I've wanted to design for years (around 6) and I've never stopped, it's been pure obsession. I've been using Gamedev.net (on my old profile) for, give or take, a year now and the lessons I've learnt have really helped shape me as a designer. I'm currently 16 and stuck in compulsory education but that hasn't stopped me from designing and at the end of last year something very special happened.

I'm not sure how aware people in the US are of the BAFTA awards but in the UK they're sort of like the Oscars. Using skills I've taught myself and lessons I've learnt from the many fine members here I managed to win a BAFTA in young game design. I couldn't have done this without you guys and I'm so glad that this site provided the resources for me to accomplish something to be proud of at such a young age.

I think there's a video of me accepting my award on youtube somewhere if you require proof (in my acceptance speech I thank the internet, it was in a jokey fashion but I was thinking of this site).

nothing else to say other than thank you again for being so freaking awesome

Dan

I congratulate you sincerely. Well done mate!

So you must be the guy on the right of the screen:

BAFTA Interview

Congratulations, Dan! Very well done and all the best to you for the future!

Congrats for you and your team.

Congrats! Good luck with your future endeavors!

That's awesome, congrats! Are you sharing your project somewhere so we can see it?

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I congratulate you sincerely. Well done mate!

So you must be the guy on the right of the screen:

BAFTA Interview

aha yeah, that interview is painful! Sam fell apart a bit but BAFTA thankfully didn't put that on their Youtube channel.

the video of me getting the award is here:

about 16 minutes in. Kudos to BAFTA for giving me the opportunity to do this, if there are any people between 11 and 15 reading this, you NEED to enter this years, it's really amazing, even getting short-listed is great.

I should be at Eurogamer this year so it'll be weird visiting the talks they'll be doing there for it, hopefully I can do a talk or two, get to go into Eurogamer early, then meet some of my favourite developers a bit more personally.

I appreciate everyone's congratulations, thanks a lot!

P.S. part of the prize is to get the design made into a prototype by Abertay university, it's not coded yet, all theory. When the prototype's done however we (my team) keep all the rights to it so we can take it to developers if we want. If no one takes it then I'll probably upload it online for free.

Well done Dan!

I thought the interview was pretty good actually..