Friday 10 May 1998 ZAGE Campus USA.
Right now, Zaboru was inside the main meeting room on one of the upper floors of the ZAGE Campus. The atmosphere was serious but expectant. Seated around the long conference table were the higher-ups of Team Tempest, including veterans like John Carmack and Peter Wayne, both of whom carried years of technical expertise and creative influence within ZAGE. Their expressions showed curiosity, already sensing that this meeting wouldn't be a routine briefing. At the head of the room, overseeing the technical side of ZAGE's American operations, was the ZAGE USA CTO himself — Gabe Newell — calmly observing the room as he waited for Zaboru to begin.
Then, without further ado, Zaboru began the meeting, his voice calm but carrying authority. "Okay, Team Tempest! First of all, thank you all for your hard work," he said, looking around the room. "And congratulations on completing the development of Battle Realms. So far, the game is stable, performance is solid, and there are no major issues remaining." He paused briefly, letting the words sink in before continuing. "We're planning to release it at the end of this month — around May 25, 1998."
The moment he finished speaking, the room erupted into applause. Smiles spread across faces as the developers clapped enthusiastically. As usual, the end of one project meant the beginning of something new, and everyone in the room understood what that implied. Beyond pride and satisfaction, a successful launch meant something very tangible — bonuses. When ZAGE projects went live and performed well, the development teams were rewarded generously by Zaboru Renkonan himself. That was why the excitement was genuine. More tasks didn't mean exhaustion to them — it meant opportunity. More projects meant more trust, more responsibility, and ultimately, more money.
Zaboru knew this very well, and he didn't mind it at all. After all, most of his employees worked to earn money, to support their lives, their families, and their future — and there was nothing wrong with that. In fact, Zaboru respected it. He believed that fair compensation, trust, and opportunity were what kept talented people motivated and loyal. With that thought settled, he smoothly transitioned the meeting to its next phase.
"Okay," Zaboru said, clapping his hands lightly to regain everyone's attention. "So, despite the development of Battle Realms being finished, Team Tempest hasn't exactly been idle." He smiled as he continued. "Your other project, Baldur's Gate, is almost complete as well, and development on Warcraft III is still progressing steadily without any major issues."
He paused briefly before adding, "Because of that, I'll be assigning an additional task to Team Tempest. And, like usual, I've already prepared folders containing the detailed concept and design for the project." Zaboru chuckled softly as he handed the folders to his employees, watching their expressions carefully as curiosity immediately began to spark.
As the employees opened the folders, their expressions immediately shifted from curiosity to genuine intrigue. Printed clearly on the cover was the title "Hitman – Agent 47," a name that alone sparked questions and quiet murmurs around the table. One by one, they began flipping through the pages, scanning concept art, design documents, and gameplay descriptions. The more they read, the more surprised they became. A stealth-focused assassination game with multiple ways to approach each objective? Freedom of execution rather than scripted paths? It was a concept none of them had ever encountered before.
Zaboru smiled, clearly enjoying their reactions, and began to explain. "This game will be called Hitman – Agent 47," he said calmly. "At its core, the gameplay revolves around assassination — eliminating a specific target." He raised a finger slightly. "But it's not just simple assassination. In every stage, for every target, we'll design the environment itself as a tool."
He continued, his tone growing more animated. "Each location will have unique environmental advantages, routines, and opportunities. There won't be just one correct way to eliminate a target. Players can observe patterns, manipulate situations, and create outcomes that look like accidents." Zaboru paused briefly, letting the idea sink in. "To do that, the player will need to think carefully, study the map, understand where the target is, and know exactly when they'll be vulnerable. Awareness, planning, and patience will be just as important as execution."
Zaboru chuckled as he looked around the room, clearly amused by how flabbergasted Team Tempest had become, and then he continued his explanation. "In this game, players will be able to knock out non-target NPCs," he said, tapping the folder lightly. "Once they're unconscious, the player can take their uniform and use it as a disguise. With the right disguise, you can enter or exit buildings and restricted areas directly through the front door without immediately raising suspicion or triggering alarms."
