In a roomy apartment in San Bernardino California. Lizzy Temple was finishing up her latest game review of "Frog Jumper 2: Hop to Drop" for her article for Gamer Moms Monthly. It was an up and coming blog slash vlog that catered to women's perspective into gaming. Lizzy cracked her knuckles, rotated her sore wrists, and sighed hard.
"Fuck my life." She said under her breath.
Lizzy grew up loving to play videogames, even back in the dark ages were girls were shunned from gaming. Her brothers teased her relentlessly about finding a more girly hobby. Like learning to sew, reading fashion magazines, or baking. A conversation that regularly got her into fights or disdain from her peers. It wasn't until she was in high school that the basic common sense that women also liked interactive entertainment, was finally accepted. She studied hard to work toward her game design degree and dreamed, of one day opening a studio. She would hire other talented female game developers.
Unfortunately, life never turns out the way you expect. After graduating from college, Lizzy tried for years to get into the industry but found nothing but roadblocks. Turns out the same misogynist assholes that belittled her back in school ran most of these companies. The handful of gigs she got, she was delegated to coding busywork. No one can get psyched making background trees, bushes, and buildings for 50 hours a week for months. Barely building a resume let alone making connections.
Another major blow to Lizzy's life was when she got drunk at a wrap-up party and accidentally got pregnant by a guy in the legal department. Though Adam took responsibility and married Lizzy, their relationship was lukewarm and tenuous. Adam was able to provide financial stability and loved their daughter. But he was more interested in furthering his career than supporting his spouse. This put her dream on the backburner indefinitely.
While raising her baby, Lizzy found an outlet in videogame journalism and realized there were other women like her out there. These women wanted a female viewpoint of the industry. Over several years the site grew into a team of three, building a brand that was starting to get noticed. She was commended for calling out the sexist practices that went on behind the scenes in this industry. This year was supposed to be their breakout. Getting real press passes to E3. But due to a global pandemic, all conventions and events were canceled to the following year. Once again dashing her dreams of moving up in the industry.
Leaving her home office she headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Lizzy washed her face and took a look at her face into her green eyes. Her shoulder-length auburn hair was tied back with a rainbow scrunchie. Her face though still a youthful 29 years old. It was starting to see some wear from years of overwork and exhaustion. Her once slightly athletic body had more curves than before getting pregnant. She was never able to completely get rid of the baby weight. Thankfully, some of that weight enhanced her C-cup breasts. Which were currently hidden under her blue mom cardigan with a gamer t-shirt beneath and jean shorts.
Lizzy had contemplated on whether or not she should try and have some breakfast. Or clean up the living room full of toys before her weekly meeting with the girls. When her iPhone announced a notification for an email. Quickly scrolling through it, she scoffed before jamming it back in her pocket. Considering it irrelevant. She'd rather spend time eating some yogurt with granola and blueberries.
About half an hour later, Lizzy was having a three-way video conference with her writing partners, Phoebe and Milena. Phoebe Cho was a short Korean girl with long black hair with hints of blue and purple dye. She had doe brown eyes, soft pink, pouty lips, and wore trendy black-framed glasses. Her main attire was often various hoodies promoting videogames, anime, and other pieces of nerd culture. Milena Hofferson was half Armenian, half German. She had an athletic build, dirty blond hair, and distinct Kardashian facial features that somehow went well together. She wore what one would call nerdy but fashionable. A white dress shirt that cut off at the elbows, a pleated skirt and a colorful vest. The vest was adorned with a geometric pattern only gamers would understand. It was held together by petite buttons. Overall, she probably had the best fashion sense among these three.
They gathered together to discuss the articles, games, and interviews for the next few weeks and things were looking bleak. Due to the pandemic, every triple-A and mid-sized game company was working from home or running on minimal staff. The gaming conferences, where they were expecting to get information for content, dried up. Most companies refused to speak with such a small magazine. Leaving just reviewing games, which had become an extremely bloated field in the last few years. Competing against vloggers half their age with three times the viewers and sponsors. This left table scraps such as small indie games that didn't generate much buzz.
Lizzy started, "We need to come up with some new ideas, think outside the box until we get past this hump. I will scream if I have to play and write about another $3 mobile flash game that was made by a high school kid. Does anyone have any ideas?"
Milena chimes in "What about tabletop gaming? Or cosplay? Or quarantine games?"
"We really can't do much," said Phoebe. "The board game industry is hurting just as bad. Almost no new games hitting the market and tournaments are canceled indefinitely. None of us knows anyone that close in the cosplay circles and most of the big cosplayers self promote. Also, we can't run another mental health isolation game article. We've already had them three months in a row!" said Phoebe. "We need something with original content or GMM is going to be lost in obscurity."
Melina in a quiet voice started, "Well my cousin dose some of that Egirl stuff on her social media. I could ask ... " but was cut off by Lizzy, who snapped,
"No way in hell! We have worked too hard to build a respectable news platform. To be reduced to interviewing barely legal teens playing videogames with their tits out. I would rather fold the site than put up 'What are the top five E-girl tits on the net.'"
Melina spits back, "I know she is a tramp, but she is still family Lizzy. I don't see either of you contributing anything to the table, so go fuck yourself!"
After a long awkward silence, Lizzy made a frustrated noise and said, "I think I may have a lead, but it is not great. Have either of you heard of a company called Twisted Taco Games?"
Phoebe in a confused tone said "TTG, that indie porn game company? What about them?"
Embarrassed Lizzy continued. "So earlier today I got an email from them, apparently they want to interview us."
Phoebe interfered, "Explain to me how this is any better than interviewing Milena's softcore porn star cousin and friends?"
