Chapter 181 Release

Author: Quiet Thought

Chapter 181 Release

Shirakawa Electric's GAME BOY was finally released at a price of 5,200 yen. Of course, the new product cannot be promoted at all without any promotion.

After confirming the final model, Shirakawa Electric's planning department started to operate in full swing.

With the further development of the company, Shirakawa Electric has established more than a dozen departments of all sizes.

From the General Management Administration Department to the Manufacturing Department, the Technology Department, the Marketing Department, etc., it covers all aspects of the entire commercial operation.

The planning part is under the marketing department and is mainly responsible for the promotion and marketing of Shirakawa Electrical Appliances products.

Because GAME BOY's initial positioning is aimed at the young student group, the marketing target is self-evident.

"Since it is a toy developed for children, we will place our main publicity and promotion positions around the amusement parks, shopping malls, and schools."

As the head of the planning department, Nakamura does not quite understand toys like handheld machines.

But it was natural to think that the regional places that should be paid attention to in publicity and distribution.

“In addition to these places, can we cooperate with the arcade hall?

For example, as a bonus for Potty, or directly consigned as a commodity in the arcade hall."

Colleagues from the Planning Department actively spoke and made suggestions on the marketing work of handheld machines.

"You can also be sold in conjunction with our Walkman and give you certain discounts."

Because the price of handheld machines is low, they are considered a low value-added product compared to the Walkman.

So a colleague suggested that the two should be sold together.

Nakamura thought about it carefully for a while, then shook his head.

"Newly launched products should not be sold at discounts, so first promote them based on the existing sales channels of Shirakawa Electric.

After one to two weeks, the channel will be expanded.

It can be used as a discounted prize in shopping malls and supermarkets, or linked with other brands.

But you can now take action in advance and discuss cooperation with these entertainment venues.

As for TV advertisements, don’t leave them behind. This is the most direct way for products to enter the public eye."

"Hay!" Everyone from the Planning Department began to take action separately to warm up the pre-market promotion of Shirakawa Electric's first-generation handheld machine.

…

At the end of April and early May 1980, Nintendo's pioneering portable game consoles, which are the first generation of handheld consoles.

This small game console that is only the size of a palm gradually attracted people's attention.

It is different from the huge game console that can only be played in the arcade hall.

It is also different from a home computer that can only use the TV and display the screen at home.

A small piece of the handheld machine can be kept in your pocket.

On the road, take out entertainment and pass the time when you are resting anytime, anywhere.

Obviously, this small and portable gaming device is naturally much more popular than those game consoles that can only be played in fixed locations.

Since its launch, it has become quite famous in less than a month.

Speaking of which, the development of handheld consoles is still Nintendo's hardware genius, and Yokoi Junhei, the director of the first R&D department.

Inspiration bursts out occasionally while taking the Shinkansen.

In the current era, entertainment is scarce. When people travel for a long distance, there are almost no entertainment activities to pass the time except sleeping and reading.

Oh, no. Maybe now you can add a trendy entertainment method like enjoying music with a Walkman.

In short, when Junhei Shinkansen was on the Shinkansen, the passengers around were either sleeping or reading books.

Some people are so bored that they simply take out their LCD calculator they carry with them and click on it to kill time.

And this is where Junhei Ai was inspired. Can you make a mini game console to help people pass the time on their boring journey?

So there is now Nintendo's GAME WATCH, which was designed to be aimed at adults and spend time outside of work.

That's why the time function is added to the game, and even Yokoi Junhei's initial positioning of it is a watch with game function...

As a result, when he took the prototype to find Nintendo President Yamauchi, when asked about the standby time of the watch.

Yokoi Junhei gave an answer that made him feel embarrassed for three days.

So Yamauchi suggested that he should not sell it as a watch, but simply as a gaming machine with time function.

Then GAME WATCH was born like this, but this kind of inappropriate mixed positioning is a bit embarrassing.

Adults are not very interested in it, but now children are gradually interested in it.

At the end of June, just one month after the Nintendo GAME WATCH was launched, it was gradually gaining market recognition.

Neon's second local handheld machine, GAME BOY, was unveiled, and it was full of marketing and promotion from the beginning.

On the TV, the "Thunder" fighter plane was moving left and right to fight fiercely with the enemy above the screen, and the shooting sound of "biubiu" was very eye-catching.

As the picture turned, the slow "Greedy Snake" ate a fruit. With the cute sound effects, the body immediately grew longer and the speed became much faster.

"GAME BOY, my best friend!" Several teenagers dressed in students showed them to the camera with shiny colored gaming machines.

The price of 5,800 yen on the screen was directly marked with a red cross, and replaced by "Jing'an price! 5,200 yen!"

"Really. Two super popular games! "Thunder" vs. "Snake Eats"!"

Just when the audience thought the advertisement was over, a familiar chant of "KI~TA~" suddenly came from the background sound.

"KITA?", the reason why I am familiar with it is because of the advertisement bombing of Shirakawa Electric.

This iconic slogan has long been engraved into the audience's mind.

It’s okay if I can’t remember it, but when I heard this ad slogan, DNA immediately started to move.

"Haikawa Electric has launched a new product?"

"I don't know, but it seems quite interesting."

"It's really interesting to have such a small game console."

Not just TV commercials, old-fashioned street posters.

As well as Keio Electric and Tokyu Electric, which have worked with several times, have also replaced the GAME BOY advertisement in the carriage.

Isn’t it a good choice to pass the time with GAME BOY when you go to and from work?

There is both the tense and exciting "Thunder and Lightning" and the casual and interesting "Snake Eater".

Both boys and girls can find their own fun.

As for where to buy it?

Look, there are Keio Department Store near the station and Tokyu Department Store, so you don’t have to go far.

At the weekend's casino, a mother and son who had just arrived from the carousel was waiting for the ice cream being made by the ice cream truck on the side of the road.

At this time, the stall selling snacks and toys next to attracts the child's attention again, "Mom, I want that."

The young mother turned her head and said, "Furious battle in space, lightning strike!"

A banner poster is hanging on the top of the open-air shelf, with the background of a fierce battle between planes in space.

"Hey, Kenta. I just bought a toy yesterday."

"Mom, but I want it very much."

Kenta, who was only six years old, raised his head in tears, pulled his mother's skirt and kept shaking.

The young mother had no choice but to take her children to the toy stall and pick them up.

"Madam, this is the latest handheld game console, only 5,200 yen."

The stall manager enthusiastically recommended this game console called GAME BOY to the mother and son.

"Hey, is that too?" the young mother pointed to another game console similar to GAME BOY and asked.

This is Nintendo's GAME WATCH game console. My wife still knows the name of Nintendo. The toy I bought for Kenta yesterday was produced from Nintendo.

The stall manager turned around and looked, "Oh, this one. It's a little more expensive, 5,800 yen.

But ma’am, I strongly recommend you choose GAME BOY.

It is Shirakawa Electric’s newly launched game handheld console. You know Shirakawa Electric.”

The wife nodded. The young and handsome president Sang had been on the news and was deeply impressed.

Seeing his wife nodding, the stall director became even more excited. "Shirakawa Electric is a very creative company, and even Aihua has copied their products.

So there is no need to worry about the quality and creativity of the game console. "Thunder" and "Snake" are the most popular games now.

The two games are much more fun than Nintendo’s games.”
To be continued...