"[ engine turns over, tires screech ]" "Young man:" "It's 'cause she's a girl." "That's why she's baiting you." "Sara:" "Here I come." "Here I come." "Watch out." "Wyldncrazi, I'm coming for you." "You got lucky." "That was a close second." "This is all skill." "It's 'cause of the control." "I'm telling you." "Hey, teebyrrd, you got it together for the online contest?" "I got to take a pass, wyldncrazi." "How about you?" "I'm so stoked." "I've got this awesome..." "Yeah, yeah, we know about your new car," "But it's gonna get you disqualified." "Like I care." "I'm just saying." "Hey, guys, how about focus on the game?" "Or let teebyrrd have a turn at this." "You know, I appreciate it, ultimitgrrl," "But like I said, I'm outta here." "Right now?" "I'm just gonna crash for a few hours," "Then I'm leaving tonight." "Dude, night driving rules." "Yeah, totally." "Oh, oh, oh, here we come." "[ speaks indistinctly ]" "Man: ...4, 15." "Cecil:" "What?" "6." "6?" "It's basic math, cecil." "Remind me the time we took that road trip together, remember?" "We'd just got out of the service," "Been pretty near zach's age, I expect." "Mm-hmm, I do recall." "You know, I never been out of the heartland," "Barely out this town." "Yeah, but you know this one place better than any man alive," "And that's an accomplishment, don't you think?" "Hey, zach." "You need a hand?" "Hey, pops." "No." "Thanks." "I'm good." "Man:" "And then some." "[ laughs ]" "I had some time to look at the accounts," "And I think we better have a talk before I go." "I got it, zach." "I got it." "Hey, jules, what's up?" "No, dude, I don't have time to play some random mmo right now." "'Cause I don't." "All right, talk to you later." "Sara:" "So, teebyrrd, where you out of here to?" "Well, believe it or not, I got into d.I.G.D." "Wow!" "Best design school in the country!" "Good job, zach." "Ultimitgrrl, you look surprised." "I just didn't know you were that smart." "Better be that smart." "I heard the first-semester project is a killer." "Knocks out 50% of the class." "More like 60%." "Plus you got that marcus bentton to deal with." "And a serious legend." "Well, nothing like some virtual support." "[ laughs ]" "All right, guys, I got to pack up some gear." "I'll talk to you later." "All right, see you later." "See you guys." "Hey, maybe we'll meet up one day." "You think?" "You never know." "Zach:" "It always starts out the same." "I'm driving around in my old t-bird," "Which I do a lot," "Especially when I'm trying to figure stuff out." "Right now I'm trying to figure out how to leave home" "And say goodbye." "I know I've put it off," "And time's pretty much run out." "When all of a sudden, right out of nowhere... [ grunts ]" "[ Tires squeal ]" "And that's when I remember what this is..." "And I know how to get out of it." "Billy:" "Zachariah!" "[ Gasps ] we've got company." "Come on, son!" "[ Groans ]" "Oh!" "[ cheers and applause ]" "Oh, we're so proud of you!" "[ laughing ] zach!" "Oh!" "Hey, I knew when you thought up" "That application thingy you thought up..." "Uh, what was it now?" "Mckanik, stanley." "Right, yeah, mckanik!" "Such a shame somebody else beat you to market." "Yeah, well, that's how it goes sometimes, right?" "But it was a right good idea, though." "Troubleshoot your car from your phone." "I knew when you did that, you were going places," "And now you are!" "Woman:" "Yeah, he's off to college." "[ Indistinct talking ]" "Oh, for mercy's sakes." "Cecil, don't stall." "[ laughter ]" "Well, surprise, surprise," "And congratulations!" "Guys, it's not even my birthday." "I don't know what to say." "It is in a way, son." "Wow. "Zach, your adventure begins." "We love you."" "Thanks, guys." "Blow out the candles." "All right." "[ Cheers and applause ]" "You're ready." "You're ready." "Good luck, son." "Thanks, pops." "[ Dog barking ]" "[ Electricity zaps ]" "You know what that is?" "That sound?" "Small step for bugs, epic win for mankind." "The spark of human imagination." "It's your move." "You see, most commercial traps," "They roast the little stinkers and leave a big old carcass," "But with my little tweak, it turns them into a fine ash." "[ Zapping ]" "Yeah!" "Vaporize!" "See, that's what I'm talking about." "If you would have registered your modification" "At the patent office..." "Ah, we'd be fat and happy," "We don't need fat and happy, pops." "I mean, that's what I'm saying." "What we need is seven grand for property taxes" "And 10 for the man at the bank." "Mm-hmm." "Mm-hmm." "Mm-hmmm-hmm!" "[ groans ] [ laughs ]" "Man." "Ah." "Oops." "Sorry." "Mm." "Mm." "Boy, you got a knack, zach." "I'll give you that." "Pops, you work all the time." "I mean, all the time," "And half of what you do you do it for free." "Helping out strangers for no charge?" "Son, I try to do what's right." "If you can't pay and the bank calls your loan," "Everything goes." "I mean, your whole life?" "My home?" "Poof!" "Don't worry, all right?" "I'm on it." "Now, you better get on the road." "Pops, I can help." "It's not your place." "Well, what's my place?" "Always be the kid?" "But you are a kid." "Come on, now." "Drive safely." "I will." "And you, please, keep up with the taxes." "Uh-huh." "Uh-huh." "Don't worry." "I got it." "Thought you were going to fix the door?" "Yeah, you know me, pops." "I was online day-in and day-out, but I'll get it done." "I'll get it done." "[ Jackson barks ]" "Jackson!" "I'm coming back, boy, I promise." "I'm gonna miss you, buddy." "I'll be back, promise." "[ Jackson whimpers ]" "I love you, jackson." "Okay, let's let him go." "[ Jackson whimpering ]" "[ Sighs ]" "I love you, son." "I know that." "I got you, pops." "[ Voice breaking ] go on." "G-get out of here." "[ Engine turns over ]" "♪ Feels like, feels like everything will be okay ♪" "♪ And now we've got the time ♪" "♪ Where challenges are far behind ♪" "♪ It feels like, feels like everything is gonna be okay ♪" "♪ Everything is gonna be okay ♪" "[ Indistinct conversations ]" "[ Banging ] young woman:" "Dude, nice parking job!" "Young man:" "What's up with you, man?" "Young man ♪2:" "Off the sidewalk." "Oh, this is bad." "Hi." "Hi." "Hi." "Good morning." "How are you today?" "Young man ♪3:" "Morning, ms." "Lambert." "Hello." "Good morning." "[ Indistinct conversations ]" "Ah, please." "[ Door creaks ] [ screams ]" "No, no, no!" "Man:" "Oh!" "I have something..." "Right here." "Are you okay?" "Why are you here?" "I was..." "I was accepted as a freshman" "Into the video game design department." "No." "I mean, here." "As in, why are you parked on the sidewalk" "In the middle of campus?" "Um, well, I got here last night." "Well, uh, this morning." "The parking lot is there." "Admissions is there." "And game-design orientation is in 20 minutes" "In the auditorium, over there." "Yes, ma'am." "May I?" "Please, absolutely." "I'm so sorry about this." "I'm sorry." "I'm sure you are." "Young woman:" "Uh, excuse me." "I know!" "I-I'm leaving." "Zach taylor." "David cameron, dean of students." "Yeah." "Uh, pleasure, sir." "Okay, everything seems to be all set." "[ Sighs ]" "Well, architecture for my "banana man" game." "You'll have to go to financial services" "Right after orientation." "Oh." "Uh, there's not much room in the dorm," "So we put you off campus with two other students" "With, uh, compatible skills." "You'll be teaming up with them for the project." "The place is a little funky." "I think you'll like it." "Here's the address, 650 1/2 lincoln alley." "Um, and 1/2, sir?" "And 1/2." "And orientation begins in seven minutes." "We're here, auditorium's there." "The committee love your mckanik app." "You guys saw that?" "Yeah." "Right here in the office." "You sent the basic architecture" "With your application, remember?" "Right." "Uh, right." "Thank you." "Thank you so much." "[ Deep voice ] and so, make your time." "Ha ha ha." "[ Deep voice ] uh, for greek justice!" "Both:" "Ha ha." "Hmm, hmm." "[ Normal voice ] dude, "zero wing" was epic." "Epic." "Ah ah ah." "[ Both imitate explosion ]" "[ Chuckles ] [ deep voice ] ha ha!" "Ha ha!" "Abbie:" "Welcome, freshmen." "If you're not in video-game design," "You're in the wrong location." "And we have a surprise for you." "[ applause ]" "[ Chuckles ] [ cheering ]" "Oh, yeah." "Everyone settle down." "Settle down." "[ laughs ]" "I believe you all know dr." "Marcus bentton," "And if you don't, you soon will." "All right, now, well, I see some empty seats in the front row." "Now, come on." "Don't be shy." "Come on." "Y'all come sit down right here." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "Now, uh, I'm gonna start with the good news." "Y'all made it in to the program." "Give yourselves a hand!" "[ Cheers and applause ]" "Yes!" "Now, unfortunately, there's bad news." "I think most of you are well aware" "That in three months," "Half of you will no longer in the program." "[ Students murmuring ]" "Fortunately, we have dean cameron here" "To help you understand the intention of the project," "So please welcome the illustrious, amazing, awesome" "Dean of students!" "[ Cheers and applause ]" "[ Indistinct whispering ]" "Good morning, gamers." "Together:" "Good morning!" "Good morning, gamers!" "Good morning!" "Much better." "Now, of course, you've all heard of the project." "Some call it mean-spirited." "Others say it's impossibly impossible." "It's a test..." "To see if you measure up to a standard" "That we consider to be the highest in the nation." "Here at d.I.G.D., there's no "I."" "There's only "w-e," "we."" "Because video games are designed by a team." "Now, you've all been carefully selected" "And divided into teams of three and four" "Based upon your specific skill set." "Some of you are artists." "Some of you are programmers." "A number of you are dreamers." "And a group of you with strong leadership abilities," "You're natural producers." "We have a policy..." "That no freshman may accept outside consulting work" "Until the second semester." "Your complete or creative focus needs to be on the project," "Your allegiance solely on the team." "So, who's ready to imagine?" "[ Cheers and applause ]" "Who's ready to innovate?" "Who's ready to rock?" "[ Cheers and applause ]" "All right, your teams have been set out on a bulletin board" "Just outside this theater." "Good luck to everyone." "Thank you." "Sorry." "Excuse me." "Ultimitgrrl?" "Oh, hey, teebyrrd." "But you're not really..." "I don't know... now you," "Virtual?" "[ chuckles ]" "Yeah." "Zach taylor." "Sara ramirez." "Uh, fr... from where?" "All over." "Africa and asia, mostly." "Wow." "Africa." "Now, that's random." "How'd that happen?" "So you've heard of a military brat." "Yeah." "I'm what you would call a "heal the planet" brat." "Both my parents are doctors." "Nice." "What about you?" "Oh, nowhere near as exotic." "A little town in the heartland." "We're off of rotary phones, and there's no more dial-up," "So it's all good." "Hmm." "Must be nice to be from somewhere." "Yeah." "It is." "Andy:" "Hey, sara!" "Hey, andy." "Nice!" "It was nice to meet you in a natural 3-d environment," "Zach taylor." "You too, sara ramirez." "Maybe we'll meet up again." "Sara:" "What's up with the alligator catch?" "That was so lame." "[ Exhales ]" "Zach: "funky" didn't halfway near describe" "The disaster of accommodation" "The dean of students had recommended." "He'd given me a strange address." "What was up with that fraction, 650 1/2?" "And who were these roommates I had to team up with," "And were they guys I could count on?" "Man, if only life had a controller," "I'd sure feel a lot better." "[ buzzer ]" "Young man:" "Speak, human." "Hey, it's, uh, zach taylor." "The dean of students gave me this address." "[ Robotic voice ] how are you, gentleman?" "All your base are belong to us. [ Chuckles ]" "You are on the path to destruction." "[ Deep voice ] hmm." "What you say?" "[ laughs ] [ normal voice ] one sec." "[ Window closes ] nice." "[ Buzzer ]" "Hey!" "How's it going?" "Zach, phillip reese." "Phillip reese." "Uh, zach taylor." "Nice to meet you." "Let me show you around." "Come on." "One thing you should know about me" "Is I don't respond so well to asparagus." "Even just a whiff of it provokes an anaphylactic reaction..." "Vomiting, hives, diarrhea, atopic eczema." "My lips swell up like beach cruiser inner tubes." "So I'm guessing asparagus is out." "Correct." "Okay." "Uh, donald and I sleep in the two rooms back there," "And you're in here." "♪ Coming at you with a brand-new sound ♪" "Hey." "Ha ha." "I got one of these back home." "Yeah, man." "Pac-man's a beast." "Come on." "[ Whistles ]" "Donald!" "Donald!" "Yeah, what?" "Come on, he's here." "Oh." "Hurry up." "♪ My life is going on the radio ♪" "[ Spits ]" "You a fighter?" "I-I'm really trying to cut back on that." "[ laughs ]" "[ Grunts ]" "Welcome to our sandbox, dude." "I'm donald wallace," "Your art director, sportsman," "Bon vivant, and raconteur." "Phil here is the resident math genius." "Dude does code upside down." "Oh, that's a nice trick, dude." "He, uh, he tell you about the asparagus?" "Yeah, uh, he mentioned it." "I am so sorry." "He's a total hypochondriac." "I'm sorry." "A hypochondriac?" "Yes." "So the next time I horf an extra-large pavement pizza," "Because nobody was vigilant and they put asparagus" "In my proximity, and my face explodes," "Do you think that's me being a hypochondriac?" "Paranoid hypochondriac." "It explodes." "Guys, guys, guys." "You've seen it happen." "Can I get some help with my stuff really fast?" "Yeah, sure." "Just a minute." "I'm sorry, man." "Bygones." "Yeah." "That wasn't very mature." "Oh, hey, check out the wheels, phil." "Your mom had one just like that, right?" "Phil's mom?" "Oh." "Yeah." "We've known each other for quite a while." "15 fun-filled years." "Not nearly as much fun" "As the game play in "elves in space,"" "But right up there." ""Elves in space" was one of the worst video games of all time." "The other thing about phil," "He's irony-challenged." "Phillip:" "At least I don't dress up like some clown" "Who thinks he's sugar ray whatever-his-face." "Phillip, you know that suiting up puts me in the zone" "And gives me flow." "Gives you flow?" "What are you, a mermaid?" "[ Horn honks ]" "Is everything all right, mr." "Taylor?" "Yeah." "Uh, no, it's a great space." "Roommates okay?" "They're a total dream team." "Perfect." "Good, good." "Glad to hear it." "Park right in here." "All right." "Why don't y'all come down in an hour or so," "Join us for dinner?" "Uh, d-down?" "Oh." "He didn't tell you?" "Who didn't tell me?" "Oh." "The dean of students and I..." "we're, um, an item." "Okay, so, wait." "You mean that you guys live here, then?" "With our 8-year-old." "So, does that mean that you and dean are..." "We're your landlord!" "Right." "Yeah." "Wow." "Now, that's funky." "Donald: ..." "Your breathing, charlie, and swing wide." "Listen to me, charlie." "Make sure you hit the fruit." "Hit the pineapple!" "[ Screaming ] what are you doing?" "Reverse your motions, charlie." "Abbie:" "How long ago did it happen?" "Uh, four years ago." "It happened fast, too..." "some kind of blood anomaly." "Not exactly leukemia, but something like it." "And then they found the primary tumor in her pancreas." "Zach..." "They, uh, they gave her six weeks," "And she made it to seven." "[ chuckles ]" "I'm so sorry." "Did you get a chance to really talk with her?" "Yeah." "Yeah, um, she told me her tricks to defeat glados" "In the original "portal."" "And a bit more, I suspect." "My daddy was a botanist." "So I learned the names of all the flowers in the garden" "Before I was 6." "When we lost him, when I was in high school..." "I felt like my whole library burnt down." "David:" "Are you gonna give me a ch..." "Mom, charlie's not letting me play." "[ Scoffs ] charlie!" "Give your daddy a chance!" "Okay." "Wha!" "Okay, cheese now." "Cheese." "Cheese on the top." "This is the best comfort food ever!" "My mom used to make me this ravioli" "When she'd go out on a date with my daddy" "And leave me with that babysitter who never talked." "[ laughs ]" "Okay, gamers!" "15 minutes till abbie's house rules apply!" "Charlie:" "No dirty hands..." "No consoles left on," "No texting under the table." "You're right." "Dude, that's harsh!" "Manners." "He was just being ironic." "Thank you, phillip." "[ Tires screech ]" "How do you do, sir?" "Hi." "Thank you." "Right this way." "There you go." "[ Exhales sharply ]" "Hey, andy." "Sir." "Thanks for coming by." "No problem." "Can I get you anything?" "I'm good, thanks." "[ Breathing heavily ]" "Got a bit of a situation" "That needs some careful handling." "Okay." "I understand." "I like you, andy." "I believe in you." "It'd mean a lot to me if you could take this on." "Sure." "Whatever you need." "Good." "First thing I need is your word of honor." "Absolute secrecy." "Can you give me that?" "Can I count on your loyalty?" "Yes, sir." "Terrific." "[ Sniffs ]" "Welcome to game 132," "Story design for computer games" "For three credits." "Everyone in the right room?" "Good." "My name is dr." "Abigail lambert." "I go by "abbie." [ chuckles ]" "Now..." "What?" "I want all of you to do well this semester..." "Shh!" "So, here are my rules." "Two incomplete assignments," "Miss two of my classes" "Without valid evidence of a real problem," "Or you don't collaborate with your team..." "Any one of these infractions" "Gets you knocked right out of the sandbox." "Clear?" "We're not in high school anymore, toto." "Toto joined the circus after she let him go free." "You have all been assigned a team for the project." "No." "She didn't let him go free." "But you only have one week to change partners," "If that's the right thing to do." "Now, you got to be smart about this." "Best