Koopas and Keyboards: Nintendo Enters PC Gaming

Hey everybody! I guess I should introduce myself since I'm new. I've been a science fiction writer for a while, and after writing two novels of...limited success, I've decided to make my third an alternate history novel (which I'll discuss more when the time is right). At the same time, though, I'm admittedly not too familiar with the genre, so decided to take on a smaller project to dip my toes into it.

In 1990, a then-unknown Id Software approached Nintendo about the idea of porting Super Mario Bros. 3 to the PC. In our world, Nintendo declined. Id went on to make Commander Keen instead, and from there they went to make Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake, practically defining the FPS as we know it. But in another timeline...
 
MARIO JUMPS INTO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU!
You’ve rescued the princess on your Nintendo Entertainment System. You’ve stomped Koopa Troopas on the go with your Game Boy. Just when you thought it was time for the world’s busiest plumber to take a break, Nintendo and Id Software are teaming up to bring the action of “Super Mario Bros. 3” to your computer!

“It’s definitely an honor, being able to work alongside the biggest name in video games and help bring their titles to the PC crowd,” said Id Software co-founder John Romero. “Hopefully this will be the start of something great, for both Nintendo and all of us here at Id.”

What’s even better than playing Mario on your computer? Playing Mario on your computer for FREE! “Super Mario Bros. 3: Shareware Edition” is coming to stores this December! Ask your local retail outlet about it to receive a disk containing the first two worlds, fully playable, free of charge! If you’re still hungry for more afterwards, the rest of the game will be available for purchase. Bowser beware, there’s no system Mario can’t get to now!

-Nintendo Power #18, November/December 1990

MARIO DEFEATS ANOTHER “KING,” TOPS PC CHARTS AS YEAR COMES TO AN END
Gamers worldwide may still be reeling from the shock of Nintendo’s decision to enter the PC market, but there’s nothing surprising when it comes to their sales. Industry estimates place the “Super Mario Bros. 3” port’s sales as at least 1 million, a fact no doubt helped by Nintendo’s employment of the shareware model. The second-biggest title of the year, “King’s Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder,” achieved only half as much, enjoying a brief month in the sun before being stomped by Mario.

But the plumber’s invincibility may be just about to run out. As the Super Nintendo hits stores this year, Mario will face an enemy even worse than Bowser: Sega. Does Nintendo have what it takes to stay afloat in both the PC and console markets? Only time will tell.

-Computer Gaming World #60, February 1991

After careful deliberation, I have decided our previous agreement to develop a CD add-on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System is no longer necessary. Our newfound success in the market of personal computers has removed the need to research disc-based technology for our home consoles. I hope you are able to understand. Please give my regards to everyone at Sony.

-Letter from Hiroshi Yamauchi, President of Nintendo, to Norio Ohga, CEO of Sony, March 2, 1991

Plumbers Are For Toilets, Not TVs.

Sure, you could sit in your dad’s old office chair, use the same keyboard you type up your homework with, and squint your eyes as you try to make out the fat guy jumping around on the tiny screen. Or you could chill out on the couch, turn on the TV, put a controller in your hand, and get ready for the craziest thrill ride of your life.

Meet Sonic the Hedgehog. He’s blue, he’s got a major attitude, and he’s too fast for any cruddy computer to show. Only the coolest kids in town can handle this hog, and only the coolest kids in town play the Sega Genesis. Let Dad get back on the computer.

Genesis Does What Nintendon’t.

-Sega Genesis magazine ad, June 1991

MARIO STOMPS SONIC, BUT HIS SALES ARE IN ANOTHER CONSOLE
With the initial excitement of the Super Nintendo having long-since died out, the Sega Genesis is looking to be the victor this holiday season. But it’s not Sega that Super Nintendo fans need to worry about so much as Nintendo themselves. The recent PC release of Super Mario World has been flying off the shelves, and it’s not hard to see why. Who wants to pay 200 big ones for Super Mario World when you can play it on the same machine you used for Mario 3? The Q-Mann’s even heard word that the next Zelda is coming to the PC too!

Things may be looking down for the Super Nintendo, but don’t worry about Nintendo themselves. Sonic the Hedgehog can run all he likes, but he’s not catching up to Mario’s sales.

