Conversation about the Videogame Industry in Puerto Rico
Hello and welcome to our very first Videocast! We talked with Jonathan Martinez (8bit Bosses Studios) and Gabriel Casillas (Batu Games) on the growth of the videogame industry on the island, the obstacles they've had to face on the way, and what this medium's current status is for Puerto Rican developers.
Jonathan’s Bio: For the past ten years, Jonathan Martínez Vázquez, has worked as Creative Director, Lead Game Designer and Video Game Consultant on multiple projects, with a demonstrated history of working in the video game development industry in Puerto Rico. Currently, he is the Co-Founder, C.E.O and Creative Director of 8bit Bosses Studios as well as Professor of video game design at the University Inter Americana Recinto Bayamón. He also works closely with the community as president of the board for the Puerto Rico Game Developers Association (PRGDA). His work has led him to publish various games, where he has guided multiple teams, focusing on the correct mindset for how the industry works. Strong believer that video games are the ultimate Art form and they are bigger than just pure entertainment.
Gabriel’s Bio: Gabriel Casillas Maldonado, Producer and UI Programmer for Behbes Adventures. Puerto Rican game designer, programmer, producer and project lead with 10+ years of experience, Co-Founder of the Puerto Rican video game development company Batu Games LLC and Board Member of the Puerto Rico Game Developers Association (PRGDA). Graduated with a BS in Computer Science from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, and has worked in more than 6 games, between work for clients, self owned projects and collaborations. In addition, he has organized community events such as Global Game Jam Puerto Rico and Community Workshops, as well as created several industry-related podcasts and videos.
Links to the Interview:
