Silicon Synapse and the Forgotten Promise
Not many people would know the unfamiliar name Technopia 1993 Silicon Synapse. By contrast, at least hundreds of millions would recognize the name Blizzard. That is not a reference to the natural phenomenon of a snowstorm. As someone deeply involved in IT, Yoo Jae-won naturally meant the name of a company in the information and communications sector. Silicon Synapse was the tiny predecessor of Blizzard Entertainment, the living legend of the twenty-first-century gaming industry.
While preparing his decades-long master plan, Yoo Jae-won had conducted market research in far greater detail than anyone could imagine. It would have been stranger if he had not investigated the history of Activision-Blizzard, which had held an unshakable third place in the gaming industry until just before his death. As the name Activision-Blizzard suggested, Blizzard, which had achieved massive success with several games, later merged with Activision, a company also connected to Yoo Jae-won. The result was one of the world's three largest game companies, and Blizzard's founders rose to the ranks of billionaires.
Investing early in Silicon Synapse would allow him to secure a foothold in that future success. Yet the reason it had seemed as though he had forgotten about it until seeing the report today was that intervening too soon would introduce too many variables, potentially derailing the path to success he had already witnessed. In other words, the earlier the contact, the greater the butterfly effect, so his plan had been to increase his stake only after the company had grown enough to be less susceptible to external variables. Waiting until after it went public on the stock market had seemed perfectly acceptable. It would cost more, but it was the simplest legal way to expand his ownership.
“As expected, the brand recognition is not bad at all.”
Although he had acquired shares in Blizzard Entertainment far earlier than the date set in his master plan, that was by no means a bad thing. The five-hundred-thousand-dollar investment also seemed appropriate. At this point, the founders would be scraping the bottom of their capital and using credit cards to pay their developers, making it a very timely investment.
Originally, Silicon Synapse's founders, unable to endure the mounting debt, would have come under Davidson & Associates, famous for educational software. They had even considered changing the company name to Chaos Studio. However, when another company that had already claimed the name Chaos demanded a hundred-thousand-dollar licensing fee, the cash-strapped Silicon Synapse had to change its name again. That new name was Blizzard Entertainment, and the living legend began.
For reference, the world's second-largest game company in the twenty-first century was Electronic Arts, which had an even deeper connection to Yoo Jae-won than Activision. Its current president, Hawkins, would retire in the 2000s, after which Electronic Arts would continue to expand quantitatively and firmly establish its abbreviated name, EA. The notorious nickname “Eat All” would follow. EA's growth came through acquiring and merging with numerous well-known game companies using its enormous capital, only to ruin the franchises those companies had built.
The world's largest game company in the twenty-first century was, of course, Tencent, which had not yet appeared. It expanded based on China's massive population, and its momentum remained formidable even until Yoo Jae-won closed his eyes.
“Huh? Then the name might not change after all?”
Thanks to ID Investment's angel investment, Silicon Synapse would have abundant capital, so unlike in the original history, it would never fall under Davidson & Associates. Without that event, there would be no reason to change the company name, meaning the founders would never come up with the name Blizzard.
“Well, I can just suggest a suitable name at the right time.”
According to the file Vincent Greenhill had sent, Silicon Synapse was currently developing a game called The Lost Vikings. That game, which would single-handedly end the slump that had hit RTS games after Westwood Studios' Dune, had not yet entered development.
“Warcraft. That game is what matters.”
It was a game of enormous scale that began with the war between orcs and humans. Though it started as an RTS, it later became an online game and eventually encompassed VR, the ultimate game. By contrast, the game they were making now, The Lost Vikings, would not achieve great results. The game itself was decent, but it failed commercially. It was from the ashes of that failure that Warcraft would emerge. When the company was ready to overhaul everything with renewed determination, it might be a good idea to suggest changing the name to Blizzard.
“IT investment gets ninety-nine points!”
The investment in Silicon Synapse had significantly raised Yoo Jae-won's evaluation score for Vincent Greenhill's report. However, the investment report was not yet finished. This week's report also included sections on music and film.
“Forrest Gump, Interview with the Vampire, Cool Runnings, Speed, Schindler's List.”
Famous movie titles rolled off Yoo Jae-won's tongue. These were films in which ID Investment had invested millions or even more than ten million dollars. Most of them had either been major commercial successes or critically acclaimed in his previous life. Naturally, they were the very films Yoo Jae-won had personally selected.
