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This story starts with a computer I couldn’t afford.
⚔️ 🖥️⌨️💽💾🖱️
In the late 90s, I worked as a sales rep, running across São Paulo selling jeans wholesale.
Long days. Endless clients. No rest.
But I had one obsession.
A computer.
Back then, owning one wasn’t normal.
It was an investment.
Roughly the price of a car.
I would walk into computer stores, look around, and walk out. Every time.
Until one day, a small client showed up in panic.
He couldn’t pay me.
His office had a brand-new computer. Colorful screen. Beautiful.
Half joking, half serious, I asked:
“What if you pay me with that?”
He agreed instantly.
I didn’t even ask for the specs. I trusted it.
People who love technology usually invest well.
The only thing missing was a modem.
One of those dial-up monsters that screamed while connecting.
I took the machine to a small computer shop near my place.
While the technician installed the modem, I browsed the game shelf.
Coming from old consoles, PC games felt like science fiction.
The technician saw the excitement in my eyes.
He suggested upgrades.
Memory. Sound system. Video card.
I said yes to everything. A salesman recognizes another salesman.
I went home with a spaceship.
That night, I installed Age of Empires.
When the game opened, I froze.
The music. The scale. The atmosphere.
I clicked MULTIPLAYER without knowing what I was doing.
I started with five villagers.
Thirty minutes later, my tiny civilization was crushed by Roman cavalry.
I wasn’t frustrated.
I was amazed.
Then I discovered the taunts.
I honestly thought other players were talking to me in real time.
I even woke my brother up to show him someone in the U.S. “speaking” to me through the game.
It was just a recorded sound.
But to me, it was the future.
That’s when the internet became real.
Through Age of Empires, I met people from all over the world, traveled to Portugal, led one of Brazil’s biggest clans, organized tournaments, and helped bring major esports events to my country.
Years later, that path brought me to Japan.
Where I founded my own game company, which will turn 21 at the end of 2026.
Looking back, it’s strange how life works.
One unpaid invoice.
One computer.
One game.
And a noisy connection that changed everything.
🎬 By @grok imagine 🧙♂️✨ wololoooo...
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