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Becker to showcase student and alumni projects at PAX East

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WORCESTER/LEICESTER, Mass. (February 21, 2020) —Becker College will showcase student talent at PAX East 2020, which runs from Thursday, Feb. 27 – Sunday, March 1, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA.  This year, the theme for the Becker College booth (#8048) is “Realize Full Potential, Exceed Every Expectation, Defy All Boundaries.”

PAX East is one of the nation’s largest gaming conventions. Highlights include booths from major game publishers and independent developers, panels featuring video game industry insiders, game demonstrations, competitions, and more. In addition, participants use the event to announce new releases and tease upcoming projects.

“In addition to an exciting collection of student games, Becker booth #8048 at PAX East 2020 is designed to be a mecca of inspiration for Becker interactive media students—past, present, and future,” said Paul Cotnoir, PhD, associate dean of Becker College’s School of Design & Technology. “We will highlight Becker’s concept of the Interactive Media Design Ecosystem, which seamlessly integrates the technology, business, and design elements of game development. “

PAX East attendees are invited to drop by Becker’s booth to play and experience games created by current and former Becker students, and learn more about Becker’s Master of Fine Arts in Interactive Media and first-in-the-nation esports management bachelor’s degree.  Members of the College’s Admissions Office will be available to answer questions.

Highlights at the Becker booth include a showcase of work by students in the Master of Fine Arts in Interactive Media program as well as alumni spotlights. There will also be an interactive booth quiz.  Guests are encouraged to stop by and test their game character knowledge.

Anti, the top Smash player in the world, will be at the Becker booth on Saturday, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., to compete against fans in Smash. Ofab, the #2 draft pick in the NBA2k draft and a point guard from the Boston Celtics CLTX, will be at the booth on Saturday, from 1-5 p.m. to compete against fans in NBA2K.

“This year we’re excited to welcome Ofab and Anti at our booth to let fans experience esports up close in one-on-one competition and find out more about our Esports Management program,” said Alan Ritacco, PhD, Dean of the School of Design & Technology.

There will also be opportunities to play games created by Becker College Interactive Media Design students and alumni.  These include:

“Seahorse Saga” is an undersea adventure role-playing game featuring a diverse cast of sea creatures. Join Tyro the Seahorse and his friends on a quest to save Atlantis. Team members include Becker College alumni Tris Valbuena ’19, Terry “TJ” Lackings ’19, William “Billy” Quick ’19, Andrew Lobasso ’19, Jonathan Bourque ’20, Robert “Rocky” Graham ’19, Derrick Ruiz ’19, Jack Buffone ’19, Thomas “TJ” Bond ’19, Stuart Griswold ’19, Maximillian Mansfield ’19, Tyler Ambrose ’19, and Melina McFadden. Link: https://twitter.com/SeahorseSaga

“Chipmonk!” is a retro-inspired beat-’em-up starring chipmunk warriors that features local 2-player mode, 3 playable characters, a variety of moves, an assortment of villains, and a retro pixel aesthetic. Battle your way through the four seasons on your way to the gluttonous gray squirrel’s lair. Team members include Becker College alumni Jonathan Niemi ’14 and Andrew Niemi ’14.  Link: https://www.indiedb.com/games/chipmonk/presskit

“ReWired” is a physics-based puzzle platformer where you wield the powers of four unique wire tools as you navigate and explore ancient ruins beaming with alien technology. Team members include Becker College alumni Donald Carling, Derrick Ruiz, Sola Shirai, Stephanie Cree, Sean Wolstenholme, Noah Dartt, Kyle Engman, Rodrigo Martinez, Yamir Mercado, Liam Weaver, Jacob Richard, Sebastian Richter, Troy Townsend, and Jia Yu.  Link: https://www.donaldcarling.com/copy-of-game-projects

In “Knights Of Terrova” (2d PC online), you play as a guildmaster during a post-apocalyptic war taking place in the Northeast Region of America, armed with weapons and armor from a fantasy DnD-style world full of magic and technology. Team members include Becker College alumnus Lorion Udoh-Oshin ‘15 and current Becker College student David Leonard ’20.  Link: https://www.mlstudios.net/knights-of-terrova

