Will gave the design document titled Minesweeper a quick read, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"This reminds me of GAMENOVA's debut title, Tetris. This is so cool!"
It was simple, elegant, with absolutely no unnecessary design, an incredibly pure game.
It also abandoned the feature-packed design philosophy GAMENOVA had been pursuing and returned to the company's roots.
Winning players over with nothing but pure gameplay.
"This is... a PC game, isn't it?"
Looking at the concept art, Will found that its design didn't fit the NovaBox's style at all. It felt more like the kind of logic game that DOS-loving computer geeks would enjoy.
"Judging from its design, it barely requires any processing power. Even the NovaPocket could run it with ease."
Putting it on the powerhouse that was the NovaBox would simply be a waste of its hardware.
"Hmm? That's true. Minesweeper could definitely have a handheld version."
Ethan nodded.
Although the controls would naturally never compare to the PC version, it would make an excellent addition to the handheld's game library.
"So? Confident? This'll be your first project since joining GAMENOVA."
"I won't let you down!"
There was no question that, in this era, PCs were productivity tools reserved for office workers and computer enthusiasts. But even office workers needed entertainment and ways to relax.
Logitech, which had only recently established a new manufacturing center in Hsinchu, Taiwan, suddenly received an enormous OEM manufacturing order.
GAMENOVA had come to them carrying the patent for its remarkably ergonomic full-contoured symmetrical mouse design.
The very first order alone amounted to one million units, even HP, a giant in the PC retail industry, had never placed an order of such terrifying scale.
After all, mice weren't exactly cheap.
Even though Logitech had significantly reduced production costs thanks to its optical-mechanical mouse technology, each unit still cost nearly thirty dollars to manufacture.
What puzzled them even more was why a game company would need so many mice.
.....
Round Rock, Texas.
Michael picked up the telephone receiver and dialed a number from the phone book.
It belonged to a medical company somewhere in Texas.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Robert. This is PC's Limited. I've finished preparing the workstation purchasing proposal you requested yesterday based on your requirements."
Casually playing with a newly manufactured NMD mouse, Michael didn't even glance at the paperwork as he effortlessly recited the hardware configuration.
"I'm calling today to ask if you have any preferences for input devices. Perhaps IBM's mechanical keyboard? Or…"
"Anything's fine. As long as it's convenient for office work."
"Oh, in that case, you might want to consider adding a mouse. It's only sixty-nine dollars."
On the other end of the line, Robert, who was recording patient information in a notebook, frowned slightly.
"That sounds expensive, and I don't think we need one."
This wasn't a purchase for a single retail computer, as their company needed dozens of machines, possibly even hundreds
And the reason they had chosen Dell in the first place was because they'd heard it was cheaper, allowing them to avoid the unnecessary markup charged by companies like IBM.
"I completely understand, sir. But that's the retail price. If you confirm your order today, we can include it in the package at our internal price of forty-two dollars."
Michael's eyes remained fixed on the monitor. As he moved the mouse, a little white arrow glided smoothly across the screen of Minesweeper.
"Robert, we've recently partnered with GAMENOVA, one of the world's leading game developers, and we'll pre-install a title called Minesweeper, specifically designed to help users learn how to use a mouse."
"A game?"
Robert hesitated.
"We're buying business PCs."
"Yes, sir. It's a game, but it's also a productivity tool."
"Are you joking?"
"Robert, let me explain."
Feeling the unique grip of the NMD mouse in his hand, Michael patiently continued.
"Your company is purchasing PCs for data processing and spreadsheet management, correct? For people who aren't familiar with computers, a mouse greatly improves efficiency in those tasks."
"However, using a mouse requires some practice. That's why I commissioned GAMENOVA to package the training process as a game."
"And, launching a piece of software is much faster than walking to the break room for a cup of coffee, wouldn't you agree?"
The other end of the line fell silent for a long time. Robert seemed to be weighing whether this strange little device was really worth spending the extra money on.
A moment later, the sound of a door closing came through the receiver, followed by faint footsteps.
"...Add the mouse to the order."
"Excellent! We'll arrange shipment by the end of the week at the latest, delivered straight to your office!"
Scenes like this had played out countless times that day.
Almost overnight, buying a computer without a mouse had become something old-fashioned. Not only were nearly all of Dell's new PCs now equipped with mice, but even SGI's graphics workstations came bundled with the same NMD mouse.
Naturally, they also included the accompanying mouse training tool, Minesweeper.
Standing in his somewhat outdated office, Robert held a stack of reports that had been submitted far behind schedule.
"What a headache..."
When Dell's delivery truck had arrived the previous week, he had believed the company was finally about to undergo a complete digital transformation.
Financial reports would all become digital. Just tap away at the keyboard for a moment, and the computer would magically handle everything.
A modern, high-end office.
All you needed was a cup of coffee, a PC, and the magic of digitization, but reality quickly brought him back down to earth
His gaze shifted toward a woman working in the next office. She was the company's senior accountant, an experienced professional who had spent years in the business world.
She was an absolute expert in her field, yet when she sat in front of a PC, she suddenly looked like a complete beginner.
After half an hour, she still hadn't figured out how to copy data from one location to another.
People who had spent their entire careers working with paper simply couldn't grasp the way PCs were meant to be used.
"Instead of improving efficiency, productivity has actually dropped. This money was truly wasted."
Robert rubbed his aching forehead, this issue had kept him from sleeping properly for several days.
He firmly believed that digitization was the future. He had visited rapidly growing companies and learned what the workplace of tomorrow would look like.
Every PC in the company would be connected through a single network, and any piece of information could be sent to another employee with just a few keystrokes.
But he couldn't find the right approach. His employees resisted this new technology from the bottom of their hearts, and even mandatory internal training had accomplished very little.
Robert looked at the PC sitting on his desk. Truthfully, even he himself hadn't really figured the thing out yet.
His eyes fell on the NMD mouse resting beside the keyboard. It's unusual design immediately caught his attention, and he suddenly remembered what Dell had told him.
"A game... a training tool..."
"Heh."
"What else can I do? Might as well give it a shot..."