Monday 22 November 1996 ZAGE USA.
Now stationed at ZAGE USA with his team, Zaboru prepared to check in on the final readiness of Starcraft. He turned to John Carmack, the head of Quality Control at ZAGE USA. "So John, how's the progress on Starcraft?" he asked.
John Carmack smiled confidently. "All good, boss. We're on track to release it this weekend without any issues."
Zaboru nodded, clearly pleased. "That's great to hear. Alright, let's move on—we've got a major new project to discuss, and it could be sothing big."
Without hesitation, John Carmack followed Zaboru to the eting room, where the rest of the engineering and quality control teams were already assembling. Even Gabe Newell, ZAGE USA's CTO, made his way in, ready to participate in what was clearly shaping up to be an important eting.
Zaboru smiled warmly. "First of all, thank you all for your hard work. The smooth progress on Starcraft is thanks to your dedication, and I truly appreciate it."
The room erupted in applause, filled with genuine joy. It wasn't empty celebration either—at ZAGE, company policy guaranteed that every employee involved in a successful ga release would receive a performance bonus. The team's enthusiasm wasn't just about recognition—it was about being valued.
Zaboru continued, "Next, I want to talk about the USA Team's next task." Everyone in the room nodded in anticipation.
"As we've seen, Half-Life has been doing exceptionally well, both in terms of sales and multiplayer traffic. We at ZAGE USA have proven we're more than capable of managing high-performance online servers. Our network infrastructure now reliably connects players across the globe—from Japan, Korea, and China to England and the rest of Europe. We're even planning to expand into Latin Arica in the near future. That's a huge accomplishnt for us."
Applause followed his words, and it wasn't just polite—it was well-earned. ZAGE's online network, even by 1996 standards, was far ahead of the curve. Compared to what Zaboru had experienced in his previous life, it was like stepping into the future. And now, with a solid foundation laid, he was ready to take the next big leap forward.
Zaboru grinned and said, "Now, what we want to create is sothing entirely focused on online gaplay—what we'll call a 'Multiplayer' ga."
The room leaned in with interest. Up until now, nearly every ga on the market included multiplayer as a secondary feature, often built around a main single-player campaign. The idea of designing a ga where multiplayer was the core experience—rather than an add-on—was bold and unfamiliar. It sparked imdiate curiosity and excitent among the team.
Zaboru then said, "With this ga, I want to introduce you to the first title fully focused on multiplayer gaplay. But here's the catch—it won't require you to always play with others. If you don't have access to the Internet or a LAN connection, bots will fill in the roles and simulate the full experience."
He paused for a mont, letting the anticipation build, then added with a grin, "Ladies and gentlen, the na of the ga is Counter-Strike."
With that, Zaboru reached into his briefcase and handed over a folder clearly labeled Counter-Strike. Inside was the blueprint for what would soon beco a genre-defining title.
The eting participants opened the folder, revealing detailed character designs, gaplay chanics, stage layouts, and overall structure. Zaboru began to explain, "Counter-Strike features a simple yet compelling gaplay loop. The core modes are Deathmatch and Bomb Match. Players are divided into two opposing sides—Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists—similar to the dynamic we experinted with in our Half-Life mod."
Everyone nodded in agreent, recognizing the familiar but now more refined and ambitious concept. The room buzzed with early excitent as they imagined the competitive potential of this new direction.
"What makes Counter-Strike truly stand out is the variety and specificity of the weapons available," Zaboru explained. "Each faction—Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists—has its own unique arsenal tailored to their roles. We're not just offering standard firearms. There will also be specialized tools, such as tactical vests, defusal kits, bombs, and other gear designed specifically for each side. This level of asymtry will encourage different strategies and playstyles, making each match feel dynamic and replayable."
Zaboru grinned. "We're also planning to expand the capabilities of Half-Life's custom ga system to a much higher tier. We can continue using the Half-Life engine as a base, but we'll need to optimize it significantly. One of our priorities will be improving weapon recoil—it needs to feel as realistic as possible. That kind of detail will go a long way in making the gaplay more imrsive."
He continued, "And for players who don't have access to an internet connection, we'll implent bots that can replace human players. These bots will co in different difficulty levels—Easy, dium, and Hard—so players can still enjoy the full experience regardless of their setup."
Zaboru chuckled. "As you all know, our RTS and FPS multiplayer modes are currently filled with skilled and competitive players. That's why I'm planning to elevate both genres into full-scale tournant formats starting next year. We'll position them alongside our existing fighting ga tournants to create a more diverse and exciting esports scene."
He paused for a beat, then added with a confident grin, "And for our FPS category, Counter-Strike will be the flagship title. It's going to lead the charge and set a new standard for competitive first-person shooters."
John Carmack grinned and raised his hand. Zaboru looked over and said, "Yes, John? What is it?"
John leaned forward, his eyes lit with excitent. "Boss! I propose we conduct a real-life shooting session—with actual firearms. That way, we can study how recoil behaves on both average individuals and trained professionals. It would give us authentic data to make the in-ga recoil feel far more realistic."
Zaboru paused, considering the suggestion. "Honestly, that's a good idea. But wouldn't it be difficult to arrange sothing like that? Getting the military involved, for example?"
Before the room could fall into silence, Gabe Newell spoke up confidently. "Actually, boss, that's sothing we can handle. As long as we've got the budget—and we do—we can coordinate with military training programs or shooting ranges. It's not as complicated as it sounds. Leave that part to ."
Zaboru's grin returned. He nodded slowly. "Alright then—no problem at all. If it helps elevate the realism of Counter-Strike, we'll do it. Let's make this happen."
The room murmured with approval as the idea took root. The blend of innovation and dedication to realism was quickly becoming ZAGE's trademark approach.
Zaboru then said, "Next, the release date for Counter-Strike is planned for either February or March next year. It will all depend on how fast our team moves and whether we stay on schedule with testing and final polish."
The eting continued with a lively Q&A session, as team mbers brought up gaplay chanics, server architecture, potential marketing angles, and potential mods. Zaboru answered each question with confidence and clarity, showing a clear vision for the ga's future and its importance to ZAGE's strategy. The team's enthusiasm only grew stronger with every answer.
Eventually, the eting drew to a close. Zaboru stood, thanked everyone again for their hard work, and excused himself. He had earned a bit of downti after such a productive day. Tonight and Tomorrow, he planned to enjoy a well-deserved rest—and a quiet evening out with Ayumi. Their wedding date was approaching fast, and before returning to Japan, he wanted to make the most of their final days in the U.S.
But even during these personal monts, Zaboru's mind remained focused. Once he returned to Japan, he intended to assign the Tokyo team a new round of high-priority projects—especially following the wrap-up of Chrono Trigger.
To be continue
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