GameDeveloper

Step into the life of Brendan Greene, a man living in Brazil in the year 2014. He wants to make something of his life again after the hardships of divorcing his wife. Based on the real life story of Brendan Greene. [[Start The Game]]

The year is 2014. It has been a few years since I moved to Brazil to be with my wife. Life has been... complicated, since our divorce 8 months back. I've been developing my photography and web design skills further with the various gigs I got here in order to save up money. I can now //almost// afford that plane ticket back home, to Ireland. Although work has been good, I cannot help but feel like something is... missing. Like there's something else I could be better at, I guess. Oh well. There's no use contemplating that right now. Today's work day is finally over. Let's [[go home]].

(set: $balanceVar to 3800) Once I've arrive back home, I jump into the shower. The heat can be unbearable during this season. I check my bank account balance. In order to afford the plane ticket, I need 4200 Brazilian Real. I currently have $balanceVar Brazilian Real. Around 2 more jobs until I can go back home. I have 2 photography jobs planned already, so that's perfect. What to do now? [[Browse the computer for more photographing jobs. Maybe there's something great waiting...]] [[Play a game and watch a movie<-Enjoy some necessary leisure time.]] [[Go to bed, I've done enough today.]]

After several hours of great fun, I'm satisfied and ready for couch lounging. I make some popcorn and put on the movie 'Battle Royale'. A Japanese movie from the year 2000. As I watched the movie, I imagined how great it would be to have this kind of concept as a video game. In the movie, a group of high school students is given bags of items containing all kinds of different weapons and equipment and thrown onto this island in which they have to fight to until there's only one left standing. The ending was truly spectacular, and suddenly I thought: [[Wouldn't it be amazing if I could add this as some sort of mod in DayZ?]] [[I should've gone to bed a long time ago!]]

(set: $balanceVar to 4060) (set: $chosenJobVar to "") It's way too late! Time for bed. -------- The next day, I finish one of the photoshoot jobs I still had on my schedule. I now have $balanceVar Brazilian Real. Just one more job... What shall I fill my night with? [[Practice coding for modding DayZ. I've always wanted a programming job.]] [[Look for jobs in Ireland.]] [[Head to bed. I'm exhausted.]]

I go through my Steam library and a certain game catches my eye. DayZ is one of my favorite games, I've been playing it a lot lately. [[Let's play!]]

As I scroll through my job offers, I see an amazing opportunity coming along: Vogue Brazil has emailed me to lead a photoshoot for their next 5 cover pages! They are even offering to pay me 26000 Brazilian Real! That is 5000 euros... But it would mean I have to stay in Brazil much longer than I planned. This job could take months. I've been longing to go home for so long now... Besides, I wanted to further develop my coding skills once I returned home. [[I can't refuse this, let's do it!]] [[I want to visit my family already, it's been too long.]] [[I think about it a little longer]]

It would fit into the game perfectly. I just need to practice coding enough to realize the idea. I think many people would like to have a gamemode like this. [[Practice coding and head to bed.]]

(set: $chosenJobVar to "Vogue") I don't think I'll ever get an opportunity like this again! Why wouldn't I just go for it? I got plenty of time left in life, I'll visit my parents next year. [[The next day->neutral2 ending]]

And once I've seen them again, I can decide whether I'll keep photographing or pursuit something else. It's quite late already, let's... [[Play a game and watch a movie<-enjoy some necessary leisure time.]] [[go to bed, I've done enough today.->Go to bed, I've done enough today.]]

Although I love photography, I feel like there's something else I could become more passionate about. Photography just... lacks something. But a job at Vogue Brazil is a chance I will probably never receive again. And earning 5000 euros for it? Although some of it will have to be used to pay my rent, I'll finally be able to live a little again. All I've been doing for the past few months is work and sleep. Who knows how much worse it could get once I'm back in Ireland without any money whatsoever. I'm really in a pickle. [[I can't refuse this, let's do it!]] [[I want to visit my family already, it's been too long.]]

