Rebirth of America, this is my time

The spring of 1979 was much colder than before. Even though we have entered March, the temperature in California is still hovering around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which is around 10 degrees Celsius.

The chill in the air caused people walking in the streets to wrap up in thick clothes. The original tight shirts disappeared and were replaced by suit jackets, flowing cardigans and more. People choose lightweight sweaters and windproof jackets.

To be honest, no matter how cold the weather is, getting up early when work is busy will only make people complain and then embrace life energetically. But when getting up early in leisure time, the act of leaving the warm quilt and jumping into the cold world is really It makes people feel like they are mentally ill.

When Ethan got in to pick up his commercial vehicle around seven in the morning, the sleepiness that enveloped his whole body and the temperature that constantly stimulated his nerves made his brows jump.

Glancing at the bald man next to him, the cheerful face made him even more angry.

Steve~ Why do I feel like you are torturing me?

Usually we go to work at nine in the morning, but today you asked me to go out at seven for shopping?

Oh - this is really -

Outrageous!

Not to mention whether the mall was open at this early hour, the idea of ​​running from Palo Alto to San Francisco to go shopping in the early morning was not something a normal person could come up with.

But his complaints did not make Ballmer anxious. After seeing his boss fastening his seat belt, the bald man patted the back of the seat in front of him and said, Let's go.

After giving the instructions, he smiled at Ethan and said: Boss, don't worry, since we got up early, we will definitely be able to see a different kind of scenery.

Ethan rolled his eyes, snorted and ignored him.

He folded his arms and leaned against the seat with his eyes closed to take a nap.

Ballmer chuckled, resting his chin on one hand and looking out the window.

As things in the outside world went backwards, they also embarked on a journey to San Francisco.

Palo Alto and San Francisco are only thirty-five miles apart, and it only takes forty minutes to drive normally. Since today is an early morning on a weekday, many people are rushing to work, so there is some congestion along the way. It took the group a full hour. , just arrived at the destination.

When the car drove into San Francisco, Ballmer, who had been watching the outside of the car, quietly woke up his boss. When Ethan, who had fallen asleep, opened his blurred eyes and looked out the window, the slightly ghosted world suddenly shocked him. He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened it again, the banner hanging on the roadside captured his mind.

[The National Electronic Game Competition has started, what are you waiting for? Come and sign up now! 】

【Kismet Game×NFL, we will make your dreams come true with our hands! 】

[We organize the best event on earth - NFL]

[What we weave is the dream in your heart——Kismet Game]

When all kinds of promotional slogans rushed into Ethan's sight like a tide, Ethan, who had been entangled in complicated affairs for a month, suddenly remembered that March 1st was the registration opening day for the national competition.

In the next month, the first national video game competition hosted by Kismet Game and hosted by the NFL will have unrestricted open registration in America.

Since there is no precedent for this kind of thing, no one knows how this event will turn out.

However, everyone knows that legend is a process from scratch.

It is a wonderful book written by a human being.

Gift crab! The scene outside the car made Ethan hit Ballmer with a hammer and said loudly: So you asked me to go shopping because you wanted me to review your work?

Can't you tell me directly about this kind of thing?

It has to be mysterious!

Oh - Boss - isn't this just to give you a surprise!

Ballmer raised his arms in front of him, seemingly to resist the boss' attack, but more like to protect the face that he thought was handsome, I see that you are usually so busy at work that you can't breathe, so I I want to give you a surprise to rekindle your desire for life and regain the surprises in life.

It's okay if you don't praise me or give me a bonus, but now you're beating me up?

Oh - God - I really can't do this job -

Hearing Xia Bao's words, Ethan raised his fist again and hit him hard a few times. After a moment, he smiled and shook his head and looked out the window. He was very satisfied with the banners that could be seen at regular intervals, and the promotional posters on the public advertising spaces on the roadside made him even more happy.

Whose idea is this? Yours or the NFL's? Ethan asked with a smile.

Ballmer didn't mean to take the credit alone. He stared out the window and replied: We are together. I think our games can be vigorously promoted and the atmosphere can be created by laying out advertisements, and the NFL has this aspect. Resources and experience, so——”

We placed ads in important cities identified by both parties.

March, April and May are the seven days of the first month of each month, corresponding to the undifferentiated registration, knockout and state competitions. June is all the time before the end of the competition, and the location is the venue of the finals.

What? How much does this cost? Ethan was shocked.

Ballmer had previously submitted the final plan for the game competition to him. They would set up 200 registration points in 48 states in the North American continent, including 27 important cities.

For example, Los Angeles, the largest city of angels on the West Coast, has five registration points;

Another example is San Francisco, as a breeding ground for multiculturalism and one of the important ports on the West Coast. It is also a member of the list of important cities designated by both parties.

And if you want to advertise constantly in this kind of city...

