Android's Launch and the Day Everything Changed
The Android Phone launched in three colors—black, white, and rose gold—and two storage capacities, 8GB and 16GB NAND flash memory, for a total of six models. The price difference came down to storage: as Yoo Jae-won had announced, the 16GB model retailed for $699 while the 8GB version cost $549. That $150 gap reflected the still-exorbitant price of NAND flash memory at the time. Even with the 120-nanometer process in place, mass production had not yet driven costs down enough to close it. The phones were hardly cheap, yet they remained competitive. After all, Apple's iPhone S 16GB model had been priced at $899.
The moment the first day of IDDC 2001 concluded, unlocked phones went on sale at flagship stores across North America, Asia, and Europe. Once again, the most devoted supporters of ID Group's mobile devices created long lines outside the stores. Reflecting the company's rapid growth, the queues stretched even longer than they had for the T-Touch Phone launch. Availability for carrier-subsidized phones varied by operator. TG Mobile, ID Group's closest partner, allowed purchases on launch day at ID Flagship Stores, while more distant carriers like AT&T required customers to wait several days. Still, the situation was far better than when the Tiffany Phone had first appeared. Back then, Yoo Jae-won had personally visited carriers to persuade them to carry the device; now they competed for allocation. Only a handful of operators, such as AT&T, continued to play hardball.
The next day, the second day of IDDC 2001, brought announcements for the Android operating system and ID Office. Notably, the new Android release was not a full version upgrade but a service pack for the existing ME edition. Android's standard policy called for major updates every two years, yet 2001 felt premature. Computer performance had not leaped forward dramatically, nor had any groundbreaking new technology emerged. While AMD had opened the door to multi-core processors, dual-core remained the practical limit with current fabrication methods. Android had supported multi-core architectures early, and by the ME version its thread scheduler had been significantly refined, allowing even the latest CPUs to be installed and used without additional patches. Intel and AMD would not unveil truly surprising new chips until the following year.
Licenses for the 120-nanometer process had already been granted, and feedback was arriving rapidly. The manufacturing references were solid and the guidelines extraordinarily detailed; some labs had already reported successful pilot production. Scaling to full mass-production lines, however, was an entirely different challenge. Modifications to the production facilities were still required, making an early launch impossible. The safest approach was to align the next-generation operating system with the arrival of next-generation CPUs. Yet simply shelving the data Android had already prepared was unacceptable. The solution was the service pack: a major update that fell just short of warranting a new version number, released free of charge.
Free. The word worked like magic. Those who had hoped for a brand-new operating system felt a twinge of disappointment, but the magic of "free" kept that disappointment from turning into outright frustration. In contrast, ID Office 2002 launched on schedule. Designed to support increasingly sophisticated corporate workflows and deliver optimal performance, the suite incorporated feedback from global enterprises and countless experts. New features were added constantly.
The most noticeable changes in the 2002 version were to Clip Art and macros. Clip Art, the collection of icons and illustrations for document design, was rebranded Clip Art HD. The "HD" designation signaled a substantial leap in quality. Photographs now started at a minimum resolution of 1280×720, with 1980×1080 FHD as the default. Icons had been enlarged to 256×256 pixels, dramatically increasing detail. Commissioned from a renowned design school, the assets possessed a distinctly twenty-first-century sensibility and polish. The increased fidelity came at the cost of file size; a separate DVD containing the full Clip Art HD pack was now included. Most importantly, anyone who purchased a legitimate copy of ID Office gained unrestricted commercial rights to every resource in Clip Art HD—an oasis for professionals who had previously risked copyright issues by using images found online.
Macros received equal attention. While many competing office suites existed, ID Office's greatest strength had always been its macro capabilities. Integrated with Android's native macro support, the feature became even more powerful. At training academies teaching ID Office, students moved from basics straight into macro programming. After all, nothing was less efficient than performing repetitive tasks by hand when computers excelled at them. The core of the enhanced macro system in ID Office 2002 was its support for the BASIC language. An Android-compatible BASIC interpreter had been embedded and linked directly to the macro engine. The approachable syntax of BASIC elevated macro utility to an entirely new level. Skilled users could automatically reformat documents of any style, and the system was powerful enough to create and run full Android applications from within ID Office itself.
With such power came risk: macros could potentially be used to attack Android's security architecture. To mitigate this, any macro downloaded from another user had to pass a virus check before execution. Multiple layers of safeguards had been implemented to protect against macro-based malware. Despite these extensive upgrades, the price of ID Office remained $120. The upgrade pack for existing users stayed at the discounted rate of $60. While the improved macros and Clip Art HD were warmly received, far more users celebrated the unchanged pricing.
