"The first batch of 100,000 copies of ' Might and Magic ' has sold out. We are arranging a reprint of 500,000 copies. Congratulations!"
Caneghem stood frozen in place.
Seize the young?
Sales at this level are almost catching up with the legendary " Ultima ".
"Hello? Caneghem, where is everyone?"
"Yes, yes, Mr. Lin, am I successful?"
One hundred thousand sets – this is the projected sales figure negotiated between Caneghem and Gamenova.
However, since the decision was made to port this game to NovaBox, GAMENOVA has provided a lot of help and resources.
Even this groundbreaking pseudo-3D technology was authorized by Lin Lixin.
Angel investors!
Caneghem felt a lump in his throat, feeling that Lin Lixin's image was as dazzling as the sun.
I will definitely follow Kouya loyally for life!
"Yes, it's definitely going to work. Get the sacks ready."
"Huh? What are you preparing that thing for?"
"Filling up money, huh?" Lin Lixin laughed, then changed the subject, "Alright, back to the main topic, Mr. Caneghem, I'd like to commission NWC to develop a strategy game based on the world of ' Might and Magic '."
"I will not fail you!" Caneghem agreed without hesitation.
"I'll have Carmack deliver the project proposal to you later. Let's tentatively call the project ' Might and Magic: Heroes of Might and Magic and Magic'."
Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania.
Fifteen-year-old Todd Howard squeezed through the bustling crowd and walked silently on his way home.
He was holding a newly printed floppy disk of " Might and Magic ".
As a "nerd" who loved computers and video games, Todd was really not popular with those extroverted guys.
Whether at school or on the street, Todd felt out of place in this world.
His recent admission to Emmaus High School has completely reset his social circle.
Video games are now his only refuge.
He looked at the floppy disk in his hand, a rare hint of joy in his eyes.
As a video game enthusiast, he is unsurprisingly also a loyal fan of GAMENOVA.
But Todd's favorite game was still the fundamentalist CRPG.
While the Legend of Zelda is certainly amazing, it's still somewhat childish for him.
If possible, he really hopes that GAMENOVA can release games like traditional RPGs on PC.
As if hearing his wish, Gamenova released " Might and Magic ".
Avoiding the crowd, Todd returned home and went straight to his bedroom, excitedly inserting the floppy disk into the computer.
"Do we need a team of six characters, and develop all six characters from scratch?"
When Todd saw that the entire game was presented in a first-person perspective, he thought it would be a single-player Adventure game.
"You have to arrange the formation yourself?"
Todd paused for a moment, then, following his intuition, placed the knights he had just sculpted in the front row, and the mages and archers in the back.
This is truly the first time I've seen such a mechanism.
In his memory, RPG combat seemed to lean more towards "numerical superiority".
If my stats are higher, my equipment is better, and my spells are more powerful, then I must be strong enough.
The emergence of formations is like adding another layer of strategic depth to the basic comparison of size.
"The cavemen are purely physical attackers, so a sturdy front-line shield wall is enough... Area-of-effect magic? Do I have to spread out my formation?"
Todd suddenly understood why this six-person team system existed.
It's like a game of chess.
A mage with all points in Intellect, while capable of unleashing terrifying combat power, should not stand in the front line and should always be protected by the team.
Even a knight with a pure defense build has his own shining moments.
Each character seems to possess their own unique value.
It feels like actually playing D&D with a group of like-minded people.
While the Wizardry series, with its rich combat system, also features front and back rows, no game has ever made formation adjustments a core part of its gameplay like Might and Magic.
"That's great... When I get to university, I want to make video games, I want to make RPGs..."
As Todd looked at the fallen Fei Long before him, his passion for video games burned uncontrollably within him.
Lin Lixin hung up the phone, sniffed, and compared to its short-lived predecessors, Ultima and Wizardry, Might and Magic survived into the new millennium thanks to its spin-off, Heroes of Might and Magic of Might and Magic.
The early three major Western RPGs were absolutely ahead of their time in terms of concept, but they were somewhat born at the wrong time.
Western RPGs differ from Japan RPGs in that they do not emphasize having players experience a captivating story or remember memorable characters.
It leans more towards the original meaning of the word RPG.
role play.
Who do I want to become? What choices do I need to make?
This is a blank sheet of paper ready to be written on, driven by the player themselves.
This is precisely contrary to the current hardware conditions.
Their weak graphics performance prevents them from fully expressing their immersive experience.
The limited memory and ROM capacity also prevent the support of more detailed game mechanics.
JRPGs, on the other hand, excel in this area.
Lin Lixin wasn't in a hurry. With GAMENOVA's existing customer base, they could keep the company afloat. As long as each generation showed significant improvement, sales would at least be guaranteed.
CRPG's real opportunity to shine lies in the future.
I glanced at the time. If I remembered correctly, Carmack seemed to have been pulled into the store by Sam to help out today.
Under the blazing sun, Lin Lixin returned to the GAMENOVA arcade after a long absence.
Perhaps Pokémon has diverted attention, because the store has seen a significant decrease in customers these past two days.
It seems they all went to stores with Pokémon Center.
Hey, what are you all doing here?
As soon as he entered, Lin Lixin saw Sam and Carmack tinkering with a Street Fighter arcade machine.
Even Vivian was there, standing to the side with her arms crossed.
"Lin, you've come at the perfect time!"
Sam waved excitedly, then ran over and pulled Lin Lixin to the arcade machine.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Lixin was filled with questions.
The screen just showed a normal version of Street Fighter; I don't know what he was trying to express.
"A while ago, one of our fans complained to me that the fighting in Street Fighter was too difficult, and he often got wiped out by experienced players with just one coin in the store."
"So I've been thinking, is it possible for us to create a modified version of Street Fighter, a version that's easier to pick up and play?"
"It just so happens that Vivian still has some sample graphics cards, so I just asked her for one. That way, we can support some faster graphics and animations."
Sam shook the joystick a few times, and Lin Lixin's eyes lit up.
Although the animation was completely unchanged, he could clearly feel the difference.
It's gotten faster!
Whether running or jumping, it's almost twice as fast as before.
This seemingly minor change fundamentally altered its combat logic.
In situations where distance changes frequently and rapidly, positioning and confirming positions are far less important than proactive attacks. Instead, continuous pressure is used to disrupt the opponent's rhythm as much as possible.
Although it may not be as stable as before in terms of competitiveness, it seems... it's not without potential.
"Your idea is correct, Sam." Lin Lixin stared intently at the screen. "But it's not radical enough. Let's officially launch the project. This is doable. How about we call it ' The King of Fighters of Fighters'?"