Two Northbrook design students are living the dream after winning two international gaming prizes and being offered a contract in America.
Worthing boys, Marco Marino and Matt Woolven, ages 19 and 20, have won $50,000 in the Independent Propeller Award at SXSW Screenburn in Texas for the game they designed. The pair are now deciding whether to sign a contract with a publisher or to set up their own company.
Matt and Marco also won the Student Showcase award at the Independent Games Festival earlier this year.
Their winning game, GLiD, is a single player game which features a gentle insect-type creature, tasked with exploring and restoring an abandoned world.
Matt said, “It’s been pretty crazy and we’ve had people like Sony approach us. The picture has been changing very fast and we are hoping that GLiD will be available across all platforms including: xbox, PS3, iPhone and iPad.”
Matt is dyslexic and has been receiving extra support during his studies. He is keen to encourage other students with dyslexia to follow their dreams. Matt’s Learning Support Tutor, Carol Penn, said, “I worked with Matt because he has dyslexia. I am delighted for Matt and his exciting achievements. He works hard to overcome his dyslexic difficulties and is an inspiration to all other learners.”
Matt had been studying on Northbrook’s BA degree in Communication Design while Marco was a former student on the BTEC Art and Design course.