(set: $balanceVar to 4060) (set: $chosenJobVar to "") The next day, I finish one of the photoshoot jobs I still had on my schedule. I now have $balanceVar Brazilian Real. Just one more job... If I don't want to end up jobless once I'm back home, I should start looking for job offers in advance as well. I... [[Look for jobs in Ireland.]] [[Play a game and watch a movie<-Play a game and watch a movie. Maybe it will inspire me.]] [[Head to bed. I'm exhausted.]]

As I scroll through all the job offers in Ireland, I see various opportunities. One is a photographing job at a famous Irish magazine called 'Irish Tatler'. I've always wanted to try and work there, but for some reason I never ended up applying. Another is a web design job at video game company an opportunity in which I could become a website designer for video game company KamaGames. I've always liked website design... [[Let's go for Irish Tatler!]] [[Let's go for KamaGames!]] [[Actually, I don't want to apply to either of these.]]

(set: $chosenJobVar to "Irish Tatler") I'll go for $chosenJobVar. I should try it while I can, it might turn out to be 'it' for me... [[Head to bed. I'm exhausted.]] <center><img src = "https://www.babycards.ie/sm/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/tatler-black-logo-3adb238d5923dd8f237a2a3d6746e7d0.png" width= "800" height = "300"></center>

(set: $chosenJobVar to "KamaGames") I'll go for $chosenJobVar. I'm good at web design, and this will be a great opportunity to improve my coding skills. This job might turn out to be 'it' for me... [[Head to bed. I'm exhausted.]] <center><img src = "https://s19151.pcdn.co/northamerica/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/09/kaa-700x350.jpg"></center>

Unfortunately, I don't think these jobs are really my thing after all. I'll try looking again when I return to Ireland. [[Head to bed. I'm exhausted.]]

(set: $balanceVar to 120) I somehow managed to find a plane ticket for tomorrow night, which is perfect. I've stayed in Brazil for way too long. I only have $balanceVar Brazilian Real left. Thats just enough to feed myself and to buy some souvenirs tomorrow. I'll miss all the friends I made since I arrived here. I wish I could visit all of them, but I don't even have enough money to do so. I've barely been able to see them at all since my divorce, which I feel bad about. I'll give them a call tomorrow before I leave. Hopefully we'll run into each other again someday. Who knows, I might move back to Brazil someday once life is different. [[The next day->bad/neutral1 ending]]

I'd like to buy some souvenirs for my family. What shall I get them? [[Buy them some Brazilian drinks (-80BR)]] [[Buy them a magnet of Rio de Janeiro (-40BR)]] [[Buy them a blanket with the Brazilian flag on it (-55BR)]]

(set: $chosenSouvenirVar to "drinks") (set: $balanceVar to $balanceVar - 80) Buying them $chosenSouvenirVar seems like it would be the best choice. I buy some water and a snack with the remaining $balanceVar Brazilian Real I have left. Once I've done that, I see that it's time to board the plane. [[Fly back home]] <center><img src = "https://www.laylita.com/recipes/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Recipe-for-perfect-caipirinhas.jpg"></center>

(set: $chosenSouvenirVar to "magnets") (set: $balanceVar to $balanceVar - 40) Buying them $chosenSouvenirVar seems like it would be the best choice. I buy some cola and a sandwich with the remaining $balanceVar Brazilian Real I have left. Once I've done that, I see that it's time to board the plane. [[Fly back home]] <center><img src = "https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1DTAlRVXXXXbhXFXXq6xXFXXXQ/Hand-painted-Rio-De-Janeiro-Brazil-3D-Fridge-Magnets-World-Travel-Souvenirs-Refrigerator-Magnetic-Stickers-Home.jpg"></center>

(set: $chosenSouvenirVar to "blankets") (set: $balanceVar to $balanceVar - 55) Buying them $chosenSouvenirVar seems like it would be the best choice. I buy some tea and toast with the remaining $balanceVar Brazilian Real I have left. Once I've done that, I see that it's time to board the plane. [[Fly back home]] <center><img src = "https://www.teahub.io/photos/full/170-1706321_brazil-flag-wallpaper-hd-brazil-flag-high-quality.jpg" width = "800" height = "400"></center>

