January 26.

  The year 1991 is a year of new opportunities. You've built retionships, and in particur, your ipany tio grow in your activities as arepreneur and artist. The niches of Lux ics tio expand.

  Among all the panies under your name, ID Software is particurly one of the panies about which you know even less about its ma because of the difficulties in localization, as it is based in Kansas, Texas.

  John Romero arrived at his workstation, a sed-hand wooden desk like all the others in the pany, this time furo his liking. He even got permission to py video games at work. The pay was good and eveer, he received a 5,000 signing bonus. He arrived humming, with his hard rock cassette pying.

  -So, what do we have for today, Mr. Carson? - Romero asked, addressing Richard, the grandfather of Billy. In simple matters, he is the boss of ID Software. He's not a businessman, but being old and having had employees in the past, he knows a good employee when he sees one.

  -Ah, Romero, I've been missing you. Carmack, your friend, is missing. That punk is quite disanized. you call him? - Richard Carson replied.

  The rented space sists of two rooms, with a front room posed of a rge window. The main room is divided into six rge desks, and they're already thinking about expanding the pany before even starting. Each desk has its state-of-the-art puters, with some personalized requests from the employees.

  -He doesn't have a cellphone, but he should be arriving sooerday, we worked on the 3D game processors usiing gaming software. In the best-case sario, we'll end up creating a new o's more plicated than we initially envisioned, Mr. Carson, - Romero expined.

  -Well, it doesn't matter. I'll be at the café across the street having a coffee, - said Richard as he walked through the desks toward the exit.

  The married couple tiram tirelessly, w on inking the 3D character designs with the shooting device providing movement in the pne.

  John Romero focused on developing the 3D game processor, to create a gaming application based on Pixar's designs. They heir specialized game modutor to design the games. Fortunately, Pixar had an advanced programming system for creating 3D models. The challenge was to create an application that could run these 3D creations, and it was likely that they could only initially design it for puters.

  After half an hour, Carmack arrived with wet, disheveled blonde hair and his rge-framed gsses.

  -Good m, everyone, - Carmack greeted with a smile. He had been w oing a 3D game produodel based on Pixar's designs, and the game's animation was looking excellent.

  -Carmack, Mr. Carson arrived early this m. Later, I'll show you my ideas about the design. I'm using Animo as a tempte to standardize our processors for our future game, - Romero expined from his desk, with his metallic shirt and spiked wristbands standing out.

  -Great. I got a bit distracted. Yesterday, I formalized the first game maze—a German training ground. With the format from Pixar, we have a shot at having one of the best games of the year if everything goes well, - Carmack said.

  -That sounds fantastic. We still en more sarios, - Romero replied.

  - For now, it's ten. I have some inspiring ideas for what we do , - Carmack added.

  -You're crazy, - Romero teased. - e o's see what Mr. Carson wants from us. -

  Pointing to the store across the street, Romero led the way, and Carmack followed suit, tousling his hair into pd leaving his backpack at his desk.

  The café across the street was a small family-run shop that had been serving coffee for a decade. Richard Carson, in particur, despised waiting and was only there because he wao meet his beloved grandson, who had spent a lot of moo secure the best programmers.

  -Finally, I thought they were going to bury me first, young man, - said Richard Carson as he sipped his coffee.

  -Boss, - said Carmack.

  -Yes, yes, whatever it is, I have a lot to do, so let's expedite this meeting as much as possible, - said Richard Carson.

  -Of course, - said Romero.

  The first ID Software meeting was officially beginning. Mr. Carson adjusted his vest as he ected his cell phoo the phone line and took out a thick package ed in a yellow mani envelope.

  -Here, each of you has one. Read it after the meeting, - he said to the four ID Software employees.

  He dialed a number and put the phone on speaker. The clear voice of a woman, which sounded particurly beautiful to both Carmad Romero, spoke from the other end.

  -Good afternoon, Lux ics' general ma, - Anne said from the background.

  -Anne, my dear, please ect me to Billy, - Richard Carson said.

  -Ah, I'll find Billy, -- Anne said. -- Give me a moment. -

  During the hold music

  -Hello, Grandpa, is that you? - Billy asked.

  -Billy, it's great to hear from you, son. Yrandpa has all the ID Software employees on hold. They're here to receive your introdu letter, and you're currently on speakerphone, - Richard Carson said.

  -Thank you, Grandpa, - Billy said.

