Capítulo 153: Chapter 153: The Invitation! - Part 1
The consumer electronics expo is essentially the future CES, having originated in 1967.
Initially conceived to promote the seamless integration of cutting-edge electronic technology with modern living, the expo dazzled from its inception with two remarkable products: a palm-sized pocket radio and a television set employing integrated circuit technology. Subsequently, it showcased the world's first home video recorder and magnetic tape playback and recording devices.
Perhaps due to the allure of its products, or its close association with people's lives, the expo garnered the attention of countless media outlets from its inception, attracting over a million visitors annually over the past decade.
Given its significant footfall, many companies regarded it as the prime venue for new product launches.
Logically, arcade games are consumer electronics products, and Destiny Game should have engaged with them earlier. However, Ethan had yet to pay them any attention, simply due to a matter of timing.
Though the expo occurred twice a year, neither its spring nor autumn edition aligned with Ethan's product launches. Consequently, Ethan regretfully missed each opportunity, and it seemed the other party was aware of this, as they had never extended an invitation before. But now...
The sudden invitation was baffling.
Ethan shook the invitation in his hand, looking bewilderedly at Eulise Noble. "If I recall correctly, our company hasn't announced any new games publicly, right?"
Eulise had done her homework upon receiving the invitation. "Boss, you might have forgotten, but Atari previously announced in the media that they would showcase their new machine at this year's expo. Meanwhile, Magnavox has been a regular at this expo since its inception, so I suspect they might have strongly urged the organizers to invite you."
"Ah, I see," Ethan frowned.
"Maybe..." Eulise shrugged. "I can't say for certain."
"In that case, tell them I'm not available," Ethan tossed the invitation into the trash. "If they persist, tell them that Destiny Game isn't interested in their expo."
"Not interested in the past, not interested now, and won't be interested in the future."
Exactly!
Even with the massive attendance, Ethan Jones wouldn't attend!
Travelling all the way from San Francisco to Chicago just to attend the new product launches of two competitors? That would be absurd!
Although Ethan wasn't certain whether the organizers of an expo could be influenced by participating companies, the unprecedented move of sending an invitation to a previously uncontacted enterprise for CES suggested their intentions: they likely wanted to use him as a stepping stone!
And this...
Was not happening!
Just when Ethan thought a firm refusal would put an end to it all.
Upon Eulise Noble's reply to EIA as per Ethan's request, various news pieces began sprouting up like mushrooms.
On the surface, they were all pre-event reports hyping the consumer electronics expo. However, with just a few words, many of them dragged Ethan into the mix.
USA Weekly stated:
"As the hottest sunrise industry at present, the electronic gaming section will be the highlight of this consumer electronics expo, as gaming industry giants Magnavox and Atari will officially unveil their new products at this event."
"However, it's regrettable that, according to our latest information, Destiny Game, which has been shining in the gaming industry over the past two years, has confirmed its absence from this expo."
News Weekly also reported this fact:
"According to the latest news from EIA, they have extended invitations to the producers and distributors of Snake and Pac-Man, Destiny Game, but they have explicitly declined to attend this grand event."
"This outcome is regrettable, as we expected Destiny Game, which has been leading the trend in recent years, to continue its secretive development of products and astound everyone. However, it seems they genuinely have no new products."
"But this situation is normal, considering that over the past year, Pac-Man's shipments in North America have exceeded ten thousand units, and Destiny Game has also collaborated with Nintendo, authorizing them to bring Snake and Pac-Man to Asia. When Destiny Game can make money lying down, it's understandable that they lag behind in product planning."
Perhaps because the expo hadn't started yet, the pre-event reports were restrained.
They subtly denigrated Destiny Game and tacitly indicated Ethan Jones' lagging industry development, rather than outright stomping on him.
After all, so far, nobody knew how Magnavox and Atari's machines would perform.
In the absence of confirmed facts, they dared not speak too boldly.
Faced with these reports, Ethan had no particular thoughts.
There was no helping it. Such occurrences were too common in his previous life.
In the 21st century, many internet companies would mock their competitors on their presentation slides when launching products, attempting to show users their superiority.
The mocked competitors generally wouldn't respond.
Because they understood that when a company began to mock its rivals, it fundamentally believed its own products were inferior. When a company's executives believed their brand lacked prominent recognition and could only gain attention through gimmicks...
Any response from the mocked companies would just play into their opponents' hands, providing them with traffic!
So Ethan couldn't be bothered with these reports, treating them as mere jokes.
But unfortunately, his silence didn't bring about a peaceful environment. As he focused on Evelyn and Woz, striving to witness the birth of the collision code in the game, on April Fool's Day, the future CES officially took place at the McCormick Place in Chicago. With Magnavox and Atari taking the stage one after another, their new products, Apollo and New Generation, were finally unveiled to the world.
Yes, Atari named their new product New Generation.
And as pedestrians, media, and gaming industry professionals began to play one after another, the related praises swept across America like a hurricane.
Various television media outlets reported the scene of the expo on the evening of April 1st, with many on-site visitors expressing their amazement to reporters after trying out the games:
"Before today, I've never seen machines like New Generation and Apollo! They're leagues ahead of Odyssey!"
"They're really easy to use! And there are so many games inside! I can't wait to try them out at home!"
"You ask me which one I want to buy? Of course, I want them all! Haha, just kidding, these two machines are great, but they're a bit expensive, so I'll choose Apollo because it has the same price as New Generation but comes with twelve games."
If these reports were still within reason, after all, Magnavox and Atari's new machines were indeed excellent, if not perfect, for the current era.
But the next day, the overwhelming newspaper reports were infuriating.
Take the Chicago Tribune, for example, their front page headline read:
"April 1, 1977, Chicago Witnesses the New Era of Electronic Gaming!"
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