GUTS Department is an independent games developer which aims to reignite the magic and imagination of classic 16-bit era titles by combining the best of old school flair with new school gameplay. The team is currently developing Aegis Defenders, due for release in 2017.
The story of Aegis
Aegis had its start as project for USC’s notable Intermediate Games class. Taught by Richard Lemarchand (Uncharted) and Peter Brinson (The Cat and the Coup, Rehearsals and Returns), the class has small teams working on intense, experimental projects for an entire semester. When Bryce & Lifu's completed demo was met by obsessive playtesters, the team knew they had something special.
For more details, bios and screenshots, check out our Press Kit.
The story of Aegis
Aegis had its start as project for USC’s notable Intermediate Games class. Taught by Richard Lemarchand (Uncharted) and Peter Brinson (The Cat and the Coup, Rehearsals and Returns), the class has small teams working on intense, experimental projects for an entire semester. When Bryce & Lifu's completed demo was met by obsessive playtesters, the team knew they had something special.
For more details, bios and screenshots, check out our Press Kit.
The Team
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Bryce Kho
Game Design | Artist | Engineer Bryce graduated from the MFA Film & Television Production Program at USC. Although he has a background in film, videogames have always been his original passion and he looks forward to using the storytelling skills in the videogame medium. To learn more about Bryce, please visit his website at brycekho.com. |
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Kristen Kho
Lead Engineer Kristen received her Masters in Computer Science from UC San Diego and currently resides in the Bay Area. She has 5+ years of experience in the games industry working as a full-stack Senior Software Engineer for PopCap on titles including PvZ Adventures, Plants vs. Zombies 2, and Peggle Blast. Aegis Defenders is her first indie game and first professional collaboration with her brother, Bryce. |
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Max Palazzo
Lead Producer Max graduated from USC's Interactive Entertainment program in 2015 and has worked in games ever since. Most recently he designed a local multiplayer brawler called Ectoplaza and the 2D dungeon crawler Howie & Yarla. His favorite games are the critically acclaimed "Superman 64" & "E.T." for the NES. |
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Mike Effenberger
Designer Michael is an independent game developer, filmmaker, and hotshot flyboy based in Los Angeles, CA. After double-majoring in Interactive Media & Film Production at the University of Southern California, he produced Ectoplaza with Syndicate Atomic while developing mobile titles at Disney Interactive and serving as jury & festival coordinator for IndieCade. Talented in many disciplines, Michael is bringing his love and penchant for solid game design to Aegis Defenders. You can find good games discourse and better dad jokes at his Twitter handle, @meffenber. |
collaborators
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Lai Xu
Co-Writer Lai teaches English and Reading at a middle school in South LA. For real. This is her website. She will be very busy very soon. In the meantime, she's helping us write and animate! |
Audio Team
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Jeff Tangsoc
Power Up Audio, Studio Director After graduating with honours in both the Carleton University Music program and the Vancouver Film School’s Sound Design program, Jeff funnels that same passion as a full-time studio director in the games industry. His work can be heard in over 200 shipped titles across various platforms, from hardcore action-RPG’s to casual slots games. |
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Riley Koenig
Power Up Audio, Lead Composer Credits include a host of games with Power Up, films with Green Earth Films Inc., productions with Theatre Encounter, documentaries with Feminist Frequency, and also a recent winner of the 2014 Jean Coulthard Reading Contest by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. |
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Kevin Regamey
Power Up Audio, Lead Composer Having played a contributing role in well over 200 projects, Kevin brings a wealth of experience to the table regarding music, design, implementation, and voice-over. Kevin also designed and created the IGF-nominated indie puzzler, “Phonopath”, which has received wide acclaim in the audio community. |
Other projects we've worked on
While Aegis is our first project as a studio, we've contributed to a large number of diverse, award winning projects that span the gamut from educational games to VR storytelling and beyond. Below are a few of our favorite projects
Aero is an education learning game for kids and adults 10 and up. By controlling an albatross flying over a vast open world, players learn about the essential physical forces governing flight.
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EctoPlaza is a 2D competitive multiplayer smash-em-up set at the number one spectral spa and resort in the afterlife.
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Bloom is a 2.5D adventure platformer where you play as a seedling named Sprout who wields the powers of nature in order to reclaim earth from the dangerous machines who have taken over.
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