Canary Islands Talents to Track on Their Fledgling Video Game Scene, and Their Predictions for the Future
The Canary Islands video game scene is still building fast. Here ar some of the talents helping to lead the charge, drawing from across the Islands and far beyond a crop of talented software engineers, directors, and artists:
Mateo Costa
Currently a senior 3D Artist at Drakhar Studio and art director for Foxter Studio, Mateo Costa’s five-year journey in the Canary Islands includes credits on “Paw Patrol” and “Hotel Transylvania.” His cherished project, “Arico: Tales from the Abyss,” represents the creation of a new IP. Mateo’s love for character development and the combination of artistic creativity and technical problem-solving define his work. He looks forward to evolving as a production artist and believes in a “growing appreciation for creativity and originality will further enrich the gaming industry.”
Antonio Esquer
With over two decades as a senior software engineer, Esquer brings a physicist’s broad perspective to game development. Currently a co-owner of Rarepixels, he prides himself on games like “Planes Control,” and “2 Minutes in Space,” both of which reflect his deep passions, notably aviation and history. While the lure of the gaming industry keeps him grounded, he quips, “unless NASA makes me a really good offer.” He envisions a future where video games intertwine with our reality, akin to the movie “Ready Player One.” As to the future of the industry on the Islands, he emphasises the importance of fostering networking in the region, citing his experience running a dynamic co-working space that hosted over 100 game developers and IT professionals in Tenerife. He firmly believes that such initiatives can help position the Canary Islands as a competitive gaming hub on the global map.
Laksmi Irigoyen
Growing up with a passion for gaming and creativity, Irigoyen found her calling in game design, ultimately earning a PhD in the field. Her journey led her to become a partner of Quantum Box Games in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where she plays a pivotal role as game and narrative designer. But her contributions extend beyond design; she also organises and teaches courses in modelling, narrative design, game design, texturing, UI design, and more. As a course coordinator, she’s instrumental in shaping the future of gaming talent on the Canary Islands.
Camilo Lopez Rey
After studying illustration at EASD Pablo Picasso in Galicia’s A Coruña and working as a freelance designer for Inditex, Red Cross, and Sergas, Camilo joined the game industry as a concept artist and art director. His impressive contributions include “The Waylanders” and animated feature “Unicorn Wars,” a Gkids U.S. pickup. Currently art director at Quantum Box, he’s working on “Knights”, a turn-based combat game said to be similar to the “Heroes of Might and Magic” saga. Proud of every game he’s worked on, he predicts “the biggest expansion will be in terms of virtual or mixed reality experiences.” Camilo enjoys the weather and creative atmosphere of the Canary Islands and sees its potential as a magnet for industry talent.
Jennibel López Hernández
Lead artist for Rising Pixel, Jennibel López Hernández, is a local hailing from Gran Canaria, Spain, with a background in fine arts and traditional sculpture. She’s worked on various mobile games, playable ads, and serious games. Her pride is “Forest Keepers,” a Cloud Console game for The Elder Museum, which showcases her animation skills. Jennibel envisions the future of video games shaped by AI. “I’ll tell you just one thing, AI is going to revolutionize all of it, for good or bad.”
Sara Martínez
A sound designer hailing from the picturesque landscapes of Galicia, Spain, and raised amidst music, Martínez studied in Barcelona, orchestrating compositions for indie films. But 2021 witnessed her crossing into a new arena – video game composition and sound design. Currently she is behind The Game Kitchen’s board game VR crossover title “All on Board!’”s audio department, where she designs the mood, creating captivating sound environments and bridging the reality-VR gap. Still a relative junior in the team, she is “very comfortable” growing her career on the Islands improving toward one day “leading a bigger audio team.” 2024 is set to be a big year for Martínez with her first projects being released to the public.
Sitara Shefta
From contributing to AAA studios to leading indie projects, Shefta cut her teeth in production with groundbreaking titles like “LittleBigPlanet 3,” “Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom,” and the tough but rewarding puzzle platformer “Snake Pass.” Now steering the ship as studio head at No Brakes Games, known for “Human: Fall Flat”, and co-directing its sequel. Distinguished accolades, including Develop’s 30 under 30 in 2017 and the Women in Games Hall of Fame award in 2016, underscore her prowess. Yet, it’s her work with POC in Play, emphasising diversity, that truly exemplifies her multifaceted approach. Along with the team she wants the culture at No Brakes Games to be about “making quality games prototyping, fast, finding the fun, but also doing it ethically.”
Ricardo Varela
Ricardo Varela, CTO and co-founder of Tenerife’s Out Of Office Games, also known as Triple O Games, a Summa Cum Laude computer engineer with 13-plus years of industry experience, including works like “Tom Clancy’s The Division” and “Castlevania” Currently developing “Battle Derby,” he seeks out continuous learning and exploring new areas like blockchain and backend microservices. Ricardo sees a promising future for video games, including web3 games, and believes the Canary Islands could become more competitive by continuing to attract talent and leveraging tax incentives. “Once a big studio opens here and the talent comes, then others will follow.” he told Variety.
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