RobCo Industries

RobCo IndustriesTM was a multibillion-dollar robotics and software corporation founded by industrialist and technologist Robert House.A tragedy has befallen all mankind It quickly became one of the largest and most influential computer and robotics corporations in the pre-War United States. Several RobCo products were the de facto choice for many consumers, such as the Unified Operating System used by nearly all terminals. The company's key products were robots, selling them to both the average American and producing them for the United States military through defense contracts. The production of robots would accelerate into the Automation riots, with RobCo's robots facilitating the massive loss of jobs to automation and further displacing working-class Americans before the Great War.
==Background==
 
Founded on June 25, 2042 by Robert House on his 22nd birthday, RobCo quickly soared through the ranks of the world’s most profitable and powerful corporations, rivaling the likes of Poseidon Energy within several years. By 2077, RobCo’s patented software and robotics designs had become a cornerstone of American industry, as exemplified by the widespread use of RobCo’s Unified Operating System in most American computer systems in the years leading up to the Great War.
===History===
Robert House founded the company after he was cheated out of his inheritance by his brother. By 2047, thanks to his business acumen, technical genius, and a Commonwealth Institute of Technology degree, it was one of the most profitable corporations on Earth.The Courier: ""Robert House: "I am Robert Edwin House, President, CEO, and sole proprietor of the New Vegas Strip. I oversaw the city's renovations starting from 2274 onward. The Three Families are my employees. Before the Great War of 2077, I was the founder, President and CEO of RobCo Industries, a vast computer and robotics corporation."(Robert House's dialogue)A tragedy has befallen all mankind Its rise was aided by a Byzantine internal structure: The 27 year old House deliberately structured the company like a maze, to obfuscate his role and allow RobCo to effectively hide their practices.H&H Tools factory terminal entries; terminal, E-mail from Jenny DeSoto
The company's aggressive expansion policies coupled with the high quality of their products have given it a practical monopoly in crucial segments of the software market. By 2075, their Unified Operating System, MF Boot Agent, and RETROS BIOS were the de facto industry standard for terminals and mainframes across the 13 Commonwealths.Terminal commands Within a year, their RobcOS became the standard for military-grade security systems as well.Museum of Technology terminal entries; turret control system, System Information Their broad range of robots, including the eyebot, protectron, and sentry bot lines were one of the most common types of robotics before the War, rivaled only by General Atomics International's own product lines. In certain fields, however, RobCo was unmatched. One of those was Robert Mayflower's Stealth Boy, reverse engineered sometime between 2066 and 2077 from captured Chinese technology.Fallout & Fallout 2 Item description: "{5400}{}{Stealth Boy}""{5401}{}{A RobCo Stealth Boy 3001 personal stealth device. Generates a modulating field that transmits the reflected light from one side of an object to the other.}"(PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout), PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout 2))Museum of Technology placard: "This is the RobCo "Stealth Boy" Model 3001 Personal Stealth Device. Developed by Robert Mayflower, the Stealth Boy generates a modulating field that transmits the reflected light from one side of an object to the other making the bearer almost invisible to the untrained eye." 
Of course, the company was concerned about its public image: A sinister megacorporation does not inspire confidence or loyalty. To educate the public and make it friendlier to the American consumer, RobCo invested in exhibits and intense public relations campaigns, like the joint RobCo/General Atomics exposition at the Museum of Technology.Museum of Technology terminal entries; Museum information, Robotics Exhibits
===Hostile takeovers===
The company was known to acquire valuable assets through any means necessary. One such asset was REPCONN Aerospace. RobCo acquired the company after a year of buying shares from 2075 to 2076,The Courier: "REPCONN's history."Tour guide: " The company really took off when RobCo purchased REPCONN in late 2076 to develop unmanned rockets to explore the solar system."(Tour guide's dialogue)The Courier: "Tell me about RobCo."Tour guide: "RobCo industries purchased REPCONN in 2075 to assist with some of RobCo's military projects, as well as developing unmanned space exploration. The relationship between RobCo and REPCONN is mutually beneficial, and we hope that both companies bolster each other well into the next century."(Tour guide's dialogue) when Steeple's allies turned against him. The Vice President tried to rally the board again and sought help from Masters,REPCONN headquarters terminal entries; terminal, Inter-office Correspondence #3262173 but while the CFO officially agreed to support him,REPCONN headquarters terminal entries; terminal, Inter-office Correspondence #3262178 she was actually working with General Manager Piers Isley to sell the company.REPCONN headquarters terminal entries; terminal, Inter-office Correspondence #3262719 Citing the profit of a merger with RobCo (not to mention avoiding a hostile takeover and a much less amicable transition), Isley and Masters managed to undermine Steeple's position in the company and get the board of directors to pass a vote of no confidence against Steeple, after he refused to even consider selling his part of the company, in order to maintain their independence and integrity. Failing the vote, Steeple stepped down from his position as Vice President.
