The Dragon Speech
The finest speech I gave in my entire life was The Dragon Speech, presented at one of the early Computer Game Developers' Conferences. In it, I used “The Dragon” as a metaphor for the unattainable goal of artistic expression through computer game design.
The finale of the speech really blew their socks off. I confronted an imaginary dragon that I purported to see in the air at the back of the lecture hall. “After all these years, I can finally see you!” I declared. “And you're beautiful, but, you're also ugly beyond description. Yes, yes, I'm afraid of you—YOU HURT ME! I've felt your claws ripping through my soul!” These last lines were delivered with genuine anguish of an intensity that disturbed and frightened many in the ...
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