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"Faced with crisis, the man of
character falls back on himself."
- Charles de Gaulle
Throughout
2003, what had previously been a hobby continued to become more
professional. After years of playing 2nd fiddle, I finally felt in
control of my games and my career. However, as the bar was raised so
too were the demands on my time and energy. My work rate dropped to
producing just a few major games (and very little in between) - as I
started prioritizing quality over quantity...
Big BumpZ ~
January 2003
Although I had been using Blitz 3D
for over a year, the boxing game was literally the only 3D concept that I had
gotten round to making! That would all change at the turn of 2003, as I took
my first steps towards a 3D wrestling simulator. The Stunt Challenge
gameplay came out of retirement one last time for an explosive final
instalment. I felt that the Big BumpZ of 2001 was a stain on the game's
legacy, so I vowed to make amends with this the ultimate remake. My new
professional attitude served it well, as it boasted the best 3D graphics I
could muster and equally good presentation. The story mode from the 2D game
made its 3D debut - and it was better than ever, featuring animated cut-scenes
that introduced the challenges. The gameplay was as good as the concept could
afford too, and took place in many unique locations. Still, the finished
game received distinctly mixed reviews. As with every other instalment in the
series, you either "got it" or you didn't. It was strictly for wrestling fans,
and left everybody else bewildered - not least my university lecturers who had
to accept it as my coursework! My publishers were equally unimpressed and
politely refused to take it any further. That was quite a blow, because I had
designed it to be released on CD and was left with a hefty piece of freeware
to upload.
Fortunately, the game still managed to impress on that level. My wrestling
fans took it to their hearts as ever, and even the freeware library
GameHippo.com had good things to say. Their review praised its innovative
concept and challenging story mode, before concluding that it was "charming".
All in all, this Big BumpZ was a fitting end to the Stunt Challenge
legacy - and an exciting preview of where my wrestling games were headed...
Big BumpZ can be
downloaded here! (7mb)
Student
Direct
~
March 2003
My newfound
status as a published game developer gave me more stroke with the media than
ever before. Even though it was on a small-time label, the mere fact that I
had games out there was impressive news - especially because of my
single-handed approach. My University's local paper was the first to swoop in
- despite the fact that my course was more of a hindrance than a help! In any
case, the article's "hometown hero" angle practically guaranteed that it would
be favourable. It delivered the goods admirably, with 2 whole pages of
coverage. One dealt with my work in general, whilst the other reviewed the 2
published games...
Federation Booker ~
May 2003
At this point in my career I was juggling
2D and 3D games with incredible ease. After Big BumpZ, I was right back
to the 2D wrestling series for the promised sequel. Whilst Federation
Wrestling was a fun-filled arcade affair, this second instalment would
return to the game's booking roots. You had won control of "Federation Online"
at the end of the first game, so here you were acting out the rest of the
story. The transition was very effective. You recreated your character and
were then thrown into a showdown with the former owner. He vowed to make life
difficult for you by stripping the company down to its bare roots, and from
there it was your job to rebuild the show! Whilst the wrestling gameplay
remained the same, this new managerial role gave the game a huge twist. It was
infinitely more sophisticated than the rough concept of the original
Federation Online game. For a start, there were hundreds of characters
spread across 4 different promotions! You had a huge pool of talent that came
and went as surely as they did in real life, which made for some very
satisfying gameplay. Quite simply, it took 2D wrestling simulation further
than it had ever been - before or since - and sealed its place as the
definitive game of its kind...
Federation Booker can be
downloaded here! (21mb)
Independent Publishing ~
June 2003 When Big BumpZ was shot down by
the publishers I grew concerned about their stance on wrestling games. Sure
enough, Federation Booker also went over their heads and got the same
blank response. Although it's understandable, I had hoped that they would
place more faith in my work. After all, Federation Wrestling proved to
be their best selling game so far - and the booking sequel was guaranteed to
sell even better! As surely as they had failed to understand the concept, they
failed to understand my enthusiasm - forcing me to go elsewhere.
Unfortunately, I was so new to the publishing world that I didn't have
anywhere else to go! It seemed increasingly likely that this, my finest hour,
would be lost forever - along with my career. Out of desperation, I
investigated the publishing process for myself and arranged to have the game
distributed independently. I quickly drew up some packaging of my own,
commissioned a Californian printer to manufacture the CD's - and the rest is
history. It was tough work (especially for a guy that was already doing
everything else!) but it paid off spectacularly. I was now in control of my
own destiny, and my players had the game they were waiting for. Best of all,
they made it overtake Federation Wrestling as THE most successful
Blitz game of all time!
The MDickie Show ~
August 2003
I've always thought of my games as title holders - each one having the responsibility of carrying the company
through the months ahead. If that's the case then The MDickie Show
was a "paper champion" that wasn't up to the task! It was a fun enough
game, but it didn't have the depth that my wrestling fans were
accustomed to. Matters weren't helped by the fact that my computer went
down weeks before the game was due to be released. In fact, the game
was very nearly lost forever! Miraculously, it turned up in the half of
my files that the technician managed to recover. In any case, it was
left with a subdued debut as I struggled to post a mere preview of the
game - let alone any other promotional material. The show might have
been a commercial failure, but I still stand by it as a production. The
TV presentation was ambitious, and even extended to spoken arguments in
my first (and only) foray into voice acting. The gameplay, though
primitive, was also a step towards what would become Wrestling MPire...
OURmageddon ~ September
2003
In the short time that its appeal
lasted, The MDickie Show did capture people's imaginations. The sound
effects laden gameplay was a treat for editors, as they were even encouraged
to record their own arguments for the show! Unfortunately, the results were so
large that they were seldom shared on the Internet - but amongst friends it
was quite the party piece. A couple of underground musicians even went so far
as to sample the game's rants in a rap song! Vengeful Blessings took
the George Bush impression and somehow squeezed it onto their "OURmageddon"
track...
The song can be downloaded
here!
Made In America ~
September 2003
Shortly after The MDickie Show was
released I left for Chicago, USA - where I would spend a whole month sampling
the culture. 90% of my audience comes from North America, yet I hadn't seen it
for myself. With laptop in hand, I actually managed to redefine the term
"independent" game developer. Not only am I independent of co-workers, but I'm
even independent of an office! I was quite literally taking game development
to new places. In fact, Wrestling MPire went into production at this
very juncture - which raised a lot of eyebrows at the airport. It's not
everyday you see an epic 3D wrestling game being made at the table next to
you! The plan was that by being made on American soil, the home of pro
wrestling, Wrestling MPire would inherit some of that fine tradition.
And that it did, as week by week it became better than I ever could have
hoped. When it finally materialized the following year, it would prove to be
the ultimate souvenir...
Daily Telegraph
~
November 2003
The MDickie Show may have disappointed the
wrestling faithful, but it had a successful impact on the rest of the world.
It was the most impressive 3D game to ever come from one man - which, combined
with the unusual concept, made it quite a story for the press. Federation
Booker might have been the real success behind the scenes, but it was
The MDickie Show that captured the public's imagination. This article,
which came from the Daily Telegraph, is typical of the time - and was
perhaps the most supportive to date. They took liberties with my words by
focusing on the financial side of things, but they were at least taking my
business seriously. Spookily enough, I used to deliver this very same
newspaper when I was a kid! Who'd have thought that a few years later I'd
actually be in it? Furthermore, the story was actually tipped to be front page
news - but unfortunately some kid drowned and stole my spot. That's probably
for the best! Even I don't think my work is THAT interesting...
Copyright © MDickie 2000 - 2020
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