That price is not cheap.

Therefore, when Ballmer and Ethan said that there were still 27 ads like this in San Francisco, the first reaction in Ethan's mind was that the 15 million budget reported by the NFL had been spent. .

His question made Ballmer smile and shake his head. He patted the driver's backrest and motioned for him to continue driving to his destination. Under the leadership of the other party, Ethan soon saw an outdoor stadium.

That was Candlestick Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball and the San Francisco 49ers of the NLF. And now, there are cartoon figures hanging outside the huge stadium.

There are greedy snake Jack and Pork with apples in their mouths, Mr. and Ms. Pac-Man being chased by little ghosts, a mosaic version of the Millennium Falcon spaceship that hits space, and the endless starry sky.

Behind every long picture advertisement, it represents a classic work of the Destiny game. In addition to these cartoon images, there are also the logos of Apple, McDonald's, HP, and Wal-Mart, as well as the logos representing Coca-Cola and Nike that can be seen everywhere. Roll-up banner.

With the appearance of these trademarks, Ethan immediately understood that Steve Ballmer, who held the power to host the game, had accepted sponsorship from these two companies, and the bald man no longer hid it at this moment and said directly: Boss, you said before that these later sponsors need to provide some physical goods for the players participating in the competition to enter. However, after discussing with them, I feel that it is indeed unfair for them to bear all the physical goods for all players because of the cost. It was too big, so we changed the treaty a little bit.

“Coca-Cola only needs to provide free-flow beverages for all players participating in the competition, and it can be provided in the form of beverage machines. It does not need to provide sales versions of Coke bottles, then they can enter, while Nike only needs to provide the state finals with free-flow beverages. All the above participants provide matching clothing, so that they can fill every corner of the competition.

Of course, at the same time, the two of them also need to bear the advertising costs of hanging banner advertisements.

They agreed.

So we have extra advertising money.

Oh—— Ethan understood.

Good job. He patted Ballmer on the shoulder.

Although Ballmer did not report this matter to Ethan, Ethan did not care. Since he has delegated power, he should feel free to let his subordinates do it. If there is a problem, he will be held accountable, and if he does well, he will be rewarded. As for the lack of his control, when the project goes wrong, it will lose face to Destiny Game?

You don’t need to worry about this kind of thing, right?

In his previous life, he did not do this kind of event planning. When he knew nothing about organizing events, it was the right way to let people who had the time, ability and experience to worry about it.

Management on equal footing will discuss everything!

Because everyone wants to show themselves in front of the boss!

Walking around the stadium for a week, the scenery of colorful strips and flags flying together was very spectacular. After turning to the entrance of the stadium, which was the temporary registration office, the crowd that had begun to gather made Ethan extremely satisfied. When Ballmer took the initiative to hand over the hat and fake beard...

Ethan's face even burst into laughter.

Before he could say, Mo, I want to eat fish. The bald man had already brought the fish.

This interpretation of the holy will is quite accurate!

They dress up in disguise, get out of the car and hang out, and the noise is a symbol of joy.

Stadium security and temporary bodyguards were maintaining order, while NFL staff and Destiny Games marketing employees were in front of the registration desk instructing people to fill out forms. As they got closer, clear voices could be heard.

Everyone, please line up in an orderly manner. We have four registration windows. You can register from 8:30 in the morning to 8:30 in the evening, so don't be anxious!

When registering, you need to provide your social security card number or driver's license. If you don't have one, you can also have a gun license. If you are a minor who does not have any of the three licenses, ask your parents to help you register! The reason why everyone should Everyone knows that all bonuses are after tax!

If someone feels unwell while queuing, you can raise your hand directly to indicate that we have a professional medical team on site at any time. Of course, this situation does not allow you to register in advance, so if you are okay, please don't Taking up limited medical resources.”

In the end, every contestant who successfully registered will receive a postcard, which is a souvenir item that our Destiny game has never sold to the public. It contains Snake, Pac-Man, Starry Sky, and Star Wars 》Cartoon shapes of these four game series... Each person can get one randomly. If anyone wants to collect them all, please wait patiently until the end of the event. At that time, our Destiny Game will release the method of obtaining the entire set of postcards... …”

While the staff shouted over and over again, the young people who had signed up also took their gifts and left the long queue. When they opened the plastic packaging in their hands, the beautifully made cartoon postcards immediately excited people. Shouting one after another——

Oh! This is Jack! Jack the apple-eating Jack! I like him best!

No! No! No! What a little ghost! I want Star Wars!

MFxxk! Ahahahahahahahahahahaha - I fired Mr. Pac-Man!

Oh! My! God! What is this? With the starry sky background, the Snake King and the Snake Queen are chasing four little ghosts and Mr. Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man? Their target is still a Millennium Falcon? Oh! This Isn’t it a hidden item? A family portrait from Destiny Games???”

