BYU graduates Andrew Young and Richard Williams have developed a video game inspired by BYU's motto 'Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.'
'Caterpillar Quest' is a single-player recreational video game that is designed to break away from the 'war game mentality' of most video games on the market right now through its 12 levels of games for children.
Young, a graduate of the animation program, created the game's graphics. 'The game is more of a nature experience instead of a gun or shooting game,” he said.
Young thinks first-person shooter games “teach terrible messages and are a waste of time.' He believes video games are not inherently evil but feels it's up to the creators to inject them with a purpose and morals. “There are no boundaries in video games,' he said.
Williams and Young agree their schooling at BYU impacted their success since graduation. Williams, who graduated in music after being rejected from his program four times, advises students to have a good demo reel early on and try to network. “It’s important to be completely honest with your music ... and be open to correction and improvement; don’t shy away from it. Don’t be afraid of failure,” Williams said.
Young said taking advantage of the good connections and internships BYU has to offer its students should be top priority.
Williams, who won two student Emmys for his music compositions while at BYU, said his most influential class at BYU was orchestration, taught by Sam Cardon, because of the real-life experience and practical usage of Pro Tools software he still uses today.
Young praised professor Seth Holladay’s video game class because of what he learned and the internship he was able to get with Microsoft. “BYU fosters internships for their students; you’re not going to get (an internship at Microsoft) on your own,” he said.
Young came up with the idea for 'Caterpillar Quest' while interning at Microsoft.
'If BYU students translated their religious principles that they have that are taught at BYU and in the LDS religion ... into their business ethics and business work then they would become the best video game university in the entire nation ... because there seems to be a disconnect, and I don't know why.'
'Caterpillar Quest' can be downloaded on Android through the Google Play store and on iPhones through the App Store.