, Part 2: Anti-Iranianism

Chapter 98 Second-hand dealer, anti-Iranian syndrome

Although the fact that Pac-Man defeated Apple 1 seemed absurd, Ethan didn't dwell on it too much. Because even if it was absurd, he still made the money! The money was already in his pocket; he couldn't just take it out, could he?

All he can do now is feel sorry for the other computer manufacturers on the market. These guys did nothing wrong, but they got kicked in the ass by consumers for no reason. They're really unlucky!

After a brief, smiling moment of silence, Ethan changed the subject and asked Jobs about something else.

"Hey Steve, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Go ahead," Jobs said, in a good mood. "Don't be so polite, brother."

"Here's the thing, before the Pac-Man press conference, I heard from my company's employees that Atari would be releasing a game called Breakout this summer, after their agreement with Mirova to not release new games expires? Were you aware of this?"

"Yes, I know, I've heard about it." Jobs's questioning voice came from the other end of the phone: "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

The question made Ethan purse his lips, and he reorganized his thoughts.

"Well, I'm really interested in that game because the name alone sounds intriguing. But you know about my relationship with Nolan, so... I wanted to ask, are you familiar with that game?"

In early April, Ethan returned to the company after finishing the development of Pac-Man. When he heard his subordinate, Eurys Noble, talking about Atari's recent situation, he actually had a question in his mind, because he heard about the game Breakout from her.

In his memory, this game was clearly the creation of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak!

You see, in his previous life, it was because these two guys created "Breakout" that they left a significant mark on the history of video games. But in this life... Ethan may not be with them every day, but he did witness the birth of the Apple 1. When they were already so closely tied together, Atari was still able to release the game "Breakout".

This……

Ethan just couldn't understand it!

When did Steve Jobs, that guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, betray us?

The reason I didn't ask before was because the timing wasn't right; we were rushing to release Pac-Man and couldn't afford any problems. But now...

snort!

If this guy really manages to sell the game to Atari when he's not looking...

That guy's doomed!

However, Ethan's question left Jobs on the other end of the phone somewhat confused.

"Oh, Ethan, I'm not a prophet, how would I know what Breakout is like?"

'???'

"You don't know?" Ethan suddenly felt like he had traveled back in time again.

Did Steve Jobs not know about "Breakout"?

What kind of incredible world is this?!

His question only surprised Jobs more. "Ethan, why should I know? I didn't make that game!"

"If you want to know about the content of the game 'Breakout,' then I really can't help you. But if you want to know when this game was created, then I can tell you that, as far as I remember, it was Nolan's inspiration, long before he was sued by Mirova. However, at that time, the market was full of ball games, so he had no intention of making it."

"Later, after Atari and Mirovia signed an out-of-court settlement regarding the copyright infringement case of 'Pong,' Nolan was even less able to produce it because he didn't want to give the game's copyright to Mirovia..."

Jobs' words solved the mystery in Ethan's mind.

Was Nolan Bushnell the inspiration for Breakout?

"So this guy does have some skills after all!"

At the same time, Ethan's idealized view of Jobs shattered completely.

He always thought that Steve Jobs played the role of an inspiration provider in the game Breakout.

But I never expected that this guy really was a middleman!

Nolan Bushnell provided the inspiration, Steve Jobs created the product, but Steve Jobs outsourced the entire project to Steve Wozniak and took all the bonuses???

hiss……

What is a profiteer?

That's what you call a swindler!

Ethan gave in.

As he shook his head with a smile, unsure of what to say, Steve Jobs on the other end of the phone said, "Oh, Ethan, I think your concern is unnecessary, because many game companies' products aren't selling right now."

"The market feedback for Pac-Man caused them great pain, and this pain..."

"I think that will also be reflected in Nolan."

Ethan agreed and stopped worrying about these trivial matters.

While they were taking a break from their busy schedules, at Atari, Nolan Bushnell's office was filled with gloom.