-Electronic Gaming Monthly #29, December 1991

Ah, the question everyone wants to ask. “Why’d you change?” Somehow they dig up the old notes I took, all those crazy cartoons and shit, then they look at me now and can’t figure out how we’re the same person. You were lucky enough to hold this interview while I’m in a good mood. If it’ll shut everyone up and put the question to rest, then fine. I’ll talk about the “good old days” this one time, and then I swear on my life I’ll never mention them again.

PC games used to be about freedom, letting your ideas run wild. Didn’t matter if your idea was too weird, too complex, too offensive, whatever. If you could code, you could make it. You probably wouldn’t get rich, but back then we didn’t really care. We had jobs. Monkey Island had done pretty well, or so we thought. We were already messing around, figuring out how the sequel would go, laughing at our own lame jokes.

Then came Mario. Suddenly there’s a game on the PC that any kid can pick up and play without a single hint. And we were competing with it with a bunch of inside jokes. We might as well have been burning money.

So the boss comes in and pulls the plug on Monkey Island 2. Some people said it was George Lucas himself that made the call. Personally, I don’t know and I don’t care. What mattered was we had to prove we were still worth keeping around and think up a game that would sell. Some of the other guys were already at work on a Star Wars platformer, but Ron and me, we prided ourselves on being “idea guys,” so they asked for ideas.

Ron pitched something about a bunch of guys going into a cave, seeing a bunch of weird shit down there, learning about the characters. I thought up something real quick about a kid jumping into people’s minds. Both of us got stopped before we could even finish. We weren’t giving games, we were giving stories. Bowser kidnaps the princess, Mario comes to rescue her. You can make millions with a story like that. Story’s not an issue.

What we both thought up was a guy going somewhere weird and seeing weird shit, so we started with that and worked from there. Steve had a lot of fun drawing the crazy backgrounds, I remember that much. Fun, that’s what we were still thinking about. We had to compete with Mario now, but we could still have fun. We could still be crazy. What if Mario could read the enemies’ thoughts and hear how much they hate their jobs? What if, you know, what if Mario had to kill a different princess to save the one he cared about? We had a lot of laughs at first.

Of course, then the boss kept demanding more and more changes. This ability’s too tricky to pull off, remove it. That joke’s too dark, we want kids to buy this. Every time we thought up something new, it got stripped away, until the end result amounted to Mario with some crazy backgrounds. It was a soulless piece of crap devoid of any of the artistry we cared about.

And you know what? It sold. It sold more than Monkey Island could’ve ever dreamed of. Hell, they’re still making new Psycho Cave games, and they always top the charts on Warp Pipe when they come out. Ron quit afterwards. Couldn’t handle a little change. But me, I’m adaptable. If you can make more money with less work…well, why wouldn’t you? That’s just common sense.

I don’t talk to Ron anymore. Or Steve, or Dave...only person I knew back in the “good old days” who I bother with anymore is my mother. Because I know what they’d say to me. They’ll complain about the games I do now, say they miss the old Timmy with the bad haircut and crazy ideas. They can call me a stiff all they like, but they can’t say I’m out of crazy ideas. It’s not the kind of crazy that they like, sure, but when a giant moves into your neighborhood and you’re expected to stand your ground, crazy ideas are what it takes to survive.

-Tim Schafer, CEO of Activision, interview with Forbes, November 2011

Intimidated? Of course we’re not intimidated. So you can attach that big ugly thing to the Genesis and put discs in it. Great. You can play Nintendo games on a disc already, and you don’t need to buy an add-on for it. All the equipment’s already in your own home. Let’s look at what we’ve done just this year, all right? We’ve got Zelda, on the Super Nintendo, in 256 beautiful colors on the PC. We’ve got Kirby, on the Game Boy. We’ve got Mario Kart coming up, and we’re looking into something really special with that. I can’t say too much about it yet. Hell, we might not even be able to implement it for a while, but it’s going to blow you away. Long story short, Sega better rethink that whole “Nintendon’t” thing.