to make those tough decisions now." "All right?" "Art director, programmer, dreamer, and a producer..." "Are the big four that give your team balance." "But I-I already have a group." "Anyway, you're probably not into what I'm into." "Just give me a shot." "What is it?" "I told you already." "I'm a "heal the planet" brat." "[ Chuckling ] right." "All right, just meet them?" "I mean, they're really good guys," "Just..." "Not producer types." "Well, what about you?" "No, no." "I've never led anybody in my life." "We got to make this thing work," "Otherwise our whole plan, you know the vision thing," "What we've been talking about for 10 years..." "Phil, phil, phil?" "What?" "You know sometimes I tell you you have to relax?" "Yeah." "This is one of those times." "Deep breath." "[ breathes deeply ]" "Guys, this is sara." "This is donald and phillip." "Hey." "Both:" "H-hey, y-you." "Oh." "Look, I'm flattered, really," "But I already have a group." "So..." "Got to get to class." "And I thought she'd go for it." "By the way, she didn't." "No, no, she's perfect." "She's clear-headed, decisive." "And attractive, too, I would say." "There is that." "Yep." "Wilks:" "This one's whaley." "This next one is bunny boy." "He looks about one helix shy of a genome." "You'll find the content on your thumb drives." "Add to, take away from," "Turn it into a pencil sharpener if you want." "Deconstruct them, reconstruct them." "Remix this content, repurpose it any way you want." "As long as we..." "I know." "Giving him sprouty things on his face is what we're doing." "[ laughing ]" "Phillip?" "Yes." "What are you cackling about over there?" "I'm not cackling about anything." "You cackled." "I didn't hear me laugh." "You laughed at something." "I'm doing my homework." "What is funny about your homework?" "Nothing!" "That's what I've been saying." "I'm just doing my homework." "I don't believe you." "I don't believe you, and I don't trust you." "You want to come take a look?" "Yes, I do." "Look, I'm doing my whale boy homework." "He said to add to and take away," "So obviously I took away." "And what did you add?" "You really want to see, donald?" "I kind of do." "Are you sure?" "Okay." "Here you go." "[ laughs ]" "That's..." "That's funny." "It's hilarious." "It's a beautiful picture of you." "I love it." "What are you doing?" "Yeah, this is hilarious." "[ All arguing ] ...Make you hurl all over the loft..." "Is really funny to me, phillip." "I have an equilibrium askew." "Donald!" "Donald!" "Donald!" "[ Indistinct talking ]" "Where are you guys from?" "Seriously, this is ridiculous!" "We're from cleveland." "Ohio." "He knows that cleveland's in ohio, doofus." "Well, it never hurts to clarify, smart one." "How are you guys friends?" "This is the craziest relationship I've ever..." "We're going into business together." "Yeah." "Shut the door." "That's awesome." "Yeah, we planned out the whole thing" "When we were the only two members of a video game club" "That founded." "And the only problem is" "We don't know if he's going into business with me" "Or if I'm going into business with him." "No." "That's not the problem." "We already agreed that he's going into business with me." "No, no, no." "See, I made the executive decision..." "Executive decision?" "Who made you the executive?" "I did." "I think you are an amazing..." "An astonishing generation." "And it's a good thing," "Because something big is happening on this planet." "I truly believe that intellectually, creatively," "Soulfully, you are the generation" "Destined to change the world that we inhabit." "The mantle of innovation..." "I've been healing the planet all my life." "I need a break." "...Has been passed to you." "The way you see the world..." "So..." "If the offer still stands." "[ Cheers and applause ]" "Welcome to the dream team." "Now, on to business." "Since your teams have been organized," "I have been assigned to fire the starter's pistol." "This year's team is..." "Can I have a drumroll, please?" "The theme of the project is "resolution..." "And how we make decisions."" "Good luck to all of you." "I want taylor out of this school by christmastime." "Phillip:" "So, no space marines..." "Donald:" "What about orcs, though?" "Can we use orcs?" "Is that allowed?" "Orcs are kid stuff, guys." "This is a college class." "Orcs are cool." "Okay." "Well, then, if we're not using orcs," "Then we can't use elves, either." "'Cause that's lame." "Guys, guys, guys." "How do we all define "game"?" "Uh..." "A series of meaningful choices." "Dude." "That was exactly right." "Yeah?" "Nice." "[ Both chuckle ]" "I'm sorry, dude." "Sara:" "I'm really thirsty." "Did anybody bring anything to drink?" "Yes, sir, I did, boss lady." "I have juice." ""Boss lady"?" "Boss lady." "Do you just carry...?" "Phillip:" "Yes." "So, okay, so what about this "no consulting" rule?" "Are we all okay with that?" "It's fine with me, yeah." "Andy:" "Hey, sara." "Hey, andy." "These are my teammates," "Donald, phillip, and zach." "Guys." "Good luck with the project." "Phillip:" "Thank you." "My boss is throwing a barbecue for the freshmen class." "Bring your bathing suits." "He's marcus bentton's assistant." "That's a tough job." "He's kidding." "Yeah, thanks." "I got that." "Oh, uh, I was just..." "Shh, shh, shh." "Anyway..." "Call you later, sara." "Phillip:" "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "Okay." "It says here attire is smart casual." "What's smart casual?" "Like, how can you be smart and casual?" "None of my friends are casual." "Really?" "Go figure." "[ Indistinct shouting ]" "♪ 'Cause we know ♪" "♪ Yeah, we know ♪" "♪ We're gonna take your rules and smash them all apart ♪" "♪ As we go, and you know ♪" "Whoo!" "♪ No one can tell us what to do ♪" "♪ Gonna destroy you, until we know you ♪" "♪ Not gonna bore you, and we do anything we want ♪" "♪ We're gonna find you ♪" "♪ Gonna remind you ♪" "♪ And we do anything we want ♪" "Marcus bentton." "Good to meet you." "How did he do it?" "Five bestsellers on the future of video games." "Envisioneering, controller free play," "Next-gen console." "And then there's the consulting gigs" "With the biggest guys in silicon valley," "Europe, and china." "Marcus." "Andy." "This is sara ramirez." "Pleasure to meet you, sara." "You too, dr." "Bentton." "So, how are things going?" "Are you getting around okay?" "Yes." "Thank you." "It's a great program." "Well, we do our best." "I'm gonna go find charlie." "Marcus." "Abby." "Oh, here's some students I really want you to meet." "All right." "Sara." "[ laughs ]" "This is amazing." "Yeah!" "Donald, good thing I'm wearing sunglasses." "Or I'd have a retina burn." "I'm having fun." "Anyway, this is marcus bentton." "I'd like you to meet donald wallace." "Marcus:" "Professor wallace." "Sir." "Phillip reese." "Sir." "And zach taylor." "Welcome to the program." ""Zach taylor." now, why does that ring a bell?" "Of course, you're the young man that worked up the architecture" "For that fabulous mckanik app." "Not to mention a boatload of academic prizes." "Great to have you here, son." "Thank you, sir." "Thank you." "Thank you so much." "Donald:" "Told ya." "[ Whispering indistinctly ]" "Marcus:" "Now, let me guess." "The late and lamented payne stewart." "Yeah!" "Sir, that's right." "Are you a golfer?" "Knock a ball around in my basement every now and then." "That's what I'm going for." "Zach, do you have a minute?" "Yeah." "Absolutely." "Join me downstairs, would you?" "Nice to meet you." "You have a beautiful house, sir." "Save it, son." "You'll need it before you graduate." "Let's go eat marcus bentton's food." "Marcus:" "You like fish?" "Zach:" "Uh, I never really thought of it." "It's funny how things take on a deeper meaning" "When you think about them." "Yeah, it is." "Have you been thinking about something, sir?" "Yeah." "In fact I have." "A while back, some investors approached me." "They're building a new video game" "That uses cutting-edge motion-capture technology." "They wanted me to find somebody" "Smart enough to test it for them." "At the time, I couldn't give them a name," "But..." "I think I may have found the man." "It pays well." "You interested?" "Yes." "Yes, sir." "Um, of course." "Wow." "I mean, it's amazing that you would think of me." "But you see, sir," "I've made a commitment to my team for the project." "Loyalty to a team means a lot, zach." "I'm the same way." "I don't want to let anybody down." "But every now and then," "A window opens up into a room" "That you never even knew existed." "It's a much bigger room," "A room that can change everything for you." "But that window doesn't stay open forever." "Understand what I'm saying?" "I think so." "In you I see me, zach." "I see a guy with the talent to do big things," "To make a fortune," "To have everything he ever dreamed of having." "Just got to make the right move at the right