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My idea is to explore more of the world and more of the ethics of a post-nuclear world, not to make a better plasma gun.[1]
”Timothy Cain is the original creator of the Fallout series and setting. He was the lead programmer on Fallout and one of the six people responsible for the game's original design.
Career[]
Interplay Entertainment (August 1991 – January 1998)[]
Initially, he was the only one working on Interplay Entertainment's GURPS project, creating the game's engine. Later the team grew and he went from lead programmer to producer when Tom Decker left the project.
After completing Fallout Cain went on to do some pre-production work on Fallout 2 before leaving Interplay Entertainment.
Troika Games (April 1998 – February 2005)[]
After leaving Interplay, he set up Troika Games with Leonard Boyarsky and Jason D. Anderson. He was a project leader and lead programmer on 'Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and The Temple of Elemental Evil. He also worked as a programmer on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, Troika's last game.
Carbine Studios (August 2005 – July 2011)[]
After Troika' shutdown in 2005, he joined as the programming director at Carbine Studio working on Wildstar, a fantasy MMO game for NCSoft. He was promoted to design director in October 2007. Cain left Carbine Studios in July 2011.
Obsidian Entertainment (October 2011 - present)[]
In October 2011 he announced that he is joining Obsidian Entertainment as a Senior Programmer.[2]
Employment history[]
| From | To | Company | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1998 | Interplay Entertainment | Lead Programmer, Producer |
| 1998 | 2005 | Troika Games | Lead Programmer |
| 2005 | 2011 | Carbine Studios | Programming Director, Design Director |
| 2011 | Present | Obsidian Entertainment | Senior Programmer |
Credits[]
Fallout series[]
| Year | Title | Credited as/for |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Fallout | Producer, Lead programmer, Original game design |
| 1998 | Fallout 2 | Original game design, Additional programming |
Other work (excerpt)[]
| Year | Title | Credited as/for |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Stonekeep | Programming Consultant |
| 1997 | Atomic Bomberman | Special Thanks |
| 1997 | Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (video game) | GNW Programming |
| 2001 | Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura | Project Leader / Lead Programming |
| 2003 | The Temple of Elemental Evil (video game) | Project Leader / Lead Designer |
| 2004 | Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines | Programmer |
Behind the scenes[]
During Fallout's development, there were a couple of bugs I found very amusing. One was when Tim Cain showed new door code. He clicked on a door and it opened. Another click and it closed, but a couple of pixels from its original position. Then, it kept opening and closing, always moving just a bit to the right. The door eventually marched off the screen by itself until it ran through random memory and crashed the game.
”— Chris Taylor- Typing "boom", on the Fallout credits will show an animation of his head exploding.
- In Fallout 2, in Golgotha near New Reno, there is a grave marker with words on it: "Tim Cain. Founder, Lover, Fighter, Programmer."
- Tim Cain's face is the Fallout 2 icon when seen in "My Computer" or on the desktop on a modern OS.
Gallery[]
-
Tim Cain in 1996 during the development of Fallout. -
Tim Cain in a wig - At his home, 1997. -
Tim at the Troika offices with a celebrity guest star.
Videos[]
- Fallout Classic Revisited - Tim Cain on Fallout development
- Tim Cain talks Fallout
- Fallout talk continued