Chapter Summaries

Ron explored the opening area of Myst, discovering how the Dimensional Imager revealed different images when set to numbers from a cryptic document. The chapter left him eager to find and activate the island's matching switches as other players explored the island in their own ways.

• Ron tested controller and keyboard inputs before choosing to play with a mouse, then opened a hatch and descended into a basement.
• Ron clicked the Dimensional Imager's orange button and saw the pool water vanish, exposing rows of orange objects beneath it.
• Ron found a document listing Terrain compression test as 40, Turbulent pool as 67, and Switch diagram as 47, then discovered a green-lit button that opened a concealed panel.
• Ron set the Imager to 40 and saw a rotating terrain map, then set it to 47 and revealed an image of a switch mechanism.
• Ron emerged from the basement, spotted matching knife-switch levers nearby, and decided to find and pull them.
• Players explored different locations across the island, including a generator room, high-ground mechanisms, and a dilapidated well.

The chapter described Myst’s immersive visuals and subtle soundtrack, then celebrated its rapid success as sales passed one million copies on PC in less than a week. It left Lin Lixin and the team at a party as Myst’s broad audience, including female players, helped define a new adventure-game genre.

• Ron returned to Myst’s pier and found peace in its realistic scenery and quiet atmosphere.
• The chapter explained how Cyan and Hans Zimmer Studio created understated music for Myst while fitting the soundtrack onto a nearly full disc.
• Sam celebrated Myst selling more than a million PC copies in less than a week and threw a party for the team.
• Lin Lixin noted that female players made up 27% of Myst’s buyers, and the media labeled its style a new branch of adventure games: “Myst-like Game.”

Lin Lixin reviewed GameNova’s graphics card sales and concluded that games and PC rentals could help build demand. He visited a California arcade to inspect its computer gaming area and found a crude setup with clear room to improve.

• Sam told Lin Lixin that Radeon 9000 sales remained below two million, while Trident had sold at least twenty million cards the previous month.
• Lin Lixin concluded that graphics cards remained a luxury item and that GameNova would have to rely on games to increase demand.
• Sam reported that the California PC-rental pilots were doing fairly well, though even the largest arcade had only a dozen or so computers.
• Lin Lixin and Sam drove to the largest arcade on their list to inspect its personal computer gaming area.
• The proprietor showed Lin Lixin and Sam the makeshift PC area and mentioned that one customer had been playing there for three days without leaving.
• Lin Lixin saw the rows of plywood tables, computers, and televisions and said there was a great deal of room for improvement.

Lin Lixin and Sam advised an arcade manager on turning his computer room into a more comfortable, social gaming venue. The manager agreed to consider customer services, events, private rooms, and faster internet as the group left plans for further discussions.

• Lin Lixin watched a Diablo player use a Wealth Runeword and explained that the shop should serve customers beyond providing computers.
• Lin Lixin suggested adding drinks, snacks, and a system for ordering food and games from each computer, including delivery from the restaurant across the plaza.
• Sam proposed competitions, prizes, and shop vouchers to build a gaming community and encourage repeat visits.
• Lin Lixin recommended private rooms in different sizes and offered Umbrella Corporation's help with construction.
• Lin Lixin told the manager to contact Nexus about high-speed internet and discuss detailed operating plans with Sam.

Lin Lixin and Carmack examined the limits of GameNova’s networking code as they prepared for Quake 2. Lin proposed client-side weapon prediction to make firing feel responsive while leaving hit results to the server, and the chapter ended with him explaining how simulated shots could be corrected by server calculations.

• Lin Lixin and Carmack reviewed Maze War’s primitive networking and compared it with Quake’s P2P lockstep system, which made every player suffer when one connection lagged.
• Lin Lixin explained that GameNova had already explored client/server networking and client-side prediction, which made movement respond without waiting for the server.
• Lin Lixin, Carmack, and Sam tested multiplayer on their PCs before Lin Lixin proposed predicting weapon fire on the client to reduce perceived latency during firefights.
• Carmack objected that client-side firing could invite cheating, but Lin Lixin explained that clients would only simulate shots locally while the server determined the real outcome and corrected them.

