Shawnee XP Game Accelerator with Elijah

Transcript

It’s time to meet Elijah, a graduate of Shawnee State who is now part of the Shawnee XP Program, a game accelerator bringing games to life with the help of the university’s Kricker Innovation hub. Through networking, connecting with resource partners and using state-of-the-art lab space, graduates here are getting their games launched. Take it away, Elijah.

– Thanks, Alex. Hey everybody. I’ve been making comic books and animations since the fourth grade. I’ve always been an artist, but I also have a love for more technical projects. I had no idea I could combine the two until I went to Shawnee State. When I heard about their game programming degree, everything just clicked. During undergrad, I studied every day with a team of passionate and dedicated students. Working on labs and game jams together, we became not only skilled developers, but also close friends. When it came time for our capstone project, three of us teamed up to make Gnomad, a hand-drawn exploration platformer. Gnomad is the most rewarding project I’ve been a part of, because it combined everything we’ve been learning. After the Gnomad team graduated, we were accepted into the Shawnee XP Game Accelerator. Shawnee XP rounded out our skill sets with weekly workshops from experienced game development veterans. It also provided us access to funding, mentorship, and industry connections. These resources helped us launch our own independent game studio, JollyWare, where we continue development on Gnomad every day. During the accelerator, we worked side-by-side with other passionate game developers, building our dream projects and making lifelong friendships. When we weren’t at the accelerator building our games or at game conferences getting player feedback, we were solving escape rooms, throwing axes, hiking, and holding movie and game nights. My time at the Shawnee XP Accelerator has been some of the most fun of my life. Shawnee isn’t just a great place to learn. It’s a place where developers build their future, and that’s what we’re doing now. That’s our story so far, and we are just getting started. Take it away, Alex.

– How exciting, Elijah. With a dedicated staff building connections, providing fundamental resources, and giving valuable feedback, Shawnee State is making sure graduates have access to the tools they need to succeed and launch their careers. Congrats on your postgraduate success, Elijah, and best of luck with your studio. Thanks again.