The report noted that, aside from films by superstar directors like Steven Spielberg, securing investments had not been difficult. From the beginning, the film industry carried such a high risk of failure that the standard practice was to gather many investors to spread the risk. Therefore, when ID Investment announced it was entering film investment and actually deployed large sums, Hollywood studios began sending synopses and catalogs of films they were producing or planning. The volume grew so large that mailboxes reportedly burst.
Among those accumulated films were the ones just mentioned, and ID Investment had been in a position to decide where to allocate its funds. Although it had produced several blockbusters, Yoo Jae-won's expectations were not particularly high. While a successful film was called a jackpot, compared to stocks or derivatives, the returns were not that substantial. Films generating hundreds of millions or even over a billion dollars in profit would not appear until the late 1990s.
Instead, Yoo Jae-won approached film from a different angle.
“Compared to stocks, the monetary returns are modest, but the cultural influence cannot be ignored.”
If a computer appeared in a film, the production was to be instructed to feature the Android operating system and Egg PC without exception. It was a form of product placement, and his intention was to ensure that the best PC in any film's world would always be an ID Group product. Once that image became fixed, it would generate enormous intangible benefits that could not be measured in money. Of course, other computer companies would also strive for product placement, but none could outspend ID Investment in a bidding war.
This policy was already in motion. Forrest Gump had undergone a slight modification. The scene in which the protagonist Gump invests in Apple on a friend's recommendation and makes a fortune had been changed to ID Investment. Because ID Investment's massive profits from oil futures and Japanese Nikkei index investments had become a major topic in the United States, the change integrated seamlessly into the film.
“Hmm, I feel a bit sorry for Apple.”
It could not be helped. Apple and ID Group's business areas overlapped completely, so conflict was inevitable. Apple was also developing its own operating system and proprietary PCs, along with various application programs that ran on that system. Even in the 1980s, Apple's position in the computer field had been unrivaled, but a series of missteps had left it powerless in the personal PC market. It was barely maintaining its existence through specialized computers in publishing and music.
“Things might change if Steve Jobs returns.”
Fortunately, that was still a distant story. Steve Jobs would return to the Apple from which he had been ousted in 1997. For now, he was focused on NeXT Computer and Pixar. NeXT Computer had no future, while Pixar had secured a contract with Disney and was pouring all its efforts into full-CG movie production.
“I'm sure he'll handle it well on his own.”
Although ID Group was rapidly rising and eliminating any room for Apple to break through, Yoo Jae-won was certain that an icon of the era like Steve Jobs would not simply disappear. He did not know how his relationship with Steve Jobs would unfold, but he looked forward to the day they would meet.
A few days later, Yoo Jae-won received a phone call.
—It was an event that suited my taste, so I tried to make time, but it seems impossible. It looks like Al Gore will have to go in my place instead.
It was President Clinton. The call was in response to the invitation conveyed through Al Gore, and it was exactly what Yoo Jae-won had expected. The busy U.S. president was in no position to leisurely attend an expo. There were domestic economic issues to deal with, and the Middle East, the world's powder keg, was also a major concern. Clinton was deeply focused on mediating peace between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel. The result of those efforts would be the Oslo Accords signed on September 13 of that year. With delicate behind-the-scenes negotiations underway, it would be difficult for him to attend external events.
In hindsight, the Oslo Accords would only further complicate the already tangled Middle East situation. Although deep-seated resentment existed between Israel and Palestine, the United States had forced the agreement through its power. Naturally, neither side was satisfied. Palestine failed to reclaim its land from Israel, and Israel was denied recognition of the territory it had seized by force. This fueled discontent among hardliners, eventually leading to the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who had signed the accords.
“Yes, that alone is more than enough. Thank you for your consideration.”
Thinking about the Middle East situation was frustrating, but the only words Yoo Jae-won could offer Clinton were thanks.
—Haha, I would do far more for you if I could.
Clinton, on the other hand, was extremely favorable toward Yoo Jae-won. It was not merely because of the large political donations made during the election. ID Group's presence in the information and communications sector had become overwhelmingly significant, and he had confirmed that close ties existed with the U.S. government even in classified areas. A super-elite mind like Yoo Jae-won was unique in the world. Moreover, his genius-level activities aligned perfectly with America's national interests, which was ideal.
