Creator Con 2016: Part 2

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Doni Tomos in Con Talk, Gaming // 0 Comments

A few 101’s with some exhibitors from Creator Con

Pre show

Prior to the start of Creator Con I managed to chat with a few of the exhibitors while they were still setting up. The first being Tony Powell with Philosoplay. An extremely friendly and welcoming guy who not only creates, but designs, develops, and illustrates the artwork for his game: “That Rock Paper Scissors Game”, a new spin on an old classic where’s it’s a 3-for-all match in which paper, rock, and scissors are in a battle arena where one player has to protect themselves from their predator while trying to catch their target before the time runs out. He definitely won a popular choice award among the parents and students with how simply addictive his game is.

So where’d you get the idea for this game I asked?:
“Well it’s funny you asked…this game is actually an adaptation from a previous game that was a side scrolling multiplayer shooter that I revamped to be more mobile friendly.”

How does this game determine a winner?:
“There’s a respawn period for about 3 secs whenever a character dies that they’re invincible, giving the other players a few moments of vulnerability. There’s also power ups in the game like a shield for protection, you can dash across the field with a speed boost, or you can use a big hammer, or you could drop landmines on the field…and these are just a few ways of spicing up the game that you can use.”

Have you been to other Comic Cons before, I wanted to get your opinion on this Con versus other ones?: “Yes I’ve been trying to get to as many as possible, So far this is very much like a comic con but on a smaller scale. Most other cons focus on comic books, anime, and movies, where you know the fans dress up. Here the focus is also educational but including video games as well…which I feel is a step above a lot of the other Cons. I’ve never seen a Comic Con actually reach out to game developers..but no one’s set up like this. So this is cool exposure for someone to showcase their game.”

So how did you start Philosoplay, how’d it come about?:
“Well…I’ve been an indie game developer since like 2000, I did it full time but then as I got older I realized I wanted to be my own boss. I was like, I have the skills to be own boss and make video games, but let me try and start a company. My company at first got started off while in the Bay area but it was so expensive to try and develop this game and start a business there. So I came to the DC area which was the best move ever.”

You’re from the San Francisco Bay?:
“Yes, I was living out there for a while trying to get into the video game industry, but it’s so saturated there and so many developers…there’s like thousands. And on top of that it’s extremely expensive to live there. Here in the Maryland area, it’s not so saturated, people are really friendly here, and it’s easy to network here. A lot of people in the bay area were warning me that you don’t want to start out there unless you have like millions of dollars. You want to develop it outside of the bay area then go there to market it.”

When did you move from the Bay area to here? How has everything picked up for you since you’ve moved?: “This was in january of 2014, it’s been great! Not only have I been able to find more work in the videogame industry, I’ve been able to work on some educational games too. But finishing a videogame as well and finally being able to have something worthwhile accomplished and feeling like an actual videogame developer.
Also development for this game “That RPS game” has been very rapid.”

What do you mean by rapid development for this game? “So when I was in the bay area I needed full time employment to support myself. Now I’ve saved up enough money and completed enough contract work I’m able to support myself with my own company and spend more time making my own video games, so in the end i’m able to get a lot more work done faster!”

What do you see the next step/game for Philosoplay?:
“So this game has gotten a lot of popularity for the events I’ve been to..so I’ll still keep making games like these, but I see myself doing more single player RPG progression games, but are chapter based. For the most part I want people to know this isn’t going to be the only rock paper scissors game!”

Help That Rock Paper Scissors game get onto Steam Greenlight! Vote here!

Follow Tony on twitter and his future developments with Philosoplay on youtube!

(The future of the mobile arcade: Popup Arcade Interview…Catch the Full Conversation Here.)

T.A.G. Labs

(Technology and Gaming) mixes education and the cooperative environments of great gaming for the enjoyment of video game enthusiasts. Which strives to feature local indie developers at events across the DC Metro area to teach kids and students alike the fundamentals of video game development via:

Coding skills through video games and apps.
Hosting After School programs with the DC Public School System.
Game Day workshops, Intro to game design, Game art, and Programming blocks.

By combining these elements into an effective system, T.A.G. Labs is able to leverage the need in inner city school systems that lack up to date computer labs. Providing mentorship, potential career outlook, and creating exposure for diversity in technology industry.

A key success story Terrence shared; is seeing how previous students come back and are inspired to pursue gaming or graphic design when previously they’d never even considered it as a possible career!

“DC based Technology and Gaming Labs (T.A.G) was launched in 2013 by technology professionals who sought to transform youth learning through interactive gaming experiences. These experiences teach students how technology works. T.A.G.’s founders believe this approach builds vital developmental skills while positioning youth for lucrative creative careers.

T.A.G helps young people enhance their creative talents by developing computer games, mobile applications and websites. Students design programs and products that improve their math, science, technology, problem-solving and team-building skills. This approach engages, challenges, and empowers students of all academic and socio-economic backgrounds to explore, innovate, and succeed.”

Our goal is to create a nationwide organization that empowers kids and young adults to program games, mobile applications, and websites.

Operating out of the Impact Hub DC. T.A.G. Labs goal is to become fully integrated in the DC Public School System as a premiere educational program.

T.A.G.’s next event will be held at Awesome Con 2016, June 3-5th on the main floor showcasing their programs!

Single Digit Studios

3D Printing is quickly becoming apart of our everyday lives, walk into your local best buy and you can buy a fairly priced one for about..($900–$1000 for a base model) whether you’re an engineer, creative, tech geek, or for educational purposes. 3D printing is here to revolutionize the way we can make our ideas become physical. Bakia Parker, Creative Director and Owner of Single Digit Studios passion is to help creatives realize their ideas physically. He can print anything from simple chess figurines to more complex character models that can be used in tandem with creating a video game or just simple fandom usage…(look at his Kingdom Keyblade!). Bakia’s worked with a lot of startup companies in the video game development and 3D modeling community for about ten years. Servicing client needs such as props production, masks, cosplay accessories, or catering to other artists to do figurines of their characters, He can print it. Bakia started Single Digit about six months ago and is currently building his merchandise to showcase for future events. With experience in 3D modeling and sculpting Bakia is sure to be a premiere choice for anyone looking to get their ideas into physical reality. He currently operates out of Alexandria, VA. Contact him via his website at Singledigitstudio.com

Join us next year for even more exciting opportunities to learn, connect, and grow in an rapidly expanding environment surrounded by unique artists, fun games, and innovative education! For event details check out CreatorConFestival.com!