He raised his hand slightly, emphasizing the next point. "But it won't be that simple. Disguises aren't magic. Other NPCs or guards who share the same occupation will become suspicious if the player stays within their line of sight for too long. If that suspicion meter fills up, alarms will be raised. So players will need to constantly be aware of positioning, timing, and behavior. Standing still, acting strangely, or lingering too long in one place will have consequences."
Zaboru then shifted the topic, his tone becoming more deliberate. "As for the main character himself, his name is Agent 47," he continued. "That number isn't random. He is a genetically engineered human, created using the DNA of five powerful criminal masterminds. He was designed from birth to be the perfect assassin — emotionally calm, detached, and capable of insane precision."
He leaned back slightly as he spoke. "He's a man without a real past, raised and shaped solely for one purpose. The story of the game will revolve around his missions, his gradual self-awareness, and his character development. Ultimately, the narrative will lead him toward confronting and killing his own creator — the one who turned him into a weapon in the first place."
The other developers were clearly intrigued by the concept. Murmurs spread across the table as they exchanged glances, some nodding thoughtfully while others flipped back through the pages again, rereading certain sections. The mix of gameplay freedom and narrative depth had clearly left an impression. Seeing their reactions, Zaboru decided it was the right moment to open the floor.
"Alright," Zaboru said calmly, folding his arms. "That's the core concept. Now, does anyone want to ask something?"
John Carmack raised his hand almost immediately, a faint grin forming on his face. "Boss, this is clearly a stealth game," he said, leaning forward slightly. "But what if I want to play it like a shooter? I mean… what if I want to go completely crazy and kill everyone in the area, NPCs included. Is that actually plausible?"
Zaboru chuckled, clearly having expected that question. He nodded without hesitation. "Yup, that's completely possible," he replied. "You can absolutely play it that way if you want." He then added with a slight smile, "But doing so will leave a very bad record. Agent 47 is meant to be the perfect assassin — not a perfect mass murderer. The game will remember how you play. If you turn every mission into chaos, it will reflect that in your performance and outcomes. Still," he shrugged lightly, "it's a valid way to play."
John Carmack laughed at the answer and nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased that the system allowed such freedom.
Peter Wayne then raised his hand and asked, "Will there be plenty of weapons and guns in the game, or is it just sniper rifles, boss?" His question immediately drew interest from the rest of the room, as weapon variety was always a sensitive topic in game design.
Zaboru nodded thoughtfully before answering. "For now, the weapons will be intentionally limited," he explained. "The core arsenal will consist of pistols, pistols with silencers, sniper rifles, and sniper rifles equipped with silencers." He paused briefly to emphasize his point. "All of them will be based on real-life firearms, with realistic behavior, sound, and handling. No exaggerated sci‑fi weapons, no unnecessary clutter."
Zaboru chuckled lightly. "And honestly, you all know guns better than anyone here." His gaze swept across Team Tempest. "You're the team that built ZAGE's most famous FPS, Counter Strike. If anyone understands how firearms should feel — weight, recoil, and lethality — it's you." That remark drew a few confident smiles from the developers.
Not long after, Gabe Newell leaned forward and asked his own question. "So, when is the expected release for this game, boss? The scope isn't massive in terms of content, but the complexity and optional systems feel pretty heavy."
Zaboru nodded in agreement. "That's true. Technically, this is a demanding project," he said calmly. "Because of that, I'm planning a January 1999 release. That gives Team Tempest a full eight months to develop it properly — no rushing, no cutting corners."
Gabe considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Eight months should be doable," he said confidently, clearly satisfied with the timeline.
The questions and answers continued for a while longer until the meeting finally came to an end. After wrapping things up, Zaboru didn't linger — he quickly returned to his office, as he still had an important meeting scheduled with representatives from NVIDIA and AMD.
To be continue
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