Chapter 177: 3D Gaming

Vivian understood that all of this was being done to prepare for the future graphics card market. But naturally, she couldn't see it as clearly as Ethan could. After all, Ethan had actually witnessed that future. 

Video games and graphics cards had always been two inseparable rivals, constantly pushing and challenging each other. 

Without the booming development of electronic games, there would be no rapid advancement in graphics card technology. 1

And without the ever-increasing performance of graphics cards, many of the industry's visual innovations would never have been possible in the first place. 

From Lara Croft's famously sharp triangular chest to the ray-traced streets of Night City in Cyberpunk, the evolution of graphics technology was obvious to everyone. 3

The two companies that manufactured consumer, or more specifically gaming, graphics cards, NVIDIA and AMD, had also steadily captured a significant share of the market. 

Not to mention the rapidly growing demand for graphics cards, which can perform high-speed parallel processing and handle massive amounts of data, driven by the rapid development of AI technology. 2

Of course, that was a story for another time. 

For Ethan, the most immediate change brought about by the growing popularity of graphics cards was much simpler: they finally had the hardware to make some truly ambitious 3D games. 

..... 

GAMENOVA headquarters. 

Carmack stood frozen in place. After repeatedly confirming that Ethan was not joking with him, he suddenly let out a cheer and jumped into the air. 

"Finally! A sequel to Wolfenstein 3D!" 

It had been the first project Carmack had worked on after joining GAMENOVA, so it held a special place in his heart. 

No matter how many technological breakthroughs his later games achieved, how imaginative their designs became, or how many copies they sold, Wolfenstein 3D would always remain something special to him. 

For Carmack, nothing could ever quite match the place Wolfenstein 3D held in his heart. 

"Calm down. This isn't going to be easy. This time, we're making true 3D, not the old visual trick where you couldn't even look up. Got it?" 

"Yeah, of course!" 

Carmack stomped his feet in excitement, lacking even the patience to defend himself against having his technical abilities questioned. 

"Though..." 

After the wave of excitement passed, Carmack suddenly lowered his head, nervously wringing the hem of his shirt, wanting to say something but not daring to speak up. 

"What's wrong? Need my help?" 

Ethan had originally planned to focus his attention on Vivian's side for the time being. But seeing Carmack acting like this, it was obvious that something was bothering him. 

"Hmm..." 

Carmack scratched his cheek somewhat awkwardly. 

"Ethan, I need more people. For a game that's going to be several hundred megabytes... I can't really manage it all by myself." 

This was the first time he had ever shown such an expression. 

The rapid growth in game development during the 16-bit era meant that even someone as proud as Carmack had to admit that video games were no longer something a single genius could control on his own, the way they had been in the past. 

His eyes drifted toward the other people in the development department. 

Will was still busy optimizing and iterating on the PRD pseudo-random system that he and Ethan had designed together, along with a pile of other miscellaneous modules. 

According to him, all of this was preparation for his next game, which would be a masterpiece that would shock the world. 

He believed his work was every bit as impressive as anything Sid had created. 

And as for Sid, Carmack simply shrugged at Ethan, making his meaning perfectly clear. 

Civilization had only recently been released, and Sid was currently responsible for everything that came afterward, from DLC and additional content to bug fixes and ongoing development. 1

Ethan raised an eyebrow, finally understanding. 

"Ahaha, so that's how it is. Then should I find you a few developers?" 

He gave Carmack a playful once-over. The rebellious, unruly kid he'd known back then had slowly grown into someone who could hold his own. 

Ethan quietly opened his attribute panel. The number beneath programming was almost bright enough to hurt his eyes. 

"Hmm..." 

Only then did a smile appear on Carmack's face. 

When it came to connections and reading people, Ethan was on another level entirely. If Ethan recommended someone, Carmack had no reason to doubt them. 

"Then you'd better guarantee this game makes at least a million dollars. Otherwise, we're going to lose money." 1

"!!" 

Ethan laughed out loud. He then left behind a visibly excited Carmack, who was practically bouncing on his feet, and called Sam as he headed out. 

"So, who are you looking at this time?" 

Sam looked up at the street sign ahead and pulled up at the intersection, asking casually. 

"Activision. More specifically, a few of Activision's founders." 

Ethan's gaze turned toward the window. The moment he heard the name Activision; a certain grinning face surfaced in his mind. 

Bobby Kotick. 4

A name that would eventually become infamous throughout the gaming industry. 

The man who would drive out Blizzard Entertainment's three founders, including Mike Morhaime. The man who would preside over the destruction of countless beloved IPs, all while clinging to money and power as if his life depended on them. 

There was no denying that Kotick was a successful businessman. Despite his disastrous reputation, he had made an enormous fortune. 

But games? He understood them about as well as a fish understood flying. 1

The fact that he'd managed to drag Activision back from the brink and turn it into a powerhouse only proved how frighteningly sharp his business instincts were. 

Trying to restrain someone like Kotick or convince him to actually do something good for the industry would be nearly impossible. 

That guy was already head of two companies, with an enormous amount of capital in his hands. Even GAMENOVA would not be able to influence his thinking. 

So, Ethan had no intention of trying. Instead, he'd take a different route. He would dig the hole for Kotick ahead of time and make sure Activision ended up in his hands before Kotick ever had the chance to take control. 

"Damn it!" 

The more Ethan thought about Kotick, the more irritated he became. How many Blizzard fans had eventually turned into Blizzard haters? That bastard was tied to so much of it. 

He then simply pulled out his brick phone and dialed a number. 

"Hello, Jobs? It's me, Ethan." 

"Do you remember Bobby Kotick?... Yes, him, the software guy." 

"..." 

"..." 

After briefly explaining the situation and making his position clear, Ethan ended the call. 

The rest could be left to Sam. He could work behind the scenes, doing whatever he could to disrupt several of Kotick's future acquisition attempts. 

That way, even if Kotick eventually got his chance to wreak havoc, the damage he caused wouldn't be nearly as extensive as it had been in the original timeline. 

"Uh..." 

Sam, sitting in the driver's seat, was somewhat dumbfounded after hearing what Ethan had just said. He had absolutely no idea what Ethan had just gone off about. 

"Aren't we supposed to be looking into Activision? What does that Kotick guy have to do with any of this?" 

"Nothing!" Ethan replied calmly. 1

"Sam, don't pick up anything from that guy. Actually, forget it. Just stay away from him entirely." 

"...Okay." 

Sam didn't understand, but he had no reason to doubt Ethan's reasoning. 

"But why Activision? They're practically bankrupt right now, so I understand why they'd be cheap. But they've lost most of their development talent, haven't they? Wouldn't it make more sense to spend a few million more and buy a better company?" 

"First, I need Activision to serve as the publisher for the new game. Second, I need the Activision brand and their IPs." 4

"..." 

Ethan silently calculated Activision's current situation in his mind. 

"Besides, Activision hasn't lost its ability to make great games." He paused for a moment before adding, "They lost four of their founding developers. Those four were the heart and soul of Activision." 

Every era of the video game industry had a handful of developers who came to represent that particular generation. 

And during the Atari era, Howard Warshaw was one of the biggest names of them all. 

But he wasn't alone, there were four other experienced developers who had played a critical role in Atari's success. Together, they had been responsible for more than sixty percent of Atari's game revenue.