Xiaobawang game machine, from design to production of engineering prototype, the whole process took only 20 days.

Such a speed really made Zhang Shaojie feel surprised.

In fact, it's a blessing for Atari.

The "Atari 2600" on the market now, as an early second-generation home game console, has a well-established design concept. Whether it is Nintendo or Sega, they all started with copycat Atari 2600.

What is lacking in technical personnel is never technology, but imagination and innovation.

As long as someone makes the first product, the followers behind it, as long as they disassemble the machine and study inside and out, most of them can be copied.

Low-level copycat products are naturally plagiarized from the design of the hardware to the program code of the operation system, which will inevitably infringe on the patent rights of the other party.

And the clever copycat is just a side-kick of the law - refer to the other party's ideas and concepts, and do not directly copy the other party's design. Such a copycat, from a technical point of view, does not infringe on the patent rights of the other party.

The Xiaobawang game console uses two Motorola 6502 chips as the central processing unit to control the screen and programs. In addition, some inexpensive electronic components were added as sound sources. There is a slot for the ability to insert game cartridges, as well as a pair of gamepads.

If you don't calculate the labor cost and technical cost, just the hardware cost, the hardware cost of each machine of the Xiaobawang game console is 63.25 US dollars.

After Huang Tingjun saw the game console, he suddenly had a whimsical idea and suggested adding a pair of keyboards so that users could learn how to work on the computer.

Zhang Shaojie shook his head and said: "A game machine is a game machine, there is no need to sell dog meat on the head of a sheep, and sell it in the name of a learning machine!" ”

It has been proven that 99% of users who buy game consoles, whether in China or overseas markets, are ultimately mainly used to play games!

In addition, the learning machine needs to add a keyboard on top of the game console. In the '80s, keyboards weren't cheap, at least $30.

If a keyboard is added, it will obviously greatly weaken the cost advantage of the Xiaobawang console.

Cost advantage is one of the main core competitiveness of home game consoles at this time! Therefore, Zhang Shaojie does not consider the learning machine for the time being!

"Well, it's almost, for the rest, can you beautify the system. Although this is just a game console, if the player turns on the game console, the first thing the player sees is such an ugly picture of the system, it will undoubtedly ruin the good mood! Zhang Shaojie said.

"Okay!" "It's not that complicated! ”

The operating system of a game console is obviously much more rudimentary than that of a personal computer.

Because the main function of the game console's operation system is to be able to read the game cartridge, so that gamers can play games with the controller.

A little beautification and modification of the interface of the game console system is not very brain-intensive.

While everyone is working hard and ready to continue to improve the Xiaobawang game console.

Zhang Shaojie has contacted the law firm and once again registered the design, name, and operation system of the Xiaobawang game machine into more than 20 patents.

Especially the game controller of Xiaobawang, digging Kaka, that is the classic FC controller of Nintendo in 83. It is one of the most classic gamepads in the history of the entire video game console industry!

In order to operate the Xiaobawang game machine, Zhang Shaojie registered a new company in Hong Kong - Hong Kong Xiaobawang Co., Ltd.

Hong Kong Xiaobawang, with a registered capital of 4 million Hong Kong dollars, this is the income of Zhang Shaojie in Hong Kong and Taiwan during the period after the Chinese New Year. Xiaobawang's parent company is registered in Hong Kong, and next, Zhang Shaojie is ready to transfer his 9.59 million yuan deposit to the account of Hong Kong Xiaobawang.

Then, Zhang Shaojie set up branches in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other places in the name of Hong Kong Xiaobawang Company.

In the future, Zhang Shaojie is ready to import electronic components in Europe and the United States in the name of Hong Kong's Xiaobawang, and the manufacturing of the products will be completely handled by the mainland factory.

The low labor cost in the mainland is of great help to the competitiveness of Xiaobawang game consoles in overseas markets.

Zhang Shaojie roughly estimated that if you produce a game console in the United States, the labor cost will cost 20 US dollars, and the labor cost will be 10 US dollars to produce a game console in Yueben. And if it is produced in Hong Kong, it will also cost at least US$5 in labor.

However, in Chinese mainland production at this time, the labor cost of each game console will not exceed $1.

The Atari 2600 can be sold for $249 a piece, Nintendo's FC can be sold for 9800 yuan a piece, and the cost price of Zhang Shaojie's Xiaobawang is even only $65!

Even if the tariffs of various countries are taken into account, the Xiaobawang game console will be the cheapest game console on the market!

————————May 10, 1981. Guangzhou.

The spring Canton Fair has just ended a few days.

Zhang Shaojie took William Lin, Robert, and Huang Tingjun to Guangzhou under the guidance of Ma Rongcheng.

As a window city for China's foreign exchanges, Guangzhou has a long history.

