KiShin Rules Headquarters, in Chairman Shin's office.
Shin was playing "Civilization I" on his office computer.
"Civilization I" of KiShin and Microsoft wasn't anything like the version of "Civilization I" in Shin's previous life.
KiShin and Microsoft improved the video game "Civilization I" graphics. In Shin's previous life, the video game "Civilization I" was a 16-EGA, but in this parallel world, KiShin and Microsoft's "Civilization I" has SVGA graphics, offering a more detailed and visually appealing world.
The KiShin and Microsoft "Civilization I" also made improvements to the user interface. Menus and options have been streamlined and organized for better usability, along with a mouse control scheme alongside keyboard commands.
Animated units and landscapes, such as static sprites, have been replaced with simple animations for units and terrain features, adding visual dynamism to the video game.
Additionally, a more complex diplomacy has been introduced. Basic alliances and tributes have been expanded with deeper diplomatic options like treaties, trade agreements, and cultural exchange.
The video game now features enhanced espionage and abilities. Mechanics such as spying and sabotage have been added, along with diverse unit abilities and specializations.
To increase the dynamic nature of the gameplay, more dynamic world events like natural disasters, revolutions, and cultural shifts have been introduced.
Not only that, but KiShin has also given players the ability to create their own custom scenarios or modify existing ones for a more varied gameplay experience.
Moreover, the game now supports multiplayer, both locally and online, with the assistance of the KiShin Play software.
With improved sound and music, Shin understood why Will Gates would be willing to spend some of his precious time on the video game "Civilization I."
In fact, Shin was quite engrossed in playing the video game "Civilization I." After a while of playing, he paused to draft the layout and plan for the video game that would be in production in the future.
--
In the United States, after months of KiShin Foundation and WorldCom spreading awareness in several states, more and more people became aware of the internet, and the number of internet users continued to grow.
Many websites gaining recognition and profiting from this trend included online platforms like Yahoo!, The New York Times, Amazon, and, finally, the KiShin website.
In 1995, there were only about 23,500 estimated websites worldwide. While this might seem substantial, the current number of websites is incomparable to what existed in the future.
Most websites at that time were navigational nightmares with almost non-existent accessibility. This was true even for major platforms like Yahoo! and The New York Times.
The KiShin website recently underwent significant changes, distinguishing itself from the majority of websites. KiShin improved its websites, and many users noticed the impressive transformation. Although KiShin websites were already superior to others, the recent update made them even better. KiShin focused on clear and concise content, recognizing that internet users in 1995 had slower download speeds and shorter attention spans. Prioritizing text over graphics, KiShin employed bullet points, headings, and simple navigations.
Given that many users were still using dial-up with prolonged loading times, KiShin utilized smaller images, compressed files, and avoided background images or animations that could slow down loading. Leveraging image formats, KiShin used GIFs for simpler graphics and JPEGs for photos, optimizing their size for faster loading times.
To enhance interactivity, especially considering the limited capabilities of Javascript, KiShin incorporated simple forms, guestbooks, and polls to engage users on their improved websites.
KiShin utilized frames to create a multi-page feel within a single webpage, providing more content without causing excessive loading times.
Most importantly, as KiShin observed the increase in internet users and traffic on their websites, they optimized their server configuration for caching and compression, further improving page load times.
Thanks to this impressive update of KiShin websites, many users were able to recommend them to their friends. This resulted in more internet users discovering KiShin's website and increased traffic to the site.
While KiShin websites are dedicated to video games, the discussions and the connections formed by certain users make it feel like a great platform for staying in touch with friends who are far away.
Moreover, allowing users to post whatever they want, even if it's unrelated to video games, has made more internet users perceive the KiShin website as a platform for social interaction.
In fact, when it comes to social interactions, the KiShin website forum has even surpassed Yahoo!, a platform designed for connecting with others.
The distinction between KiShin website forum and Yahoo! lies in the fact that Yahoo!'s webpage was filled with information, encompassing news headlines, weather updates, stock quotes, and links to various categories such as entertainment, sports, and travel.
