The video game industry experienced a particularly intense period in the year 2002. As the months edged closer to late April, notable companies such as Suzuki and Microsoft stepped into the arena with the introduction of their own video game engines. This was a significant move, considering the landscape at the time.
For years, the software behind video game engines was largely dominated by KiShin's offerings. Their products, notably the "VG Engine" and the highly acclaimed "Unreal Engine," had firmly established a stronghold in the market. This dominance led to an increasing dependency among video game studios, including giants like Suzuki and Microsoft, on KiShin's technology. The reliance on KiShin's software had become so ingrained that it took a while for these companies to recognize the limitations and risks associated with depending solely on external engines.
Realizing the pitfalls of such dependency, these companies, years later, embarked on the journey of developing their own video game engine software. However, this realization came somewhat belatedly. Despite their efforts, KiShin's engines continued to maintain a significant edge in the market.
In response to this challenge, video game studios began investing heavily in the development of their proprietary engines. The motivation was clear: they sought to reduce their financial obligations to KiShin, which demanded royalties for every game sold that was developed using their engines. The ambition was to gradually bridge the gap with KiShin's technology.
Yet, achieving parity with KiShin's engines was not an immediate prospect. KiShin continued to dominate the market, holding a significant advantage over its competitors.
In a strategic move to the two major competitors, KiShin responded by releasing a more accessible version of the "Unreal Engine," targeting individual developers and smaller studios. This version was designed to be more user-friendly, allowing single developers to create and release their own games. KiShin offered an enticing deal: no royalty fees would be charged until a game's sales exceeded $100,000. This approach significantly lowered the entry barrier for aspiring game developers.
However, the "Unreal Engine" CD was not free. Developers had to purchase it to gain full access to the software.
Unbeknownst to their competitors, KiShin had been secretly working on an even more advanced game engine, exclusively for their own use - the "KAGE" game engine. This new development boasted slight, yet significant advantages over established engines like the "VG Engine" and the "Unreal Engine." Despite the advanced state of these existing engines in the market, the "KAGE" engine's superior features were clear, underscoring KiShin's commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in the ever-evolving landscape of video game technology.
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Meanwhile, as the video game industry was ever-changing, with many experts predicting that KiShin would soon lose its edge in the video game engines market and subsequently its overall dominance in the industry – just as it had slipped from its top 2-3 position in the cellular phone market – KiShin continued to innovate and expand in various ventures, including internet technology. Despite the skepticism surrounding its position in the gaming sector, KiShin maintained its development momentum, particularly in the realm of internet services.
The company owned an ISP service called WorldCOM, which rapidly became a major player in the ISP industry, not only in the USA and Japan but also in several parts of Asia. Under Shin, who possessed foresight and knowledge from his previous life, KiShin began to lay the groundwork for future internet innovations. Shin, with his insight, understood the potential of the internet beyond its current capabilities and envisioned the creation of streaming platforms akin to what would be known as YouTube and Twitch in his past life.
KiShin started laying the groundwork for these platforms. They begun to develop advanced streaming technologies and algorithms for content delivery and recommendation. The company also invested in creating robust infrastructures that could handle massive amounts of data and traffic, anticipating the scale of future internet usage.
Shin's strategic planning was not only based on his past experiences but also on his understanding of future trends and technologies.
As for the financial success of WorldCOM, KiShin's venture into the ISP service proved to be highly lucrative. By the end of 2001, WorldCOM had generated an impressive yearly revenue, reflecting the company's significant impact on the internet service industry and validating Shin's strategic direction. The success of WorldCOM underpinned KiShin's continued investment in internet technologies, setting the stage for its future endeavors in streaming services and beyond.