Chapter 181: Under the Eyes
As Nintendo's first portable game console, he is also the creative inventor of GAME WATCH.
Gunpei Yokoi has high hopes for the performance of GAME WATCH, so he pays attention to the sales of the handheld console every week.
As usual, it’s time to release the weekly sales summary results.
Gunpei Yokoi was also sitting in his office, checking the latest sales data.
80,000 copies, another satisfactory number. Yokoi Gunpei picked up the teacup and took a sip slowly.
Since G&W was launched in early May, by the end of June, in two months, the total sales of have exceeded 500,000 units.
This number not only shocked the group of colleagues with stern faces at the seminar at the beginning of development.
Even Nintendo 's big boss, Yamauchi Bo, found it unexpected.
Because that time, Gunpei Yokoi told him in the car that he wanted to make a game console the size of a calculator that adults could also play.
In fact, Yamauchi Bo didn't take it seriously at all. He just didn't want to dampen the enthusiasm of Yokoi Gunpei.
Thinking of letting him give it a try, I introduced Sharp to him and let the two work together to solve the LCD screen problem.
Unexpectedly, G&W's performance exceeded everyone's expectations.
The movie sold 200,000 copies in the first month. When Yamauchi Boku saw this, he couldn't sit still any longer.
Immediately ordered Gunpei Yokoi to start developing the second game.
One game and one handheld game console, sold at G&W for 5,800 yen.
Nintendo makes more than 1,000 yen in profit for each handheld game console, making a ton of money.
Therefore, every time a game is developed, there is a reason to launch a GAME WATCH.
So why hesitate? The second game will be released soon.
As the coach who led the great victory of GAME WATCH, Gunpei Yokoi's status in Nintendo also rose.
He has some different ideas in his mind about the games that will be installed on subsequent handheld consoles.
Can the company's arcade game machines that sell very well also be ported over?
However, the guys in charge of game design in the arcade department were a bit stubborn, and it was not easy to convince them.
No matter what, with the current performance of GW, it will not be difficult to accomplish this.
Just convince President Yamauchi. After all, as long as it can make a profit, the president will definitely agree.
Thinking of this, Gunpei Yokoi put down the sales report and decided to go out for a walk.
Nintendo's headquarters is located in Higashiyama District, Kyoto City, and is surrounded by entertainment venues such as game halls and karaoke bars.
As a gaming practitioner, Gunpei Yokoi also frequents game halls.
It’s not that he likes playing games, but he just wants to see what games are popular now.
Maybe you can get some inspiration from it and provide some good ideas for future game design .
Moreover, these game halls also have Nintendo arcade machines, some of which were even designed by Gunpei Yokoi.
Being a man of action, he came out of the Nintendo building soon and walked into a convenience store to buy a cup of iced coffee when passing by.
In June and July, Japan was in the heat of summer. Gunpei Yokoi, who had just come out of the building, was already sweating profusely.
After grabbing a cup of iced coffee and walking to the transparent glass bar, Yokoi Gunpei prepared to sit down and rest for a while.
However, his attention was attracted by two chattering children in the bar area.
"Kenta, let me play for a while longer. Please, I'll trade my game console with you, okay?"
Hengta handed his handheld game console to his good friend Kenta and looked at him eagerly.
But unfortunately, Kenta's eyes were still fixed on his hands.
"No, Hengtai. Your game is not fun at all. I get bored after five minutes."
As he spoke, Kenta's fingers kept pressing the attack buttons on the handheld device.
As he moved, a series of "biubiubiu" sounds aroused people's curiosity.
"Haha, my anger is full again. Go to hell, alien!"
Kenta suddenly exerted force with both hands and pressed the direction key and attack key at the same time.
A light wave on the screen slowly spread upward from bottom to top, and wherever it went, the light spots representing enemy planes disappeared one after another.
"Siguoyi!" At this time, Hengtai didn't bother to ask to switch with his friends.
He simply threw his game console to the side of the bar, stretched his neck and squeezed his head against Kenta's, looking at the screen together and shouting excitedly.
However, the two little guys were so excited that they couldn't control themselves, but Gunpei Yokoi, who was sitting next to them, had a very serious expression on his face.
If he saw it correctly, the thing thrown on the bar was his masterpiece, GAME WATCH.
The red border and silver interface were all designed by myself.
But now he was thrown aside like a worthless grass, which had to be said to have deeply stimulated Yokoi Gunpei.
This was the first time he had seen a customer treat a GAME WATCH like this.
And these customers are a group like children, who to some extent have the most direct feedback on fun.
If it’s fun, it’s fun; if it’s not fun, it’s not fun.
You can’t force it, and you can’t fake it.
Gunpei Yokoi turned his attention to the mysterious machine that attracted the attention of the two children.
At first glance, the appearance seems to be somewhat similar to its own GAME WATCH, both of which are palm-sized rectangular handhelds.
