- -
PlayStation, there is a simpler name: PS.
As home game consoles, Sony's PS series and Microsoft's Xbox series are the two most popular brands in later generations. Anyone who knows a little bit about video games will not be unaware of the products of these two companies.
But Chen Yuanming is not a real game fan. All the games he is familiar with come from the experience of building computers for Internet cafes when selling computers. Like most amateur players in China, Warcraft, Red Alert, Counter-Strike or Baldur's Gate It is the best choice for him to kill time in his spare time. Therefore, after the establishment of Golden Stone, he would place such importance on Blizzard, and would extend a solicitation to Westwood Studios, and would acquire Interplay, which gave birth to Black Island Studios, in advance.
Because of this difference in interest, his knowledge of home game consoles is not in-depth, but Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 are exceptions, and it is the DVD format war that originated in 2006 that caught his attention.
Similar to the DVD format dispute in 1995, in 2006 Sony and Toshiba successively released their next-generation high-definition DVD format, Sony's name was Blu-ray (Blu-ray), and Toshiba's was called HD-DVD. The battle for control of the next generation of multimedia formats is even more tragic. Sony has received support from optical storage manufacturers including Panasonic, Philips, and Pioneer, the world's four major PC manufacturers, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Hollywood film giants such as Disney and Fox; while Toshiba is standing behind it. Silicon Valley hegemons like Microsoft, Intel, and NEC.
Since both camps are extremely powerful, and it is a battle of life and death, the war lasted for two years. It ended with a big victory for Sony Blu-ray in early 2008. During the period, it was also mixed with the red flag formulated by the China DVD Alliance. The battle of the light (EVD) standard, but there was no wave at all, the red light was completely sunk by the domestic piracy industry, and even the country was not able to get out. For this matter, many business magazines have long and tedious reports, even if they are not very interested in it, they can understand about it.
Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 belong to both camps. PS3 can only recognize Blu-ray discs, while Xbox supports HD format. Thanks to the gossip of those media and websites, even if he has never played any games on these two consoles, Chen Yuanming is no stranger to their product information.
And through the memories of the past, some meanings that I had not noticed before surfaced. PS uses, PS2 uses DVD-ROM, and PS3 can not only play Blu-ray, but also conduct virtual battles through network platforms. Coincidentally, Microsoft's Xbox 360 can also connect to the Internet and play CDs. That said, when a family has a home console like this, they probably won't need to buy a dedicated DVD player anymore.
This is unimaginable in the Chinese market. After all, the price of game consoles is too expensive, and game consoles have always been regarded as natural enemies that affect children's studies. Generally, families rarely buy game consoles to replace video players. However, in developed Western countries, there are fewer psychological barriers. The global sales of PS alone exceeds 100 million units. When this game console and home network are further integrated, can it replace the computer console and directly display it on the TV? networking? Can it replace the set-top box to send and receive TV signals
Chen Yuanming has experienced the high-tech era of later generations. He knows better than anyone that in the future world, "singleness" is not an advantage. Mobile phones are not only used to make calls, but also to be able to send text messages, to take photos, to connect to the Internet, and to operate functions that were unimaginable a decade ago. Apple's iPhone, launched at the end of 2007, completely subverted people's perception of mobile phones. It is not like the multi-function mobile phones produced by the previous BlackBerry or Nokia, but has become a close substitute for computers.
In addition to mobile phones, how many products have similar changes? TVs began to have USB ports to support playing and downloading videos; cameras became digital formats, film rolls became a thing of the past, batteries can be charged, memory cards can be connected to computers; they can play video and audio at the same time, and can read MP4 files from text files It is all over the streets... The future belongs to an era of mutual integration of technology. A single level of high-end can no longer suppress the comprehensive performance. Multi-function is the only way out.
But what about Feiyan's current vision? They are still developing DVD players and optical drives, and some people have proposed the concept of car and mobile, but they are only DVD players after all and cannot be used for other purposes. Even if it occupies more than 60% of China's market in the player field, even if it can gain a firm foothold in the world, even if it is the first to release the Blu-ray format, it will only be less than ten years away.
After 2006, CDs will be gradually eliminated, and even pirated copies will lose their living space, and computers will be the center of the next generation of home entertainment. When the speed of the Internet is further improved, people don't even need to download videos directly. They have Tudou and YouTube, and online browsing will probably become the mainstream in the future. The Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 bring further revelation. Maybe playing movies, stand-alone games, and even social networking or TV viewing can be achieved with a small game console, and they will no longer be pure games. It is a new generation of home entertainment center that replaces computers, video players, and TV set-top boxes.
And this possibility, ten years ago today, has already begun the layout.
At this moment, Chen Yuanming almost felt frustrated. In terms of business acumen, he is simply not comparable to real geniuses like Akio Morita, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. The most terrifying thing about them is that they can see through the development of the times and can point out the direction for the future in ten years, or even twenty or thirty years. . Such talent is absolutely impossible to make up for with diligence and hard work, and the gap is stark and daunting.