Carl Rook, transferred from RobCo's security division, became the next Vice President, focusing on improving the security within the company.REPCONN headquarters terminal entries; terminal, Inter-office Correspondence #345776 Robert House, CEO of RobCo, used the newly acquired company for a weapons research program for Colonel Moretti of the US military, repurposing REPCONN's proprietary plasma rocket propulsion system.REPCONN headquarters terminal entries; terminal, Inter-office Correspondence #3458631Arcade Gannon: "I've read about REPCONN. I think they did some work with the... before the war. Rockets and some energy weapon prototypes, I think."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue) 
H&H Tools factory, the inheritance Anthony House stole from Robert, saw aggressive trading practices at the hands of RobCo, in attempt to obtain their market share.H&H Tools factory terminal entries; terminal, E-Mail from Alan DaltonH&H Tools factory terminal entries; terminal, E-mail from Alan Dalton
===Joint ventures===
RobCo also had the good fortune of forming lasting partnerships with other corporations. In fact, the joint venture with Vault-Tec, in which RobCo's Pip-Boy 2000 and Pip-Boy 3000 were selected as the personal information processors for Vault dwellers,Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p.4-20—4-21: "ROBCO PIPBOY 2000""To help Vault Dwellers record information (and information is extremely valuable, in fact, it might be the most valuable weapon we have against the end of civilization, so pay attention!), Vault-Tec has selected the RobCo Industries RobCo PIPBoy 2000 as the Personal Information Processor of choice for its Vault Dwellers.""The RobCo PIPBoy 2000 (hereafter called the PIPBoy), is a handy device that you wear on your wrist. It’s small, especially by today’s standards, and it will store a goodly amount of information for you. And using modern super-deluxe resolution graphics to boot!" was widely considered one of the most successful joint ventures in the history of American commerce and industry.Vault 101 PA System: ""Did you know -- the Vault-Tec/RobCo partnership is considered the most successful joint venture in the history of American industry?"" A number of vaults were built throughout the Mojave Desert, though only one is known of.Hidden Valley bunker terminals#Journal Entry 747 In addition, RobCo also assisted in Vault 79's construction, adding military-grade defensive turret systems to the Vault.Vault 79 (slideshow) The turret system was developed at the RobCo Research Center, known as the Semi-Autonomous Immobile Weapon Platform,RobCo Research Center terminal entries, Immobile weapons research to be used only for special government procurement.A Vault Dweller: "Let me guess. All three of you are going to sit around while I do all the work. Is that it?"Fred Radcliff: " But can your new buddy Radcliff beat them? Of course he can. Just need a little help from the source."(Fred Radcliff's dialogue)
Another venture made was with that of the Nuka-Cola Corporation and their Nuka-World amusement park, opening the RobCo Battlezone as part of the grand opening of the Galactic Zone.
Yet another venture was made with the company Arktos Pharma and three other unknown corporations to secure a contract with the United States Space Administration for the Deep Sleep project, which was an attempt to record biological sensory data from subjects in hibernation pods in zero-gravity conditions.Government contract
One of their largest ventures was with that of the Hornwright Industrial and Atomic Mining Services in order to bulldoze and take land from many residents of the Cranberry Bog, specifically Watoga National Park, and replace it with a fully automated city of the future, with the RobCo facility nearby providing them with jobs and advanced technologies.See Watoga for details.
Perhaps their most prestigious joint venture was military contract 38917. In cooperation with General Atomics International, Robco was contracted to collaborate on an unprecedented joint project: The creation of the most powerful combat robot in the history of warfare, to liberate Anchorage, Alaska from Chinese occupation in a display of power meant to demoralize the enemy and force them into submission. The project was meant to serve both military and propaganda needs. The former dictated the capacity, the latter the design: In the words of General Constantine Chase, initiator of the project, Liberty Prime was to embody the American military: A walking, talking, nuke-tossing hero reminding enemies of the U.S. that they picked a fight with a global superpower.Citadel terminal entries; Liberty Prime Operation, Project Summary Confident that the project would soon yield result, General Chase publicly confirmed in June 2072 that the U.S. Army was working with General Atomics and RobCo to create a superweapon meant to establish dominance of the United States on the Alaskan front.Citadel terminal entries; Liberty Prime Operation, Capital Post Article -- June 3, 2072
==Initiatives==
* Vault-Tec elected to utilize RobCo's Pip-Boy 2000 and Pip-Boy 3000 models for inhabitants of vaults.Vault 101 PA System: "Did you know -- the Vault-Tec/RobCo partnership is considered the most successful joint venture in the history of American industry?" 