In order to see more details, Gunpei Yokoi couldn't help but stretch his head.
"Hey, uncle, what do you want to do?!"
Kenta suddenly noticed a shadow in front of him and looked up. A strange uncle had unknowingly approached him.
Kenta, alert, immediately put away his game console and prepared to retreat at any time.
He remembered what his mother had told him: if he met a strange old man, it was best to stay away from him immediately.
"Uh." Gunpei Yokoi, who was regarded as a suspicious suspect, retracted his head in embarrassment.
"Don't get me wrong, kid, I was attracted to it."
As he spoke, Gunpei Yokoi pointed at the game console in Kenta's hand, which he had covered tightly.
"Huh?" Kenta and Hengta looked at each other in surprise.
This weird old man also likes playing games? Didn’t his mother buy them for him?
"You also like "Raiden"? " Kenta looked at the suspicious uncle in front of him suspiciously.
Yokoi Gunpei was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded. "Hai, I like thunder and lightning, too."
"Is that so?" Kenta nodded like a little adult, then turned around and pointed to the shelf not far behind him.
"Well, there is some. But I can't help you with this, uncle. If you don't have money, you can only go home and ask your mother for it."
Gunpei Yokoi subconsciously looked at Kenta and pointed at the shelf, where there seemed to be a similar handheld game console.
He turned around and was about to say thank you, but the two little guys were nowhere to be seen.
When he glanced again, he saw them making all kinds of faces at him outside the window.
Gunpei Yokoi smiled silently, how naughty.
But business was more important, so after a slight sigh, he stood up with a serious expression and went straight to the shelf.
Before he even reached the shelf, a specially customized promotional billboard caught his attention.
"Two real games! Not just two different ways of playing!"
Gunpei Yokoi's face turned red, but he immediately reacted.
Why am I blushing? What does it have to do with me?
But when he saw the game console next to the billboard, he became furious again and his face turned red.
Why?
Because right next to that strange handheld game console was its own GAME WATCH.
And what a coincidence, there is a tilted thumbs-up next to the second half of the sentence on the billboard that impersonates the two games.
Where the thumb points is the location of your own GAME WATCH.
This thumb is upside down, which is quite ironic. Look at where it is pointing.
Gunpei Yokoi, who was already feeling guilty, was of course furious.
However, as the head of R&D department, he had his own bearing. Suppressing his anger, Yokoi Gunpei came to the mysterious colleague.
At first glance, his face turned serious.
With such workmanship and appearance, it is a strong rival of GAME WATCH.
As a colleague, or even a pioneer, he was naturally very familiar with handheld game consoles. He had already made some judgments after just a glance.
Yokoi Gunpei took the handheld game console from the shelf and examined it carefully. He had to admit that it felt really good. It was heavy and had a sense of reliability.
Looking closely at the front, the larger print screen made his expression even more serious.
There were also cool-looking fighter planes printed on the sides, which opened Gunpei Yokoi's eyes.
It turns out that handheld game consoles can be designed like this. It seems like this good idea can be borrowed and used.
What really caught his eye was the cross key on the left. Gunpei Yokoi couldn't wait to try it out through the packaging.
The feel is much more flexible and comfortable than my own.
I feel inferior to you, he reminded himself quietly in his heart.
The appearance and hardware are so excellent that Gunpei Yokoi is looking forward to the games on this handheld game console even more.
But why does the logo on the screen look familiar, GAME BOY?
What the hell...can't you change your name?
Gunpei Yokoi felt offended.
And this KITA, he always felt like he had seen him somewhere.
However, he couldn't remember it for the time being, so he just let it go and walked to the front desk with the handheld game console.
He originally wanted to try it on the spot, but the presence of the outer packaging hindered his further experience.
"Sir, Chenghui is 5,200 yen."
Even the price is cheaper than his own, Yokoi Gunpei muttered again.
After paying, Gunpei Yokoi was about to leave when he remembered the billboard on the shelf, so he started arguing with the clerk.
"Why put Nintendo's game console and this one together?" Gunpei Yokoi pointed to the game console in his hand.
The clerk looked at him strangely, "Sir, because they are all game consoles."
Gunpei Yokoi swallowed his words and said, okay.
"So why do they put their billboards like that? It will give customers a misunderstanding about Nintendo's game consoles."
The clerk’s expression became even more strange, “Sir, you have no right to interfere with the placement of our store’s billboards.
And GAME BOY is indeed two games.”
This... my friend, the last sentence is really heartbreaking.
Gunpei Yokoi was a little angry, but he couldn't vent his anger, so he left the convenience store angrily with GAME BOY.
He no longer wanted to go to the game arcade that he had planned to visit, and went straight back to the Nintendo headquarters building.
As for the clerk, he watched Yokoi Gunpei's departing back and began to murmur quietly.
Why put it like this?
Of course it’s the money. The kickbacks given are high, and the store manager specifically instructed that.