Lin Lixin explained how client prediction and server rewind could make online shooting feel responsive while favoring the shooter, though the approach could not eliminate the conflict between shooter and target fairness. The chapter ended with him joking that the only complete solution was for players to upgrade their broadband.

• Lin Lixin warned Carmack that client prediction could cause missed shots, rubber-banding, and other errors, then introduced shooter-favoring lag compensation.
• Lin Lixin explained that the server could rewind to a cached snapshot from when the player fired and use it to judge the shot.
• Sam pointed out that rewind could kill a player after they had already ducked behind cover, and Lin Lixin admitted the conflict between shooter and target experience had no perfect solution.
• Lin Lixin compared how Valve, Riot, Respawn, and Blizzard handled network synchronization for different kinds of games.
• Lin Lixin joked that upgrading players' broadband was the only way to solve the problem completely.

Lin Lixin assigned Carmack to lead programming and Will to improve Quake 2’s enemy AI while preserving its fast, satisfying combat. He told Will to make monsters feel natural and lively without making them strong or drawing attention to the AI, leaving Will with a difficult design challenge.

• Lin Lixin gathered the GameNova team to formally begin the Quake 2 project and assigned Carmack as lead programmer.
• Lin Lixin asked Will to develop a more advanced enemy AI system, and Will agreed.
• Will described Quake’s existing enemies as simple monsters that idle until the player triggers them, then pursue and attack in a basic loop.
• Lin Lixin rejected adding tactical complexity or making fights longer, explaining that Quake’s combat should remain a brief loop focused on shooting and killing monsters.
• Lin Lixin instructed Will to make the AI nearly invisible by making enemies act naturally while remaining weak and ordinary.

Lin Lixin and Hideo Kojima discussed how to give Quake 2 a unified world and a minimal story that supported its fast-paced gameplay. Kojima proposed linking levels through clear objectives and environmental storytelling, leaving the game’s story as guidance rather than its focus.

• Lin Lixin asked Hideo Kojima to help shape Quake 2’s story after assigning Will responsibility for the enemy AI.
• Kojima argued that the team should establish a coherent world first and design levels, weapons, enemies, and UI around it.
• Kojima said Quake needed only a simple story to connect its levels, and Carmack enthusiastically agreed that gameplay mattered more than story.
• Kojima proposed giving players linked objectives, such as restoring power to open a gate or disabling a shield, so their progress would feel clear and natural.
• Kojima suggested conveying additional details through map design and environmental storytelling.

Lin Lixin praised his team’s growth and assigned Sid Meier to handle gameplay design and the game loop. He then brought Hideo Kojima upstairs to reveal a gift: a bed-sized workstation.

• Lin Lixin reflected on how Carmack, Will, Hideo Kojima, and Sid Meier had grown over the past three years.
• Lin Lixin announced that he had prepared a gift for the project and looked to Mark Cerny, who stood to show it to him.
• Lin Lixin told Kojima the gift was bulky and awkward to move, then Sid Meier agreed to handle gameplay design and the game loop.
• Lin Lixin and Mark Cerny took Kojima upstairs, where they revealed an oversized workstation that looked like NASA research equipment.

Hideo Kojima tried GameNova’s prototype grading console and was impressed by its carefully designed controls and powerful hardware. Lin Lixin then explained that the rewritten Quake engine used colored lightmaps, leaving Kojima to recognize how color could shape a game’s atmosphere and emotion.

• Kojima tested the console’s trackballs and knobs and admired their carefully tuned materials and resistance.
• Lin Lixin and Mark Cerny watched Kojima praise the console, and Lin Lixin described its processors, graphics cards, DSP array, and 10 GB storage.
• Lin Lixin said the prototype was intended for Quake 2’s visual grading as well as other work.
• Lin Lixin explained that the new Quake engine separated lightmaps into RGB channels so light sources could cast colored illumination.
• Kojima realized that colored lighting could establish tone and intensify emotions such as danger.

Lin Lixin discussed Myst’s polarized reception with Cerny, who reminded him that no game could satisfy every player and suggested making distinct games for distinct audiences. Cerny then proposed combining player reviews with gameplay data to give developers more reliable questions to investigate as they designed Quake.

