After several expansions, Galaxy Games' hardware R&D department had grown larger, with more personnel.
The department head was Yokoi Kunihira, who not only managed the team but was also the lead developer.
When Lin BaoCheng arrived, Yokoi was busy with his engineers. Lin didn't interrupt, watching quietly through the glass.
Noticing him, Yokoi paused, delegated tasks to his team, and stepped out.
"President!"
"Yokoi, let's talk in your office," Lin said.
They went to Yokoi's office. As both manager and chief developer, Yokoi was extremely busy, so the company had assigned him a secretary.
After serving coffee, the secretary left.
Lin asked directly:
"Yokoi, I want to know how far console development has progressed. Tell me."
"Of course, President," Yokoi replied. "We've finalized the configuration. Developing the console isn't too difficult, but the challenge is avoiding Atari's patents. That requires constant innovation and verification, which takes time. At the current pace, barring setbacks, we should finish development around this time next year."
The department had ample funding and manpower, so Yokoi was confident. Unless they hit a technical roadblock, progress would continue. Breakthroughs could shorten the timeline, but those were rare and not factored in.
"Explain some of the differences between our console and Atari's," Lin said. He was satisfied with the one‑year timeline, given the heavy investment.
Yokoi nodded:
"First, the processor. Atari uses a 1.19 MHz MOS 8‑bit 6507. We're using a 1.5 MHz 6502, which runs smoother. Next, resolution. Atari's display is 160×192. Ours is higher, producing clearer images."
"Memory is another advantage. Both the console's RAM and the game cartridges exceed Atari's. Their cartridges hold 4 KB. Ours support 10 KB. Larger capacity allows more complex games."
"As for other components, we won't raise specs further. Increasing everything would drive costs too high. Even now, our console is expensive. If costs rise further, we'd lose money on each unit sold."
Lin asked:
"With your current specs, what's the cost per unit? Assume production of one million consoles."
Electronics usually became cheaper with scale. But overproduction risked unsold inventory. Lin was confident in the market: with solid hardware and quality games, the console would succeed.
"President, I can't give an exact figure yet. Costs depend on supplier discounts," Yokoi explained. "With one million units, we can negotiate, but the final price isn't certain."
"I understand. Just give me an estimate," Lin said.
"Alright," Yokoi thought for a moment. "Assuming suppliers don't raise prices, the maximum cost per unit should be under US$250. Roughly US$220. Exact figures depend on negotiations."
He added:
"Atari's console sells for US$199. Ours has better specs, so naturally costs more."
"I expected that," Lin said. The price was within his acceptable range. He knew consoles wouldn't generate profit directly — they might even sell at a loss. But profits would come from game cartridges.
"Yokoi, let me ask: if we wanted to manufacture our own chips, displays, memory, processors, could we?"
"President, that's impossible," Yokoi said honestly, surprised by the question. "We lack the technology. Starting from scratch is hopeless. Unless we acquire companies with expertise, even if not cutting‑edge, we could gradually catch up. But the cost would be astronomical."
"Money isn't the issue," Lin said firmly. "I want the company to master key component technologies in the coming years. Start with displays and memory."
Coming from the future, Lin knew Western nations would impose technology blockades on China. He needed to prepare early. Though the investment would be huge and returns slow, it was essential.
If he wanted to build mobile phones in the future, chips, displays, and memory were indispensable.
Yokoi thought of his former employer, Sharp. Sharp specialized in electronics, with strong display technology. If needed, he could leverage connections to bring Sharp's expertise.
But it was too early to mention. For now, he kept the thought to himself. As an engineer, he welcomed the ambition. He just wondered if the boss truly had the resources to expand into so many electronic fields.