Game Development Giant

Despite seeing the popularity of the game, on the first night, the Jester family of three were still shocked when they calculated the bill for the "American Cube" game coins sold that day.

Jester's mother even had a look of disbelief on her face and repeated the calculations twice before she believed the facts.

The story of Nolan Bushnell's first pong being played in a liquor billiard room where a crazy player stuffed the coin box with 1,200 twenty-five-cent coins in one day has become a good story. This time, the players were even crazier. Two units of "American Cube" sold a total of three thousand US dollars in game currency in one day, with an average of US$1,500 per unit!

It's simply huge profits. \u003cbes sells for $200, so the price of an arcade machine is about $1,400.

In one day, "American Cube" earned the price of an arcade machine. If the sellers of entertainment equipment and those who run arcades knew about it, they would probably have a heart attack.

In fact, there is no need for Jester to do publicity at all. The fact that his mother's supermarket is so popular today will definitely not be hidden from those who are interested. They only need a little calculation to calculate how much money an "American Cube" can make in a day.

Businessmen are businessmen, and they live to pursue profits. As long as this popularity can continue, then he will not worry that his arcade will not be sold.

So, the next few days are the most important.

The next day, Jester and his father moved the remaining three of the first batch of five units to his mother's supermarket.

His mother even had several old Atari machines moved to the warehouse to make room for the "American Cube" arcade machines. Anyway, there weren't many old Atari arcade machines anywhere. Individuals will play.

Unexpectedly, when Jester and his father went to the supermarket to install the new machine at six o'clock in the morning, they found that dozens of players who had played "American Cube" had gathered in front of his supermarket. , they even cheered loudly when they saw the three beautiful machines on the back of the truck driven by Jester's father that were completely different from the Atari arcade machines.

They all queued up in advance just to play "American Cube" as soon as the supermarket opened.

The business of "American Cube" was still booming the next day. Even though the number of units increased to five, there was still a long queue. Everyone who had played this game was full of praise. Even many people who had played "American Cube" yesterday were full of praise. The people from "American Cube" not only came again today, but also called their friends over.

In June of 1984, at least in Costa Mesa, a small town in Orange County, American Cube was a phenomenon.

There is almost no one in this city who does not know that in a supermarket on their Yell Street, there is a game console called "American Cube".

On the third and fourth days, this kind of enthusiasm is still continuing, and there is almost no sign of weakening. This makes the sellers of entertainment equipment and the owners of amusement arcades unable to sit still. They started from "American Cube" Amazing business opportunities are smelled inside.

It’s the same business opportunity as pong back then.

A parlor that Jester specially converted from a storage room on the top floor of his mother's supermarket.

"What? Five thousand dollars per unit? And you want to pay the full price up front? This is blackmail! Atari's "Space Invaders" was not sold for such a high price back then!"

The person who was roaring in front of Jester was a middle-aged white man named Carey Thomas, a representative of a large entertainment equipment seller from Los Angeles. His face turned red with anger. An arcade machine cost 5,000. The price in US dollars was absolutely impossible for him to accept, which was more than three times the average price of a general arcade machine.

Next to the middle-aged white man named Kaili, there were three other people. The expressions on their faces were exactly the same as Kaili's. Of course, their identities were the same as Kaili's. They were all representatives of some entertainment equipment sellers. They just represented different businesses.

"Calm down."

Jester was not angry when he saw the other party. He knew a word called rare things.

Picking up the steaming coffee on the table, Jester took a sip and savored the bitter and sweet taste of the coffee. He just opened his mouth to face the four sellers in front of him who came from different places and had different scores. He said unhurriedly: "You are all professionals. You don't need me to tell you how much money an arcade machine equipped with the "American Cube" I designed in my supermarket can make in a day. What do you think of five thousand dollars?" Is it expensive? I don’t think so. For a machine that can earn back all its investment in just over a week, this is a hen that can lay golden eggs. You can take a look at the current "American Cube" "How popular it is! This is only in such a small city. Think about it if this scene was in Los Angeles? Is it in the entire California? Is it in the entire West Coast? Is it in the entire United States?"

"Having said that, this is just the beginning. People are just trying to create new ideas. No one knows what will happen in the future. No one knows how long it will be popular. And you also know that the current game market is not very prosperous. And , now only your five machines will have this abnormally hot scene. This kind of hotness is very deceptive... If there were fifty machines, it might not be like this... And Five thousand US dollars per unit, not including freight, is too expensive, and besides, we are not ordering in small quantities..."