Today's the day! I've packed my bags and said goodbye to everyone I've met during my time in Brazil. I'm excited to run into them again in the future. I'm unsure about what I want to do once I'm back in Ireland, but I can take it one step at a time. For now, I'll focus on spending some time with my parents again. No matter how old you become, returning back home is really the greatest feeling. I can't wait to taste my mother's cooking again. [[Head to the airport]]

Once we arrived, I gave each of them one of the $chosenSouvenirVar I had bought at the airport, and they absolutely loved it. My mother had prepared her famous Colcannon and champ, my all-time favorite dish. After eating dinner together, my mother led me to my childhood bedroom which they had turned into a guest room shortly after I left the home. [[Head into the guest room]]

"Have you thought about what you want to do now that you're back in Ireland, son?", my mother asks. (if: $chosenJobVar is "")["To be honest, not really. I tried looking for jobs but I haven't found anything I want to do just yet.", I respond. "Is there anything else you want to do besides photography?", she asks. "Yes", I respond. "I'm thinking of..." [[looking for a job in financing]] [[looking for a job in the film industry]] [[looking for a job in architecture]] ] (if: $chosenJobVar is not "")["Yes, actually. While I was in Brazil, I actually applied for a job at $chosenJobVar. I'll will be going to the job interview next week." I respond smiling at her. "Oh that's fantastic, son. I'm sure they'll want to hire you, you're a hardworking soul." she responds, smiling back at me. "Now go to bed, you must be exhausted." she says and leaves the room. Still rather tired from the jetlag, I decide to follow her advice and [[head to bed->neutral1 ending]]. ]

(set: $chosenNewCareerVar to "financing") "Whatever you decide on, I'm sure you'll do great son.", she says smiling and leaving the room. Still rather tired from the jetlag, I decide to [[head to bed->bad ending]].

(set: $chosenNewCareerVar to "the film industry") "Whatever you decide on, I'm sure you'll do great son.", she says smiling and leaving the room. Still rather tired from the jetlag, I decide to [[head to bed->bad ending]].

(set: $chosenNewCareerVar to "architecture") "Whatever you decide on, I'm sure you'll do great son.", she says smiling and leaving the room. Still rather tired from the jetlag, I decide to [[head to bed->bad ending]].

As the days passed by, I looked through a bunch of job applications related to $chosenNewCareerVar. To prevent myself from getting lazy, I took a part-time job at the local convenience store to keep myself busy. (if: $chosenNewCareerVar is "financing") [Once I had been officially hired for a financing job at 'Northern Trust', I started earning enough money to move out of my parents' house again. The job is fantastic, but I can't help feeling like I wasn't destined to work a job like this. I find myself playing DayZ straight after coming home, and feeling like the ideas I have for this game could really change the game for the better. Unfortunately, I don't have the skills to execute the ideas that I have.] (else-if: $chosenNewCareerVar is "the film industry") [Once I had been officially hired for a job as a film editor at 'Pull The Trigger', I started earning enough money to move out of my parents' house again. The job is fantastic, but I can't help feeling like I wasn't destined to work a job like this. I find myself playing DayZ straight after coming home, and feeling like the ideas I have for this game could really change the game for the better. Unfortunately, I don't have the skills to execute the ideas that I have.] (else:) [Once I had been officially hired for a job as an architect at 'CEA Architects', I started earning enough money to move out of my parents' house again. The job is fantastic, but I can't help feeling like I wasn't destined to work a job like this. I find myself playing DayZ straight after coming home, and feeling like the ideas I have for this game could really change the game for the better. Unfortunately, I don't have the skills to execute the ideas that I have.] As the years went by, the feeling of dissatisfaction increased significantly, to the point that all I was doing was play DayZ. My boss fired me shortly after, leaving me no choice than to go back to my parents once again. I can't believe I let myself turn out this way. It wasn't supposed to end this way. Right? [[I'm better than this!->let's start over]] [[Unfortunately, you only life once, so I'll have to make the best of it.->The End]]

The year is 2014. It has been a few years since I moved to Brazil to be with my wife. Life has been--- Wait. Is this a deja-vu? I feel like I've thought about all this before... Strange... I guess it was a dream? I remember going back to Ireland and finding a job in $chosenNewCareerVar, but the job just wasn't my thing. I felt miserable. Maybe life is telling me I should just pursue what it is that I really want to do... Oh well, enough daydreaming. Today's work day is finally over. Let's [[go home]].

