Because the potential benefits involved are so huge, the great success of "Farm" naturally caused controversy within Ygrit about whether it should open its platform to third-party game developers.
Even if the success of "Happy Farm" is a phenomenon-level accident, according to the current continuous explosion rate of the Internet, as more game content is launched one after another, Igret Company internally predicts that this is likely to be a game with an annual output value of not less than 100 billion dollar emerging field.
At this stage, Igret Company almost monopolizes the field of online communities by relying on services such as Facebook and ICQ. The difficulty of developing web games based on Flash animation technology is very low. Compared with the returns, the cost is negligible. This is the case with "Happy Farm" This is the most direct proof, so it can be developed by Yigrit Company by its own game production team.
Even if we cooperate with external parties, it would be best if the resources like EA do not go to outsiders.
Otherwise, it would be too generous and even a bit stupid to hand over a large part of the revenue generated by the platform's huge users to unrelated game manufacturers.
It wasn't until Simon arrived in San Francisco that the matter was finalized.
Continue to be open to collaboration.
Not only in the field of online games, maintaining an open attitude towards foreign cooperation should be the fundamental development strategy of the entire Ygrit company.
The Internet is destined to be an open information platform.
If you choose to be closed, the result will only be that enterprises and users will continue to escape from the Igret ecosystem, eventually causing it to wither and wither like a tree lacking nutrients.
Once China's early Internet portal giants, they were basically transformed into online game companies.
For Yigrit, the huge success of "Happy Farm" has obviously allowed management to find a clearer way to monetize users. However, Simon does not want Yigrit to eventually become an online game company. . It already has a broad layout at this stage. If it ends up being reduced to a game company, it will be a waste of resources.
On the other hand, even though he attaches great importance to search engines and social networks, Simon also does not want Yigrit to become an advertising company.
Simon's most fundamental vision is to hope that Igret will always maintain its positioning as a technology company and promote the company's sustained and long-term development through continuous technological innovation.
For example, this time "Happy Farm", the game mainly relies on the latest Flash page animation technology developed by Igrit Company. Perhaps later people have become accustomed to this technology, and even in the Internet environment, it is just like in reality. Air is as common as water, but in fact, for the current stage of the Internet, Flash is a huge innovation.
Because this seemingly uncomplicated innovation has brought about a new industry with an output value of billions or tens of billions of dollars. This is the ultimate power of technological innovation.
"Of course, I am not against everyone getting the benefits we deserve from the game industry. You can discuss the specific implementation terms yourself. However, one thing I want to emphasize is that for Ygrit, everyone should have a broader pattern. , our goal is the entire Internet, and we should not be blinded by the interests of a single field and hinder our continued innovation and exploration."
Palo Alto, a small conference room at the headquarters of Igret Corporation.
Simon faces Tim Berners-Lee, Jeff Bezos, Carol Bartz and Alice Ferguson, who has been promoted to the fourth giant of Ygritte. After saying this, no one will see him again. After raising objections, he directly turned to another topic: "The free plan of IE browser needs to be advanced. Jeff, which manufacturers have not yet reached an agreement?"
In the original plan, after completing the re-pricing communication with major pre-installation manufacturers and network operators, IE browser will probably be officially declared free before May, which means that the plan will be officially implemented before the end of April.
Because of the recent market and public opinion situation, Simon did not intend to wait any longer, but decided to execute it simply and swiftly.
Several people in the conference room looked at each other, and Jeff Bezos said: "It's mainly PC giants such as IBM and Japan's Toshiba. In terms of operators, AT-T is also more insistent."
IBM and other manufacturers are within Simon's expectation. As for AT-T, as a telecommunications giant that still maintains nationwide coverage and operations after the split in 1984, due to its disdain for emerging Internet access services in the past few years, AT-T also chose to outsource related services to small operators in various places. To take charge.
It was not until last year that AT-T finally reacted, began to take away the power of outsourced operators, and personally joined the competition for Internet users.
Although AT-T has lagged far behind America Online, which has a market share of 70%, no one dares to ignore the existence of this established giant.
Simon didn't want to know if there were other games involved, whether it was manufacturers or operators who wanted to get more discounts, or several large companies in the Westeros system jointly planned to put a stumbling block for AT-T, or some senior executives deliberately In order to get more benefits from the IE browser, he just said quickly: "PC manufacturers and network operators will refer to the already negotiated cooperation plans between Compaq and America Online to provide those who are still... Hesitant companies have the last three days to think about it. After three days, they will either sign a contract or they will no longer have to use our software. I want you to officially announce that IE is free next Friday."
Carol Butts couldn't help but said: "Simon, are you too impatient? The opposition we are facing now... Well, the pressure of litigation is not that serious?"
Hearing the obvious pause in Carol's words, several others couldn't help but smile.
Obviously, what Bartz wanted to say was antitrust pressure. However, because of a punishment imposed by Simon some time ago, this female executive with a fierce personality was obviously allergic to this word.