A seller's representative had a sullen face and refuted Jester's remarks about how popular this game was. However, before he could finish his words, Jester hit him without mercy. break.

"First of all, let me make it clear that we do not ship in small batches. If the quantity you request is less than 1,000 units each time, we will not ship the goods. Moreover, the full payment must be made in advance. We do not charge a deposit. , as long as full payment is required.”

Jester's tone was very calm, but to the ears of these seller representatives, it sounded like a steel knife scraping their bones. These conditions were really too harsh.

The Schweizer Company represented by the white man Kyrie Thomas is the largest entertainment equipment dealer in Southern California. This is a company that developed by riding on Atari's success. The other three seem to be following his lead. He was also furious after hearing what Jester said.

You, a little kid with no hair, who just made a passable game, how dare you talk to me like that?

Do you know about Schwer's position in California's entertainment equipment sales industry?

Pay the full amount first? Are you kidding me?

Do you really think that the game you are making is "pong", "Space Cruiser", or "Donkey Kong"?

It’s so whimsical. Today I’m going to let you know that there are some things you can’t just say out loud!

"Snapped!"

Kelly Thomas slapped the table in front of Jester hard. His face seemed to be covered with frost, and there was no trace of a smile. He was so gloomy that water dripped from his face.

"Each machine costs US$1,500, and we only pay a 20% deposit. The balance will be paid after the machines are sold. If the sales are not good, we have the right to choose to return them. Finally, you are responsible for the shipping costs. This is Our Shiweier Company’s final quotation cannot be modified at all. You must either agree or reject—Mr. Li, make your choice.”

"This is blackmail."

Jester's eyes also turned cold. Before negotiating with these people, he asked his father. According to the rules of the industry, at least 30% of the deposit must be paid, and some may even go as high as 50%. There are also those who directly pay the full price in advance, but those are all popular games in the United States, such as "Pong", "Space Cruiser", "Donkey Kong" and so on.

And only giving a 20% deposit is basically an insult.

"American Cube will not accept this kind of insult." Jester stood up with a ferocious expression on his face. He leaned his upper body forward and clenched his hands tightly. The veins on his exposed forearms were throbbing. He stood up, his body almost pressed against Kyrie Thomas' body, and the hot breath from his nose almost hit his face.

Although he copied the creativity of the Russians, the cube of this world was the first game he designed personally. This game made Jester feel like he was his own heir, connected by blood.

He would never accept his own heir being treated with such contempt and humiliation.

Jester's body is very strong, not like an ordinary yellow man, and Kyrie Thomas was also jumped by Jester's expression and aura, and involuntarily took a few steps back to stabilize his body. , then suppressed the panic in his heart, an ugly sneer appeared on his somewhat angry face, and said dismissively: "If you think this is blackmail, then forget it, and as the plenipotentiary representative of Schwere, I can tell you clearly, Mr. Li, if you reject our offer, the doors of the four largest entertainment equipment sellers in Southern California, including Schwere Corporation, which control 60% of the sales channels in Southern California, will forever be closed to you. , you, from now on, don’t try to sell even a single screw from our channels.”

At the end of the day, Kyrie Thomas looked at Jester, who was already angry and trembling. He thought that he had taken control of the overall situation. The other party could only choose to agree to his offer in a helpless way, and he once again set a goal for the company. A great achievement, he couldn't help but feel proud, and he said to Jester in a tone that could even be used as charity: "If possible, we will sign."

"hey-hey!"

Jester just sneered, and looked at Kyrie Thomas with some pity in his eyes, "Do you know what you just rejected?"

Kelly Thomas, who was a little confused by Jester's unclear words, frowned.

Jester did not continue speaking. He swept his cold eyes over the faces of the four representatives from different sales companies one by one. He saw only one kind of emotion on the faces of these people. He has the look of someone who has grasped the overall situation and is sure of victory.

Then he laughed, a sneer laced with disdain.

"Now, as the plenipotentiary representative of "American Cube", I am clearly telling you that unless your company fires all four of you and agrees to all my previous demands, I will continue to negotiate with you."

After saying that, Jester strode out of the room without looking back.

Only four representatives from the sales company were left stunned, looking at each other.

Then, there was their yelling, mixed with slang.

But after Jester walked out of the room for more than ten steps, he finally realized that he was clearly in his own room just now, why did he leave? They should obviously be driven away!

Thinking of this, Jester was too embarrassed to go back now, so he could only laugh at himself.