While Yahoo! gained recognition for this comprehensive approach, the aesthetic of its webpage was vastly inferior to KiShin websites. Despite this, many internet users still preferred KiShin, particularly for social interaction. However, for staying updated on the latest news or contacting someone privately, many still relied on Yahoo! email.
Meanwhile, the Amazon website was gaining recognition in the e-commerce category. With KiShin fully supporting the website and contributing to Amazon's advancements in shipping vehicles, logistics, and website improvement, many internet users became aware of Amazon.
Thousands upon thousands of people had already ordered books on Amazon, and with the addition of video games to the lists, many internet users also placed orders for video games.
Over time, as more internet users registered and logged in on Amazon, ordering their preferred items, the website's algorithm gradually improved.
Web development in 1995 was still in its early stages, yet most people were unaware that KiShin was accelerating its progress as well.
The "Warcraft: Tides of Darkness", the sequel of the PC video game that became popular in the RTS genre, "Warcraft: Orcs Humans".
Most of "Warcraft" series fans who knew the release of the video game, quickly went into the video game stores to buy the video game.
The video game "Warcraft: Orcs Humans" has gained a considerable influence in the video games industry and have fans all over the world since it's released for about a year already, and it was released in Asia, USA, Australia, and in several countries in Europe.
With the "Warcraft" fanbase built overtime, it can be seen just how the RTS video game popularity is, and in fact, with the multiplayer options such as local and with the video game the first to have online options when it comes to multiplayer option and to play with other people with the use of internet, just makes it evident how many people were attached to the video game "Warcraft".
With the release of the new "Warcraft" video game, of course many people, especially the people that is online gamers, were pretty much excited.
With the latest "Warcraft" video game, many gamers were expecting a new strategy added, and it's gameplay.
The video game "Warcraft" was quite popular in the united states and in some parts of Europe or in western europe, and in fact, the PC video games except the KS1 video games were released in Japan, and in some parts of europe and the United States, at the same time.
In Western Europe, in Germany, United Kingdom, and France, had growing PC adoption and a developing interest in real-time strategy games.
But what surprised the KiShin game developers of the PC video game was that the PC video game "Warcraft: Tides of Darkness", became quite popular and talked in the country of South Korea.
That's right, South Korea, is one of the countries that was the early adopters and passion for strategy video games, and was charmed by the "Warcraft" introduced of the RTS or real-time strategy gameplay.
The KiShin video game developers for PC didn't quite expect it since it was quite clear how the south Koreans hated the Japanese, and with the government propaganda of the fact that Japan should admit their crimes and pay the country of South Korea for the damages and crimes that the Japanese in the country over the years, it was indeed quite unexpected for the KiShin PC video game "Warcraft" to be quite the talks of the young people in the country.
Although indeed the KiShin has made video games that was still quite popular in South Korea such as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and more, but that's because it was exclusive distributed by the SamStar company, and even the consoles of the Japanese were distributed by the South Korean conglomerates, and besides, the younger generation of South Korea didn't really take those video games seriously except for the minority or children which forbids to play Japanese video games anyway, Yet the PC video game "Warcraft" has really taken the attention of the south Korean young generation.
And the fact that the KiShin PC video games were not exclusively distributed by SamStar alone for quite a while now since there are PC video games distributors in the country, and that a dozens video game stores has been established for quite a few months already in the country was also a Japanese company, "GameStop", made it evident for the south Koreans that the "Warcraft" were a Japanese video game, yet still gained popularity in the country of South Korea made it more evident how charming the PC video game "Warcraft".
The KiShin Play Software was also one of the best seller in the South Korea, since it enables KiShin PC video games into online multiplayer, the engagement the PC video games were one of the reasons for why many people were attracted to PC video game than the consoles.
--
In the United Kingdom, George just went to the available "GameStop" in Oxford Street, London to buy the sequel of the PC video game of "Warcraft: Orcs Humans" and also to buy the latest video games available for KS1.
