Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 719 What you wanted is here
I woke up in the morning without washing my face, brushing my teeth, or even combing my hair.

Zhou Yali, with her hair disheveled and dirty, played more than a dozen rounds of the block game.

After being repeatedly defeated, she suddenly remembered a question: "Hey bro, what's the name of this game?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes. This time, it definitely wasn't Tetris. It was called "Spicy Chips".

It's not impossible. Even without revealing that he is the developer, it wouldn't be wrong for Zhou Yali to use this name, given her Chinese heritage.

However, Chen Fan felt that it was still lacking something and did not fully reflect the characteristics of the game.

He considered for a few seconds and said, "What do you think of calling it Kung Fu Cube?"

"Kung Fu Cubes?"

Zhou Yali turned around, looked up at him, and said, "That's interesting."

The word "kung fu" indicates the inventor's identity, which is similar to the concept of "qia yi la" (a type of spicy snack), while also incorporating the gameplay features of the game.

Just like kung fu, you must skillfully control the blocks and precisely fill every gap to pass the level step by step.

Moreover, kung fu is so popular that everyone, regardless of their social status, knows kung fu.

Zhou Yali thought about it carefully and felt that the name was better the more she thought about it. It was catchy and could be distinguished from other games. If it were launched on the market, it would definitely be an instant hit.

She was about to speak when she noticed that Chen Fan was looking at her strangely. Before she could ask him anything, he silently walked out.

Zhou Yali looked at his back, feeling somewhat puzzled.

What do you mean?
A moment later, Chen Fan came in carrying a basin of hot water, with a new towel soaking in it.

He placed the basin on the corner of the table and said expressionlessly, "Wash your face."

Zhou Yali's expression froze instantly, her face turning as red as a ripe crab, but she still stubbornly insisted, "I just got up and came to call you, I haven't had time yet."

But his hands moved quickly; he first tested the water temperature, and it was just right.

He then stood up, wrung out a towel, wiped his face a couple of times, and took it off to look... Hmm, he had a bit of a sore throat.

Well, now my whole body is burning up.

She quickly finished washing and ran outside with the basin in her hand.

When I returned not long after, it had been completely transformed.

Wearing slippers and swaying like a cat, she walked over to Chen Fan, leaned against the table, struck a pose, and then tossed her neatly combed hair. "Little brother, have you managed to salvage your image even a little bit?"

Chen Fan turned to look at her, his face full of doubt, "You? You have an image too?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali flew into a rage and raised her iron fist, demanding, "What are you saying?"

Chen Fan immediately pointed to the computer and asked, "Have you ever played this kind of game before?"

Zhou Yali glared at him fiercely before turning to look at the screen. The next second, she frowned slightly and asked, "What is this?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Minesweeper."

Then I explained how to play to her.

The cursor can be controlled with the arrow keys, but mouse control is still the most convenient.

Chen Fan laughed and said, "Minesweeper is not as playable as Kung Fu Blocks, but it has one great advantage."

Zhou Yali had already grabbed the mouse, clicked a few times in the game window, and then was blown up.

She casually set up the mouse, crossed her arms, and laughed, "Can we promote the mouse?!"

Chen Fan gave a thumbs up, "Smart."

Then another game is opened: "This is Solitaire, sorting cards from A to K by rank; this is Solitaire, arranging cards into four basic piles by suit and order, a bit more difficult than Solitaire; this is Hearts, where players use card-playing strategies to avoid getting the Hearts and Queen of Spades, and the player with the lowest score wins..."

Several items were introduced in succession, including Spider Brand and Pinball.

Zhou Yali's eyes lit up; so many fun games!
No, she quickly adjusted her thinking and laughed, "These games all require the use of a mouse. Our company has bought the mouse patent and signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Apple. If these games become huge hits, the mouse will definitely be accepted by the market very quickly. It's a goose that lays golden eggs!"

Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, smiled, and nodded gently.

These games are far inferior to Tetris. Unfortunately, the only game that can rival Tetris is Snake, which appeared in an arcade game released by Sega in 1976, and then Atari released an improved version in 1978.

Although it was only somewhat similar, the patent was eventually obtained by Aaron Cooper in 1979, which later brought him hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Chen Fan still did not want to get involved in copyright disputes, so he abandoned the game.

