"The first batch of 100,000 copies of Might and Magic has already sold out. We're currently arranging another print run of 500,000 copies. So, congratulations."
Jon stood frozen in place.
How many….? That level of sales was already approaching that of the veteran giant, Ultima.
"Hello? Jon, you there?"
"I'm here, I'm here, Ethan. Does this mean I've made it?"
One hundred thousand copies had been the projected sales figure Jon and GAMENOVA had agreed upon. But ever since the decision had been made to port the game to NovaBox, GAMENOVA had invested no small amount of manpower and resources into helping him.
Even the revolutionary pseudo-3D technology had been licensed by Ethan. He was an angel investor.
Jon's nose stung with emotion as Ethan's image seemed to shine as brightly as the sun. He would follow him loyally for the rest of his life!
"Yeah, you've definitely made it. Better prepare some suitcases."
"Huh? What do I need suitcases for?"
"For carrying money."
Ethan burst out laughing before changing the subject.
"Alright, back to business. Jon, I'd like to commission NWC to develop a strategy game based on the world of Might and Magic."
"I won't fail the mission!"
Jon agreed without even thinking.
"I'll have Carmack bring over the design documents later. For now, let's call the project Might and Magic: Heroes of Might and Magic."
...
Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania.
Fifteen year old Todd Howard squeezed his way out of a bustling crowd and quietly made his way home. In his arms was a freshly purchased copy of Might and Magic.
Years later, he would become one of the most influential RPG developers in the world, but for now he was just another teenager obsessed with computer games.
And as a computer loving, video game loving nerd, Todd wasn't exactly popular with the outgoing kids around him.
Whether at school or out on the streets, he always felt out of place in this world. Especially after enrolling at Emmaus High School, his already small social circle had effectively been reset. Only video games remained as a place where he truly belonged.
Looking down at the floppy disk in his hands, a rare trace of joy appeared in his eyes. As a video game enthusiast, he was naturally a loyal GAMENOVA fan as well.
But Todd's favorite games had always been classic CRPGs. The Legend of Zelda was certainly amazing, but to him it felt somewhat childish. If possible, he truly wished GAMENOVA would release games similar to the traditional RPGs found on PCs.
And it was as if GAMENOVA had heard his wish. They had released Might and Magic.
Avoiding the crowds, Todd rushed into his bedroom the moment he got home and eagerly inserted the floppy disk into his computer.
"I have to create six characters and build a party from scratch?"
When he first saw the first-person perspective, Todd had assumed it would be a single-character adventure game.
"And I have to arrange the formation myself?"
Todd paused in surprise. Following his instincts, he placed the knight he had just created in the front row and positioned the mage and archer behind him.
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This kind of mechanic was completely new to him. In his memory, RPG combat had always leaned more toward "stat superiority."
My stats are higher, my equipment is better and my spells are stronger. Therefore, I must be stronger. But the introduction of formations added an entirely new layer of strategy on top of simple numerical comparisons.
"Cave Men use purely physical attacks. As long as I have a sturdy front-line shield wall, it should be enough... Area of effect magic? Does that mean I need to spread out my formation?"
Todd suddenly understood why the six-member party system existed. It was like a game of chess. A mage who invested all of their points into Intelligence could unleash terrifying combat power, but they couldn't stand in the front line and always needed protection from the team.
Likewise, a knight built purely for defense had moments to shine as well. Every character seemed to possess their own unique value. It felt like he was genuinely playing Dungeons & Dragons with a group of like-minded friends.
Although Wizardry featured front and back rows in its combat system, no game had ever made formation management such a central part of gameplay the way Might and Magic did.
"This is wonderful..."
"When I get into college, I'm going to make video games too. I'm going to make RPGs too..."
As Todd watched the wyvern collapse before him, the passion for video games burning within his heart erupted uncontrollably.
...
Ethan hung up the phone and rubbed his nose.
Compared to the short-lived pioneers Ultima and Wizardry, Might and Magic had managed to survive well beyond the turn of the millennium thanks to the success of Heroes of Might and Magic.
The three great early western RPG franchises had absolutely been ahead of their time in terms of design philosophy. They had simply been born at the wrong time.
Unlike Japanese RPGs, western RPGs did not focus on letting players experience an exciting story or remember unforgettable characters. They leaned more heavily toward the original meaning of the term RPG.
Role-playing.
Who do I want to become?
What choices do I want to make?
The player was given a blank page and allowed to write their own story.
Unfortunately, that philosophy happened to conflict with the limitations of contemporary hardware. Weak graphics capabilities prevented them from fully expressing the immersion they sought. Tiny memory capacities and ROM sizes couldn't support more detailed game systems either.
JRPGs, on the other hand, thrived under those same conditions.
Ethan wasn't worried. With GAMENOVA's support keeping them alive, as long as each installment showed obvious improvements, sales would remain secure. The true age of glory for CRPGs lay in the future.
Glancing at the time, Ethan remembered that Carmack had apparently been dragged to the arcade by Sam today to help out.
Braving the afternoon sun, he made his way back to the GAMENOVA arcade for the first time in a while. Perhaps because Pokémon had absorbed so much attention, customer traffic had noticeably decreased over the past few days. It seemed everyone had gone to locations that housed Pokémon Centers.
"Hey, what are you all gathered around here for?"
The moment he stepped through the door, Ethan spotted Sam and Carmack huddled around a Street Fighter arcade cabinet. Even Vivian was there, standing nearby with her arms crossed.
"Ethan, perfect timing!"
Sam waved excitedly and quickly dragged him over to the machine.
"What's going on?"
Ethan looked puzzled. The screen displayed an entirely normal game of Street Fighter. He couldn't tell what Sam was trying to show him.
"A while back, one of our fans complained to me that Street Fighter was too difficult. New players keep getting wiped out by veterans with a single credit."
"So, I started thinking, what if we made a modified version of Street Fighter? A version that's easier to pick up."
"Coincidentally, Vivian still had some sample graphics cards lying around. I borrowed one, so now we can support faster animation speeds."
Sam moved the joystick a few times. Ethan's eyes immediately lit up. Although the animations themselves hadn't changed, he could clearly feel the difference.
Everything was faster. Running and jumping were nearly twice as fast as before. That tiny change alone fundamentally altered the game's combat logic.
With distances changing rapidly and constantly, spacing and hit confirming became far less important than proactive offense. The focus shifted toward relentless pressure and disrupting the opponent's rhythm as much as possible.
While it might not be as competitively stable as the original version, it seemed there was definitely potential here.
"Your idea is correct, Sam."
Ethan stared intensely at the screen.
"But it isn't aggressive enough. Let's officially start the project. This can work. We might as well call it The King of Fighters."
-----------------------
A.N: If you're wondering who Todd is, check out Skyrim, and Fallout.
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