WORESTER, Mass. -- Participants in GameJam, a 38-hour design marathon for aspiring video game developers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), received a surprise visit from Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 26. Many of the students were working on games they may submit to a competition sponsored by Schilling's video game development company, 38 Studios, so Schilling decided to stop by with his son, Gehrig, to see what they were up to.
Through the first annual Massachusetts Game Challenge (MGC), Schilling and 38 Studios have invited teams of two to three students from New England-area colleges and universities to show off their talents in a one-of-a-kind video game design contest featuring the 38 Studios mascot and his alter ego, Mean Munch. Many of the WPI students taking part are enrolled in the university's pioneering, first-in-the-nation Interactive Media & Game Development major.
During his 90-minute visit to Atwater Kent Labs, Schilling chatted with students and received a sneak peak at their games in progress. He also compared notes with students on favorite video games and game platforms, and talked about 38 Studios and its approach to game development. Before he departed, Shilling posed for a group photo with the GameJam participants, who were about halfway through the 38-hour competition.
GameJam, which ran from 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, to 9 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27, was sponsored by AMD of Marlboro, WorldWinner of Newton, and Dajobaan Games of Cambridge.
See more photos of Curt Schilling's visit to GameJam.
About 38 Studios
38 Studios, a media and entertainment company founded in 2006 by Curt Schilling and based in Maynard, Mass., is in pre-production on an original fantasy IP driven by the creative and artistic visions of pop culture icons R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Entertainment products will include a massively immersive online entertainment experience that transcends the traditional MMO genre, novels, comics, toys, movies, TV, and more.
