Chapter 7: An Era of Physics

"Snake Game"

This is a video game so elusive that even New Bing struggles to accurately tally its sales, yet it must be acknowledged as a bestseller.

Because this game was released alongside Nokia, if calculated by Nokia's production volume, "Snake" would certainly be able to outclass "Wii Sports," trample "Minecraft," and topple "Terraria," claiming the top spot globally.

It's unavoidable; being the reigning king of mobile phones comes with such swagger.

However, if we consider the revenue generated from paid downloads...

Just how much has "Snake Game" earned?

No one knows for certain.

Yet one thing is clear: even as Nokia's mobile empire collapsed, and the free environment it thrived in vanished, "Snake" did not just survive but proliferated like mushrooms after rain, spawning countless variants.

Games like "Ball Battle" and "Worms Battle" merely transformed the once Bluetooth multiplayer version of "Snake" into an internet-connected version, replacing the snake with other entities.

The later American release "Slither.io" took it a step further, skyrocketing to the top of the App Store sales charts in America, Britain, and other regions upon its release.

Moreover, it became the most searched video game on Google in America in 2016.

In just three months, it amassed over ten million dollars.

The nostalgia it evoked, having brought joy to generations, led Ethan to resurrect the little snake that once accompanied him through countless nights in bed when he decided to develop a game.

When Evelyn quickly reviewed the concept for "Snake," the girl who had previously berated Ethan suddenly looked up, her bright eyes radiating disbelief.

"Ethan—did you come up with this idea?" the girl asked, astonished.

"Uh-huh?" Ethan shrugged, acknowledging it.

"Oh! My! God! How did you come up with this idea? It's truly a stroke of genius!"

Evelyn shook the paper in her hand and exclaimed, "I can guarantee that this will be far more interesting than 'Spacewar!'"

"Spacewar!" was the game born in 1962 at MIT, spreading to all American universities and becoming an entry-level game for countless computer science students.

The gameplay involved two players controlling spacecrafts in orbit around a gravitational star, with the game ending when one was destroyed.

Though revolutionary as the first multiplayer video game, "Spacewar!" was quite rudimentary compared to the advancements of mature industries.

Therefore, when "Snake" and "Spacewar!" are compared...

Everyone would choose the former.

"Can you actually make this?"

Evelyn's astonishment pleased Ethan, as it at least confirmed he hadn't chosen the wrong game.

"Of course!" Evelyn nodded vigorously.

Perhaps due to her excitement, her speech became somewhat disjointed.

"Arcade games are not difficult at all. For 'Snake Game,' you can directly use the technology from 'Pong.' For instance, the snake on the screen can be displayed using Light gun's photoelectric signals..."

At this point, Evelyn noticed Ethan's blank expression.

Then she slapped her forehead.

"Oh my God! I forgot you don't understand any of this!"

She promptly stood up.

"Come on, follow me to the garage. I'll show you just how simple this is."

Her decisive action gave Ethan a sense of encountering a strong-willed woman.

But just as Ethan and Evelyn were leaving the bedroom, Evelyn turned around and darted back into her room.

"Wait a moment, I need to change clothes."

Moments later, Evelyn emerged, having swapped her jeans for a pair of typical work overalls and her sweatshirt for a plain black work shirt. Her hair, once flowing, was now tied into a bun.

This change made Ethan raise an eyebrow.

'Looks like even a decisive girl cares about her appearance.'

After this observation, Ethan and Evelyn headed downstairs together.

Their unexpected presence surprised Thomas and Linda.

They hadn't anticipated that Ethan would resolve his long-standing issue so swiftly.

Under their watchful eyes, the pair entered the garage, where, like countless engineers with secret bases, Evelyn's garage was filled with heaps of electronic components.

In Ethan's gaze, Evelyn retrieved a television from a pile of what could be deemed electronic waste. She swiftly dismantled the casing to reveal the cathode ray tube inside.

Her face lit up with a delighted smile.

