued that Intel and Microsoft would dominate the PC market through their partnership.
• Lin Lixin proposed that he and Dell take on Intel, citing weaknesses among potential chip competitors.

Lin Lixin explained to Dell why Athena could not compete with Intel in the PC market and argued that low power consumption could become a key advantage. He showed Dell Toshiba’s T1100, a portable computer with a rechargeable battery, suggesting a future direction for their business.

• Dell agreed to follow Lin Lixin’s plan but asked why they could not use Athena in PCs.
• Lin Lixin explained that Athena’s parallel architecture made it powerful for game consoles but unsuitable for a broad range of PC software.
• Lin Lixin said they should avoid competing with Intel on performance and instead focus on the power efficiency of ARM and Athena.
• Dell dismissed power savings as unimportant to PC buyers, while Lin Lixin asked him to consider future demand and the Asian market.
• Lin Lixin showed Dell Toshiba’s T1100, highlighting its battery life and portable design.

Lin Lixin assigned Vivian to pursue ARM, a new operating system, and nickel-metal hydride battery research as he planned a portable device. After taking Vivian to Cedars-Sinai, he spotted a corridor that inspired him to draw on Bullfrog Studio for a hospital-themed game.

• Dell raised concerns that nickel-cadmium batteries would make a laptop too costly and difficult to produce reliably, and Lin Lixin said he was studying rechargeable battery technology.
• Lin Lixin asked Vivian to acquire ARM, develop a new operating system, and contact Ovonic about nickel-metal hydride batteries.
• Vivian said she had stomach pain and a slight fever, so Lin Lixin insisted on taking her to Cedars-Sinai.
• Lin Lixin left Vivian resting on the VIP floor and walked through the hospital with a guest relations representative.
• Lin Lixin recognized the corridor as inspiration for a hospital-management game and recalled that Bullfrog Studio had recently joined GameNova.

Lin Lixin planned a laptop that could switch between low-power and desktop-class graphics, while assigning teams to develop the hardware. He then gave Blizzard Studio a new project: creating a setting for a dark Gothic RPG.

• Lin Lixin proposed a laptop with a low-power “stamina card” for office work and a high-performance “speed card” for gaming, switched manually through a MUX.
• Ho Kwok Yuen and Jensen Huang began developing new graphics cards, while Lin Lixin chose NeXTSTEP as a transitional operating system and relied on the recently acquired ARM division.
• Lin Lixin drove to Southern California and visited Blizzard Studio, where Mike Morhaime complained that the team had mostly received small games and outsourced work.
• Lin Lixin told Mike Morhaime to stop taking outsourced work and asked him and two colleagues to create a world setting for a dark Gothic RPG.