HeadRight Games LLC is an independent developer of cross-platform casual games for PC, Mac, Web, iOS, and Android. Founded in 2011 by industry-veteran Matt Rodgers, HeadRight Games is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, an emerging tech city.
We were part of the Spring 2012 class of AlphaLab, a startup accelerator program based on the Pittsburgh’s South Side. Sponsored by Innovation Works, AlphaLab is one of the nation’s top startup accelerators and invites 6 companies twice a year to take part in a 20 week intensive bootcamp program. Below is the “Demo Day Investor Pitch”, given by CEO Matt Rodgers.
Matt Rodgers, CEO/Executive Producer
Matt has over 7 years experience in the game industry, working for a variety of large game publishers in various roles. Working on both the creative and business side, Matt has broad experience and has developed a unique perspective of the casual games industry.
Beginning his career in QA, Matt worked for Nintendo and Microsoft on titles like Super Mario Pinball for Gameboy Advance and Conker: Live and Reloaded on Xbox. At WildTangent, he worked mainly on the business and e-commerce side on core business products, such as WildTangent’s DRM system, credit card payment processing system, in-game advertising technology, and virtual currency systems.
At RealNetworks, Matt was a Game Producer, where he released 7 titles in a little over 2 years. Initially working on licensed products, he produced titles for Mattel, Hasbro, and FremantleMedia, including Clue Classic, Scrabble Plus, and Million Dollar Password featuring Regis Philbin. Later, Matt designed and produced original content, including the hidden object games Dr. Wise – Medical Mysteries and Real Detectives: Murder in Miami, both GameHouse exclusives. Memory Wiz, a memory game/collapse hybrid designed and produced by Matt, was a multi-platform release and the first 3rd party Facebook title published by GameHouse.
Matt is excited to bring his experience and passion for game development to HeadRight Games and his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA.
Sheldon Rodgers, Creative Director
Sheldon is an accomplished writer, working as a Columnist for the Butler Eagle and Sewickley Herald newspapers and currently as the Lead Writer for FantasyPharaoh.com. Proven sales experience, most recently as an Account Executive for the Hearst Corporation’s ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh, spearheading ad campaigns for such notable clients as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Sonic Drive-In restaurants.
Sheldon likes to devour books from the A Song of Ice and Fire series, watch Pixar movies with his children and brag about his fantasy football dominance.
Andrew Richter, Lead Developer
Andrew Richter served as Lead Developer on Amusement World!, HeadRight Games’ first game. He is responsible for the implementation and expansion of HeadRight Games’ proprietary game engine. Andrew brings 6 years experience as a developer creating maintainable, highly reusable products based on customer specifications. His meticulous nature and careful attention to detail help limit the amount of rework necessary and reduce maintenance costs.
Prior to working for HeadRight Games, Andrew was an Application Developer at Apptis, a contractor specializing in U.S. Government defense contracts. In this role, Andrew was responsible for all operation, maintenance, and enhancement to the company’s intranet, as well as all externally facing company web sites. Andrew received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Brian Babyak, Art Producer
Brian Babyak graduated with Honors and degrees in Accounting and Business Administration from Thiel College in 2002. In 2009, he graduated with High Honors and a degree in Game Art and Design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh while also winning Best in Show during the portfolio display.
Since then, he’s worked at Carnegie Mellon’s ETC Game Design Studio along with another local startup prior to joining HeadRight Games. His experience includes work with 3D and 2D artwork; game design; project management; and team management.