Impetus

Impetus is a Gallente corporation known as the largest producer of holoreels in New Eden, creating everything from blockbuster epics to low-budget skin flicks and everything in between. It is one of the oldest corporations in the cluster, dating back to pre-Caldari contact Gallente Prime. In recent years, it has gained recognition for hosting an annual capsuleer convention that has grown increasingly popular.

Early History

Impetus was founded in 22503 AD on Gallente Prime. The company originally focused on trading cards; their original series was a set based on Gallente sporting figures. Impetus was moderately successful, making enough profit to stay afloat, but the trading card market at the time was saturated with products of varying quality. They eventually hit it big with a series of children's card games, the most popular of which eventually spread to various other media throughout certain areas of the empire.

Flush with cash from their successes, Impetus began to branch out into other ventures. It started by developing properties in the same vein as the previous card games, primarily aimed at releasing a constant mass of merchandise aimed at a young demographic. Few in the wider industry took Impetus seriously, however, viewing them as nothing more than a passing fad, creating cheap wares to capitalize on the impulsiveness of children.

Indeed, it soon seemed that Impetus's fortunes were waning. Their original card lines shrunk in popularity as the generation which craved them grew into adults, and their other properties never achieved the same success.

Caldari Contact

Impetus was saved when, in 22517 AD, first contact was made with the Caldari. It took a few years, but eventually the Caldari researchers discovered Impetus's original card games and reignited the fad among themselves. In somewhat of a shock to Impetus, they found many adult Caldari purchased the game, latching on to the competitive aspects of their games and delving deeply into their strategies and mechanics. Impetus had a fresh new audience, one with plenty of income to dispose of.

This time, Impetus was more thoughtful with its capital. Rather than focus it on cheap children's products, it began to target its new found adult demographic. It more carefully gauged what properties to focus money on, utilized renowned writers to flesh out their intellectual properties, and even financed a few independent productions.

Transition

Over time, Impetus slowly began to focus more and more on their secondary products while pushing the card line into the background. At first, they focused primarily on licensing their IP to other companies to produce. This proved to have middling success, with some mild hits but many other flops.

Eventually, Impetus decided that they could do better by moving everything in-house. They hired big name directors, producers, and writers to turn out high-quality products. Impetus quickly found itself far more involved with these new projects than with the card line, which was slowly losing popularity. After several years, Impetus quietly ended production on the game to focus exclusively on the entertainment industry.

Holoreels

Impetus saw up and down success over the years. They scored hits and misses, but were never seen as anything more than a mid-level entertainment company, unable to truly compete with the giants while lacking the artistic credibility of smaller studios. They soon developed a reputation as a place for second-tier talent, talented but raw newcomers, and over-the-hill stars to make their films.

However, in 23178 AD, the Gallente developed holographic projection technology. At first seen as little more than a novelty, Impetus saw great potential in its development. They purchased several independent firms that were developing the technology and merged them into a single in-house unit. This team was put in charge of figuring out how to turn the technology into a commercially viable method of media delivery.

Within a few years, the Impetus team had developed the holoreel. A relatively compact storage device, the holoreel could record a few hours of footage which could then be played back through specially made holoprojectors. Impetus produced a few short, proof-of-concept films that were shown off primarily at industry trade shows and special screenings.

Even with the limited exposure, word quickly spread and interest soared. Impetus quickly announced that it was working on a feature film that would utilize the new technology. While the industry met the announcement with skepticism, the public was whipped into a frenzy. Speculation ran rampant about the production with dozens of famous directors and actors attached to the project.

It took four years for the film to be finished, with a budget in the tens of millions. Named The Fallen Empire, the movie was a historical action film set during the waning years of the Garoun Empire which featured massive battle scenes and a dramatic score. Though the writing was criticized as derivative, the acting was seen by most critics as wooden, and many complained the film did not take full advantage of the holographic medium, the public quickly turned it into the highest grossing film in the history of the Gallente entertainment industry.

To the Present

Thanks to The Fallen Empire, Impetus had positioned itself as the leader in the holographic film industry. They quickly shifted the majority of their funding to their new technology, turning their traditional film section into little more than a vanity project for aging directors and executives. Their patents on holoreels and projectors meant that other companies had to come to purchase the relevant technologies.

Over the years, Impetus continued to grow, remaining on the forefront of holo technology. They were instrumental in the development and widespread adoption of the HoloVision. They gobbled up many other holoproduction companies, turning them into focused subsidiaries. Soon, Impetus was producing holoreels that ran the gamut from big budget epics like The Fallen Empire to high-concept art films to even the lowest pornography.

They've come to dominate the Gallente entertainment industry, so much that nearly a third of all productions in the Federation feature Impetus involvement in some way. Some have worried that Impetus's stranglehold on the industry will stifle creativity and innovation, but they continue to churn out massive profits and show no signs of slowing down.

Their influence outside the Federation is not quite as strong, but Impetus is prominent in all four empires. They even maintain a strong presence in the State, much to the chagrin of NOH, their primary competitor.

Recent ventures

More recently, Impetus has been involved in two important developments. The first is instant news arrays. These devices are nearing completion and will, according to Impetus, revolutionize news delivery across the cluster. The Scope has expressed strong interest in the arrays and are working closely with Impetus to see them to completion. The arrays utilize fluid routers to deliver news updates directly to consumers as they are filed, along with technology similar to that used by Egones to select stories most relevant to the users.

Secondly, Impetus has hosted an annual convention that has become quite popular with capsuleers. Originally intended as a festival for fans of Impetus productions, it attracted an unusual number of capsuleers and has since essentially been co-opted by those related to the capsuleer industry. Now dozens of corporations, including CONCORD, come each year to display the latest technologies and innovations that affect capsuleers.

Never one to miss an opportunity to capitalize on good fortune, Impetus has in recent years teamed up with Quafe to produce memorabilia for the capsuleers. This merchandise has ranged from pins and t-shirts to limited edition drinks, though rumor has it that upcoming attendees might receive something that can't fit into a simple suitcase.

See Also

• Gallente corporations
• Gallente Entertainment corporations