could have your attention, everyone! Let’s give the Seventeen Studios events team a huge round of applause. Lift your glasses. The food and drinks are amazing, events team!”
The crowd erupted in cheers as everyone clinked grenade cups.
Ian jumped on the stage and shooed PR Joe off. “Thanks for warming up the crowd, Joe. Or maybe it’s the alcohol that’s helping.” More cheers erupted. There were at least two hundred people there.
He said, “Congratulations to both the Girls of War and Ultimate Apocalypse teams for working so hard to get those games launched on time. Seventeen Studios knows how to get shit done!”
More applause. More cheers. Ian really had a knack for rallying the troops. People were loving this.
“Unfortunately, Asher, the game creator of Girls of War, can’t be with us now, because he’s on the phone with Warner Bros. Girls of War was optioned for a TV series and a movie this morning. What a success story!”
My stomach dropped, like I was on one of those horrible free-fall rides at Six Flags. My ears and face blazed with pulsing heat. Asher’s booberific game became a runaway hit overnight and Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly would announce his blockbuster deal soon. He’d hit the entitled-affluent-white-bro jackpot.
Joe walked over and offered me one of his two grenade drinks. “You look like you need it.” He smelled his cocktail and furrowed his brow. “Is Ian going to ask you to speak about your experience as a woman in the gaming industry?” He took a sip and then coughed. “Wow, this is strong.”
I took a giant swig, needing a little something to take the edge off. “He wants me to speak because the board is here, and of course he gave me zero notice. The expectation is to say amazing things about my opportunities here, right?”
“Shit, this tastes like paint thinner.” He looked around and found a table behind us. Placing his drink on the corner, he said, “Yes, he’s hoping you’ll say something like that.”
“And as the head of PR, do you agree? Are you here to coach me?” Tipsy tingles hit my toes and fingertips. That paint-thinner cocktail was seriously potent.
“As someone who saw what you went through, I think you should say what’s in your heart.”
“And what if my heart hates everything about gaming right now?”
Kat and Rain walked by us, with two stolen trays of cookies. My heart softened a bit.
Joe looked me in the eye. “With all the odds stacked against you, somehow you managed to release that game, with no executive support. Say whatever the fuck you want.” He grabbed his drink from the table and raised his glass. “Tell them all to fuck off.”
Ian took the mic again and rambled off the names of everyone who’d helped make Girls of War a success. He paused and shuffled the index cards on the podium. “Today we also launched Ultimate Apocalypse, and we’ve reached over thirty thousand downloads as of an hour ago. We’re projecting to hit one hundred thousand before midnight. Congratulations to the UA team!”
A healthy wave of applause filled the air. It didn’t sound like pity clapping.
“I’ve invited Melanie . . . er . . . Melody Joo to come onstage to talk about her experience leading the production of this sleeper hit. We appreciate all her contributions as a woman in gaming, am I right? Let’s give Melody, our female production superstar, a round of applause for her hard work.”
The clapping continued as I made my way to the stairs. Ian gave me a firm handshake at the podium. He whispered, “Five minutes. And then we drop the balloons. It’s on a timer.”
I peered through the blazing white spotlights. Joe stood there right in the front, with five fingers held up. Thank god for Joe and his timekeeping skills.
A quick scan of the room revealed it was 90 percent men. Some older dudes stood in the far back, presumably the board of directors. Ian drank artillery cocktails at the bar while Kat and Rain jointly stole stacks of survivor box lunches without him noticing. And Asher remained absent, probably still on the fucking phone with Warner Bros.
I took a slow, deep breath, and then spoke from my heart.
“Thank you for that rousing male speech, Ian, from the bottom of my female heart. Speaking of females, how many of you gave reviews for the Girls of War game on BetaGank or some other review site today?”
About 80 percent of the audience raised their hands. Even some