Life become a lot better once I had returned back to Ireland. I ended up getting hired for the job I applied for at $chosenJobVar, so I started earning enough money to move out of my parents' house again. The job is fine, but I can't help feeling like I wasn't destined to work a job like this. I find myself playing DayZ straight after coming home, and feeling like the ideas I have for this game could really change the game for the better. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to work on my coding skills at the moment. On the bright side, I started dating again as well. I'm slowly coming to terms with the divorce. Oh! and also... I experienced something strange in my dreams last night. A voice telling me that I could start over if I just said 'the magic word'... [[The magic word?-> let's start over (neutral)]] [[Oh well. It was just a dream.->The End]]

Life has been amazing. Once I had finished the initial job I received from Vogue Brazil, they decided to hire me as their official lead photographer for their cover pages. I've earned a //lot// of money doing this, which has finally allowed me to go out and really explore the beautiful country that is Brazil. I've met a new, absolutely stunning woman who I could see myself marry once again. I really shouldn't complain about my life, but I cannot help but feel like it's... incomplete, still. I love my job, but I feel like there's something out there I could love even more than this... [[I want to change my life around!->let's start over (neutral2)]] [[Despite feeling this, I think life is good this way.->The End]] <center><img src = "https://www.designscene.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Naomi-Campbell-Vogue-Brazil-May-2016-01-620x806.jpg"></center>

The year is 2014. It has been a few years since I moved to Brazil to be with my wife. Life has been--- Wait. Is this a deja-vu? I feel like I've thought about all this before... Strange... I guess it was a dream? I remember going back to Ireland and finding a job in $chosenJobVar, but the job just wasn't very fulfilling. Maybe life is telling me I should just pursue what it is that I really want to do... Oh well, enough daydreaming. Today's work day is finally over. Let's [[go home]].

(set: $balanceVar to 4060) (set: $chosenJobVar to "") It's way too late! Time for bed. -------- The next day, I finish one of the photoshoot jobs I still had on my schedule. I now have $balanceVar Brazilian Real. Just one more job... I couldn't stop thinking about the ideas I had for the DayZ mod, so I [[fill my night with more coding practice and then head to bed.]]

(set: $balanceVar to 4320) The next day, I finish the last photoshoot I had planned. The job paid me the same amount as the one yesterday, leaving me with $balanceVar Brazilian Real. Finally! I can go home. I got some great ideas as to how to create the DayZ mod after all the coding I did. I'm thinking of... [[having 100 people land on an island and fistfight until 1 is left standing!]] [[having 30 groups of 2 people land on an island and fight with special powers until 1 group is left standing!]] [[having 25 groups of 4 people land on an island and loot items to fight until 1 group is left standing!]]

(set: $gameVar to "100 people land on an island and fistfight until 1 is left standing") I think fistfighting is something people would really have fun doing in a gamemode like this. I'll get on with coding the final product once I'm back in Ireland. [[Buy my plane ticket and head to bed.->Good ending]]

(set: $gameVar to "30 groups of 2 people land on an island and fight with special powers until 1 group is left standing") I think having unique special powers in a game like this would be fun and challenging. I'll get on with coding the final product once I'm back in Ireland. [[Buy my plane ticket and head to bed.->Good ending]]

(set: $gameVar to "25 groups of 4 people land on an island and loot items to fight until 1 group is left standing") I think looting items and using them to fight other groups would be really fun in a gamemode like this. It would be closest to the concept of the Japanese 'Battle Royale' movie too, I suppose. I'll get on with coding the final product once I'm back in Ireland. [[Buy my plane ticket and head to bed.->Good ending]]

The practicing is really good for me. The more I code, the more I feel like I could be great at it. I think I've found my passion. ------------ (set: $balanceVar to 4320) The next day, I finish the last photoshoot I had planned. The job paid me the same amount as the one yesterday, leaving me with $balanceVar Brazilian Real. Finally! I can go home. While practicing coding the other night, I thought of a bunch of ideas as to how to create the DayZ mod. There was one variant I liked the most. I'm thinking of... [[having 100 people land on an island and fistfight until 1 is left standing!]] [[having 30 groups of 2 people land on an island and fight with special powers until 1 group is left standing!]] [[having 25 groups of 4 people land on an island and loot items to fight until 1 group is left standing!]]

