Reborn America, this is my time

Chapter 178 Remove Obstacles, Fortune Five Hundred

Although Ethan had provided Evelyn with the design drawings of the game controller before, no matter if it was XBox or PS, as long as he could think of it, he would draw it.

Of course, Nintendo's weird three-legged controller is not on this list.

But even so, the handle Evelyn handed him still has a heavy sense of age.The base of the wooden box has an arcade plastic rocker on it, and a red button on the side.

He took it in his hand and tried it briefly. As a hardcore player, Ethan quickly found the trick. He held the base in the palm of his left hand, and the button side was facing the four fingers. It is like holding the manual transmission of the car, and can freely switch up, down, left, and right.If you have to use a metaphor, the whole process is equivalent to using the inkstone with your left hand and the ink stick with your right hand, and grinding ink with one hand.

This action looks a bit strange, but it is really comfortable to use, and every time Ethan fiddles, the bright bottom under the game name will change and flash. After testing the sensitivity a few times, Ethan selected "Snake Game" 》, pushed the side button.

With a click, the main menu on the TV screen disappeared like mercury pouring down the ground, and the familiar fence appeared, and the small snake outlined with white pixels also fell in the center.

Pull the joystick, control the little snake to move forward continuously, bump into the white dot, and the eating action makes the little snake's body grow continuously. In less than half a minute, the original five-square pixel bar has grown to ten. Size, the number '5' is also hung in the score column in the upper right corner of the screen, but even so, the speed of the little snake has not increased much, and it is still at the level where a second of stupor can be remedied.

"You remade the game "Snake"?" Ethan was a little surprised. If he remembered correctly, the game "Snake" featured a quick ending when it was first sold.

It is precisely because "Snake" has an unparalleled ability to grab money that it was able to sell a lot of machines on the day it was launched, but now, the game speed of the console version is significantly different from that of the arcade version.

If the arcade test is the player's reaction, then the console test is patience.

"This is not what I modified..."

"I don't have time to modify the game..."

Evelyn, who was leaning against the desk, supported the edge of the desk with her hands behind her hands, and said with a smile, "This is the computer version of "Snake" written by Stephen, which is the "Snake" written by Stephen in the programming codebooks that are now going viral on the market. Snake, the game speed is adjusted by him."

"He thinks that home and street are two different game environments. The former allows players to calm down and enjoy a delicious meal, while the latter provides fast food like McDonald's. Therefore, as a player-born designer, he feels that he has It is necessary to adjust the gameplay according to the mood the player has."

"Since it is played alone at home, the player's game goal should be to set records."

"So he lowered the acceleration range and frequency of the little snake, so that more ordinary players can enjoy the real fun of the game, while masters can still challenge themselves after a certain period of time."

Good guy!
Ethan really didn't know this!

Although he did experience the APPLE 2 version of "Snake" at Xiaoqiao's classmate before, he was not addicted to it. He only confirmed that the project was feasible after entering the code and finding that the game could run.

At that time, all he could think about was to use games to promote Apple 2. Even if Apple 2 sold well, he only thought that Jobs' sales strategy was successful, but now...

That guy from Woz directly modified the game in order to allow players to play a better game?
No wonder this little fat man was able to reap success!

This Nima also pays too much attention to user experience!
"It's a good change."

The comfortable game speed reminded Ethan of the days in his previous life when he was hiding under the covers and holding his Nokia mobile phone and playing "Snake". The feeling of trying to make the snake's body fill the screen returned.

"Let's do that with our console version of Snake," he decided.

"Hmm~" Evelyn said with a smile, "I think it's pretty good too."

"So after moving it into the machine, I didn't make any modifications."

"And the copyright of this game is in our hands. When the two Steves were making the computer version of "Snake", they deliberately hung our company's logo and the words "Snake Game" on the programming card. , it almost didn't write 'this game is an infringing product' on the face."

"Goose goose..." Ethan laughed out loud.

He can understand what Xiao Qiao and Woz mean, they are helping him maintain the copyright.

Although it seems a bit strange that pirated version helps genuine version to maintain copyright, it doesn't matter, right?For the current Destiny game, making "Snake" more famous is the real thing to do, because only after an IP becomes famous can it be possible to develop peripherals.

Therefore, when constructing the first lineup of console games, the game "Snake" is Ethan's first choice. In the future, if other products are made, this little snake will also appear like a nail household. In those products, nothing else, purely to make friends.

And the rejuvenated gameplay of "Snake" also fascinated Ethan a little. Standing in front of the TV, he talked to his sister while staring at the screen seriously. After the little snake bumped into himself and died, the spontaneous regret made him stamp his feet.

"Fuck you!"

Sit down on the tea table and start a new round.

The focus on the little snake made Evelyn, who was leaning against the desk, smile brightly.

After playing several rounds in a row, Ethan finally found the new rhythm set by that little fat man Woz. When he followed that momentum and covered the whole TV screen with the little snake's body for the first time, the layered snow-white The picture made him jump up happily.

