Chapter 78: The third parties
"Acquaintance?"
"Oh, it's friends who used to work together and are now working at Surai Electronics."
"Oh? Have we found a spy?"
Koichi Natsume seemed to see Takayuki's expression and smiled, saying, "Actually, President, if you have patience, you can find relevant information as well. Surai Electronics' confidentiality work has never been particularly good, and they seem not to care about these things."
"Then tell me more." Takayuki became interested.
"During this period, they seem to be contacting some reputable software companies. Perhaps they want to learn from us and have more games added to their game consoles, not just relying on in-house staff to produce games."
"Okay, and then?"
"Now it seems they've made some progress and are actively promoting it. We may have accurate news in a couple of days."
Are they planning to form strong alliances?
People in this world are indeed quite smart; if one person can't handle it, they plan to unite.
This aligns perfectly with his future plans, and the other party has a significant advantage: their company is large-scale. Perhaps they won't be able to influence users' choices in the short term, but they can influence other companies or game production groups.
By offering incentives first, those companies are more likely to prioritize their platform for game development. With more games on one platform and improved quality, players will naturally start choosing them.
"President, you seem completely unconcerned. This time it seems more challenging than before. We'll need to consistently produce high-quality games to stay competitive."
"There's nothing to worry about. The appearance of more and more good games in this world is a good thing."
Takayuki would also be happy to play more good games in this world because that's what he planned for a long time ago. He always said that competitors could also be friends.
But... they still need to be taught a lesson; his determination to become the gaming father of this world has never weakened.
If he's suppressed now, he won't become that father figure.
"So, President, do you have a plan?"
"Of course, you don't need to worry about that. You just focus on your work, and I'll come to you when needed."
Koichi Natsume nodded and left.
Takayuki began to examine the current sales of game consoles and games.
Two months after the release of the chess game, the game development teams released two more games.
They were "Takahashi Celebrity Adventure Island" and "Gold Diggers."
Both classic games performed well in their respective categories, especially "Gold Diggers," which added puzzle-solving elements, making it very playable. Sales in the first week exceeded fifty thousand.
Previously, sales of twenty to thirty thousand in the first week were considered high.
But with the increase in NES sales, fifty thousand in the first week seemed to be becoming more normal.
The NES has now reached eight hundred thousand in sales, getting closer to one million. According to estimates, it could reach one million in as little as a month or as long as two months.
It hasn't been a full year yet, and the results are very pleasing.
As for the rival PN game console, it hasn't even reached one hundred thousand in sales yet.
Furthermore, in addition to these data, a new statistic has emerged.
Number of third-party games on the NES: 17.
Two of them are relatively well-known companies, Kyuhonki Entertainment and Watanabe Entertainment.
Both companies used to produce electronic entertainment products, so the transition was relatively easy. They quickly learned to produce games after the training. Both companies produced a game within a month after learning, and the first-week sales were around thirty thousand, slowly increasing.
The remaining 15 are individual game development groups that emerged from the game classes.
They started releasing their games one after another after completing their studies. Now, the NES game lineup has nearly forty games, and it's still growing rapidly. The NES can now release an average of two to three games per month.
Among them, some individuals have actually produced games in other categories before GameStar Entertainment.
One group produced a text-based puzzle game, with moderate sales but enough to sustain the entire group. They are happy to continue expanding in the text-based puzzle game category.
Another group produced a rhythm game. Takayuki, who has played many rhythm games in his world, didn't find it very entertaining, but people in this world seem to like it, and sales are good, making the team successful.
The loyalty of these seventeen third parties is not a concern.
Because the initial contract stipulates that if a game on the NES wants to appear on another platform, the profit share will be reduced from forty percent to thirty percent, and a substantial breach of contract penalty will be paid. Of course, there's a time limit: five years.
After five years, if they want to appear on other platforms, they won't be stopped. Whether players in five years still want to play pixelated games is another question.
Some games become classics, while others are quickly phased out, just like electronic products.
As long as they want to make money, they won't violate the contract.
"Well... seventeen isn't many. It would be great if there were more." Takayuki pondered quietly.
"Anyway, let's gather them first, and we'll see when they arrive."
Takayuki made a decision and notified all seventeen third parties that a meeting would be held at the company's location in a week.
Upon receiving the news, the seventeen third parties replied immediately, saying they would attend the meeting promptly.
The week passed quickly, and at the location of GameStar Entertainment's headquarters, shiny new cars were neatly parked at the company's entrance.
People walked out one by one, looking fresh and spirited.
Among them, many were previously mediocre individuals who had been unemployed for a long time since the burst of the bubble.
Until the emergence of electronic games gave them hope, these people can be considered the first batch of prospectors in the gaming industry.
After meeting each other, they greeted each other, as many had taken classes together in the same period before.
"Long time no see. You've become a game producer too? Congratulations on your game's success."
They exchanged pleasantries and then entered the conference room of GameStar Entertainment one after another.
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