Zoey Parker hung up, exhaling hard. Done! All To the Moon sales donated! Max rebates from charity funds, here she comes.
She reached under her boss chair, yanking the adjustment lever. Clunk! The reclined seat—her throne for binge-watching shows and scrolling X—snapped upright. No more lounging with feet on the desk. Today, Zoey was working.
She tiptoed, locked her office door like a bandit. Couldn't let the project team know. Those maniacs would lose it, chanting "If Zoey's grinding, we're grinding!" by tomorrow. Better work in secret.
Zoey cracked open the To the Moon project plan. Holy hell, the script was fire. Gus's past-life genius shone—its story outgunned Portal 2 and Catherine, snagging GameSpot's Best Screenplay Award in 2011. Streamers and players bawled. Zoey, too, got sucked in—suspense early, gut-punch reveal late. Last night, she cried so hard Gus heard her at 2 a.m., calling it "freakin' creepy."
She loved the game, the story, the feels. And the hustle—more sales, more donations, more rebates. Double motive, full throttle, Zoey charged toward "wild charity."
Meanwhile, Ethan Camron at PacificTech wasn't slacking. He'd push "wild promotion" to the max, showing other studios what they missed. Size didn't matter—Zoey's game got the full media blitz, from industry rags to mainstream outlets. PacificTech was the industry boss, and Ethan was flexing.
A week post-call, the $5M promotion budget hit. A three-pronged media storm, backed by the Global Charity Foundation and Global Digital Entertainment Association, roared in.
First strike: Gaming media. "Charity Week Dated! WindyPeak Drops Mystery Game!" "WindyPeak's February Charity Game!" "Charity Week Rules Revamp! WindyPeak Leads!" "New Game + Bundle! Zoey's Got Goodies!" Tate's Gaming Scoop, Gamers' Hearth, GameScope, GameHub—headlines flooded X. Ethan tied Charity Week to WindyPeak's game, hyping both. Players lost it: "WTF, Zoey's new game?!" "Same hype as Charity Week?" "Zoey's legit here for charity!" "Last PC game was ages ago!" "Can't wait past New Year!"
Second strike: Influencers and forums. "Charity Week Hits February! Ten Studios, WindyPeak's New Game!" "Zoey's the real deal—good games, big heart." "WindyPeak's Charity Week drop is wild. Follow Old T for more!" Game Kaka and others hyped it. The nine other studios? Stunned. "We're just 'other studios'?" WindyPeak got the spotlight, soaking up traffic. Nebula Games seethed, IndieVibe envied, but none dared call out PacificTech. Zoey self-funded her game—match that or shut up.
Third strike: Global Daily. One article, calm but heavy: "Advancing Philanthropy and Industry Progress." The Global Charity Foundation and Global Digital Entertainment Association announced Charity Week, naming WindyPeak among ten studios. One mention, but it hit like ten. Players exploded: "Zoey in Global Daily?!" "WindyPeak's huge!" "PacificTech's energy is unreal!" "If Zoey's game pops off, they'll get a full feature!" "Dream big, but damn, this is wild."
Competitors kicked themselves. Ethan's $5M was meant for all ten studios, but only WindyPeak answered. Now, Zoey owned the spotlight. Studios called Ethan, begging, groveling. He smirked, "Tch, too late. Plans are set. Try next year." Don't sleep on a boss like Ethan.
Zoey grinned. One studio, ten studios' worth of hype. She'd planned her own mid-dev marketing, dipping into WindyPeak's $675M funds. Now, PacificTech saved her the hassle, freeing cash for… "Ending theme?" Gus blinked, taking the music sheet Zoey handed him in their Tech Tower apartment.
"For To the Moon!" Zoey said. "Credits need music. My name's solo—needs ceremony."
"A game, not a show," Gus laughed. "Why not use For River?"
Zoey shook her head. "Nope! First game, full package. Ending theme, now."
Gus groaned. "You wrote this?"
"Nah, got a pro composer through big connections," Zoey winked.
Gus eyed the simplified notation. He wasn't a music pro but could read it. Humming, it clicked—a song from his past life. "Okay, I'll try lyrics. Who's singing?"
"Secret," Zoey smirked. "Big guest, super dope."
Gus grinned. Player buzz, media frenzy, official clout, pro music, mystery singer—Zoey was pulling all the stops.