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After Alex joined Polaris Technologies, in addition to redesigning the VR operating system, he also designed a VR game pod that perfectly replicated the Gundam cockpit for Stormwind Entertainment's upcoming Gundam game.
This game pod still used the Nexus operating system—there simply wasn't enough time to develop their own. However, the entire pod perfectly replicated a Gundam mobile suit's cockpit, providing a far more realistic piloting experience.
The design wasn't particularly complicated. It was primarily a product launched for Gundam fans.
Soon, the first prototype rolled off the production line. Alex personally tested it, preparing to try out the internal beta version of the first part of the Gundam story.
"Hmm, feels great."
Alex ran his hands over the joystick and various buttons inside the game pod, satisfaction evident in his voice. The entire interior was a faithful reproduction of a Gundam cockpit—dashboard, control stick, seat, even an exclusive helmet.
Sitting inside, even without playing the game, it felt like being truly inside a Gundam.
Many buttons on the dashboard were actually decorative—players couldn't possibly memorize the functions of that many controls, and piloting in-game had been simplified accordingly. But they looked incredible.
Alex put on the helmet and quickly started the game, beginning to experience the realistic piloting sensation. When the hum of the Gundam's engine started in the opening animation and the hyper-realistic scene appeared before his eyes, he couldn't help the surge of excitement—as if he were truly piloting a Gundam.
A few days later, advertisements for the Gundam exclusive game pod launched alongside the advertisements for the Gundam content, with pre-orders opening first in North America.
Gundam fans eagerly placed orders. The game pod was priced starting at $4,000, with the highest configuration around $7,000—not cheap by any standard.
However, leveraging Gundam's massive influence and fan base, plus Stormwind Entertainment's new marketing model and promotion through platforms like StreamHub, the number of Gundam game pod orders in North America exceeded 50,000 units in less than a week. And the figure was still climbing.
Compared to Nexus brand game pods when new products launched, this sales volume was completely insignificant. But for the Polaris brand, this was equivalent to two or three months of previous VR game pod sales. Many VR equipment brands were openly envious.
"I never expected Polaris to make such a comeback with Gundam. Selling 50,000 units in less than a week is truly impressive!"
"Polaris Technologies' game pod—to be honest, it has decent performance and quality, and it's quite cost-effective. Good market reputation too. This time, it leveraged Gundam's popularity, and the highly realistic cockpit reproduction is genuinely attractive. For Gundam fans, there's no resistance. As long as they can afford it, I think many people will buy one. Even as a collector's item, it's worth it. Plus the Gundam game is about to launch, and these fans definitely want to experience the masterpiece properly."
"I heard Stormwind Entertainment invested in Polaris Technologies. I thought they were really going to develop a new operating system as rumored—challenge the giants, prove their worth. Now it seems they just want to make game peripherals!"
"Developing your own system isn't that easy. How much money has Polaris Technology lost over the years? Although they did manage to create their own system, its performance is far inferior to Nexus. I heard the stability is poor, and it can't run most applications on the market. Who would use something like that?"
"Polaris's starting point is admirable, and we respect them for it. But honestly, that path is truly long and arduous. We can only wish them well."
"Ugh, if only we could get Gundam licensing and produce Gundam series game pods—our sales would definitely be twice Polaris's!"
"No kidding!"
Twenty days after pre-orders opened, the first batch of customers received their Gundam game pods. Reviews, photos, and videos began appearing online.
"I feel like I actually bought a Gundam cockpit!"
"The craftsmanship is incredibly detailed. Faithfully reproduces the Gundam cockpit—it's super cool!"
"This is my first time buying Polaris brand equipment. Honestly, the value is excellent. Much better than most competitors at this price point."
"I tested the performance today—it's outstanding. Even as a regular game pod, it's worth the price. But the Gundam cockpit interior replication? At just over $4,000, this is genuinely a great deal."
"Nothing more to say. Just waiting for the Gundam game to drop!"
Following the positive reviews from early adopters and the spread of word-of-mouth, sales of the Gundam exclusive game pod surged rapidly. The international market opened up. In less than two months, the Gundam exclusive game pod achieved a sales milestone of one million units in North America, with global cumulative sales reaching nearly three million units—once again stunning domestic competitors.
The Polaris brand shot directly to the top of domestic sales for similar game pods, achieving an impressive victory and rapidly boosting brand visibility.
The entire company of Polaris Technologies was invigorated. Morale soared.
The Gundam manga was nearing its end, and the animated series was airing globally—dominating the top anime charts on major video platforms worldwide.
And finally, the experiential content for Gundam officially landed on Infinite Realms.
Fans had been waiting for this moment.
"Meeting time, meeting time!"
Lucas Carter gathered his studio employees for a briefing.
He was a gaming content creator, known online as "GameWanderer." Though only twenty-five, he already owned this new media studio. The team currently operated five accounts, including GameWanderer, WillPlaysGames, GameRoast, and others.
GameWanderer remained the company's flagship. His previous Transformers video series had garnered massive attention—gaining three to four million followers across platforms in just a few days, plus over a million international followers. And Gundam's popularity was no less than Transformers. Lucas was confident that riding this wave would bring a huge influx of new subscribers.
"Time is tight, so I'll keep this short," Lucas said. "According to our plan, we're putting aside all other work today. Full focus on producing a Gundam review video. I just checked—there are five selectable characters at the start of this content. The five of us will each play one character's storyline to collect footage."
He pointed around the room. "I'll take the protagonist, Kira Yamato. Will, you play Athrun Zala's storyline. Derek, you take Mu La Flaga. Rachel, you're on Murrue Ramius. And Hannah, you play Yzak Joule. We'll all play simultaneously..."
"Got it! No problem!"
"Haha, we've been waiting forever—finally Gundam is online!"
"I'm really looking forward to this review!"
Everyone was buzzing with excitement.
"Remember," Lucas said with a grin, "when you're playing, control yourselves. Don't get so absorbed in the game that you forget the actual job."
"No problem!"
"Don't worry, boss!"
Everyone headed toward the game pods nearby...