Jester received a very special invitation.

It was an invitation to a private dinner with Bill, who had just become the richest man in the world. Gates.

It was a family feast, and only Bill was in attendance. Mr. and Mrs. Gates, as well as their husband and wife, and their respective children.

Combined with the history of this period that he originally knew, Jester had actually guessed a little about Bill. What is the purpose of Gates coming to him for this dinner this time?

Microsoft started the Venus program last year, but the results were not significant. Gates' long-standing goal is to use the Internet to rule the living room, and in fact, this is the consensus of everyone at Microsoft.

But this thing is because the ambition is too great, and the resistance encountered is extremely strong.

The original history above, Bill. Gates also temporarily abandoned this plan during this time, and began to think about the transformation of this plan, this time looking for himself, most likely for this purpose, because Jester remembers that in the original history, Microsoft almost began their game path at this time.

Of course, everything needs an opportunity.

The location is in Boston Beale. Gates' home, this is not the first time Jester has been here, he has been with Bill Brown. Gates has always had a good relationship.

I am also familiar with both of them.

Nothing particularly new for dinner, it was a normal Western-style dinner, the chef was a three-star chef, who was hired by Jester at a high price as his personal chef, and the level was very high, not as high as the level of the century-famous chef Hubhuun, whom Jester had eaten before when he was in France.

The after-dinner chat was also this time Bill. The focus of Gates' invitation.

There were just the two of them.

The woman was in a separate room with the children.

"I heard you're retiring?"

Bill. Gates' opening remarks were simple, and Jester's retirement was now largely known to everyone: "You're not even forty yet, are you?" How could you think of retirement, so much younger than me? ”

Jester hears Bill. Gates just smiled after his words.

"It's just tiring, and I don't like to repeat what I've done before. So I'm going to retire. ”

This is also true.

Hearing Jester's explanation, Bill. Gates also nodded, he thought to himself, if his huge ambition could also be accomplished, maybe he would also have a lonely and invincible idea, it would be better to retire. However, the implementation of the Venus project did not go well, and he planned to use the hundreds of millions of TVs in country Z to promote the network, but the effect was not great.

So, he wanted to think differently.

Since the occupation of the living room, it is too difficult for other electrical industries to enter, so it is better to enter the game industry.

Originally, the game industry was not easy to meddle in, but fortunately, the news that Jester was preparing to retire came, and Bill . Gates was overjoyed, and he felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

Jester was an old friend of his. The relationship between the two is very good, so, some things don't have to beat around the bush, so Bill. Gates spoke directly about his thoughts.

"I want to buy Mars Entertainment."

After saying this, Bill. Gates glanced at Jester and saw that Jester's face was as usual.

"You guessed it?"

He asked curiously, but Jester shook his head, "It's not a guess, but it's almost." When I received your invitation, I wondered why you suddenly invited me to this meal. We have a good relationship, but I'm in California and you're in Boston, so it's not that convenient, and I wouldn't be surprised if we happened to be together at an event. ”

So, I thought about it. I thought of your Venus project recently. ”

Jester said something briefly, but didn't talk about whether he agreed with Bill or not. Gates acquisition of the requested thing.

And Bill. Gates didn't mention it again immediately afterward, and he smiled when he heard Jester talk about his Venus plan, "What do you think about this plan?" There was a look of pride in his tone, Venus was indeed a great undertaking that anyone could be proud of. The premise is that the plan can be accomplished.

However, in Jester's opinion, this plan is still a bit too whimsical, at least for now, but this kind of thing cannot be said directly, it should be tactful.

"All I can say is that this plan is very ambitious."

This ambiguous answer in Bill. In the eyes of an extremely smart person like Gates, he naturally understands what Jester means.

He sighed.

"So, do you agree with my request? You're going to retire anyway, and I want to go back to the gaming industry, and I can guarantee a minimum investment amount per year, at least 10 years. ”

Jester hears Bill. After Gates made this request again, he also fell silent and, to be honest, sold to Bill. Gates is not impossible.,After all, I'm going to retire.,According to his own character.,After retirement,,I'll also ask about the game.,And,In his memory,The original history of Microsoft,After starting to make TV games.。

Every year the investment is staggering.

This is able to establish a complete industrial chain from scratch in a short period of time.

However, Jester is not short of money, five billion dollars is indeed a very sincere price, and this is only the first offer, if he wants, maybe Bill. Gates will pay $8 billion to complete the acquisition.

But is Microsoft really a suitable company to make games?

After thinking about some of Microsoft's original historical measures and actions, Jester shook his head.

Admittedly, Bill. Gates is indeed a game otaku, and Microsoft's entry into the game industry has a lot to do with this, but the reason why Microsoft's board of directors has been able to agree for a long time that a department loses $2 billion a year, a loss of N years, is definitely not just because this thing is an otaku toy or a figure.

As can be seen from Microsoft's plan to rule the living room that Microsoft restarted again at XBO, this is basically a variant of the Venus program.

From the failure of the first Venus plan, to the later XBO's domination parlor, so that the later WIN10 plan to rule everything can be known. This is not a whim from Microsoft, but a basic strategy that has been established more than a decade ago.

