YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is a game about goonies.
Watching the relationship between esports and traditional business continue to grow is a lot like going to lunch with a friend and listening to them talk about their new relationship when you are well aware that the person they are so happy about is a total douche in one way and your friend is a total douche in another way. Which doesn't make either bad people, but makes then mutually incompatible because of their default stats.
You know your friend is using the relationship to validate themselves, and you know the new person isn't at all interested in your friend. Does not respect your friend, has their shit together in a way your friend does not, does not care to associate itself with the toxic circles your friend hangs out in, does not bring your friend around its circles, because your friend still has a lot of growing up to do.
And you know the new person is doing your friend the best favor ever not bringing them into those rooms with those people because the new person is ok taking a chance on someone at risk of loss, but the new person friends do not take chances, ever.
But you listen and smile and wish them the best knowing that there is a high chance that shit just ain't gonna work out. You know it ain't gonna work out because you have known your friend for a long time and their fatal flaw is that they over promise and under deliver.
Every decade or so they gamble into a lot of money. So they go out and they buy a bunch of expensive shit to make themselves look nice, then they go out and take out a lot of money in loans so they can gamble some more, cause they are on a hot streak, and bat way out their league in partnership because their want to be respected by others clouds their need to be ok with themselves, which makes them easy prey.
Professional gamblers take note of how flashy and confident your friend is acting so they ask your friend out because your buddy is making a lot of money on a long run at a table they don't understand the ruleset too and they can't reserve a seat in because all the kool kids play there and don't trust the old sharks.
You have seen your buddy crap out repeatedly, you have seen your buddy in the fetal position on your couch drunk crying. You have tried to tell your friend to take it easy at the table, money comes easy, wealth takes time, only to be told step back cause you got negative energy. You raise your hands and say, "Do your thing, I'll be at the arcade."
Your buddy always takes the interest from the suitor as genuine, and the new folks always interpret the success as stable. They go all in with the pertners chips in a really short time. Buy a house together, get married, have a kid. That kind of thing. You continue to wish them the best, what else can you do?
A few years later the mortgage can't be paid on the house cause your friend's horses didn't place. The new partner loses faith and wants to sell the house. The kid is always cursing and is basically feral, the marriage is falling apart, they sleep in different beds and barely talk. You show up to your friend's divorce party with two controllers and a bottle of vodka. Gonna be a long night.
A few years later they at it again. Such is life.
Replace the scenario with VR, video game movies, or any other kind of growth bullshit and you get the picture. Also wow YIIK is pretty dope. Elements of all the most fun stuff, and got's its own vibe going on. Keep this same energy going into your next gig folks. Well done. Also, shouts to information, rip TC rip TB rip Tall-T. Love is Paid in Full, hate is Crunk Rock. Get out there and do great things, we believe in you. Also Jerbz.
The Protoculture Mixtape: Issue: Games: Broke Edge