What the fuck? Where is the hidden money? Where is the hidden money?

Gift Crab! Why don't I have such good luck?

Hey bro! Do you want to sell this postcard? I'll give you ten dollars - no! Twenty dollars!

What? You want to buy this for twenty dollars? Bro! I'll pay fifty! The money is in the car!

The noise made Ethan smile happily.

The noisy scene made him suppress his thoughts and turned around to leave, hiding his merit and fame.

Although today is Thursday, the registration site is still bustling with people.

Although no one was willing to play chicken, the registration site was still crazy.

After walking around San Francisco, Ethan asked Ballmer to take him to Sacramento next door. Although there is no NFL team here, it is the capital of California after all, so it is also established here. The registration point for the national competition was reached, and the host was the local Charles Hughes Stadium.

This is a stadium that can accommodate more than 10,000 people. It has hosted countless football and baseball games and has rich experience in hosting games and hosting games. When Ethan came here, the flow of people and the same scenery were roughly similar to those in San Francisco, which made him very satisfied.

Even if everyone knows that the huge flow of people must mean skipping classes, skipping classes, or that there must be many people with flexible employment mixed in the crowd, but so what?

Only they themselves can make the decision in everyone's life.

So, now that you are here, be happy.

Everyone is a friend.

After wandering around the registration points near the Bay Area, Ethan was relieved to see the scene of people coming and going and flags flying wantonly. With so many people supporting him, the national competition will definitely be held.

After the registration ended on March 1st, on the afternoon of the next day, Ethan also obtained the real-time statistical data of the NFL. On the first day of registration, a total of 76,300 were distributed at 200 registration points across the United States. Twenty-two contestant cards, an average of 382 people per point.

If you put this data at a macro level, compared with America's total population of 226 million, this number is simply not enough, but if you compare it with other leagues...

The number of participants is already astronomical!

Even if each person only plays the game for one minute, 70,000 people play the game for 53 days!

More importantly, the special code is based on the data on the first working day of registration!

What will the next few days look like?

People dare not even think about it!

This situation also caused major media to publish articles, saying that they seemed to have misjudged the influence of video games in the North American continent. The Wall Street Journal even published the title - Video games may become a full-name sport. After their recalculation, they believe that the number of gamers in North America has probably exceeded 50 million, and may even have reached 60 or 70 million.

It's definitely going to be a huge test for Ethan Jones and Destiny Games, and it's going to be a tough task for us in the National Football League.

“Because no one has ever held an event with so many participants before.”

Even though Destiny Games and the National Football League have announced the format of the game, and the elimination games are all brutal one-inning life and death, but think about one day next month, hundreds of thousands of people will participate in a game on the same day? Thinking about this kind of scene is shocking!”

Although the current registration scale is not as exaggerated as the general election voting, we all should admit that Ethan Jones is making history!

“And what’s even more surprising is that all of us are participants!”

To be honest, when Ethan got the report from the NFL, he felt that the number of registrations was a bit exaggerated, but since the words had been released, this matter had to be done no matter what.

And since there are more and more people, safety must be guaranteed.

So, Ethan called Ballmer and said, Go to Allen Massie to advance five million. This money is our additional investment in the event and is specifically used to ensure on-site safety during the registration period.

If it's not enough, tell me.

Now is not the time to think about making money and losing money, but the time to think about the safety of the event.

As long as we successfully hold this game, it won't be a problem even if we lose 10 to 20 million, because a national event will definitely make us more money.

Just use it as an advertisement for the sale of consoles.

I think you should have discovered that so far, no game company has announced that it will release a game in the first half of this year, because they know that even if they release it, no one will play it.

Ethan is not talking nonsense. When the momentum of the national competition grew, Atari, Mirowa, who had conflicts with him before, and MGM, Paramount and Disney, who had sneaked out games, were all gone. .

No one in the entire North American continent is playing games!

There is only one voice in the sky across the entire North American continent!

That raging scene made even the former opponents of Destiny Game unable to resist!

The fact that so many people participated made the former opponents of Destiny Games secretly sad!

But at this moment, Ethan didn't care what those people thought.

When your opponent is too weak...

How can an elephant compete with an ant again?

However, before Ethan could wait for two days, on March 10th, Saturday, just as Ethan was setting off from home to go to the company to work overtime, the driver just drove out of the bodyguard warning area, and a group of people shot and killed. Reporters rushed around from the side desperately. They blocked Ethan's security car like crazy. While raising their hands to show no harm, everyone shouted——

Mr. Jones! What do you think of what Philips said to you?

Mr. Jones! What do you think of the product Philips released yesterday?

Mr. Jones! Will the new products released by Philips pose a threat to Destiny Games and Apple?

Mr. Jones!—

Mr. Jones!—

Mr. Jones!—