(set: $balanceVar to 120) I somehow managed to find a plane ticket for tomorrow night, which is perfect. I've stayed in Brazil for way too long. I only have $balanceVar Brazilian Real left. Thats just enough to feed myself and to buy some souvenirs tomorrow. I'll miss all the friends I made since I arrived here. I wish I could visit all of them, but I don't even have enough money to do so. I've barely been able to see them at all since my divorce, which I feel bad about. I'll give them a call tomorrow before I leave. I'm super excited to start my new life as a programmer once I'm back home. I need to code the mod as quickly as I can so that I can realize my dream of becoming a programmer. [[Pack my bags and head to bed.]]

Today's the day! I've packed my bags and said goodbye to everyone I've met during my time in Brazil. I'm excited to run into them again in the future. However, I'm even more excited to see my family again. No matter how old you become, returning back home is really the greatest feeling. I can't wait to taste my mother's cooking again. [[Head to the airport->Good ending airport]]

I'd like to buy some souvenirs for my family. What shall I get them? [[Buy some Brazilian drinks (-80BR)]] [[Buy a magnet of Rio de Janeiro (-40BR)]] [[Buy a blanket with the Brazilian flag on it (-55BR)]]

(set: $chosenSouvenirVar to "drinks") (set: $balanceVar to $balanceVar - 80) Buying them $chosenSouvenirVar seems like it would be the best choice. I buy some water and a snack with the remaining $balanceVar Brazilian Real I have left. Once I've done that, I see that it's time to board the plane. [[Fly back home->Fly back home (good)]] <center><img src = "https://www.laylita.com/recipes/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Recipe-for-perfect-caipirinhas.jpg"></center>

(set: $chosenSouvenirVar to "magnets") (set: $balanceVar to $balanceVar - 40) Buying them $chosenSouvenirVar seems like it would be the best choice. I buy some cola and a sandwich with the remaining $balanceVar Brazilian Real I have left. Once I've done that, I see that it's time to board the plane. [[Fly back home->Fly back home (good)]] <center><img src = "https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1DTAlRVXXXXbhXFXXq6xXFXXXQ/Hand-painted-Rio-De-Janeiro-Brazil-3D-Fridge-Magnets-World-Travel-Souvenirs-Refrigerator-Magnetic-Stickers-Home.jpg"></center>

(set: $chosenSouvenirVar to "blankets") (set: $balanceVar to $balanceVar - 55) Buying them $chosenSouvenirVar with the Brazilian flag on it seems like it would be the best choice. I buy some tea and toast with the remaining $balanceVar Brazilian Real I have left. Once I've done that, I see that it's time to board the plane. [[Fly back home->Fly back home (good)]] <center><img src = "https://www.teahub.io/photos/full/170-1706321_brazil-flag-wallpaper-hd-brazil-flag-high-quality.jpg" width = "800" height = "400"></center>

The journey back home was smooth. I slept right through it. Once I arrived back in Ireland, my parents and siblings were waiting for me with 'Welcome Home!' and 'We Missed You!' signs. After giving them all hugs and kisses, we drove back home. The months after that really flew by. It was hard finding a part-time job, so most of my time I spent coding in what once had been my childhood bedroom. My parents changed it into a guest room shortly after I had moved out about a decade ago. [[Once I had finished the Battle Royale mod...]]

My parents, reasonably so, worried about the fact that I was living on welfare, and that I was spending nearly all that money on the free mods I was coding. I am really proud of the mod I made, though. I ended up creating a mod in which $gameVar. A lot of people have downloaded it already, and I've even seen people playing my mod on streaming platforms! Because of that, I told my parents there was a real possibility that I could get to make my own game someday. I was honest in telling them that it would probably take some time before that would happen. [[And one day, the phone rang...]]

