51社区

For students in high school approaching graduation, it can be overwhelming for some to consider attending college when there is not a desire to get an education in a specific field. Anthony Zoccola faced this exact dilemma in 1997 when he graduated high school, but he now works as the Project and Lab Manager at the GRID Lab. So, how did he get here?

Initially, Zoccola entered the workforce to find a job he might be passionate about. Considering he was a gamer growing up, Zoccola thought it might be fitting to try game development. He moved to Southern California, a hotspot for game development in the early 2000s. Initially, Zoccola started at Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana, Calif. as an assistant general manager, overseeing the concert venue.

After a little over two years, he found a position as Game Master for K2 Network in Irvine, Calif. Zoccola finally found a desire to create in the game development field. As a Game Master, Zoccola and other team members acted as a support and security team within games. He assisted players who were lost in the game and encountered issues while also tracking hackers.

In the midst of his work, Zoccola鈥檚 wife was offered a teaching position in the Psychology Department at 51社区 and the two relocated to Athens. Zoccola was apprehensive to leave such an integral region in the game development industry. When one thinks of large game development companies, Ohio might not be the first place that comes to mind. That belief rang true for Zoccola until he was introduced to the McClure School at OU.

At 32, Zoccola started as a freshman in the McClure School鈥檚 Digital Media, Special Effects, Games and Animation major. Initially, Zoccola wanted to find like-minded game developers in Athens, and he found an internship at Lightbourne Lore. The experience allowed him to see a strong game development market in the area to expand his knowledge.

During his studies, Zoccola spent time in the original GRID Lab in the basement of Scott Quad on East Green. The space, although deeply valued, needed upgrades if the college wanted to expand its quality content creation. Zoccola was encouraged by his then advisor, and now boss, to apply for a management position in the GRID Lab. At the same time, the McClure School was beginning the Immersive Media Initiative to expand the GRID Lab space.

Through the Immersive Media Initiative (IMI), the McClure School received funding to purchase machines and software that could support game design and new creative developments such as virtual and augmented reality. The IMI also allowed the McClure School to move the lab to Scripps Hall, which has more space to feature audio suites, the motion capture room, a noise-canceling booth, and the new esports facility.

On top of his management role in the GRID Lab, Zoccola owns the game development company Lantern Light Studios, LLC., which functions as a multi-media outlet. With a combination of professionals from the gaming field and McClure students interested in developing their skills, Lantern Light Studios focuses on game and software development, animation, and sound and music production. Lantern Light Studios also features three podcasts: Greatest Games Never Played, Game Jawns, and Screen Jawns. Although it has been difficult throughout the pandemic to be able to produce content, Zoccola insists on giving students the opportunity to make their game concepts and media content a reality.

The McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies strives to offer the best academic programs in the IT (Information Technology), the game development and the Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (VR/AR) industries. Our programs and certificates cover numerous aspects of the rapidly changing industries of information networking, cybersecurity, data privacy, game development, digital animation and the academic side of esports.