Jams & Joysticks

This week on Jams and Joysticks we got my guy Jonathan Miller from Belong Gaming! Jonathan is now the Fielding Marketing Manager for Belong Gaming and has great insight and knowledge in the world of Esports and we dive into Belong and what it's like being a pro gamer and how the very idea of gaming competitively has changed and evolved.

Catch Jonathan on Twitter - @EsportsValen

Also on Twitch - EsportsValen

This week on Jams and Joysticks we have Chris Davis of the Black Gamer League 🎮🕹️🖲️⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ He is a sports management professor and founder of the the Black Gamer League which is a networking community created to assist African American gamers, content creators, and industry professionals as they navigate through the gaming industry. 

Elijah B. Williams is a Lead Content Manager and a Valorant Esports Coach for Longwood Preparatory Academy. He was formerly a NBA 2K coach and content specialist at CEI Esports. From 2019-2022 he specialized in web design, the curriculum development of the NBA 2K Academy, content creation and project management. Elijah recently interviewed the likes of BK Augustine, Kai Henry, Erin Ashley Simon and Greg Selkoe. Along with a solid interview portfolio, Williams recently documented a Sneaker Lab hosted by Beyond The Ball, Nike and Raedio (Issa Rae's radio/podcast platform). Some fun facts about Elijah is that he is still trying to find his role in the professional world and is an avid fixed gear cyclist who often documents his intense street rides on his GoPro. 

This week we have Asia Ashley ⁣ She is a character designer and concept artist and is currently a QA Tester with Gearbox Software which you've probably heard of if you've ever played Borderlands, Half Life etc. ⁣ ⁣ We talk a little about her job and what her journey to the gaming industry has been like.

We back with another Jams & Joysticks interview and this time I'm having a chat with Prescott Lawani of Padlockes Technologies 🎮⁣⁠ ⁣⁠ He is a skilled game systems designer and developer with a Bachelors Degree in Art and Technology 🙌🏾⁣⁠ ⁣⁠

Twitter : @PadlockesTech

padlockestechnologies.com

-------------------------------------------------

Hosted by :2Four

IG : @2Fourworld

Masterlink : solo.to/2fourworld

This week's interview is with Nedrick McClaren. Nedrick is an animator, web designer, and indie game developer living in the Central Valley of CA. Nedrick migrated to the United States at age 12 from Jamaica. His parents first settled in Queens, NY. He spent his adolescence and young adult years in Queens and later Long Island, NY. Ultimately, Ned settled in the Central Valley in CA with his wife and son. Nedrick earned a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts/Computer Graphics from New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). Although he studied 3D animation, his love for Japanese Anime sparked an interest in 2D animation and he educated himself on the principles of the craft. Nedrick taught himself Macromedia Flash, which later became Adobe Flash and now Adobe Animate. In 2009, Nedrick created his first 2D game entitled "Born Fighters". This game showcased Ned's self acquired 2D animation skills and his love for the genre and style of the classic games like Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown, and King of Fighters. In 2011 Nedrick created One Blaze Studio, Inc. as an umbrella for several creative projects he was developing. Under One Blaze Ned launched several web shorts. Some time later Ned created a 4-part web series called Patrollin'. For this endeavor Ned partnered with his wordsmith brother, Jermain Fraser, who wrote lyrics and produced original music for the series. The web series was the basis for the Patrollin games, Patrollin WTH and Patrollin' (working title). The cast of the series are the major players in the games. Patrollin WTH is currently available in the Android Playstore and is being retooled for IOS platform release. Ultimately, Nedrick would like to create a hub to teach kids the many aspects of game development/creation and how they can apply many of the skills they learn in school to game development. For more about Nedrick, simply keep an eye on Oneblaze.com, home for all of his creations.

www.OneBlaze.Com

Ron Jones is an artist, game developer, and entrepreneur. Living in Atlanta, he's been able to be a leader and help the local game community grow to be what it is today. While initially trying to find his place in the industry, Ron took note of how difficult it was for game developers to find success. He turned his passion for games into a passion for helping others in games with his business, The Indie Cluster. Today he continues to create, provide opportunities for indies, share resources, and enjoy his air fryer.

Ron Jones

www.IndieCluster.com

We have another interview hot off the press for you to check out 🔥⁣ ⁣ This time we have Dr. Bernadette Lawson - Williams from Johnson C. Smith University.⁣ ⁣ As the Founder/Advisor of JCSU's Esports and Gaming Trifecta, she manages the Esports and Gaming Management academic programs (minor and Certificate), built and coordinates the Esports Lab, serves as the Advisor for the Game Development Club, and serves as the Coach Advisor for JCSU's Esports Club.⁣ ⁣ Based upon these successes, as well as established partnerships with several leading global esports and gaming organizations, including Riot Games and Nacon Gaming, as well as an esports apparel partnership with POINT3, JCSU's Esports and Gaming Trifecta has become widely recognized as the "blueprint" for HBCU Esports.⁣ ⁣ Check out the interview on twitch and YouTube 🙌🏾⁣ 

Interview by : 2Four

solo.to/2fourworld

Jonathan Jennings is a Software engineer/ game designer, and the CTO of Weird Kid Studios which has just launched their first game, Galactic Bar Fight on the Oculus Quest. Jonathan has published over 22 games and apps to date and worked with a variety of large companies including Dreamworks, Sony, Kia, General Motors, Walmart, and more. His work has experienced over 2 million downloads across a variety of platforms, has won grants, and rated in the top 100 in categories in global game jam events. Some of his most popular games include Ghost Busters VR: Now Hiring, Animal Planet Wildlands, Flavor Monsters, Colonel Kart Racing, Sonder, Thunder Jack's Log Runner, and more. His Current fulltime job is at Mindshow where they are working on creating TV shows with the Unity Game Engine.⁠ ⁠ Check out his website and socials for the latest!!!⁠ ⁠ Portfolio : https://www.behance.net/Jonathanj⁠

Twitter : @ JonnyJ17

Hosted by : 2Four

IG : 2Fourworld

www.thereal2four.net