Matt Marcinkowski
At an age when most kids dream of playing video games, Matt Raithel dreamed about making them.
It started with the original Nintendo Entertainment System, which arrived in the Raithel family home as a Christmas gift when he was 6 years old. It took only a few hours for Raithel to get hooked, and from there he hatched a grand plan.
“I was telling all my friends that I was going to make video games when I grew up,” Raithel says.
In the ensuing years, Raithel followed through. He’s now the owner and studio director of Graphite Lab, a Maryland Heights–based independent video game development firm that has created games and apps for such major children’s entertainment brands as My Little Pony, Mr. Potato Head, and Transformers, among others. Most recently, the company partnered with Atari to create RollerCoaster Tycoon Story for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android devices. It’s the latest entry in the bestselling gaming franchise, in which players put themselves in the shoes of a theme park owner and play along as they revitalize a park.
Matt Marcinkowski
“I really wanted St. Louis to have a big stamp on this game,” Raithel says.
Not only did the Screamin’ Eagle coaster at Six Flags St. Louis serve as the inspiration for one of the game’s featured rides, Raithel also welcomed the contributions of several local collaborators. Brunette Games, a narrative design firm located in Maplewood, helped write 30,000 lines of the game’s story, and local audio team Fat Bard developed the sounds and music.
Raithel isn’t content to simply work St. Louis into video games. He’s also trying to foster video game creation in St. Louis through his work as a game design professor at Maryville University. There, Raithel is schooling a new generation of gamers on such subjects as core mechanics, art production, and the history of game design.
So much has changed in the industry since Raithel graduated from Missouri State in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in electronic arts. On one hand, reduced production costs make the design process more feasible for independent developers like Graphite Lab. A decade ago, it might have cost Raithel upward of $500,000 just to have discs manufactured. Now, Graphite Lab games can be downloaded to devices people carry in their pockets every day.
Today’s gaming industry moves faster than ever, and studio directors like Raithel have to stay in tune with the latest platforms and ever-changing trends.
“There’s no lazy part of it,” Raithel says. “Every day, you have to be on.”
So is the work still as fulfilling as 6-year-old Raithel thought it would be?
“Yeah,” he says with a smile. “Best job ever.”
Game Time
4 more Graphite Lab experiences
Graphite Lab has worked with some of the biggest brands in children’s entertainment and even published some concepts of its own. Check out these games to see the range of content Graphite is producing.
Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex
The first title developed by Graphite Lab in St. Louis, The Rise of Hex tasks Wii and Xbox 360 gamers with saving the Earth from destruction while navigating 15 levels of alien-specific puzzles.
Hive Jump
This self-published title brings an arcade-style retro Nintendo aesthetic to the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch consoles, leading players on a mission to destroy menacing alien hives and save the galaxy.
My Little Pony The Movie
Graphite Lab has worked on a dozen My Little Pony titles over the years. This storybook app allows iPhone and Android users to re-create the feature film and venture through the ponies’ interactive world.
Transformers Rescue Bots: Need for Speed
This game for iPhone and Android lets users choose their desired Bots to scour Griffin Rock for clues to sniff out a rogue visitor.
For more on Graphite Lab, visit graphitelab.com.
