EA's game design and development, Konami's MMC technology, and Nintendo of America's technical support and marketing. The moment these three giants of their respective fields decided to join forces, the entire gaming industry was shaken.
Just listen to what the two men said at the press conference.
The smell of gunpowder was practically seeping through the television screen. And who exactly was that hostility aimed at?
The answer was obvious. Especially after EA followed closely behind GAMENOVA and signed the Lakers' MVP, Magic Johnson.
That move instantly made GAMENOVA's earlier marketing campaign with Kareem Abdul Jabbar seem a little underwhelming.
No wonder EA was considered the veteran of sports games. If they were going to sign someone, they went straight for the reigning MVP.
Sam frowned as he watched the announcement.
"Could this be a problem?"
If possible, he would have preferred Nintendo to remain silent and quietly enjoy whatever market share GAMENOVA hadn't had time to seize.
But clearly, they had no intention of simply accepting defeat, and that shifted the pressure squarely onto GAMENOVA.
After today's carefully orchestrated press conference, it wouldn't just be sports game enthusiasts and hardcore fans paying attention to GAMENOVA's next release.
If their new title failed to outperform EA's, then their plan to establish NovaSports as a new brand would collapse before it even got started.
"A problem? Not really."
Ethan suddenly burst into laughter.
If EA hadn't made such a fuss, it would've been one thing. But after seeing this announcement, he actually felt relieved.
"We've already won at the starting line."
"What are you talking about? How have we already won?"
Other people might not know, but Sam knew perfectly well.
Their new game hadn't even officially entered development yet, and up until now, they'd been busy dealing with a pile of surrounding issues, so the project wasn't even off the ground.
Yet somehow, according to Ethan, they'd already secured victory. Still, one thing Sam had learned over the years was this.
If Ethan said there wasn't a problem, then there definitely wasn't.
In this world, the only people capable of appearing and instantly making him feel that everything would work out were probably Guile… and Ethan.
"The name."
"The name? What's wrong with it? It doesn't seem much different from the previous game."
One on One: Earvin Johnson vs. Larry Bird
Aside from replacing the featured star with the Lakers' hottest young sensation, Magic Johnson, almost nothing had changed and the title cleverly capitalized on basketball's hottest debate of recent years.
Magic vs. Bird.
Which player was better? It was the question every basketball fan wanted answered, so as a title, it couldn't have been more fitting.
Now compare that to theirs.
Double Dribble.
It was plain, simple, and not particularly meaningful.
"Oh, the subtitle's fine, I'm talking about the main title." Ethan rubbed his chin.
"Actually, that celebrity naming approach isn't bad either, so that's also worth copying, but we're making it five on five."
"..."
Once again, Ethan's thinking was years ahead of everyone else's.
"So that's why Vivian's team has been working on another MMC chip." Sam finally understood.
"Now I get what you meant when you said they'd already lost from the name alone."
Was One on One fun? Yes, without question, for a sports game, it was entertaining and had an excellent gimmick, so by every measure, it was a successful title.
But in the end, it was still just street basketball. Half a court and just two players. It had little in common with real five on five professional basketball.
The corners of Sam's mouth twitched, and he was already starting to feel sorry for EA. His eyes drifted towards Magic Johnson, who was still being interviewed by reporters on television.
"Still, there's something I've always wondered about."
"Why did you choose Kareem, who's practically about to retire, instead of a rising superstar like Magic Johnson?"
If anyone suggested it was because Kareem had become cheaper, Sam wouldn't believe it for a second.
GAMENOVA lacked many things, but money wasn't one of them. Otherwise, Ethan would have never signed Chicago Bulls rookie Michael Jordan, who was anything but inexpensive.
His agent, David Falk, had certainly made negotiations difficult enough.
"So... was it really just because you got along with him?"
Thinking about Lucky Glauber, who had already appeared in The King of Fighters, Sam couldn't come up with any other explanation.
"Of course it's because of the Skyhook."
Ethan continued typing rapidly on the keyboard without even looking up.
"What nonsense are you mumbling?"
"The joy of basketball remains the same, even when it's turned into a video game. The same fast pace, high intensity, fierce competition, precise technique, raw power, and the pure satisfaction of every great play are all still there."
After all, what could possibly provide more immediate satisfaction than seeing the ball go through the hoop?
"What are you trying to say...?"
Sam muttered. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he suddenly felt as though he understood what Ethan was getting at.
"...Ah."
"You mean fighting games?"
"Exactly," Ethan said with a grin.
"EA may have been the pioneer, but we're the true veterans in this field."
Sports games were new territory for GAMENOVA, but competitive games weren't. If anything, GAMENOVA was the company that had pioneered the modern fighting game.
"So, design a sports game using fighting game philosophy."
The more Sam thought about it, the brighter his eyes became, and now everything suddenly made sense. No matter how flashy the packaging or how impressive the marketing sounded, at their core, they were all built on the same principles.
"Fast-paced,simple controls and spectacular presentation!"
Without Ethan saying another word, Sam had already reached the answer himself.
Just like a fighting game, use the shortest amount of time and the simplest controls to let players experience the most exciting parts of basketball like running, passing, shooting, and dunking.
At that moment, Sam finally understood why Ethan had chosen Kareem.
The Skyhook was simply too iconic. It had become so synonymous with Kareem that the move itself was arguably more famous than the man.
A signature technique so instantly recognizable that it practically belonged in a video game.
"So, you're giving every player a special move?"
"Yeah, more or less."
Ethan inserted a floppy disk after pressing another key.
"But we're getting rid of the complex fighting game command inputs. It has to be straightforward, brutal, and immediately understandable."
"I call it the Highlight system."
As the program began running, the monitor displayed a low-resolution but unmistakably recognizable animation of Kareem executing his legendary Skyhook.
"When players meet certain conditions, the game will play a pre-rendered close-up animation unique to that player."
"...You've got to be kidding me."
Sam stared blankly at the screen, now this... this was exactly what they needed.
Imagine controlling Kareem as he dribbled across the court, weaving through defenders before leaping into the air.
Then, the game cuts to a dramatic close-up of Kareem's signature Skyhook. Triumphant music swells, and the shot drops cleanly through the basket.
Now he understood why Ethan had chosen Kareem and Jordan to represent this game. If they followed EA's naming convention, then perhaps their own game could be called:
Double Dribble: Skyhook vs. Fadeaway
Or simply:
Double Dribble: Kareem vs. Jordan