Up for some snark.

Moorgard makes a good resume about this other discussion. But I’ll tell you that’s not really the point. You learn those parts afterwards. They are valid but all optional.

What is essential is just one thing: contacts.

The rest is superfluous. You need opportunities before you can do something with them. And contacts will give you those opportunities. Without opportunities you could be god on earth, but you’ll never do anything. Then there are multiple ways to make contacts. You can have charisma, you can kiss asses, you can live next to the big building, you can be in Austin, you can have friends that pull you in, you can have luck. Whatever. Every way is a good way. But you still need contacts.

Of course this doesn’t make you a good designer. But it’s also true that before you can become a good game designer, you have to become one.

So don’t believe those guys. They are just scared of the competition.