Community

After the KiShin PC video games made their debut in the USA and became accessible on Microsoft operating systems, numerous computer enthusiasts flocked to KiShin Stores to purchase these sought-after titles.

Upon entering the KiShin store with his friends, Michael noticed a conspicuous board featuring an image—an apparent advertisement for a video game. The image depicted a green monster's face confronting a human face, both locked in a gaze with evident fighting intent.

Above the image, a title boldly proclaimed: "Warcraft: Orcs & Humans." Below, the logos of KiShin, Microsoft, and Apple were displayed.

"Look, it seems to be a PC video game," Ronald pointed at the image. Michael nodded, and they examined the advertisement board more closely with their friends.

"Oh, it appears to revolve around orcs versus humans just from this image alone," Michael remarked, nodding. He then turned to his friends and declared, "I'll purchase this game. Since this advertisement is prominently placed at the front of the KiShin store, the game must be noteworthy compared to other PC games."

"You're right."

"Yeah, I suppose it's worth a try."

Later, they entered the store and purchased several PC video games, including "Warcraft: Orcs & Humans" from the PC video games section.

After chatting with his friends for a while, Michael headed home. Once in his room, he eagerly installed the recently acquired game, intrigued by the advertisement he had seen in front of the KiShin Store.

Upon successful installation, Michael delved into the game's story manual before launching it. The game's soundtrack filled the room as he initiated the game, and a narrated introduction unfolded the tale.

With the soon-to-be iconic "Welcome to the world of Warcraft," the video game's title appeared, accompanied by various options. Michael opted for a new game, selecting Single Player and the Human Campaign.

Once again, the narrator conveyed the story from the player's perspective, providing insights into the conflicts between humans and orcs.

Michael, genuinely curious about the gameplay, found little information in the story manual beyond the narrative of human and orc conflicts.

After the man narrated the story of the player becoming a regent of the parcel of land, the game commenced, and Michael observed that the video game perspective provided a sweeping view of the entire land and its characters.

Gradually, he realized that the gameplay operated through the cursor, and tapping on the game characters triggered a response, "Yes, my Lord."

Upon repeatedly tapping the same character, it displayed signs of irritation, exclaiming, "Why do you keep touching me!?"

This prompted a chuckle from Michael, and he shook his head before grasping the intricacies of the game.

Slowly, he discovered the necessity of accumulating resources like wood and constructing more establishments in the area. Eventually, he successfully completed the game with a record result.

"The gameplay is quite different from what I anticipated," Michael mused as he gradually unraveled its mechanics.

From his perspective, the gameplay involved building structures, collecting resources, and managing the landscape. Though Michael hadn't fully comprehended the game yet, he found it intriguing.

In the second game, he found himself tasked with protecting a town, and his human characters encountered enemies, engaging in battles with them.

Consequently, he became increasingly immersed in the gameplay, and the process of figuring things out while playing entertained Michael for quite a while.

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A few days after the release of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, video game enthusiasts were still in the process of figuring things out. Gradually, a community of Warcraft enthusiasts started to emerge online.

During this period, KiShin had a website with a dedicated community section. Despite its simple design and layout, the website proved suitable for communication through chat.

The community section housed a discussion forum on the KiShin website, featuring a list of KiShin video games. Fans of a particular game could select from the list and join their respective communities.

Although internet usage was not yet widespread, especially among computer users, there were already many individuals actively utilizing the internet.

Upon visiting the KiShin website, fans of the game Warcraft swiftly registered, leading to the gradual growth of the Warcraft community.

During this period, the majority of video game communities on the KiShin website consisted mainly of Japanese discussions, with texts in Japanese that Americans couldn't comprehend. However, more Americans began using the KiShin website, primarily driven by their interest in Warcraft, a PC video game.

Despite the existing fanbase for KiShin in the USA, the majority of video game enthusiasts were console users rather than PC users. Consequently, many were unaware of the community on the KiShin website.

However, thanks to the PC video game Warcraft, a direct link to the KiShin website was suggested within the game itself, leading users directly to the Warcraft community in the KiShin forum.

Soon, hundreds of users became active participants, engaging in discussions about Warcraft: Orcs & Humans gameplay and game mechanics. Their primary focus, however, was on the game's strategies, as new players quickly recognized their significance.

The community also delved into the game's lore and story, recognizing their potential importance in the overall gaming experience. This highlighted the gradual rise of the PC game Warcraft's popularity on the internet.

Remarkably, within just a few days in the market, Warcraft not only garnered a substantial following but also contributed, albeit modestly, to the growth of internet users by the hundreds.

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Meanwhile, most console gamers held little opinion about KiShin's PC games. Their interest lay not in PC games but in KS1 and its video games.

Up to this point, they continued to immerse themselves in 16-bit gaming experiences, enjoying the extensive library of KiShin's 16-bit games. Despite the satisfaction derived from these games, their anticipation focused on the awaited release of the new KiShin console, the KS1, along with its accompanying video games.

As the weeks passed without any updates, some gamers grew anxious about whether KiShin would indeed release the KS1 this year. However, their concerns soon transformed into excitement when KiShin officially announced the imminent release of the KS1 in the USA.