time." "Now's that time." "Um, what about the rule on no consulting?" "Honestly, for guys like us," "That rule is like a stop sign in Italy..." "It's just a suggestion." "[ Chuckles ]" "Can I think about it?" "Of course." "Thank you, sir." "It's marcus from now on." "All right?" "Okay, uh, marcus." "Okay, is we have to figure outngs theach individual task list," "Like my task list, your task list," "And what we have to get done." "A lot of the people at the school are, like, designers... [ all talking excitedly ]" "Ping-pong!" "[ All shouting ]" "[ All chanting ]" "What?" "Nobody's answering anything I'm asking." "[ Indistinct talking ]" "[ Bell dings ]" "[ Record scratches ]" "Guys, guys, I got it." "Let's try logic." "Right?" "I mean, whatever we come up with," "It's only available to the school's online community." "Most students aren't gamers." "Therefore..." "Our 3-d world has to be something simple." "Something everybody on campus can relate to." "Like..." "The campus." "The campus could work." "Great idea." "A cliché but practical." "And even worse, it's a boring cliché." "I agree." "It's a cliché," "But it'll attract every eyeball on campus." "So what's our next move?" "Well, we sketched the design building" "And some of the campus in flat 2-d... move, phil." "This is my workstation." "I don't care where you're working... move." "Go away." "All right." "We extrude it..." "Like so." "Lay down some textures like that," "And boom, there you go." "Come up with the story." "It's all you, dreamer." "[ Computer chimes ]" "Oh." "I'll be back, guys." "One second." "Okay." "Later." "I can't see." "Can he see me?" "C-can he see me?" "Hey, everybody!" "Hey, everybody!" "Hey!" "Hey, zach." "How's it going down there in my home state?" "It's going really, really well." "Where's jackson?" "Billy:" "Oh, here he is." "Yeah." "Where's my pup?" "Hey, jackson!" "Hey." "[ laughs ]" "How's my pup doing?" "Love you, buddy." "Miss ya." "Hey, you guys want to meet my design team?" "Oh, we'd love to." "Yeah, bring them on." "All right, sweet." "Hey, guys, come meet my family!" "He looks good, don't he?" "You're gonna love these guys." "They're awesome." "All right!" "So, this is phillip..." "Hey." "...Donald, and sarah." "How you guys doing?" "That's my dad, cecil, and stanley, and jackson!" "[ laughter ]" "Very nice to meet you, mr." "Taylor." "It's good to meet you, sara." "We've got work to do, guys." "You guys have work to do." "We'll check out." "Bye." "Phillip:" "Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you guys." "Donald:" "Bye." "Well, bye, zach." "I'll talk to you guys later." "Good to see you." "Study hard." "Nice talking to you guys." "[ jackson panting ]" "See you, jackson!" "Oh, how are you, son?" "[ Sighs ] doing all right?" "Tell me about you." "I'm good." "I'm good." "I mean, the program's tough," "But we definitely have a great team." "Uh-huh." "That sara..." "she's got a look." "Don't you think?" "[ laug]s" "Busted." "[ Laughing ]" "How's the business going, pops?" "Well, it's not the best of times, but we get by." "Nothing for you to..." "what happened, dad?" "Zach, I want you to focus on your studies." "Bank called the loan, right?" "No refinance." "[ Sighs ]" "Dad, you don't have to say anything." "I can see it." "[ Engine shuts off ]" "So, I mean, today was pretty good, right?" "What happened?" "What?" "Why?" "Why would something..." "I mean, you didn't say anything," "The whole way here." "What's... what's wrong?" "Stuff." "Stuff back home." "Your dad?" "No." "No, no, no." "It's actually not my dad at all." "It's the house." "My home." "There's no business to support it." "Just... no refinance possible." "It's just a lot." "Zach, I'm sorry." "Yeah." "Is there anything you can do?" "I mean, maybe." "I don't know." "It's so complicated." "I mean, you have to try." "A home is..." "it's so important." "I know." "Right this way." "[ Clears throat ]" "[ Exhales ]" "Wow." "Oh, wonderful." "Another huge duck hook." "[ Chuckles ]" "What an imperfectly impossible sport, huh?" "Into golf?" "Slightly less than fish." "[ laughs ] touché." "You know, I'm sorry about this being such short notice." "Ah, no problem." "Take a swing." "No, I-I can't." "Oh, come on." "I never..." "There's nothing to it." "It'll be fun." "Okay." "All right." "All right." "[ clears throat ]" "Feet shoulder-width apart." "Arms hang down to the side." "Bend at the knees, first of all." "Then tilt your spine." "Okay." "What's on your mind?" "Um, just wondering if your offer was still in play." "Absolutely." "Can you make it work?" "The first semester's tough for freshmen." "No, I can do it." "I promise." "I can do it." "All right, practice swing." "Low and slow." "We have a family business that's not doing so well." "Has my home tied up in it," "And it's just a big mess." "Sorry to hear that." "Times are tough for families, huh?" "That's for sure." "I know what you're talking about, though." "Couldn't hold on to my family home." "Just tears me up to this day." "Marcus, I really, really need to help my dad." "It's gonna put a lot of pressure on you, zach." "Is the team okay?" "Yeah." "No, they'll be fine." "Are you sure?" "Yeah." "Absolutely." "'Cause once you commit to these investors," "There's no turning back." "They expect results." "You don't deliver," "I'm sure you can guess how that works." "Yeah?" "I can definitely guess." "All right." "Well, andy will stop by and get you started." "Perfect." "Thank you." "Take a swing." "Remember, low and slow." "Low and slow." "Low and slow." "Well... [ both chuckle ]" "Zachariah taylor," "Is there nothing you can't do," "Young man?" "[ laughs ]" "[ Zapping ]" "Donald:" "Oh, my goodness." "See, look how much better he is than you." "How much better I am than you." "[ Zapping continues ]" "[ Deflating sound ]" "That's the best you ever did in your whole entire life," "And he's about to crush you." "[ Deflating sound ]" "Phillip:" "Zach?" "Zach!" "[ Exhales ]" "Yoobrah!" "You toasted him!" "[ laughs ]" "Dude, I've never seen anyone play like you." "[ Chuckling ] it's like you have a gift or something." "And by the way, phillip, it's "booyah," not "yoobrah."" "This is guys, guys, check it out, guys." "I got it." "Okay." "I got it, you guys." ""Kinect sports 2" just came out." "I went and bought it." "We have it." "Plus, check it out..." "pizza." "Boom." "Phil, fire up the xbox!" "We're Gonna do all this" "After we finish this whole business." "Continue." "Resolution is the theme." "And you can't have a resolution without making a choice." "And the name of our game is "michoyce."" "Um, so we create situations where... [ train whistle blows ]" "So, that's it." "So, it's like "second life"" "Where avatars represent the actual players?" "Yes, but "second life" with a mix of social networking," "Facebookish kind of thing." "Donald:" "So how's that work?" "Well, um, every eyeball on campus" "Will check in to see if they or any of their friends" "Got onto the site." "So, that creates hits." "Lots and lots of hits." "I mean, everybody checks in once in the morning," "Once at night," "So, I mean, at a minimum," "That's 10,000 hits a day." "Okay, so what's the game?" "Well, it starts off as a one-person game" "With a 5,000-person ant farm." "And everybody wants to know who's making what choices" "And what the consequences are" "For making the alternative choice." "So, it's fun and social and networky, and eventually," "With all the avatars in play," "I mean, one person's choice" "Will impact another person's choice." "And soon, new choosing begins," "And the game just expands exponentially." "So, "second life" meets facebook kind of thing." "There you go." "Sara:" "Okay." "All right." "Okay." "What?" "Okay, so let me show you." "I seriously..." "Okay, so you put your finger underneath," "Like that... hold it tight." "Okay." "Right?" "Okay." "Yeah." "Okay." "Go for it." "Okay." "Oh." "All right." "Flip the wrist." "Uh..." "Almost." "Less..." "Was that it?" "[ laughs ]" "No, no, no." "Come on." "Okay, so..." "Less..." "less arm..." "More wrist." "Oh, I thought... okay." "More wrist." "You can... okay." "I'm all over this." "Low and slow." "Right?" "Low and slow." "Yeah!" "Ahh!" "That was good." "When I was little," "Like around 5 or 6, I had a pet yak." "Yak?" "Like an actual yak?" "Called her "nosey."" "Wow." "Nosey." "A typical name for a yak." "What?" "What?" "What?" "Did something happen to nosey?" "[ Voice breaking ] no." "Well, what is it?" "What's wrong?" "It's just..." "It's just dumb." "Sara, no, talk to me, sara." "Tell me, seriously." "It's my parents." "I miss them." "[ Sniffles ]" "I'm 19." "I shouldn't be getting homesick, right?" "Homesick is..." "Perfect." "I would say be homesick all you want." "That's... that's absolutely perfect." "So..." "Where... where are your parents now?" "East timor." "Is that near..." "That near des moines?" "[ Sniffles ]" "Thanks, zach." "For...?" "For listening." "Not everyone can do that." "So, um, did you hear about this kinect thing" "At the hub tonight?" "Thought maybe you and I" "Can go hang out together or something." "I'm..." "I'm sorry." "I have to go meet..." "No." "No, no." "No need..." "I-I got it." "It's cool, it's cool." "Just... just know that if whatever you have goes south," "You could have been chilling with zach at the hub tonight," "If you know what I'm saying." "Yes, I do." "You're just so awesome." "[ laughs ]" "Okay, now I'm making a fool of myself." "I'm sorry." "[ laughs ]" "You're honest." "That's... that's cool." "[ Dance music playing, indistinct shouting ]" "Whoo!" "[ Cheering ]" "Donald, what are you doing?" "What are you doing?" "I'm playing the game." "What are you doing?" "That's what I'm doing." "Obviously not." "Okay, honey." "Hey!" "We're playing the game!" "What are you doing?" "!" "Donald, you're not doing it right." "I'm doing it perfectly fine!" "No, you're not 'cause you're not jumping." "You're not leaning enough." "Yes, I am!" "Do you not see me leaning?" "No, I don't." "Do you see me jumping?" "I do, but you need to lean..." "Jump, donald!" "You let go and we fall over, I'll drown!" "You can't drown!" "It's virtual." "There's no water." "I can drown anywhere I want!" "Let go of me!" "You be careful, phil!" "I've got viper moves!" "[ Hissing ]" ""Ninja ghostfighter" beats "world of swords"" "Any day of the week." "[ Shrieking ]" ""Ninja ghostfighter." where's your fireball thing?" "Check it out." "[ Babbling ]" "Aah!" "Lizard tongue punch." "[ shrieks ]" "Guys!" "Guys, guys, guys!" "Wait, wait." "Take it easy." "This is a party." "We're supposed to be having fun." "Are having fun." "Our kind of fun." "Then you came in here and you ruined it, zach." "Thank you for that." "Um, have you guys seen sara?" "Um..." "Yeah." "Over there." "Tennis." "Seriously?" "Wow." "Um..." "She's here." "Why the surprise?" "[ mumbles ]" "Um, no, I just didn't know she was into tennis." "Hey, sara." "You made it." "Oh." "Hey, zach." "You have to try this." "This is so much fun." "Come on." "Is that cool?" "Yeah, sure, come on in." "Quick, quick, quick." "Yare really good." "Marcus:" "Hey, andy." "You are really good." "Hey, sara." "Oh, hey, andy." "Come on." "This is so much fun." "You have to try it." "Come on." "We had plans tonight." "Oh, well, you didn't confirm," "So I just figured I was gonna stop by." "Since when do I have to confirm?" "Well, since now I guess. [ Chuckles ]" "Oh, you think that's funny?" "No." "Nothing funny at all about the situation." "You remember zach taylor?" "I introduced you." "Oh, yeah." "I heard stuff about you, taylor." "Tried to make some kind of app." "Mckanik, is that it?" "Yeah." "Cute name." "I heard somebody beat you to the market." "I cry myself to sleep over it." "Oh, he's just being iro..." "no, no, phil." "No, dude." "You want to settle this?" "[ Scoffs ]" "That's not ironic." "No, it's dumb." "Let's get it done." "[ Indistinct shouting ]" "Go for his blind side!" "He can't see over the collar!" "Yeah, there you go." "There you go." "Block!" "Like you know how to box." "This is not the time, phillip!" "Give him the upper one!" "The upper one!" "Fun night, don't you think?" "Yes, I do." "Have you m zach?" "I'm sorry." "Who?" "Zach taylor." "He's playing with andy." "Zach." "Of course." "Met him at the barbecue." "Clever lad." "Hope he makes it." "So do I. Pardon me." "This is not the time for that, phillip!" "Neither is you giving pointless tips that don't do anything." "They're not pointless..." "they're very helpful." "Don't let up!" "Go, go, go!" "[ Bell dings ]" "The champion of the world!" "[ Both breathing heavily ]" "Good fight, man." "You too, dude." "I got this for ya." "From marcus." "That's a weird delivery you guys got going." "[ Exhales sharply ]" "[ Magical tinkling ]" "[ Light footstep ]" "[ Light creaking ]" "Hey..." "Guys." "How's it going?" "[ Creepy voice ] good night, homie." "Good night..." "Guys." "[ Both laugh ]" "Later, dude." "[ Phillip and donald arguing indistinctly ]" "Zach." "Hey, zach." "[ Singsong voice ] zach." "Dude!" "What are you doing?" "Production meeting this morning, remember?" "Breakfast in bed will wake you up, okay?" "You gotta go." "Thanks, dude." "Actually, it's pretty good." "Not all game players want to play the same game." "They have preferences." "The achiever-type personality wants in-game goals," "The explorer wants to find out about the world you've created," "The socializer wants to role-play online," "And so on and so on." "You have to design your story content with clarity" "About the relationship between the game experience" "And the user's play preference." "Uh, do you agree, mr." "Taylor?" "[ Chuckles ] do you agree?" "Yes." "Yes." "I, um, yeah." "[ Bell rings ]" "All right, just a reminder" "To bring your early proof of concept next week." "[ Indistinct conversations ]" "What's going on, zach?" "N-nothing." "Nothing." "Just working hard." "Too hard, probably." "Abbie:" "Well, get some sleep." "Stay healthy." "Absolutely." "Yeah." "Thank you." "What's going on?" "Nothing." "[ chuckles nervously ]" "Like a narwhal in a diaper, if you've got to personalize it," "Give it a human quality," "Some distinctive characteristic personality detail" "Or costume detail." "Pick someone on campus you can connect with." "Young man:" "Professor wilks," "Is it true you almost played in neon traffic?" ""Almost" is the truest thing about that." "[ Bell rings, light laughter ]" "I'll see everyone next week." "Phillip:" "He said "human qualities,"" "So, like, costumes or character traits." "He kept saying "distinctive,"" "So we got to look for one, like, specific thing." "What about him?" "He's not distinctive." "Well, he sort of is." "In a horrible way, phillip." "That's not true." "That's very true." "What about him?" "Nah." "Nah." "Nah." "Sara:" "How about him?" "Together:" "Nah." "Donald:" "Why?" "What's wrong with the plaid?" "Jack nicklaus wears plaid, and he's the golden bear." "Phillip:" "Look, if we're not gonna do facial capture," "Which I do know how to do, by the way," "There has to be something that stands out." "[ Cellphone rings ] guys, guys, I know exactly..." "Oh." "I'm sorry." "Let me..." "let me just..." "No." "Really?" "Dude, is it seriously that impor... zach!" "Yeah." "Yeah, zach here." "Finish your thought first!" "We're kind of behind schedule." "We are an hour behind..." "Just a few more hours." "Is that okay?" "Stop it!" "Guys!" "He's gonna text you." "This is not funny." "I will not stop." "Yes." "Sir, yes, sir." "Um, yeah, I can do it, sir." "I promise..." "Okay." "Yeah." "All right." "Sounds great." "Thanks." "[ All talking ] [ beep ]" "Thank you." "Thank you." "Are you good now?" "Because you were saying" "Something about a person for our avatar." "You said he was perfect." "Oh, yeah, um, it's a lock, guys." "Yeah, uh, I'll show you." "Follow me." "Together:" "♪ la la la la la, la-la-la ♪" "All right, check it out, guys." "[ laughs ]" "Okay, I love him." "Yeah, he's perfect." "Phillip:" "What if he's insane and comes after us?" "There's always that." "Sara:" "Okay." "So, he wears the hat." "So, what if he didn't?" "Don?" "Donnie?" "Donnie boy?" "Sara:" "Huh?" "Well, what if..." "what if he didn't?" "Donatello?" "Danielle?" "What if he... what?" "Didn't." "What if he "did it" what?" ""Didn't."" ""dint"?" ""didn't."" "[ both babbling ]" ""Did it"?" ""Didn't."" ""did not"?" ""didn't."" "Phillip!" "Sara:" "Okay, good." "Can you turn him around?" "Can we see the back?" "Yeah, yeah." "[ keys clacking ]" "This is just the mapping..." "there we go." "The back's getting there." "It's close, though." "Yeah." "It looks good." "He needs a bit more definition." "What about the bucket?" "The bucket..." "I like..." "The bucket's the easy part." "The bucket's almost done." "The bucket looks very accurate." "Yeah." "Can you put the bucket on his head?" "Can we see that?" "I can." "I can put the bucket right..." "On his head." "Yeah." "Phillip:" "That's it, right there." "It looks good." "So what choices does he have?" "Yeah, uh, go ask the dreamer." "Hmm." "Hey, zach?" "Zach!" "I'll be there in a sec." "[ Train whistle blows in distance ]" "Where are you going?" "Oh, I just got to go get something." "I'll be back in a bit." "Can you define "bit"?" "A while." "As in "I'll be back in a while, phillip."" "Is that okay?" "Dude, we're way behind with story concept," "And that's your gig." "We have to present the prototype in a week." "Phillip:" "Less than." "I'll take care of it, guys." "What, you don't believe me?" "You guys don't think I can carry my load," "So I just come up with ideas and story and character," "You guys just sit around and criticize and bicker, right?" "You talking about us?" "I think..." "Could you guys just give it a rest?" "!" "Sara:" "Zach, come