UC Santa Cruz Games and Playable Media (GPM) interviewed recent alum, Rogelio Espinoza, to learn how his games career has developed since graduating from the GPM program. Espinoza shared some great advice for aspiring game developers, and provided invaluable insight into how the GPM program can encourage more Hispanics to enter this ever-expanding industry.
UC Santa Cruz is committed to educational equity, and is proud to celebrate and support National Hispanic Heritage Month. If you’d like to learn more about the GPM program, or if you are interested in sharing your GPM Alumni journey, please contact msgames@ucsc.edu.
Can you describe your current role and how you got there?
My current role is working on a cosmic horror game as a Software Engineer at EYES OUT, a new arthouse game development studio headed by Cory Davis (Spec Ops: The Line) and Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails). I met Cory while working at Tangent Games, my first real job in games after graduating from the MS in Games and Playable Media program.
How has your Hispanic heritage played into your work as a game developer?
As a kid living on the border, I was lucky enough to experience two cultures, which included growing up bilingual, and consuming both Mexican and American media.
I didn’t realize how that upbringing shaped my creativity and passion until I started living in the US full-time. I learned that just by being myself, I’m bringing something unique to the table. And as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, so the more time passes, the more my appreciation for my heritage increases.
What advice would you give to Hispanic community members interested in entering the games industry?
Make games. Seriously, right now, if you’re undecided, get a coin and flip it. Heads up, you learn Unity; heads down, you learn Unreal. Go to YouTube, and type the one that landed plus the kind of game you want to make, and there it is. Complete the tutorial, give it your own spin, and then share it with your family and friends. If possible, watch them play it, take notes, and listen to their feedback. Use that to improve on it, and then publish it to itch.io.
Publishing it will serve not only as a portfolio piece, but it will help you feel a sense of closure so you can let it go, and move on to another idea. Rinse and repeat. You’ll start to develop an intuition of what works and what doesn’t, learning bits of every part of the process. Even if you don’t end up liking something, you’ll learn to appreciate the people who do.
The Hispanic Community has a strong consumer base in the games market. What role can Universities play in helping to get that level of representation going in the industry?
For starters, offering accessible game development workshops and/or short-term courses that give aspiring game developers a taste of what it takes to make a game, will help them find out if they really want to take the leap into this world, or it isn’t for them.
From an education perspective, the main thing universities can help with is teaching people the industry workflow, and facilitate employment opportunities. But the only way to even get to that part is if the student can afford to attend. For that, scholarships are king. I was fortunate enough to get some financial assistance from the school, and even after adding in my savings, I still needed to take out student loans to cover the rest of the cost. So the easier it is for students to afford education, the more people will sign up.
Thanks for having me. It was fun to reminisce about my journey up until now. I’m grateful for all the people who have been there for me. I wouldn’t be here without them. And I hope my experience is informative to someone.
About UC Santa Cruz Games and Playable Media
The Games and Playable Media Masters of Science program (GPM) is a top-ranked five-quarter, professionally-oriented degree program that provides students with an intensive educational experience to propel them into the games industry. The degree explores state-of-the-art and novel experiences in video game development across genres, audiences, and platforms. Students gain foundational skills in game technology and game design, providing excellent preparation for many types of careers within game development.