Timothy Cain
Encyclopedia
Timothy Cain is a game producer best known as the producer
, lead
programmer
and one of the main designers of the 1997's computer game Fallout
. In 2009 he was chosen by IGN
as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.
and to graduate school in California. During this time he helped out a friend programming a card game named Grand Slam Bridge for CYBRON Corporation which was released in 1986. In 1989 he received a Master’s Degree in Computer Science at the University of California
at Irvine.
where he worked on the fantasy role-play editor The Bard Tale Construction Set. After finishing the game in 1991, he was fulltime employed at Interplay. For the first time he worked with Leonard Boyarsky
, who was a freelance artist at the time, as designer and programmer on the business simulator Rags to Riches: The Financial Market Simulation which was released in 1993.
In 1994 he started for a couple of months as the only employee working on a game which would later become the post-apocalyptic CRPG
game Fallout. He lay out the basic concept based on the GURPS
system and began programming the isometric game engine. He also took over the producer role from Thomas R. Decker who had to supervise multiple other projects at the time. With a development cycle of three and a half years Fallout was released in 1997. During this time he was also a programming consultant on Stonekeep
(1995) and helped out coding Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
(1997).
Before leaving Interplay to form his own company in January 1998, he wrote the main story arc as well helping designing the Den area of Fallout 2
.
with fellow Interplay workers Leonard Boyarsky
and Jason D. Anderson in 1998, he worked as a project leader and lead programmer on Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
a steampunk
/fantasy
an RPG game for Sierra On-Line, Inc. which was released in 2001.
His next game reunited him with Thomas R. Decker, the original Fallout producer. As project leader and lead designer he produces within 20 months the Dungeons & Dragons
game The Temple of Elemental Evil for publisher Atari
in 2003. While he loved making the game he was disappointed that it did not turn out what he wanted it to be.
He helped out programming the last game Troika game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines a horror RPG for Activision
in 2004. He also worked on a post-apocalyptic roleplay game for which he couldn't convince any publisher to fund. As consequence he had to lay off most employees in late 2004 and shut down Troika Games in February 2005.
. He was promoted to design director in October 2007.
as senior programmer.
development:
Initial reactions after Bethesda bought the Fallout licence from Interplay
in 2004:
After closing Troika Games
in 2005 regarding his future he said:
On Bethesda's Fallout 3
:
He enjoyed playing the game, but was critical about the humor and the reuse of too many story elements from the earlier Fallout's which he would have done differently. He lauded the adaptation of "S. P. E. C. I. A. L." system into a FPS
-RPG
and their understanding of the lore of the game.
Game producer
A video game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game.The earliest documented use of the term producer in games was by Trip Hawkins, who established the position when he founded Electronic Arts in 1982...
, lead
Lead programmer
A lead programmer is a software engineer in charge of one or more software projects. Alternative titles include Development Lead, Technical Lead, Senior Software Engineer, Software Design Engineer Lead , Software Manager, or Senior Applications Developer...
programmer
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
and one of the main designers of the 1997's computer game Fallout
Fallout (computer game)
Fallout is a computer role-playing game produced by Tim Cain, developed and published by Interplay in 1997. The game has a post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic setting in the mid-22nd century, featuring an alternate history which deviates some time after World War II, where technology, politics...
. In 2009 he was chosen by IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.
Early life
Went to college at the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and to graduate school in California. During this time he helped out a friend programming a card game named Grand Slam Bridge for CYBRON Corporation which was released in 1986. In 1989 he received a Master’s Degree in Computer Science at the University of California
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
at Irvine.
Interplay Entertainment (August 1991 – January 1998)
Began as a freelance programmer for InterplayInterplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
where he worked on the fantasy role-play editor The Bard Tale Construction Set. After finishing the game in 1991, he was fulltime employed at Interplay. For the first time he worked with Leonard Boyarsky
Leonard Boyarsky
Leonard Boyarsky is an American computer game designer and visual artist best known for being one of the key designers of the video games Fallout and Diablo III.-Early life:...
