Chapter 30: Release

May 1, 1975, was a Thursday.

This date held no significance for America.

For in the United States, the globally recognized International Workers' Day, commonly known as May Day, was simply not observed. Instead, America's Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September.

The reason?

Chicago knows.

That morning, Ethan arrived at Atari's Los Gatos plant. Unlike the bustling scenes he had witnessed before, the fervent production teams had vanished, replaced by a group of uniformly dressed receptionists.

In the plant's open space, a small wooden stage had been erected, and in front of it, neatly arranged rows of nearly a hundred folding chairs were set up.

Though this setup resembled a makeshift outdoor cinema, it was remarkably practical.

Ethan's seat was directly in the center of the front row. To his left sat Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, and to his right was Don Valentine, whom he had met previously.

Although both men were cordial, their interaction quickly became brief.

Don Valentine resumed his conversations with familiar acquaintances, while Nolan Bushnell, with a welcoming smile, greeted the arriving guests. Ethan Jones, on the other hand, folded his arms and surveyed the surroundings.

Perhaps due to the absence of centralized sales channels in this era, the guests who had been invited were truly diverse industry leaders. Dressed in suits, they seemed to manage bowling alleys, while others in slicked-back hairstyles and flared pants were likely owners of dance halls. Those in flamboyant attire with accompanying beauties were predominantly bar and nightclub proprietors.

This eclectic gathering intrigued Ethan, and as the time approached ten o'clock, most of the attendees had arrived. Nolan Bushnell surveyed the room, satisfied with the over eighty percent attendance rate. After signaling Steve Jobs beside the stage, the hippie Mr. Jobs cleared his throat and tapped the microphone.

The "thump-thump-thump" of the microphone immediately captured everyone's attention.

As the murmur quieted, Steve Jobs cheerfully announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Atari's May 1975 product launch. I am your host, Steve Jobs."

At this point, he paused, displaying a practiced smile.

The audience responded with polite applause and some voices calling out:

"Steve! Hurry up with the product introduction! I'm getting bored!"

"Yeah! Get on with it! I need to get back to the store this afternoon!"

"Wow~ Steve~ Why are you doing this like those big corporations now, with a product launch event? If I remember correctly, two years ago, Nolan was driving a pickup truck and personally selling game machines to us one by one! And he guaranteed delivery within three days of placing an order! And now… this service feels like it's been set back to the Stone Age! What do you all think?"

"Ha-ha-ha~"

"Yeah~"

"Backwards!"

The raucous laughter was a mark of their high spirits.

Perhaps accustomed to such reactions, Steve Jobs remained unfazed. He raised the microphone and said, "Alright~ I know everyone is busy. Some of you have rushed here right after closing your stores, and some need to leave early for lunch. I won't keep you waiting any longer. Let me introduce our company's new product."

He gestured towards the large object beside him.

It was a machine covered in red fabric.

Steve Jobs pulled away the cloth, revealing a dark green machine with a menacing green serpent on the front. The serpent, with its gaping maw, seemed poised to devour the apple depicted on the machine.

Below the serpent, in yellow paint, was the game's title: "Snake Game."

The explosive presentation captured everyone's attention.

Seizing the moment of silence, Steve Jobs proclaimed, "Ladies and gentlemen, judging by the design, you might guess that our new Atari game involves a snake."

"But let me tell you, while you may be able to guess the game's protagonist, you will never guess the game's content."

With a raised voice and a dramatic flourish, Steve Jobs continued, "Because it is unlike any other game on the market!"

"Currently, all the games out there have one major issue: we cannot control the amount of time customers spend playing. This is something you all must be familiar with, whether it's our Atari's 'Pong' or games from other companies, maximizing profits has always meant limiting playtime!"

"But even so, we often face awkward situations."

"For instance, with 'Pong,' a quarter allows a customer to play ten rounds. If both players are skilled, they might occupy a machine for half an hour or more."

"But now…"

"This issue is gone!"

"'Snake Game' solves this problem efficiently because after spending twenty-five cents, most customers can only play for a few minutes! Or even seconds…"

"Or just a few seconds!"

Steve Jobs paused for effect.

At this, the crowd erupted in astonished murmurs.

"Wow~ Is this for real?"

"Seconds? Twenty-five cents for a few seconds? How is that possible?"

"Oh! Sxxxt! I need to see the demonstration! Quickly, show me!"

"Damn! If it really works like that, it's a miracle!"

The previously disgruntled entertainment industry figures now craned their necks eagerly.

This turn of events caused Steve Jobs to smile.