on." "What do they think, that I'll just bail on my team?" "They think that you're not acting like yourself." "Who else am I, sara?" "It's me." "Talking to those two guys the way you just did..." "You're saying that's you?" "Come on, zach." "Something happened." "I'm just beat." "That's all." "There's more than that, though, isn't it?" "Isn't it?" "!" "I can handle it!" "I know you can, but can we?" "Meaning?" "Donald, phillip, me." "We need to stay in the program, okay?" "If you don't, that's your business," "But it's our business if you drag us down with you." "I'm the producer, zach," "And I'm not afraid to make the tough decision if I have to." "What are you saying?" "I'm saying we have a good presentation for abbie's class." "We need your imagination to make this game happen." "It'll happen, sara." "6...7...8...9...10." "Good." "11...12..." "Hey, andy." "Hey, zach." "[ Panting ] hey." "Hey." "So, did you get it done?" "Yeah, yeah, I did." "What do you think?" "Oh, well, it was way less fun than the worst orcs and dwarves" "But slightly better than runaway trolls, so..." "Ha!" "They're gonna love that." "You think so, sir?" "You kidding?" "You just probably saved them five million bucks." "They were sitting on the fence." "You just leveled up, young man." "Look, marcus, um, I just wanted to tell you," "I don't think this is..." "Wait, one thing at a time." "Come with me." "All right." "Small down payment for your sweat and your time." "They thought it was only fair." "More than fair if you ask me." "Sir, this is $10,000." "Their dough, their rodeo, kid." "So something's not right?" "Yeah, um, it's just my team..." "They've been backing me into a corner," "And I don't think I can just..." "I'm proud of you, zach." "You stand tall under pressure." "I knew it, and make sure the investors know it, too." "[ Sniffs ] andy?" "First one's just for practice." "This guy here's the real deal." "They want to drop a bundle into it." "Maybe they should, maybe they shouldn't." "It's all gonna be up to you." "No, sir, I can't handle this!" "This is way too much." "I can't..." "Well, I think you can, zach." "So do the investors." "No guts, no glory, kid." "[ Grunts ]" "Whoa!" "Good start for your group," "But the story development is way behind." "Have you even thought about how to introduce conflict to this?" "Zach is working on that day and night." "It's..." "Abbie!" "Abbie, I'm sorry." "I blew it." "I know." "Okay, you know the rules." "If you miss one more class," "It's game over for you and your whole team." "Think about it, zach." "One goes, you all go." "I know." "I know." "I understand." "Completely." "I hope so." "Guys, I'm sorry." "Guys, next time I'm all over it, I promise." "It's fine, zach." "We covered for you." "This time." "Guys..." "So, our bucket boy avatar faces his epic moment," "And his bucket hangs on a hat rack here," "And he can choose it or not choose it" "And walk through the door." "Door to where?" "Hang with me." "Okay, so..." "He can stay the same," "Or he can choose to not wear it" "And look a lot..." "a lot less goofy" "And see what happens if he walks through the new door." "So he chooses..." "New door." "New door." "Exactly." "So, he opens up this new door," "And he's in madison square garden or whatever" "And he's a rock star, right?" "And he's [imitates electric guitar]" "There's screaming fans... "aah!" cellphones?" "[ Laughs ]" "Dude, you know, that can actually work." "Definitely." "Right." "Sara?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "Maybe." "Yeah." "Don't get excited or anything." "We have class in 15 minutes." "Phillip:" "Aw, you're right." "Need a ride?" "I rode my bike." "Thanks." "Hey, guys." "Uh, look..." "The other day, I'm sorry about what I said..." "To you guys..." "I didn't mean it." "I was acting weird, and I'm sorry." "I mean, I like you guys." "I like you guys a lot." "And..." "I apologize." "Yeah." "That was..." "that was good, zach." "Very good." "It was heartfelt and honest." "Phil?" "I totally bought it." "Me too." "You know, no one's ever done that for me before." "[ Voice breaking ] apologize for hurtful comments." "[ Voice breaking ] dude up, man." "Seriously." "[ Both mock crying ]" "Knock it o..." "Guys, knock it off!" "[ Crying stops ]" "Are we good?" "Yeah." "It's all good." "As long as you give us a ride, though." "Without that, you can forget it." "Yeah." "Hurry up." "We're late." "Up until now," "Video games had been the center of my life." "They were fun, reliable, and almost always playable." "So it felt strange to be testing a game" "Where paths went nowhere" "And mysterious closed doors promised new rooms" "That never happened." "It all seemed random and unpredictable" "Like real life..." "At least the way I was living it at the moment." "[ wind whistling ]" "It can't work." "What, um, sara?" "Outside consulting," "Testing, whatever that is." "[ Scoffs ]" "We have to drop you from the team." "[ Exhales, stammers ]" "I can't handle this, sara." "You know that." "Plus, it was you who said home was so important." "That's all this is..." "this is so..." "Okay, zach, what matters right now is the team." "Staying in the program, okay?" "It's my job to make sure that that happens." "And that can't happen with you." "Not like this!" "Not without your rock-solid loyalty." "Sara, sara, what are you saying?" "!" "Abbie wants to see you tonight as soon as you get back." "H-have you said anything to donald and phillip about this?" "Not yet." "[ Voice breaking ] I'm sorry, zach." "More than you know." "[ Exhales sharply ]" "Donald:" "We good?" "Hey, zach." "All right, dude, uh, go for it." "All right, all right." "I got it." "[ Grunts ]" "Yep." "That was perfect, wasn't it?" "I don't know yet." "We're still rendering." "[ Keys clacking ]" "All right, here we go." "[ laughs ]" "What is this?" "What?" "What is this?" "Zach, come here." "That is a perfect golf swing." "Perfection is what it is." "Come here." "Come here." "Check out our new team avatar." "Looks good." "I like it." "Thank you." "Obviously, donald hasn't quite got his swing perfected yet," "But he's getting there." "You know what?" "It's the hardest game in the world." "Okay, even michael jordan says that, and he..." "Has michael jordan tried synchronized swimming?" "You don't know that..." "guys, guys, listen." "I got some stuff I need to tell you." "[ Both chortle ]" "[ Whirring ]" "[ Whirring stops ]" "[ Whirring resumes ]" "[ Doorbell rings ]" "Coming right up!" "Oh!" "Zach." "Hey." "Uh, can we talk?" "Oh, sure." "Come on in." "You want some hot chocolate?" "No, thanks." "I'm fine." "Sit down." "I'm just a little confused at the moment." "I understand." "I just feel like I should go home and speak with my dad." "Well, that's not a bad idea." "Abbie, I-I'm sorry." "I let you down." "Oh, I'm low on the list of people you let down." "Yeah, I guess." "The first person you let down was yourself." "[ Water runs ]" "[ Stammers ]" "I want to save my home." "Is that really so bad?" "Zach, I spoke to your father," "And I heard all about your situation." "And you know what he told me?" "He said, "as much as you want to save your home," "What you really need to do is leave it."" "[ utensil clatters softly ]" "Now, uh, I've put you on probation," "But the most I can give you is a week" "To figure things out." "Okay?" "Okay." "Now, this may seem a little severe," "But my advice to you is you either come back here committed" "Or you don't come back at all." "Cecil:" "Billy!" "Zach's home!" "Billy!" "Here, buddy!" "[ jackson barks ]" "Hey, jackson!" "Come on!" "Yeah!" "How's my pup been?" "I've missed you so much, buddy." "I love you." "I miss you so much!" "Yeah, that's my boy." "[ Jackson barks ]" "Hey, son." "So good to see you, pops." "It's gonna be all right, son." "It's gonna be all right, okay?" "Say hello to the guys." "Hey, zach." "Stanley:" "Good to see you." "Zach:" "You too." "Hey." "Good to see you." "Guess we got a few things to talk about." "Yes, we do." "[ Adding machine clicking ]" "Hey!" "Supper's ready." "Mm-hmm." "[ Clicking continues ]" "[ Sighs ]" "It all adds up." "Yeah, it adds up, but it's still in red." "[ Sighs ] it's gonna be all right." "Come on." "Abbie told me what you said, dad." "About me needing to leave home." "You booting me out, pops?" "Is that the idea?" "You know better than that." "Maybe you'll change your mind when I show you what..." "Listen to me." "When you got in here today," "Did you right off go in that musty old garage" "And kick a tire..." "Change an oil filter out of love?" "No, sir." "That's not what happened." "What happened was you came into my arms," "And I held on to you, son." "And you held on to me." "And why is that?" "It's because I'm your home." "Me and jackson and stanley and cecil," "All the crazy people who live around here..." "We love each other, stick up for each other." "And