When someone knocked on his office door, the tone of the greeting was weak and listless. Upon seeing his subordinate carrying documents, he shook his head with a helpless smile and said, "Is no one coming to our new product launch?"

The simply dressed young man nodded silently at the question.

Although he did not explain why, Nolan Bushnell knew everything.

"oh--"

"This is truly tragic—"

He sighed, put his hands behind his head, and rubbed his back repeatedly.

Soon, his slightly wavy hair was turned into a slicked-back style.

It seemed that even this could not express his emotions, and after a moment, his hands began to flutter wildly again.

Then, a bird's nest appeared on his head.

"Okay, put the documents down and get back to work," Nolan Bushnell waved to his subordinate.

With his greeting, he was left alone in the office.

He picked up the document and glanced at it. The numerous reasons noted on the contact list made him chuckle.

"They're all businessmen."

"That's really reality."

With a casual toss, hands on his head, Nolan Bushnell leaned back in his boss's chair, looking up at the sky.

The white ceiling was like a magical screen, showing him himself from six months ago.

He went to Warner Bros. because of the news that Ralph Bell had joined the game of fate, and met with Warner Bros.' CEO. Although he was nervous, the CEO didn't fly into a rage, but instead spoke in a friendly tone—

"Nolan, we understand that Ralph Bell's choice of which company to work for is not your decision, so this matter is none of your concern. The reason Warner Bros. acquired Atari is because we wanted to enter the video game industry, and Atari is one of the most experienced companies in that industry."

"So you don't need to be upset about what happened today. Warner has no intention of pursuing any further action."

"At the same time, we hope you can regain your composure, keep moving forward, and achieve even greater success in the gaming industry..."

"To create another glorious chapter?" Nolan Bushnell gave a wry smile.

"Nobody's buying games anymore, how can we possibly recreate our former glory?"

"unless……"

He thought for a moment, then opened the drawer of his desk.

Immediately afterwards, a document with its footer rolled up appeared in front of him.

The slightly wrinkled cover had a row of large words written on it—

Atari Home Video Game Console Planning Case

Nolan Bushnell carefully picked it up and placed it in front of him.

"Now, I'm afraid only you can save me."

He stroked the cover and murmured to himself.

"Ethan Jones, I lost in the arcade arena, but that doesn't matter, because the home video game console industry is also a huge market."

"If I can't beat you, surely I can beat Milova?"

Yes!

Even though Ethan Jones' Pac-Man brought a huge shock to Nolan Bushnell, causing his previous business followers to leave him, he still has the confidence to stand firm in the game industry!

If I can't out-roll you, then I won't!

Why can't we change the track?

Anyway, Ethan Jones doesn't make home consoles!

However, just when Nolan Bushnell felt that doing so would be tantamount to revolutionizing Milrova…

He was stunned when he opened the first page of the plan.

Because the specifications of home video game consoles list the CPU as follows—

This project prioritizes the use of the MOS 6502 chip.

"Oh—Ethan—how come you're everywhere—"

Nolan Bushnell is so annoyed.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind: to contact Milova and see if they had this condition called "Islamism".

As for Milrohua...

To be honest, the old man's situation is much better than Nolan Bushnell's!

Thank you to 【堕落永恆001】 for the 500 Qidian coins.

Note: ① *Breakout* was Nolan Bushnell's inspiration; Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were merely the creators. There's a funny story about the game: it was officially released in 1976, but its copyright wasn't officially registered until 1992. This was because the US Copyright Office refused to register it for Nolan Bushnell, arguing that individuals or companies couldn't claim copyright ownership of computer graphics. This infuriated Bushnell, who sued them. The lawsuit dragged on for years, finally ending with Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the District of Columbia Circuit. This case was also Ginsburg's last major case before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, and it was her ruling that allowed such abstract game inspiration to be protected by copyright.

(End of this chapter)