Imagine loving two things but only being able to choose one? If you choose either, you'll surely feel like you're missing the other. Well, in Gumbo's life, he once had to make a choice that would mark the rest of his life, because that choice would lead him down two different paths with different futures. It all happened about 16 years ago, when he was just a young man starting out in life, so to speak. When he finished his studies, it was time to dedicate himself to what he loved. This is where the dilemma lay. On the one hand, he loved music, especially composing it, and even singing a little. On the other hand, he really loved programming and computer science.
The choice he had to make was this: either dedicate himself to music or continue university to become a successful computer programmer. After many recommendations from his parents, his teachers, and friends, he made a decision. According to others, being a programmer was safer than dedicating himself to music, which was considered uncertain. So those opinions led him to believe that it was best to leave music behind as his first choice.
So he put everything aside and pursued his career as a programmer. Although everyone congratulated him on his decision, he felt he hadn't done the right thing, because it was as if a part of him was missing—a very strange feeling to describe. Over several years, he climbed the ranks in his programming career and became a very good programmer. He stood out from the rest for being fast, efficient, and for not getting distracted at work. He was highly valued, and many companies competed to have him on their team. However, despite this success, he hasn't forgotten his old dream.
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Success has only slightly diminished his desire to be a musician, but it's more alive than ever. He's always wondered what his life would be like now if he'd chosen a different path. Many told him to just forget about it, that it was all in the past, but he kept mulling over the same idea.
One day he simply told himself, enough is enough. He had to do something. He didn't want to continue with this inaction of wanting something and doing nothing to achieve it. So he spent several days figuring out what to do. He couldn't go back to the past, and it would be very difficult to change careers at his stage. So what could he do? After thinking and thinking, a phrase came to him: "Combine the best of both worlds." He came up with the idea of using his programming skills to create music games. These games would have soundtracks and singers. That's how he finally saw light at the end of the tunnel, and a way to rebuild his life, which he felt was incomplete.
He immediately began to devise a plan to make it all happen. After evaluating the costs, he saw that it was financially possible and viable. So he founded a video game studio focused on music. For example, games for playing virtual instruments, piano games, and anything related to music. That way, he could leverage both of his skills in a single job. It was the perfect solution. About four months later, he had a whole team of employees and friends who liked the idea of the studio. So they got to work.
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They came up with the idea of creating a game about a singer climbing the ladder of success in their music career. Users could control every aspect of the character, such as their singing and instrumental skills. In other words, a game similar to The Sims, but focused on music. Developing the game would take time, more than three years. It would also require significant resources. Luckily, Gumbo had them and also had some sponsors supporting the game. So, he started the project.
The three years flew by, and the game was ready. He had composed everything from the music and lyrics to the art design. And of course, he had also done a large part of the coding. Only one day remained until the already announced launch. Although he had thoroughly enjoyed the process, he was unsure whether it would be a failure or a success. And he was about to describe it. When the game was released, it had low sales, which worried them greatly. But thanks to word of mouth, within a few weeks, it was very well-known. Everyone loved the novelty of following the career of a virtual singer; they had to lead their character to success.
It was a resounding sales success. Gumbo's only regret was not having done this from the beginning and not having combined his two worlds much sooner. But despite everything, he was happy and now had more projects in mind. He simply advises everyone to never think that there's only one direction in life; there are always ways to combine the things you love.
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