An Update from Filament Games: Winners of the First National STEM Video Game Challenge
December 12, 2011
The developer’s prize for the first National STEM Video Game Challenge went to Filament Games, headed by Dan White and Dan Norton, for You Make Me Sick, a game in which students design a bacteria or virus and attempt to infect a target host. Creative Director Dan Norton writes in with an update and shares some tips for aspiring game designers interested in entering this year’s National STEM Video Game Challenge.
Hi everyone! I’m Dan Norton, Creative Director at Filament Games. We were asked by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center to give an update on what’s been cooking in the Filament kitchen since last year’s amazing National STEM Video Game Challenge. Cue the delicate tinkle of a harp as we fade into the past…
Why look! There’s young Dan White, CEO of Filament! He looks so vital and fresh… He’s at a computer, shouting loudly with excitement. What’s happened? Oh yes! Of course—the Filament Web Store has been launched. Filament’s JGC award-winning game You Make Me Sick, along with two other science games—Crazy Plant Shop and Cell Command—are unleashed on an unsuspecting public. Licenses for individuals, teachers, parents and schools are all available. For Filament, this is a *big deal*— it’s the first step to branch out from client-driven work into independent product development and sales. But wait, that darn harp is kicking in again…
Here we see Dan Norton, Creative Director of Filament. He’s in a conference room, holding his head in such a way as to suggest that if he didn’t grip it tightly, it would explode. One thin wall away, construction contractors are running drills, saws, and some kind of device that Dan will never see, but sounds like a saw made out of drills. It’s unpleasant to be sure, but it will all be worth it when Filament more than doubles its studio floorplan, expanding to accommodate our new staff. Filament is now up to four development teams, and has beefed up internal capabilities for sound, research and Quality Assurance.
In all seriousness, it’s been a banner year for our organization, and we’re very grateful to the Cooney Center for their support. With our new team members, new games, and new space we’re looking forward to spreading our mission of “great games with great learning” across the globe. Stay tuned!
Photo: The Developer Prize was awarded to Filament Games’ Dan Norton and Dan White for You Make Me Sick!. They received $50,000 for their game, which teaches children about the physical structure of bacteria and viruses, as well as how they are spread. The game prototype can be played here. Photo by Max Taylor, The Atlantic.
