/vr/ - Retro Games

Money was rolling in from Wolfenstein to the tune of a hundred thousand dollars per month. Doom had found it's voice. All was well. All, Romero quickly discovered, but Tom. By now, everyone else had had enough. They wanted him out. Finally, Romero gave in.
He wanted to break the news to his old friend himself. So he invited Tom to his house for a meal home-cooked by Beth (Romero's wife). Tom was delighted, he hadn't spent quality time with Romero for ages. The dinner was like old times: the two guys joking around, talking movies and games. Romero couldn't bring himself to break the news.

The next day, a shareholder's meeting was called. Tom walked in to find everyone sitting around the conference room table staring at the floor. "Tom," Carmack finally said, "obviously this isn't working out. We're asking for your resignation."

For Tom, the moment felt unreal. He heard Romero say something about how he'd tried to tell him about this last night but just couldn't bring himself to do it. Tom could not even respond. He found a little sticker on the table, peeled it off, and began rolling it between his fingers. Despite all the warning signs, he hadn't seen this coming at all.

He felt depressed, ashamed. Maybe this wasn't just about the games, he thought. He always felt like they resented his upbringing, the fact that he wasn't a delinquent or the product of a broken home. He was just this guy with doting parents and a college education. In a barely audible voice, he began defending himself, talking about all the things he could do for Doom. Bet there was silence in response. Soon his voice faded too. They asked him to leave the room while they discussed the situation..