PFC Chapter 36 Let's start with four machines to fill in the gaps?
Chapter 36 Let's start with four machines to fill in the gaps?
When Meyer walked, his steps were unsteady, as if he were drunk and dizzy.
This Mr. Lin, he always manages to come up with something new.
……
Henry rubbed his tired eyes; his eye bags were alarmingly swollen.
He stopped in front of his shop and looked up quietly at the somewhat dilapidated signboard in the morning sunlight.
Arcade Area
This is a small arcade he owns.
Henry sighed, took out his keys from his pocket, opened the door, and hung up the "Open for Business" sign.
The impact of the Atari crash wasn't too severe on his small arcade. Although he entered the industry at an extremely inopportune time, he was still able to make a living.
Henry just didn't expect the situation to change so quickly.
What changed his peaceful life was a small arcade game called "Tetris".
Henry was lucky enough to get his hands on the first batch of machines at a very low price. He owned a small arcade in Riverside, California.
No one expected that these two machines would be so incredibly profitable.
In less than a week, players from half a block had gathered here.
So, he naturally didn't hesitate any longer, took out another loan, gritted his teeth, and bought two more copies of "1942".
The result is obvious.
Those already enthusiastic players became even more enthusiastic about his shop, spending all their time there trying to break records.
Henry really liked this feeling.
It wasn't just because he made a lot of money, but also because he saw the signs of a revival in video games.
He enjoys watching players immerse themselves in the pure joy of video games.
Henry went to the counter and wiped the glass display case clean with a cloth.
Inside was a small bronze trophy.
He specifically sought out a manufacturer to have it custom-made.
He had planned to host a simple Tetris competition at the store, and he had even prepared free drinks and snacks for it.
But sometimes God is just unreasonable.
Contra has been released.
With its market-pleasing narrative of tough-guy heroes and exaggerated visuals, Contra quickly became a phenomenon.
With Schwarzenegger's endorsement, the entire nation flocked to the game.
"jingle"
The welcoming bell rang, and Henry put on a smile to greet everyone.
"Good morning, Henry. Am I number one today?"
The visitor exchanged a few casual pleasantries, sat down in front of the Tetris machine, looked around, and found that Henry was the only person in the room.
Henry gave a wry smile.
"They all went to that store on 14th Street, you know, that store has..."
"Contra".
The player clearly understood, and continued as he inserted the coin into the coin-operated machine,
"Henry, why don't you buy one? That way your shop won't be so deserted."
He still remembers the grand occasion when most of the neighborhood gathered there.
In the blink of an eye, it has become so deserted simply because there is no new Contra game.
"I'd like to, but guess how much one would cost?"
Henry rubbed his temples; the mere thought of that number sent shivers down his spine.
"$5000! And there's no stock available! If you want to get it, you'll have to pay extra to jump the queue!"
Henry was just a small shopkeeper, and even after emptying his savings, he couldn't scrape together that much cash.
He had already taken out a loan to buy "1942".
"Is that new game really that fun?"
This player clearly has never played Contra.
The store that sells Contra is located on 14th Street, which is almost 7 miles away from here.
Including the queuing time, I'm afraid I won't be able to play more than two games a day.
So his strategy was very simple: while everyone else was rushing to queue for Contra, he could enjoy playing these two old games to his heart's content!
"Haha..." Henry's laughter was a little stiff; he really didn't want to lie. "I tried it out, and it's really fun..."
The player nodded, said nothing more, and focused his attention back on the screen.
He's not an impatient guy; he'll naturally be able to play when the hype dies down and fewer people join in.
Henry sat behind the counter, occasionally coming out to clean up.
Throughout the morning, a few players came and went, but none of them stayed for very long.
Noon.
The welcoming bell rang again, and Henry mustered his spirits to get up and greet the guests.
But the people who came were clearly not there to have fun.
Unlike the others who wore light casual clothes, he was dressed in a suit and uniform, looking very neat and tidy.
Henry jumped up and quickly ran two steps to the man.
This is a bank employee; his presence in front of his own store can only mean one thing…
"My mortgage application has been approved?"
Henry pawned his car and got $10,000 in cash.
The bank clerk nodded and took out several documents from his briefcase, indicating to Henry that he should sign them for filing.
Without the slightest hesitation, he quickly filled in the signature area.
Although he lost his car, he could quickly get his shop back on track if he used the money to buy two Contra games.
……
"Hello, welcome to Silicon Oasis..."
"Contra is out of stock? Are you kidding me?!"
Henry's voice sounded somewhat agitated.
I finally got the money, but I still have to wait for a long production process. Isn't that ridiculous?
"Mr. Henry, please don't worry," the operator reassured him. She had seen this situation countless times in the past two days. "Although Contra is currently out of stock, we have a new console released by GAMENOVA. Would you like to take a look?"
"A new machine?!"
Henry was taken aback. As the manager of the arcade, he was naturally familiar with the name GAMENOVA.
The three most powerful consoles currently available are all made by Gamenova.
"That's right, MetalGear. You're very lucky; we just received our first batch today."
"...Approximately how much will it cost?"
Henry quickly calmed down.
Judging from the name alone, it's probably a sci-fi action game with a mecha theme.
Its positioning should be comparable to "Contra".
He was still somewhat hesitant to spend all his savings on two games that might not even become hits.
"US$1200 per unit, sir."
"Uh-huh?!"
Henry let out a loud yell.
"Over a thousand yuan a unit? You're not kidding?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then... I want to order two, no, four! And then I'll order one Contra game."
Henry decided that he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket.
Such cheap arcade machines must be playing simple games like Pac-Man.
While it might be fun, it's nowhere near as good as a masterpiece like Contra.
If you want to turn the tide, you should focus your energy on these high-end arcade games.
"Yes, Mr. Henry, we will arrange delivery immediately."