Dear All,

Hope this letter finds you well.

I have been climbing this ever-towering mountain with nothing, just my bear hands for years and years. Slowly, but surely, the goal of "reaching one's dream" became part of my fabricated destiny: As I wished to prove the world that said dreams are worth fighting for; even at the expense of losing everything else in the process . . .

Life has fabricated the circumstances, in which now I find my soon-to-be studio and myself, that prompted the writing of this letter; in great-hopes that it would gain the attention of the right person or entity–or at least shed some light on where to find such one. In the (now) potential hands of a one-in-a-lifetime-opportunity (via a generous investor), my hopes lied in reaching out to many of the video game industry professionals, publishers and any other interested parties, in order to gain more insight as to how it worked economically and socially, so that I would be able to provide a more stable footing for said business venture (as I am planning to establish a studio in a more suitable business environment, other than the one I currently reside in), form new relationships, and–perhaps–be given some advice. However, as a foreigner, I have run into several, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, that are preventing my project from fruition; due to the lack of industry connections.

In a way, it is quite-discouraging to see that none of said efforts, in reaching out that is, have managed to yield any tangible results. On one hand, I can only speculate the reasons, or motivations behind the complete lack of interest in this venture and its first project (excluding the fact that now said project does not in need of funding), however, on the other, I might agree (to only a degree) with the strict policies–that many of said companies apply–to avoid unnecessary and unsolicited spam. However, that does not provide an adequate amount of answers as to why all-doors-are-shut, or give explanations as to how one should be countering its severe, crippling implementations–for the venture that is. Suffice to say that this–artificially created–situation is beyond mind-boggling, especially in the light of–now–me being in charge of both the Micro (the delivery of said studio's first title, which would be an ARPG, with striking art, gameplay and story), and the Macro scale (thinking in long terms, to decide what is best for the company as a whole) of said start-up.

The inability to make connections is particularly worrying to witness, as it not just speaks volumes of how my entire venture is valued (again, to reiterate, despite it already having a financial pillar to lean on, so-to-speak, thus validating the venture in the first place), how the whole "business" concept of tackling key issues in depth (such as disabilities, discrimination, abuse, minorities, etc.) in more digestible and entertaining fashion (as in having value of enjoyment) is viewed/perceived, and how the video game industry itself is structured (and traditional venture capitals) around this seemingly-impenetrable status quo (which this venture is set out to change, to some degree). As I have yet to gain insights as to why this is a thing, in 2021, why the extreme exclusivity and secured opportunities is beyond me; as I have yet to find out, why would someone not even give a business venture (such as this one) an opportunity to at-least present itself. To a great degree, this all feels more than rotten and uncomfortably damaging to live through . . .

Furthermore, come to think of it, there is this obvious fact, that I have been continued to include within my inquiries, that there are numerous strong and personal connections of mine, which are all related to a portion of the values, ones that this company would hope to champion for. Being different in a "pristine" world, in forms of disability, should never be frown upon, and should-be-encouraged, and discussed even more; as the general mentality towards such people is still lagging decades behind.

Then there is the chance of this phenomenon, the atmosphere surrounding this venture, being a taboo idea of some sorts, one that is intimidating said industry (both in principles and financially), in the light of fairly-recent events of certain game titles and occurrences within the trade itself. That being said, I have yet to discover a reason, why this venture would not work in the first place–especially knowing some about how business works.

Truth is, whichever the case may be, the fact that the project could not advance, just further reinforced my previous notions of how impossible it is to join "the club" (even after having spent years on pursuing such ideal), without being in "the" (privileged) position to do so. Would note that initially the latter meant–to my person at least–the immense financial requirements to be part of said "elite" club (as in having the ability to produce "AAA" content with sufficient hardware and software, whilst not living in the West), but now I am thoroughly-convinced that there is more to what meets the eye. The fact that there–is–an Angel group out there, proclaiming to fight against said status quo, must have some merit to it–I suppose.

Before getting too side-tracked, allow me to explain why the above is crucial to my point: By definition, what I am aiming to accomplish, is–simply put–considered impossible, a joke, and was under constant pressure from the outside to bring it all down (some actively tried to undermine said venture, even as of ongoing). This is something of a situation that I have had the "pleasure" to endure, over the course of my life. Strangely enough, I see nothing of it (as giving up was never an option), how this could be a problem, considering the fact that tackling the insurmountable is my lifelong passion, and have proven many times before how it all can be done. In just proving a point: One striking achievement would be the making of this Dark Souls 2 voice-over. Which was not a stroll in the park, or the result of an afternoon's. It was a full-blown production, as it was time consuming, challenging and required a great deal of perseverance to pull off just right: Took three full months to complete, from start to finish (as everything had to be built up from the ground, as there was no team, then had to tackle the issue of design/execution, etc.), involved a total of five incredibly talented people, while it was constantly hindered by the fact that it was Pro-bono (a non-paid venture), yet still managed to produce a decent enough result; despite all the naysayers. Something that is as relevant to this project as it will ever be–in my humble opinion.

And finally to summarize: All the above mentioned were the reasons why I have decided to write this open letter, in hopes that it would reach out to those whom are open and willing to get in contact; as my personal and business relationships are not just severely limited, but also obstructed from reaching mass coverage. Knocking on closed doors only took me so far . . . That is why, in the case I have caught your attention, or you might know someone who might be interested in such venture (which would employ a considerate amount of talent), I am leaving a link to my contact page here–just in case. Last but not least, would like to thank you for your time and consideration. Take care and stay safe!

Sincerely,

theaaronstory