NABC Chapter 75 Game Consoles
Chapter 75 Game Consoles
Over the next few days, Lin Zhou handled the company's daily affairs while pondering the direction of new product development. He had the R&D department submit multiple market analysis reports, presenting the market situation, technological bottlenecks, and consumer demands for various household appliances, from radios and televisions to washing machines and refrigerators.
However, Lin Zhou was not entirely satisfied with what he saw. The radio and television market was already monopolized by a few established companies; the technology was mature, and the market was highly saturated, making it extremely difficult to gain a share.
Although there was strong market demand for washing machines and refrigerators, their production technology was complex, requiring high standards for materials and processes, and they consumed a lot of electricity. In Hong Kong in the 60s, the power supply was not stable, making promotion difficult. Other small household appliances either had too low a technological content to be groundbreaking innovations.
That evening, Lin Zhou dragged his weary body back to his home halfway up the mountain. It was a two-story villa he had bought after the industrial park was completed; the environment was quiet and the view was expansive. The servants had already prepared dinner, but Lin Zhou had little appetite. He ate a few bites hastily and then went back to his bedroom alone.
He lay in bed, his mind still racing with thoughts about the direction of new product development. Unable to fall asleep, Lin Zhou got up and, with a thought, entered his personal space.
The three-bedroom, two-living-room house in his portable space still maintained a modern urban decor style, clean, tidy, and fully equipped. The sofa and coffee table in the living room, the bed and wardrobe in the bedroom, and the refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher in the kitchen were all things he had used before his transmigration, and now they looked both familiar and strange.
Lin Zhou walked around the house, his gaze sweeping over the modern home appliances. A refrigerator? The technology was too complex, the material costs too high, and refrigeration technology in the 60s wasn't mature enough, making mass production extremely difficult. A microwave oven? It required a special magnetron, which Hong Kong's current industrial level simply couldn't produce. Relying on imports would make the cost too high, preventing the price from coming down, making it unaffordable for ordinary consumers. A dishwasher? Market demand was limited, and it also suffered from high power consumption and complex technology.
He shook his head. Although these modern household appliances were convenient, they were clearly not suitable for the current era. Either the technology was not up to standard, or the materials were too expensive to be mass-produced. It would be almost impossible to promote them in Hong Kong in the late 60s.
Should they develop an improved air fryer? Or upgrade the existing product? Lin Zhou hesitated. While this approach carried less risk, its competitiveness was limited, and it could very well repeat past mistakes, allowing multinational giants to easily imitate and surpass them.
He went to the study, sat down at the desk, and his gaze fell on an old cell phone on the table. This was the one he carried with him when he worked before he time-traveled. Although he had replaced it after the house was renovated, he could still view some of the video scripts, pictures, and documents stored on it.
Perhaps the answer lies within this phone.
Lin Zhou picked up his phone and pressed the power button. The screen lit up, and a familiar interface appeared before him. He opened the video folder, which contained various types of videos, including clips and explanations from movies and TV series, as well as some science videos and product review videos.
He browsed aimlessly, hoping to find some inspiration. Suddenly, a video about retro electronic products caught his attention. The video introduced several classic handheld game consoles, from the earliest Tetris console to the later Game Boy, each carrying the memories of a generation.
Lin Zhou's eyes suddenly lit up as he watched the simple yet fun game scenes in the video.
Handheld game console!
The idea flashed through his mind like lightning, instantly enlightening him.
By the late 60s, electronic technology had made some progress globally, with transistors and integrated circuits becoming increasingly common. While not yet comparable to modern technology, producing a simple, basic handheld game console was technically feasible. Moreover, at that time, there were no similar products in Hong Kong or even the global market, making it a blue ocean market.
More importantly, handheld game consoles primarily target teenagers and children, resulting in strong market demand. Their small size, portability, and affordable price point make them a potential driver of a new consumer boom. Once launched, they are likely to spark a new wave of consumer enthusiasm.
Lin Zhou continued watching the video, which mentioned that Nintendo of Japan launched its first handheld game console, the Game & Watch, in 1979, achieving tremendous success and subsequently monopolizing the global handheld game console market for decades. Now it's 1968, eleven years before Nintendo launched its first handheld game console.
Eleven years! Enough time for him to seize the initiative, snatch Nintendo's project, and create a handheld game console brand belonging to Zhonghua Group.
Thinking about this, Lin Zhou was filled with excitement. He carefully studied the structure and working principle of the handheld game console introduced in the video. The early handheld game consoles were not complicated in structure, mainly composed of a display screen, buttons, circuit board, and battery. The display screen could be a simple LED dot matrix screen, which, although the resolution was not high, was sufficient to display simple game graphics; the chips on the circuit board could use existing transistors and integrated circuits, and simple game logic could be implemented through programming; the battery could be an ordinary dry cell battery, which was easy to replace.
It was technically feasible, had a promising market prospect, and had no direct competitors. This was exactly the new product he had been looking for!
Lin Zhou became increasingly excited as he thought about it. He turned off the video and began to sketch out the specific design of this handheld game console in his mind. First, the appearance should be small and exquisite, easy to carry, and could be designed in the shape of a handheld game console. The shell should be made of ABS plastic, which is both lightweight and durable. The colors could be bright red, yellow, etc., to attract the attention of teenagers and children.
Secondly, the functionality should be simple and practical. The first product doesn't need too many complex games. You can start with a classic game, such as a Tetris-like puzzle game or a simple shooting game. The game rules should be simple and easy to understand, easy to learn, and at the same time, fun and challenging enough to keep users engaged.
Furthermore, strong battery life is essential. Powered by two dry cell batteries, the battery life should be at least 10 hours to meet the needs of users traveling. Simultaneously, the circuit design should be optimized to reduce power consumption and extend battery life.
Finally, the price should be affordable. Considering the consumption level at the time, the price could be set between HK$50 and HK$100, which would ensure a certain profit margin while making it affordable for children from ordinary families.
Lin Zhou paced back and forth in his study, the design plan in his mind becoming clearer and clearer. He had even begun to conceive of the product's name: "Zhonghua Game Handheld Console"? "Xingyao Handheld Game Console"? Or, to put it more simply and directly, "Fun Handheld Console"?
He exited the spatial dimension and returned to the villa, taking out paper and pen to jot down his design ideas, technical details, and market positioning. The pen tip slid rapidly across the paper, making a soft, scratching sound, as if composing a prelude to the future.
Before they knew it, dawn had broken. Lin Zhou looked out the window at the first light of day, his heart filled with anticipation. The development of this handheld game console would be a significant turning point in the history of Zhonghua Group. It would not only solve the problem of currently idle production lines, but also allow Zhonghua Group to secure a place in the global consumer electronics market, laying a solid foundation for future development.
Lin Zhou put away his paper and pen, walked to the window, and opened it. Fresh air rushed in, carrying a faint floral fragrance.
Next, he needs to gather the core members of the R&D department, explain his design in detail, form a dedicated R&D team, overcome technical difficulties, and launch this handheld game console to the market as soon as possible.