"Can anyone here tell me what Northstar Games is actually doing right now?"
Marcus Hale, the Game Director of Shanda Games, leaned forward at the meeting table, his fingers interlocked tightly.
He had a tall, imposing build—the kind that made people instinctively take him seriously. But the moment he spoke, that illusion shattered. His voice was unexpectedly soft, almost delicate, completely mismatched with his appearance.
It reminded people of a majestic creature with a ridiculous sound—impressive on the outside, but strangely off once you paid attention.
The room fell silent.
Then one of the staff members quickly stood up and said, "Sir, Northstar Games has recently been working on controllers. The factory they acquired has already started production. According to our investigation, they're collaborating with multiple electronics manufacturers to mass-produce controller parts."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"It looks like their next game is related to the console market."
Marcus Hale nodded slightly.
Then he asked again, more seriously this time:
"Has anyone figured out what kind of game they're making?"
That was the real question.
Because in today's gaming industry, Northstar Games was no longer just another competitor—it was the trendsetter.
Over the past decade, Shanda Games had slowly declined.
Once, they had dominated the online gaming market. But now?
They were barely holding onto relevance.
The reason was simple.
They never truly created anything original.
Most of their success came from acting as an agent for foreign games—bringing in titles and profiting from them. That strategy gave them an early advantage, but it also made them lazy.
They relied on others.
And in an industry that demanded innovation, that was fatal.
Talented developers left. Salaries remained low. Leadership tightened control instead of encouraging creativity.
Step by step, Shanda lost its edge.
Marcus Hale understood this better than anyone.
That was why he had made a bold decision:
Shanda would enter the single-player game market.
It was a risky move, but also necessary.
The online market was already controlled by giants. There was no room to fight there.
But the single-player market?
That space was expanding—and Northstar Games was leading it.
If Shanda wanted to survive, they had to take a share of that territory.
However, there was one critical rule:
They had to avoid releasing games at the same time as Northstar Games.
Because whenever Northstar released something…
The entire market shifted.
Players flooded toward them.
Developers followed their lead.
Even investors rushed in with money.
That was the level of influence Northstar had.
So Shanda created a special department.
A department dedicated to one purpose:
Studying Northstar Games.
But now…
That department stood in the meeting room, unable to give a real answer.
"The new game must be a controller-based game!"
"It's probably targeting overseas console platforms!"
"They've worked with console platforms before—like their previous hit titles!"
The employees spoke one after another.
Marcus Hale slowly narrowed his eyes.
His expression turned cold.
This wasn't new information.
This was just repetition.
Everyone already knew Northstar was working on hardware.
That wasn't the question.
The question was:
What kind of game were they making?
What genre?
What direction?
Was it something that would clash with Shanda's project?
Because if it did…
They still had time to change course.
But now?
They had nothing.
No clear answer.
No useful insight.
Marcus Hale clenched his jaw.
The company had spent money on an entire department… and this was the result.
A group of people repeating obvious facts.
Meanwhile, the truth was even more frustrating.
Even inside Northstar Games…
They didn't fully know when their own game would be finished.
So how could outsiders possibly figure it out?
---
As evening fell, inside the towering headquarters of Northstar Games, Ethan Reed and Vivian Frost stepped out of the top-floor office.
Ethan casually took Vivian's bag and followed her into a private elevator.
The space was small but comfortable.
A faint fragrance filled the air—not overwhelming, just enough to create a calm atmosphere.
Ethan sniffed lightly and said,
"The TGA awards are coming soon. Should we go in person?"
Vivian immediately shook her head.
"No. Too tiring. Watching from home is enough."
She had always preferred quiet over crowds.
And Ethan didn't disagree.
After a brief pause, he said,
"Then let Rachel Quinn go instead."
Vivian nodded.
"She's perfect. She loves these events."
Ethan smiled slightly.
"Last time I mentioned a business trip, she almost attacked me."
That earned a small laugh.
---
After returning home, Vivian headed to the kitchen to prepare something quick.
Meanwhile, Ethan sat on the sofa and made a call.
The issue was clear.
The development of their next major project had hit a bottleneck.
Too many programmers.
Not enough artists.
And for a game like Zelda…
Art wasn't optional.
It was essential.
"Hire freelancers," Ethan said calmly into the phone. "Use whatever budget you need. Don't hold back."
He continued,
"And don't touch other teams. Expansion will happen next March. Your team will grow to four hundred people."
On the other end, Daniel Reed responded,
"Understood… but there's another issue."
Ethan frowned.
"What is it?"
"The timeline."
A short silence followed.
Then Daniel spoke seriously:
"This game… it's going to take at least ten months."
Ethan leaned back slightly.
That was slower than he hoped.
But he understood why.
This wasn't a simple project.
This was a masterpiece-level game.
And if they wanted it to compete globally…
There was no room for shortcuts.
After a moment, Ethan said:
"Fine. Ten months. Twelve at most."
"I want a complete game by then."
Daniel exhaled in relief.
"No problem."
---
After ending the call, Ethan turned his head.
Vivian was already curled up on the sofa, watching TV.
He smiled slightly.
"Since Zelda will take time… maybe we should slow down this year."
Vivian gave him a look.
The kind that clearly said:
"You barely work anyway."
But she still nodded.
"Your decision."
Ethan chuckled.
Then he said,
"Next year, we'll also need a large recruitment drive."
Vivian replied casually,
"Then let's hire a thousand people."
Ethan paused.
Then suddenly, a new idea formed.
"What if we expand into new fields?"
Vivian turned to him.
"Like what?"
Ethan leaned forward slightly.
"Comics. Novels. Content platforms."
He continued,
"We shouldn't rely only on games. If we control original content, we can build stronger IPs."
Vivian thought about it.
Carefully.
Then—
She nodded.
"Let's do it."
---
The next morning… Northstar Games made its move.
And it shook the entire entertainment industry.
A post appeared online:
"Northstar Games is launching new platforms!"
"Rachel Quinn Comics is now open!"
"Northstar Literature Platform is live!"
"New users receive free reading benefits!"
The announcement was playful.
Almost childish.
But no one laughed.
Because behind it stood Northstar Games.
A company known for one thing:
Delivering results.
Within hours—
The news exploded across the internet.
Creators flooded in.
Artists.
Writers.
Developers.
Everyone wanted a chance.
Because Northstar didn't just offer opportunity.
They offered the best待遇 in the industry.
And more importantly—
Joining them meant becoming part of something bigger.
---
Back at Shanda Games…
Marcus Hale stared at the screen.
Completely stunned.
"…What?"
He blinked.
Then slammed his hand on the table.
"What is Northstar Games doing?!"
The room stayed silent.
No one dared to answer.
They had spent months analyzing Northstar's next move.
They thought it was a shift toward consoles.
They thought they understood the direction.
But now?
They realized something terrifying.
They weren't even close.
Because Northstar wasn't just changing direction.
They were rewriting the entire game.
And once again—
The rest of the industry could only follow behind.
Confused.
And struggling to catch up.
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