So NVIDIA gets the benefit of 3dfx’s precious branding campaigns, all the clout that comes from the Voodoo and 3dfx names and all of 3dfx’s technology. They don’t keep the liabilities, which happen to be pricey items like tech support for old 3dfx technology, they won’t manufacture the new boards themselves (designing the hardware is enough for now, it seems) and the dying 3dfx itself is still responsible for everything it sold out to the retail stores.