Traveling through the Tokyo bubble era

Chapter 893 Alien Computer?
Hideki Hanyu, who had just left the E3 exhibition, was sitting in the car on his way back to the hotel.

Even though almost half an hour had passed since Sega's media conference, Hideki Hanyu still had a smile on his face.

Seeing this, Akina Nakamori, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Hanyu-kun, why are you so happy that Sega's console is priced so low? Aren't you afraid of competition with Elf Entertainment?"

The little goblin on the other side chuckled and said, "Of course the teacher came here to watch the fun."

After hearing what the two said, Hideki Hanyu couldn't help but sigh in his heart. No wonder these two people couldn't run their offices without his help.

Just looking at this question, you can tell that the two of them have no talent for business at all.

Looking at the Elf Entertainment executives who accompanied him to the media conference, no one would ask him this question.

Of course, anyone who would ask him such a question would never be able to hold a senior position in Elf Entertainment.

"Of course I can't just come here to watch the fun."

Hideki Hanyu first denied the little fairy's words.

After all, it was an important moment for Elf Entertainment to launch a strategic product. If he was just happy to watch the fun, he would be underestimating the enemy.

Although he did watch the fun.

Then he explained to the two of them.

"Although Sega's new console's low price policy will have an impact on PS2 sales, the effect is minimal."

"Why?" the goblin asked curiously.

“Because the consumer markets and consumer groups of Elf Entertainment and Sega are different.

Today, the main market for Sega consoles is emerging markets with lower purchasing power. They sell at low prices and their target groups are also consumers in these markets.

Although Elf Entertainment's PS2 console has advantages in game content, its price will not be reduced in the short term, so its consumer audience in emerging markets is destined to be small.

Sega has also seen this and wants to use low prices to maintain their market share in emerging markets."

The explanation that Hideki Hanyu gave to the little fairy was by no means a lie.

To give a very simple example, in this period, the game console that is imported the most in China through special means is not the most popular overseas PS console from Genie Entertainment.

It's Nintendo's FC red and white console.

why?
Simply because it's cheap.

Nintendo's FC red and white console was launched early and has a large enough number of units in stock. After Nintendo's 16-bit SFC was launched, the price of the console that entered the domestic market through special channels dropped from over 1,000 yuan to less than 600 yuan.

As for the PS console produced by Elf Entertainment, even after several price cuts, its current selling price in mainland China is still around 2,500 yuan.

In 1990, yuan in mainland China was definitely a huge sum of money even for those non-ordinary families.

As the largest pirated cartridge production base in Asia at this stage, Taiwan prefers to produce simple and cheap FC cartridges rather than complex PS console cartridges with various anti-piracy verifications.

Simply because of the low prices, the domestic gaming market has become two completely different worlds from the overseas market.

This is also why, in another time and space, the next year, after the Subor game console priced at 298 yuan was launched on the market, it immediately became the overlord of the mainland electronic game industry.

Now that the PS2 console is on the market, Hideki Hanyu also has no intention of opening up the mainland market.

Because according to the pricing of the PS2 console, if it is sold in mainland China, the retail price will definitely be around yuan.

The current price of 2 yuan basically eliminates the possibility of the PS console becoming popular in mainland China.

Therefore, it is better to leave the few customers in the mainland to special channel importers as middlemen.

This is the case in mainland China and also in the markets where Sega mainly operates.

He might lower the price of the PS console and disrupt Sega's business.

But they will definitely not lower the price of PS2 to compete with Sega just for a small share in the emerging markets.

Akina Nakamori said, “So that’s why Hanyu-kun is happy.”

Hanyu Hideki raised his finger and shook it, "No, I'm happy about something else.

Sega's low-price strategy to maintain its existing market share will not affect the PS2 console of Genie Entertainment, but it will cause great trouble to the products of another company. "

"I know, the teacher is talking about Sony."

Seeing the little goblin raising his hand to answer the question, Hanyu Hideki reached out and tapped the little goblin's forehead with amusement.