-John Romero, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Nintendo of America, May 1992

DO YOU REMEMBER…CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN?
In this installment of “Do You Remember…” we take a look back at one of the more bizarre titles of gaming’s past. Playing as a prisoner of war escaping a Nazi fortress, Castle Wolfenstein had you reliving World War II on your Apple II. Despite the limits of the top-down perspective, Wolfenstein brought a pretty innovative stealth system, challenging the player to stay out of the guard’s vision (or at least be prepared to shoot him if you can’t!). It even proved popular enough for a sequel that improved on the formula, letting the player hide the dead guards and bribe the live ones. But alas, all good things must come to an end. In ’87 Wolfenstein developer Muse Software closed down, taking the series with them.

-Nostalgic Gamer Monthly #7, August 2010

REVIEW: “MINOTAUR II: THE PERILS OF DAEDALUS”
Although at first I eagerly anticipated the sequel to last year’s dungeon crawler, the end result has left me confused. Sure, with more classes, more items, and a more fleshed-out combat system, it improves on the original Minotaur’s formula in every way. At the same time, however, a part of me feels like the developers have missed out on the opportunity to do something truly fresh. With the recent arrival of “Link to the Past” to Macintosh, a game where you explore dungeons with a recognizable name behind it to boot, any small developers will need to come up with something truly revolutionary to compare, and unfortunately, that’s not to be found here. Minotaur II may be a worthy successor, but if the developers are already retreading familiar ground this early in their careers, I can’t foresee much of a future for Bungie.

-Computer Gaming World #110, September 1993.

We have happily modified the SNES version of Mortal Kombat as you’ve requested, but you have no authority regarding DOS as a platform. You are correct, the average consumer views the PC as “Nintendo games,” and if the violence of our title really does damage your reputation by association as you fear, we apologize. Regardless, the PC is not your system, and you have no right to dictate what a third-party developer releases on it. To even attempt something like that is not just pointless, but it indicates a desire to suppress the freedom of fellow artists. We don’t need your angry letters coming in from Redmond when we’ve got people from the other Washington on our ass.

Remember, John, before Nintendo bought you up, you and your friends were just a bunch of guys sitting around with big dreams. I bet you thought up ideas that would put Mortal Kombat to shame. Ideas that the guys upstairs don’t want sitting side-by-side with Mario. I’m sorry you won’t get the chance to make those ideas into a reality, but please don’t deny others the same chance. I’m sure you understand.

-Letter from Ed Boon to John Carmack, September 6, 1993

Thank you for your feedback on how to increase the marketability of Super Metroid in the West. Though your ideas are certainly interesting, I believe they would have the opposite effect of what you claim. Nintendo has always prided itself on family entertainment, and implementing your proposals are far more likely to alienate young consumers than attract them, especially in light of the recent violence controversy in your country. Furthermore, Samus Aran fights to maintain peace in the galaxy, not out of a lust for violence. I would never stand for such a gross violation of her character. Nevertheless, your input is appreciated, and we will be sure to maintain contact regarding other upcoming titles.

-Letter from Yoshio Sakamoto to John Carmack, December 10, 1993

Put Away The Kid’s Toys!

You’ve had your fun, Sonic. We know you’re so proud that you beat a system not even its own makers like with your fancy talk of “blast processing.” Save your big words for the dictionary. Our pictures speak for themselves. SNK and Sony are proud to introduce the NeoGeo 2. Arcade-perfect 2D graphics meet 3D graphics the likes of which have never been seen before. Now you’re practically in the game. So when you’re done messing with that dinky little hedgehog, get rid of the kidstuff and pick up a station where you can REALLY play.

-NeoGeo 2 magazine ad, June 1994

No, I guess Donkey Kong couldn’t go full Killer Instinct and beat the shit out of those alligators. Still, we’ve got to do something. That Warcraft game’s been getting a lot of attention, and we’ll have to lend some kind of mature edge if it hopes to compete. It kind of looks like a big cartoon, doesn’t it? Why not sneak in some dirty humor? Nothing too crazy, of course, but enough to tell people “This isn’t just a kid’s game!” I know you can pull it off.

