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No Cave Man: Community-college game-development student designs game for Atari 2600, Prehistoric Times
Journal photo by David Rolfe
Blake Leftwich with a screen from his game. Leftwich is enrolled in a joint project of Surry and Wake Technical community colleges.
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Published: June 3, 2009
MOUNT AIRY - Blake Leftwich spent six months developing the computer game Prehistoric Times, which he said sold out in 45 minutes at a national gaming conference in Leesport, Pa., in early May.
The game costs $15.
"It has been successful," Leftwich said. "It has already exceeded my expectations. A man told me that he had more fun playing my game than any other game at the convention."
Leftwich, 33, is expected to graduate in August with an associate's degree in applied science from Surry Community College. He is a simulation and game-development student enrolled in a joint program with Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh.
Prehistoric Times is a "homebrew" release, a new game for an old gaming system as it runs on the Atari 2600 system. Introduced in 1977, the Atari 2600 was the first machine to use interchangeable cartridges with games on them. It had games such as Space Invaders and Adventure.
"I loved playing Atari when I was a kid," Leftwich said. "That is partially why I wanted to develop the game."
Leftwich's game is about a lone prehistoric man struggling to survive by hunting animals in a forest. The game is made up of three screens showing the man and a volcano that produces lava and increased heat at higher levels. Players also try to find a mysterious treasure.
Leftwich created the game using batari, a computer programming platform developed to write programming for the Atari 2600.
Jody Hartle, an instructor in the simulation and game-development program at Surry Community College, said in an e-mail that Leftwich is a conscientious and imaginative student.
"His classmates have always looked to him for leadership and guidance," Hartle said.
Leftwich belongs to the "classic game" community -- people who enjoy computer games developed in the 1980s and 1990s.
He has worked as a manager for a Blockbuster video store in Mount Airy for 10 years. He also started the Surry Game Development Group, which helps students learn the skills they need to move into the simulation and game industry, Leftwich said. The group is a chapter of the International Game Developers Association.
Computer games have become popular in American culture because they offer a more "immersive" form of entertainment than movies, television or books, Leftwich said. People can interact with the characters in the world that they experience in the games.
"That is what keeps people coming back," he said.
Computer gaming is a relatively young industry with many opportunities, he said. It also can be profitable.
Halo 3, a computer game, made more money in the first week of its release than the movie Spiderman 3, which was released during the same week of September 2007, according to news accounts.
As the computer-gaming industry evolves, Leftwich said, it will need people with skills and vision.
Leftwich said he is a "pretty normal guy," and he rejects the stereotypes of people interested in computer games as "nerds living in their parents' basements."
He wants to work as a game developer, a level designer or programmer within five years. In 10 years, he wants to be a leading designer or producer in the gaming industry.
"I want to stay on the creative side of things," Leftwich said. "I feel I am ready to move into one of those roles."
Walter Rotenberry, Leftwich's instructor at Wake Tech, said that Leftwich is a "top-notch" student. He called Leftwich's game "a real achievement."
Leftwich goes beyond his course's requirements and has found new ways to use the tools in game development, Rotenberry said.
"I wish all of my students would take the next leap and develop their games," Rotenberry said.
Leftwich can reach his professional goals, Rotenberry and Hartle said. Leftwich has applied to several gaming companies in the Triangle.
■ John Hinton can be reached at 727-7299 or at jhinton@wsjournal.com.
About Blake Leftwich
Age: 33.
Hometown/Birthplace: Mount Airy.
Education: A 1993 graduate of Carroll County High School in Hillsville, Va., Leftwich is expected to receive his associate degree in applied science for simulation and game development in August. He is enrolled in the joint program between Surry and Wake Technical community colleges. Leftwich received a human-resources management certification at Surry Community College in Dobson in 2006.
Experience: Since 2001, he has worked as a manager of a Blockbuster video store in Mount Airy.
Family: Married to Kris Leftwich.
Quote/Philosophy: "I always wanted to create an Atari game. I loved playing Atari when I was a kid. That is partially why I wanted to develop the game."
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