"Correct answer, extra 10 points."

But what Hanyu Hideki didn't expect was that after he touched the little fairy's forehead, the little fairy grabbed his finger and opened his mouth directly...

Huh……!
The scumbag never expected that this little goblin would be so playful.

Although he was surprised, he did nothing and let the little goblin do whatever it wanted.

But he didn't stop explaining.

“Although Elf Entertainment now occupies a leading position in the markets in Asia, North America and Europe, its market share is not 100%.

There are various reasons why we cannot take over this market share, but a big part of the reason is the competition from low-priced hosts from other manufacturers.

Sony's cooperation with Nintendo this time is aimed at the market that is not covered by Pokemon Entertainment. It wants to use these markets as a fulcrum to leverage Pokemon Entertainment's market share.

This is also the reason why the price of Sony X-ES console is lower than that of PS2 console.

When it is impossible to attract players with console performance and games at the beginning, low price is the best marketing strategy.

But what Ken Kutaragi obviously did not expect was that after he lowered his prices right after Pokemon Entertainment, Sega would follow suit.

Sony is $31 cheaper than Genie Entertainment, while Sega is directly $39 cheaper than Sony and $70 cheaper than Genie Entertainment.

In the early days of the launch when neither console had a clear advantage, such a huge price advantage could not be made up for by any marketing means.

What's more, Sony, which has just entered the electronic game market, actually has less influence in the minds of gamers than Sega.

You have to know that in the Asian, European and American markets, a large share of the market that Elf Entertainment cannot occupy belongs to Sega MD consoles.

Therefore, the company that was most affected by Sega's low-price strategy for the 32-bit console was not Pokemon Entertainment, which had a solid foundation, but Sony, which had not yet achieved any results.

It can be said that the prerequisite for Sony to challenge Genie Entertainment is to first eliminate Sega, which is blocking the market.

The problem is that by that time, even if Sony can really solve the blockade of Sega, how much spare energy will it have to challenge Pokemon Entertainment?"

Upon hearing this, Akina Nakamori said naively, "So Sega is so good that it is actually helping Hanyu-kun's Elf Entertainment to fight Sony."

Hearing this, Hanyu Hideki immediately smiled bitterly.

I thought that in this treacherous business world, there are no good people among the competitors, let alone those who would actively help the enemy defeat the opponent.

Sega did this just to protect itself.

Elf Entertainment is a large company with a solid market share, so it doesn't need to take Sony, the newcomer, seriously.

But Sega can't do that.

Once Sony can no longer be stopped and is allowed to gain a foothold in the gaming industry, who will be the first to suffer?

That definitely won’t be the big boss Elf Entertainment.

It is true that Sony intends to challenge Genie Entertainment, but before the challenge, it will definitely take care of other competitors first.

As the saying goes, when the eldest and the second oldest fight, the third oldest dies first.

Sony wants to be the boss, but Sega doesn't want to be the third one that gets left behind.

So even though Nakayama Hayao understood that Sega's low-price strategy was a shield for Elves Entertainment, he still had to implement it.

As they were talking, the car had already arrived at the MGM Hotel.

As the bodyguard opened the car door, Hideki Hanyu picked up the two beauties and got out.

"Where are we going next?" asked Akina Nakamori.

Before Hanyu Hideki could answer, the little fairy excitedly said, "Let's go to the casino together."

Hanyu Hideki agreed immediately, “No problem.”

MGM Hotel itself is the largest hotel casino in the world, so the three of them returned to the room, changed their clothes, and took the special elevator directly to the gambling hall.

Hideki Hanyu has no obsession with gambling, so he comes to the casino just for entertainment and relaxation.

He tried all kinds of gambling methods with the two beauties. He didn't care about time at all, nor did he care whether he won or lost. He just did whatever he wanted.

He didn't know how much time had passed when his assistant suddenly found him.