-Letter from John Romero to Tim Stamper, July 1, 1994

You’ll never hear this from Romero or Carmack, you know, don’t bite the hand that feeds you, but the suits in Japan never knew what people wanted. Maybe it was the age difference. Bunch of old men trying to figure out what ten-year-old kids like. Maybe it’s how they’re on the other side of the world. Whatever it is, the Kyoto boys quickly figured out to listen to whatever the Johns had to say. First was convincing Rare to spice up Donkey Kong. The suits freaked out at first, sure, but afterwards they saw it worked. Then there was bringing Mario Kart to DWANGO. It’s commonplace now, of course, but back then the kids ate up being able to play with each other when they weren’t even together. And of course there was what happened with Earthbound. The Genesis had hit it big with Chrono Trigger, and Nintendo wanted their own RPG in the States to match it. The suits didn’t have a clue how to market it. Romero took one look at the boss fight at the end and said “We go with that.” Tell people a game’s full of freaky shit like that, and they’re going to get curious. He’s the reason Earthbound ended up the hit it did. Then he managed to convince Yokoi to drop that Virtual Boy nonsense. Even today, he’s still thanking Romero for that.

Miyamoto himself stayed skeptical, of course. That’s why Yoshi’s Island took the…interesting direction it did. After the sales came in, though, even he was convinced. Romero’s influence had spread to the point where nobody was able to contain it. I’m sure we all remember Yamauchi’s big announcement. At Nintendo’s offices, what shook us more was the day after. Shigeru Miyamoto wrote to the Johns, asking what they would do with Mario.

-Tom Hall, interview with IGN, September 26, 2011

That's all I have so far. Let me know what you think, if there's anything that needs work, etc. I need all the feedback I get if I want to take on a whole novel. I'll have more later!
 
I'm exceptic, even if that not is the first time that happened to Mario: http://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Mario_Bros._Special (that was to pay up a favor to Sharp Hudson for the Disk System and the Famicom BASIC).

The case than Nintendo will want dual release for their game is almost an ASB, Yamauchi know well that the consoles were a box for play Mario, even if they want to go PC, they will only port second line franchise(Kirby, Metroid maybe, Nintendo Wars/Fire Emblem who are strategy games) than Mario or Zelda.

And how influece for Id Software... Nintendo will make those guys a Second Party?

Etto... What will Happened to Apple? in the 90's before the cash inyection of Microsoft they were almost to declare Bankrupt and close the shop... and Nintendo Still have all that Cash reserves
 
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The case than Nintendo will want dual release for their game is almost an ASB, Yamauchi know well that the consoles were a box for play Mario, even if they want to go PC, they will only port second line franchise(Kirby, Metroid maybe, Nintendo Wars/Fire Emblem who are strategy games) than Mario or Zelda.

Damn, I admit I should've thought about that. Like I said, I'm new and have a lot to learn.

The best explanation I can give is that, since Nintendo's PC ventures started with Mario and proved profitable there, Yamauchi changed his mind and decided the best move was to put each game on as many systems as possible.
 
Damn, I admit I should've thought about that. Like I said, I'm new and have a lot to learn.

The best explanation I can give is that, since Nintendo's PC ventures started with Mario and proved profitable there, Yamauchi changed his mind and decided the best move was to put each game on as many systems as possible.

Umm that is explanation, but Again, as mention, Dual Release would no be possible, that they would port... example, Super Mario All Stars with SMW as a bonus is possible, but that would be like in 1993 o 1994.

Again i will not damage your timeline, keep going was interesting, and how the Id Software will help... they will make a Unified Engine to help Nintendo to Work? and Carmack suggesion to Metroid... an Early Metroid Prime?

and SNK & Sony working together... that is interesting(in the chinese sense) and that would change the life of Namco?

and if you want, put your timeline here: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=150436&page=1
 
A little more. Sorry I'm going so slow.

You all have probably been eager to hear more about the successor to the Super Famicom. When will it be available, you might ask? How much will it cost? We think you will be pleased to hear that Nintendo’s newest system is out as we speak. In fact, most of you already have it in your own homes.

Despite our recent success in the market of personal computers, the Super Famicom has proven costlier than it could hope to make up for in sales. In addition, when compared to the constantly improving hardware of a computer, many developers found the constraints of a console to be frustrating. I still remember the angry letters from those who waited for the Super Famicom port of Super Metroid, only to find it did not look as good as the original PC release. Don’t worry, though, we learn from our mistakes. (laughs)

Following the retirement of the Super Famicom, Nintendo will cease to produce home consoles, instead focusing our efforts on games for personal computers. We find this decision will be very liberating for our developers. Utilizing the power of the PC, Nintendo’s next generation will bring games the likes of which have never been seen before. You won’t find them on the Neo Geo 2, or even the Sega Exodus. No, they’ll only be on a machine that already sits comfortably on your desk.

