The ED Games Expo gathered over 80 game developers at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. to show games and experiences the studios have created from grants offered through the SBIR/IES innovation programs. Groups from across the country showed experiences on mobile, tablet, virtual reality and more.

We participated because Happy Atoms and SuperChem VR are projects that received funding through SBIR/IES grants. Happy Atoms completed its Phase 2 in 2016, while SuperChem VR was awarded Phase 2 funding in 2017.

CEO Jesse Schell also participated in the event, serving as a panelist for the afternoon session of "So You Want to be a Game Developer", taking place on the Millennium stage in the Kennedy Center.

Speaking Panel

Jesse spoke on the last panel of the day, with a number of students, teachers, and game professionals listening to what he and the other panelists had to say. One attendee shared a picture of Jesse during the panel discussion.

The Booth

The team had quite the crowd while showing Happy Atoms and SuperChem VR. Mike Lee, the technical director of Happy Atoms, said that he loved how much the students, from elementary school to high school, enjoyed playing with the chemistry modeling set. Kirsten Rispin, the producer of SuperChem VR, thought it was great to see how engaged students were with the virtual reality chemistry lab.

Jesse had some time before the panel discussion and helped the team show Happy Atoms to the crowd by the booth. He helped a future chemist learn how to build a molecule, and she was hooked!

Who Else Was There

We were excited to share the exhibit floor with dozens of bright and innovative companies. We met the team behind BrushUp, a game that is designed to teach children the healthy habit of brushing their teeth. Games For Change Industry Circle members Filament Games and Triseum were there, showing their exciting and educational experiences.

We got a chance to catch up with our friends from Killer Snails, who were demoing its VR experience, BioDive, as well as a digital game and an analog game. It was a prototype but it will be available to the public soon. We totally agree with Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer Lindsay Portnoy when she said that, "we had such a great time watching children and their grown-ups playing [our games]." The team plans on adding to their portfolio and we look forward to seeing what they come up with next!

Killer Snails, Schell Games and 1st Playable

Conclusion

The team had a great time showing Happy Atoms and SuperChem VR, and being around games professionals who want to make the world a better place. Ed Surge did a nice recap of the event and covered more of the experiences and companies that were there.

After the event, we got a chance to do some impromptu ice skating!

Jesse ice skating- a jack of all trades!