Tellus

Another high-tech subsidiary, Tellus enjoys worldwide recognition as a leading videogame developer. Tellus gained popularity during the videogame boom of the late 1980s, both for the debut of their proprietary console, the Typhoon, and their games, always at the forefront of technological achievement and graphic content. In 2013, the videogame industry is one of the most lucrative in the world, dwarfing even Hollywood, and Tellus is one of the leading developers. Financial crises that sank other companies barely touched Tellus, even if their profits dropped by thirty percent, Tellus would still make enough to fund other companies for decades. Today, Tellus owns the most popular game series in the world, including their latest installment of the venerable Biological Warfare series, which reached one billion dollars in sales in a record time of less than two weeks. The game exemplifies what Tellus does best: it appeals to the hardcore subculture of gamers by pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with graphics and content. Tellus designs their games to be highly addictive, something that developers actively exploit. Tellus also owns the immensely popular MMO Eden Online, a game about settlers seeking new worlds to colonize in a future where pollution and warfare have ruined the Earth. Of course, building and mining these new worlds for resources often begins players down the same path that ruined Eden’s Earth, but the avid fanbase doesn’t care one whit for the unspoiled beauty of the worlds they colonize. Eden Online is another highly addictive game, responsible for the forming of many “Gamers Anonymous” meetings and more than a few deaths from rabid fans playing marathons without food and water — or even leaving their seats to go to the bathroom. Tellus charges nearly twice as much as other MMOs for Eden, but Eden offers more of content than any game in history. With Tellus’ 3D monitors and glasses and high-powered sound systems made by Sunburst, the full Eden Online experience is as close to virtual reality as anyone can experience. Tellus uses subtle methods to spread taint among hardcore gamers, making it more difficult for werewolves to throw a wrench in the works of a booming industry. Playing any one of Tellus’ wide catalog of violent games might not instantly corrupt an impressionable gamer’s mind, but a child who grows up playing games that desensitize him to violence and destruction of the natural world is just as profitable for the Wyrm. The seeds of taint grow within him, stunting his emotional growth and empathy for others, and there are millions like him. His interactions with the world at large only bring misery, derision, and abuse to everyone. The slow route works well for Tellus, because they affect millions at a time, both young and old. The sharp upswing in computer use has brought Tellus a completely new audience of casual gamers, and they’ve been quick to capitalize on what they’ve found. The Clones is an open-ended sandbox where players can build houses and entire towns, shaping the population of clones. The game’s AI reflects the Wyrm’s warped view of humanity in the simulated world, creating abusive relationships and sudden outbreaks of disease and disaster to keep players on their toes. A steady stream of downloadable content keeps money rolling in even when the actual content is almost worthless. Despite it being an ostensibly modern game with no combat, players still pay real money for electronic horse armor and wildly elaborate guns. Tellus recently launched Clones Online, a free-toplay spinoff of The Clones. Ruthlessly designed, Clones Online targets the addiction mechanisms of the human brain, creating a psychological dependency much like being addicted to cigarettes. The game doesn’t actually deliver Wyrm-taint; instead, players become used to the game’s dysfunctional social situations and end up making their own lives reflect that of their clones.

Reference
W20 Book of the Wyrm p. 41, 42