209 Nvidia and consoles development

While KiShin conducted research on CPU and GPU in collaboration with Apple and Rebolt Technology, Shin perceived the progress in research to be somewhat sluggish. Fortunately, Shin had made investments and engaged in joint research with Nvidia.

As Shin stroked his chin in contemplation, he recollected Nvidia and smiled, "Upon reflection, Nvidia has been established for several months now, and the company harbors significant potential in graphic-based processing technology. They should be progressing effectively, possibly making another valuable contribution to KiShin's development in GPU technologies..."

Shin couldn't help but think of Nvidia. Out of curiosity, he searched for information about Nvidia in 1993. In this parallel world, Shin wasn't certain whether the company truly existed, but with the assistance of Orio Masayoshi and some Japanese executives sent by Shin—who had gradually adapted to life in the United States—they successfully located the graphics company Nvidia.

Founded by a man from Taiwan and two other co-founders with backgrounds in the computer industry, they had started a company focused on advanced computer power.

Upon confirming that Nvidia indeed existed in this world, Shin instructed his team to contact them promptly.

Shin recalled that it was around April, and NVIDIA was actively accepting capitalist funding, having already raised approximately 8 million in funds.

Upon learning that Sequoia Capital and the Walden Group had already provided funding to Nvidia, Shin felt a sense of urgency. Consequently, he promptly reached out to the three co-founders of Nvidia and invested 20 million dollars without hesitation.

Although Orio Masayoshi and the others were initially confused, they followed Shin's instructions without hesitation.

Following this, Nvidia successfully secured two rounds of capitalist funding: an initial 8 million and a subsequent 20 million from KiShin.

The three co-founders of Nvidia, having raised a total of 28 million for their company funds, were exhilarated. Simultaneously, Nvidia began expanding its team by hiring more engineers for product development.

During this period, the co-founders of Nvidia were even more surprised to discover that KiShin would assist them in GPU research. They were astonished to learn that KiShin possessed expertise not only in graphics-based processing technologies but also in CPU technologies.

However, for KiShin to provide assistance in both research and funding, one of the founders, Jayson Huang, agreed that KiShin would have the rights to use the technologies jointly developed by Nvidia and KiShin. Additionally, KiShin would acquire a 21% stake in the Nvidia company.

The Co-Founder and CEO, Jayson Huang, along with the other two co-founders, engaged in discussions about this matter. Since they would retain control over the Nvidia company and each held more individual shares than KiShin, they found agreement with KiShin's terms.

Their concurrence stemmed from the realization that with KiShin's support, they could make significant technological advancements and enhance their financial capabilities, thanks to KiShin's backing of Nvidia funds.

As a result, Nvidia proceeded with its research on graphic-based processors.

Owing to the experience and knowledge of the three co-founders of Nvidia, the research progressed quite well, and with KiShin's assistance, it received a substantial boost.

The three co-founders of Nvidia were somewhat grateful to KiShin for the support in their research. However, unbeknownst to them, the one gradually reaping benefits from the joint research was actually KiShin.

As Shin was currently in the USA, he visited Nvidia in Sunnyvale, California.

Upon Shin's arrival, he was warmly welcomed by Nvidia's CEO, Jayson Huang. As they shook hands and exchanged greetings, Jayson Huang admitted that upon receiving news of the renowned Shinro Suzuki visiting his company, he couldn't help but be curious about the man who was gradually gaining recognition worldwide. While Shinro Suzuki's fame might not rival that of Hollywood stars, he was well-known in the business world, particularly in the video games sector.

During their conversation, Jayson Huang found himself quite intrigued by the founder and chairman of KiShin Rules, expressing curiosity about the development of their joint research.

Jayson Huang smiled confidently as his secretary served Shinro Suzuki a coffee in his office. He stated, "The ongoing research, nearing a year in duration, has already borne fruit. We've developed a PCI card, NV1, currently under testing. Its triangles per second surpass most in the market, supporting up to 2 MB. It can render complex 3D or 2D graphics and also features support for quadratic texture mapping."

As Shin listened to Jayson Huang's words, he was pleasantly surprised at the rapid progress in GPU research.

Simultaneously, Shin smiled, realizing that soon, gaming on PCs would become a reality. Moreover, with the advancement of GPUs for computers, progress in video game consoles and handheld devices was also well underway.

The development of KiShin's video game consoles was progressing impressively, but Shin recognized that the impact of the 32-bit architecture wouldn't be as significant in the video game industry. Although relevant, it paled in comparison to the forthcoming 64-bit consoles.

To address this, Shin planned to initially release the KS1, a video game console similar to the PS1 from Shin's previous life. It featured a 32-bit architecture with a 64-bit data bus.

In essence, the KS1 served as a prototype for what KiShin was truly focused on developing—the authentic 64-bit console.

However, Shin was aware that it would take at least two or more years to complete the research on the true 64-bit console, expected around 1996 or 1997.

Shin was aware that, regardless of his confidence, KiShin wasn't the sole entity developing its technologies. The Tora-Suzuki alliance was making strides in their own console development. Their aspirations extended beyond the 32-bit realm, aiming for a 64-bit console with enhanced data and memory capabilities, along with a superior processor. Tora-Suzuki sought the freedom to develop a wide array of video games, potentially surpassing KiShin in originality and graphic superiority, even if their gameplay wasn't as complex as KiShin's.

They had previously surpassed KiShin in graphics, but now they were striving to outdo KiShin in terms of electronics and technological quality.

Unbeknownst to them, KiShin was also in the process of developing its own prototype video game console.

The year 1994 was destined to witness an intensification of competition in the video game industry, starting in Japan.