George was 15 years old, he became aware of video games because of his older brothers were playing on their SKES console, he was about 12 years old at that time, and his brothers played video games like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog, and while he don't get to play much, but just watching his older brothers playing a video game has entertained him so much, and most importantly, it also influenced him as well.
And so, overtime, he also became a gamer, playing all kinds of stuff, although most of the video games he played was from KiShin, he also played video games of Tora and Suzuki, and other video game entertainment companies as well, after turning the age of 14, that's when the time his elder brother returned home with a KS1 in hand.
He remembered at that time how excited he was, and two of his older brothers were quite excited to see their elder brother just bought the latest console that has been hyped for a few weeks in UK.
And George remembered when there's only three video games of KS1, and the first KS1 video game that created an impression towards him was the video game "Resident Evil", it was the horror video game with one particular scene that has been carved in his mind.
And the racing video games such as "KiShin All-Stars Racing!" and "The Need for Speed".
Although George, who was a fan of cars and owned miniature cars toys that was given by his brothers, felt that "The Need For Speed" actually lacked in some sports cars models available in the video game, although there are already sports cars models available in the video game, it was still lacking, but either way, George felt it was a good racing video game.
Although what George didn't know was that the version of KS1 video games in Europe is vastly different to USA and Japan, as there are video games for US, EU and JP versions for different countries...
After George bought the video games for PC and KS1, he went home with a smile on his face, and as soon as he returned home, he went to his room.
Unlike before, George's elder brother already have his own family and became independent, while the other two older brothers of George was staying in dorms in college.
So George became pretty much the only one living with his parents house, and he can freely play video games using KS1 in the living room with limited time, and play video games in PC, except for school, George has much more freedom in playing video games as he can solo on the family computer but he couldn't help but felt lonely sometimes.
That's why, when he discovered that KiShin have a software that allowed their "Warcraft: Orcs Humans" to be played multiplayer online, George became a bit addicted to online gaming, as he can interact and play with other people online.
That's one of the reasons why he was hyped by the latest "Warcraft" PC video game, it can only mean that it has new features, lore, gameplay, and exciting strategy gameplay...
Furthermore, he looked forward to playing the latest "Warcraft" with others online.
Even though he often ended up on the losing side, he didn't really mind.
During this time, multiplayer online features were relatively simple, lacking ranking systems or profiles to track wins and losses. As a result, players like George were spared the experience and meaning of a losing streak.
George took out the CD of "Warcraft: Tides of Darkness" from the CD case and inserted it into the CD slot of his computer.
He was a real fan of the video game. In fact, there were several posters of "Warcraft" in his room, along with posters of "Doom" and "Mortal Kombat." Additionally, there were KES and SKES video game characters' action figures displayed on the shelves.
Calmly and skillfully, George installed the video game "Warcraft" into the computer after selecting the file directory.
After a while, "Warcraft: Tides of Darkness" was successfully installed in MS-DOS.
With great excitement, George immediately opened the video game. He selected the single-player option and Human Campaign option first. Then, the text of the timeline after the war of humans and orcs appeared, followed by the game intro animation.
The animation depicted ships sailing in the sea in 3D. The ships sliced through waves shimmering with light. A Gnomish Flying Machine, a mechanical beetle buzzing with gears and rivets, dipped overhead, casting a shadow that felt almost tangible. The narrator's voice, rich and booming, echoed tales of fallen kings and rising darkness, painting a grim yet thrilling picture of a world teetering on the brink.
After the video game's introductory animation story, George started playing. After a short while, he was pleasantly surprised by how different "Warcraft" had become compared to its first video game.
Not only does the new "Warcraft" video game feature deeper character development, but the gameplay is also quite impressive. It introduces more units and abilities, along with an Isometric Perspective. While retaining the charm of the first video game's 2D view, the isometric perspective of "Warcraft: Tides of Darkness" offers better visual clarity and unit positioning.
Additionally, the zoomable terrain allows George to zoom in and out slightly on the battlefield, providing him with a better overview of strategic options and highlighting environmental details.
