For almost a decade between 2000 and 2008, this site was the home of a remarkable career in game development. Operating under the abbreviated signature of MDickie, I single-handedly developed and published a dizzying array of PC games - presiding over every inch of every project, from the design and programming through to the graphics and music. From that vantage point, I turned my hand to the ideas I had always wanted to see and delivered innovative concepts that simply couldn't be found anywhere else. Players responded in their thousands and established me as one of the most prominent independents on the scene - complete with a business model that ensured a hobby would become a profession. The media also marvelled at my methods and celebrated my work as an exciting new facet to the world's biggest and fastest growing art form. It was a responsibility I took very seriously - supplementing the games with a canon of insightful writings that aimed to educate and inspire a new generation...

But alas, there was always going to be a time limit on the game I was playing. Advances in technology redefined what people expected from a gaming experience, and it was no longer something that one man was capable of delivering. Meanwhile, the Internet itself had evolved into a messy place where it was difficult to make an impact - let alone a living. All of which, rather conveniently, coincided with the fact that I was losing my passion for making games and sought to turn my hand to more meaningful ambitions...

And so I leave you to stroll into the future with a games industry that no longer has me biting at its heels. Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen. As beautiful as your bride may be, one suspects that she doesn't love you as much as I did. She'll take you for every penny you've got, and the lack of substance in her cooking will leave you malnourished. But thanks to those of you that did manage to see the good in my humble work. I know it wasn't always easy to find! You can be proud of the fact that you were the bricks that built an empire...

For the record, my work was every bit as special as I proclaimed it to be. Try to follow in my footsteps some time and you'll understand where I was coming from. There's a cutting line near the beginning of the Qur'an (Surah 2:23) where the Prophet Muhammad challenges you to compose better verses if you doubt the authenticity of his. The idea is that when you fail miserably, you'll be left in no doubt that you were in the presence of something special. Couldn't put it better myself...