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Chapter 593 Visit from Gabe Newel.
🕑 Added 2025-08-21 02:48:44 +0000 UTC24 June 1995 Wednesday Evening.
Zaboru is in his office at ZAGE USA, carrying on with his usual busy routine. Earlier that morning he had presented the Unreal Engine to a large group of video game developers. The presentation sparked great interest, and soon many developers began reaching out to ZAGE and Emerald Wings. Plenty of them expressed a strong desire to collaborate, eager to obtain a license for Unreal Engine in exchange for sharing the valuable data they generated while using the tool. The atmosphere at ZAGE buzzed with excitement, and although Zaboru had settled back into his work, his mind remained active. He tapped his desk thoughtfully, his expression shifting as suddenly a thought began to form in his head, interrupting his otherwise focused workflow.
“Sigh, ZAGE USA really needs a CTO, huh?” At the moment, ZAGE USA doesn’t have a figure like Zaboru’s father, Zanichi Renkonan, who serves as CTO of ZAGE Japan. Zanichi’s ability to manage teams is truly remarkable, not only because of his strong technical skills but also due to his vast experience leading large groups. In Japan, both the Osaka and Tokyo branches of ZAGE are largely overseen by Zanichi in his role as CTO, and under his guidance their overall productivity has grown significantly.
In the USA, the situation is similar but with one major difference: the absence of a CTO. Peter Wayne, head of R&D, Samuel Nelson, head of game development, and John Carmack, head of quality control, are all outstanding leaders in their respective fields. They are true experts in their craft, and the entire ZAGE USA staff is composed of highly skilled individuals. James Yoel, serving as supervisor of ZAGE from Emerald Wings, also does an excellent job managing the offices tied to ZAGE USA. However, the lack of a CTO remains a serious issue. When Zaboru asked either Peter Wayne or Samuel Nelson to take on the role, both refused. They explained that stepping into such a position would take them away from the technical, hands‑on work they are most passionate about. Zaboru understood their reasoning—after all, a CTO must spend more time managing and less time creating. For those who thrive on passion-driven technical work, such a shift can feel more like a loss than a promotion.
Zaboru thought to himself, “I can’t just put some random person in as my ZAGE USA CTO, or my team will fall apart…” He sighed again, leaning back in his chair, when suddenly a knock came at his office door. James Yoel stepped inside. “Boss, there’s someone named Gabe Newel from Microsoft who wants to see you.” Zaboru raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Gaben? Why would he want to see me?” Rising from his chair, he opened the door and told James, “Alright, James, please guide him to the meeting room.” James gave a quick nod and hurried off to fetch Gaben.
Gabe Newel and James Yoel walked together toward the meeting room. On the way, Gaben took a moment to observe the ZAGE offices. He noticed the employees working diligently, fully focused on their tasks, yet without the weariness he so often saw in other workplaces. “What a great environment,” he thought. “Everyone is engaged, but they don’t look drained or exhausted.” Impressed, he continued following James until they finally stepped into the meeting room, where Zaboru Renkonan was already waiting.
Gaben walked up to Zaboru and firmly shook his hand. “Zaboru Renkonan, sir, it’s an honor to meet you.” Zaboru chuckled warmly. “Ah, Mr. Newel, the honor is mine. But tell me, why are you looking for me today?” Gaben smiled. “Please, call me Gabe, Zaboru. And may I call you that as well?” Zaboru chuckled again. “Yes, you may call me Zaboru. And may I call you Gaben?” Gaben raised his brows playfully. “Gaben? Like Gabe Newel? Oh, I like that!” He laughed lightly, the mood between them immediately becoming friendly and relaxed.
Then Gaben grew serious. “Zaboru, first of all, I truly admire you. Why? Because you genuinely want the video game industry to flourish, right? You first created Doom, and now you’re sharing Unreal Engine, which to me is a brilliant tool for game developers. It will help them create amazing titles—and you’re offering it freely and Doom its one of the best Software i've ever seen. The code is just Magical.”