He bent down, turned on the 'Snake Game,' and instantly, energetic electronic music filled the air.

In front of everyone, he inserted a coin into the machine and did nothing else.

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, the game's small snake collided with the wall and perished within eight seconds.

The sight stunned everyone!

They wanted to say something, but Steve Jobs was faster, inserting another coin. This time, the snake met its end in just five seconds.

This novel death method left the onlookers wide-eyed!

When Jobs inserted a third coin and demonstrated the game for about thirty seconds, during which the snake consumed ten fruits before crashing into the boundary due to the increased speed, the merchants' breathing quickened.

It seemed they had grasped the game's selling point!

As they stared at the machine, eager for more details, Steve Jobs raised the microphone and said, "I believe you all understand now."

"The gameplay of 'Snake Game' is quite simple. The player controls a snake moving forward, eating white dots on the screen to score points. There's no real 'success' in this game, only endless death, as the snake cannot touch the boundaries or itself. Additionally, every time a piece of food is consumed, the snake grows longer, reducing the play area. Every ten pieces of food, the snake's speed increases, making the game more challenging."

"According to the designer, the maximum survival time in the first stage is forty-five seconds, thirty seconds in the second stage, fifteen seconds in the third stage, and the fourth stage…"

Steve Jobs chuckled, "Sorry, I can't get past it either."

"So, the theoretical maximum game time so far is ninety seconds!"

"A theoretical maximum of forty games per hour!"

"A theoretical maximum income of two hundred forty dollars a day!"

His emphatic statements left the merchants stunned.

They stared at the machine on stage, eyes filled with disbelief and greed.

Two hundred forty dollars a day?

What kind of business is this!

It's even more lucrative than drug dealing!

Of course, there were skeptics.

"I don't believe it! These numbers are too exaggerated!"

A man in a cap spoke up, "The 'Pong' game you previously released was a nationwide sensation! There's hardly anyone in America who hasn't heard of 'Pong'! Yet, even when 'Pong' was popular, the daily revenue was only fifty to sixty dollars! And now you're claiming 'Snake Game' can make up to two hundred forty dollars a day? Forgive me, but I can't believe these figures!"

Such remarks prompted nods of agreement from the audience.

"Yeah, this data seems too unreal!"

"A quick game might be beneficial for us, but what about the customers? What if they only play a few rounds and then leave?"

"Is this game really that engaging? Can it make customers keep inserting coins?"

The room filled with skepticism, but Steve Jobs maintained his smile.

He waved his hand towards the skeptic, "Sir, you can come up and try it yourself."

The invitation made the burly man step forward without hesitation.

He approached the machine, inserted a coin, and started playing.

At the same time, he loudly declared, "I don't believe such a simple game can be engaging!"

Although he had witnessed Steve Jobs's demonstration, seeing was not the same as playing.

His eyes told him he understood, but his hands…

"MFxxk!——"

After inserting three coins, the man failed to last even a minute.

The stark 'Game Over' screen seemed to mock him!

Realizing this, he waved his right hand in frustration!

But instead of smashing the machine, he stomped his foot and said, "How much for one?"

"Twelve hundred dollars," Steve Jobs replied with a smile.

"I have two stores. Give me two machines!"

"Certainly, please register over there."

The early adopters were the wise ones, but they only sparked curiosity.

The second wave of buyers attracted attention.

By the time the third and fourth waves of purchasers arrived…

The atmosphere was fervent!

'Snake Game' seemed to possess an irresistible allure!

It was easy to pick up, creating an illusion of effortless success!

After trying it, the escalating difficulty acted like a siren, enticing players to keep going!

Occasional failures made people believe they were just being careless!

Inserting another coin resulted in a sharp chime, epitomizing the plunge into the abyss!

Every person who tested the game couldn't survive more than three rounds!

Then they waved their checks, eager to order machines!

Initially, Steve Jobs methodically guided these business owners to place their orders.

But when the logistics staff informed him that the prepared stock was nearly sold out, the latecomers rushed into Atari's office, clamoring for the remaining units!

"I need two machines! Immediately!"

"Three machines! Do you have three? I'll fill out the check now!"

"Damn it! I have three billiard halls! Save me six machines!"

"You cheap bastards! You're so stingy! Ten machines! I want ten! Tonight!"

"Don't push! Don't push! Save me one! Save me one!"

Watching the chaotic scene and listening to the wild noise, Ethan, comfortably seated, wore a satisfied smile.

He knew that in this world, no one could resist 'Snake Game.'

No one!