Chapter 142: The One-Two Punch!

Though it may seem odd to glean information about one's adversaries through newspaper articles, Ethan Jones could no longer restrain his curiosity. Disregarding the accuracy of the news, he eagerly flipped through the paper.

If television commercials serve to pitch products to the masses in the briefest time possible, then newspapers offer detailed narratives to those willing to delve deeper.

Under Ethan's scrutiny, he discovered that the Magnavox Apollo was far more complex than its TV advertisements suggested. The twelve games were merely the surface appeal.

Beneath lay much more.

For instance, while the Magnavox integrated twelve video games into a single console, it was capable of playing many more through its ROM cassette interface. By purchasing an external box and game cartridges from Magnavox, users could freely switch between a wider array of video games.

Though such functionality would become common in the future, Magnavox had previously only sold consoles with built-in games.

Moreover, Magnavox's shooting games didn't rely on joystick simulations like arcade machines but achieved a seamless integration of light gun and screen, likely utilizing Nintendo's patents.

What baffled Ethan most was the Apollo's disc interface.

Media reports painted Magnavox as a company whose real ambition was to bring joy to many through video games, merely one form of entertainment. They aimed to conquer the challenges of home cinema and were actively negotiating with Hollywood studios to produce disc content before the launch of their disc devices.

Such descriptions left Ethan with a toothache, utterly confused about Magnavox's actual offerings.

'Games and videos? External peripherals and disc compatibility?'

'This sounds exactly like the Xbox!'

Indeed, at that moment, Ethan felt like he was dealing with Microsoft, not a consumer electronics company, given how closely the Apollo resembled the Xbox. The only difference, perhaps, was the absence of internet connectivity.

In that instant, Ethan nearly tore his hair out in frustration, unable to comprehend how Magnavox had developed such an innovative product overnight, as if they had gained enlightenment like Sun Wukong, creating a product so advanced it seemed nonsensical.

"This is too unscientific!"

Ethan felt as if he had traveled through time, for such a device should not exist in the current world. Yet, this revelation also instilled a sense of crisis within him.

Had Magnavox's console been as disposable as the Odyssey, Ethan Jones would have countless ways to ensure its failure. However, now that they were seriously manufacturing devices, these products were not to be underestimated. Unfortunately, Ethan's sense of crisis lasted only a few hours.

Later that afternoon, a more explosive news report left him dumbfounded.

"According to the latest information obtained by our reporters, Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, a former giant in the video game industry and a subsidiary of Warner Brothers under Hollywood's umbrella, has publicly announced that Atari's home console has been developed and is currently in the testing phase..."

"If everything goes smoothly, the product will be officially launched at the Chicago Summer Consumer Electronics Show on April 1st this year and will be available for sale on June 1st..."

"The product features an Intel 8080 microprocessor at its core, equipped with 2KB of built-in storage, and is expected to support up to nine games simultaneously..."

"Nolan Bushnell stated that in addition to the famous 'Pong,' the eight other games will be brand-new products, including 'Breakout,' which Atari had developed last year but canceled its arcade release due to strategic planning..."

Bushnell emphasized the harm arcade games could inflict on consumers, with the continuous need to insert quarters imposing a significant financial burden. He acknowledged that introducing electronic games through arcades was initially necessary, but now, as a responsible entrepreneur, it was essential to offer the public more affordable entertainment.

Effective immediately, Atari would exit the arcade market to focus on developing home consoles, aiming to provide fans and video game enthusiasts with cheaper and more enjoyable games. During an interview, Bushnell claimed that Atari was not the kind of company that would sacrifice user experience for profit.

Upon hearing ABC's news broadcast, Ethan nearly flipped the table in front of him. He was not a fool; he could clearly hear Bushnell's criticism.

What did he mean by arcade games imposing a significant financial burden with their 25-cent cost per play? What did it mean to be a responsible entrepreneur who needed to offer more benefits to the public?

'Nonsense!'

'Are you saying you ran away because you couldn't beat me?'

Ethan was furious! Yet, something felt off.

If he remembered correctly, hadn't Atari just purchased thousands of MOS 6502 chips from Chuck Peddle's company last year? And hadn't they bought ten APPLE 1s from Apple?

How did it suddenly switch to the Intel 8080?

And more importantly...

"When did they start developing a home console?"

In Ethan's previous life, Atari indeed produced home consoles, but that was after Atari had dominated the world. In this timeline, Atari had been beaten so badly by him for

 two years that they hadn't made a proper profit. Yet, now they had developed a home console?

What was going on?

Ethan was perplexed. But one thing was clear.

Atari was fighting back!

If this wasn't a premeditated production, how could Atari suddenly come up with a home console product? If this wasn't a planned operation, how could Atari decide to launch their new console at this year's Summer Consumer Electronics Show?

"Damn it!"

"Are you guys putting on a show for me?"

The more Ethan thought about it, the more it didn't add up.

Since he launched 'Pac-Man' last year, sweeping North America with an unstoppable force, the North American video game market had fallen silent.

He had thought everyone was scared off by him, as many companies were frantically ordering MOS 6502s and APPLE 1s.

This scene led Ethan to believe that these companies were gearing up for an arms race.

So, when he heard about Magnavox and Atari acquiring other game companies during the bicentennial celebration, he assumed they were taking advantage of the situation.

Their subsequent orders from Apple and Chuck Peddle only solidified this belief for Ethan.

But now...

Scared off? These guys had simply become smarter!

They knew not to reveal themselves prematurely before achieving their goals.

"Damn it! I've been outsmarted by two locals?"

This realization infuriated Ethan even more.

Not for any other reason, but simply because it was embarrassing.

"Fortunately, no one knows about this." He muttered to himself.

At the same time, he pondered how to regain his footing.