"Yes!"

"This version is very friendly for ordinary people!"

"Stephen is simply a genius!"

"Oh no--"

"He's a genius!"

After getting through "Snake", Ethan returned to the main menu interface and opened "Pac-Man". Since this game was made by programming from the beginning, the experience on the console is different from that on the arcade. Games are no different, or rather...

"Are you soldering the board of the arcade machine directly into the console?" Ethan asked.

"Of course." Evelyn nodded and said, "The core purpose of my use of these games is to demonstrate the machine to you, so direct welding is the best way."

"So I brought a box here today. Didn't you see that there are three circuit boards inside? One is the core motherboard of the mainframe, and the other two are the arcade game boards of "Pac-Man" and "Star Wars". I cut out the 6502 used for computing, and then connected it in series to the host motherboard."

"This is just the simplest way to test, to test whether there is a problem with the design of my host motherboard. In the final drawing, I will definitely use the ROM cassette form to allow players to change the game."

"At the moment, I think this machine is okay, how about you?"

Ethan nodded seriously at his sister's words.

He didn't answer, but continued playing the game.

When the Pac-Man he manipulated lost three lives in the No.30 level, he exited the game and entered the world of Star Wars again. He got more than 7000 points in the game, and only then did he reap the regret of Game Over.

"Can users get such an effect?" Ethan put down the handle and turned to look at his sister.

"Okay." Evelyn nodded.

"Then is there any other problem with this machine?" Ethan continued to ask.

"Uh... yes, but not much..."

Evelyn organized her language and expressed the difficulties she was facing.

First of all, the first question is the memory of the host. In Evelyn's design, she chose a 2K memory stick produced by Texas Instruments. This capacity can run most of the video games on the market, but... …not including Pac-Man and Star Wars.

If you want to run "Pac-Man" and "Star Wars" in full, you need 8K memory.

When these games are released in the form of arcade machines, the problem of memory is easy to solve, and the extra cost can be easily passed on to those merchants who want to use arcade machines to make money. Next, I am happy to pay for this part of the cost.

But for ordinary users, the situation is different. The cost of 8K memory is $2 higher than that of 280K. This premium is not acceptable to ordinary players, at least not now.

"How does Apple do it? I remember they also have a distinction between 4K and 8K?" Ethan asked.

"Increase the price," Evelyn said. "That's their solution, and that's the way every computer seller out there is doing things, because no one can solve the problem of memory chips being too expensive."

"Then what do you mean?"

"We can't increase the price of home game consoles, and we can't afford such a loss, so we can only choose 2K memory and give up "Pac-Man" and "Star Wars."

Evelyn said: "Of course, we can also use the way of compressing the performance of the game to force these two games onto the home console, but I don't recommend you to do that, because... that would be too shameless."

Ethan frowned slightly at his sister's words.

It was his true idea to eat more than one fish.

But after thinking about it for a while, he decided to take his sister's advice.

Because the way of compressing the performance of the game is used to log the game on a low-profile platform, it was called shrinking in his previous life, which is to give up the user experience for money.

Although in this case, there are still many games that are praised by players, the most famous of which is "Zelda" on NS, Princess Link on the emulator and Princess Link on the switch. It's just two people, but in this era, it's not the time for them to play shrink.

The current Destiny game is already a benchmark in the industry, and it belongs to the kind of market tycoon whose players pay for every game they release. This kind of trust is their real foundation. There is no need to give up your reputation for a small profit. Corruption, of course, is also related to the company's lack of external shareholders.

When all the money earned from the game of fate flowed into the pockets of Ethan and Evelyn...

It is an unchanging fact that high-quality services are exchanged for greater profits.

Since the chicken that lays the golden eggs is held in their hands, why should they kill the chicken to get the eggs?

It doesn't make sense!

and so……

Save Pac-Man and Star Wars for machines that log into the future.

"That is to say, the only game that our console can run is "Snake"?"

"Yes!" Evelyn nodded readily, "So you need to keep working hard!"

"..." Ethan choked for breath.He rolled his eyes after thinking about it, "Okay, Okay, Okay, I think I understand what you mean..."

Ethan is not a fool, of course he knows that Evelyn came here this time to ask him for a game.

After all, when planning the console project before, they reached an agreement to equip the first machine with an escort masterpiece and several auxiliary games.

With the escort masterpiece, the movie is ready to be shot, and the auxiliary game...

The new version of "Snake" can be counted as one, and the rest...

"Let me think about it, see what game is suitable, and give me some time." Ethan pursed his lips.

At the same time, he asked again: "Oh, by the way, have you started to make the scrolling shooting game I gave you last time? Is it difficult? When will it be completed?"

The game "Contra" is the focus of the research and development of Destiny Games in the next one to two years. After all, whether the console sells well depends on the hit game belt.When Ethan has already spent money to start making movies, the game "Contra" can only succeed but not fail.

And his question made Evelyn shrug her shoulders, "This is the second question."

"About the selection of image chips."

"Remember what I told you before, I want to see if Motorola's image chip is the most suitable for 6502's image chip? I already have an idea."

"And this matter is actually a bit complicated..."

Regarding the selection of image chips, it actually involves the video signal transmission method in the TV industry. The most common video signal in America is composite video signal, which is a combination of luminance signal, chrominance signal and synchronous signal in the video signal. For signals that are combined in the same signal, the most commonly used connector is the RCA connector, which is the red, white and blue lotus head.

Although it is very popular, its disadvantages are also obvious, that is, the crosstalk between brightness and chrominance during transmission, resulting in relatively poor display quality.

Therefore, how to make the transmission stable is the problem that each image chip has to solve, and those TV manufacturers have an absolute advantage in this regard, because they already have technical storage, which is also the speed of Miro Huaneng. The reason for making a new version of the home game console Apollo, as a well-known brand in the TV industry, they have such an advantage.

In this regard, Destiny Games doesn't have any reserves, so it can only use other companies' products. There are only a few companies that perform better, and Motorola...

"You mean their chips work well?" Ethan asked.

"Yes." Evelyn nodded.

"Is there a substitute?"

"Have."

"Is there a big gap?"

"After my test, the gap is not that big."

"Then use a replacement, because 6502. You can figure out the specifics, and I trust you."

"Okay." Evelyn laughed.

In fact, the fundamental function of the image processor is to accurately call the color. For example, the palette of the Apple 2 uses black, white, dark blue, blue, light blue, magenta, red, pink, The sixteen colors of dark green, green, light green, orange, yellow, dark gray, and light gray paint a colorful world. The biggest difference between each chip is that the colors used may be different, but this...

After Evelyn's test, she felt that the problem was not serious.

As long as you grasp the three primary colors of red, green and blue, the things you make will basically not be ugly.

And the reason why she wants to make "Contra" after the image processor is confirmed is because the production of "Contra" involves a lot of use of color. The timing will definitely be revised.

Not only troublesome, but also time-consuming.

With the resolution of the memory and image chip issues, there will be no obstacles in the development of home consoles. This fact makes Ethan very happy.

Thinking that it won't be long before all the families in America will have their own hosts...

His mouth can no longer be closed!

"Special code!"

"I'm about to achieve a feat that even Bill Gates couldn't accomplish in the 80s!"

"Ha ha ha ha--"

"I want to be invincible -"

In a good mood, he kept wandering around the company. After he came to the R&D department, Damio Dean also showed Ethan the game he was making. Several projects proposed by them were already in the testing stage of the later stage of production. , and "Snake 2" and "Ms. Pac-Man" arranged by Ethan...

""Snake 2" is ready, and "Ms. Pac-Man" may take a while."

Damio Dean reports.

"Well, then, don't worry. It's February now. We will hold an internal exhibition at the end of March. Then you will show me the games one by one."

"I want quality, not speed."

"I believe that everyone's pursuit is the same as mine."

"After all, everyone wants their children to be beautiful, don't they?"

Ethan's words made everyone in the office nod repeatedly.

After walking around and saying a few words of encouragement, he put his hands on his back, and left the R&D department like a king inspecting his own territory.And just when he was thinking about where he would go to see the next stop...

A shout came into his ears.

"Boss! Boss!"

"Good news! Good news!"

"You're on the cover of Fortune! You're on the cover of Fortune!"

Steve Ballmer, the bald head, rushed up from downstairs holding a magazine high.

Taking a closer look, on the magazine with the brown border, a young guy is standing there with his hands folded. On his left shoulder is an anthropomorphic soybean with hands and feet, and on his right shoulder are four ghosts with different expressions. , and when they entered the water and looked at each other, a small green snake emerged from behind the young man, lazily resting its head on top of the young man's head.

There is an apple in his mouth.

Not only that, but on the star-studded background, there was also the faint movement of shelling.

Such a cover made Ethan frowned.

Scan carefully after getting it...

"Fuck you!"

"How can these people draw me so ugly?"

"It doesn't show any handsome charm at all!"

"..." This complaint made Steve Ballmer a little speechless.

But in the next second, he found that Ethan had opened the magazine.

Immediately afterwards, the corners of Ethan's mouth curled up slightly involuntarily.

Because the first line on the homepage catalog reads——

[Fate game, Fortune [-] new players]

　Note: ①The game controllers of that era were a bit weird, no different from a car gear lever. In reality, Alien, Batman, and the Governor's T-800 were all made into controllers. ②The image chip was made in 1975. The home consoles of that era did have this thing. In reality, Atari developed it by itself. The engineer...is a chip architect who left MOS. His name is It's Jay Miller, who also developed the 6502. ③ The Fortune 50 ranking list existed in the [-]s.And their cover can be made without seeking the opinions of the parties involved. Of course, the premise is that no real photos are used.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)