Say Yes To Making Bad Games, What the Hell is Titanfall? Complete

Gus Shepard strolled back to his dorm at Seattle Tech University, feeling on top of the world.

The sky was clear, the air crisp, and even the campus flowers seemed to pop. Luke Bennett's voice, ranting from the dorm, was the cherry on top.

"Man, this game's screwing me over!" Luke yelled. "The designer's gotta be unhinged. If I play this thing again, I'm done for!"

Gus pushed open the door, grinning at Luke's over-the-top complaints, laced with gamer slang that sounded like it came straight from a Twitch chat.

"Could hear you raging from downstairs," Gus said, stepping behind Luke. "What's got you so worked up?"

He glanced at Luke's laptop screen and froze. Cat Leo. His own game.

…Maybe I don't want this guy as my lead programmer after all.

Luke spun around, tossing the game aside. "Yo, Gus, you're back early. How'd the interview go? Any luck?"

Luke knew Gus had been grinding through interviews since the internship season started. Three or four a day, for nearly a month, leaving early and crashing late. Luke had told him ages ago to just get an internship certificate through a family connection—easy fix. But Gus was stubborn, insisting on landing a gig himself.

Luke had stopped pushing and started checking on Gus's sanity instead. A month of rejections? That'd break anyone. He half-expected Gus to snap and drag him and Jake Rivers into some wild scheme.

"It's… looking up," Gus said, plopping down and grabbing a water bottle. "Where's Jake?"

"Out grabbing instant noodles for his trip," Luke said, tossing Gus a cigarette from his pack. "He's leaving tomorrow. Said his family lined up an internship for him."

"We were gonna call you," Luke added, his tone dropping. "Wanna grab drinks tonight?"

College friendships were weird—tight but fragile. Everyone came from different corners, and once internships split them up, that could be it. Maybe a quick wave at graduation, then nothing.

For Gus, Luke, and Jake, it was different. They were a solid crew, their drama limited to who nabbed the best loot or snagged the most kills in late-night gaming sessions. No petty student council nonsense or scholarship fights.

But internships loomed. This could be their last night together for a while.

Gus glanced at Jake's neatly made bed, exhaling slowly. "Jake say what his family set him up with?"

"Some small ad agency back home," Luke said. "Doing design and modeling, I think. If he nails the internship, he might stay on full-time."

"Got it," Gus said, nodding. "And you?"

Luke shrugged. "No clue. Got my internship certificate sorted, so I'm not sweating it. I'll figure something out."

Gus paused, then looked at Luke. "What if you didn't have to leave?"

Luke froze, then scooted his chair back, eyeing Gus like he'd suggested something shady. "Whoa, man. I thought we were just buds. I've got a girlfriend, you know. I'm not swinging that way…"

Gus nearly choked. "I'm talking about a job, you idiot!"

"Oh!" Luke laughed, relaxing. "Lead with that next time. I thought our bromance was getting weird."

"You're hopeless," Gus said, rolling his eyes. "I landed a gig at a new game company two days ago. They're short-staffed. Wanna join me?"

Luke's eyes lit up. Don't let his laid-back vibe fool you—Luke was all in for gaming. He'd picked a game design major despite the industry's stale state, where even seasoned pros struggled to find work. A newbie like him? Forget it. He'd only gotten an internship certificate through family strings, ready to give up.

But now Gus was offering a real shot at a game company?

"No way!" Luke said, jaw dropping. "You serious?"

"Dead serious," Gus said, grinning at Luke's shock. "You in?"

"Hell yeah!" Luke nodded hard. "It's why I picked this major. Plus, working with you? I'm down."

He paused, then smirked, leaning in. "Unless you're trying to make it weird again, boss."

Gus stood, fake-grabbing a chair. "Keep it up, and you're out."

"Chill, chill!" Luke laughed, hands up. "Just messing with you."

Luke wasn't joking about one thing: Gus had a knack for pulling people in. The guy had a vibe—mature beyond his years, sharp as hell, always knowing what to say. Luke once read something online: if someone makes you feel totally at ease, picks up your random tangents, and even nudges you in a better direction, they're on another level. Gus was that guy—smart, empathetic, big-picture thinker.

Especially in gaming. Gus talked about games like he saw the future, sketching out ideas that blew Luke's mind. If anyone could lead him into the industry, it was Gus.

"Alright," Luke said, serious now. "I'm trusting you with my career, man."

Then he perked up. "Wait, what's this company done? Any games out? I'll check 'em out to get a feel for their style."

Just then, the dorm door swung open. Jake Rivers' voice boomed. "What game company? Gus, you landed an internship?"