Secure Area Guidelines and Collector's Editions

Android 95 - Android Inc. Announces Secure Area Management Guidelines. Only capability matters; even venture companies can participate! As inquiries poured in from IT security firms, Yoo Jae-won unveiled the guidelines for managing the Secure Area of the Android operating system. Any company capable of following these rules could join the program, even startups that had only just begun. Pricing authority was also granted to the security companies themselves. A firm confident in its product could set a high price without issue, or strategically lower it if the situation called for it.

That said, this pricing model meant users dissatisfied with the default pre-installed product in the Android OS could replace it with a third-party solution. For a product to become the default bundled title on distribution CDs, price would be a critical factor. In addition, the default security programs would be tailored differently by region. Though the internet had connected the world, netizens in each country frequented different primary sites. The viruses and malware prevalent in each nation also had distinct characteristics. The plan was to divide the world into several zones and select the most capable company in each region.

When these guidelines were announced, stock prices surged not only for American security firms but for those in Europe and Asia as well. Companies in Europe and Asia could only watch with envy, as if it were someone else's party. While participation was open to all, the largest slice of the pie was the product that would ship by default with the distribution CDs. Security awareness was still relatively low, and in Asian markets the very idea of paying for software remained weak. Yet the local-first policy meant their products could be pre-installed in distribution versions. If selected, it would be an enormous jackpot.

Thanks to this announcement, IT company stocks began rising sharply across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Still, Yoo Jae-won had no desire to inflate an even larger bubble earlier than necessary, so he also released a concrete schedule. Companies hoping to be bundled were to submit products compliant with the Secure Area management guidelines to Android Inc. by the end of August. After review, selected companies would be contacted no later than the end of September.

While Yoo Jae-won had been racing to resolve the security issues, one piece of good news arrived.

“Director Samuel Arthur of the National Security Agency is expected to be removed from his position.”

In response to Yoo Jae-won's question, Kim Dae-seok recited the sources of the information in detail. The first tip had come from the White House, followed by multiple confirmations from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the intelligence team and other channels. It had not come directly from President Clinton, however. Among the White House staff were individuals known as “straws” who passed along information one or two steps ahead of official announcements.

“Really?”

The moment he heard it, Yoo Jae-won was genuinely surprised. He had assumed that once the National Security Agency withdrew its objections, the matter would end there. Replacing the director as well was unexpected.

“From what we’ve gathered, the Clinton administration had always felt uncomfortable with Director Arthur. His background as a retired three-star Army general gave him substantial military backing. There had been no convenient timing to replace him, so they had been quietly suffering. This incident involving you, Chairman, revealed his lack of suitability for the role, and he will step down via voluntary resignation.”

Yoo Jae-won nodded at Kim Dae-seok’s continued explanation. A three-star Army general—now it made sense why the man had seemed so rigid. At the same time, he shook his head at former President Bush’s audacity in appointing such a person to head the NSA. Objectively, this development was not bad for him or his company. The mental energy this matter had consumed was large enough to have disrupted his programming work. Besides, the job was not finished. Verifying the IT security companies was only beginning. They could not hand out access rights to the Secure Area—which would hold the most sensitive personal information—to unverified firms. Standards had to be confirmed, backdoors ruled out, and only then could approval be granted. All of it required human labor.

Plenty of people had grown exhausted by Samuel Arthur’s outdated security mindset. Yoo Jae-won hoped the new NSA Director would be someone aligned with the times.

“By the way, what are these?”

Kim Dae-seok, who had delivered the good news, had not come empty-handed. He carried a box so large it looked difficult for one person to manage.

“They were sent by ID Entertainment.”

At the words ID Entertainment, Yoo Jae-won’s eyes changed. The group housed powerhouse developers such as Blizzard Entertainment, Origin Systems, and ID Software. Whatever they had sent, he could guess at a glance.

Kim Dae-seok opened the box for him. Several smaller boxes appeared inside. The original container had been so large that even these were bigger than most school backpacks. The game company logos that had flashed through Yoo Jae-won’s mind were stamped clearly on each, making identification easy.

“Which would you like to see first?”

Curiosity and excitement colored Kim Dae-seok’s usually formal tone. Though he had worked alongside Yoo Jae-won for years, he was still in his twenties. Working with the chairman made avoiding computers impossible, which naturally led to heavy exposure to games. He had become deeply immersed in them, and the titles that captivated him most were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠those released by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ID Entertainment.

“Shall we start with the Blizzard box?”

Among the several containers, Yoo Jae-won chose the one bearing the Blizzard logo first. Kim Dae-seok opened it. Inside the yellowish box was yet another container. It was like a set of Russian nesting dolls, but this time they had reached the true prize. It was a very large and luxurious game package—the so-called limited collector’s edition.

On the top of the box, Warcraft was embossed in a slightly stylized Gothic font perfect for a fantasy title. Below it was an illustration of the game’s two opposing factions—humans and orcs—facing each other. The lower portion displayed numerous logos: the 15+ content rating, AAC codec, Glide X2, internet connectivity, and many more representing the advanced technologies packed into the game. Two overlapping CD icons made it clear the package contained two discs.

According to Blizzard’s report, the pure game data came to roughly 360MB. Thanks to Yoo Jae-won’s generous support enabling cinematic video production, the total size had grown to require two CDs. Sadly it was not the world’s first gigabyte game; that honor belonged to Origin Systems, also under the ID Entertainment umbrella. Origin had pioneered interactive games that combined live-action footage with gameplay. Codec efficiency at the time was poor, causing heavy capacity waste. Last year’s Wing Commander 3 had required four CDs. Warcraft used only two, yet delivered full-CG cinematics of far superior quality. The video resolution exceeded that of DVDs, which had not yet launched. Top-tier voice actors handled dubbing, and an actual orchestra performed the score—a quality Yoo Jae-won himself acknowledged.

The fact that they had fit so many multimedia elements onto just two CDs highlighted Blizzard’s technical excellence. CDs were far more expensive to manufacture than floppy disks. Each additional disc cut into margins, so conserving capacity was essential.

“Shall we open it?”

Having studied the package as though he might devour it, Yoo Jae-won began to unseal the box.

“Whoa.”

As the lid came off, Kim Dae-seok let out an admiring gasp. The first item revealed was a 25-centimeter-tall Wolf Rider figure. It was the orc faction’s cavalry unit from Warcraft. Since horses feared orcs and could not be ridden, the lore stated that they tamed massive dire wolves instead. In-game it appeared in a deformed style for simplicity, but the resin figure boasted lifelike detail. This was the flagship bonus of the limited collector’s edition.

The figures included were not limited to Wolf Riders. Human faction knights and major weapons such as hammers and swords were also available. The quality was guaranteed by Yoo Jae-won himself. Rather than mass-produced items, these had been custom-ordered from master Japanese figure artisans. Even identical units showed slight individual variations. Their one shared trait was exceptional quality; they were crafted with a level of care mass production could never match.

Beyond the figures, the package contained a concept book filled with unit designs, backgrounds, and lore, an audio CD of the orchestral OST, a thick full-color manual, and more. The CD key was not a mere sticker inside the case but a sturdy plastic card. The sheer volume meant there was virtually no profit margin. The wholesale price was set at 250,000 won and the retail price at 299,000 won. The 49,000-won margin was allocated entirely to retailers, so the more ID Entertainment sold, the more it lost. The edition had not been created to generate profit but to commemorate the launch of the Warcraft series, so they had packed it generously without regard for margins. Production was deliberately limited to three hundred units. Reservations were currently being accepted through NextCom and the Blizzard Entertainment homepage.

Unfortunately, sales were not particularly brisk—likely due to the high price. As of the end of July, only about one hundred had sold. The Blizzard name was still unfamiliar to many, and since it was the start of a new series, few buyers were willing to take the plunge immediately. Yet because the edition had never been intended to make money, Yoo Jae-won felt no disappointment. Moreover, once the Warcraft series achieved massive popularity and eventually expanded into World of Warcraft, the value of these limited packages would skyrocket. They would make perfect grand prizes for future events.

“Then let’s open the next one.”

After finishing with the Warcraft collector’s edition, Yoo Jae-won moved on. This time the box came from Origin Systems and contained several copies of the Ultima Online package. Though smaller than the Warcraft limited edition, the case was still roughly the size of a children’s encyclopedia.

“An online-only game coming in physical package form,” Kim Dae-seok observed.

“That’s the American style,” Yoo Jae-won replied. In Korea, online games starting with Lineage were launching one after another. Titles from his memories as well as entirely new ones were either releasing or being announced. Korean online games characteristically operated without physical packages, relying solely on online registration. Free promotional CDs were distributed, but they were not official retail products. In the United States and other Western markets, however, even online games received proper physical packages comparable to traditional titles.

The Ultima Online package followed the same format: one CD, a manual, a continent map, and a three-month subscription ticket. The map stood out in particular. One side served as a poster for the game while the other displayed a meticulously drawn map of the continent. The material resembled non-woven fabric, offering excellent durability and far superior decorative value when hung on a wall compared to ordinary paper posters.

“Three months seems rather short, doesn’t it?”

“President Richard Garriott says the average player needs roughly three months to reach maximum level while completing main and side quests.”

It was not a rough guess. The figure had been calculated from statistical analysis of early-access participants. The package was designed so players could enjoy it like a single-player game for three months; if they then enjoyed the online experience, they could opt for a monthly subscription. The model suited American and other international players, though it might prove insufficient for Korean gamers and their astonishing content consumption speed.

“And this is not the end. They plan to release at least one expansion pack per year, so the game’s volume will continue to grow. Regular updates will be provided separately as well.”

Only after Yoo Jae-won’s explanation did Kim Dae-seok fully grasp Ultima Online’s operating philosophy.

They examined the remaining boxes as well. ID Software had sent Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Quake, while the final item was the PlayStation port of the Doom 1 expansion handled by a smaller software company. The two ID Software collector’s editions were nearly as large as the Warcraft limited package. The main difference was the absence of “Limited Edition” text. Unlike the newly launched Warcraft series, both Wolfenstein and Quake enjoyed tremendous name recognition. Quake in particular was viewed by gamers as an enhanced multiplayer evolution of Doom 2. Consequently, despite significantly higher collector’s edition prices, reservations were pouring in at an explosive rate.

The collector’s editions for Wolfenstein and Quake were priced at 100,000 won—far more affordable than the Warcraft package. The lower price was reflected in the figure material; while Warcraft used expensive resin, these employed rubber. Detail was slightly reduced, but the quality remained high enough to satisfy enthusiasts. No one would be disappointed.

The PlayStation Doom 1 expansion package was the smallest and simplest of all. It used only a cheap plastic case with no separate paper sleeve. A printed title screen decorated the exterior, but compared to the collector’s editions it looked positively modest. Inside was a single CD and a small manual. Despite the simple packaging, the price was not cheap—49,000 won, matching the standard Doom series. Video game business models typically sold consoles at low margins and profited from software. Although Yoo Jae-won could have lowered the price, Sony’s pricing policy fixed it at 49,000 won.

“They all turned out well.”

After inspecting every detail from overall composition to the smallest finishing touches, Yoo Jae-won expressed clear satisfaction. All packages prominently displayed “Made in Korea” as the country of origin. True to the label, they had been manufactured at the eco-friendly packaging factory in Yeoju. The transition from floppy disks to CDs had left workers with surplus time and raised fears of layoffs, but the flood of high-end package orders eliminated those concerns entirely. In fact, with production for all ID Entertainment game studios now concentrated there, even more manpower was required.

Objectively the process could have been outsourced, but Yoo Jae-won’s philosophy was to maintain in-house control to push package quality to the absolute limit. He then reviewed the release schedule. In early August, the Doom 1 expansion would launch alongside the PlayStation. Afterward, beginning with Warcraft, Wolfenstein and Quake would follow at one-month intervals. Releasing everything simultaneously would dilute marketing focus and strain consumer purchasing power, so the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dates had been deliberately staggered.

The crowning touch of this schedule was the next Android operating system. While mapping the security policy rollout, the release date had been naturally confirmed: the fourth Monday of November. It coincided with the week of America’s largest holiday, Thanksgiving—a period guaranteed to generate enormous sales.

With the date locked in, the name of the next Android OS was also finalized: Android 95. Logically it should have been version 3.0 following 2.0, but labeling it 3.0 at this point felt dated. Since the release would occur with only a short time left in 1994, naming it 95 created no conflict. Naming experts unanimously agreed that 95 felt far more sophisticated than 3.0. Version-specific suffixes were then added, completing the final names—Android 95 Gaming Edition, for example. The 2.0 version had included an Enterprise Edition for businesses. Version 95 added one more: the Workstation Edition previewed through iWorks.

When everything was laid out together, it formed an overwhelming wave of new products. The realization made even Yoo Jae-won’s heart tighten with nerves. Although every piece of content had already proven its appeal, he was still human. The fear that something might fail flickered briefly. But the feeling lasted only a moment.

Yoo Jae-won placed the opened package bundles on his work desk. Rather than waste time on anxiety, he decided it was far more productive to press one more key on the keyboard. Should any misgivings arise, the packages were now positioned where his eyes would naturally fall, serving as both reminder and motivation. With the troublesome National Security Agency matter resolved cleanly, Yoo Jae-won began the final sprint toward the successful launch of Android 95.