The game is just one part of this strategy.

Jester looked at Bill. Gates, he smacked his mouth, and then asked Bill. Gates said: "Do you really want to do the game industry, or do you plan to use the wine glass of the game industry to pour the blocks of other places on you?" Jester's question was rather unkind. But everyone is a smart person, so it's better to be clear.

"This ......"

Hearing Jester ask, Bill. Gates hesitated, he reached out and tapped his finger lightly on the table a few times, and then said, "It's both, I'm really interested in the game industry, and I think it's an important part of our plan, and." It's good for you, seven billion dollars, and you can keep ten percent of the shares. ”

Before you know it, Bill. Gates' second offer has already reached $7 billion, and even offered Jester to retain 10 percent of the shares.

"Bill, there's one thing you haven't figured out, I don't care about money, I don't lack it. I don't bother with the company after I retire, even if I sell my stock to someone who is willing to continue in the industry. So, I want to know, what are you going to do when you want to buy Mars Entertainment? ”

"Or to put it bluntly, I have stated countless times in Mars Entertainment that Mars Entertainment was, and still is. The future is still a pure game company, and all his products are, and must be, game first. ”

With that, Jester looked at Bill. Gates glanced.

"Can you guarantee that?"

Hear Jester say that. Bill. Gates was silent, and then Jester continued: "I understand your thoughts, although it is only the tip of the iceberg, but I have to say that it is a very grand and ambitious plan, but to be honest, I don't see your enthusiasm for the game industry. ”

Bill. Gates sneered: "Isn't seven billion dollars still representative of my passion?" ”

"It's not about the money."

Jester didn't care about Bill. Gates sneered, he still said in a very flat tone: "It's a kind of hot pillow, I've been in this industry for more than ten years, I know what kind of state a person with infinite love for this industry will be, Bill, you don't, you like games, you are a fan of games, I know all this, but you are not the kind of person who can maintain the purity of games." ”

"Purity?"

Bill. Gates heard Jester say the word, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"Yes, purity." Jester repeated the word, he thought for a moment, then pursed his lips and continued: "I don't think there will be anything else in this world that I will do, but I always think that this is the true meaning of games, the purity of games, games are games, games are just to be fun, games that can make money are good games, and the only purpose of game consoles is to play games......"

Jester said a lot, Bill. Gates still had a cold face at first, but later, he also nodded silently.

When Jester finished, he sighed, "I see what you mean. ”

After speaking, he paused slightly.

"Similar to faith."

"Yes, it's similar to faith, it's a belief in my understanding of the game." Jester agrees with Bill. Gates said that he really has the purest love for games, and he doesn't want games, which were invented purely for pleasure, to be polluted by anything else.

"Okay then."

Bill. Gates spread his hands, he had decided to give up on his original idea.

But at this time, Jester smiled, and he looked at Bill. "If you're really going to get into the industry, it's not like there's no other opportunity," Gates said. ”

Didn't expect Bill. Gates shook his head.

"I insist on entering, but I can't represent the recommendation of the board of directors, the board of directors has not yet made up its mind, but if I can convince you to sell Mars Entertainment, the board of directors agrees, and the game industry is basically saturated now, if we rush in, it may cost more money, I don't care about the money, but the board is not easy to convince."

Jester also knows Bill. Gates's difficulty, although the listing allowed him to obtain unimaginable wealth, but similarly, after the share split, his power in the company was also restricted to a certain extent.

At least I didn't say anything about myself in the company.

"I'm talking about a chance, Sega."

Jester said Sega's name, Bill. When Gates heard this, he wondered why Jester suddenly said that Sega, after all, Bill. Gates is not a person in the gaming circle, he is not sensitive enough to things in the gaming world, and it only occurred to him after Jester analyzed it for him.

"You mean there's a good chance that the Maison will abandon their hosting business?"

Bill. There was a hint of surprise in Gates's tone, after all, it was much easier to convince the board of directors that it was a team that was completely different from starting from scratch.

"Yes."

Jester nodded: "Sega has a financial problem now, and they don't have a good solution, originally DC was their last chance, but now it's been on sale for more than two months, although the sales are acceptable, but that's all, in this case, there is no way to save Sega, and now Sega is just holding on." ”

"At the end of the year, when my Dreambox 4 and Sony's PS3 are released, it will be a disaster for Sega."

"They won't last until the middle of next year, and I guess they'll announce the discontinuation of DC."

"And after announcing the discontinuation, it is announced that they have completely withdrawn from the home machine hardware market, and whether they can survive after that depends on luck."

Jester said lightly.

Bill. Gates didn't care much about Sega's ultimate fate, he just heard Jester's prediction: "You mean that Sega is likely to be unable to hold on next year and announce the launch of the home console market?" "When I said that, Bill. Gates' eyes lit up.

After all, a hardware development team that has been with many years of development experience is still very valuable.

It's much easier to get a team that has always been complete and then upgrade your equipment than it is to build a team from scratch on your own. (To be continued.) )