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'{{short description|American video game developer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{About|the game producer|other people by the name of Tim Cain|Tim Cain (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox person | name = Tim Cain | image = Timothy-cain-gdc2010 cropped.jpg | caption = Cain on the [[Game Developers Conference|GDC Online]] 2010 | birth_name = Timothy Cain | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = American | spouse = {{Marriage|Robert Land|2011}} | known_for = Creator of ''[[Fallout (series)|Fallout]]'' series | occupation = Programmer, designer, producer | employer = [[Obsidian Entertainment]] }} '''Timothy Cain''' is an American [[video game developer]] best known as the creator, [[Video game producer|producer]], [[lead programmer]] and one of the main [[Video game designer|designers]] of the 1997 [[computer game]] ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dransfield |first1=Ian |title=The History of Fallout |journal=Retro Gamer |date=3 October 2018 |issue=186 |page=21 }}</ref><ref>Green, Jeff (October 2005). "The Bard's Tale", ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' (255): 76.</ref> In 2009, he was chosen by [[IGN]] as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://ign.com/top/game-creators/85.html |title=IGN - 85. Tim Cain |publisher=Games.ign.com |access-date=2011-06-05}}</ref> ==Biography== ===Early life=== Cain went to college at the [[University of Virginia]] 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.<ref name="youtube1">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgjd4i1o4UY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/xgjd4i1o4UY |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Matt Chat 66: Fallout with Tim Cain, Pt. 1 |publisher=YouTube |date=2010-06-27 |access-date=2011-06-05}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1989, he received a [[Master's Degree]] in [[Computer Science]] at [[University of California, Irvine]].<ref name="autogenerated1"/> ===Interplay Entertainment=== Cain began as a freelance programmer for [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]] where he worked on the fantasy role-play editor ''[[The Bard's Tale Construction Set]]''.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} After finishing the game in 1991, he was employed full-time at Interplay.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} 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.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} In 1994 he started for a couple of months as the only employee working on a game that would later become the post-apocalyptic [[Role-playing video game|CRPG]] game ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]''.<ref name="youtube1"/> He laid 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=7219|title=No Mutants Allowed - Your Post Nuclear News Center!|website=Nma-fallout.com|access-date=2011-06-05|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405112725/http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=7219|archive-date=2012-04-05}}</ref> 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 (video game)|Star Trek: Starfleet Academy]]'' (1997).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEewLWDpscA&t=265 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/MEewLWDpscA |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Reboot Develop 2017 - Tim Cain, Obsidian Entertainment / Building a Better RPG: 7 Mistakes to Avoid|website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Before leaving Interplay to form his own company in January 1998, he wrote the main story arc and helped design The Den area of ''[[Fallout 2]]''.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} In an interview he criticized the bigger influence from sales/marketing department during ''[[Fallout 2]]'' development, saying, "We were losing part of the game to a larger group who had bigger plans for it."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laq9ua5VjTs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/laq9ua5VjTs |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Matt Chat 67: Fallout with Tim Cain Pt. 2 |publisher=YouTube |date=2010-07-04 |access-date=2011-06-05}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Cain corroborated further in May 2023 that he left the company bitter after he was forced to work on ''Fallout 2'' and did not get the bonus pay that was agreed upon after completion.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cain |first1=Timothy |title=Why I Left Fallout 2 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGfaCXEu0tE |website=YouTube |access-date=3 January 2024}}</ref> ===Troika Games=== [[File:Troika Games' Founders (left to right) Jason D. Anderson, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky.jpg|thumb|Tim Cain (middle) with the two other co-founders of Troika Games: [[Jason D. Anderson|Jason Anderson]] (left) and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] (right).]] After forming [[Troika Games]] 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 produced within 20 months the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] game ''[[The Temple of Elemental Evil (video 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.<ref name="youtube2">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4XVW6qcuzM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/m4XVW6qcuzM |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Matt Chat 68: Arcanum and More with Tim Cain |publisher=YouTube |date=2010-07-11 |access-date=2011-06-05}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After [[Bethesda Game Studios|Bethesda]] secured the ''Fallout'' license from [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]] in 2004, Cain expressed disappointment. {{quote|I was hoping that Troika would get the license, but we were massively outbid. But in the end, they made a good game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.duckandcover.cx/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23766 |title=Duck and Cover :: View topic - DAC Interview with Tim Cain |publisher=Duckandcover.cx |access-date=2011-06-05}}</ref>}} Cain had mixed reactions to ''[[Fallout 3]]'', praising Bethesda's understanding of ''Fallout'' lore as well as the adaptation of "S. P. E. C. I. A. L." system into a [[First-person shooter|FPS]]-[[Role-playing video game|RPG]], but criticized the humor and recycling of too many story elements from the earlier ''Fallout'' games.