"Teacher Hanyu, Mr. Tetsuya Aragaki wants to see you."

Hanyu Hideki then remembered that he had made an appointment with Aragaki Tetsuya at the backstage of the Elf Entertainment booth at noon. He immediately ordered, "Tell Aragaki-san to meet me at the Italian restaurant upstairs."

"Yes."

The assistant left in response, and Hanyu Hideki said to the two beauties, "Okay, that's enough for today, let's go upstairs for dinner."

In this way, Hideki Hanyu brought the two beauties who were still unsatisfied to the Italian restaurant upstairs to meet Tetsuya Aragaki.

Not to mention the two beauties ordering food and eating.

Tetsuya Aragaki directly asked Hanyu Hideki, "Did the president meet with me specifically for the S600 laptop?"

Hanyu Hideki was not at all surprised that Tetsu Aragaki could guess his purpose.

Although Tetsuya Aragaki is the technical director of Elf Entertainment, it does not mean that Tetsuya Aragaki is a technology geek who knows nothing but technology.

The other party was promoted by Hideki Hanyu from Yunshang Entertainment. It can be said that he started from humble beginnings, but was eventually able to sit firmly in a senior position in Elf Entertainment, which proves that Tetsuya Aragaki is not an ordinary person.

The other party has all the professional qualities that a senior executive of a company should possess.

Hanyu Hideki nodded and admitted, "Yes, I got some ideas because of the S600."

Aragaki Tetsuya asked again, "Does the president intend to have Elf Entertainment enter the portable computer field?"

Hanyu Hideki nodded, but then shook his head.

In the face of Tetsuya Aragaki's somewhat puzzled look, Hanyu Hideki slowly explained.

"In my opinion, notebook computers have great market prospects. Nowadays, both Japanese manufacturers and European and American manufacturers are continuously making efforts in this field.

But I don’t consider letting Jingling Entertainment develop in this field. As a game company, Jingling Entertainment should focus on developing in the game industry.”

When Aragaki Tetsuya heard this, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed across his face.

But in the end, he still agreed with what Hideki Hanyu said.

“What the president said makes sense. Although they are both electronic products, they are completely different fields.

It would obviously be a loss-making undertaking to hastily allow Elf Entertainment to enter this field during the critical period when the PS2 console was launched.

So I didn’t think it through. After the E3 exhibition is over, I will ask the institute to stop the relevant research work and give up…”

"and many more!"

Hideki Hanyu stopped the conversation before Tetsuya Aragaki could finish his words.

Under the puzzled gaze of Tetsuya Aragaki, Hanyu Hideki asked, "When did I say I would give up my research on laptops?"

"What does the president mean?" Aragaki Tetsuya was a little confused.

"If Elf Entertainment is not suitable, then we will set up a suitable company. Now that we have seen the market, why don't we give it a try."

Hanyu Hideki said this, and suddenly smiled and looked at Tetsuya Aragaki, "So, please resign from Elf Entertainment, Aragaki-san."

The first time Tetsuya Aragaki heard that Hideki Hanyu asked him to resign, his face was full of surprise.

But immediately afterwards, Aragaki Tetsuya seemed to realize something, the surprised expression on his face turned into surprise, and he asked in a tone of disbelief.

"Is the president planning to set up a new computer company?"

"Whether it will be established or not depends on whether Aragaki-san dares to take on the position of president of the new company?"

As soon as Hanyu Hideki said this, Aragaki Tetsuya immediately sat up straight, with a serious expression and a solemn tone.

"I dare!"

In the view of Tetsuya Aragaki, Elf Entertainment is now a large company and no longer lacks technical R&D personnel as it did when it was first established.

The biggest reason why he was able to secure the position of technical director was no longer because of his technical ability.

Moreover, after the PS2 console came out, a certain sense of pride in his heart completely relaxed, and he felt as if he had lost his fighting spirit and enterprising spirit.

This is also the reason why he suddenly turned around and led the entire group to develop laptops.

Deep down, he always wanted to pursue challenging work.

At this moment, when Hideki Hanyu said that he would set up a computer company and invited him to be the president.

Aragaki Tetsu felt that the passion and ambition in his heart were rising to an unprecedented level.

He longs for a new career, a new field, and a different life and work.

"Very good. What I want to see is Aragaki-san's confident attitude."

Hideki Hanyu first praised it.

Immediately afterwards, he began to make formal arrangements, "After the E3 exhibition is over, you can start preparing for the new company.

Who do you need to take away from Elf Entertainment, whether it's R&D, management, or sales staff? Please prepare a list for me as soon as possible, and I will help you go to President Iwata to ask for them."

Hanyu Hideki reminded us, "But the premise of hiring people is that it will not affect the launch of the PS2 console and the normal research and development of Elf Entertainment.

You are the technical director of Elf Entertainment and you are very familiar with our work progress, so you should understand what I mean."

Aragaki Tetsuya quickly agreed, "Yes, President, I will consider the list carefully."

Tetsuya Aragaki knew exactly what Hanyu Hideki was talking about.

The R&D department of Elf Entertainment will not stop working just because the PS2 console is launched.

For example, the second-generation Phantom handheld game console was developed together with the PS2 console.

For example, after the PS2 console was tested, the development of the third-generation console was immediately launched.

For example, the expansion research and development project of the EGP arcade platform.

Or the development of the fourth generation of electronic pets, etc.

Now that it has become the industry leader, with no rivals to challenge it, the only rival that Elf Entertainment can challenge is itself.

Therefore, continuous research and development and continuous breakthroughs have become the most important tasks of Elf Entertainment.

Aragaki Tetsu also thought about this and felt that after the new computer company was established, he would also need to implement this spirit of continuous progress and never being satisfied in the new company.

Then, he asked Hanyu Hideki impatiently, "President, since we are going to set up a new company, what should we name it?"

After hearing what Tetsuya Aragaki said, Hideki Hanyu thought that the reason why the other party developed the laptop was to make a model that focuses on gaming.

Therefore, a name instantly came to mind.

"How about E.T.-Computer?"

Tetsuya Aragaki said in surprise, "Alien computer?"

It’s no wonder that Tetsuya Aragaki thought of aliens. After all, it’s only 1990, and Spielberg’s “ET the Extraterrestrial” in the s still had a considerable influence.

When Hideki Hanyu mentioned ET, Tetsuya Aragaki naturally thought of aliens.

However, the reason why Hideki Hanyu came up with this name was certainly because the concept of the gaming laptop reminded him of the "alien" computer of later generations.

But his E.T does not come from ET aliens.

Hanyu Hideki began to explain.

“E.T. is actually the abbreviation of Elf.Tron, not the movie by Spielberg.

There is no need to say much about Elf, after all, the new company was born from Elf Entertainment.

Tron is a commonly used root word in the field of science and technology. It comes from the Greek word 'τρον', which is the same as 'electron', implying the concept of electronic creation and the electronic world.

I wonder if Mr. Aragaki has seen a movie released by Disney in 1982, called "Tron", which describes a virtual electronic world.

So the abbreviation of the new company can be translated as alien computer, but the full name does not mean that, Elf Electronics, Elf World Creation..."

As Hanyu Hideki said this, he took the menu from the table, took out a pen and started writing casually.

He first wrote the name E.T. and told Tetsuya Aragaki that when the two letters were used as the company name, the dot in the middle must be red, representing the small red dot that controls the cursor of the S600 computer.

The reason for this is, of course, that it refers to the design of "ThinkPad".

In this time and space, the little red dot no longer belongs to IBM.

Next, he drew a few simple logos.

"I just drew it casually based on my feeling. You can use it as a reference for the logo when Aragaki-san is planning to build the company..."

(The AI-generated LOGO looks like this. Do you think any of them are suitable?)

(End of this chapter)