Strictly speaking, the handheld console Takayuki is designing at this moment should be considered an upgraded version of the NDS, the 3DS.
The handheld console has a joystick, eight buttons, and two shoulder buttons.
The clamshell design allows the upper screen to display high-quality graphics, while the lower screen can be used for touch controls.
This new form of handheld console has inspired completely new ideas for game development.
The dual screens are indeed a very good innovation.
Takayuki also remembers that this idea was originally proposed by the late Nintendo game creator, Hiroshi Yamauchi, in his past life.
Later, after Yamauchi retired, this idea was finally realized by the subsequent leaders of Nintendo, leading to a new era once again.
Given the current technological capabilities, can such a game console be created?
Takayuki begins to seriously consider it.
The technological power in this world is ten years more advanced than in his previous life.
It is now the year 2000, which is equivalent to 2010 in his former world.
What slightly surprises Takayuki is that at this time, the mobile phone industry should have begun to rapidly develop towards multimedia entertainment.
However, it seems that this world has not yet developed in that direction, or the development is too slow, not reaching the level of his previous life in 2010.
In other words, if a new handheld console is released now, there is still a lot of profit potential.
But once smartphones, as a multimedia handheld platform, completely rise, the handheld console market will quickly diminish like melting snowflakes.
This is the law of the market, and even Takayuki, no matter how capable he is, cannot stop this trend from happening.
Most time travelers do not think about changing certain trends but rather go along with them to achieve their own goals.
However, even if the handheld console market gradually declines, the electronic game market will continue to develop rapidly. Both sides are just conflicting at a certain stage.
But in the end, they will reconcile in a completely new way.
Electronic games have taken their own new path, with the Switch leading the way as a new generation of handheld consoles.
Then, during the time when Takayuki traveled, some game manufacturers with a certain status began to try developing handheld console games, reactivating the handheld console market.
But it's too early to say all this now. Currently, he can take the opportunity to dominate the market again before smartphones rise, and then quietly wait for the trend to pass.
Well, with the current technology, creating a 3DS is completely feasible.
But the cost will skyrocket.
If a machine is really mass-produced and developed, the initial cost is estimated to exceed $150 per unit.
If additional costs such as transportation and taxes are included, the price of the handheld console will quickly rise from the previous price of just over 10,000 yen to 20,000 yen.
This is probably a price that players will find difficult to accept because they are already accustomed to the previous price.
After some thought, Takayuki crosses out the previous performance specifications and then plans the new performance of the handheld console.
The advantage of having foresight is evident here.
Takayuki can plan a more secure development path on his own, as these are all paths that predecessors have walked, and he can confidently follow them.
By crossing out the previous performance specifications, if he wants to reduce costs, he can only manufacture a handheld console with about 30% more powerful performance than the original NDS.
This seems to be just right, and the cost can be kept below 10,000 yen, allowing the handheld console side to make less profit and rely on games to make money.
But...
Is he really willing to settle for this?
Takayuki takes another look at the list of handheld console specifications he just crossed out.
Looking at that list, Takayuki recalls his past life.
In his previous life, game manufacturers did everything they could to maximize profits, and in the end, they had to compromise for the sake of profit, making certain sacrifices in performance or other aspects of the experience.
And the products presented to players were products that had been compromised over and over again.
And players were helpless; the handheld consoles they owned always left them feeling regretful.
The low performance of the NDS only allowed NDS players to experience games with graphics that lagged behind an era.
Of course, the innovation and gameplay of the NDS were undeniable, otherwise it wouldn't have won in the competition of that era.
But if the performance could really be improved, players would definitely be happier, and they would probably be more willing to spend money.
If he were just an ordinary consumer now, what would he think?
He would probably hope to get the best experience, the kind of top-notch experience that would be unforgettable.
And, the development of this handheld console is probably the swan song of the handheld console industry for the time being.
Later, it will be dominated by smartphones in the mobile field for many years until people gradually get tired of smartphones and start pursuing other new stimuli. Then, the handheld console market will shine again.
So, since this might be the last handheld console for a while, is he really willing to make compromises?
Not willing.
Takayuki has always considered himself a player.
He hopes to become a patriarchal figure in the electronic game industry.
As long as the money is enough, that's fine.
Now his reserve funds have reached $2 billion.
To be honest, the slightly higher cost on the handheld console side is completely acceptable to him.
And this can give players a better experience, so he also considers it as leaving no regrets.
Since he already has enough money, why not pursue a more long-term goal?
Thinking of this, Takayuki crosses out the modified handheld console performance again.
And then he plans out a completely new performance for the handheld console.
If he wants to play, he'll play big.
He doesn't mind investing half of his reserve funds; he can afford it.
Even if the market eventually proves him to be a failure, he won't regret it, because he has fulfilled his dream from his past life.
The best lineup of games, the top-notch performance of the game console.
This is what he most wants to see.
He will fulfill his regrets from his past life.
On Takayuki's notebook, a new handheld console gradually takes shape.
It is a handheld console with performance comparable to the 3DS of the future.
Of course, the cost is not low, but the path of selling hardware at a loss and making money from electronic games, as done by Sony in his previous life, is viable.
He can do the same.
Great! It's settled!
A brand-new handheld console is drawn on Takayuki's sketch paper.
Next, it's time for console development.
Of course, the most important thing is chip procurement.
This is absolutely crucial.
He has to be more cautious in this regard.
This time it will be his gamble, and he must not take it lightly.