Kirkland college students score with PAX Prime booth

PAX Prime is one of the hottest tickets in Seattle this weekend and Lake Washington Institute of Technology gaming students are there showing off six new concept games.

August 29, 2014 3:49 pm

PAX Prime is one of the hottest tickets in Seattle this weekend and Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) gaming students are there showing off six new concept games.

“They wanted to go retro and flash forward at the same time,” said Phil Trumbo, Multimedia Design and Production faculty. “That’s how we ended up with a new twist on the 70’s classic Joust and something totally new with Battle Rampage and augmented reality.”

These students are known for embracing innovation. Last year’s LWTech PAX booth had a long line of gamers eager to try the Oculus Rift technology.

More than 20 LWTech students are participating in this year’s PAX Prime event. The games include:

  • Skies of Valor: a total reboot of Joust using 3-D technology that blends stationary objects with XBOX controllers and mirrors all inside an arcade-style box.
  • Battle Rampage: multiplatform run at augmented reality that allows players to interact over a card table. The game comes with battle cards and is available on Android.
  • NDR Racing: Oculus Rift technology is used for immersive racing with shades of Star Wars.
  • Taco Cat: a comedic anti-hero who somehow survives constant battles against Space Dog with a Mr. Magoo style of problem solving.
  • Shooter Thing 2: a strange points-driven twist on Galaga.
  • Underground: a classic puzzle game where the humble maintenance guy tries to keep the lights on as he battles a power-eating monster.

“What makes the LWTech gaming program so different is the rapid prototyping that comes from having access to different instructional programs all in one place,” said Trumbo. “We just head next door to get student machinists, welders, design engineers to help us build and imagine.”

LWTech’s Multimedia Design and Production program has been a part of PAX Prime for four years. Fans can check out the games at booth 6708 on the second floor of the Washington State Convention Center Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The MMDP program is one of 44 programs of study at the Kirkland campus. LWTech is one of Washington’s 34 public community and technical colleges.