Wilson Atomatoys was a pre-War toy manufacturer that made the popular Giddyup Buttercup toys.
Background[]
Founded in or before 2042 by George Wilson and Arlen Glass, Wilson Atomatoys had one mission: Help children dream and imagine a better future beyond the hopeless years of a world ravaged by strife and war.[1] It was their calling, their passion, and their life's mission that they pursued for the next few decades, often at the expense of spending time with their families. Their flagship product, the Giddyup Buttercup, became a smash hit on the market, eventually bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per annum, in spite of its excessive price tag ($16,000 per unit).[2]
However, as the years went by, the pressure on the Wilson and Glass families only increased. Arlen neglected his wife and baby daughter for years, focusing on his work as much as possible,[3] while George missed his son's birthdays, graduation, and his wife's funeral.[4] George onboarded his son, Marc, as vice president in a bid to reconnect and eventually abdicated his position as company president to him in late 2077, believing that Marc grew into the toy business, despite initial reservations.[4] His son, turned bitter by years of parental neglect, immediately turned his back on his father's legacy as sales forecasts for the fourth quarter of 2077 indicated sales of the Giddyup Buttercup would decline in from $122,000,000 to $110,000,000, a year-over-year loss of 17%. Analysts cited brand stagnation and market saturation at the current price point as reasons the continuing decline.[2] While Arlen reacted to the news with incredulity,[5] he immediately set about finding new ways to enhance the brand's appeal. This included collectible variants (e.g. mythical horses), alternative markets for boys, Premium Princess lines, promotional tie-ins with Hubris, Nuka-Cola, and Vault-Tec. However, Marc, who had ordered the forecast figures to be manipulated,[6] had other ideas.[7]
The new president made a bid for the United States government's secretive SCYTHE Program to bolster their wartime production by converting part of the local Atomatoys factory into a landmine production facility.[8][Non-game 1] His application was accepted on September 1, 2077, despite doubts by some of the Pentagon staff, as the Atomatoys factory exceeded the requirements specified for the project. Colonel Thomas Nelson of the Army, director of the SCYTHE Program, scheduled a visit in person while Marc Wilson and Director of Operations Nathaniel Hawke set about converting three of the five assembly lines for military production of land mines.[9] The first phase of the conversion was completed by October 15, a week ahead of schedule, with production scheduled to begin on November 1.[10]
Lead Designer Arlen was kept out of the loop. He tinkered with leg servos,[11] new paint schemes (causing him to miss his daughter's recital),[12] while he received no replies from factory supervisors or regarding licensing proposals. By October 20, Arlen was desperate to make any sort of headway on his projects, to have something to show at the board meeting.[13] He did not expect to see a representative of the military at the meeting on October 22, 2077, and 45 minutes into it, Arlen exploded and had to be removed from the premises by security, with the police being notified shortly after.[14] The CEO fired him that day.[15][16] His dismissal was a shock to the employees of the company, who considered him to be the heart and soul of the place.[17]
Arlen tried in vain to enter the headquarters again to talk to Marc and dissuade him from the path he chose for the company, but only succeeded in being removed once again by security.[18] Marc was now left to head the company by himself, promptly throwing out the only thing Arlen managed to get to him, a manifesto imploring Marc to change course.[1] However, on the morning of the next day, the nuclear bombs fell, crushing civilization and Wilson Atomatoys with it.
Notes[]
- In Fallout 3, the company's name is spelled Wilson Automatoys on posters, while the company's logo in Fallout 4 reflected the change to Wilson Atomatoys.
- The company's legacy was continued by the Zetan aliens, who possess hundreds of Giddyup Buttercups on their mothership and seem to be studying on them.
- A Capitol Post article in the Fallout TV series episode "The Trap" is titled, "Wilson Atomatoys Face Lawsuit Over Giddyup Buttercup."
Appearances[]
Wilson Atomatoys is mentioned in Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas,[19] Fallout 4, Fallout 76,[20] and the Fallout television series.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arlen's manifesto
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Development Office Terminal, Sales Forecasts
- ↑ Marlene's holotape
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Resignation letter
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Development Office Terminal, DRAFT: RE: Sales Forecast
- ↑ Buttercup sales
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Development Office Terminal, Project Brainstorming
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; President's Terminal, SCYTHE Program Approval
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; President's Terminal, SCYTHE Program Specifications
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Operations Terminal, SCYTHE Status Report
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Development Lab Terminal, 10/14
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Development Lab Terminal, 10/17
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Development Lab Terminal, 10/20
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Security Terminal, 10/22/77
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Reception Terminal, Security Bulletin: Arlen Glass
- ↑ Marc's warning
- ↑ Office note
- ↑ Wilson Atomatoys corporate HQ terminal entries; Security Terminal, 10/23/77
- ↑ Giddyup Buttercup poster seen in the Mojave Wasteland
- ↑ Pioneer Scout camp terminal entries; Pioneer badge exam terminal, Collector exam
Non-game
- ↑ Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p. 386: "This was a relatively new facility built in 2075 to produce the company's line of Giddyup Buttercup robotic toys. Records show that in late 2077, it was secretly being converted to produce mines for the war effort."
