Chapter 186: Fallout Deal

For this bold plan, EA had to suspend all work on its other projects and devote all its efforts to developing the brand-new BSP tree technology. This was also why Trip had directly brought all the technical experts from both companies to this meeting. 

"We need a complete rendering architecture. It can't be something used only for Fallout. We need a reusable 3D rendering module." 1

Trip knocked on the table and revealed his true objective. With his business acumen, it was not difficult for him to see that 3D was destined to become the future trend of electronic games, and this trend would arrive much faster than expected. 1

The next technological breakthrough was coming soon, and in order to secure a ticket to the new era, he had to accomplish this grand undertaking. A rendering module that could be used for all future projects. 

As long as they could complete and implement it, EA and its subsidiaries would have the ability to develop 3D games from then on. Instead of forever playing catch-up to GAMENOVA and surviving on its leftovers. 1

Although following behind GAMENOVA could actually let them benefit from its momentum, and at certain times even earn more money than before. But if they had the choice, who wouldn't want to be the one standing at the top and taking the first bite? Leftovers were still leftovers. 

If they wanted to make sports games, 3D would be even more important. Trip had already recognized that GAMENOVA could not devote all of its resources to developing sports games, leaving a gap in the market that EA could potentially fill. 

"Mr. Hawkins, if that's the case, I know a company that might be suitable for this task." 

Feargus thought for a moment, and then a name suddenly flashed through his mind. 

"A new company that was founded just last year, it's called Bethesda Softworks, and it's based in Maryland." 4

"Bethesda Softworks?" 

Hearing the somewhat familiar name, Trip tried hard to recall it. 

"Ah, the game company founded by Christopher Weaver? I've met him before. He's an MIT graduate, if I remember correctly." 

Although it was just a small company without many titles, Trip actually had some impression of them. Because they had released a game called Gridiron! on the Commodore 64 and Atari ST. It was a football-themed game featuring a physics engine personally designed by Christopher himself. 

Naturally, Trip wasn't about to let an opportunity like this to recruit a talented PC game developer slip away, so he approached Christopher almost as soon as he saw the game. 

But Christopher was young and ambitious at the time, and he had just made a fortune through his own VideoMagic Laboratories. So, to give up his independence and become just another EA employee? Anyone could tell there was absolutely no chance he would agree to that. 

Christopher had personally invested $100,000 of his own money, along with a substantial amount of equity, to set up a production facility right there in Maryland. 

Had it not been for the previous year's smash hit, Double Dribble, which had shaken up the entire sports game market, Gridiron! might very well have become the best-selling sports game of the year. 

And if One on One hadn't been competing with GAMENOVA while benefiting from the massive attention surrounding its famous basketball stars, EA might genuinely have found itself in trouble against this upstart company. 

Even so, Gridiron! still managed to become the best-selling football video game of the previous year. With a company like that competing directly with EA, Trip simply couldn't afford to lose sight of them. 

"You seriously want to work with him?" 

Just thinking about how difficult it would be was enough to give Trip a headache. 

..... 

Maryland, Christopher's home. 

"A pseudo-3D rendering module based on BSP-tree spatial partitioning? That's it?" 

Christopher straightened his suit and tie. 

He had originally planned to attend a small meeting, but Trip's sudden appearance had forced him to abandon those plans. Instead, he decided to hear what Trip had to say this time. 

But he had never expected Trip to reach out to him again. Only this time, rather than trying to recruit Bethesda as an EA-exclusive developer, Trip had come with a different proposal: to invite Bethesda to jointly develop a 3D rendering module. 

"Mr. Weaver, you have a solution?" Trip could barely hide his excitement. 

The more confident Christopher appeared, the more certain Trip became that the man might actually be capable of solving the technical problem they were facing. 

"Mr. Hawkins, I have no issue working together, but what terms are you offering?" 

Christopher smiled and invited Trip into his study. 

A high-end IBM computer sat on the desk, running a rudimentary program demo. It displayed nothing more than a simple 3D scene, completely devoid of decorations or textures. Yet the moment Trip laid eyes on it, his pupils suddenly contracted. 

Pillars, floors at different elevations, a genuine three-dimensional environment. Aside from lighting and texture mapping, which had yet to be implemented, the demo's performance already rivaled the new technology showcased by DOOM. 

How long had it even been since its release? 

Trip stared at the screen, then slowly turned his gaze toward Christopher. There was now a hint of wariness in his eyes. If a competitor like this continued developing and expanding within the sports-game market, EA might have a serious problem on its hands in the future. 

"As for the terms…" Trip fell silent for a moment before finally gritting his teeth. "Bethesda can receive a ten-percent share of the revenue from future works developed using this rendering module." 

This was already the greatest concession he was willing to make. Even if Bethesda could eventually use successive iterations of the technology to develop its own version, he still didn't want them making even more money from it. 

"Haha, how about I make a suggestion instead?" Christopher shook his head. It was obvious that he was completely dissatisfied with this offer. 

"There's no need to discuss a revenue share. I'm not particularly interested in EA's game sales." He paused, then continued, "However, I did hear that Interplay is currently developing a game called Fallout?" 

"You want the Fallout IP?!" 

Trip's expression changed immediately. 

'This was a worthwhile trade, wasn't it?' 1

A half-finished project that had yet to be released, in exchange for a rendering engine that could potentially generate tens of millions of dollars in profit. It was an offer that was difficult to refuse. 1

Trip's brows furrowed deeply. He remained silent for a long time, weighing the pros and cons. Eventually, he made his decision and nodded firmly. 

"Fine!" 

..... 

Activision. 

Will received a call from Ethan and hurried over from main office. 

Ever since the Civilization project, Will had entered a long period of keeping a low profile. Aside from continuously improving the various system modules he had developed, he essentially had nothing else to occupy his time. 

"You're finally here. Come over and take a seat. I've got something interesting to show you." 

Ethan sat across from David, the two of them facing a Commodore 64. Some kind of game appeared to be running on the machine, its screen flickering with multicolored pixels that cast a shifting glow across their faces. 

Will blinked several times before finally stepping forward and quickly arriving in front of Ethan. And it didn't take long for him to see what Ethan wanted to show him. As expected, it was a video game. 

The entire game screen depicted a cross-section of a three-story residence. The first floor, second floor, and attic were all furnished in surprising detail, with walls dividing the various rooms and giving the house a convincing sense of structure. 

"Ah, this is LCP, right?" Will's eyes immediately widened. "I've played this game before. I'm probably LCP's biggest fan!" 

Little Computer People was one of the earliest virtual pet style games and an important early life-simulation game. David Crane had developed it in 1985, and Activision had published it. 

"Right. Didn't you say you wanted to develop a life-simulation game?" Ethan gestured toward the screen. "I happened to remember this game just now." 

Then, as though only just remembering, he turned toward Will. "Oh, right. I almost forgot to introduce you," he said, pointing to the man beside him. "This is David, the developer of LCP." 

"...?" 

Will fell silent, his expression stiffening as surprise washed over him. 3

"..." 1

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