Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 761: No Chance for Facebook

At Facebook's launch event, a number of professionals from the consumer electronics industry had gathered. They had all been invited to attend the unveiling of Facebook's latest smartphone.

The event had yet to begin, and a few attendees had started whispering among themselves.

"Who would've thought Facebook would want to get into smartphone development?"

"It makes total sense, doesn't it? The smartphone market still has plenty of untapped space. There's no way Micfo can dominate the whole thing alone. Competing outside of Micfo's price segment might actually work well."

"You're making it sound like I should start building smartphones too. Are they really that profitable?"

"Of course! Just look at Micfo. They were only a moderately known company before, but thanks to the booming smartphone market, they've become one of the hottest names on Wall Street. Countless big-name investors are practically begging to invest in them."

"No way—so Micfo must be swimming in cash now?"

"Not really. Micfo is incredibly picky when it comes to selecting investors. So far, only two investors have successfully gotten in—one with a 5% stake, and the other with 7%."

...

...

"Huh? That little? Why so cautious? A rising star like that would usually take every chance to scale fast with funding, right?"

"That's where you're missing something," said one of them, smugly. Clearly, he was someone with some insider knowledge.

"Missing something? So you know what's going on?" The others all turned toward him.

"Of course. I know the rough backstory—actually, so do all of you. You were witnesses too, you've just forgotten."

"So what is it? Come on, don't keep us in suspense!" The group pressed him for answers.

"You all know who Micfo's CEO is, right?"

"Of course, he's super famous now—Myron Case."

"Then do you know what he was doing before he became Micfo's CEO?"

"Hmm? I don't think I ever looked that up."

"I don't remember either..."

Everyone began racking their brains, only to realize they knew absolutely nothing about Myron Case's past.

The one who'd been holding back finally said, "It's understandable you don't remember—it was a few years ago. But if I name a certain company, you'll definitely recognize it. Ever heard of Redfruit?"

One person immediately reacted, surprised: "Ah! That company that dumped tons of money into game development, then totally flopped in the console market? Oh yeah, I remember them clearly."

"Well, Myron Case used to be the CEO of that company. But just as he was about to pivot toward smartphone development, the video game boom hit. Redfruit's shareholders believed they should double down on game consoles instead. To them, the smartphone space was totally uncharted territory—too risky. All they wanted was safe, predictable profits."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"And that's why the shareholders kicked Myron Case out. Afterward, he started a brand new company from scratch—Micfo."

"Wow, I had no idea that's how it all started. I really underestimated him."

"So what you're saying is, after being burned once by shareholders, Myron now treats new investors with extreme caution? Even if they bring a ton of money?"

"Exactly. And it turns out his strategy was absolutely spot-on. Myron is smart and visionary. He built up the smartphone market almost single-handedly. If you ask me, his pioneering role is on par with Takayuki in the gaming industry."

"True—and now their strategies are actually quite similar. Neither of them allows just any outside capital into their companies. But wouldn't that slow down growth? Wouldn't it make more sense to grab market share quickly?"

"That's what makes Myron Case so terrifying. According to the financials, Micfo's cash flow is incredibly healthy. He keeps reinvesting into new tech development and expanding his lead. He's absolutely ruthless."

Someone asked again, "So does that mean other smartphone companies won't stand a chance?"

Another replied quickly, "Like I said, the smartphone market is massive. No way Myron Case can own it all. But in the high-end segment? He has no rivals. And that's where the big profits are. As long as he controls that biggest slice of the pie, giving the rest some crumbs or frosting doesn't hurt."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

"So... you don't think Facebook's smartphone stands a chance?"

"I didn't say that. But yeah, I'm not too optimistic. Bigger companies than Facebook have tried to enter the smartphone market and failed miserably. Facebook is just another one of them. Most likely, they'll release their phone, and then quietly fade out."

He was clearly very confident in his opinion.

And honestly, it made sense. Many major companies had failed to touch the high-end market dominated by Micfo. The only realistic option left was to go after the lower-end market—something Micfo had ignored entirely because it wasn't worth their time.

"They're starting!"

The group was deep in conversation when the lights in the venue began to dim. Several spotlights turned and focused on the stage.

Someone let out a soft gasp, clearly having seen something unexpected.

"What is it?" someone asked, confused.

"Look—the front row. That person," said the first, pointing at the most prominent seat up front, an area usually reserved for celebrities, Facebook execs, and close partners.

Had someone from the government shown up?

The others squinted toward the front—and were stunned by what they saw.

Wait... was that Takayuki?

The God of Games? The father of the gaming industry? Its most legendary figure?

What was he doing at a smartphone launch?