"What we need are more people that specialize in the impossible..."
- Theodore Roethke

Ever since this website launched, my solo antics have irritated as many as they've impressed. My increasingly bold claims about being the "first", "best", and "only" game developer of this kind are often brought into disrepute. Many have claimed to follow in my footsteps more convincingly, and some have even claimed to walk them first! My contribution to this business has never been so overlooked. Help is at hand though, with this comprehensive checklist for spotting impostors. If you're feeling superior, or you know somebody who is, simply run through this gauntlet and see how far you get before it all falls apart...

1. Jack Of All Trades
It should go without saying that you do, of course, need to be getting the job done single-handedly. A worthy contender must be solely responsible for every inch of a project - from the design and programming through to the various graphics, sound, and even music. Ideally, it should have all of the above too! Graphic-free "text games" aren't exactly what we're talking about here, and neither are half-baked projects that lack the refined presentation of a theme tune, etc.. If a player needs to fill in the gaps with their imagination, i'm afraid that counts as a job on their part! We're looking for the total package and no excuses...

2. Any Which Way But Loose
Once you've got all of the above skills, you should proceed to exercise them like Ali in the ring! We don't rest on our laurels here at MDickie.com. We want to see you switch from one style of game development to the other without breaking a sweat. Deliver games in every possible format at least once - from text and 2D sprites to 3D modelling. We don't want to hear that 2D is "beneath you" either! Surely the saviour of gaming can turn water into wine? Despite its retro visuals, Federation Booker remains one of the most successful games that i've ever made - so we all know it can be done. You, too, must be able to make a little go a long way...

3. Boxing Clever
You can't limit the graphical skills to the game themselves either. We're looking for instantly recognizable logos too - because you're going to need them for the packaging! Yes, a major hurdle in the gauntlet is that you should be a published developer (preferably making a living from it to boot). Ideally, you should have a great deal of input at this juncture. I may not always do it by choice, but let's not forget that i'm responsible for the publishing too. Completing a game is the least of my concerns, as i then turn around and draw up pages of high resolution artwork! Then there's the digital side of publishing to deal with, as i write out the various instruction documents and compile installation programs. The old "beneath me" excuse doesn't quite cut it here either. Although due credit is given for signing with a major publisher, points are deducted for losing a little too much freedom. We're looking for a shot-caller that releases what he wants with no questions asked...

4. Deep Impact
In the unlikely event that you've crawled through the first few stages, this is where most independent game developers are almost certain to fail. Whatever you do, you should come out of the other side with games that people actually care about! Anybody can make a game that reaches nobody and doesn't sell a single copy. The real challenge is to do all of the above and make a success of it. We're talking about the kind of attention that most mainstream games don't enjoy! At least one of your projects should be popular enough to warrant fan sites, while your work in general should be exciting and inspiring enough to warrant fan mail. That's been the case with my wrestling games from day one. Admittedly, such fan material doesn't last long amid piracy fears - but surely it's the thought that counts? At least one person, somewhere in the world, should be telling you that you've just made the best game they've ever played...

5. Culture Club
Building on the last point, you should also aim to succeed as many times (and in as many different ways) as possible. Stumbling across one fruitful concept and then milking it for the rest of your career is a weak move. We need you to break the mould (or at least try to) every time you sit down to a new project. As surely as you were switching between 2D and 3D, you should now be switching between genres without breaking a sweat. We're talking about making a wrestling game, then releasing a retro concept like Sure Shot and getting love from a different audience. We're talking about sidestepping from Wrestling MPire to Popscene, and still getting at least one person saying that was the best game yet. Rather than a one-trick pony, you should be mixing things up as if you were a legitimate software company! From the first project to the last, there should never be a shortage of inventive ideas and unpredictable moves...

