Starting a Company

"So you already know twenty people who would love to join our new enterprise?" I asked John, who was sitting opposite me with a slice of pizza in hand.

John and I had just gotten back from my lawyer's office, where we were getting legal advice about registering the new company.

John nodded. "I've been doing this since I was eleven, Daniel. I know a lot of guys from the independent scene," he said confidently.

"Well, that means we need to hire twenty more, right?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.

"Well, I think we can make do with twenty. Adding me, Peter, Mark, Adrian, and Eric, that makes twenty-five," he said.

"I thought we would need at least fifty," I said, surprised.

"Well, I think thirty would be enough.... Don't worry about that; I will handle it," John said.

"I mean, we are making a fairly large, complex game, so I thought we would need people with more experience," I said.

"Like I said, don't worry about it," John said.

John then began listing the positions in the company. "We had help when we made that demo. The guys that helped us out are very experienced in the industry. They have been wanting to do a new project for a while, and when we pitched your idea to them, they loved it."

"They can fill the lead positions," John added.

"Do you trust them?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do. They are just looking for direction, and we gave it to them with your idea," John said.

"We need a producer to handle project management and scheduling, so I hope you can help me with that," John continued.

"I'll see what I can do," I said.

"The design team is already filled. One lead game designer and three people under him will be responsible for level design, systems design, and combat," John said.

"So, what do they think? Are they confident they can do it?" I asked.

"Well, Danny, they loved the idea so much they have already begun, and we haven't officially started the company yet," John said.

"Good, we have some motivated people on our hands," I said, impressed.

"Same as game design, the programming team is also done. We have a great lead programmer; it's Mark's cousin. He has been out of work since the company he worked for was bought by another one."

"And for art, Matt already said he would help and also help in hiring some people he knew. Adrian knows a couple of guys who are interested as well, so we are okay on that front."

"We need two character artists for character modeling and texturing, two environment artists for world and level modeling and texturing," John continued.

"The animation and audio team has been filled as well, so all we need is to get a place, buy the necessary equipment, and hire more legal and other employees your lawyer mentioned. Then we are all set," John said, clasping his hands.

"You really did plan this out," I said, impressed.

"Well, Danny, we have been wanting to make our own game for years, so yeah, we have had plans for years," John said.

As we finished the pizza, our conversation shifted to more academic territory.

"Are you sure not getting a degree is a good idea?" I asked John.

He shrugged. "I know more than what any course can teach me now, and so do my friends. But we could still use an experienced person to learn more from."

"Why aren't you going to college?" he asked me in return.

I grinned. "Because I'm rich."

John laughed. "Fair point."

"Come on, let's drop by Matt's place. We have a surprise for you," I said, standing up.

"What surprise?" John asked.

"Let's just say Matt and I started working on the art for the game a bit early," I said with a grin.

"What?" John asked, surprised, a wide smile forming on his face.

"Yup, come on. He just texted me saying he was done with a few of them," I said, leading John outside.

As we stepped onto the sidewalk, two men with cameras in hand approached us.

"Oh great, these guys again," I muttered. Since Stardust began restructuring and the huge success of Toy Story 2, I had been getting stopped by paparazzi a lot. Some were low-level 'journalists' who wished to make a quick buck with an inside scoop. They were interested in me a lot lately, and this was my fifth or fourth encounter since the beginning of the month.

"Daniel! Can we ask you a few questions?" one of the paparazzi called out.

I sighed inwardly but put on a polite smile. "Sure, what's up?"

"Can you tell us anything about your upcoming movie with Tom Hanks?" the first man asked.

"It's going to be great," I replied, keeping my answer vague. "We're really excited about it."

The second paparazzo grinned and asked, "Hey, what about that picture of you in Hawaii with the little girl? Is she really your kid?"

I fake laughed. "No, no, she's not. She is my friend's daughter," I said, my annoyance about that article about the photo of me and Lily in Hawaii growing.

John chuckled beside me. "Yeah, Daniel here is too busy with movies to have a baby."

We started walking towards my car, and I could hear the paparazzi snapping more photos.

"Thanks for nothing, kid," one of them called out.

"No problem," I replied sarcastically, waving as John and I got into the car.

"Wow, that was rude," John said, looking at the retreating men.

"Well, they are looking for a rise out of me," I said, starting the car.

As we pulled away, John turned to me. "Does it ever get easier dealing with those guys?"