After ending the call, Yoo Jae-won immediately relayed the content to Kim Dae-seok. The final decision was that Vice President Al Gore would attend the Daejeon Expo as a VIP guest. Upon receiving the message via ID Talk, Kim Dae-seok promptly forwarded the same information to Chief of Staff Choi Kang-wook and the Strategic Planning Office in Korea. With the VIP confirmed, they needed to send an official invitation in ID Group's name and prepare to welcome Vice President Al Gore. It was also important to notify the Korean government to avoid any diplomatic discourtesy.
“Hmm, so the only thing left is the Second Security Challenge?”
Yoo Jae-won muttered while looking at his schedule. Unlike the First Security Challenge, which had begun with thorough preparation, the Second Security Challenge had been created in response to the media's absurd reporting. Regardless of how it started, Yoo Jae-won wanted to turn the Second Security Challenge into a grand festival as well. The prize money was on an unprecedented scale, and the participation format was designed to allow as many people as possible to join. Most notably, the prize offered to anyone or any team that successfully hacked Android 2.0 and extracted the designated data was a full ten million dollars.
The competition format was simple. The latest version of Android 2.0 would be installed on the New Egg PC designated as the hacking target. While the security level was top-tier, the PC would remain connected to high-speed internet at all times. The IP address of that PC would even be publicly announced in advance. Challengers did not need to submit a separate application. They simply had to access the PC online within the designated time, steal the data file inside, and decrypt it. The successful hacker did not even need to visit ID Technology's headquarters in Silicon Valley. The content of the data file was the access code to a San Francisco HSBC safe deposit box containing ten million dollars in cash. They could retrieve it at their convenience, either in person or through a proxy.
Of course, the data inside was encrypted using Android 2.0's built-in encryption function, so challengers would have to break both the Android 2.0 login system and the encryption. Most people paid more attention to the prize money than the format. After all, even if a hundred people formed a team, each would receive a hundred thousand dollars.
The ripple effect was already underway. It was evident from even a brief look at the internet that hackers who had been thoroughly humiliated in the First Security Challenge were sharpening their knives in anticipation. Naturally, the media outlets that had provided the pretext for this event were also covering it enthusiastically, so global recognition had already been established. Everyone could predict that the number of participants would increase several times over compared to the first event.
With the increased numbers, Yoo Jae-won felt a slight unease. If, by some chance, a suddenly emerging hacker managed to breach Android 2.0's security system, the payout would be one issue, but the damage to Android 2.0's credibility would be far greater. According to the updated schedule, preparations for the event were completely finished, leaving only Yoo Jae-won's final decision.
“Well, having someone break through would be the more extraordinary outcome anyway.”
Yoo Jae-won messaged President Remington via ID Talk, asking him to set the event date as early as possible. Even tomorrow would be fine. His confidence stemmed, of course, from Android 2.0's security architecture. The Android operating system was fundamentally designed on the premise of not trusting users. Even the computer's owner could destroy the system out of ignorance or have administrator privileges stolen by hackers, so the system had to protect itself. Anyone attempting to connect from the outside would have to undergo the Android operating system's rigorous authentication process.
“Then if we announce the competition around the twenty-sixth, I should be able to enter Korea in early July.”
Yoo Jae-won quickly calculated his upcoming schedule. The miniaturization of the Android operating system for tablet PCs and the touch interface were nearly complete. All that remained was to install it on the finished hardware and test it. Since TG was diligently producing the tablet PC hardware, returning to Korea would be much faster. It was not solely because of the tablet PC that he wanted to return to Korea quickly. Since the Expo would open on August 6, he planned to go to Korea early to prepare. To that end, he intended to finish everything that could only be done in the United States as quickly as possible.
“Hmm, but it feels like I'm forgetting something.”
Even after finalizing the date for the Second Security Challenge, something felt off. Rather, it felt as though he had overlooked something important. Wondering what it could be, Yoo Jae-won pulled up his schedule and diary on the computer again and began examining them carefully. Then, at one particular entry, he realized what he had forgotten.
“Tiffany!”
It had been either early June or late May when he had promised Tiffany they would go out together after exams. A cold sweat suddenly broke out on his back as Yoo Jae-won immediately accessed Stanford University's website and began checking the exam schedule for second-year computer science students.
“I'm saved!”
The words escaped Yoo Jae-won's lips the moment he saw the schedule. Fortunately, all other subjects had already finished, and only Discrete Mathematics remained. If the exam had already ended, everything would have been ruined, but since one exam was still left, it was a tremendous relief.