• Lin Lixin told Cerny he struggled to understand players’ conflicting reactions to Myst and its unconventional adventure-game design.
• Cerny reminded Lin Lixin that GameNova did not need to satisfy every player and suggested traditional adventure games could serve Myst’s critics.
• Lin Lixin agreed that games should preserve their distinct characteristics rather than mix genres to please everyone.
• Cerny brought Lin Lixin to his workstation and proposed collecting player reviews and monitoring players’ in-game behavior for Quake.
• Cerny explained that combining gameplay data with subjective feedback could help developers identify questions worth investigating.

GAMELINE99 revealed that GAMENOVA’s long-awaited Quake sequel was Quake II and announced an exhibition match between Team SOLID and GAMENOVA. Lin Lixin led Supernova Team onto the stage and declared that GAMENOVA never lost.

• McCoy and Rebecca reviewed the latest tournament standings and introduced a special announcement from GAMENOVA.
• GAMELINE99 revealed that GAMENOVA would release a new game on Black Friday, while teasing that its sequel status was not yet to be disclosed.
• Team SOLID entered the stage as the reigning favorites, followed by Lin Lixin and Supernova Team as their challengers.
• The hosts announced that the exhibition match would feature Quake II, prompting excited reactions from viewers at a bar.
• McCoy asked Lin Lixin whether he felt confident against Team SOLID, and Lin replied that GAMENOVA never lost.

Lin Lixin used the exhibition match to secretly improve his Quake skills, but the Supernova Team still lost to Solid. He then revealed that Quake 2 would be available as an online update and demonstrated its download speed on live television.

• Solid took control of key resources, and Vivian and then Cerny were eliminated as the Supernova Team fell behind.
• Lin Lixin secretly gained skill proficiency during the match, but he and the remaining teammates could not overcome Solid’s advantage and lost.
• Lin Lixin claimed the team had been rusty because its development department was focused on Quake 2 and said the sequel was their home turf.
• Lin Lixin announced that Quake owners could download the full Quake 2 update online starting at midnight on Black Friday, rather than buying a new disc.
• Lin Lixin demonstrated an 8 Mbps download using the second-generation Nexus Modem, while the broadcast kept the progress bar onscreen for viewers.

Nexus’s 8 Mbps modem drew overwhelming demand during a live demonstration, while Lin Lixin kept funding the company as it prepared to expand its California network. The broadcast then moved to Quake 2, whose cinematic color grading and colored lighting impressed viewers.

• GameNova’s live download demonstration showed a 320 MB file downloading at 6–8 Mbps, flooding Nexus with orders and inquiries.
• Lin Lixin continued funding Nexus as the company worked toward broader ADSL coverage, limited by the cost of building relay networks.
• The hosts announced that Lin Lixin had finished installing Quake 2 and switched the broadcast to the competition venue.
• Lin Lixin and the teams explored Quake 2 maps, revealing darker environments, colored light sources, and cinematic color grading.

Lin Lixin showcased Quake 2’s advanced graphics and fast performance during a GAMENOVA exhibition match, where Supernova narrowly defeated SOLID. He ended by promoting compatibility with older graphics cards, a holiday discount on NovaRadeon 9000 cards, and certified internet cafés.

• Host McCoy highlighted Quake 2’s colored lighting and detailed weapon models as Lin Lixin demonstrated the game.
• Lin Lixin launched a Deathmatch exhibition between SOLID and Supernova, drawing cheers from the audience.
• Quake 2 ran at around 100 frames per second after NovaGraphics optimized 0penGL and GAMENOVA improved the NovaRadeon 9000’s hardware acceleration.
• Supernova narrowly won the match after Lin Lixin landed a final streak of railgun snipes.
• Lin Lixin told viewers Quake 2 supported older graphics cards, announced a ten-percent holiday discount on NovaRadeon 9000 cards, and promoted certified internet cafés.

On Black Friday in late 1990, Lin Lixin watched the Gulf War buildup and reflected on the coming collapse of the Soviet Union while GameNova’s free Quake 2 upgrade overwhelmed its servers. The chapter ended with Lin Lixin recognizing that the internet café boom was driving bulk sales of Nova Radeon 9000 cards despite weak consumer demand.

