Longview middle school holds Lobo Game Fest

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) - Gaming has become a huge draw for a new generation, and some East Texas kids were treated to festival today.

It was called the Lobo Game Fest in Longview, promoting all aspects of the thriving industry. At Foster Middle School, kids of all ages gathered.

“Originally started as a student showcase, then we thought, ‘We need to educate families on the value of the gaming industry,’” said event co-organizer Liz Ross.

From relative obscurity 30 years ago to a multi-million dollar industry today, gaming has become a hot career area for young people.

“It’s a lot of things you can’t do in reality, right? A lot of fantasy games and stuff. If you get into the actual industry, and you have all these ideas, you can make your own game,” said 8th grade gamer Orlando Arreola.

“Gaming is much more than just coding. You have the art side of it, audio development side of it,” Ross said.

The event featured a gaming collegiate student panel, student showcase, gamers’ tournament and cosplay contest.

“We also have vendors in the gaming industry, so our families can talk to vendors themselves, so kids can create those connections early on and make goals to strive for in the future,” said Ross.

Nigerian native Chudi attended Texas A&M for architecture.

“Things that we are training in architecture that translate directly into the gaming industry. Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams because we kind of live in an age where dreams come true,” he said.

The industry draws young minds who dream of designing their own game. Having come a long way from pong, now you have games that look photo-realistic.

“I’ve been taking classes here to make games. I’ve been learning modeling, coding, all that stuff,” said Arreola.

Several hundred kids, from grade school level to high school, attended today’s Lobo Game Fest.

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