Prologue: New Game, New Experience

I haven’t thought about what will happen in the future, what will I do, whom will I be, and where will I end up. However, if I live through the present to the fullest, everything will work out right…?

“New anticipated release: Swords x Hearts will be finally released tomorrow, as this anticipated ARPG, MMO game has been everyone’s most hyped game of the year, with its multiple beta tests seen positive reviews, but you can pre-download it today on…”

As he closed the tab of the promotional video of Sword X Hearts on his computer, he began to look at the startup launcher for the game checking if the download is complete.

“90% complete huh… I guess that is how much my computer can keep up with, for only downloading a game that took a couple of hours considering the game is that big in size.”

He looks at the time and realizes.

“I should get dinner ready before she gets home.”

He grabs his phone on his computer table and earphones and takes a quick look around his room filled with his game consoles, computer, and posters on the wall covered with his favorite animes and video games across the years, smiling at them. Leaves his room, closes his door behind him, and goes into the kitchen across the room.

Opening his phone about to play some music but a message pops up from his best friend Axel saying, “Are you playing Sword x Hearts tonight, I have already pre-downloaded mine, at least I don’t have to work tomorrow, unlike a certain someone.”

Ace replied, “Shut up, at least the game is released at midnight tonight, if I get a couple of hours in, I can get to work just fine, thank you very much.”

As he presses send, he scrolls on Spotify to press on the only playlist he only listens to, Ani-Games Playlist, before he clicks play, a reply came.

“You are the only one dumb enough that is going to play and then go to work straight after, I am going to take a nap and play a bit before servers open, text me if you want to play.”

Ace clicked his tongue in envy and thought, Yeah, yeah, yeah. I am dumb enough to work. Then replied. “Sure, I’ll finish making and eating dinner then I play.” Axel quickly replied with “Okay.”

He smiled and finally presses play on his music, proceeding to start cooking, his favorite, Chicken Curry.

· Mincing onion and garlic, cutting up 8 potatoes into small chunks, and rinsing & cutting the defrosted chicken breasts into also medium pieces.

· Setting the wok on medium heat, adding oil, sauteing the onion and garlic, then adding potatoes and chicken.

· After a couple of minutes of stirring, he added 1 ½ cups of water, covered it, and set a timer for 20 minutes.

As the timer goes, Ace prepared to make rice, which took him about 5 minutes to make.

With 15 minutes remaining, he walked towards the couch and sits down, picked up his phone, and changes the music to play his special anime soundtrack called A Lie in Spring. As soon as the music starts playing, Ace began to space out into a deep trance thought.

Ever since I was a kid, I always had a dream about what I wanted to do when I grow up. That is playing video games for a living. In any way just being able to play video games and earn a living, would be a future I would hold dear.

As I grew older, that feeling kept growing and growing stronger, doing many things I can make that dream come true. I have tried to play many games, gaining many skills, and improving them as the years go on, video games have evolved to where they become mainstream towards Esports, and content creation was a regular opportunity for a player to play video games for a living. I knew I couldn’t join up an Esports team for one game, so I chose the creator route.

I consistently streamed and post videos throughout middle and high school to try to build an audience who would watch my content. As years go by, I have been steadily improving but no progress that got me into the world of video games.

So now, I am 23, in the final year of my undergrad in Game Design at University. I am still streaming but not as much as I was before. Maybe because I lost motivation, felt empty inside of the lack of progression of my future, or was anxious about where I am at right now. Even now I am not even playing as many video games right now, playing games here and there of what I have in my library. Along with watching a lot of anime.

This no progression has gone through my mind for the past year, I have been trying and trying but nothing seems to gain traction for my videos or streams.

I began to enter a dark place inside my head.

With my worries and anxiousness about the future, am I trying my best? Am I creating good videos for viewers to watch? Am I improving my gaming skills? Will I make a living out of it? Will I make money out of it? Will I find my happiness?

As these dark thoughts almost fully consumed him, the timer for the wok went off snapping him back into reality. His eyes felt a bit teary, but quickly went back to the stove and turned it off. All that was left for Ace to do is adding the curry roux into the wok, stirring until combined.

Once it was done, he took a plate and started to pile up rice and curry together.

“It always smells good, wished I made eggs with it, I guess spaced out for too long.”

Ace grabbed his plate and utensils, sat in the dining room, and started to eat while watching anime on his phone.

Once he finished eating, he places his plate in the sink and began to wash all the dishes that he used for cooking and eating. As he finishes washing the dishes, his sister Isla came home.

“Yo, I finished making dinner, you can eat whenever.” greeted his sister.

“Thanks, I’ll eat later after I pick up Zane.” Isla replied.

He nodded, patted her head, and went back into his room. I turned on his game console XoX opened Apex and started to play before Sword X Hearts servers open in a couple of hours.

“I can’t wait to play Sword X Hearts, it has been a while since I have played RPGMMO, and I hope it will be a good game. Maybe I should stream it.”

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On another side, another story

She looked on YouTube for a new game to play for Cooperative play. She came across a video called “Sword X Hearts – Main Trailer”, she clicked on it, and proceeds to watch the video in full.

“Maybe I should give this game a try, and it does come out tonight. I could ask the others if they want to play also.’”

She smiles at it and opens the store page Sword X Hearts.