Expensive and complicated.
This was Kobayashi Tetsu's first reaction upon seeing the physical prototype.
The chip, custom-developed by the Technical Development Department, was integrated into the cartridge to drastically enhance the game's graphics. Even with 2D visuals, it made the game more vivid and the colors more vibrant. However, the sole drawback was its cost.
After reviewing the news reports, Kobayashi Tetsu first confirmed the reactions in Japan. Once he verified that semiconductor production costs had indeed shifted, he returned to the Technical Development Department.
"Based on current prices, producing a single cartridge like this would require a retail price of over 7,000 Yen."
Matsuoka Satoshi spoke candidly. "From a commercial perspective, I believe it's not yet viable for production. Perhaps we should wait a few more months until raw material prices drop further and Japanese semiconductor manufacturers lower the cost of their chips. Only then will it have practical value."
Kobayashi Tetsu didn't answer, only turning the cartridge over and over in his hands. This cartridge was a modified version of Ninja Gaiden, with an added chip to enhance its graphics. It was a custom-made prototype by the Technical Development Department for testing purposes, not for retail sale.
"I have another concern," Matsuoka Satoshi said. "Without long-term testing, I'm not sure if there will be any side effects when the chip is used in practice."
He continued, "When Nintendo first released the FC, it was a great success. But no one expected that the chip manufacturer had failed to completely remove the microcode from their initial production run, which caused the FC to crash when it got too cold. Without targeted testing, a problem like that would only be discovered in the winter. That's why I'm hoping we can conduct further tests on the enhancement chip."
However, this would further increase the costs. Moreover, the Technical Development Department alone couldn't possibly uncover every potential issue.
"If we're going to test this, we need actual game cartridges." Kobayashi Tetsu stroked the surface of the cartridge and said, "But it would be too dull to just release a half-hearted remaster of an old game. It's best to release it as a new title, letting players test it directly without tarnishing Atlas's reputation."
When thinking of such a project, Kobayashi Tetsu immediately thought of the fifteen independent game developers they had sponsored and the games they had released.
"We'll release about ten to twenty thousand special cartridges for testing. The selling price will remain unchanged, meaning Atlas will subsidize the cost and sell them at a loss. For every cartridge sold, Atlas will lose about 1,700 yen. But even if we subsidize twenty thousand cartridges, that's only a loss of a few dozen million yen. Spending a few dozen million yen to get real, effective, first-hand test data from players is much better than doing closed testing ourselves."
Matsuoka Satoshi hesitated to speak.
Wouldn't this be equivalent to making the players pay to test it!
However, if the selling price of the cartridges remained unchanged and the cost was calculated as a subsidy from Atlas, it didn't seem too excessive.
Matsuoka Satoshi said no more, simply bowing deeply.
"Very well. I will commission the OEM factory to produce a small batch of enhanced chips for testing."
As for what happened next, it would all depend on the players' feedback.
Adachi City.
Kobayashi Tetsu checked in with a few independent developers.
Metal Shell, the Metal Slug-inspired title they'd been working on, was now basically complete and ready for release.
When Kobayashi Tetsu submitted a request to test it, the developers didn't even hesitate—they agreed on the spot.
Beyond that, Kobayashi Tetsu also received some unexpected news.
"You're finished?!"
"Yup, all done."
Kobayashi Tetsu gasped, staring at Kobayakawa Rinko.
"I thought it would take you at least a few months, since you don't have much experience."
"It did," Kobayakawa replied, counting on her fingers. "We've been working on it for nearly three months! At first, no one knew what they were doing, but we soon realized how incredibly useful Persona is. Once we started coordinating, each of us just took a few levels, and we finished them in a couple of weeks. We didn't have the skill to add any new features, so we spent the rest of the time polishing the story. We just hope the narrative resonates with the players."
She spoke, her hands clasped and fingers interlaced in a prayer-like gesture.
A massive hit? That was out of the question. But even if they just received positive feedback, she would be more than satisfied.
Kobayashi Tetsu, both surprised and curious, asked, "Have you decided on a title for the game yet?"
"Of course! Since the story takes place in an aquarium, we've decided to call it Deep Sea Girl!" Koyakawa announced, her voice brimming with confidence as she shared the name she had spent days carefully considering.
That won't do, Kobayashi Tetsu thought. The protagonist is only nine. It should be called Deep Sea Little Girl.
Still, since the song "Deep Sea Girl" didn't exist yet, the title was fitting enough. He decided not to correct her.
"Alright, let's talk business," Kobayashi Tetsu said, raising a finger. "From here on, our personal relationship won't grant you any special treatment. Let me be clear: Atlas is currently testing a new hardware feature. If Soba Studio is willing to use Deep Sea Girl as a test case, Atlas will offer a significant discount on the publishing fees. However, since the technology is still in beta, it might negatively impact the game's critical reception."
Although Kobayashi Tetsu knew Koyakawa didn't understand, and he could have just run the test during the cartridge production without her knowing, he still wanted to respect the participants' right to be informed.
As expected, Koyakawa didn't understand, but she playfully pursed her lips.
"Then let's test it. Like President Kobayashi said, it's a win-win for everyone, right? If we can sell them, it'll be a huge help!"
She had even switched to a more formal way of addressing him.
Kobayashi Tetsu squeezed Koyakawa's hand.
"You're the ones who are a huge help."
After letting go, Kobayashi Tetsu had already made his decision.
The test would be conducted using the first batch of cartridges for Metal Shell and Deep Sea Girl. The retail price would remain unchanged, with Atlas subsidizing the difference. After the 1,700 yen discount, Atlas would make less than 100 yen per cartridge. Once advertising and distribution costs were factored in, it would essentially be a loss-making venture.
But it was only 20,000 copies. The subsidy would only amount to a few tens of millions of yen. Even if they lost money, it wouldn't be more than a few million yen.
If they could test the superiority of the technology, Kobayashi Tetsu believed it would all be worth it!
Please Support me by becoming my Patreon member and get 15+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon