"I am what I am and that's all that I am."

I've been thinking about the redesign on my blog and how I'm still missing something, a cover letter. The one that I have now for sending out my resume to be frank sucks. With my title change to game theorist I wanted to do something with my CL as it is going to be one of the first things that someone will read about me. This is why I'm going to post it here not only for (hopefully) useful criticism but also as a way to explain to people what exactly do I do. I will warn you this will comes off with a few extra degrees of egotism and pretentiousness that I'm not known for in real life, the reason is that I need to make myself stand out.

To whom it may concern,Thank you for taking the time to read this, as you may be looking at my resume and wondering “what exactly is my profession?” I am a Game Theorist or someone who analyzes game mechanics and systems. My goal is to become a game designer at some point in my career and I will gladly say why I’m the best fit for this job, it’s because I play a lot of video games. I know that every book, every person in the industry will say not to list that as a plus, but I’m going to tell you why it is.

When I play a video game I deconstruct it, breaking down the game systems to see what works and what doesn’t. Most importantly I keep a memory of just about every game I’ve played, from Clash at Demon Head for the NES to The Void, each one adding another notch on my belt or another trick in my bag. Each game I’ve played I am able to tell you the chief game system or systems and where the game was a success and where it slipped up. Whenever I create a game idea I pool my knowledge to see how certain game systems worked in the past, where they’ve failed and how they could be improved for my use. As per my resume I may not have years of professional experience, but I have been doing this for as long as I can remember; around the age of 3. The game ideas on my resume are proof of this ability.

I no longer ask the question “ if games can be considered art?” but “how do I advance game design?”, as per my resume’s goal, I want to create unique experiences in video games, whether they are an incredibly polished take on a genre or something completely new. What I say next comes with zero ego or vanity; you will not find someone else like me. I am unique with my thought process and creativity and will be a valuable asset to any company.

What I can provide to your company is something that is not easily quantified; hopefully this letter has shed some light on my skills.

Josh Bycer