The third day of IDDC 2001 belonged to the Xbox. The secret weapon Yoo Jae-won had prepared finally appeared: Dragon Ball Super Saiyan War, an Xbox exclusive. The title captured the dynamic intensity of the original manga with graphics that set a new standard. Given the series' worldwide popularity, it already possessed a massive fanbase, and countless games had been released across various platforms—some mediocre, others impressively polished. None, however, approached the level achieved by the Xbox version. By fully leveraging the console's capabilities, the developers produced visuals that elevated audience expectations. Cartoon rendering techniques faithfully reproduced the anime aesthetic—so faithfully, in fact, that the game surpassed many actual animated productions in quality. Gameplay was equally impressive. Built on an RPG foundation, characters grew stronger while key events shifted seamlessly between one-on-one action and side-scrolling sequences, each faithfully recreating the signature techniques of the cast. Every advanced graphics and programming technique at ID Entertainment's disposal had been applied. Unsurprisingly, the development team was filled with longtime fans of the 1980s manga; realizing a long-held dream, they poured everything into maximizing the game's quality. The underlying design document—drawn from Yoo Jae-won's memories—had already been proven effective, requiring no major revisions. Only money and time had been needed.
When the opening title of Dragon Ball Super Saiyan War appeared, the audience erupted. The reaction was identical both in the main stage seats and among viewers watching the internet stream. Chat windows exploded with comments: "The game I've always dreamed of!" "Buying it immediately!" "Buying two—one to play, one to collect!" Every message delighted Yoo Jae-won. Gamers willing to purchase two copies despite owning only one console was the highest praise possible for a man still selling each Xbox at a loss.
Other titles prepared over the past year also debuted. Among them, Half-Life 2 stood out alongside Dragon Ball. Gabe Newell, though preoccupied with rebranding ESD.com as Steam, had kept his promise to Yoo Jae-won. With upgraded graphics, gameplay, and story, Half-Life 2 launched simultaneously on PC and Xbox through the Steam service. A single purchase of either the Xbox or PC version granted access to both platforms. Counter-Strike, originally a Half-Life mod that had become independent, received a full engine upgrade based on Half-Life 2 and launched alongside it. While ID Software titles drove Steam's mainstream adoption, Counter-Strike boasted the longest playtime. Doom 3 also featured excellent multiplayer, though each session demanded careful preparation; its ranking system was widely regarded as the definitive measure of FPS skill, turning high-stakes matches into grueling ordeals. Counter-Strike, by contrast, offered quick, low-pressure sessions with short load times and no ranking system—losing stung only briefly. Its popularity surged, and in some countries professional leagues were already forming.
As the Xbox's second wave gained momentum, Sony felt compelled to respond. Its leadership chose to cut the price of the PlayStation 2. The North American price dropped from $299 to $259—a $40 reduction. Even though Sony was already selling the console at a loss, it lowered the price again. The move caught Xbox team members at ID Technology completely off guard. Yoo Jae-won's assessment was blunt: it was pure posturing. Gamers would hardly notice the discount because PlayStation 2 units were already impossible to find at the current price. A small premium had even emerged on the secondary market. Under such conditions, a price cut merely benefited retailers. The shortage stemmed not from overwhelming demand—as with the Android Phone—but from insufficient supply, a clear sign of Sony's financial strain. Cutting the price amid that shortage was nothing more than bravado. Meanwhile, the Xbox, whose supply chain had been meticulously managed, remained readily available. Sony's real hope was that Yoo Jae-won would foolishly enter a price war. He had no intention of doing so.
Instead, ID Group announced a Steam discount coupon event commemorating IDDC 2001: a 50% discount code applied after purchasing a game. Rather than discounting hardware, Yoo Jae-won chose to make software more affordable. Although software piracy remained rampant on PC, increasing legitimate purchases would ultimately benefit the entire ID Group. Once players experienced Steam's convenience, they would continue buying legitimate copies going forward.
The final day of IDDC 2001 was dedicated to PC gamers. For those who had been waiting since the original Warcraft, the long-anticipated World of Warcraft received its full reveal, complete with extensive information and a detailed release schedule. Even the cinematic opening felt like a movie; the playable demo booths showcased a level of polish that astonished visitors. It was the Warcraft universe realized in perfect form. Open beta was scheduled for November 2001, with the official launch set for January 2002—news that sent gamers into a frenzy.
Like all festivals, IDDC 2001 eventually reached its end. The event concluded in spectacular fashion with the World of Warcraft presentation. While the close of any celebration can bring a touch of emptiness, this time the feeling was absent. Thanks to the Android Phone, the Android Pad, and the flood of new games, gamers worried only about their wallets. No one felt regret. August 2001 had been the happiest month many gamers could remember.
Yet the lingering glow of the festival shattered abruptly. On September 11th, Eastern Time, during the early lunch hour, news no one could have imagined began to break.