A Space in Game Design: Q&A with Student Zo? Campos
Zo? Campos began studying Graphic Design at Cape Cod Community College in Massachusetts¡ª286 miles away from where she is now as a fourth-year Game Design student at Champlain. I had the opportunity to talk with Campos while she reflected on her transfer decision, where she plans to go in the future, and why she made such a big change.
Why Game Design?
While Campos enjoyed the artistic portion of her graphic design degree, she had a deeper hunger and drive for storytelling. ¡°I wanted to do something more immersive and interactive,¡± Campos said. ¡°I had a couple of friends that were at Champlain, and when I would tell them about what I want to do, they would be like, ¡®Champlain’s the best game school.¡¯ I’d never heard of [Champlain], but then I started doing research and [Game] Design looked so interesting. It’s the perfect blend of art and technology¡it perfectly encompasses everything I want to do.¡±
At first, Campos didn¡¯t think of Game Design as an option for a career. After watching the credits at the end of some of her favorite games, she saw just how many hands went into creating each final project, and her view shifted.
¡°I always thought it was a male-dominated field, and for the most part, it is. But there were a bunch of role models that I could look up to who are women or people of color,¡± Campos explained. ¡°The one that comes to mind is Jerry Lawson. He was a Black inventor and invented the cartridge, which is how we were able to play any sort of physical game now¡I was just like, oh my gosh, there is a space for this.¡±
Campos¡¯ dedication to making an impact drove her decision to take the leap. Champlain¡¯s Upside-Down Curriculum gave her the opportunity to experience these new classes right away.
Game Design at Champlain
Since transferring to Champlain, Campos has worked on a ton of different projects, both in groups and individually. ¡°You have to be extremely communicative and collaborative. There are solo development opportunities, but if you want to make a career, you’re going to have to be able to work with people and communicate your ideas.¡±
She had the opportunity to intern in Kyoto, Japan through the Freeman Foundation grant over the summer, where she developed an idea for a mobile app to help those learning Kanji. Another one of her projects, Queen Bee, is a 3D platformer she created in her second-year Game Studio class. It follows the story of Queen Bee, who has the power to command and control her swarm in order to restore peace.
¡°There would be the damsel in distress if there was a playable woman character. There were very few selections of strong, empowering female feminine characters,¡± explained Campos. With Queen Bee, Campos was able to make a strong female person of color the main character. ¡°I didn’t realize I could tap into my personal experiences in life and make other games for other people like me.¡±
Listen to yourself and have faith in yourself. If I had listened to some people, I wouldn’t be here. You have to keep fighting for what it is that you want to do.
Campos is also working on her own game: Resilient Boricua, which focuses on educating people about the gentrification in Puerto Rico. Players get to make their own decisions on where to put funding and policies in place and¡ªmost importantly¡ªsee how their choices affect the community.
¡°It all started because I saw this board game called Puerto Rico,¡± Campos stated. ¡°I’m half Puerto Rican, half Nicaraguan, so I was like, ¡®oh my gosh, there’s a game with my place and my people, I want to play it.¡¯ Then, I turned the box around, and I read [the description.] You [play] the role of Christopher Columbus, colonizing Puerto Rico.¡±
This discovery drove her to do more research into Puerto Rico for her game. ¡°If someone¡¯s going to make a game about Puerto Rico, it has to be a Puerto Rican. If a game like that can exist, there has to be one that empowers people.¡±
The Classroom & Beyond
Outside of classes, Campos is the Director of Wellbeing and Diversity for the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Vice President of the Women in Games Club.
Through her role with SGA, Campos had the opportunity to interview activist and author Loretta J. Ross during Martin Luther King Jr. Week. Campos says she loves having the opportunity to connect with different people and taking part in events Champlain hosts related to diversity.
Campos is both a first-generation U.S. citizen and college student. ¡°My family is my biggest motivator for why I work hard,¡± Campos said. ¡°I’m grateful that my parents did that for me because, in reality, I had a different route than they did because of the sacrifices they made.¡±
In the future, Campos wants to go back to Japan where she would continue creating games and making an impact by telling often under-represented stories and widening the diversity seen within the gaming industry. ¡°If there¡¯s something you want to do, bet on yourself. Listen to yourself, and have faith in yourself. If I had listened to some people, I wouldn¡¯t be here. You have to keep fighting for what it is that you want to do.¡±
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