{"id":2032,"date":"2016-06-11T14:21:39","date_gmt":"2016-06-11T19:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2022-09-14T14:03:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T19:03:17","slug":"game-design-comes-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/game-design-comes-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Game Design Comes of Age"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading time: 2 minutes<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As a child of the 1980s, before the worldwide web or mobile devices were mainstream, Matt Raithel played his share of video games. He never imagined he could earn a living in game design.<\/p>\n

Today, however, Raithel is owner of St. Louis-based Graphite Lab, which creates video games for top brands like Hasbro. His name is in the credits for more than 50 games.<\/p>\n

Raithel shares his talent and expertise with Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPstudents as a game design and motion graphics instructor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat gets me excited is helping this generation go from thinking game design is something they may never be able to do, to learning how to do it, and even having ideas of how to do it better,\u201d Raithel says. \u201cWatching that discovery happen in my classroom is a thrill.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPto recognize that and start crafting a future generation of game designers is great for the students and for the St. Louis region.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"GameDesign.B\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In conjunction with the BFA program in interactive design, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPwill launch a concentration<\/a> in game design this fall. Offering game design curricula is progressive, Raithel says, noting that recent statistics show the gaming industry is worth nearly $100 billion globally, and is expected to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPto recognize that and start crafting a future generation of game designers is great for the students and for the St. Louis region,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Raithel\u2019s classroom is set up like a production studio. Students are considered team members, and have a level of autonomy and responsibility similar to his Graphite employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe brings his expertise from running a business into the classroom,\u201d says senior Mandy Weber. \u201cHe gives everything a real-world perspective and explains how the things we\u2019re learning can later be applied.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raithel also uses his professional network to introduce students to working professionals who share insight about real-world projects. Although he calls upon creatives from both coasts, Raithel also introduces students to developers in the St. Louis area, where video game design is rapidly expanding.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This story was originally published in the Spring 2016 edition of<\/em>\u00a0Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPMagazine.<\/p>\n

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