# Chapter 976: So, Where Can I Buy One?
It wasn't just the Matrix Game Pod itself; even this trial content made many players feel incredibly cool.
Players traveled into the body of an android, experiencing all kinds of awesome skills, like scanning, data analysis, scene reconstruction, and more. This feeling was like gaining superpowers, or acquiring a futuristic tech-brain. And when Connor performed special actions that were difficult for humans to replicate, the system automatically completed them, allowing players to fully experience that sensation from every angle. It was thrilling, intense, and breathtaking.
Many people, after trying it out, couldn't wait to go online and post: "Come experience the Matrix Game Pod! You won't lose money buying it, and you won't be cheated!"
Even many people with physical disabilities came to line up. Whether they had poor eyesight, hearing loss, or physical disabilities, as long as their brains were normal, they could experience the same feelings as able-bodied people inside the Matrix Game Pod.
The players on-site were also very friendly. When they encountered these disabled individuals, they voluntarily let them move to the front of the line.
A disabled person who had lost his left arm in a car accident, after experiencing the game pod, had tears in his eyes. He directly found the staff in the experience zone and demanded to buy one. The staff could only explain to him: "It's still in the preparation and testing phase. These are display samples and are not for sale. The official release will be in a few days."
As more and more players shared their experiences online, the popularity of the Matrix Game Pod skyrocketed instantly. Without needing much promotion, it had already become the hottest topic of the moment.
Online and in private, it seemed like everyone was discussing how the Matrix Game Pod would bring earth-shattering changes to people's lives.
The only question was...
So, where can I buy one? .jpg
Soon, Thunder Game Platform and Lehui's official website announced the specific release date and price of the Matrix Game Pod.
February 16th, Saturday, 10:00 AM, official sales begin.
Price: 298,888 RMB, with a free next-generation VR game included.
First batch shipment: 17,000 units, of which 3,000 units are prioritized for disabled individuals, who also enjoy a 10% discount. As for overseas markets, there are currently no release plans.
Many people were puzzled. Why is the shipment number such an odd figure? Would it kill you to round it up to 20,000?
And 17,000 units is way too damn few, right? Sure, the game pod is expensive at 300,000, but with only 17,000 units shipped, supply definitely won't meet demand.
We're going to have to fight for it again!
Many players lamented bitterly, "Zhou Jiangping, when will you ever change this monkey-show habit of yours? You're not short on capital anymore! You're a giant in the smart glasses industry now! Why the hell are you still producing only 17,000 units? Isn't this just forcing us to scramble for them?"
"You deserve to cross-dress!"
Actually, Zhou Jiangping's heart was bitter. Because the first batch of Matrix Game Pods put into production was actually 50,000 units...
At 300,000 per game pod, those 50,000 units directly meant over 100 small targets (1.5 billion RMB) had been invested. And that's not even considering the capital chain issues. To mass-produce, you need to build production lines, and you have to increase capacity to produce more. Since this was a completely new product, managing to churn out 50,000 units in the first batch was already extremely difficult.
As for why only 17,000 units were left by the time of release? Simple — they had all been procured...
The military, hospitals, nursing homes... There are so many nursing homes across the country. If each high-end nursing home got one or two units, there wouldn't be many left in no time.
Procurement by these special institutions naturally takes priority over individual consumer purchases. And it wasn't just these special institutions. Many people came to Zhou Jiangping through various channels asking for game pods.
For example, some leaders from the Game Committee, entrepreneurs and friends who were close to Zhou Jiangping, top domestic game designers — some for personal use, some as gifts. These people even offered to pay a premium. Could Zhou Jiangping refuse?
Chen Mo's experience stores across the country also needed to keep some units. Zhou Jiangping had even less room to refuse that.
Fortunately, the Matrix Game Pod was a new thing. Many people were still on the fence about its risks, so the scramble wasn't too crazy yet. That's how they barely managed to hold onto 17,000 units, which was already pretty good. If they had been completely cleaned out, announcing the release date only to have no stock, that would have been a real joke.
But Zhou Jiangping couldn't explain this to consumers. The Game Committee wouldn't take the blame, and Chen Mo certainly wouldn't either. So poor Boss Zhou had to carry the black hat himself...
This time, it was definitely going to be a mad scramble. To prevent scalpers from buying up units and reselling them at inflated prices, strict restrictions were put in place. Before purchasing, buyers had to fill in detailed identity information. The pod could be for personal use or gifted to others, but each game pod had to be bound to a citizen's ID card. If the system detected that the user didn't match the registered information, it wouldn't work. To change the owner's information, you'd have to go through the procedures with Thunder Interactive staff.
As for overseas markets... Sorry, domestic players can't even get their hands on them. You'll have to wait your turn.
The Matrix Game Pod was priced at 300,000 RMB, exceeding the limit most working-class people could afford. After all, for many people, no matter how amazing they claimed it was, it was just an entertainment device — a giant game console. In some small towns, adding a bit more money could get you a down payment on a small apartment.
But it had to be said — the number of rich people in this world was beyond imagination...
300,000 RMB. In a second-tier city, that might only buy you a 15-square-meter bedroom. In a first-tier city, it might just be a few bricks in a school district apartment.
In some cities, when a 10-million-RMB apartment complex opens, it sells out instantly. That really makes you wonder: "Are your families running banks? Why does it feel like I'm the only one who's this poor?"
For these people, a 300,000 RMB next-gen VR game pod? Buy it! How could you not buy something so cheap?
Hell, even if scalpers jacked up the price to 500,000, they'd still buy it!
Everyone knows that as a mass-producible digital product, the Matrix Game Pod will only get cheaper over time. But its greatest value lies in the unique experience it offers players. And that kind of "feeling" and "experience" is priceless. Whether it's a young rich second-generation or an elderly, physically declining tycoon, this kind of next-gen VR experience is something they desperately crave — something that, before this, couldn't be bought with money at all.
...
On the eve of the release, Zhou Jiangping's phone was practically blown up. From some Lehui executives, some leaders of the Game Committee, to some of Chen Mo's people... everyone was endlessly harassed. Close acquaintances and distant ones alike were all frantically calling, trying to get a Matrix Game Pod through internal connections.
But Chen Mo was very insistent. This batch of game pods was going directly to the market. Whoever wanted one had to rely on their own ability to grab it — it was all down to luck. They weren't going to do any shady backroom deals. If there were truly unavoidable personal favors, they would politely tell them to wait until the next batch of Matrix Game Pods was produced.
Even though the number of Matrix Game Pods produced wasn't large, they still had to ensure that some players who truly loved games could get their hands on them.
Of course, given the current explosive scene, the next step would definitely be to expand production lines and ramp up mass production. After all, after satisfying the domestic market, there was still the international market. There was still a very, very long way to go before the Matrix Game Pod truly saturated the world.