Media Release
Edmonton- Two local leaders in the digital arts and technology sector, Rocketfuel Games and GURU Digital Arts College, have reached an agreement to co-produce a new education-based video game. Mind’s Eye is a first-person shooter game that teaches students math skills while they obliterate mutant enemies. The project will integrate Rocketfuel’s game design expertise with the art direction and development skills of GURU staff and students.
Kyle Sams, a student in GURU’s Digital Illustration and Sequential Art program, along with support from program instructors Nat Jones & Lee Neilsen, will provide concept art, and GURU’s Interaction Design & Game Level Development program students will develop the game under the game design direction of GURU’s Executive Director, Owen Brierley.
Rocketfuel has produced multiple award-winning games in the learning sector, and is a leader in understanding game design and the dynamics of game play in a learning environment. “The level of expertise that GURU provides on both the art side and the technical side is phenomenal. We’ve done a lot of great games over the past few years and we’re excited to get started on Mind’s Eye,” says Rocketfuel Games COO Norman Mendoza.
“I don’t always gravitate to what’s thought of as edutainment,” explains GURU Executive Director Owen Brierley. “It just conjures up an image of someone singing to me while I’m trying to do math, ugh. But this game is going to truly be entertaining and enjoyable to play, that’s our focus. I mean, its a hardcore mutant shooter, how fun is that? The game play will be so engaging that the students won’t even realize that they’re learning at the same time. That’s the key to this.”
Rocketfuel Games President Jason Suriano explains how the concept was born: “I was sitting at a conference and someone came up to me and said, ‘my kid will only play an educational game for about fifteen minutes before he starts playing Angry Birds. Can you guys fix that?’ The truth is, educational games haven’t been able to compete with entertainment-first games, but we think it’s time to try to do something disruptive in this space and what better way than to create a math-based first person mutant shooter game.”
About Rocketfuel Games
Rocketfuel Games produces games that you play online and in the real world. Launched in 2006, Rocketfuel has been recognized with various awards including Most Promising New Company at the Canadian New Media Awards and a 2010 Children’s Technology Review Award for their work with Discovery Communications. For more information visit www.rocketfuelgames.ca.
About GURU
GURU Digital Arts College is an Edmonton-based private post secondary institute that trains students to work at the intersection of art and technology. Our graduates leave ready work for video game companies, advertising agencies, and graphic design studios and other interesting corners of the digital media industry. We make the learning fit the student rather than the student fit the learning.
For more information or an interview, contact:
Rocketfuel Games
Name: Jason Suriano
Number: 780-994-4237
Email: jason@rocketfuelgames.ca
GURU Digital Arts College
Name: Erin Hazen
Number: 780-429-4878
Email: erin.hazen@gurudigitalarts.com
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