Zaboru smiled and said, “I’m not doing it for free, Gaben. I’ll do it in exchange for the data they collect while using the Unreal Engine.” Gaben shook his head gently. “Doesn’t matter. In the end, you’re doing that to improve the Unreal Engine itself, right? I really admire you for that."
Zaboru nodded. “And… What would you like to say to me, Gaben?”
Gaben sighed and leaned forward. “Well, it’s like this. I’ve always been passionate about video games, Zaboru. I might be good with technology and managing teams, but I’ve never been strong when it comes to raw imagination. What I truly love is helping people who do have great imagination, because together we can create something truly special.
You see, I work at Microsoft as one of the head engineers, managing a huge team. The work is solid, the projects are impressive, and honestly the salary isn’t bad either. But… something is missing. Bill Gates, for example, is very similar to me in many ways—he’s a technical and business‑minded person, not an artist. So when Microsoft decided it needed to create a video game team, he rejected many of the original ideas pitched by our developers. His reasoning was always the same: ‘It’s not proven it can sell. We should stick to formulas that are guaranteed to work.’ For example, he pushed us to copy your ZAGE Diablo game instead of approving more experimental projects. And that’s exactly what Microsoft is doing right now. In a couple of months, that imitation game will be released.”
Zaboru chuckled, clearly amused. “Well, that’s not a bad way of thinking, actually.”
Gaben nodded with a smile. “Not bad, but not really good either, Zaboru! Every idea needs a good canvas. Who cares if it fails in the end? At least you tried, right? And that’s what I admire. I want to be part of that spirit. I want to help people… this might sound outrageous, but I want to help people like you—people who are never afraid to try something new! As far as I know, ZAGE has always been creating game genres we never even imagined before you made them a reality. Base Wars , Elder Scrolls , Lemmings , Paperboy, Age of Empire , Doom and many other ZAGE are experimenting with many entirely new genres and I want to support that and be part of that!. I want to work with you, Zaboru.”
Zaboru chuckled to himself, marveling at the strange twist of fate. Just when he was desperately searching for a capable CTO, destiny seemed to deliver one of the most legendary figures in the industry right to his door. Who in the world could possibly serve as a better CTO than Gabe Newel himself?. Zaboru leaned back in his chair, a half‑smile curling on his lips as he asked, “Okay, Gaben, I really understand your point. Basically, you’re saying that working with Bill Gates—while the pay is good—feels hollow, uninspiring, unfulfilling and it sucks. So you want to work for me instead?” Gaben burst into laughter, nodding eagerly. “Exactly, Zaboru! That’s it in a nutshell!”
“Well, honestly, ZAGE USA is lacking a CTO right now. How about this—I'll appoint you as my CTO. For the first year, you’ll receive the same salary you’re making at Microsoft. After that, we’ll sit down and negotiate a new salary package together. How does that sound?”
Gaben grinned widely. “Deal! But first, I’ll need to resign from Microsoft.”
Zaboru’s eyes widened in surprise. “So soon?”
Gaben smiled calmly. “It’s never been about money for me, Zaboru—it never was. I just want to do work that matters. I can probably leave Microsoft in as little as one month, or at most two. Would that be alright?”
Zaboru smiled warmly and nodded. “Take your time, Gaben. We’ll be ready for you when the moment comes.””
Afterward, the two continued to chat for a while longer before Gaben finally took his leave. Zaboru sat back at his desk in a genuinely lifted mood, grinning to himself. “Hehehe, Gabe Newel is going to work with me—this will be incredible!” he thought, excitement buzzing in his chest. As he reflected on the encounter, Zaboru couldn’t help but notice how moments like this seemed to happen at just the right time. Whenever he truly needed something, the perfect person seemed to appear as if guided by fate itself. “Do I really have some kind of plot armor protecting me?” he mused with a chuckle. With that playful thought lingering in his mind, Zaboru smiled, feeling a renewed sense of energy and optimism as he turned back to his work.
Meanwhile at Zagashira family household..
To be continue