It was developer Sony! I couldn't believe it when I heard the person on the other end say their company's name. Sony itself had seen the popularity of my mod, and called to ask me if I wanted to work as a consultant on a new game called H1Z1! After contemplating their offer, I ended up saying... [[Yes!]] [[No, I don't feel good about it.]] <center><img src = "https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/unknown-is-calling-as-a-missed-call-video-id1090872688?s=640x640"></center>

This job //finally// got me out of welfare after 6 long months, and I couldn't be happier. My Battle Royale concept was eventually implemented in H1Z1, and around a year later, [[I received another call from a Korean company named Bluehole.]]

Although it was a great opportunity, I felt like having them license my Battle Royale concept was something I wouldn't feel comfortable with. I decided to keep searching for other opportunities. [[In the end...]]

This company offered me something absolutely crazy: They told me they wanted to help me develop my own Battle Royale title! They thought of naming it PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, due to PlayerUnknown being my gamer tag. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Isn't this too good to be true? After thinking about it for a while, I ended up saying... [[Hell yea!]] [[Actually, I don't feel too good about this...->Actually, I don't feel too good about this... (neutral3 ending)]] <center><img src = "https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/unknown-is-calling-as-a-missed-call-video-id1090872688?s=640x640"></center>

The whole process of developing this game, which we would call PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), was incredible. The entire time we spent developing it, I felt like I was living a dream, a dream I would someday cruely be awakened from just to realize I'm still living at my parents place with welfare. However, I never woke up from the dream. The moment we launched the game in 2017 it just... took off. The number of sales just went up and up, and rather than eventually going back down, it seemed to just accelerate even further every time I looked at it. Within 6 months, we had 3 million online players at a time, which was triple the number we expected to receive. It felt absolutely crazy. I went from living on welfare to becoming a millionaire, which, as I am cycling from my home in Amsterdam to PUBG Corp.'s office at the moment, is still not something I've fully taken in. But I wouldn't want to change my life in the slightest. I've accomplished everything I dreamt of, and if I was ever given the option to travel back in time, I wouldnt change a thing. [[The End]]

As much as I loved the idea of becoming the owner of my very own Battle Royale game, I was very happy working on H1Z1 at Sony. I therefore decided to keep working at Sony instead. I earned a great salary, enough to move out of my parents house and start living my life again. I sometimes look back at the offer Bluehole made me, but I don't regret my decision. Life is good right now, and I wouldn't change anything about it. [[The End]]

No other opportunities seemed to be coming my way, and I started to slowly regret my decision to say no. After several months of searching, I caved and called Sony to ask if the offer was still on the table. I felt embarrassed, but I felt like I had to try it. Thankfully, [[they said yes.->Yes!]]

''The End'' ----------- I hope you had fun playing this game! :-) I wanted to portray the life of one of the most influential videogame developers of the more recent years. Brendan Greene had quite the interesting life story, going from broke and living in Brazil, to welfare and living at his parents' place in Ireland, to becoming a millionare living in Amsterdam. I tried keeping his real life as realistic as possible, creating the storyline based on information he gave during an <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/26/pubg-creator-went-from-welfare-to-making-a-billion-dollar-video-game.html" target="_blank">interview</a>. Some general information about Brendan and his game was taken from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayerUnknown" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>. I however also wanted to provide the player with some interesting alternative stories. Some of it is based on his real life, such as the fact that he enjoyed photography and web design. But most (95%?) of the things in these alternative stories are completely made up by me :-). There is 5 endings to this story, so if you liked it and want to see them all, [[be my guest->Start The Game]]!

The year is 2014. It has been a few years since I moved to Brazil to be with my wife. Life has been--- Wait. Is this a deja-vu? I feel like I've thought about all this before... Strange... I guess it was a dream? I remember getting a job at Vogue Brazil and not going back to Ireland. However, it just didn't feel like I was meant to take that job. Maybe life is telling me I should just pursue what it is that I really want to do... Oh well, enough daydreaming. Today's work day is finally over. Let's [[go home]].