By Victor Henderson/multimedia editor
A NE student is working to leave his mark on the gaming world.
Matthew Whitaker, founder of Beyond Eden Entertainment, said he had the idea to start a video gaming business eight years ago when he realized he wanted to leave the corporate world and go into business for himself.
“I play all these video games, and I see where they’re going today,” he said. “I know what I like and what my friends like, so I wanted to do something that would put all of those things together.”
The games Whitaker and his team are working on are a mix between old-school Mario Bros. and old-school Mega Man. He said he also wants to create a game similar to the popular social network game FarmVille. His overall goal is to give something back to the gaming world, he said.
Phi Beta Lambda is the collegiate version of Future Business Leaders of America, which helps students transition into the business world. Aaron Essary, PBL president, said Whitaker came to him asking about a business club that sponsors local businesses.
“I contacted the business owner and inquired what his long-term goals were,” Essary said. “He actually had a good business structure.”
Essary said the overall goal of PBL is to improve not only Whitaker’s professional skills but also the skills of any student who wants to own a business or work in the business world. Essary has noticed Whitaker is a go-getter and believes he and his company will go far.
“He’s a normal TCC student,” he said. “He commutes, he’s a manager at Pizza Garden, but his skill is more into gaming.”
Michelle Guthrie, a friend of Whitaker for 16 years, said she is excited about what he is doing.
“I was very, very proud of him when he told me he was doing this,” she said. “It’s just always been something he has been passionate about. I think gaming is more important to him than oxygen.”
Whitaker and Guthrie have had many nights where they would get together to play video games. Whitaker described the balancing act he has to perform as tough.
“School, work, social life, company, family is a lot,” he said. “The Beyond Eden part of it doesn’t even seem like work. It’s like you’re just sitting there having fun.”
Beyond Eden Entertainment is planning to tackle the Android and iPhone market first and then penetrate the Xbox Live and PlayStation Plus networks. Whitaker is also hoping to expand his team by recruiting more talent and developers.
“There have been times when I don’t see him forever,” Guthrie said. “He takes it very seriously. This is something I can see him succeeding very well with.”