“Helix Braw” is a side-scrolling beat-’em-up with animal-inspired mutagen powers that the player can swap between in battle (à la Mega Man X).  Boss fights are the final encounter in each level; once defeated, the player will gain access to a new mutagen for use in combat. Team members include both current Becker College students and Becker College alumni, including, for 2020: Jarred Wolcott ’21, Caleb Dufresne ’21, Anthony Monte ’21, Nate Pileski ’21, Nic Gadzik ’20, Benny Coan-Nixon ‘21, Vishal Lamba ’20, Alex Sanchez ’20, Trevor Burley ’21, Jake McCarthy ’21, Kyle Engman ’20, Austin McDavid ’20, John Suereth ’21, Andrew Morriss ’21, Andre Agen 20′, James Nunes 21′; and for 2019: Alex Rackcliff ’19, Jordan Kegler ’19, Trent Gallant ’19, Sarith Sun ’19, Nicolas Rioux ’19, Alex Luciano ’19, Dennis Garcia ’19, Illan Komrad ’19, and Professor Keo Heng. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VTN_k0A9k4

“Beat the Machine” is a top-down, twin-stick shooter. Defeat T.O.M. and his minions by fighting through virus-infested levels to save the machine. Team members include Joe Frangiosa ’20, Andrew Beaulieu ’20, Nic Lee ’20, Zack Ziskin ’20, Michael Folina ’20, Victoria Yong ’20, Reese Dikmak ’22, Jacob Siegal ’21, Adam McEvoy ‘ 19, Arthur Saffo ’21 MFA, (previous semester) David Woodford ’20, (previous semester) Brandon Coulombe ’21, (previous semester) Morgan Jones ’22, and Greenlit Professor Ezra Cove. Link: https://www.instagram.com/btm_beatthemachine/

“Beat Down Revolution” is a rhythm-based, high-action FPS where you battle waves of enemies and unlock new beats in order to ascend the tower. Team members include Kyle Engman ‘20, Josh Wilson, and William Williams. Link: https://joshwilson.itch.io/beat-down-revolution?secret=flyxZKrXzVev1EUukDTDGx6DA

“Stabby Cats” is a 2D action platformer where a bunch of cats wielding sharp weaponry fight each other. Climb walls, swing swords, and throw axes at your fellow species to prove you are the best cat.  Team members include Demmy Mangusso ‘20, Evan McGrath ‘20, Jonah Gasson ‘20, Sebastian Schindler ‘20, Bella Moses ‘20, Dan Dennis ‘20, Jake Currier ‘20, Chris West ‘20, Matthew Hein ‘19, and Greenlit Professor Terrasa Ulm.  Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIQwdf-CjcI&feature=youtu.be

In “Anchorage (VR),” you find yourself surrounded by a cloud of familiar yet unnerving objects, some of which you are compelled to collect as you desperately seek answers to the secrets of your past, lurking in your troubled mind. Team members include Production: Josh Gauyo, Fabian Boyd; Art Matthew Edwards, Ernie Hernandez, Alexander Sarmiento MFA,  Lizzie Nicolaysen, Mengliu Lu, Hannah Wright, Tabitha Young; Design: Julian Herman, Nadim Randolph, Fernando Soler, Britty Wolfe; Audio Panda Baptista, Caleb Lewis, Andrew Briggs-Neal; Programming: Sean Sarmiento, Tristan Sistare, Mike Deprofio; Hardware: Alex Seeley; Product Owner Terrasa Ulm. Link: https://www.instagram.com/anchorage_vr/

“Reso Rider” is a VR game designed specifically for working out. You bike through a heavily visual experience and collect coins to get a high score as power ups help you along the way. Team members include Austin Albertson, Kyle Alger, Griffin Barrows, Elijah Benjamin, Ben Clingen, Owen Connell, Cameron Connor, John Durkan, Kyle Evitts, MacLaine Greisch, Brandon Mallory, Dylan May, Oliver Salvas, Forest White, Brandon Wilson, and Professor Derek Hoffend. Link: https://www.instagram.com/reso_rider/

The Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI) will also have a presence at PAX East. Visit them at booth #31019.

“It’s an exciting time,” said Timothy Loew, executive director of MassDiGI and general manager of Becker’s varsity esports program.  “In addition to showing off our own games, MassDiGI will be pairing up with Petricore and Turnip Boy this year. Turnip Boy was the winner of this month’s MassDiGI Game Challenge. Petricore will be demo-ing their new game ‘Dogfight.’”

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Becker College is an undergraduate and graduate, career-focused private college, providing a supportive and inclusive learning community that prepares graduates for their first to last careers. Nearly 1,800 students from the United States and around the world live and learn on the College’s Worcester and Leicester campuses. With nationally recognized programs in nursing, game design and animal studies, Becker has been consistently ranked as a “Best College” for undergraduate education by The Princeton Review.

Vic

Editor / Writer / Producer For Drop the Spotlight