  -Well, I'm the creator of the Doom series and a new series called Wolfenstein 3D, which I hope my father has told you about. I want these two games to be the pany's main focus. I've budgeted that over the seven years, there will be three releases of each game. Each game aims to innovate the gaming market in its way, - Billy said.

  >>In the books that have been provided to you, you will find all the information you o know about the game you're beginning to develop. My father gave you the basic outline taining the general ideas, along with Pixar's 3D creation software. Now, among the specific ideas, you will work in colboration with Pixar. The first step is to create a funal game using the provided software. O funs, a bd-white design will suffice, - Billy expined.

  -Any questions? -

  -How will our work with Pixar be ducted? - Romero asked.

  -They will ha as long as you send them the files. You start sending them from tomorrow, and the shipping address is in the book my grandfather gave you. Try to send them nearly pleted blueprints; it will make the process easier for everyone, - Billy replied.

  -Sure, the goal is to create six games in six years. If we finish a game before the estimated time, what will the pany do ? - Carmaquired.

  -Well, that would surprise me. Each expected version of each game es with more plicated requirements. For example, I hope that for the sed game, which is about Doom, you create an online mode that ects people from all over the world, pying on different puters. I would even be quite pleased if you applied yame design to existing gaming soles, like the NES. So, the work is indeed demanding, -- Billy said.

  >>However, if you meet these requirements, you create mames on your own. I'll provide you with a joint or individual 4% share of each game developed, - Billy tinued.

  -A 4% share would be fantastic, - Carmack excimed.

  -As long as the game meets the expectations I have in mind. ID Software is based oing outstanding games, and a pame would only tarnish the pany's reputation, - Billy emphasized.

  -That's reasonable. However, I may deviate from the 3D framework if I decide to create my own game, - Carmack added.

  -Yes, you do as you please with the indepe games created outside of our main projects. For that, it will depend on the game's quality. I offer an 8% royalty on sales to the team that produces it, - Billy expined.

  -Great, did you hear that, Romero? - Carmack asked.

  Romero could only smile. They had always dreamed of creating a game together, and now they were eveing paid to create games. With a bit of performahey could work on the game gradually and release it when they had the time to fully develop it. Creating a gaming operating system was a plex endeavor.

  -We add metal songs to the video games, - Romero suggested.

  -Of course, if the game is approved, you purchase lises for songs! - Billy agreed.

  -I'd like to ask about vacation days, - Alexa said.

  -When you finish the game, you request vacations. You'll get 20 days off, and depending oime in the dar, you might be able to take 30 days. However, the pany will only pay for the first 20 days, - Billy expined.

  -That sounds good, - Alexa replied.

  -Will we receive our full sary during those 20 days? - Alexa inquired.

  -Yes, but the sary will be slightly reduced. After all, transportation allowances are not necessary during vacations. Speaking of bes, you have half a day off on your birthday, on holidays, and year-end bonuses if the pany's performance is good, - Billy added.

  This surprised the room. Such bes were like gold, and only the best panies offered them to their employees.

  -Any more questions? Thank you, - Alexa said, clearly pleased with the pany's bes.

  -Well, each of you has a key to ehe pany. In a week, we'll hire a security monit pany. The st oo leave should make sure to lock up securely. Now and then, Marshal, a friend of my grandfather's, will e to che the pany or my grandfather himself, - Billy cluded.

  -Any more questions? - Billy asked.

  Seeing that no one had any further questions, Richard Carson turned off the speakerphone.

  -I believe you've got it, my boy, - Richard said.

  -Grandpa! - Billy excimed.

  -Goodbye, Billy. We'll see each other soon. It's yrandpa's birthday, and there's going to be a party. I hope you e visit, - Richard said.

  -Grandpa, please remember to tell them to thhly review the manuals. Everything is in the manuals, and I'm very lucky Grandpa, - Billy said.

  -Of course, I will, - Richard replied.

  -Perfect. Goodbye, Grandpa, - Billy said.

  -Goodbye, Billy. -

  Richard hung up the phone and checked his pocket watch.

  -Billy says to make sure they thhly review the manual. Everything is in the manual regarding the game, - Richard said.

  The employees nodded, and each of them went to their stations to read. The manual tained 120 pages with everything about Wolfenstein, including backstories, graphical character images, detailed temptes for numerous sarios, shooting ons, enemies, backgrounds, traps, maps, and puzzles.

  Id Software and running. They had an amazing team of talented programmers. During this time, games didn't require such exteeams to create, but they already had excellent designers and programmers in San Francisco who were ready to do their best to make the game a success.

  ...