Notrich.com

(2 of 2)

Erich and Max metaphorically stayed in front of that Apple II as Moore's law morphed it into a faster, better computer. Then came the Net. And after nearly a decade of wandering the techie wilderness, dabbling in desktop publishing and then gradually shifting into game design, the Schaefers struck gold with Diablo, the game that could be described as Quake meets Dungeons & Dragons. Then, in typical Silly Valley fashion, their company was bought out by a bigger company, which was bought by an even larger company. You know the rest.

Few things are supposed to be harder in life than to watch your friends become very successful. But when I visit Erich and Max, instead of being consumed by jealousy, I slip into the flow of discussion, debating what kind of weaponry a Paladin should wield or the advantages of the bec de corbin over a standard battle ax. The nuances of games come naturally to me. And spending time with them takes me back to those afternoons at play. That's what these guys do all day, play games. For a moment, I regret the path I took, of becoming a writer, of moving to New York City. I should have stayed with them. I should have kept playing games.

But then I think about my smiling baby daughter, four months old. I realize that everything I did I had to do, or I wouldn't have this particular child. And if that meant taking a pass on the greatest creation of wealth in the history of the world, then I played it right.

Although the money sure would have been nice.