"Every man stamps his value on himself. He is made great or small by his own will..."
- J. C. F. von Schiller

Well, The MDickie Show bears my name and logo so many times that even I got sick of it! t comes across as a worryingly self-indulgent project, so I thought I'd pre-empt any concerns there are about it...

The MDickie Show
So why must a chat show fighting game be named after the guy that made it? Well, the whole point - the whole "joke" - is that the show is a fantasy of what would happen if my anarchic style of game development was transferred to the real world (more specifically: television). Ever since I crashed into this business 3 years ago, I've been producing violent, destructive, wrestling-inspired entertainment. The MDickie Show is simply the culmination of that attitude. Sure, the game holds up as an unconventional fighting game in its own right - but the "MDickie" aspect refers to its roots; a tribute to all the tables that were broken on the long journey between Hardyz Stunt Challenge and Big BumpZ. Difficult for a newcomer to my games to appreciate, I know, but that's partly the reason. The rest is down to the fact that, since I made it single-handedly, it really IS my show! What the hell else is there to call it?! Like the chat shows that it imitates, from Jerry Springer to Oprah, it takes its name from the single biggest factor in its creation...

Who's That Guy?!
Odd caricatures of myself have been seeping into the games since they began way back in 2000. Starting life as blink-and-you'll-miss-it Alfred Hitchcock style appearances, they've since evolved into more overbearing roles - such as the promoter in Federation Booker, and of course the host in The MDickie Show. In Federation Booker's case, the reason for it is very simple: I am quite literally the guy that's challenging you to make a success of that wrestling promotion. I am the guy that put that world together, invited you into it, and threw obstacles in your way. When it came to creating a Vince McMahon style nemesis, I figured it would be a strangely realistic touch to lend myself to the role. Similar thing with The MDickie Show: I am the guy that put those characters out there and it is my code that keeps an eye on your fight - so again, I thought it would be a nice touch to personify that in the form of a TV host. To be honest, I'm not entirely comfortable with it either. I'm not arrogant enough to think that my guy is a worthy addition to the rosters, and at the end of the day it's just an excuse to avoid creating yet another fictitious character. So don't be surprised to see that gimmick phased out in future games...

The Role Call
One thing I won't apologize for is the pride I take in my work. It's no exaggeration to say that, throughout my 10 roles, I do the work of at least 3 or 4 people - so you best believe I'm going to make sure you know about it. In my haste to do that, my name and logo end up all over the title and credit screens. Although that seems a little much, it's actually no worse than in any other game. All game developers throw their identity about - as do the majority of other creative companies, from HBO to WWE. The only difference is that I AM my company - my name IS the company name. Does that mean I'm not allowed to take credit for the product? I do 5 times as much work and I'm supposed to be 5 times as modest?! Mr. Cog-In-The-Machine is allowed to get his credit for one of those roles. I just make my own exact same list and tell it how it is...

The Gift & The Curse
Pride aside, another reason I make a big deal about making these games single-handedly is that I feel I'm onto something. Nobody has EVER been in the position I find myself in. Sure games like Pac-Man, Tetris, and Space Invaders were made by one guy way back in the day - but we're not talking about games like that anymore. We're talking about sophisticated concepts, complete with 2D/3D graphics and all manner of other media. For a one-man-show like me to be delivering that, in this day and age, is an incredible feat. Hell, I'm even publishing myself now - which blows things up even further. The results of all this are finally beginning to speak for themselves, but even so I would be a fool not to make a big deal of it. It would be like Eminem NOT rapping or The Rock NOT cutting a promo! Sometimes modesty isn't an option. It'll all make sense in a few years. Trust me...