I shrugged. "I am getting used to it. I guess it's just part of the job."

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John and I arrived at Matt's house and were greeted at the door by Matt's mom, Stephanie.

"Hey, Miss Gates," John and I said in unison.

"What have I told you boys about calling me Miss Gates?" she chided gently.

"I mean Stephanie," I corrected myself with a smile.

"Good. Now, Matt told me to expect you. He's in his room," she said, letting us in.

We went upstairs to find Matt in his room, deeply engrossed in drawing on his graphic tablet. Large screens adorned his desk, displaying his work in vivid detail.

"Daniel, John," he greeted us without looking away from the screens. On the screen, he was drawing Omni-Man flying, deeply involved in his work on the next issue of Invincible.

"How's the new tablet working out for you?" I asked.

"It's great, much better," he said, putting the stylus down. "Much better," he repeated with satisfaction as he looked at the finished artwork on screen.

"So, ready to see it?" he asked, turning his attention to us.

"Yes," John said excitedly.

"So, John, I had Matt draw some art of the places in the game I came up with. The first one is the hub area we talked about."

I was talking about Firelink Shrine. Last week, when I met with John and his friends, I had given them a basic outline of the game, and Firelink Shrine was the first area we discussed.

Matt turned to one of the screens and opened a file to show the art of the Firelink Shrine he had drawn.

The bonfire was in the center, its flames flickering gently. Surrounding the bonfire were crumbling stone pillars and arches, giving the place a sense of both grandeur and decay. The sky above was a somber gray, casting a melancholic light over the shrine. It was a place that felt both welcoming and foreboding.

"It's just like you described," John said.

"Yes, Firelink Shrine," he explained. "the central hub, a home area for the player. He or she can interact with NPCs, upgrade gear, and rest here."

"Have you thought of any other use for the bonfire other than saving?" he asked.

"Yes, I will be done with the basic lore for basic gameplay by next week. I will send you all a copy; it will help you understand what I have in mind," I said.

I turned to Matt "Great job," I said, admiring the detailed work. "It's exactly what I envisioned."

"Yeah good job buddy" John said, patting Matt on his back.

"The next one is the starting location we talked about, the one inspired by your demo," I said.

Matt pulled up three pictures of the abandoned asylum I had asked him to draw. The first was the courtyard where the bonfire was, with the large entrance to the boss chamber looming over it.

The next one was from the balcony of the asylum, where the player character could see the dark and foreboding atmosphere outside the building.

The last one was of the Asylum Demon, the first of the many bosses of the game.

"Holy shit, the boss looks great," John said.

The Asylum Demon was different from the original game. I never liked the design for it, so I made it more intimidating.

"Do you think the animators and designers can bring this to the game without changing much?" I asked John. There were the technical constraints they had to keep in mind, after all.

John examined the art closely. The Asylum Demon was drawn as a monstrous creature, its body a grotesque mix of decaying flesh and dark, jagged armor. It had huge, bat-like wings that looked tattered and torn, and its eyes glowed with a malevolent light. In its hands, it held a massive, rusted hammer, capable of crushing anything in its path.

"Yeah, I think we can. I mean, we can't make it look exactly like this, but it is possible," he said.

"Well, I also started on those gargoyles you described, but they're not complete," Matt said.

"So, are any of your artist friends interested in joining?" John asked.

"Yes, I already have a dozen applications. But I can't move ahead and select them without knowing the details about the job. I need to know how much you're willing to pay and other details," Matt replied.

"We'll get back to you on that," I said.

"Good, because make it quick, or they will be scooped up by others," he warned.

"Right. I have people working on that," I said, turning to John. "John, I will be busy for the next two months with the movie, so you will have to take the lead on this. Carter and Lucy will help you with everything."

"Don't worry, I can handle it," John replied confidently.

The company was already registered and the only thing left was to hire people which I was confident that John could do since he already had people in mind.

"You know, Daniel, you must be the youngest media mogul ever," Matt said breaking me from my thoughts,

"No, I'm not," I replied dismissively.

"I mean, think about it. You are a best-selling author, have produced movies, are making one with Hollywood's biggest stars, are a major player of the rising giant Stardust Entertainment, have a successful comic book series, and now you're in the video game business," he paused. "I guess the only field you are not involved in is TV."

"And porn," John added jokingly.

"A Media Mogul, eh… I like it," I said with a grin.

I liked that very much. I liked it a lot.