We don’t have to tell you that the gaming industry is anything but a plaything. A knowledge and resource intensive sector, it takes a lot to bring a viable product to market. The Atlanta Post has assembled six black entrepreneurs who, facing the challenge, are commanding their share of the $25 billion dollar market. From the educational to the olfactory these companies are pushing the limits of what games can do.
Anthony Castoro
Heatwave Interactive
Anthony Castoro started his first gaming company in 1993 while studying molecular biology at the University of Texas. That venture didn’t last, and while he went on to do award-winning work with major industry players, the desire to strike out on his own persisted. In 2007 Castoro co-founded Heatwave Interactive with Donn McClendon. As CEO he oversees the development of a portfolio with film and music industry credentials. Samuel L. Jackson leant his voice to iSamJackson, an app capitalizing on the beauty of a few choice words. With Platinum Life members can experience the false starts and glory of fame by playing the part of their favorite recording artists. Initially released with a hip hop and R&B catalogue, a country music version with MTV backing has recently gone live on Facebook.
Jacqueline Beauchamp
Nerjyzed Entertainment
Having caught herself complaining about diversity in gaming Jacqueline Beauchamp realized that she had to be the change she wanted to see. Three colleagues – all HBCU alum – caught her vision and in 2004 they got to work. It took five years but when Nerjyzed Entertainment launched ‘The Black College Football Experience: The Doug Williams Edition’, they were not only fulfilling a dream, but breaking new ground. Never before had a black-owned company brought a game for a high-end console to market. Today it’s carried by Walmart, Game Stop and Amazon.
Ntiedo Etuk
Tabula Digita
When a poor report card is issued every child knows that when they get home their parents will be unplugging the Xbox, TV and computer and they’ll be hitting the books. Education first, entertainment second, goes the thinking. Ntiedo Etuk believes that we don’t have to make that choice. The CEO of Tabula Digita, a company co-founded in 2003 with Robert Clegg, uses games to teach and reinforce learning objectives. They started with a product focused on the math in the primary grades, marketed exclusively to schools. Today, their most popular game, DimensionU, covers reading, science and history for grades K-12 and is available for home use.
Justin and Carmen Kennedy
Imagery Media
Justin Kennedy was doing entertainment law and his wife, Carmen, interactive media production, when it became clear that they should go into business for themselves. What emerged in 2003 was Imagery Media. “Advergames”, games intended to boost client’s online visibility, are a speciality of the firm. Clear Channel, Nick Jr., Cartoon Network and Turner Broadcasting are just some of the companies that can attest to Imagery’s talent for serious play.
Joseph Saulter
EARI
Joseph Saulter started Entertainment Arts Research, Inc. (EARI) to provide gaming services to neglected markets. The work is varied. An interest in spirituality led to the development of ‘Universe of Faith’, a virtual world experience, and a series of martial arts games commissioned by a Chinese organization, give an idea of the range. An educator in addition to being an entrepreneur, Saulter has taught at the The Art Institute of Atlanta and American Intercontinental University, in addition to authoring several game development textbooks for McGraw Hill. But there’s more to life than gaming for Saulter. Earlier this year the veteran musician launched a Christian label, rounding out several musical enterprises managed by University of Faith, an EARI subsidiary.
Sensory Acumen
With Sensory Acumen Charlene Coleman is determined to move gaming into a new dimension. Unveiled at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference, but not yet available for sale, GameSkunk is a console attachment which emits scents corresponding to the player’s experience. A drag race that isn’t going so well would trigger the smell of burnt rubber, a basketball playoff would be a sweaty affair, etc. It’s not all fun in games, however. Therapeutic uses of the technology are also in the works. Conditions where scent recognition is lost or stirs negative emotions, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, stroke or Alzheimer’s, could incorporate GameSkunk into the treatment.
