Later, the MK1 became a huge hit. Mikuf, which had once been devastated by the handheld gaming industry, was now reversing the trend and slowly encroaching on the handheld gaming market.
The functionality of handheld consoles was still too limited; they couldn't meet the communication needs of people, and handheld consoles were always destined to be a secondary choice.
"How did I completely overlook this industry?" Bob thought to himself, feeling somewhat frustrated.
He had to admit that he had indeed neglected the mobile phone industry.
In fact, with his current financial, human, and material resources, he could have easily set up his own mobile phone department and vigorously developed physical hardware.
This was certainly a very profitable direction.
Mr. Takayuki always had such sharp and forward-thinking vision.
...
...
Now, Mikuf was just a small player in the mobile phone industry, but it had already caught the attention of Mr. Takayuki. According to Takayuki, if Mikuf continued to develop unchecked, this company could very well become the most profitable company in the world in the future.
When it came to profits, Bob was wide awake.
Since Mr. Takayuki had said that this industry would definitely succeed, why hesitate? Just dive in!
Without a second thought, he picked up the phone and dialed one of his subordinates.
"Hello? Arthur? Gather the executives, I have an important decision to announce."
"Yes, it's in the middle of the night, but time waits for no one. We cannot afford even a second's delay; one second's delay could mean missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in profits."
Now, Bob was completely awake, so he might as well call everyone in.
"If I can't sleep, neither should you."
Bob immediately gathered everyone at Facebook's headquarters for an emergency meeting.
The core of the meeting was Bob's decision to create a new department: the mobile business department.
This department had one goal: to develop their own mobile phone.
The department that was working on Facebook's related applications for the MK1 phone was to temporarily halt their work. They didn't need to rush the MK1 app release; instead, they would now collaborate with the newly formed mobile department to work on the new phone.
In the U.S., talent was never in short supply.
However, sometimes leaders can't always foresee the future direction 100%.
But now Bob had a clear direction, so he would simply pay handsomely to recruit the best talents.
First, according to Takayuki's suggestion, Bob planned to target talent specializing in computer operating systems.
Morgan Group was the first choice, being the world's largest operating system manufacturer with a very strong team of talent.
Next, Bob turned his attention to the mobile phone production and R&D department.
At this time, the mobile phone industry had entered a short period of stagnation. The industry was heading toward internal competition, and the influence of the MK1 phone had not fully spread. Without a new explosive point, those working in the mobile industry had only the option of internal competition.
As soon as Bob gave the order, recruitment notices were posted across major hiring platforms that same night.
Mobile phone R&D engineers could earn over $100,000 annually, with more senior positions reaching annual salaries in the millions.
Facebook's sudden move left many people stunned.
Even the shareholders were surprised at why Bob suddenly decided to dive into this field.
Normally, they thought, Facebook could simply focus on its internet business and grow steadily.
Why venture into a physical industry?
Is entering the physical industry really that easy?
But Facebook certainly had the money.
With a market value in the hundreds of billions, and countless people throwing money at Facebook, Bob could easily get the resources he needed to pursue his new venture.
Of course, his decision still faced resistance from some shareholders.
What they valued most was stability.
Facebook was already earning an enormous profit from its stable growth, and there was no need to explore new industries.
E-commerce, video platforms, and online live streaming were already providing stable cash flow. The live streaming platform had only recently gained traction thanks to Titanfall, attracting countless viewers to Facebook's live streaming page, with future profits looking promising.
Yet now, Bob was starting a new project that seemed to have little future potential. They were concerned he might ruin everything.
But Bob's decisions had always been right up until now, and they had no real reason to stop him this time.
Plus, with Bob's absolute voting rights, the new mobile business department was quickly set up.
To make a statement, Bob also announced his ambition for the mobile manufacturing business in the media. He aimed to capture more than half of the mobile industry's market share.
Naturally, this raised the alarm for Mikuf's CEO, Myron Keys.
However, what Bob had announced so far wasn't enough. Developing a mobile phone was a long-term project, not something that could be completed in just a few days after setting up a department. It required time.
For now, Mikuf didn't need to worry too much, but they certainly needed to prepare for what was coming.
These were the things Bob needed to focus on. Takayuki just needed to give Bob a clear direction, then let him handle things. If Bob couldn't outmaneuver Myron Keys with a clear direction, it would prove he had no talent for it. In that case, they could always turn to Morgan Group for a partnership.
Now, Takayuki was preparing for new game development and publishing.
After Titanfall was completed, the U.S. team entered a short rest period.
During this rest period, the team focused on maintaining Titanfall's online player base, hoping to push the game into a new milestone, making it a competitive e-sports title.
They had spent over a year working on Titanfall, which had been mentally exhausting.
Even with normal working hours, it was still hard to keep up.
Using the time to maintain Titanfall's online mode, they could finally get some rest.
In Japan, game development was continuing.
The next major games after Titanfall were Civilization and Monster Hunter, along with a few other secondary releases.
This year's Carnival's theme was Titanfall, but new games would still be revealed.
The Civilization series was part of this year's announcements.
The Civilization trailer showcased many well-known civilizations from around the world, and the game didn't have strict narrative restrictions—players had the freedom to develop the civilization however they wished. It provided a great deal of freedom.
There were many different ways to win: through technological advancement, conquest, or alliances.
In short, the diverse development paths immediately drew a lot of attention when the Civilization series was announced.