When SCC Instructor Blake Leftwich teaches students the skills and creativity needed to build successful smartphone apps, he speaks from experience. The Mount Airy native, who teaches in SCC’s Simulation and Game Development program, has co-founded a gaming development company already making a splash on Apple’s App Store after just a few months.

Watch Blake's Interview on WXII 12 News

Launched last fall, Eggroll Games has had two highly-rated iPhone and iPad apps approved by Apple for sale in the App store. Leftwich works as a designer and producer for the company, which he founded with programmer/designer Mike Oder and artist/designer Job Girvan. Eggroll Games focuses on creating apps babies and toddlers can intuitively enjoy.

“Many parents like to hand an iPhone or iPad to their kids to play with, but there are very few apps out there aimed specifically at young children,” Leftwich said. “We wanted to make simple games with no ads or complicated menus and buttons. We think of these as interactive toys that will keep a small child entertained.”

The company released its first app, “Jungle Jam”, for the iPhone and iPad last November. It features an interactive xylophone users can play with their fingers along with a rich jungle environment of animals and trees that all respond to touch. In December, the company modified Jungle Jam’s features to create a holiday version called “Christmas Jam.”

“We’ve seen kids play the game in different ways. Some just like to make the animals move and trigger sounds, while some try to play real tunes on the xylophone,” Leftwich said. “The response has been very good, with lots of positive reviews.”

Leftwich got his start in game development taking courses at SCC’s campus through a partnership with Wake Technical Community College. He worked on a variety of game development projects, including the development of apps for National Geographic, before focusing on apps for Apple devices.

At SCC, Leftwich teaches several courses that introduce students to game development and design. Students can earn an Associate in Applied Sciences degree in Simulation and Game Design by taking four semesters of courses at SCC and two semesters at Guilford Technical Community College. The program provides a broad background in the industry, with students receiving hands-on training in design, 3D modeling, software engineering, database administration and programming.

“I’ve always enjoyed education, and it’s fun to teach and share what I’ve learned in my professional experiences,” Leftwich said. “We have a lot of fun building real games using the same software and tools the pros are using.”

Through Eggroll Games, Leftwich plans to continue developing new apps in 2012 while updating and refining “Jungle Jam.” He encourages his students to do the same and focus on developing their own complete games. They can use these as a calling card to land a job after graduation, or even get them published online for new users to download.

“There are lots of people who have ideas for games but not many who can build one. You definitely can learn all the things you need to know to build a game through SCC’s courses,” Leftwich said. “A student who puts in the time and effort to make a polished product can get it up on a major platform like Apple or Google alongside professionally-produced games.”

To learn more about Eggroll Games, visit www.eggrollgames.com or follow the company on Twitter @EggrollGames

To learn more about SCC’s Simulation and Game Development program, contact Program Instructor Jody Hartle at 336-386-3306 or at hartlej@surry.edu