Inside Northstar Games, every instruction given by Ethan Reed carried absolute authority.
From the top executives to the newest interns, everyone followed one simple belief:
"Just listen to Ethan Reed."
"Ethan Reed never makes mistakes."
That mindset wasn't forced—it was built through results. Every success, every breakthrough, every unexpected win had slowly turned Ethan into something more than a leader.
He had become a symbol.
---
Three days after the internal meeting, Ethan finally sat down and completed the full outline of his newly acquired game.
The concept wasn't just another project.
It was something different. Something personal.
Once he finished organizing the structure, mechanics, and direction, he saved the file and sent a short message to Daniel.
When Daniel had time, he would take over development.
---
Meanwhile, Evan Cross was already preparing to expand operations.
He had handed over all his existing projects to trusted subordinates and immediately departed for Skybound's Demon City branch, where he planned to establish Northstar's new division.
The reason he could leave so quickly was simple.
He managed mostly single-player titles.
Unlike live-service games, these didn't require constant maintenance.
Games like:
Stardew Valley
Night of the Full Moon
Pokémon
All had content prepared in advance.
Updates only happened when necessary.
And honestly…
Ethan had once joked:
"If you never update the game… then there will never be bugs."
Of course, that was just sarcasm.
Still, it highlighted the difference between single-player projects and something like Overwatch, which required constant balancing and updates.
So naturally—
Evan Cross became the first person to leave for expansion.
---
At the same time, another major project had begun rolling out.
The Pokémon Go League System.
Daniel was currently in charge of it.
Across multiple cities, real-world gym systems were being established. It was a massive undertaking, requiring coordination, infrastructure, and time.
But Daniel wouldn't stay on it forever.
Once the core systems were completed—
League structure
Ranking ladder
Competitive framework
He would hand the project over to a secondary team and move on.
---
Vivian Frost, on the other hand, had taken control of something entirely different.
The controller project.
She had two reasons.
First—
She wanted to prove she wasn't just a decorative figure in the company.
Second—
She wanted early access to Ethan's new game.
That motivation alone made her unstoppable.
---
The controller itself wasn't finalized yet.
Because before design—
They needed production.
Northstar's plan was simple:
Acquire an existing hardware manufacturer… and reshape it into their own style.
Not just buy.
Transform.
---
So Ethan went with Vivian.
Because this controller—
Wasn't just hardware.
It was designed specifically for the new game.
Every button, every feedback system, every tiny detail—
Had to match the gameplay itself.
---
On the seventh day, they arrived in the capital.
For Ethan, it felt familiar.
For Vivian, it was an adventure.
He took her around the city, following food recommendations from Daniel and Sienna, trying local dishes and relaxing before work began.
For a brief moment—
They weren't CEO and developer.
They were just two people enjoying life.
---
At 2 PM, they arrived at their destination.
A mid-level peripheral manufacturer.
---
The company specialized in:
Mice
Keyboards
Gaming headsets
Controllers
Their products were widely used in fighting and racing games.
Their strengths were clear:
Durable buttons
Strong feedback
Affordable pricing
But their weakness?
Terrible aesthetics.
Still—
They were a cost-effective and stable manufacturer.
---
The company name was… interesting.
Ethan almost laughed when he heard it.
But he held it in.
Vivian, on the other hand, looked completely serious.
He honestly couldn't tell whether she understood the name—or just picked it randomly because it "felt right."
Knowing her…
Either was possible.
---
The boss, a middle-aged man, greeted them warmly.
He had already prepared everything.
Contracts.
Documents.
Negotiation terms.
Because he knew—
This wasn't just a visit.
This was a turning point.
---
"Welcome," he said with a smile.
Vivian didn't waste time.
"Take us to the workshop."
---
Inside—
The environment was simple.
Bright lights.
Rows of workers.
Endless repetition.
Attaching components.
Installing circuit boards.
Testing devices.
---
Ethan quietly observed.
This was real manufacturing.
No glamour.
Just effort.
---
The boss explained:
200 employees
Limited production capacity
Heavy reliance on external factories
This was normal in the industry.
Most companies didn't have massive production chains.
They survived through cooperation.
---
And today—
That would change.
---
Northstar offered:
470 million.
A clean acquisition.
No delays.
No complications.
---
The boss accepted immediately.
Because he knew the truth.
The peripheral industry was unstable.
Competition was brutal
Profits fluctuated
Small shops ruined the market
Some companies would disappear overnight.
Reappear under new names.
Repeat the cycle.
---
And peripherals weren't essentials.
People didn't upgrade every year.
A keyboard could last five years.
A mouse, even longer.
---
So when Northstar stepped in—
It wasn't just a deal.
It was salvation.
---
The transaction was completed smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Vivian felt proud.
She believed it was her negotiation skills.
Ethan just smiled.
He knew the real reason.
Money.
---
That same night—
They returned to Lumen City.
By 1 AM, they were home.
---
The next morning—
Work resumed.
---
Ethan sat in his office, typing non-stop.
Every idea in his mind—
Every system—
Every mechanic—
He poured it all into the project.
---
Vivian sat nearby.
Not working.
Not helping.
Just…
Looking at her phone.
Planning her next Pokémon route.
---
Ethan sighed.
He had already offered her a private internal account.
A test account.
Unlimited access.
But she refused.
---
"I want to play like everyone else."
---
He didn't understand it.
But he respected it.
---
Still—
He knew one thing.
Once the new game released…
Vivian would disappear into it completely.
---
Now—
The real question.
What game had Ethan chosen?
---
Think about it.
A controller-based game.
Playable on PC.
Considered legendary.
---
There was only one answer.
---
Nintendo.
---
Before entering the industry, Ethan only knew them for:
Mario
Consoles
Family games
But after becoming a developer—
He understood the truth.
---
Nintendo wasn't just a company.
It was something beyond that.
---
Most game companies chased:
Profit
Trends
Repetition
But Nintendo?
---
They chased "fun."
---
It sounded simple.
But in reality—
It was rare.
---
Many games today:
Recycle ideas
Reuse systems
Sell reskinned experiences
But Nintendo—
Innovated.
Every time.
---
Even legends respected them.
Shigeru Miyamoto
Hidetaka Miyazaki
---
Even Miyazaki himself admitted:
Ocarina of Time was a masterpiece.
---
That level of respect—
Couldn't be faked.
---
So Ethan made his decision.
---
He didn't want:
Maximum profit
Massive monetization
Northstar already had Pokémon Go for that.
---
This time—
He wanted something else.
---
Fun.
Exploration.
Freedom.
---
And so—
He chose:
---
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
---
A game that changed everything.
---
Most developers thought open-world meant realism.
But Zelda proved otherwise.
---
It showed:
Fire spreads
Metal conducts electricity
Weather affects gameplay
Simple rules.
Endless possibilities.
---
That was the real open world.
---
Not realism.
---
Interaction.
---
And more importantly—
Exploration as the core.
---
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
Thinking.
---
There was still one question left.
---
Should he choose:
Breath of the Wild
OR
Tears of the Kingdom?
---
He closed his eyes.
Took a deep breath.
---
This decision… would define everything.
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