Anyway, there were quite a few built-in games in the Windows system in later generations, and he wasn't worried about copyright issues, so he took them.

At this point, Zhou Yali continued, "Brother, do you want us to publish these games ourselves, or sell them to other game companies?"

Chen Fan spun his chair to face her and said, “I want Wanmuchun Technology Company to take the lead in developing a brand new learning computer, and these games are one of the additional products.”

Zhou Yali raised an eyebrow slightly. "Learn computers? What's that?"

Chen Fan pointed to the computer on the table and said seriously, "It is undeniable that personal computers are becoming more and more practical. Moreover, with the increase in the performance of computer chips, future computers will not only be able to work, but also have entertainment functions."

For example, playing games directly on a computer without a game console is feasible based on the functions and principles of electronic products.

Zhou Yali nodded slightly, staring intently at him, but remained silent.

Chen Fan continued, "However, computers are very expensive. A basic Apple Model 2 costs at least $1200, and a high-end version can cost as much as $1599. It's hard for ordinary families to afford such a price."

Zhou Yali rolled her eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Actually, not all computers are this expensive. There are cheaper ones too. Hmm, I forgot the cheapest brand, but I think it only costs $399."

Chen Fan shook his head. "That kind of computer can only be called a game console. It can't even run the simplest word processing. It's just a big game for computer enthusiasts. It can't be considered a real computer at all."

He gestured to Zhou Yali and smiled, "As a personal computer, it must at least have a few basic functions, namely, the ability to edit software, run programs, and execute them. In addition, it should be able to assist with work or contribute to entertainment. And nowadays, electronic products can be basically divided into three categories: real computers that can be programmed and used for office work, big toys for computer enthusiasts, and game consoles that can only be used for entertainment, right?"

Zhou Yali nodded, then, recalling his earlier words, asked, "So, which category do you mean by learning computers?"

Chen Fan raised his index finger and gently wiggled it from side to side. "It's not any of them, but the fourth one."

He pulled his chair closer to the table, pulled up a new document, and typed in English, “A computer ranges from $1200 to $1600, a big toy costs $300 to $500, and an Atari game console can cost as much as $199.”

People who need computers for work cannot afford their high prices. Buying a big toy is not practical. Game consoles are great, but they have no other use besides entertainment.

So my idea is, could we borrow the concept from game consoles, add computer functions, and create something new?

As Zhou Yali listened to his explanation, she looked at the gradually taking shape product plan on the screen, her eyes growing brighter and brighter. "Using a game console as a carrier, and adding computer functions? Then we need a host similar to a game console, and make different functional modules into something like game cartridges, that is, function expansion cards."

In addition to the existing external game controller for the game console, an external computer keyboard can be added, and a mouse interface can also be added.

So, besides the built-in functions of a computer, people who want to learn about computers can use a learning machine… Is that the name you came up with? A learning machine? That's a good name.”

Chen Fan chuckled softly, “One end connects to the TV as the information output end, and the other end connects to the keyboard as the input end. People who want to learn office software can learn to operate documents, type, and use data tables on the learning machine. However, this machine does not have a floppy disk interface or storage function, so it cannot be used directly as a computer.”

Once you learn how to use a computer, this machine won't go to waste. Remove the keyboard, replace it with a game controller, and it becomes a game console you can play for many years.

At this point, many friends will surely realize that what Chen Fan wants to do is not to help Nintendo seize the throne of the world's number one game company with the Famicom, but to go straight to the point and create a learning machine that dominates the 90s, is invincible, and is still selling well online in later generations!
The manufacturing cost of a learning machine is much lower than that of a computer. For beginners, the functions are basically sufficient, and they can also justifiably face their parents by buying a game console in the name of learning!

Actually, back on July 15, 1983, when Nintendo launched the Famicom, the official name of the notebook was "Home Computer".

Compared to educational machines, the Famicom was a much smaller machine, but the two were not significantly different in terms of technology.

Given the current technological capabilities, since Nintendo was able to develop the Famicom a few years later, it's highly likely that they could also develop a learning machine by slightly modifying its functions.

Now Chen Fan wants to use classic games from later generations as bait, and then use this learning machine that is compatible with game consoles and some computer functions to see if he can replicate the sales miracle of the Famicom.