"This type of display is called a CRT. It uses an electron gun to shoot electron beams, which are deflected by a magnetic field to scan a fluorescent-coated glass screen, creating an image."

The girl explained to Ethan, "All arcade games on the market use this basic photoelectric feedback. The objects on the screen aren't truly moving but are simulated through the illumination and dimming of the electron beams to create the illusion of movement."

While speaking, she placed the television on the table.

Then she removed the circuit board from the back of the TV, retrieved a box from the pile, took out a circuit board, and reinstalled it into the television.

She then connected the excess wires to a thumb-sized joystick.

Plugging it in and adjusting it, Ethan was thrilled to see the TV screen turn black and white.

A white dot appeared in the center of the screen.

As Evelyn manipulated the joystick, the dot moved across the screen.

The faster Evelyn moved the joystick, the quicker the dot traveled; the slower she moved it, the slower the dot moved.

If the joystick was not moved, the dot would blink in place.

"Oh! Fxxk! Is it really this simple?"

Ethan was astonished.

"Of course! Did you think it would be complicated?"

Evelyn smiled.

"I thought it required a CPU! I didn't realize a television alone would suffice."

Ethan was incredulous.

"Oh!!!"

Evelyn exclaimed.

"Ethan! Are you out of your mind? A CPU? Do arcade games even use CPUs? Do you know how expensive CPUs are? Intel's cheapest CPU costs several hundred dollars! If every arcade game had a CPU, shops would be calling 911 daily! Use your brain!"

Yes, video game development in this era is indeed so rudimentary and straightforward.

Before Ethan's time travel, in a future era, creating a game involved the efforts of dozens, even hundreds, of people, including planners, developers, artists, composers, and testers, using Unity, UE, or custom engines, with hardware adaptation required.

But in this era...

One person is enough.

When C language was not yet widespread, and CPU prices remained high.

The so-called video games were truly the fruits of engineers' ingenuity!

The technology used in all video games was basic photoelectric signal feedback, and the world's first "Pong" was so poor it had only one circuit board, using minimal integrated circuits, transistors, resistors, and capacitors to control game logic and graphics output!

In this era, developing a game meant physically running—

Testing photoelectric signals for issues!

If Ethan wanted Evelyn to write a game in BASIC, she might need some time.

But creating a game using physical methods...

Sorry, it's incredibly quick!

When this reality dawned on Ethan, he immediately felt a surge of excitement.

Because he could see countless dollars rushing towards him!

"Will you be able to finish 'Snake Game' tonight?" Ethan asked tentatively.

However, his inquiry was met with a roll of the eyes.

"Ethan, I really don't know what's going on in your head."

Evelyn patted the TV and said, "This was just a demonstration of how easy it is to control photoelectric signals. It doesn't mean you can make an arcade game with just these things. Besides the display, I also need to create a specialized circuit board to better receive and transmit joystick commands. I can handle drawing the circuit diagrams and making the board, but materials..."

At this point, Evelyn stretched out her voice.

"I'll handle it!"

Without hesitation, Ethan agreed.

"Very well."

Evelyn's brotherly decisiveness pleased Evelyn, and she clapped her hands, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.

"Go on back for now. I'll consider the materials and prepare a list. Once done, I'll deliver it to your room."

Honestly, Ethan wasn't sure why Evelyn was so suddenly happy.

After all, Evelyn was helping him make a game!

In such a situation, wasn't it only right for him to bear the cost of materials?

But when Ethan received the list from Evelyn, his expression darkened immediately!

'Damn it! I overlooked this! Didn't see it coming!'

Looking at the densely packed two pages, Ethan almost swore aloud!

"Does making an arcade game really require so much stuff?"

He exclaimed in surprise at Evelyn.

"Why is there even a Barbara Streisand album on this list?"

And after handing over the list, Evelyn retreated to her room with a thud.

On the tightly shut wooden door, there was a year ring.

The dark and dense pattern seemed like a large mouth, mocking Ethan for being such a fool.

To think he could be so easily duped.