[Chapter 828: This Idea Is Amazing]
William White remarked that the film was pretty good, and surprisingly, people actually bought into it. With Warner Bros' promotion, whether overt or subtle, the movie's box office took a boost.
Warner Bros was pleased, but both Redstone and Murdoch were not happy. "Come on, if everyone's flopping, why are you two making a profit?"
As for William White, he was unfazed. The audience for Forrest Gump was firmly set in place, and really, it was just a self-congratulatory moment for America; outside of that sphere, nobody else felt an impact.
He inwardly grumbled that the title was all wrong. It shouldn't be called Forrest Gump; it should be about a life on easy mode.
In America, movies were mass consumption goods. This kind of entertainment had a key characteristic: universality.
Yes, Americans had a habit of watching films. However, there was a limit to how much money could be spent on entertainment each month. No matter how great a movie was, the average person wouldn't spend over fifty bucks a month at the box office. With so many good films out there, everyone ended up sharing a smaller piece of that pie. Statistics confirmed that even during summer, the average person rarely saw more than two movies.
So, the question arose: with nearly twenty thousand screens across the nation, if there weren't any blockbuster hits, each theater would only see about a thousand bucks per show.
Consider the fierce competition; at least a dozen films would premiere in the same timeframe. If a couple of solid films showed up, the rest could end up tanking.
"Not bad, not bad! They've incorporated the Caucasus region, that's right; this makes sense," someone said.
"Sir, the map's a bit tricky to navigate. Especially since we'll have both sides using the same weapons," another pointed out.
"Haha, that's exactly it! In an online setting, we must have random variations," came the reply.
"Sir, if everything's in order, can we prepare for the launch?"
"Sure, get it done as quickly as possible. By the way, the Russians have been a bit on edge lately; you all better hurry. If they escalate and your game isn't done, let's just say I'll send you to Africa to feed elephants. Tom, don't laugh; you're in charge."
"Ahem, no worries, boss, we'll have it all wrapped up in two weeks."
"Good. Completing it smoothly comes with rewards, so you know what that means."
"Got it, boss! I'll arrange it right away."
William White smiled at the sight of Tom bustling off. Forget about the challenges in Africa; recently, there had been too many criticisms flying around. Hundreds of thousands had died, and it was unfathomable to think of monetizing that tragedy.
What? Europe wasn't faring much better either?
Well, that was beside the point; the game was entirely fictional, and no one should take it personally. To be honest, not having a shooting game would have been a significant loss.
In William White's opinion, shooting games shouldn't even exist. In the U.S., people really would take a gun out to play, and that would just be no joke. If something went wrong, the NRA wouldn't get blamed; they'd toss the blame right at the game developers.
The NRA was the largest lobbying group in America, tougher to handle than the North American Auto Workers Union. Rest assured, they were unparalleled when it came to deflection.
Did one think America was just about rampant gun ownership? Wrong. From black powder to TNT, they possessed a full spectrum of explosives.
Did anyone think they didn't know how dangerous that was? Sure, there were stores that sold guns, but ammunition and firearms were separate.
Only upon checkout could a person walk out with both in hand.
Never try to sneak a gun in; if it had to be done, it was best to keep it in the packaging. If someone assumed they were going for customer service, staff might think they were there to rob the place.
"Lisa, give me a latte."
"Sir, it's lunchtime; you should eat well first before playing."
"Uh, have them bring me a hamburger with double steak and double mustard."
"Got it. Need a massage while you're at it?"
"Don't! You'll remind me of other things. You can eat after I'm finished here."
The cute assistant rolled her eyes, clearly amused that they had actually produced a decent game.
What she didn't realize was that William White had loved real-time strategy games in his past.
As for those third-person shooters, they gave him a headache. The crucial point was he played strategy games well, while shooters were more of a struggle for him.
"Tom."
"Sir, what's the issue?"
"This mouse--today's mice are terrible. Ask Logitech if they have any means of improvement. If not, we should just buy a company to handle it ourselves."
"Sure thing, boss, is it just that the response isn't quick enough?"
"Exactly. And I've thought of a good idea--we could replace that silly rolling ball with a light sensor."
"Light sensor? Sir, are you sure that's possible?"
"Of course! First, head to Bell Labs to kick off a project, and then you need to file for the patent. And be careful--don't let anyone scoop you on this."
"Okay, boss! I'll get started on the patent right away."
"Sure, consult with a patent lawyer about it."
After long sessions with the mouse, he had grown quite irritable. Thankfully, there was his cute assistant to alleviate his tension; otherwise, he might end up with carpal tunnel.
The charming assistant sighed, thinking that it was odd to switch from gaming to the topic of mouse design without warning.
"Okay, okay, fine. Maybe I overdid it a bit earlier, but you also shouldn't have used your teeth."
"Alright, some discomfort here."
"Looks like it's serious; you'll need a shot."
While a light sensor mouse couldn't cure his ailment, it could certainly help relieve his fatigue. But really, that wasn't what mattered most; it was a solid business opportunity, and a clever idea.
Most importantly, there wasn't much technical difficulty involved. As PC gaming continued to grow, user demands for better keyboard and mouse performance would surely follow.
If it were just for work, the free models were usually satisfactory. Okay, right now they were still rather pricey; free was a tall order; a mouse pad might be given, but that was about it.
Branded packages typically came with average quality, whereas DIY kits were often pricier.
In America, there wouldn't emerge a place like the Pacific Computer City; it wasn't that there wasn't a need, it was just that there wasn't that great of a demand.
As the economy matured, one would notice a peculiar loop: it was ultimately demand that drove economic growth.
Americans invented DIY, and over ninety percent of DIY computers were built in China. Japan invented the Shinkansen, but the finest versions were being made in China.
Recently, he had seen news about the Chinese boasting a new toy that could reach six hundred kilometers per hour.
Ahem, it wouldn't do much good to have a thousand Kilometer capacity if the next market, closely related to China, was India. Unfortunately, the land of enhanced subscribers didn't fancy high-speed trains. Forget 600; even 200 wasn't feasible. With such velocity, how could they manage?
China had long completed its urbanization, and demand for subways outweighed that for the Shinkansen--therein lay the issue.
Without demand, no amount of technology would work; ultimately, it would be the consumers picking up the tab. Everyone else was just spinning their wheels.
The sequels to Red Alert began generating buzz with new maps, fresh narratives, and an upgraded weapons system. Legendary World had just started its promotion, and customers were already overflowing with inquiries.
This time, the PC manufacturers were all prepared. Though unwilling to admit it, the launch of a new game would indeed boost computer sales. Ignoring the needs of this demographic would be utterly foolish.
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