The id Connection
The super synergy effect from the contract with Electronic Arts was a resounding success. Not just a success—an absolute blockbuster. The upfront payment alone was $175,000, to be wired directly into ID Technology’s account at the Korea Export-Import Bank the moment the administrative procedures were finalized. There was nothing complicated or illegal about it, so the funds would arrive within three days at the latest.
The calls between the Seoul and California offices continued even after the negotiations with Electronic Arts concluded. There were still follow-up matters to handle. The atmosphere was electric after such a triumphant deal.
“Once the payment from Electronic Arts arrives, we’ll immediately transfer the promised performance bonus on the same day,” Yoo Jae-won announced, turning the already positive mood into outright celebration. He had promised ten percent, which meant $17,500 in bonuses for the California team. He had already decided how to split it: $10,000 for Remington and $7,500 for Ellen.
Remington Sting had led the pre-negotiation that convinced Electronic Arts to pour out such a massive sum during the meeting, while Ellen had handled the practical work of reviewing and drafting documents. The division wasn’t Yoo Jae-won’s decision alone; Choi Kang-wook and Robert Halley had joined in to finalize the numbers.
“Oh, right! Boss, you remember we still have more business, don’t you?” Remington’s team had settled on calling Yoo Jae-won “Boss.” It sounded a bit like a mafia boss, but it was too late to change now—and truthfully, he didn’t mind.
“Of course. The meeting with the publisher, right? Today at 4:30?”
The publisher that had reached out was Scholastic, a company with an enormous history. Founded in 1920 and still thriving into the twenty-first century, it was known for titles like The Secret of the Druid, Magic Time Travel, and the Harry Potter series. Primarily focused on children’s educational books, it was unclear why they had shown interest in the rather hard-edged SF novel Alien Invasion. Perhaps they simply wanted to increase the proportion of adult-oriented content in their catalog. Either way, Yoo Jae-won would be satisfied if they paid a handsome price for the rights and distributed the book across the United States.
“Scholastic is one thing, but we’ve also received another piece of business!” Remington continued. “I was too busy yesterday to report it. Plus, it’s in a rather unusual form, so I’m not entirely sure I understand it correctly.”
If even Remington didn’t fully grasp it…
“What is it?”
“There’s a company that wants to buy the Keyboard Warrior game engine. It’s not like games are cars—why all this talk about an engine?”
When pressed for details, Remington rattled off technical terms: graphics and sound processing, a core that handled “scrap”—no, script—processing. Something along those lines. A game engine?
Yoo Jae-won was stunned. Even 2D games had engines, but the concept of a true game engine only became firmly established once 3D games arrived. 3D modeling was highly reusable; objects like trees, ground, and buildings created for Game A could be repurposed in Game B with minimal changes. Add modules for sound processing, story event creation, and scripting to define game rules, and you had a proper engine.
Yet someone had already grasped this concept and was actively inquiring about purchasing it. Yoo Jae-won found it hard to believe.
“Which company made the offer?”
Remington flipped through his notebook filled with miscellaneous notes and found the name.
“A place called id Software. A young man named John and his friends founded it just recently—a brand-new startup.”
id Software? John?
Yoo Jae-won asked, half in disbelief, “Is it id, not ID?”
“Ah, id? That could be how it’s pronounced. The proposal came by fax, so I didn’t hear it spoken. The spelling was ‘id,’ so ‘id’ works fine.”
“Jackpot!”
Yoo Jae-won, who had been focused on the speakerphone, leapt to his feet and clapped. The news was that exciting. id Software was the company of John Carmack, the legendary developer who popularized FPS games and devastated the early-1990s computer gaming industry with Doom. They would go on to create the groundbreaking 3D title Quake. When discussing the history of 3D games, id Software and John Carmack were indispensable. Yoo Jae-won had never imagined that Keyboard Warrior would attract not only Electronic Arts but also John Carmack.
“When is the meeting scheduled?”
“It’s not set yet. John said he’d come right away if the boss agreed to sell the engine. Should I send a fax since he seems interested?”
“Yes! Send it immediately.”
It would take some time for the fax to arrive. While waiting for the paper to print out, Yoo Jae-won fell into thought. Simply selling the engine and ending the transaction felt insufficient. He closed his eyes and reached into his Memory Palace to review the history of id Software in detail.
“Hmm.”
The stored memories showed that their founding date was two years earlier than in the original timeline. With such an accelerated launch, their preparations would naturally be thin. The risk of failure might be higher, potentially altering id Software’s entire history. In that case, rather than just selling the engine, it would be better to build a deeper partnership and support them. Later, he could leverage their massive hit Doom to strengthen his own grand plans.
While he organized his thoughts, the fax arrived. The document, typed on a word processor and sent via fax, was clearly different from the polished output of established companies—clumsy, in a word. The content was filled with earnest pleas. They promised never to forget the help, claimed to have an incredible item in development, and insisted that Yoo Jae-won’s engine was essential to realize it.
“Very well. We’ll sell the engine. But we won’t stop there—we’ll also provide ongoing technical support and capital investment.”
“Excuse me? You’re not only selling the engine but also offering capital?”
“Yes. In exchange, we’ll acquire a sufficient stake in id Software. The engine sale, capital investment, and technical support are all part of one package. If they refuse the investment, there will be no engine sale either.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“We can provide tens of thousands of dollars without hesitation. We’ll determine the exact amount after assessing id Software’s situation. Even if ID Technology becomes the largest shareholder, I can promise we won’t interfere with game development. We’ll simply provide the environment and technology so they can focus entirely on the games they want to create.”
“Understood. With these terms, drafting the contract the boss wants won’t be a problem.”
Once Remington and Ellen confirmed this, the call ended. Only then did Yoo Jae-won feel a deep sense of satisfaction. The joy of acquiring id Software far outweighed the contract with Electronic Arts. Come to think of it, their company names matched perfectly—ID Technology and id Software. Even combined, there would be no sense of discord.
“You two did excellent work as well. Thanks to you, we landed the best possible deal.”
Yoo Jae-won expressed his gratitude to Choi Kang-wook and Robert Halley, who had been watching him quietly.
“What did we even do? It’s all because your program was so good that it became a huge hit,” they replied modestly, waving their hands.
Indeed, Yoo Jae-won had carried the entire meeting alone today. The two of them felt almost guilty receiving such high salaries for doing so little.
“You must be hungry. Shall we go grab a bowl of hot soup at that great hangover-cure place?”
“Soup! Sounds great! Let’s go right now!”
Robert Halley brightened at the suggestion. They had skipped breakfast for the meeting, and his stomach was already growling. The food tasted even better than usual after the successful negotiation.
The contract with Electronic Arts was featured in newspapers and on television across Korea just days later. ID Technology hadn’t even issued a press release, yet reporters had somehow found the story. It turned out Electronic Arts had orchestrated the coverage themselves. Upon receiving the signed contract, they immediately blanketed the media with prepared advertisements.
Warrior is Coming! — 1988
The image showed the upper half of the Keyboard Warrior suit fading into view, with the slogan “The warrior is coming” printed in massive letters. Only the year 1988 was specified, alongside Electronic Arts’ clear logo. The Keyboard Warrior suit had been retouched on a professional design workstation, preserving its originality while looking remarkably premium.
The message was simple: Keyboard Warrior would launch in 1988. With little of the year remaining, the wait wouldn’t be long. The ads urged readers to prepare in advance. They appeared in nearly every major American newspaper and computer magazine. AAA-level treatment for the game had already begun.