With a cumulative sales volume of 6200 million units, if each unit were priced at no more than $299, that would amount to $185 billion!
Not to mention the game cards that cost at least $20 a box.

Damn, making games is really lucrative!

Let's consider the timeframe, or rather, the capabilities of Dr. Engelbart's research team, and see if they can develop this learning machine in a short period of time.

If possible, Chen Fan would give them another game idea, which is the classic game that has been a bestseller for many years, "Kung Fu Kid" (Super Mario).

Internally, Chen Fan adheres to the principle of avoiding plagiarism whenever possible. Even if he is telling the same story, he will change the background and use his own ideas to create a new story.

Well, "Young Friends Come to Meet" is an exception, after all, it's a song, not a novel, so it's not easy to adapt.

However, when it comes to external matters, Comrade Chen Fan stated that replicating this kind of problem was a piece of cake.

For example, didn't Chairman Fumio Niwa of Kobenko hope that he would create several stories of different categories?

no problem.

Saint Seiya, Ronin Warriors, Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump, Fist of the North Star... arrange them all for him.

We write whatever's trending, ensuring a large and satisfying volume, so that our readers can enjoy the cultural dominance of our long-standing elder brother.

His thoughts had already wandered far away, while Zhou Yali's understanding of the learning machine was becoming increasingly clear.

After he finished writing the product proposal, he was so excited that he jumped around like a rabbit, clapping his hands and shouting, "This is great! This is great! When I get back to the company, I will make this the company's next key research project and make sure to develop it as soon as possible."

Chen Fan pulled out a chair again, turned to face her, and said seriously, "We originally invited Dr. Engelbart here to develop multi-protocol routers in preparation for the future era of computer networking."

But now, first there are communication projects related to program-controlled exchanges, and today they've decided to develop a learning machine and are ready to enter the video game industry at any time. This business is somewhat deviating from the doctor's research direction..."

Having understood his meaning, Zhou Yali waved her hand and said before he could finish speaking, "I know what you're going to say. My dad and I discussed this issue when we were traveling abroad before."

In short, we will form a new team, invite experts in communication equipment, and establish a communications research institute. On the one hand, this will be to take over the maintenance work for our domestic agency business; on the other hand, we also plan to develop our own program-controlled switches, so we can't always be just an agent for others.

Chen Fan raised his hand and clapped lightly, "Not bad, not bad, you have ambition."

He looked at Zhou Yali, who was holding her head high with pride, and said with a smile, "However, research work is not something that can be accomplished overnight, especially high-precision equipment like program-controlled switches. It cannot be developed in a short time. You should be prepared for a long battle."

Zhou Yali snorted twice, looked at him and laughed, "What's the big deal? Not to mention a short time, even five or eight years, I can wait."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "If all goes well, it won't take that long, but it will still take at least three to five years."

In 91, the little-known Zhengzhou Institute of Communication developed my country's first large-scale digital program-controlled exchange with completely independent intellectual property rights—HJD04, which led to the birth of Julong Communication.

At the time, it only cost 600 million yuan and took three years to develop this equipment.

Chen Fan believes that as long as they are willing to invest and persevere, Wanmuchun Company should be able to complete the research and development sooner.

Thinking of this, he added, "By the way, Ali, there's something you should keep an eye on."

Zhou Yali was taken aback and asked, "What is it?"

As Chen Fan thought about it, he said, "Soon, our country will have its first batch of students going to the United States to study, and there will be more and more students going abroad in the future."

In scientific research, the approach is important, but changing the approach is even more important. Chinese students are different from elite students abroad; they receive completely different types of education. Therefore, you should pay more attention to them in terms of talent development.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yali nodded thoughtfully, "I understand."

After a few seconds of pause, she looked up and smiled, "Then we'll have one research team for routers, one for switches, and finally another team to research learning machines. That should be fine, right?"

Chen Fan nodded. "That's exactly what I meant."

Zhou Yali let out a long breath and looked at him, saying, "Well then, little brother, you'd better work hard on your writing! Without the revenue from your bestselling works, where will we get so much money to support research and development?"

Chen Fan's old face twitched slightly. He silently opened the drawer and took out a stack of floppy disks. "Everything you wanted is here!"

(End of this chapter)