Note that, in spite of the recent failures of the Super Famicom, our handheld market has remained strong, and we plan to bring even more innovative titles to the Game Boy line. One particularly interesting game is one we have dubbed Pocket Monsters…

-Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo Space World Software Exhibition, November 24, 1995

Cancel all production on Street Fighter III. Tekken has the 3D angle, Mortal Kombat’s violence has kids hooked in the West, and King of Fighters has Sony’s marketing behind it now. We’ll need a real selling point to keep it up in the fighting market. Think a crossover might be in order.

-Internal memo at Capcom offices, February 1996

REVIEW: “SUPER MARIO 3D”
We’ve all been anxious when it comes to the first PC-exclusive Mario ever since last year’s big announcement. Could Nintendo still push itself when it’s no longer considering the competition? This year’s already seen the release of Crash Bandicoot and Duke Nukem III, two classic platformers on the console front. Fortunately, the good plumber has proven to be on top once again.

From the minute Mario first jumped out of the Warp Pipe and into a full 3D world for me to explore, I was blown away, plain and simple. While the camera can be a little wonky at times, the sense of movement the game provides is unprecedented. But don’t worry, purists. Despite the big changes, it’s still a Mario game at heart. Same classic enemies, same classic power-ups like the Fire Flower, and the same Bowser to fight.

One point where the game really shines, though, is its level design. Mario has always been about capturing that childlike feel of exploring a fantastic world, and Super Mario 3D uses its bold new dimension to deliver that better than ever before. The game still has the usual stock locations, a desert level, an ice level, and so on, but also manages to take Mario into more bizarre territory. My personal favorite was “Spooky Space Station,” a level set on a futuristic base overrun by monsters. While the enemy design was a lot more intimidating than what Mario’s used to, it made for a nice change of pace, while showing the kind of graphics Nintendo’s capable of on the PC.

All in all, Super Mario 3D may be Mario’s greatest adventure yet. Something tells me the best is still yet to come from Nintendo.

-Electronic Gaming Monthly #87, October 1996
 
i don't think pokemon was expected to be a big hit. and for the record, the original games weren't a smash success. They simply sold steady for an extraordinary period of time, which prompted an updated rerelease to be made, which in turn resulted in pokemon blue version, and that was a Smash success
 
i don't think pokemon was expected to be a big hit. and for the record, the original games weren't a smash success. They simply sold steady for an extraordinary period of time, which prompted an updated rerelease to be made, which in turn resulted in pokemon blue version, and that was a Smash success

That is a part true, Pokemon was pretty expensive for both Nintendo and Game Freak, but again with initial sales were good for nintendo for a while, them the game keep selling and selling and triples the sales of the gameboy so much that the update was comissioned as a special edition(only bought via mail) that help to the pokemania, that and the Mew rumors.

Pokemon still is a great rpg in cheap system, Nintendo still will be the Emperor of Portables games.

Again Nintendo dropping the consoles still is strching some suspension of disbelief but again is your timeline keep going... and we still going to have Goldeneye in this timeline?

Which were your other two novels? i can buy them digitally? and your third one will be based in this timeline?
 
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Bump

http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/16901

Well, take your time with the update but again,i've some questions:

1) Tim Schaffer Mention something called, the Warp Pipe when new game come... that is In This Timeline equivalent of Steam? that name...Nintendo made Steam TTL?What happened to Valve?(Well without a FPS market Gabe Newell would have this breakthrought Hit, and maybe NoA/Id Software would recuruit him?)

2) You Mention Sega genesis Chrono Trigger, SEGA moneyhat Square?will super mario RPG happen? and that Earthbound become a hit thanks to clever marketing... that means that Nintendo will fully fund Mother 3 for PC?

3) Which company wll be the Street Figher crossover?

4) Will Super Smash Bros create here?

