Luke Dicken @LukeD

You’re Not Special, Neither am I

Who am I?

Game Developer

Writer Lecturer

Community Advocate

Research

I’m Not Special

How Did I Get Here?

Choices

Commitment

Tools to Help

Social Networks

Blogs

Events

Community

Play Games!

Make Games!

I Haven’t Got it All Figured Out

I’m Terrified !

Anyone saying they aren’t is lying …or a sociopath

I’m Not Alone

“I'm afraid of not being smart or savvy enough to keep up with

the geniuses that I adore in the industry!”

Linn Søvig Spillmakerlauget

(Norwegian Game Developers Guild)

“I’m most afraid of becoming obsolete if I don’t keep my skills

up to date. It’s a struggle to keep moving forward when you have to run just to stand still.”

Kaye Elling Lecturer, University of Bradford

“I’ll show up at work and the doors are closed, the locks have been changed and the project I

am working on has been cancelled.”

Andy Schmoll Games System Designer

Arkane Studios

“I’m scared that if I didn’t do what I do every day, no one would notice and the world

would be no better off.”

Thomas Welsh Editor, CalmDownTom

“Realizing my skills were just luck and mediocrity all along.”

Jurie Horneman Freelance Designer/Producer

“I'm most scared of people hating my work.”

Andrew Smith MD, Spilt Milk Studios

“Even though I've been doing what I do since 2001, I still fear that I am just talking out of my

ass.”

Tristin Hightower Operations Manager, IGDA

Are You Scared?

You Are Not Special

You Are Not Alone

It’s OK to be scared It’s OK to not know what you are

doing !

It’s not OK to let it stop you.

Get in touch

•Email - luke@igda.org

•Twitter - @LukeD

•Web - http://lukedicken.com/

Useful Resources

•Darius Kazemi’s “Effective Networking in the Game Industry” • http://tinysubversions.com/effective-networking/

•Find a mentor • http://gamementoronline.org

•Watch free lectures • http://gdcvault.com

Useful Resources

•IGDA Scotland • http://igdascotland.org • info@igdascotland.org

•Global Game Jam • http://globalgamejam.org

•IGDA Scholarships • http://igda.org/scholars/