if we had a flag, we'd fly it every day" "And call ourselves a country." "Because that's what home is, zach..." "It's love and loyalty..." "To the people who care about you and who you care about." "Now, it's the same thing with your team back at school." "They were counting on you, son." "And you left them high and dry." "And for what?" "For this rundown old place?" "Take a look around, zach." "Take a good look around." "Now, tell me how can a boy be so dumb" "And so smart at the same time?" "It's a good thing it's me who's your dad," "Or I'd never understand." "What does that mean?" "It means I more or less did the same thing." "Fresh out of engineering school" "With a passion for performance engines." "And I got talked out of an idea." "A darned good idea." "And why?" "[ Scoffs ]" "I don't even know why." "All I know is..." "I quit." "I quit my dream." "I didn't know that, pops." "It's not something I'm proud of." "But there you have it." "But you, zachariah..." "You've got a chance to give back." "You take the good in your heart" "And put it into one of those video games," "And you'll have a chance to help create the change" "That this world badly needs." "Come on, I made meat loaf." "[ Scoffs lightly ] meat loaf." "Yeah, your mother's recipe." "Is that with molasses?" "[ laughs ] of course with molasses." "Zach:" "I'll be quick." "I promise." "You can't go in there." "Sir?" "No, please don't bother him right now." "Hey, zach, how'd you do?" "I, uh, took a look at this." "It's way too advanced for me." "Oh." "This." "Thanks." "What are you doing?" "Making a choice, marcus." "What choice?" "Remember how you said you saw you in me?" "Well, um, I felt some of that," "And I didn't really like it." "Wait a minute!" "[ Stammers ] don't do something you're gonna regret, taylor!" "You made a commitment!" "Abbie:" "You say you put an end to it, zach," "And I believe you." "I'll reinstate you." "But I can't speak for your team." "They have moved on without you," "And it's up to them..." "To decide." "Thank you, abbie." "Zach, I think you know what to do." "Yes." "Yeah." "Absolutely." "[ Door closes ]" "[ Indistinct talking ]" "Hey, phillip." "Hey!" "[ Weights rattle ] welcome back." "Hey, guys." "Hey..." "Man." "Hey, zach." "Can I, uh, can I say something?" "Straight up?" "Yeah." "Straight up." "Um..." "We all know that I messed up pretty bad." "I mean, nobody knows more than me, right?" "You guys have... have no reason or obligation" "To take me back..." "I mean, why would you?" "I'm not reliable, not trustworthy..." "Didn't understand a lick about friendship," "Let alone responsibility and loyalty." "What's different now?" "Right to the point, I see." "Let's just talk about it, zach." "This is painful for all of us." "I've..." "I've been reinstated to the school..." "But it's..." "It's up to you guys" "To accept me back into the team." "Um, I've quit the consulting thing with bentton." "I promise." "And when I was home, I..." "I understood how I was trying to, like, hold on" "And let go at the same time." "To my room, my stuff..." "Memories of my mom, maybe." "I don't..." "I don't know what, exactly, but..." "Because my head was in that place, I..." "Wasn't able to hang here with you guys." "And a piece of me was missing." "And sara [chuckles lightly]" "Sara had the courage to call me out on it." "This might sound extremely strange," "But because of what sara did," "What..." "what all of you guys did," "It may have been the most important thing" "That's happened to me in a long time." "So, I'm sorry." "I'm sorry for what I did." "There was really no excuse for it at all." "I can only ask for your forgiveness." "But I completely, completely understand" "If you don't want me back." "You guys believe one word of that?" "Never heard so much baloney in my whole life." "Not since the time dad came home" "And explained why we couldn't bury grandma wallace" "On the roof." "Yeah, but that was your idea," "And it didn't make sense to me, either." "But I just went along with it." "Wait, wait, wait, wait." "What?" "We're trying to solve a problem here," "And you guys... grandma who?" "Yeah, what is this whole "talking like you're brothers" thing?" "What's that?" "Uh..." "Actually, we are." "Half brothers." "Less than half." "We're not proud of it, but..." "Okay, well, why hide it?" "Why not just tell us?" "Right." "We thought one of us was crazy," "And we didn't know which one." "We thought maybe it would be a good time to figure..." "That out..." "since we weren't sure," "Maybe we could just ask you guys" "And decide either way." "'Cause obviously..." "Well, I'm here to tell you that you both are totally nuts." "[ laughs ]" "[ Chuckles ]" "Welcome back." "[ laughter ]" "Oh, you're not getting out of this!" "Come on, come on, come on!" "[ Indistinct talking ]" "You can't prove it!" "Donald:" "It's a big "so what?"" "What's "so what?" the game." "Well, two things are missing..." "A time clock and a bad guy." "Time clock, sure, but bad guy..." "How would that even play?" "Zach:" "Well, it would feel different" "If bucket boy only has five seconds to make a choice" "Or..." "Something." "Yeah." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "Okay." "I get it." "But what kind of bad guy?" "Don't look at me." "I've never been bad in my life. [ Scoffs ]" "What about the time you took my straw hat and lit it on fire?" "Told you 100 times, I've never taken that stupid straw hat." "You did so." "Donald:" "I did not!" "Guys, guys, guys!" "Zach's right." "We need a bad guy." "No bad guy, no conflict." "No conflict, no game." "Exactly." "Oh." "Okay." "I got it." "I got it!" "♪ I got it ♪" "♪ I-I-I got it ♪" "♪ Do you know I got it and you don't got it ♪" "♪ 'Cause I got it ♪ stop dancing." "You know you love it, donald!" "Okay, you ready?" "Sara:" "Okay." "Okay." "Psycho golfer." "What?" "!" "He comes in looking all harmless," "Wearing his adorable bobby socks." "One, those aren't bobby socks," "Two, how dare you make fun of golf." "Whatever." "Anyway..." "Anyway, when the clock runs out," "He turns into, like..." "arggh!" "Some sort of hulk-like character" "With a golfer temper tantrum." "Threatens to throw his club." "Okay." "I-I like it." "Me too." "If you guys like making fun of golfers." "Not making fun of all golfers, just bad, angry ones" "Like you." "Anyway, there's not a whole lot of code to write" "So we should be online by tonight!" "Okay, okay." "Wait, wait, wait." "One more thing." "One more thing." "We need a bigger..." "a bigger pool," "You know, to find more characters." "So, I was thinking, what about a suggestion box?" "You know, open the possibilities up to the whole campus." "Yeah." "I love it." "Phillip:" "Cool." "Let's do it." "All right." "Really?" "What were you doing?" "What are you doing there with..." "Oh, no, no, no, no." "So, you, like, definitely blew me away when you kicked me out." "That was..." "that was serious." "I mean, how did you do that?" "I mean, I'm not saying it wasn't right" "Because it definitely, definitely was," "But I don't know, like, where does that come from," "Being able to..." "I had to do it." "No, you didn't, and that's what I'm saying." "You did something you didn't have to do," "And it's just awesome, I'm really impressed." "So, maybe, um, we can kind of get back to where we were..." "With things." "It's impossible." "O-okay." "I mean, you know how they say" "You can't step in a river in the same place twice?" "I don't know anybody who says stuff like that." "We are where we are." "And I'm thinking that's a good place." "Me too." "Me too." "Hey, sara." "Zach." "Hey, andy." "What's up?" "You should take a look at this." "Dude, no." "You know I'm done with that." "Really?" "I know." "But this is different." "What are you doing, andy?" "Being a friend." "How do I know that?" "Take it, zach." "Open it." "You'll see what I'm talking about." "[ Sighs ]" "This is from marcus?" "From me." "For you." "All rihe can go for the door wior the bucket." "S." "And he can't decide." "The clock starts to run down." "4...3... 