* RobCo assisted in Vault 79's construction by adding military-grade defensive turret systems to the vault.Vault 79 (slideshow) The Brotherhood of Steel Mojave chapter mentions RobCo vaults existing in the Mojave Desert.Hidden Valley bunker terminals; Terminal, Journal Entry 747 
* The Semi-Autonomous Immobile Weapon Platform turret system was developed at the RobCo Research Center.RobCo Research Center terminal entries; Immobile weapons research
* RobCo partnered with the Nuka-Cola Corporation and their Nuka-World amusement park, featuring the RobCo Battlezone as part of the grand opening of the Galactic Zone.
* The Deep Sleep project was an initiative with Arktos Pharma focused on an attempt to record biological sensory data from subjects in hibernation pods in zero-gravity conditions.Government contract
* The company partnered with Atomic Mining Services and General Atomics International in the Watoga initiative, aiming to create a "city of the future."Fallout 76 loading screens: "Watoga was built as a joint effort between the federal government, RobCo, and Atomic Mining Services to build a 'city of the future.'"AMS corporate headquarters terminal entries; CEO Kilson's terminal, Partnership Report: RobCoRobCo Research Center terminal entries; Receptionist terminal, Watoga RobCo logos can be seen on monorail cars throughout town, and street signs bear the company's name.
* In cooperation with General Atomics, Robco was contracted to collaborate on a combat robot known as Liberty Prime to liberate Anchorage, Alaska. General Chase publicly confirmed that the U.S. Army was working with General Atomics and RobCo to create the "superweapon meant to establish dominance of the United States on the Alaskan front."Citadel terminal entries; Liberty Prime Operation, Capital Post Article -- June 3, 2072
==Subsidiaries==
* Abraxodyne Chemical
* H&H Tools Company
* RobCo Enterprise SolutionsStarport Nuka terminal entries; Star control mainframe, Operating Instructions
* REPCONN Aerospace
* RobCo customer support
==Locations==
==Employees==
==Products==
==Appearances==
RobCo Industries was first mentioned in the first Fallout as the developer of the Pip-Boy. The company's history and products have been expanded upon in subsequent Fallout games.
==Behind the scenes==
* The name RobCo was inspired by Ronco, a company which created novelties like the 'pocket fisherman' and 'spray-on hair'.The Biggest Influences On Fallout, Cain on Games
* The company's name was conceived before it was decided on what its purpose would be. The idea was that RobCo was robbing its customers, even before the developers decided the company was a robotics manufacturer.Fallout at 25 Fallout Wiki roundtableTagaziel: "Also: Question: Regarding the idea of "corps", very few corporations were actually shown in Fallout 1 and 2's world, with the biggest ones mentioned being RobCo and General Atomics, who wouldn't be expanded on until later on in the series. Is that a cyberpunk influence? A reference to the historic, massive growth of corporations in the WW2/post-war era? And specifically for @LeonB did you work on the signage? We've been trying to get a clear shot of Poseidon Gasoline for a while."[...]Tim Cain: "The name General Atomics is from stories by Robert Heinlein, and RobCo was because they were robbing you"Tagaziel: "Wait, really?"Tagaziel: "Not because they were working on robots?"bleep196: "No it's kind of in the subtext that they are literally scamming you"Tim Cain: "I am pretty sure the robbing angle came first, and them making robots was second"
==Gallery==
FOWW Logo RobCo Industries.png|Logo used on the front cover of the Vault-Tec Simulator PDF for Fallout: Wasteland Warfare
QuakeConRobCo.jpg|Image used at QuakeCon 2015
RobCoSalesCenter-Sign-Automatron.jpg|RobCo Sales & Service Center
FO76 RobCo Research Center sign.png|RobCo Research Center
FO76 Sign K 1 (12).png
FO76 Robco Logo.png|Logo that appears on the front monorail cars in Fallout 76
==References==
Non-game
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