March 2024 Volume 1 Issue 2
Table of Contents
Family of Innovators
A wide-eyed boy sits on the carpet. He’s currently participating in his family’s nightly ritual: watching the CBS news. NASA is unveiling its latest, exciting project. They claim to have produced a machine run by tethers that generates electricity, and they’ll be testing it within the upcoming days. The boy’s grandpa shakes his head and speaks up. “It won’t work,” he says. And just like that, the grandpa gets up, grabs his papers and pens, and runs to the dinner table. Calculations are run. Within the hour, the math was done. The grandpa wrapped up his work and mailed it straight to NASA’s director. The test occurs; it fails. The test failed, the letter arrived, Grandpa was acknowledged, and his work was promised to be used. “That was every day for me as a child,” director, producer, and Professor Aaron Thibault told me.??
This was not the only example Thibault disclosed. Medicine, art, language, military, and history: all subjects exposed to him in meaningful ways before he was even past elementary. He learned and practiced electromagnetism. The smells of clementine and worn canvases remind him of being with his grandmother and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society. Thibault’s mother was a culinary master, and his father was a professor at Brown University. While chef techniques were learned in the kitchen, higher curriculum knowledge came through actual lectures. Thibault confidently comprehends the interesting and fortunate circumstances presented by his family that consisted of people who, to him, could do anything.??
Academia as an Opportunity Structure
While most scholars sing of GPAs and volunteering, Professor Thibault focuses on the range of opportunities that he put in his reach. In fall of 1993, Thibault was admitted into Austin’s Texas University (horns down)! His major and track, RTF: Film, Animation, and Storytelling, allowed him to dip into a multitude of exciting disciplines. This type of multidisciplinary exposure seen in childhood was seemingly reflected within these pursuits.??
The voice commanding greatness that echoed amongst his family continued to ring within Thibault. Throughout his time at university, he honed himself as an entrepreneur through music production. Thibault worked with the ACT Lab under Dr. Sandy Stone. The lab’s licenses provided him access to early, developing software such as 3D Studio. This was the foundation for the snowball affect that would allow him to established some key accomplishments. By the time he graduated, Thibault had worked on two televised shows, produced the first 24/7 music streaming service that was recognized by Rolling Stone, produced concert streaming, was titled an A-list reporter by Insider Music Magazine, and worked in Peg Swerson’s CWRL Program on the LambdaMOO text metaverse.??
Development, Production, Leadership
The momentum initiated in academia traversed into professional life. Professor Thibault was hired onto the UT IC2 Institute in 2001. His position, Research and Development (R&D), oversaw the development of learning frameworks in an AI and games context. This experience allowed Thibault to tap into an innate interest in research, but more importantly, it opened his eyes to the satisfaction of teaching. “I do it because it’s fun,” Thibault said. “I deeply enjoy watching go through the process of gradually learning concepts and the satisfaction that comes with comprehension.”??
In 2005, Thibault transitioned over to South Methodist University (SMU) to work in the SMU Guildhall. This position was all about facilitating video game development with undergraduate students. Thibault himself has mentioned that video games, as an artistic medium and as an industry, are the future. It seems that he understood this at this time, as well. He continued to foster his love for teaching and production alike, expanding his emotional reach amongst creators of the near-future. These alumni of this program now belong to over 350 studios.?
Let’s skip ahead in the timeline for a moment. In 2016, Thibault found himself as a board member for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. As a board member, he was expected to bring innovative methods to workplace systems with a research-based foundation. Thibault had already gained so much experience in production that he already had his own gameplan that he could apply here. Nevertheless, he continued to learn from the opportunity.??
This innate leadership carried over into recreation-based environments. From 2020 to 2023, Thibault was the president of the Lobos Golf Booster Club! Instead of working with creative-based students, he was now amongst young athletes.??
Sources
The Project Gardener
This is where we get into the good stuff: Professor Thibault’s work in the commercial video games industry.? Going back to 1998, Thibault was brought on to Entertainment Arts (EA). While here, he worked firstly as a sound designer. He worked directly with other members of staff to make immersive audio for players. He also worked as a cinematic director/animator, bringing the same level of detail visually. Thibault’s final position while working at EA was as an external producer. He developed his research, negotiation, and overall leadership skills during this time. He left the company starting 2002 to continue the industry climb with resilience.?
The era that Thibault talks about most when introducing himself is his time with Gearbox. This is where he went when transitioning from SMU’s Guildhall. A smooth transition it was too, as it saw him fulfilling similar roles as a senior producer for the first two years. Following this he was promoted to VP Product Development. He was responsible for the production of all games during this time (2009-2017), and he did so with an intense focus on his colleagues’ passions. Some of the games released by Gearbox at this time include the Brothers in Arms series, Battleborn, and, of course, the Borderlands series.??
Gearbox promoted Thibault again in June of 2017. This time, he was VP of Strategic Operations. He conducted senior mentoring, directed HR, managed compensation processes, developed training, and coordinated project timelines. The aspect of this job he puts most emphasis on, however, was his ability to connect internal and external organizations of projects. Thibault believes that keeping communication open between parties was the exact practice that helped develop Gearbox beyond what it already was, as it streamlined productivity and motivation.?
