African History Video Game

As a homeschooling mother, I am always looking for ways to make learning fun. Imagine my delight when I learned of a video game that teaches about African culture. Nmuta Jones, is the owner of MediaBreeze, and creator of the Know Thyself video game.

Jones, an educational consultant, has more than 10 years teaching experience. Jones was inspired to create his first video game while working as a math teacher in a Philadelphia middle school. “When I was teaching math I decided I wanted to use video games for algebra and pre-algebra concepts. I created a math game to help my students pass the 7th grade high school test. The kids really liked the game and played it a lot. They took the high school test and all of them passed the test with scores of 87% and above. This test determines the rest of your life.” Think of the 7th grade test as an entrance exam to the very best high schools in Philadelphia!

The game made drill and practice, usually a tedious task for children, fun. Genius, pure genius, I say! I encouraged him to please make more cultural math video games to teach our children basic math skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions) that are the foundation for higher math success. There is certainly a market for it.

Jones has plans to create a video game company that will be entirely dedicated to creating positive and culturally affirming video games. But the work won’t be easy for aspiring gamers of color. “The game design learning curve is so steep.” Translation: lots of math and attention to detail. “You have to be able to look at hundreds of thousands of code to read, write, and design,” says Jones. No instant gratification here. It takes years and thousands of hours to create a really good game.

Jones is currently working as an AP instructor of JAVA at the Denver School of Technology and he’s on the look out for talent. “My goal is to develop a company of young African American men and women who are producing positive videos to tell our history and our stories," says Jones. "I know I will achieve it.”

To purchase Know Thyself, visit http://www.mediabreeze.com/gamedesign.php
It's on sale now for $10 until the end of February. Get your copy now!!!