Telephone negotiation

If we were to compare it with the later game consoles, the first-generation red-and-white machine is truly just a child's toy. The level of technology inside it can't be said to be absent, but it's only slightly more than nothing.

As long as you have a basic understanding of electrical theory at the level of a college graduate, coupled with some basic programming knowledge, you can get started. Purchase generic circuit boards, then buy readily available generic processors, arithmetic processors, decoders, cache chips, and so on. Next, follow the specified soldering method to connect them, and a red-and-white machine is born like this.

This is also why the red-and-white machine was so quickly imitated. Anyone slightly clever could do it.

For a mature circuit board subcontracting company, manufacturing such things is simply child's play. Not to mention that the average level of technology in this parallel world exceeds that of the previous life of Takayuki by more than ten years.

The chips and such used in the red-and-white machine are already considered completely outdated in this world, long replaced by newer technologies. You could even find a heap of fully functional electronic components like these in the garbage dump, and they're sold by the pound.

Takayuki didn't bother with the hassle. Since he wasn't exactly short on money, he simply purchased them directly from legitimate channels. The cost of the circuit board itself is only one thousand yen, plus another five hundred yen for the mass production cost of the cheap plastic casing and four to five hundred yen for the cost of the connecting lines and interfaces.

Just the cost of the cheap plastic is almost half the cost of the circuit board, showing how cheap the electronic components needed for the red-and-white machine are in this world. If these circuit boards were not manually assembled but produced on a streamlined production line, the cost could be further reduced. With bulk purchasing and production costs, Takayuki estimated that the factory price of this thing would probably not exceed two thousand five hundred yen.

However, technology will inevitably progress sooner or later, and Takayuki certainly wouldn't keep developing games with red-and-white machines forever. Sooner or later, he will use more advanced chips to make better games.

But for now, let's just make the most of the dividends from the red-and-white machine itself.

Finding a subcontracting factory is indeed the most important thing Takayuki needs to do now.

"Hello, I'm Takayuki. I heard you were looking for me?"

Takayuki dialed the number and introduced himself to the other party.

On the other end of the phone, Tomaki, holding his phone, was a little excited.

At least the other party was willing to contact him.

"Hello, Takayuki-kun, I'm Tomaki, a sales representative at Shinda Electronics Co., Ltd. We're a factory specializing in PCB manufacturing."

When Takayuki heard that the other party introduced himself as a manufacturer of circuit boards, his heart skipped a beat.

It's really like asking and receiving.

He had been thinking about finding a subcontracting factory to produce circuit boards all day today, but he didn't expect the other party to come knocking on his door so soon.

He hadn't even started looking yet.

Takayuki was surprised, but in this era, it's actually not that uncommon.

When the children mentioned electronic games, he noticed the word "electronic."

Then, he personally observed the appearance and operation of the game console. If their factory had the corresponding drawings for production, they could definitely manufacture it.

If he could secure such an order, his days ahead would be much better.

Even if the transaction volume wasn't high, at least he wouldn't have to endure his damn boss kneeling and cursing at him for an hour every day.

The abbreviation for a circuit board is PCB, and the other party also used a relatively professional term to introduce himself, wanting to show his professionalism.

Takayuki was surprised but remained calm on the surface: "Hello, Tomaki-kun, what can I do for you?"

"Ah, Takayuki-kun, it's like this. I learned through some channels that you're developing a new product called an electronic game console."

Takayuki nodded, "That's right, I did develop it. Is there a problem?"

"Well, I can see that this thing should have a certain market, but judging by the circulation of this electronic game console in society right now, I think Takayuki-kun, you're probably still just a small workshop making it, right?"

Takayuki was slightly surprised but still nodded, saying, "You guessed it right."

"So, Takayuki-kun, if you have plans to mass-produce the electronic game console, our factory is very willing to subcontract the PCB circuit boards for you, and the price will definitely satisfy you."

Sure enough, it was for this matter that he came.

There is no shortage of sensitive people in this world who can follow some clues and discover the truth.

"As for this, it's not appropriate to discuss it over the phone. How about tomorrow? You come to this address, and we'll have a detailed discussion then?"

Takayuki didn't intend to finalize things directly; conducting business over the phone isn't very formal.

"Of course, of course, I'll be sure to arrive on time tomorrow. I won't bother you anymore, Takayuki-kun."

After noting down the address and hanging up the phone, Tomaki clenched his fist slightly, feeling that this time he had a good chance to negotiate a decent order!

In fact, after leaving Ota Tadashi's entertainment hall in the morning, Tomaki didn't go directly back to the company. Instead, he went to several other places according to the address his son gave him to check out electronic game consoles.

Then he asked the children who were playing games and came to a relatively accurate conclusion.

This thing is not really on sale to the public now; it's indeed just a prototype-like model.

And it doesn't seem to be a product of any major company.

If it were a product of a major company, there would at least be the company's logo on the product. And major companies also have their own testing teams, with more professional testing processes, rather than just throwing them into a few entertainment halls and malls and ignoring them in such a rough way.

From this, he has come to a basic conclusion.

This product is made by an individual and has great potential.

There is no mass production.

If this maker has any ambition, they must have already started considering finding a subcontracting factory to plan for mass production of circuit boards.

A small workshop is not a long-term plan after all. Apart from low product quality, production efficiency is also very poor.

Tomaki realized that this could be an opportunity.

But thinking about it carefully, this thing probably can only earn some hard-earned money and not make much profit.

Because judging by the appearance of this game machine, the cost itself is probably not high.

Looking at the current market size, selling it to places like entertainment halls, at most, it could sell thirty to fifty thousand units a month. He could probably make some commission that could make the family a little more comfortable.

Just, he never would have imagined that such a thing could sell over five hundred million units, becoming an unsurpassable peak in the global gaming entertainment industry.

The sales of the games themselves are also astonishing.