• Lin Lixin watched news of American troop deployments to Saudi Arabia and considered the pivotal events expected in 1991.
• Lin Lixin called Sam, who reported that Quake 2 downloads had overwhelmed Nexus’s servers and ordered staff to add file relay servers.
• Vivian criticized the free Quake 2 upgrade for encouraging users to pay for faster internet subscriptions, while Lin Lixin noted that graphics card sales remained limited.
• Vivian told Lin Lixin that GameNova’s internet café program had become popular, with packed arcades and new operators seeking to join or copy the plan.
• Distributors rushed to buy Nova Radeon 9000 cards for internet cafés, and Lin Lixin joked that spreading the cost of gaming counted as charity.

Lin Lixin weighed possible war-themed games while preparing for the Christmas season, then the chapter shifted to Trip unveiling the REAL-3D0, a powerful multimedia console built around an open hardware standard. Backed by Panasonic, Sun Microsystems, and other companies that had lost ground to GAMENOVA, Trip planned a press conference to announce the system before Christmas ended.

• Lin Lixin considered how the Gulf War could boost interest in modern warfare games but set aside choosing between RTS and FPS projects.
• Trip examined the Panasonic-manufactured REAL-3D0-FZ1 prototype and envisioned 3D0 as a multimedia standard that could challenge existing consoles and entertainment devices.
• Trip celebrated the system’s 64-bit MIPS processor and its additional SPARC-V8 coprocessor, which Sun engineers had helped integrate.
• Sun Microsystems and several other companies joined Trip’s effort, united by commercial setbacks and resentment toward GAMENOVA.
• Trip ordered a press conference before the Christmas season ended to announce the 3D0.

As the gaming industry’s major regions competed with new releases, Lin Lixin read reports that EA’s accelerated 3D0 project was preparing to challenge GAMENOVA and Sony. He watched the REAL-3DO launch event begin, where Trip Hawkins took the stage to introduce the machine.

• Nintendo and studios across North America and Europe released a crowded lineup of games for the holiday season.
• Lin Lixin read reports about EA’s upcoming 3D0 launch and considered the risks posed by Trip Hawkins’s ambitious project.
• Lin Lixin and Vivian tuned in to the televised REAL-3DO launch event.
• Lin Lixin recognized Panasonic Electric on the stage backdrop and saw the large, black console beneath its velvet cover.
• Trip Hawkins walked onto the stage and greeted the assembled reporters.

Trip unveiled the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and pitched its licensed hardware standard as the future of interactive entertainment, boasting processors with unprecedented specifications. Lin Lixin saw no reason to fear the machine and explained that raw power could not overcome the development difficulties that had plagued other consoles; he left Vivian with that lesson as he justified releasing the NovaPocket Compact.

• Trip unveiled Panasonic’s 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and described plans for licensed versions from other manufacturers, aiming to establish a standard for gaming hardware.
• Trip first presented the SPARC V8 processor, then announced that the Real 3DO would also use a 64-bit MIPS R4000.
• Lin Lixin laughed at the Real 3DO’s specifications, while Vivian worried that Athena’s hardware might fall behind.
• Lin Lixin told Vivian that 3DO’s central problem was development difficulty and recalled how the powerful Cell processor had become a nightmare for Sony Entertainment.
• Lin Lixin explained that he had released the NovaPocket Compact because a console needed games from developers beyond its first party.

Lin Lixin explained why Athena’s streamlined, heterogeneous architecture avoided the development problems of earlier consoles while Trip unveiled 3DO’s hardware and proprietary CEL graphics system. Trip ended the presentation by promoting 3DO as an open standard for interactive entertainment and announcing its $699.99 launch price.

• Lin Lixin explained to Vivian how earlier GameNova consoles relied on complex hardware and contrasted their architecture with Athena’s cooperative, heterogeneous design.
• Trip revealed 3DO’s memory, display, and audio specifications, including its use of NEC and Toshiba memory chips.
• Trip introduced the CEL Engine, explaining how MADAM and CILO composited image layers instead of rendering scenes with traditional triangle-based graphics.
• Trip showed a 3DO first-person shooter demo running at a steady thirty frames per second, while Lin Lixin dismissed the architecture as a dead end for demanding 3D games.
• Trip presented 3DO as an open standard for the gaming industry and announced a launch price of $699.99.