It started with an email.
In a work email to Simon, Carol Butts described in detail the monopoly advantage currently held by Yigrit's basic tool software and how to maintain this advantage in the recent market public opinion environment.
Simon strongly agreed with Carol's point of view, and then fined the female executive one-tenth of her annual salary.
The reason is that Bartz used the word 'monopoly' too much in his email.
Simon then clearly emphasized at a small meeting of Yigrit's core senior management that whether it is future emails, phone calls, high-level meetings or even private conversations, it is necessary to clearly avoid using the word 'monopoly', because if you are not careful, it will These may be used as evidence in the future by the authorities in the antitrust investigation against Yigret.
This is not without precedent.
In the 1970s, Buffett acquired a newspaper called the "Buffalo Evening News" in Buffalo, New York. In order to squeeze out competitors and monopolize the Buffalo newspaper market, Buffett asked this newspaper that did not have a Sunday edition in the past. The Sunday edition was released to combat another newspaper, the Courier-Express, which could only survive by relying on its exclusive Sunday edition. At that time, these two relatively powerful newspapers were the only ones left in Buffalo.
In order to avoid being squeezed out, the Courier-Express sued the Buffalo Evening News for unfair competition in an attempt to monopolize the Buffalo newspaper industry.
This lawsuit was originally very unreasonable, because the core of federal antitrust laws is to encourage competition rather than inhibit competition. The release of the Sunday edition of the "Buffalo Evening News" can increase competition among Sunday print media, and theoretically can promote various Every newspaper has improved the quality of its news services to retain customers as much as possible, so the "Buffalo Evening News" is fully qualified to launch a Sunday edition.
As a result, Buffett lost the lawsuit.
The reason is that the investment tycoon happened to publicly make a "bridge toll station" statement at that time, saying that owning a newspaper that monopolizes a regional market is like owning a bridge toll station, and the operator will be able to increase prices at will. .
Because of this clear monopoly rhetoric, an easily winnable lawsuit ended in failure.
Although the judge ultimately did not prevent the "Buffalo Evening News" from publishing its Sunday edition, the ruling established a series of very strict restrictive measures for Buffett's newspaper. These adverse factors almost caused the "Buffalo Evening News" to have a leading position. Couldn't hold on.
Buffett's $35 million investment in acquiring the "Buffalo Evening News" was the other party's largest investment in that era. At that time, the investment tycoon's personal net worth was only $70 million. Once the "Buffalo Evening News" goes bankrupt, it may not be what it is today. of Berkshire Hathaway.
The cause of this disaster was just Buffett's careless words.
Therefore, not only the case of Buffett, but also the most important rule of conduct brought to Simon by more than a dozen life experiences in his mind is that you can do many things, but you must not say them.
Just like the real monopoly of Ygriet Company.
Just like the deep-rooted racial discrimination in the United States.
and various other things.
There are too many politically correct norms in Western countries. In Simon's view, they are actually the 'can't say' norm. You may not get into trouble if you do it, but if you say it, you are giving someone a leg up.
Simon was very satisfied with Bartz, an outspoken female executive, who had stopped in time. Otherwise, he planned to deduct another tenth of her annual salary. Although according to the equity award agreement originally signed, it was almost certain that the contract would be worth one billion when it was fulfilled. Several core executives of the super rich don't care about the current basic annual salary of hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the attitude of their young boss cannot be ignored.
Following everyone's smiles, Simon quickly calmed down his expression and said seriously: "Carly, this matter has nothing to do with the recent public opinion and the investigation by the authorities. If IE keeps charging, it is crucial for Ygritte, even if it is marked After ten years of litigation, I still will not give up easily. However, the free plan of IE, in addition to allowing Yigrit to push our latest technologies in real time, the most important reason is to fundamentally ensure that this browser The market position of browser software on a global scale. Now everyone has realized the importance of browser software interfaces. In the federation, we already have an absolute advantage. We don’t have too urgent worries for the time being, but on a global scale, In order to prevent Internet interfaces from being controlled by Igret, some countries are already considering using government power to ask us to give up the exclusive rights of IE. You should know these things better than me. The implementation of the free plan will allow us to lose our exclusive rights. It is still enough to maintain a strong market position. So, there is only one week, and I will see the results next Friday. I don’t want any of you to delay this matter for any reason, do you understand?”
Simon stared sharply at Bezos and others. After they nodded one by one, he withdrew his gaze, looked down at the memo in front of him, raised his head and said to the housekeeper: "Ellie, about Wisconsin Senator Craig. Ames accuses our logistics distribution center under construction of voluntarily giving up the tax exemptions provided by the local area. Ignore him. However, the recruitment plan for the distribution center needs to be advanced. Someone will contact you about the specific operation of this matter. You I know why, so I need your absolute cooperation, okay?"
Alice nodded.