<ref name="youtube2"/> He helped out programming the last 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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Erin |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_77/440-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Troika.4 |title=The Escapist : The Rise and Fall of Troika |publisher=Escapistmagazine.com |date=2006-12-26 |access-date=2011-06-05 |archive-date=2011-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830161011/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_77/440-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Troika.4 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ===Carbine Studios=== He joined as the programming director at [[Carbine Studios]] working on a fantasy MMO game for [[NCSoft]]. He was promoted to design director in October 2007.<ref>[http://www.carbinestudios.com/news/ncsofts_carbine_studios_names_tim_cain_design_director.htm]{{dead link|date=December 2013}}</ref> Cain left Carbine Studios in July 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tim-cain-obsidian |title = Most Able: Fallout's Tim Cain Joins Obsidian {{!}} Rock Paper Shotgun|website = Rock, Paper, Shotgun|date = 12 October 2011|last1 = Meer|first1 = Alec}}</ref> ===Obsidian Entertainment=== In 2011, Tim Cain joined [[Obsidian Entertainment]] as senior programmer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/37844/Fallout_Creator_Troika_CoFounder_Tim_Cain_Joins_Obsidian.php |title=Fallout Creator, Troika Co-Founder Tim Cain Joins Obsidian |publisher=Gamasutra |date=2011-10-12 |access-date=2013-12-05}}</ref> He worked on ''[[Pillars of Eternity]]'', which was funded through [[Kickstarter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5942307/the-people-behind-fallout-and-planescape-are-making-my-dream-rpg |title=The People Behind Fallout And Planescape Are Making My Dream RPG |date=14 September 2012 |publisher=Kotaku.com |access-date=2013-12-05}}</ref> He was also a co-director for ''[[The Outer Worlds]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/game-awards-tga/2018/12/6/18129122/the-outer-worlds-trailer-obsidian-ps4-xbox-one-windows-pc-tga-2018|title=Obsidian's new RPG, The Outer Worlds, has echoes of Mass Effect and Fallout: New Vegas|last=Hall|first=Charlie|date=2018-12-06|website=Polygon|access-date=2019-04-01}}</ref> Since June 2020, Cain is no longer employed by Obsidian as a full time employee, but still works for them on the sequel to ''The Outer Worlds'' as well as for two other companies on a contract basis.<ref>{{Citation |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IZwda2fCKY |access-date=2023-06-01 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Semi-Retirement |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdHqBi1IPOY |access-date=2023-06-11 |language=en}}</ref> ==Personal life== Cain is affected by hereditary [[color blindness]], stating in a [[Gamasutra]] interview that he "[can now] see less than half the spectrum of colors". He enjoys cooking, particularly [[Japanese cuisine|Japanese]] and [[Chinese cuisine]], and his favorite dishes are garlic chicken fried rice and chicken [[karaage]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/WillOoi/20111026/8734/Unmasking_the_Gamers_Tim_Cain__Industry_Veteran_Programmer_and_CoCreator_of_Fallout.php |title=Will Ooi's Blog - Unmasking the Gamers: Tim Cain – Industry Veteran, Programmer, and Original Creator of Fallout |publisher=Gamasutra |access-date=2013-12-05}}</ref> Cain came out as a gay man in the early 2000s after concealing his sexuality throughout much of his early career.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Claire |title=Fallout Creator's Coming Out Story Hits Harder This Pride Month |url=https://kotaku.com/tim-cain-fallout-obsidian-lgbtq-pride-month-gay-history-1850501928 |website=Kotaku |date=2 June 2023 |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> He married his husband Robert Land on July 14, 2011.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Queerness in Play |editor-last1=Harper |editor-first1=Todd |editor-last2=Adams |editor-first2=Meghan Blythe |editor-last3=Taylor |editor-first3=Nicholas |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=awZ0DwAAQBAJ&dq=Tim+Cain+marriage&pg=PA64 64] |publisher=Springer |year=2018 |isbn=9783319905426 }}</ref> ==Games== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role(s) |- | 1991 | ''[[The Bard's Tale Construction Set]]'' | Designer, programmer |- | 1993 | ''Rags to Riches: The Financial Market Simulation'' | Programmer, additional design |- | rowspan="2"| 1997 | ''[[Star Trek: Starfleet Academy]]'' | Programmer |- | ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' | Producer, designer, lead programmer |- | 1998 | ''[[Fallout 2]]'' | Designer, additional programming |- | 2001 | ''[[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]]'' | Project lead, lead programmer |- | 2003 | ''[[The Temple of Elemental Evil (video game)|The Temple of Elemental Evil]]'' | Project lead, lead designer |- | 2004 | ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines]]'' | Programmer |- | rowspan="2"| 2014 | ''[[South Park: The Stick of Truth]]'' | Programmer |- | ''[[WildStar (video game)|WildStar]]'' | Additional design, additional programming |- | 2015 | ''[[Pillars of Eternity]]'' | Programmer, additional design |- | 2016 | ''[[Tyranny (video game)|Tyranny]]'' | Programmer |- | 2019 | ''[[The Outer Worlds]]'' | Director |} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Tim Cain}} * {{moby developer|id=2720}} * [http://www.terra-arcanum.com/troikapedia/index.php?title=Tim_Cain Entry] at Terra Arcanum * [https://www.youtube.com/@CainOnGames Tim Cain's YouTube Channel] {{D&D topics}} {{Fallout}} {{Obsidian Entertainment}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cain, Timothy}} [[Category:20th-century American LGBT people]] [[Category:21st-century American LGBT people]] [[Category:American gay men]] [[Category:American video game designers]] [[Category:American video game programmers]] [[Category:Dungeons & Dragons video game designers]] [[Category:Fallout (series) developers]] [[Category:Interplay Entertainment people]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Obsidian Entertainment people]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]'