My Brief Gaming Journey

My interest in video games is not really a "new" one though. When I was a kid, I am fond of playing console games (from Family Computer up to PS1, PS2, and PSP) and computer games with my sister. Some of my favorite Family Computer games are Battle City and Contra. For PlayStation games, I had fun playing a variety of Crash Bandicoot games, Spyro video game series, a variety of LEGO games, Metal Slug series, Call of Duty series, and God of War. For computer games, I really like Command and Conquer games (especially C&C Generals) and the Assassin's Creed series. Aside from these computer games, I recently got introduced to Roblox so I play a lot of shooter games in Roblox (Zombie Uprising, Energy Assault, Flag Wars, and Zombie Defense Tycoon).

My Experience as a Game Design Educator and a Game Developer

At the back of my mind, I knew I've always wanted to create games. It's just that, I had a different priority back then. I formally studied physics because I believe it would lead me to a career in astronomy and space science (physics is the most fundamental discipline, anyway); and actually, it did - I went on to join an astrophysics laboratory while in college, and moved on to researching space technology after graduating in college. 

After a few years, I taught robotics; then eventually, I went briefly to researching an emerging technology called the Internet of Things (simply put, a technology that allows devices to be connected together via the internet). Needless to say, through my academic background, I am lined up to almost always work in the instrumentation physics field (which has been my specialization in college after all).

In 2017, while I was searching for a new meaning in my life, I had some musings of trying out game development. However, I didn't knew back then how I will do it - specifically, which platform I'm going to use to develop games and where I'm going to publish it. I thought back then of developing mobile games (even though I'm not really that interested in mobile games - it's just that, I thought mobile games was very popular back then and I thought they're easy to make). However, I realized that it would be a little difficult to create mobile games - I don't know which platform I'm going to use and where I'll publish it. So, I backed out of my intended project, although it gave my a continuing interest to develop games.

Jumping to 2021, I had the unique opportunity to teach Roblox Game Design. At first, I admit that I was a bit anxious teaching the course because I don't have any formal training in game development. Adding to my anxiety is that I don't have any experience yet playing any Roblox games; so, overall, it was like I'm stepping into a vastly unknown territory.  I have an interest on game development though (and I've been somewhat a gamer, albeit not the hardcore type), so I persevered learning the platform (Roblox Studio) as well as tried playing some Roblox games with the encouragement of some of my students. I independently learned the platform through the lessons that I will be teaching, and I slowly got used to the Roblox environment. Eventually, I got used to creating Roblox projects and slowly getting accustomed to creating my own scripts.

Little did I know that I have been actually fulfilling my long-time interest on game development. Also, teaching Roblox Game Design has been my gateway to learn other game development platforms. Aside from creating games in Roblox, I have learned Scratch and Unity (which I also teach) and independently explored Construct 3 and the Phaser framework (primarily used to create web-based games). Aside from these, I have independently earned certifications, with the aim of being professionally competent as well as to further learn about the use of various game development platforms and the theories of game design and development.

Right now, I'm still on the process of mastering the various game development tools that I know and continuously developing my skills to teach these tools and platforms. I strive to fully cultivate this interest on game development, apart from my primary interests in robotics, artificial intelligence, and space technology.

My Game Developer Portfolio

Through my experience teaching a variety of game development platforms, I have developed a skillset to create games using the platforms that I teach. Specifically, I am skilled in game development platforms such as Scratch, Roblox Studio, Phaser, Construct 3, and Unity. Aside from these, I have also tried using Python to create games (among other purposes). I have already developed a variety of games, mostly for educational purposes and some as a personal project. Some of the games I've developed are listed below.

Game Development Certifications

Since I came from a rather technical background (which is somehow unrelated to game development), I strive to professionally improve myself in terms of game development. My certifications related to game development are listed below. I always strive to be more professionally competent so I will continue to seek certification opportunities.