But to admit defeat? Taking a deep breath, Chen Yuanming crushed the thought on the soles of his feet without hesitation. Just talking about the future ten years, he also has enough knowledge and a team that is beginning to take shape. Among the people he knows, there are still geniuses like Lin Xuewen, Yan Qiaosen, Yu Yongan, and the next ten years. In China, another batch of influential figures will also be born in China. These are the ones who have truly achieved success through hardships. What about those geniuses who lack opportunities or have bad luck? Estimated to be more vehicle capacity.
He may not be a genius, but he has the strength and energy to hold up those geniuses, a stage that is so vast that it is eye-popping. In ten years, too many choices have been made.
"Chen, do you know these words?"
A voice interrupted his thoughts, Chen Yuanming turned his eyes and looked at the screen. There, a row of standard Japanese menus are being displayed on a computer screen. It's a racing game, and there's a long list of menus to choose from and introduce.
Mike and David from the dor studio are skillfully switching the menus and choosing the model they like, and it doesn't look like they can't read Japanese at all. Chen Yuanming smiled, and Alan, who asked the question, shook his head.
"I can only recognize some Chinese characters, but I can't understand the sentences. This is Japanese, not Chinese."
"Are they very different?" Ellen couldn't help but asked again curiously, "Our art director Sam is a crazy panda fan. When he was a child, he often spent time in Washington Park to visit the pair of baby pandas, and he was very obsessed with them. Japanese samurai, now his desk is full of panda samurai stuff, and he even encouraged us to add pandas to the Warcraft system. He said Japanese and Chinese are very similar, you know, similar to a simplified version?"
Chen Yuanming shook his head helplessly, "No, the panda is from China, the samurai sword is from Japan, Chinese and Japanese are two completely different languages, just like although there are many Latin words in English, but it comes from Germanic The languages are the same, but they are very different.”
"But..." After a pause, Chen Yuanming showed a smile, "The sales of Warcraft 2 this year are very good. If you are interested, I can arrange a China tour to take you to the hometown of pandas."
"What?!" Allen exclaimed, "Is it okay? Can I travel to China now?! Sam! Come on Sam!!"
There was a sudden commotion in the office, and the sounds of games and shouts were intertwined and chaotic. Looking at this lively scene, Chen Yuanming smiled, starting a wave of cultural baptism from Warcraft, which is not a bad thing. He has such a wealth of resources, how can he retreat and let opportunities pass by.
A few days later, the heads of Zero Time Company, Feiyan Company, and the Eagle's Nest Department sat together.
On the large desk, there is a brand new PS game console, and the machine compartment is opened like a show, revealing the CD disc inside. On the multimedia screen not far away, another one was plugged in. Under Chen Yuanming's gesture, the assistant joystick opened the game and clicked on the various interfaces.
The display only took ten minutes, and the entire PS operation process was fully displayed. Chen Yuanming nodded at the machine in front of him, "This is the PlayStation home game console that Sony released at the end of last year, not a VCD player, but a game console."
Saying that, he picked up the game CD next to him, "Did you see it? The CD made in Japan, due to the technology sharing of the VCD Alliance, this CD also uses the CSS zone code, and they define their own zone as zone 2. , the lock code technology can effectively prevent players in other regions from reading the disc, but this lock code is applied to the game."
"It is also a disc that recognizes the lock code. Such a machine is more than a step ahead of our current VCD player. It is compatible with the functions of game consoles and video players, and the visual effect is quite good. Although long-term video playback may It has some impact on the machine, but it is enough to meet the needs of ordinary families for video players. At present, its price is only 299 US dollars. If such a machine is launched in the European and American markets, and even the next generation of products that can read DVDs is developed, it will be very important for us What kind of impact will it have on the player industry?"
"We do not plan to launch VCD in the European and American markets, but the price of DVD is expected to be between 270-310 US dollars, and it may be possible to further reduce the price in the future, but the current research and development costs are not cheap. If there is no head-on conflict, I suggest not for the time being. Prices are adjusted…”
Yan Qiaosen's answer was a bit heavy. He had already heard the news from Chen Yuanming the day before yesterday. He is a real layman in the game industry, but this new product with both player and game functions will undoubtedly be a good match for the game industry. Yan's market expansion in Europe and the United States has had a certain impact. And lowering the price is definitely not the best option.
"That's right, a price war is always the stupidest way." Chen Yuanming threw the disc back on the table, "This PS may not yet have an impact on our VCD or future DVD industry. The time it takes to develop is not short, but the design concepts it contains are worth learning. Watching movies and watching TV is leisure and entertainment. What about singing karaoke? Playing game consoles? Chatting online? If you can use one Machines take care of all the trouble, why should we make two machines?"
Looking calmly around the people present, Chen Yuanming's voice did not contain a trace of urgency, but instead brought a bit of unshakable certainty.
"The idea of developing DVD, and even formulating MPEG-4 format according to the next-generation video resolution rate, to achieve a higher limit of optical disc storage, is not wrong, but our attention cannot be limited to this. The research and development team is working on car or mobile DVD , the idea is very good, but it is too narrow. Just like the landline can be turned into a mobile phone, and the cassette can be turned into a CD, miniaturization, personalization, and multimedia should be the future development trend. What we need to do is not only to use video playback If you want to be able to play discs on the console, you should also consider making devices that have storage and playback capabilities themselves, like this PS game console, that can cross the entertainment mode.”
As he said that, he looked at George Cascent, the CEO of Eagle's Nest Entertainment, who was sitting beside him. "George, you are from within News Corp. You should know Mr. Murdoch's expectations for satellite TV very well. If there is a game console, at the same time, Can you accept satellite signals and watch more satellite TV, will you choose to buy another set-top box? If this game console can directly link to Fox's movie storage server, pay for the movies in it, they will continue Buy a CD?"
George hesitated for a moment, then replied seriously, "If such a technology can be realized, I don't think consumers will pay for the product repeatedly. But the current network transmission speed, I'm afraid it can't support such an idea, it may require... uh... For decades?"
"It will be a long time, but it won't be that long." Chen Yuanming shook his head firmly, "Perhaps within 20 years, these imagined functions will be realized one by one. Therefore, what we need to do is to be at the forefront of the times, Root our brand in the hearts of consumers first. Maybe we don't need to take such a big step in one breath, but one small step at a time, one day, we will stand at the peak of the times. What we have now is a very complete We have a R&D department like Zero Time, a product department like Feiyan, a third-party department like Eagle Nest, and even some graphics cards, Internet, and personal computers. How to integrate these departments , allowing them to play a greater role in fighting together is the root of everything."
"Our vision should not only be in front of the eyes, but have longer-term goals. Maybe one day, CDs will withdraw from people's daily life like tapes, but the big group of Feiyan will not disappear, but the changes are more trendy and more suitable for The development of a new era. Just like the ancestor Fairchild in this land of Silicon Valley, it used to be so huge, so brilliant, like a real mountain, but when the torrent of the times came, it could not leave anything behind, It's only going to be washed away. We're not going to be Fairchild, we're going to be an invincible giant like IBM."
Having said this, Chen Yuanming's eyes returned to the PS game console in front of him, "Or take a step closer, just like our enemy Sony. In the DVD standard, we beat him by a small step, but on this game console, What we lose is the distance of an era. To understand our enemy, imitate our enemy, and defeat our enemy on the same battlefield. Only with such courage and confidence, Feiyan can grow and develop step by step. To be a thriving company, a group that will not collapse.”
After a pause, Chen Yuanming seemed to have thought of something interesting, and showed a teasing smile. "Every great battle needs a code name, and I think this one we're going to have an appropriate name for, let's call it the 'Battle of the Living Room'. I hope that in 20 years, every household will be able to When we have at least one Feiyan product, that's when we truly win!"
Yes, one method is valid, and all methods are valid. What is unfolding in front of you now is a clearer path. He still remembers that in 1997, Apple's stock price would drop to a bottom of $3, and he once planned to buy a large amount of Apple's shares at this time and wait for it to skyrocket. But what about now? Was the iPod that saved Apple high-tech? It's just an MP3, and what really makes it popular is the iTunes download and playback system.
In the same way, can the scape browser, which once troubled him so much, only be bundled with the initial installation? not necessarily. What it lacks is the loyalty of consumers. If scape and ICQ are bundled together, or even a free email system like Hotmail is added, the social circle around Iail will be difficult to leave the control of this browser.
In fact, in many cases, it is not the product itself that is outstanding, but the marketing model owned by the product, the link between it and other industries and users. As long as the bond is unbreakable, the product is invincible.
A very simple, but really useful idea. It took him three whole years, maybe half his life in his previous life, to finally find out the essence of a business operation. How could he not be ecstatic with such a harvest.
With a faint smile, Chen Yuanming looked down at the stack of documents in front of him. Since 1995 will be the symbol of a new era in Silicon Valley, let his group of industries become the hurricane that leads the times.
To destroy and change the world in his memory!
(End of this chapter)
The author has something to say: Well, the home console actually has Nintendo's wii, but this thing came out late, Yuanming was out of the circle at that time, and I didn't know much about it.
Regarding pandas, the pair of giant pandas Lingling and Xingxing presented to the United States in 1972 were very sensational at the time, and major newspapers and magazines in the world published the big news. After that, more than 3 million Americans visited the Washington National Zoo every year on average. Later, the pandaren of Warcraft, everyone knows XD
Thick enough today! Hahaha~ Come and praise the nest>_
Continue to thank the friends for feeding and feeding, Emma is so big today! Happy drop_(:зゝ∠)_
865458 threw a grenade
865458 threw a grenade
Liner058425 threw a rocket launcher
carbuncle202 threw a mine
Mint threw a mine
Looking down on the situation and throwing a landmine