The housekeeper, who has been paying attention to everything that has happened recently, certainly understands that this matter is non-negotiable.
Wisconsin Democratic Senator Craig Ames, who last month proposed an 'asset tax' plan that was almost exclusively aimed at Simon, has not stopped attacking the Westeros system during this time, and will soon do so. The target is a tax break package for a large fulfillment center Amazon is building in Wisconsin.
As one of the seven most important large-scale logistics distribution centers in Amazon's next phase of development plan, once opened, it will directly bring about 1,500 long-term jobs to Wisconsin, and there will be countless indirect job opportunities created.
Moreover, unlike Silicon Valley engineers who require high threshold professional skills, the recruitment requirements for distribution centers are very relaxed in terms of age and academic qualifications. This is perfect for the large number of unemployed blue-collar workers in the traditional rust belt, and can provide retirement medical care, etc. Opportunities for long-term, stable employment with comprehensive security are even rarer.
1,500 long-term and stable job opportunities can support almost 1,500 families.
However, although the congressman did not ignore all this, he still emphasized that the Westeros system should pay more, such as voluntarily giving up the tax breaks and other incentive programs provided by the local government for this project. This was obviously messing around. Those guys who frequently stand on the moral high ground and force donations from the rich are even more disgusting.
Tax relief programs for emerging companies and large-scale projects are very common in all states in the United States. The preferential treatment received by Yigrit Company is just a common practice. If it voluntarily gives up, it will be equivalent to an increase in tax relief programs on the premise that other companies enjoy the tax relief programs. The operating costs of Igret reduce the competitiveness of enterprises.
In fact, Simon can also cancel the construction plan of the distribution center in Wisconsin. At worst, the tens of millions of dollars he has invested will be wasted, and he can afford to lose it. However, of course, this kind of impulsiveness can only be thought about. Simon is not an impulsive person. The location selection of the seven logistics distribution centers under construction by Amazon has been carefully considered in many aspects. Giving up hastily will even affect Yigrit Electronics. The next step in business development.
After saying this, Simon looked at his memo again and started the next topic.
After such a busy day, it wasn't until after six o'clock in the afternoon that Simon took Girl A back from the construction site of the Ygritte headquarters park under construction in Mountain View City to his villa in the Woodside Mountains in the west of the Bay Area.
The villa was quite lively.
Nadja Allman and Yasmin Gary experienced a little scare on Monday. Under Simon's arrangement, they took the man's Boeing 767 private jet to Tokyo for some shopping and relaxation. After returning from Japan today, they learned that Simon If you're in San Francisco, just fly here.
In addition to the two big goblins, Claire also came with a certain little goblin to have dinner.
In addition to Girl A, the Indian girl Aaliyah and Girl D Deborah, who have recently been responsible for Simon's daily life, there are a total of seven women in the main villa of the mansion.
One boy and seven girls.
If word of this scene spreads, there will definitely be a lot of excitement in the media.
When Simon arrived home, the girls, who seemed very harmonious at least on the surface, were preparing dinner in the kitchen, and the flowers were in full bloom.
After a busy day, Simon went upstairs to take a shower and change clothes. Although there were no instructions, Aaliya followed quietly and followed Simon into the master bedroom upstairs.
He only planned to take a shower and there was no need to drain the water. Simon asked Aaliyah to prepare a change of clothes for him before entering the bathroom.
About ten minutes later, Simon wiped his wet hair and walked out of the bathroom with only a big towel around his waist. He found that Aaliyah, who had prepared clothes for him, had not left. She bent over and put a shirt on the bed again and again. Fold it and pretend to be busy.
Because of long-term yoga practice, the girl's figure wrapped in a slim-fitting white shirt and black trousers has a very special graceful and graceful look when she bends over.
Seeing Simon walk out of the bathroom, Aaliyah straightened up quickly, still holding the man's shirt in her hand, walked over and said, "Boss, um, here it is."
After the girl finished speaking, she felt something was wrong. She quickly turned around and found the men's shorts that had been prepared from the big bed and handed them over. She looked at Simon's exposed muscular chest and her face turned red unconsciously.
Simon was not indifferent to all the exquisite vases around him. He just took into account the possibility of changing the working mentality of the girls and did not eat them easily. After all, once the maid climbed into the bed of the male master, it was often difficult to avoid wanting more. Furthermore, he even covets the position of the hostess.
Then there is restlessness at home.
Looking at the Indian girl's reaction, Simon realized that although the girl would not refuse if he asked, this was obviously not a seduction, so he asked: "Do you have something to tell me?"
When Aaliya heard this, she obviously felt guilty, but she nodded subconsciously.
It seems to be serious business.
Simon smiled, took the shorts from Aaliyah, casually grabbed the girl's delicate chin and pinched it, and said: "Turn over first, we will go to the study next door to talk later."
Aaliyah turned around obediently and waited for Simon to put on his underwear. Then she stepped forward and thoughtfully helped her husband put on other clothes.