6. God Speed
Things get frightening from hereon in, because it turns out all of the above are just formalities! Not only must you successfully develop and publish your own projects, but you should also be doing it in record-breaking time. We're talking about a 3-month maximum for even the biggest of projects - from having the idea to holding the finished product in your hands. The old "don't want to" excuse wears thin here too. Although you could argue that it's better to take your time, you should at least be capable of hitting that manic work rate. Speed and effortlessness are signs of mastery, and that's what we're looking for here. We can all put one foot in front of the other, but it takes an Olympic athlete to do it in record time! In an industry where teams of highly paid professionals take years to deliver the goods, you must be that extra bit special...

7. Man Of The Moment
Once you're fast with your creativity, you should be using that power to great effect. You can make entire games as easily as a musician composes a song - so why not get just as personal? Making games has become so trivial to me that i often find myself doing just that. I can make them as presents for friends, to satirise the state of the world around me, and (most famously) to voice my support for certain causes. Surely that passion is the difference between "art" and "entertainment"? If so, then it's something my nemesis should be demonstrating. You should have the awareness to be influenced by the world around you, and the skills to transform it into a piece of work. The results being so significant that you find yourself becoming more than a regular game designer. While everybody else is confined to the gaming press, you should be transcending the business and making an impact in the outside world...

8. Tabloid Junkie
By now, you're swimming in press cuttings - half of which come from the games industry, half of which from outside of it. You're going places that no other independent game developer has been. But it turns out that, too, is just the tip of the iceberg! In addition to making the headlines, you should also be writing them. My recent outing in Develop magazine was my fourth published article. It's the most overlooked part of my legacy, but something i consider to be most important. To serve as both a contributor AND an observer to your profession is a huge step towards mastery. How can you justify any other stance? You don't care about (or understand) your profession enough to have something to say? You're not talented enough to articulate those thoughts in a manner worth printing? If either one of those rings true then you've "written" yourself out of this race...

9. Web Slinger
Building on the last point, your website should be a Mecca for your passion. From day one, i've taken immense pride in making MDickie.com the ultimate reference tool for my work. While most other sites - whether independent or mainstream - are little more than glorified advertisements, my site has always been a living entity in its own right. In between the published articles, i dedicate a quarter of every day to creating new content for my own canon. The result is a website that updates every couple of days and goes deeper than any other. Whether it's honest reports about the latest game, nostalgic reminders of games gone by, or insightful articles about creativity in general, this site produces hundreds of thousands of words every year. A trend so well established that you can set your watch to my annual outlooks and retrospectives. In fact, a significant portion of my audience don't even play the games! They're just here for an oasis of inspiration and honesty in an industry that has none. Are you passionate enough to go that extra mile?

10. The People's Champion
Speaking of selfless actions, the crowning glory on all of the above is that you have to be a nice guy! That is, you should establish and maintain a good relationship with your fans. I spend the first hour of every day reading and replying to messages from my players - from the most insulting to the most congratulatory. My ventures beyond the call of duty are legendary, as free copies of the games wing their way to countries as far away as Russia and China. Most noticeably, players even find themselves brought to life in the games that they love so much! Again, it offers no rewards. It's just something that a man of integrity should feel obliged to do. Popularity is no excuse either. In the aftermath of my more significant media appearances, i've had mail that would stack up against any other company - and i've always gotten through it eventually. Unless you're Michael Jackson or Tom Cruise, it's really not that difficult! Of course, the old "don't want to" excuse rears its head one last time at this juncture. Yes, it's conceivable that you could ignore your fans and still be a better game developer - but you certainly won't be a better human being...

~ Final Thought
Believe it or not, my New Year's resolution was to be more humble - and you've already messed that up! I don't like to brag about any of the above milestones or achievements. I'd rather inspire you to follow in my footsteps than list reasons why you can't. However, i've got no qualms about humbling those that don't humble themselves. I'm tremendously proud of how hard i work and what i bring to my chosen profession, and i refuse to let anybody state otherwise. If you feel you're a contender, be my guest. Work through the 10 commandments - that's what they're there for! I pray for the day that i have such a nemesis to bounce off. Unfortunately, i honestly don't believe that individual exists. That's fine. Maybe nobody else wants to be who i am or do what i do. But until that day, you'll have to join the 6 billion other people who aren't qualified to judge me...