SUNY Canton Faculty Member Releases Video Game
A SUNY Canton Game Design and Development faculty member is set to release a sequel to his most popular video game title.
In addition to being an assistant professor in the Canino School of Engineering Technology, Ryan S. Hewer is the CEO of Little Red Dog Games. The company is prepared to release Rogue State: Revolution on Thursday, March 18. It’s the latest version of the successful 2015 title and will be available for purchase on the gaming website Steam.
“Rogue State Revolution puts the player in the role of the first elected leader of a fictional Middle Eastern country recovering from a period of civil unrest,” Hewer said. “Your mission is to manage everyone’s interests as the country gets pulled in different directions.”
He explained that the country is divided between the competing interests. “There are also robots and a talking chicken dictator,” he said. “Ultimately players will have to work hard to balance the needs and values of different segments of society while dealing with real-world crises in a surrealistic environment.”
As a game developer, he often draws on his own experiences in his game design. Hewer previously worked for Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in various capacities before leaving public service to pursue a teaching career in the United States.
“Our school prides itself on our educator’s professional backgrounds,” said Canino School of Engineering Technology Dean Michael J. Newtown. “Ryan Hewer is one of the latest examples of our established tradition of hiring real-world experts to prepare students for their future careers.”
A trailer for Rogue State: Revolution and interviews with the cast of characters are available on YouTube. Hewer was recently interviewed about the upcoming game release on the PC Gaming Website Rock Paper Shotgun.
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, management, and healthcare fields. It is home to the Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.