Andrew Augustin
Founder/Creative Director of Notion Games L.L.C.
There’s no stopping Augustin, the 27-year-old founder and award-winning lead designer at Notion Games L.L.C. In an industry with hardly any known African American names, he is a fast-rising star. His success has so far landed him on the 2015 Forbes “30 Under 30†list in the games category, making him the first black male to do so.
What originally started out as a career in illustration soon led to game designing for Augustin. His first big project, “Super Ubie Island Remix†raked in $6,500 in support on Kickstarter and $20,000 in overall support, says Augustin. Going the independent route means he has to fund the projects through gigs and money he saves up and through the generosity of supporters. His goal, he says, is to diversify the industry and become a “black Walt Disney.â€
Currently he’s working on a new action-adventure game called “Team Notion.†It features three women of color, an African American, a Latina, and an Asian, who are agents protecting the world. “My aim is to show that women are powerful and can be action heroes,†he says, adding that he felt a need to create it after interacting with so many students over the years at summer camps and after-school programs where he volunteers to teach art and programming skills. “Some of the coolest concepts I’ve seen have come from females, yet they don’t get the recognition in this male-dominated industry.†The game is in the production stage now and he is aiming to release it in early 2017.
–Additional reporting by Lisa Fraser