During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, when the politics of closing the country was implemented, it chose to set up the "Thirteen Lines" in Guangzhou to conduct foreign trade.

The republic was founded not long ago, despite facing the Iron Curtain of the Cold War. However, in 1957, China decided to set up a bi-annual "China Import and Export Commodities Exchange Fair" in Guangzhou, which is commonly known as the "Canton Fair"!

Soon after the "Canton Fair" was held, it was welcomed by manufacturers and customers at home and abroad.

Every year, through the platform of Guangzhou, at least hundreds of millions of dollars can be completed to "earn foreign exchange through exports".

In the early 80s, the Canton Fair, the main export items were woodware, porcelain, silk, and various ethnic handicrafts. Later, the political axe gradually encouraged Chinese manufacturers to display China's industrial products to foreign investors, so that the Canton Fair gradually began to transform into an industrial goods exhibition.

Because of the factor of the Canton Fair, Guangzhou has become the most important commodity export platform before China's reform and opening up.

It is precisely because of the factor of the Canton Fair that Guangzhou became a city with many overseas businessmen in the early 80s. The architectural style here and the dress of the citizens are the most foreign.

However, in terms of prices, Guangzhou is still extremely cheap compared to Hong Kong!

Zhang Shaojie came to Guangzhou for the first time and couldn't help laughing: "The famous Guangzhou Hotel, the accommodation fee is only 5 yuan per day, and if you change to a hotel in Hong Kong, you will charge a few hundred Hong Kong dollars a day!" ”

Ma Rongcheng said with a smile: "If it is during the Canton Fair, even if it is 100 yuan a day, it is difficult to book a bed in a Guangzhou hotel." Not long ago, at the Canton Fair, some foreign businessmen went to the provincial government because they couldn't book a hotel bed! Besides, for the citizens of Guangzhou, Guangzhou hotels are not cheap at all. You must know that most Guangzhou citizens only have a monthly salary of 50 yuan! ”

When William Lin heard this, he said: "Since foreign merchants can't book enough rooms at the Canton Fair, why don't you build a few more hotels?" This is a very profitable business, this Canton Fair, held twice a year, 20 days per quarter. Overseas merchants, most of them will book in advance, so conservative estimates, at least two months a year, housing is overcrowded! For the rest of the time, Guangzhou, a big city second to none in the mainland, will not be without business, right? ”

Zhang Shaojie shook his head and said, "The hotel is not something that everyone can do well!" Just building a hotel with more than 20 floors will cost at least tens of millions of dollars. Coupled with the management, training and service of the hotel, this is not much less difficult than managing a high-tech enterprise! ”

The investment of tens of millions of dollars is well-founded. Fok Yingdong personally invested more than US$13 million in the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, and borrowed more than US$30 million from banks in Hong Kong to build China's first five-star hotel with 800 rooms. The White Swan Hotel, in the 80s, even became a label of the era of reform and opening up.

Robert wasn't interested in chatting, but instead began to pull out a Little Overlord console from his backpack, plug it in, and play Pac-Man on his own.

Before Zhang Shaojie came to Guangzhou, the editor of the People's Publishing House had already told the Guangdong Provincial Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Commission for him, saying that Zhang Shaojie had an investment of at least 10 million yuan and might choose to settle in a special economic zone in Guangdong Province.

Although, Zhang Shaojie's investment is not like Huo Yingdong, Li Ka-shing and others, as many as hundreds of millions.

However, it is also a huge investment for Guangdong Province in this matter.

In addition, Zhang Shaojie is an "economic expert" who is well-known throughout China, and such a bull man cannot afford to invest in Guangdong Province without being taken seriously by the Guangdong Provincial Government.

Zhang Shaojie and others stayed at the Guangzhou Hotel not long after.

A few hours later, a director of the Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Commission of Guangdong Province led a group of staff to Zhang Shaojie with a smile on his face: "Mr. Shaojie, we met in Singapore not long ago, but I didn't expect to meet in China again so soon!" ”

Zhang Shaojie saw that this director was Shi Wenhu, whom he met in Singapore not long ago.

Shi Wenhu was sent to Singapore to study international trade courses in 79 years, and was promoted to a department-level cadre by the Guangdong Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Commission not long ago after returning to China, mainly responsible for publicizing the policy of attracting investment to attract overseas capital and invest in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other places.

This time, the Guangzhou Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Commission sent Shi Wenhu to lead a team to entertain Zhang Shaojie, also considering that the two had a relationship in Singapore.

"Hehe, it's only been a few days since we parted in Singapore, and as soon as Brother Shi returned to China, he was promoted!" Zhang Shaojie said with a smile.

"Mr. Tuo Shaojie's auspicious words, he has indeed been promoted!" Sven Tiger smiled.

The two can't talk about sympathy for each other, but because they had a relationship overseas, they met again in China, and the relationship seemed more enthusiastic.

(To be continued)