chsdbacks Chapter 91 Handheld Console Iteration
Chapter 91 Handheld Console Iteration
Today, Hong Kong is bustling with activity. The horns of cargo ships in the harbor sound day and night, and the salty sea breeze sweeps across the towering buildings, carrying the city's vibrancy and energy to every corner. At this moment, Hong Kong stands at the forefront of the global light industry and electronics wave. On the streets where neon lights are just coming on, people hold handheld game consoles with "Made in Hong Kong" labels.
The electronic products that would change people's lives in later generations had already taken shape in this era. The popularization of integrated circuits far exceeded outside imagination. Even the chips that would support the future digital world had quietly taken root in Hong Kong's electronics factories, evolving step by step from the initial crude transistors towards a more precise direction.
In this fertile ground of the electronics industry, the name of Zhonghua Group has long been known throughout the streets and alleys thanks to a palm-sized game console, and has even crossed oceans to gain a foothold in the markets of Southeast Asia, Europe, and even the Americas. No one could have imagined that the first-generation handheld console, which was sketched by Lin Zhou himself a few years ago with a touch of naivety and experimentation, has now evolved into its third generation.
At this moment, the R&D center of Zhonghua Group, located in the industrial park, is brightly lit.
The engineers in the R&D department gathered around a long experimental table, their faces beaming with barely concealed excitement.
On the table were more than a dozen handheld consoles with a matte black finish. The consoles were slightly thinner and lighter than the second generation, with smooth and rounded edges, making them a perfect fit in both hands.
The most eye-catching feature is the screen embedded on the front of the device. It is no longer the somewhat bulky CRT screen of the previous two generations, but a palm-sized LCD screen. When it is lit, the light is soft yet clear, without any of the flickering of the CRT screen.
"Mr. Lin, look!" Wang, the head of the R&D department, carefully picked up a prototype, pressed the red power button on the front, and the Zhonghua logo instantly appeared on the screen, followed by a simple game selection interface. "The third-generation handheld not only supports simultaneous storage of five games, but after switching to an LCD screen, power consumption has been reduced by 40%, and battery life has been increased from four hours to seven hours!"
Lin Zhou stood before the table, his fingertips lightly brushing across the cool screen, a satisfied smile flashing in his eyes. In his hand lay memories from the future—in his previous life, the widespread adoption of LCD screens had completely transformed the form of portable electronic devices, followed by LED LCD screens, and now, he was simply bringing that change to Zhonghua's handheld console ahead of time.
"Push boxes, Chinese blocks, space shooting, gluttonous dragon, whack-a-mole..." Lin Zhou looked at the five game icons neatly arranged on the screen and softly read out their names. "Have the difficulty levels of these five games been adjusted? They need to cater to both children and adults. They can't be too easy, nor can they be so difficult that people lose interest."
"It's already set up!" Engineer Chen nodded hurriedly, reached out and tapped the space shooting icon. A small plane immediately appeared on the screen, accompanied by crisp electronic sound effects. The plane nimbly weaved through the LCD screen. "We've added a level mode, a total of twenty levels. The further you go, the denser the enemy attacks become. We've also added an item system. Picking up a shield can negate one attack, and picking up double firepower can increase the rate of fire."
The surrounding engineers echoed their sentiments, their voices filled with pride. Zhonghua's handheld console's rapid global popularity was never due to mere luck.
The first-generation handheld only had one game, Dragon Dinosaur, which opened up the market with its simple and easy-to-learn gameplay. The second-generation handheld added two games, Sokoban and Space Shooter, and optimized the button feel, which tripled the sales. This third-generation handheld not only made a qualitative leap in hardware, but also put a lot of effort into software. The five games are all unique and can provide fun for players of different ages.
"The procurement of LCD screens has been quite troublesome." Lin Zhou withdrew his gaze, recalling the news from the purchasing department a week ago, and couldn't help but smile slightly.
A week ago, the purchasing manager of Zhonghua Group, along with two subordinates, boarded a flight to the United States. Before departure, Lin Zhou personally approached him and handed him a note that read "Houston LCD Technology Company of the United States" (this was made up), saying only one sentence: "At all costs, purchase their latest LCD screens. The size must be compatible with the body of our third-generation handheld console. The quantity... order 500,000 units first."
The purchasing manager was filled with doubt. In Hong Kong's electronics industry, everyone used CRT screens, which, although bulky, were technologically mature and relatively inexpensive. He had never heard of LCD screens, let alone what this small company in Houston, the United States, had that could catch Mr. Lin's eye.
With this question in mind, the group eventually arrived in Houston. It was a small tech company, located in a two-story building in the suburbs, with overgrown weeds in the yard, looking rather dilapidated. They were greeted by the company's technical director, a middle-aged man named Anderson, wearing a faded shirt and with a hint of weariness in his eyes.
When the purchasing manager explained their purpose, pulled out the business card of Zhonghua Group, and said they wanted to purchase 500,000 LCD screens, Anderson's tired expression was instantly replaced by shock. He looked them up and down, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You said... you're Zhonghua Group from Hong Kong? The one that makes handheld game consoles?"
The purchasing manager nodded, even more puzzled. "That's right, we are Zhonghua. Mr. Anderson, have you heard of us?"
"I've heard of it more than just heard of it!" Anderson rubbed his hands together excitedly, his voice trembling slightly. "My daughter has one of your second-generation handheld consoles in her room! She plays with it for an hour every day after school!"
At this point, Anderson's tone became somewhat bitter: "To be honest, the LCD screens developed by our company are currently the thinnest, lightest, and lowest-power portable screens on the market, but... nobody recognizes their value."
He led them into the workshop, pointed to the screen samples displayed next to the production line, and explained helplessly, "Everyone is used to CRT screens and thinks our LCD screens aren't bright enough, and they're more expensive than CRT screens. For the past six months, we've visited electronics companies all over the US, but haven't secured a single large order. The board is already considering whether to cancel this project."
The purchasing manager then understood why Lin Sheng had sent him to this company. It turned out that the LCD screen was a hidden gem.
"Five hundred thousand screens, we'll take them all." The purchasing manager looked at Anderson with certainty. "However, we have two requirements. First, the screen size must strictly adhere to the parameters we provide, with an error margin of no more than one millimeter; second, the delivery time must be controlled within one month. Our third-generation handheld console is waiting for these screens to hit the market."
Anderson agreed almost on the spot.
"Mr. Wang, don't worry!" He gripped the purchasing manager's hand tightly, his worried expression vanishing in favor of excitement. "We've adjusted the dimensions overnight, and the production line is running 24/7 to guarantee delivery within a month! And... as for the price, we'll offer Zhonghua the most favorable discount!"
Anderson knew better than anyone that Zhonghua's handheld console was currently the hottest portable electronic product globally. Once Zhonghua's third-generation handheld console adopted their LCD screen, it would be tantamount to giving their product a free global upgrade. At that point, they probably wouldn't even need to actively seek orders; electronics companies would be lining up at their doorstep.
This deal was a lifeline for Houston LCD Technology.