Moreover, there are more detailed animation sequences for unit attacks, spell effects, and hero abilities, adding visual flourish and feedback.
Enemy units have become much more challenging and now exhibit basic strategies. This is a significant improvement compared to "Warcraft: Orcs Humans," where enemy units lacked strategies but presented difficulty due to the player's disadvantage.
Despite realizing it was time to sleep, George couldn't bring himself to do so. The engaging gameplay, impressive graphics, and captivating story kept him awake.
The story of "Warcraft" progresses after the humans' war with orcs. As the humans rebuild their territory, darkness emerges. Terenas' son, Arthas, succumbs to the corrupting influence of the fallen paladin Uther Lightbringer. Descending into madness, Arthas becomes a pawn of the Lich King, the leader of the undead Scourge. Arthas murders his king, plunging Azeroth into a new era of chaos.
The Human campaign follows Jaina Proudmoore, a powerful sorceress and close friend of Arthas, as she grapples with understanding and confronting her former friend's descent into darkness. Jaina teams up with Thrall and the newly emerged Tauren to combat the Scourge and Arthas' growing power.
After a while, George finally fell asleep. He eagerly anticipates the rapid spread of "Warcraft: Tides of Darkness" in the UK, looking forward to playing multiplayer online with other players using the KP Software.
--
Shin has developed the Warcraft series differently in this world. With ample resources and funds, he significantly improved the PC video game.
The first "Warcraft: Orcs Humans" by KiShin closely resembled the original game in Shin's previous life. However, equipped with superior software, an extensive game developers department, and advanced video game development tools, Shin and the KiShin game developers were able to produce "Warcraft: Tides of Darkness" much better than the original in Shin's previous life.
The vast difference between Warcraft I and Warcraft II was readily apparent even to the fans who had played the early versions of the PC video game Warcraft II.
Notably, there were improvements in graphics, gameplay, and the development of more solid and complex storylines.
Furthermore, the video game introduced moral ambiguity by incorporating more nuanced choices and consequences, blurring the lines between good and evil. Players now faced morally difficult decisions, questioning their allegiances and contemplating the true cost of victory.
Shin implemented better branching narratives in Warcraft II, offering more than just campaign paths based on choosing a faction. The game allowed players' actions in missions to have lasting consequences, shaping the narrative and leading to different endings.
Shin also expanded beyond the existing unit types by including specialized units with unique skills and tactical benefits. This expansion considered siege weapons, airship units, or hero-specific abilities to add strategic depth to the gameplay.
Introduce neutral creatures on the map that players can engage with for resources or strategic advantages, similar to mechanics in future Warcraft titles.
Enhance the AI of enemy units and bosses to heighten the challenge and adaptability to player strategies.
Additionally, improve animation sequences...
This is why gamers who were able to play the PC video game Warcraft II were captivated by the gameplay. Even those who weren't particularly impressed with Warcraft I felt the significant improvements and innovations that KiShin brought to Warcraft II.
Despite potential lag on older computers, KiShin implemented a graphics setting. As long as players set it to low graphics, the game runs smoothly even on less powerful computers.
KiShin's commitment to providing graphics settings in their PC video games, not just Warcraft II, truly deserves commendation. However, many gamers at that time, lacking technical knowledge, took for granted the effort required to input graphics settings in 1995.
Why was it challenging to add graphics settings during this period?
If it weren't for KiShin, other video game entertainment companies would struggle to implement it similarly. The development tools for graphics engines (excluding KiShin's software game engine) at that time were less mature and lacked functionalities for dynamic scaling or multiple settings. Implementing separate graphic options often demanded extensive coding and adjustments.
In the 90s, developers had to consider compatibility with a broader range of hardware, making it difficult to create graphics settings that wouldn't cause problems on slower or weaker systems.
KiShin's advanced software and Shin's ultimate control over KiShin companies made it possible. He could invest his money in video game production at any time, as he owned the company, and the company's budget was Shin's budget.