Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
My family ran Dynasty Games. It was a moderately successful app company that grew out of my parents’ business, which had originally made traditional physical board games. It wasn’t a change I loved, but Beatrix was passionate about all things app. My argument had always been that a game on a screen could never match the memories I had of the family sitting around playing board games together or rather testing out Dad’s latest invention. Apps were the future, though, and Dad’s old games had been swept away in a rush of action games, strategy games, and games that were so addicting that they regularly made people walk into lamp posts. It was a brave new world of virtual reality and in-app purchases, and while I was out of touch with the mindset that allowed people to pay real money for imaginary things they could use in an imaginary world, I was also in awe of it.
I have to admit I did enjoy my time spent at the studio. Dad was the creative force, coming up with new game ideas, albeit with little idea of how his concept would translate into an on-screen app. I was in charge of working out how to make his ideas look good while Beatrix worked with Dad to refine his ideas and worked with a couple of full-time on-site coders, while Mom ran the office and made sure the bills were paid. We also had a large number of devoted testers who gave feedback.
When things were going smoothly, we were a well-oiled machine, churning out quirky little games and expansions that people seemed to love in a way that the bigger game companies just couldn’t match. Of course, financially, it was a tough market. Being a small fish in a big pond was great for creativity but less healthy for the bank balance. It was a relief when a series of successful small projects led to a few awards and some interest being shown in the company from some of the bigger players in the industry. Lately, tension had been high as we prepared to launch our biggest venture yet, a project that would either make or break Dynasty Games. However, despite the added pressure I found my attention increasingly drawn to the world beyond my parents’ home studio and Beatrix’s constant stream of improvements. Once this new game was launched, I was free. Free to explore the world beyond Boston, beyond the family business, and beyond my own comfort zone. I felt a knot of excitement in my stomach as I thought about it, which was quickly replaced by a lump of anxiety over Beatrix’s mysterious call.
I frantically waved down a cab. It pulled up and soon I was on my way to Dynasty Games Ltd., also known as Mom and Dad’s place. I might have been totally ready to move on to new things, but I had an uneasy feeling that all my grand plans might have to be put on hold.
***
My parents could never bear to move from their comfortable suburban neighborhood, where they had lived for almost thirty years and raised two daughters. So instead of commuting to work each day, they decided that work could come to them. They built a studio at the end of their huge garden, and it quickly became the hub of the company. The studio had become my second home; it was where I worked, where I avoided my studies, and where I would inevitably find my parents and sister. As it was always unbearably warm inside, even in the cool spring air, the windows and sliding glass doors were kept open a lot, so the whole workspace blended into my parents’ real pride and joy – their garden, filled with flowers and shady trees and a lawn that was free of dandelions all year long. As I fumbled some money in the direction of the cab driver once we reached the house, I could hear raised voices through the open doors. I hurried towards the studio, taking a deep breath.
“She’s here!” I could hear Beatrix screech as she slid the door open further and dragged me inside. She was talking so fast on the phone that I couldn’t make her out as she quickly left the room and went into her adjacent office, slamming the door after her. I took in the chaos that met me. Paula and Drew, Dynasty Games’ crack team of developers, were at their usual posts but frantically tapping on phones, tablets, and keyboards with an energy that was quite different from their usual chilled-out pace. They didn’t even look up as I entered. At the layout tablet, my parents were sitting with documents strewn messily in front of them. My dad gave me a silent wave and held up a phone to indicate he was making a call. Mom was the only person who was calm and still, so I sat down beside her, shuffling out of my coat, and dropping my bag.