9 EP. 3: A toy company called Mintendo. (3)

“First of all, the machine itself is inefficient and unconscious. ”

“Yes?”

“I love mintendosa games. I've bought all the games & watches that I've ever done, and the family that I just released went to Akihabara the day it was released. ”

“Ah? Thank you. ”

“Yes? Why do you say thank you? ”

“Ah? Oh, no. That's a load of crap. Keep trying."

Gunpei was looking at me with very interesting eyes. I pulled three games & watches out of my bag. Of course, there were no game watches brought in from 2015.

“You really have it all. ”

“Yes, but even the most recently released GUNMAN doesn't have an earphone jack. This is a Western cowboy, and I think the effect of shooting is very important. Have you ever played it silently? ”

“Oh, no...”

“Go ahead and play. ”

After receiving the GUNMAN I handed him, Gunpei tried playing without a sound. After a while, he nodded, returning the machine to me.

“Obviously, I'm not feeling very good about BALL. ”

“Right? What the hell were you thinking?”

Gunpei's expression began to stiffen slightly as he cheered up his child-like game machine. But I didn't stop there.

“Plus, the most deadly problem is that you can only play one game per player. ”

“Oh...? ”

“The cartridge exchange system started in the '70s with Atari, and it's a technology that's been around for quite some time, but Game&Watch hasn't borrowed the cartridge system until three years after its launch. This looks like a ploy to sell the machine together with the game and raise the unit price. ”

“Dog... tricks? But stop animation is impossible to express in a variety of ways.”

“That's the last problem. That's why the games are all the same. The stop animation game forces players to perform simple quick manipulations on Nogada. So this game is endless. It's just as soon as a player dies. It's good to simply kill time, but achievement is zero. ”

“No sense of accomplishment..? ”

Gunpei's complexion was already pale. Oh my... Was it worth the whip? Now, let's give him a carrot. Gunpei tried to steal cold sweat with a handkerchief and smiled at me. Born 1941, he was employed in Mintendo in 1965 to make various toy products.

Mintendo is the first place we have created many holiday fireworks, and Trump Card is also famous for being the first card company to import from Japan. The new Gunpei was there checking equipment for cutting cards at a certain size, and his work was so simple that toys made with parts left in his home time were still Ultra Hands, which he often saw when he went to the souvenir shop.

If you grip the handle of a piece of zigzag, you can easily find it in a toy store that extends in front of you. This is the person who made it. And what I found out was that I was about 30.

His games & watches were not exactly game machines, but toys with screens for children. I thought it would be more fun for children to play with than specs or efficiency, but the user base has grown quite widely and is now a toy for all people.

The success of the game & watch would have been a compliment for the company and would have been delighted to see people enjoying their game machines everywhere. However, he met me today and was making a very embarrassing face so that the product he had made turned to powder. So this is the end of the joke.

“But if I just touch a few things here, it could be huge. ”

“Really? What do you want me to touch? ”

“First, we have to discard this liquid in a stop-animated way. We also need to employ a flexible display and cartridge method to enjoy a more diverse range of games. For example...”

I took a notebook out of my bag and started drawing with a pencil. It was the prototype design of Mintendo Gamboy, which will be launched in 1989. Gunpei's mouth was beginning to open looking at the stereotype of a portable gamble boy drawn on my hand.

“Now, wait a minute, what is this huge empty space behind this liquid crystal? ”

“This is where the cartridge will be placed. ”

“Oh, so this is the power station and the speakers down here. The controller is the same family that we launched last week. Then why did you put the buttons in a slash instead of horizontal? ”

“In fact, I felt that when I was playing games & watches, it's easier to play a slash array than a straight line array. I have less experience pressing the wrong button. ”

“Indeed...”

“This would be great if we could create a new portable game that follows the game & watch. ”

“A 4: 3 ratio flux screen with cartridge switching… but how many games can this give you? Mintendo's not a big company. You can't have all your employees clinging to game development, and if you build one of these devices, you're going to have to keep the game running for at least a few years. ”

“Mintendo only needs to give away a few iconic games like the Dongking Com. If the demand for this device increases as much as the current games & watches, most of the game companies that are focusing on the arcade are probably coming together to launch the games. ”

“Oh, and what do you think...”

“Of course, you get loyalty from them. Half the proceeds from soft selling..”

“Ahhh!! ”

Gunpei struck his knee with amazement. I didn't expect his mouth to shut, and he was looking at the drawings on the practice floor, stealing an elongated sweat. For him now, the drawing was an innovation unlike encountering the future.

“Amazing..”

Half of the sales revenue is almost as explosive as royal tea, but whatever you call it for in the portable market that no one has yet dived into. Prior to the advent of such a competitive device, the market's best interests were important. Maybe in the '90s you'll build your own portable console in NEGA, KNS and Banzai. But the birth of this object, which was supposed to be here in' 89, could be a little bit premature today.

We got to know each other pretty well as we talked about the new portable console on the way to Kyoto. Gunpei was greatly surprised that I was a Korean student. He was mistaken for a Japanese speaker who was too proficient at pronunciation.

- Our train will be arriving at Shinosaka Station at the end point soon. -

As the train arrived, Gunpei asked me with a very sad expression.

“Stronghold. Where would you be if you were in Kyoto? ”

“I don't know? I'm going to stay at the hotel for a little sightseeing. I didn't have much to see in Tokyo, but I'm excited to hear Osaka has a lot to eat and a lot to see. ”

“Really? Obviously, the Osaka people are much more connected, and there's a lot more delicious. By the way... when the hotel is set up, will you call me here? ”

I stared at Gunpei's face dazed with the business card he gave me. Yeah, we could use a little action here. Gunpei was smiling at my reaction.

“Actually, I'm the Nisekoi Gunpei who created the game & watch. I've learned a lot from listening to the story of the Gang today. That's why I want to see the Gang once again. Our company is in Kyoto, so call me whenever you feel comfortable. ”

“Oh, I don't know if I made a big mistake not knowing Mr. Nisekoi. ”

“No, I was very lucky to meet a strong force today. Thanks to you, I also ate a delicious chicken lunch! Hahaha!”

“I'll be in touch with you soon, then. ”

“I'll wait.”

“Yes, of course."

We said goodbye to each other and set out for our destination. After leaving Osaka Station in the hot sun in the afternoon, I took a taxi to a hotel that had already been packed. Even if I lived here for more than a month, the two billion yen on my account did not decrease a bit. The bank interest alone, which translated to an 8% annual rate, came every month, and my account was flowing like a spring that did not dry up. Oh, I hope the age of credit cards becomes universal soon.

I'm sick of carrying cash around all the time...

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