Thibault’s final position at Gearbox, Executive Director of Gearbox Gives, is the perfect example of what he strives towards: social betterment through video game education. This branch of the company, kickstarted by Thibault himself, focuses on the philanthropy side of their platform by working directly with secondary and higher education institutions, local communities, and the worldwide collection of gamers. Gearbox Gives treats opportunity structures as a crop to cultivate, which is reflective of Thibault’s own legacy. This person, no matter where he goes, comes in, finds potential, and nurtures it, approaching companies as gardens and colleagues as vegetation.?
Sources
From Orange to Maroon
This brings us to today. After 14 years of working at Gearbox and participating in a list of leadership roles, Professor Thibault has officially switched sides and partnered up with our very own Texas A&M University. With the previous director, Dr. Andrè Thomas, stepping away to pursue overseas development, the LIVE Lab needed a new head figure. Luckily for Andrè, he already knew someone more than capable of picking up the mantle. “He’s everything I’ve got but better,” Andrè told his workers upon Thibault’s arrival. Everyone immediately knew that they were in good hands. In these first three months alone, Thibault has gotten more eyes on the lab through previous colleagues and focused on the vision of the LIVE Lab’s goals. Most importantly, he has familiarized himself with us.? Thibault has stated that his collection of industry knowledge and development techniques is something he wishes to share with all of us. “I want to get you all to where you want to be,” Thibault said. There is a double focus in the director’s head: expand the LIVE Lab to something incomprehensible and get his employees to make their dreams reality.??
The LIVE Lab is not the only thing Thibault got brought on to work on. His other position as the Director of Games and eSports gives him another garden to cultivate. Again, Thibault believes that video games are the future of innovation and education due to the extreme and gradual growth seen in the industry. This position will give him yet another chance to show the true capabilities of video games as this driver of positive development.?
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In the Now | Projects
Database Prototype
The Database research team at the LIVE Lab has done tremendous work. Starting in Fall 2023, the team was initially tasked with gathering educational video games from across the web to compact into a single database website. This site is aimed at faculty of higher education and is currently in its prototype stage. With help from graduate-level computer science students of Texas A&M University, the 152 sourced games are successfully compiled. The database prototype will be converted into a legacy project for future semesters, allowing the website to be continually updated with optimal features and additional games.
EVG Survey
The EVG Survey research team has finished the survey. After collaborating with the Database team for additional questions, it has now been sent for IRB approval. Featuring an extensive assessment of opinions and experience with EVGs, the survey will be distributed to Texas A&M faculty after reaching approval.
Geotraces
The planned production of Geotraces’s prototype concluded in December! A playtest was held amongst employees of the LIVE Lab to collect feedback and player data. No matter the level, game development is an extensive process that requires a lot of minds. We’re excited to keep moving forward to see the future of the project.
Employee of the Month - Lance Pham
Lance Pham has been selected as Employee of the Month! Lance is a junior-year Computer Science major from Plano, Texas. The LIVE Lab welcomed him during June of 2022 as a member of Development. His favorite project, Geotraces, earns its spot due to the very aspirations that fuel his work here. The project provided him the chance to work directly on a game! It pushed him to learn new methods and apply them without a specific model of reference. We can all look out for Geotraces, and Lance’s contributions, in the future.?
Editor’s Page?
Tristen Norman?
Howdy! My name is Tristen Norman. I’m a senior-year psychology student from Victoria, Texas. Writing is an interesting task, as it has so many applications yet a universal structure. Screenplay writing, research article writing, thesis writing: I’ve done it all. Now I find myself providing my efforts to the LIVE Lab, getting an opportunity to expand this skillset further and collaborate with delightful writers, researchers, and artists. Our shared love for video games and artistic expression unites us towards both developing educational products for the future and expressing our talents. My time at the LIVE Lab has been beyond fulfilling, and I’m constantly excited to see where our next steps will take us.??
Artists’ Page?
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Kaylyn Luna?
Howdy! My name is Kaylyn Luna. I’m a master's student in the Visualization program from San Diego, Texas. I’m passionate about working with other creatives and developing interactive experiences. This passion comes from a desire to surround myself with creative thinkers and establish a sense of community and belonging. I specialize in virtual environments, UI/UX design and production management. Thanks to my time at the LIVE Lab, I’ve gained valuable portfolio work to demonstrate my skills, as well as an even more valuable network of friends, colleagues and mentors.???
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Westley Yon?
Howdy! I’m Westley Yon. I’m a senior-year visualization student from McKinney, Texas. I have a passion for creating expressive art through various mediums such as digital painting, watercolor, and charcoal. I take heavy inspiration from my favorite childhood films and anime when creating my stylistic artworks. My specialties include character, prop, and environment concepts, as well as graphic design work. The LIVE Lab gives me the chance to strengthen my collaboration skills with a team of like-minded peers. Not only do I attain new friends and colleagues, but I also gain experience with producing 2D designs and artwork through efficient software.??
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