2..1..." "And then..." "Door swings out..." "Blah!" "Psycho golfer." "And then he freaks out." "He goes for the door." "And then, boom..." "he's onstage, he's a rock star." "Are we all okay with that?" "Yes." "Yes." "Yes." "That's it." "We're launched." "Michoyce is online!" "[ Sara shrieking happily ] whoo!" "♪ We did it, we did it ♪" "♪ We're online, we're online ♪" "Guys, guys." "There's still this." "What is that?" "Come check it out." "Let me see." "Huh." "Plug it in, yeah?" "Yeah." "Yep, yep." "All right." "Let's see." "Whoa." "Mckanik." "Isn't that your..." "It's the same name, right?" "You want me to pull it up?" "Yeah, go for it." "[ Keys clacking ]" "Wow." "Wow." "Wait, dude, marcus bentton ripped you off?" "How's that even possible?" "Not so hard." "Thing is, I don't know why." "I'm going with you." "I'll be okay." "I know you will." "It's just one of those things" "We're just gonna have to work it out." "Yeah." "We're working it out now." "We'll have to figure it out, and it's..." "Andy?" "Thought I'd save you the drive." "You were part of this?" "!" "This..." "Whatever it is?" "Deception is what it is." "He wanted you expelled, zach." "He wanted you as far away from school as possible" "So there was no chance that he would ever be exposed." "He made me his delivery boy, which I was..." "Until I realized he was playing me" "In the same way he's playing you." "Playing you, dude?" "He stole from me!" "Look, you bought it." "So did I. Okay?" "The difference is, is that I was greedy," "And I deserved everything I got." "That wasn't what you were into," "And I hated seeing what it did to you," "To sara and the team." "Sara:" "What?" "!" "Why would he do that?" "The guy has everything." "You think so," "But the thing about this guy you have to remember" "Is that he's got all these great books" "And he's made all this money," "But he's never personally created anything." "And why would you give it to me?" "What do you expect me to do with it?" "You know." "See, that's the copyfile I was talking about." "Right." "Good morning, zach." "Hey, abbie." "Have you had breakfast?" "No, no, I'm fine." "You're hungry." "No, I'm..." "Sit." "Guys, we really need to talk about all of this." "Oh, yes, we do, indeed." "What is it?" "Maybe it's that red bow tie," "But I always thought that guy was slippery." "Strawberries?" "Zach:" "Oh, wow, thanks." "I only like raisins." "Question is, how to handle it." "With a swat team?" "Without scandalizing the school." "Zach:" "Maybe banana man." "[ Chuckling ] banana man." "Oh, I saw michoyce online." "Uh, that has a long way to go." "No, but it's a pretty good start." "It needs a little more playability." "Would you consider me as an outside advisor?" "It's allowed in the rules." "Yes!" "That works perfect." "Absolutely." "Have you chosen an end-game avatar?" "Wait." "Are... are you guys talking about a red bow tie?" "Marcus does have a thing for exposure." "Well, he's going to get it." "[ chuckles ]" "You know, a team's not a team..." "Without a name." "Keep it or toss it." "Early christmas gift." "This is awesome." "Nice." ""Lincoln alley." What do you think, charlie?" "It's awesome." "This is awesome, right, dude?" "Awesome!" "It's empty." "I can feel it." "Quit being a dweeb." "It takes one to be one." "Takes one to knone." "Whatever." "You guys are such wimps." "You guys have wilks, don't you?" "Yeah." "Okay, he was in a band that almost made it big-time." "Yeah." "No, we heard that." "He decided to teach instead." "So what if he didn't?" "[ Cellphone ringing ]" "[ Ringing stops ]" "[ Mid-tempo music plays ]" "[ Clock ticking ]" "[ Chuckles lightly ]" "[ Ding!" "]" "[ laughs ]" "Ha!" "Come here, come here!" "It's so cool." "It's a new game called michoyce." "Check this out!" "What is it?" "Oh, it's great!" "Ta-da!" "Just went live!" "[ Indistinct talking ]" "Amazing!" "To the final hour fof this year's project." "Teams should remain at their stations" "Until their games have been judged by the panel." "Thank you." "[ Indistinct conversations ]" "[ Beeping ]" "Hey, guys." "How you doing?" "All right." "No matter what happens, I am not going back..." "Don't sweat it, man." "It's all good, okay?" "Have I ever lied to you before?" "[ Both laugh ]" "Sorry." "Sorry." "The judges are right there." "I think we need to talk about this." "What if you lied about this?" "Like if you told them lies." "We'd be disqualified." "Shh!" "Shh!" "Oh." "Mr. Taylor." "And of course everybody knows everyone from lincoln alley." "Thank you for your attention." "At this point, our judges have not come" "To a final decision on first prize." "So, enjoy the games." "[ Sighs ]" "What about lincoln alley?" "Ah, it's an ant farm." "It looks great, but it's not playable." "In the short time they were up," "They had something like 8,000 hits." "Looky-loos, not players." "Well, as the team predicted," "The avatars have created second-life environments" "With more choices." "The point is, I couldn't play the game." "The students want you to try it again." "It's not a contender, david." "I think it is." "Did you play it?" "I don't have to." "You do." "If you're asking me to go..." "I'm not." "Itelling you." "Wow." "This is nice, huh?" "All right." "Dad!" "[ laughs ] there he is!" "You remember sara." "Hi!" "How are you?" "Good to see you." "Guys, guys." "Cecil." "Come over here, man." "Here they come." "What's going on, taylor?" "When I was a kid," "My dad told me human ideas were god-given." "It's probably true." "What you did was wrong." "What are you talking about?" "You had a choice, marcus." "I don't mean stealing or not stealing my mckanik idea." "I mean as a way of being." "[ Sighs ]" "I'll tell you what, though." "You've shown me which door to choose," "And I thank you for that." "David:" "Marcus." "Well, where's my avatar?" "Oh, um, the one that looks like you." "Just there." "Sara:" "We mapped to your face, actually." "Not so well, but..." "Well [chuckles] handsome little creature, huh?" "Who made him?" "Thank you, sir!" "Donald wallace." "Art director." "Here at lincoln alley, we do everything together." "My genius brother phil here does all the codes and such," "And sara bosses us around," "And I think you know zach." "Yeah." "Um..." "You start off in dean cameron's office," "And then you make your decision." "What [chuckles] what decision?" "This is what I'm saying..." "the game isn't playable." "David:" "You see there on my desk..." "Student application forms." "You were there one day last June." "Abbie:" "That's when you made your decision." "In this game, you get a second chance to make your choice." "Most players make the choice they didn't make..." "Just to find out what might have happened." "And how many choices are possible?" "Sir, at this level, only two..." "The door or the desk, sir." "[ Key clacks ]" "And we've projected it up on the screen" "So we can all appreciate your strategy." "David:" "If you go for the door," "It must mean you originally went for the desk." "If you go for the desk with the student applications," "Well, we both know where that goes." "[ Screaming ]" "Tell you what, dr." "Bentton," "Around where I'm from, they call that checkmate." "You know, you're right." "I agree..." "I don't know how I missed it." "The game is playable." "[ chuckles ]" "David:" "Excellent choice, marcus." "Excuse me, honey." "You've been suspended from the school" "Pending an investigation." "I suggest..." "You find an attorney." "Abbie." "Marcus." "[ Both shrieking ]" "Like I said, you've got the knack, son." "[ Both imitate explosion ]" "Donald:" "Phillip!" "Ohh!" "Ladies and gentlemen," "First prize goes to Lincoln alley." "[ Cheering ]" "[ Screaming ]" "[ Grunting ]" "Ho ho ho!" "[ Cheering ]" "The little guy." "I brought presents for everyone!" "[ Cheering ]" "Except for phillip!" "[ Crowd groans ] ho ho ho!" "I'm kidding, phillip!" "Ho ho ho!" "Presents." "Aha!" "Phillip:" "What?" "Phillip." "No way." "I did bring the hat." "I know." "Aha!" "Sara." "It's a yak!" "It is." "Called "nosey"?" "I named him." "Thank you." "[ laughs ]" "You're welcome, by the way." "Thank you, too!" "[ laughs ]" "So, there..." "nope." "I mean..." "I don't have anything for you, zach." "Okay." "Except for, you know..." "I knew it was in there!" "Oh, my goodness!" "This is awesome!" "Right?" "Thank you!" "Aah!" "Aah!" "Here you go." "Thank you." "Merry christmas, billy." "Merry christmas." "Abbie:" "You know, your mom would be real proud of you." "Zach:" "No." "No, that was the team." "I can't take any credit for that." "I'm not talking about the project." "I'm talking about the brave choices you've made" "And the fine young man you've become." "[ Chuckles ]" "Thank you, abbie." "My boy." "I've never seen him more at peace." "[ Sighs ]" "Thank you." "Our pleasure." "Hey, honey." "Penny for your thoughts." "When they blink, you can get them." "Okay." "All right." "Yeah, go for the big one, and then you get a..." "Good, good, good." "Now chase after the monsters." "Go, go, go!" "There you go!" "That's okay, that's okay." "You have multiple lives." "That's fine." "That's fine." "Bonding with nosey, I see?" "I'm teaching her nepali." "What exactly can she say?" "Hmm, I don't know." "Let's see." "[ Chuckles ]" "[ Speaking nepali ]" "That's impressive." "What does it mean?" ""My favorite place is home."" "That's sweet." "It's beautiful to see how much they all love you." "Yeah, go figure." "They're not the only ones." "Meaning?" "[ "We wish you a merry christmas" plays ]" "Phillip:" "Guys, there's one present left." "Wow." "What is that?" "What's it do?" "Check it out." "Oh!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "Gotcha." "[ laughter ]" "Together:" "Merry christmas!"