, who was a freelance artist at the time, as designer and programmer on the business simulator Rags to Riches: The Financial Market Simulation which was released in 1993.
In 1994 he started for a couple of months as the only employee working on a game which would later become the post-apocalyptic CRPG
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
game Fallout. He lay out the basic concept based on the GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
system and began programming the isometric game engine. He also took over the producer role from Thomas R. Decker who had to supervise multiple other projects at the time. With a development cycle of three and a half years Fallout was released in 1997. During this time he was also a programming consultant on Stonekeep
Stonekeep
Stonekeep is a 1995 computer role-playing game for DOS by Interplay Entertainment. It is a first-person dungeon adventure with pre-rendered environments and live-action cinematic sequences. Five years in production, Stonekeep was ranked #6 in Gamespot's top ten vaporware hall of shame...
(1995) and helped out coding Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (video game)
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a PC Star Trek simulation game that simulates the life of a typical Starfleet cadet. The object in the game is for the player to learn the basics of flying a starship so that the player can eventually become a captain of one's very own ship...
(1997).
Before leaving Interplay to form his own company in January 1998, he wrote the main story arc as well helping designing the Den area of Fallout 2
Fallout 2
Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
.
Troika Games (April 1998 – February 2005)
After forming Troika GamesTroika Games
Troika Games was a video game developer created by the key people behind the first of the critically acclaimed Fallout series of games. The company was focused on role-playing video games between 1998 and 2005, best known for Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and Vampire: The Masquerade –...
with fellow Interplay workers Leonard Boyarsky
Leonard Boyarsky
Leonard Boyarsky is an American computer game designer and visual artist best known for being one of the key designers of the video games Fallout and Diablo III.-Early life:...
and Jason D. Anderson in 1998, he worked as a project leader and lead programmer on Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a single player / multi-player computer role-playing game developed by Troika Games and published by Sierra Entertainment. It was released in North America and Europe in August 2001 for Microsoft Windows...
a steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
/fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
an RPG game for Sierra On-Line, Inc. which was released in 2001.
His next game reunited him with Thomas R. Decker, the original Fallout producer. As project leader and lead designer he produces within 20 months the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
game The Temple of Elemental Evil for publisher Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
in 2003. While he loved making the game he was disappointed that it did not turn out what he wanted it to be.
He helped out programming the last game Troika game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines a horror RPG for Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
in 2004. He also worked on a post-apocalyptic roleplay game for which he couldn't convince any publisher to fund. As consequence he had to lay off most employees in late 2004 and shut down Troika Games in February 2005.
Carbine Studios (August 2005 – July 2011)
He joined as the programming director at Carbine Studios working on a fantasy MMO game for NCSoftNCsoft
NCsoft is a South Korea-based online video game company, which has published massively multiplayer online role-playing games including Lineage, City of Heroes, Wildstar, Exteel, Guild Wars and Aion.-History:...
. He was promoted to design director in October 2007.
Obsidian Entertaiment (October 2011 - Today)
Tim Cain joined Obsidian EntertainmentObsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment is an American video game developer founded in 2003 after the disestablishment of Interplay Productions' Black Isle Studios, for PC and console systems...
as senior programmer.
Quotes
In an interview he criticized the bigger influence from sales/marketing department during Fallout 2Fallout 2
Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
development:
Initial reactions after Bethesda bought the Fallout licence from Interplay
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
in 2004:
After closing Troika Games
Troika Games
Troika Games was a video game developer created by the key people behind the first of the critically acclaimed Fallout series of games. The company was focused on role-playing video games between 1998 and 2005, best known for Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and Vampire: The Masquerade –...
in 2005 regarding his future he said:
On Bethesda's Fallout 3
Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
:
He enjoyed playing the game, but was critical about the humor and the reuse of too many story elements from the earlier Fallout's which he would have done differently. He lauded the adaptation of "S. P. E. C. I. A. L." system into a FPS
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
-RPG
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
and their understanding of the lore of the game.
External links
- Entry at Terra Arcanum