5) Nintendo can still make Xenoblade in this timeline?(recruit takahashi when he leaves Square)

6) Which were your other novels, when i can read it?

sorry if a lot of question, your timeline is pretty well written and you trully did your homework
 
Hey, thanks again for the interest!

Unfortunately, life has been kind of crazy for me lately. When I do have time for writing, it ends up going to the other, much larger timeline I have planned, so I haven't been able to update Koopas and Keyboards much lately. Now that I know at least one person is interested in me continuing it I'll see what I can do, but sadly I can't make any promises.

I was thinking that Nintendo would eventually make a Steam-like client, which is what Warp Pipe was supposed to be. Valve would likely have never come into being without id's influence (if I do manage to keep going, I'll have a little nod to this). As for the rest of your questions...some things I'd like to keep secret. In the event things get so hectic for me that continuing is out of the question, though, I'll just dump all the other ideas I had planned.

As for my past books, they're called But Whether Men Do and Per Astra Ad Aspera. Note that I was pretty young writing both of them, so if you don't like them, well...try not to think less of me as a writer. I'm hoping this next book will go better. I've also done some free short stories.

Thanks again for your support, and again, I apologize for how slow I've been lately.
 
Hey, thanks again for the interest!

Unfortunately, life has been kind of crazy for me lately. When I do have time for writing, it ends up going to the other, much larger timeline I have planned, so I haven't been able to update Koopas and Keyboards much lately. Now that I know at least one person is interested in me continuing it I'll see what I can do, but sadly I can't make any promises.

I was thinking that Nintendo would eventually make a Steam-like client, which is what Warp Pipe was supposed to be. Valve would likely have never come into being without id's influence (if I do manage to keep going, I'll have a little nod to this). As for the rest of your questions...some things I'd like to keep secret. In the event things get so hectic for me that continuing is out of the question, though, I'll just dump all the other ideas I had planned.

As for my past books, they're called But Whether Men Do and Per Astra Ad Aspera. Note that I was pretty young writing both of them, so if you don't like them, well...try not to think less of me as a writer. I'm hoping this next book will go better. I've also done some free short stories.

Thanks again for your support, and again, I apologize for how slow I've been lately.

Well Real life always take away all the plans, take your time with timeline, and make a great product.

Umm, Those novels send interesting, specially the first, looks like a darker A.I, very interesting.

Yes is possible and pausable(and ironic) to Nintendo make Steam. And remember, was Doom who prove for Newell that videogames were a market and he consider that Super Mario 64(3d Here) that those were art, and he delayed Half-Life after the sucess of Goldeneye. So i can imagine to Gabe to be a Reggie-esque characther as the general director of Warp Pipe and make those discount,XD. Keep the timeline as you want, if you need advice or information, don't doubt about asking about it.

http://www.computerandvideogames.co...urite-games/?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS (this one can be itneresting)

well waiting for more Enceladus, good luck with your life and work.
 
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Not sure if anyone else is interested, but I figure I should just let people know that, due to real-life issues, I'm forced to abandon this timeline.

The good news is, though, that when I'm ready I'll share that other, much larger project I've been working on. Also, I've given Nivek my blessing to work on a similar timeline, so if you're interested in seeing it carried further I'm sure he'll be able to satisfy that.

I'm really sorry again, but hopefully you all haven't seen the last of me. ;)
 
Not sure if anyone else is interested, but I figure I should just let people know that, due to real-life issues, I'm forced to abandon this timeline.

The good news is, though, that when I'm ready I'll share that other, much larger project I've been working on. Also, I've given Nivek my blessing to work on a similar timeline, so if you're interested in seeing it carried further I'm sure he'll be able to satisfy that.

I'm really sorry again, but hopefully you all haven't seen the last of me. ;)

well, real life can be hard, all here understand your problem.. thus we will waiting your next AH project.

Thanks for the blessing, some of your ideas were nice and very good execution, was a shame that is come to an end, but again, i'll make a great work for a good spiritual sucessor for this timeline.

good luck with your project Enceladus.
 
Well first, let me say welcome to AH.com! Always good to have more writers here, given just how many 0f us dream of being one ourselves :)D).

That said, hope you work out your real life issues - for the record, loved this, looking forward to what you do next, and I plan to check out your other stuff soon!
 
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