Another world Game Developers in Japan`s 1991

A short while after the meeting with Ryan and James from Emerald Wings, Zaboru made his way to the ZAGE USA developer space—where Tekken was actively being built. The room buzzed with focused energy as developers pored over lines of code and design boards. Zaboru moved through the space with quiet confidence, occasionally stopping to observe a screen, ask questions, or offer input. He was particularly interested in the technical challenges around the 3D engine—one of the most complex systems ZAGE had ever attempted. His engagement wasn't just symbolic; the developers genuinely valued his insight and felt invigorated by his presence.

He stayed for over an hour, carefully balancing constructive criticism with praise. One developer mentioned a bug in the physics engine that Zaboru immediately recognized from a past life's experience, offering a solution that saved the team hours of work. After ensuring things were running smoothly, he excused himself and returned to his personal workshop.

There, he composed an email to Bill Gates. He typed out a message asking if Bill was available for a meeting the next day, adding a note to reply at his convenience and propose a date if needed. The message was formal but friendly, reflecting Zaboru's respect for Gates and his curiosity about what this meeting might entail.

After sending the email, Zaboru picked up his acoustic guitar and started strumming, using music to clear his mind. He practiced "Gene Rock A Bye" from the God Hand soundtrack, letting its rhythmic melody fill the room. It brought back memories of long nights of Gaming and passion. About 30 minutes later, a reply hit his inbox. To his surprise, Bill had responded almost instantly. He was currently in LA and available to meet at a luxury hotel the next morning.

Zaboru blinked. "That fast? Huh... maybe just a coincidence." He chuckled and kept strumming a bit longer, then leaned back in his chair and sighed with contentment.

What Zaboru didn't know was that Bill Gates had already marked this meeting as top priority—eager to discuss a strategic opportunity he believed Zaboru would be perfect for.

"After the meeting with Ryan's sister and discussing ZAGE's expansion in Europe, I might need to visit AMD and consider investing," Zaboru muttered to himself. "Hopefully, they're open to collaboration—and not a pain to deal with."

He chuckled again, set the guitar down, and decided to drop by the ZAGE USA common area to watch the team in action before ending his night.

Saturday, 5 April 1994 – Morning

Zaboru arrived at the lavish LA hotel Gates had reserved. The dining hall was decadent, the air scented with roasted coffee, polished silverware clinking softly around him. He took his seat and scanned the menu. The prices were eye-watering. He ordered a $5,500 steak out of curiosity more than desire.

As he waited, he looked at the plate, already feeling out of place. I'll never get used to this kind of overpriced food… and the worst part is, it doesn't even taste that good, he thought with a sigh.

Minutes later, Bill Gates walked in, smiling warmly. "Oh, hello Zaboru. Enjoying your meal, I see."

Zaboru stood and shook his hand. "Hello Bill, long time no see."

Bill chuckled. "Order as many of those steaks as you like—my treat. I've heard you've got quite the appetite."

Zaboru laughed softly. To Gates, a $5,500 steak was like a can of soda. "No, Bill. Honestly, this kind of food just doesn't suit my taste."

Bill nodded in understanding. "Hahaha, fair enough. Anyway, thanks for making time. Sorry for the sudden request."

Zaboru waved it off. "No problem at all. I wasn't in the USA for a couple of weeks—ZEPS 2 just launched in Japan."

Bill's eyes lit up. "Ah, congrats! I heard ZEPS 2 is launching in the U.S. tomorrow too. ZAGE's growth has been phenomenal."

"Thanks. So, Bill, what's this about? Trying to buy ZAGE again? I've told you before, it's not for sale."

Bill laughed. "No, no. I promise this isn't about that. I'm here about Windows 94."

Zaboru nodded. "Right. I've heard it's coming out soon." Zaboru said while chomping on his expensive steak.

Bill sipped his drink. "Zaboru, as the current pioneer of the gaming industry, I want your honest opinion—what do you think of PC gaming?"

Zaboru raised a brow. "You mean, gaming on PC in general? Personally, I think it has huge potential. With the right infrastructure and vision, PC gaming can go even further than consoles and handhelds. But every platform has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, one of PC's major strengths is its superior hardware capabilities—these machines are more powerful and customizable than most consoles. Additionally, players with technical know-how can modify or even create content within the games themselves, which opens up endless creative possibilities. On the flip side, the downsides are just as real: PCs are expensive, often tricky to set up, and games on them are more vulnerable to piracy. Still, despite these challenges, I believe PC gaming is an incredible platform with nearly limitless potential.

Bill smiled, clearly pleased. "I'm glad you said that. I've always been a fan of ZAGE PC games myself—especially Age of Empires. What you pulled off with that game on current-gen PCs is nothing short of amazing."

Zaboru chuckled. "Appreciate that."

"Here's the big news," Bill leaned in. "Windows 94 is coming with DirectX. It's a collection of APIs that help software—especially games—interact smoothly with hardware. In simple terms, it's a universal translator. Your game says: 'Draw a 3D explosion!' and DirectX tells the GPU how to do it, no matter the type of CPU it is."

Zaboru's eyes widened. DirectX? Wasn't that after Windows 95 in my old timeline? Interesting… He smiled. "That's impressive, Bill."

Bill continued, "We're planning to launch Windows 94 around September. What we need is a strong game to showcase its capabilities—a title built with DirectX. Would ZAGE be interested in collaborating on that?"

Zaboru tapped his chin. "A collaboration? Sure, I'm open to it."

"Great," Bill said. "Windows 94 is basically ready. What's missing is the showcase title and some final polish. I'll send over documentation and two of our top DirectX engineers to support your team. And this won't be a charity gig—you'll receive $15 million in funding, and you can sell the game normally. We'll help promote it as well—with a fee, of course."

Zaboru leaned back. "That's a lot to process, Bill. I'll definitely run it by my legal team."

"Of course. Let's revisit everything after the ZEPS 2 U.S. launch," Bill said. "But just to be clear—you're leaning toward yes, right?"

Zaboru grinned. "So far, the offer sounds great. If it stays that way, I don't see why I'd turn it down."

The two wrapped up their meal with casual conversation and agreed to meet again at Microsoft's campus in Washington after the ZEPS 2 U.S. launch.

Later that day, back at his private workshop, Zaboru sat deep in thought.

"Well… DirectX really did come early in this world," he said aloud, amused.

"A showcase game, huh? And with the release coming in September… that gives us about five months."

He smirked, the pieces falling into place in his mind.

"Let's shift our ZAGE USA team to this project right after Tekken. The game for the showcase is none other than…"

Diablo.

Zaboru's grin widened. It was time to unleash Diablo upon the world.

To be continued.

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