Chapter 20: The Old Era and the New Generation

"San Francisco Video Game Expo?"

Frank's words filled Ethan's mind with confusion.

In his memory, he couldn't recall ever hearing of such an event.

"Mr. Faber..."

"Call me Frank!"

"Alright, Frank," Ethan quickly corrected himself. "Uh... I don't quite understand what you mean."

He pressed his lips together and asked earnestly, "Could you explain it to me?"

Frank chuckled on the other end of the line, clearly amused by Ethan's curiosity.

Though they weren't speaking face-to-face, Ethan could almost imagine the smug expression on Frank's face.

"I knew you wouldn't know!"

Frank's laughter echoed through the phone, "Honestly, I didn't know either at first. I thought it was some kind of scam. But after asking around, I found out this so-called 'Video Game Expo' is just the old Arcade Trade Show with a shiny new name!"

"Oh, for crying out loud! These guys are so bored, changing names for no reason!"

"When I asked why they renamed it, they told me no one makes traditional arcade machines anymore. Everyone's moved on to video games, so they decided to follow the trend and give their trade show a more modern name. And according to them, 'Video Game Expo' sounds way more high-end than 'Arcade Trade Show!'"

With Frank's explanation, Ethan finally understood what the San Francisco Video Game Expo was all about.

For those living in the 21st century, the mention of "arcades" might bring to mind games like Street Fighter or King of Fighters—essentially video games. Even online encyclopedias define arcades as video games.

But in reality, before the rise of video games, the concept of arcades had long existed. Those machines placed on street corners and in alleys, offering simple entertainment to passersby—that was what an arcade was.

For example, claw machines or coin-operated machines.

Since the arcade industry emerged in an era of limited communication, companies developed in isolation at first.

You sold machines in San Francisco, I paid protection money to Al Capone in Chicago—everyone had their own piece of the pie, and no one stepped on anyone else's toes. It was a bright future for all.

But once these companies saturated their local markets and began expanding, conflicts naturally arose.

And then…

These companies started battling to defend their market share and encroach on their competitors' territories.

In this commercial war, many weaker companies were wiped from the pages of history. Since the machines they sold, such as claw machines or coin-operated devices, lacked any significant technological complexity, the only way to win over the market was through price-cutting promotions.

However, when they realized that this relentless competition only benefitted the consumers, they unanimously decided to call a truce.

They then shifted their focus to research and development, hoping that innovation would give them the edge to wipe out their rivals.

As these companies ventured down the path of innovation, they organized trade shows to better promote and sell their new machines.

Naturally, these trade shows had their own territorial protections. Those covering Illinois were usually held in Chicago, while the California-based events typically took place in San Francisco.

Since the 1960s, these trade shows had been flourishing, but…

In 1972, when Nolan Bushnell's Pong burst onto the scene, the old-school arcade manufacturers found themselves on the brink of extinction, swept aside by the new wave of video games.

As a result, these traditional arcade manufacturers were forced to switch industries. But they didn't abandon their previous channels; instead, they dressed up the old Arcade Trade Show with a new, more glamorous title, transforming it into the Video Game Expo.

Once Mr. Faber recounted this bit of history, Ethan immediately understood why he had no memory of this event.

After all, Mirco never dealt in arcade machines and had no interest in such matters, so he had no way of gathering information from them.

Moreover, since video games had only recently emerged, the leading companies were all newly established by electronics engineers, with no connection to the old arcade companies.

Thus, Ethan hadn't initially considered those businesses.

But now…

The new companies were reluctant to collaborate, while the traditional ones were desperate to enter the market?

"Now, that's an interesting angle," Ethan's eyes gleamed with newfound insight.

"When is the expo?" he asked.

"Hey! I knew you'd be interested!"

Frank laughed heartily, "The day after tomorrow, April 19th. Are you coming?"

Ethan glanced at the calendar by the phone—Saturday, the 19th.

"I'll be there. What's the address?"

"Just come straight to my shop," Frank replied, clearly pleased. "See you on Saturday."

As Frank was about to hang up, Ethan quickly interjected, "Wait, hold on!"

"I wanted to ask—can you get me a booth?"

"Ah?" The question seemed to catch Frank off guard.

There was a brief silence on the other end, as though Frank was deep in thought. However, the faint sound of rustling suggested he was searching for something. Moments later, Frank spoke again, "Mirco's marketing manager... Ethan Jones…"

The moment he heard this, Ethan slapped his forehead!

It all came rushing back—when Frank had handed him his business card that day, Ethan had reflexively returned one of his own without thinking.

And that card, it seemed, had been one from his days at Mirco!

Sure enough, when Ethan explained to Frank that he had left Mirco and that the situation had been a misunderstanding, Frank let out an incredulous shout—

"What? You've already left Mirco?"

"Oh, for f***'s sake! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"Damn! I've already filled out the hazardous materials sales form!"

'…'

Ethan froze for a second, then it dawned on him why Frank had called in the first place!

He was probably just trying to confirm whether the number was legit, to cover himself in case anything went wrong.

'Damn it… and here I thought he was a good guy,' Ethan cursed inwardly.

Despite Frank's cautious nature, Ethan had to admit he admired the man's prudence.

Since Frank had actually been of help, Ethan decided not to dwell on it.

After exchanging a few perfunctory words, he hung up and turned back to his family, a smile brightening his face.

"Looks like I won't have to run around after all."

Since the traditional arcade manufacturers from California and nearby would all be gathering in San Francisco, Ethan set aside his plan to hit the road. The next day, April 18th, he spent a peaceful day at home, resting. Then, on the morning of the 19th, he set off for San Francisco, speeding toward the city as the dawn broke.

An hour and a half later, around 7:30 a.m., he pulled up in front of the San Francisco Electronics Supply Company. When he knocked on the rolling shutter, the loud clanging noise was soon met with a shout—

"Coming!"

In less than half a minute, Frank—ever vigilant—appeared before him. Spotting the tarp-covered machine in the back of Ethan's Ford pickup, a glint of satisfaction flickered in his eyes.

"This is the game machine you mentioned yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Looks great, really impressive."

Frank gave Ethan a thumbs-up before asking, "Have you had breakfast yet, brother?"

"What do you think?" Ethan tilted his head slightly, pointing to the haze-shrouded sky.

"That's why I made an extra sandwich and fried an extra egg this morning."

Laughing, Frank stepped aside to let him in. "Come on in, brother."