The article is an MG Spotlight piece and will focus on Khiry Arnold creator of Khatto
Join us in our session with Khiry Arnold creator of Khatto
Khiry is the founder of Khatto, LLC, a company that focuses on creating fun, unique gaming experiences that capture your interest and stimulate your imagination. From Khiry’s perspective, video games are all about an amazing experience, so he’s making games to ensure you have the most memorable experiences.
We love a good origin story here at MG – why did you create this company and what was journey into the gaming industry?
From very young I was interested in games. I was an army brat so my family and I traveled a lot. I made and lost a lot of friends during those years because when you’re that age once you move away it is difficult to stay connected. One of the most consistent things in my life back then was gaming. I loved playing games like Tekken, Street Fighter, and Super Mario. I would usually game with my brother. It was more than just a source of entertainment for me and it is associated with some of the best memories that I have. When I create games, I want to create something similar – to recreate those experiences that I had playing those games in my youth for others.
From very young I was interested in games. I was I would usually game with my brother. It was more than a source of entertainment for me and it is associated with some of the best memories that I have.
What was the transition from gamer to game dev?
Since I was a child I have always been creative – I wanted to be an artist, I wanted to create music, be an author and I realized all those passions – those artistic things that I was drawn to could all be wrapped in one as a video game developer. From my youth I have been creating games, small ones, and letting my mom and brother try them out. Then as I got older I realized I can make this into a real profession. The one thing is, I didn’t know how to go about it.
You hit a road bump.
It felt like a major road bump in that I didn’t know anyone that created games, and I didn’t even know anyone personally or know of anyone who was a Software Engineer. So I applied for a college with a renowned gaming development program and I continued to learn a lot through that process, and really just going out there and really researching what it took to be a game developer.
It was a major road bump I didn’t know anyone that created games, I didn’t even know anyone or know of anyone who was a software engineer.
That is amazing and I have seen this so much – where people don’t see something and just get up and do it themselves. It is not an easy road to travel. Branching out into the unknown. You wanted to create this game. You needed to do and so you did. So let’s talk more about this game Last Groove?
So Last Groove is the most recent game that I have created. I would describe it as a love letter to black women and black girls told through the form of a video game. It has really been an opportunity for me to create something that I have wanted to create for a while and I wanted to present black women from a more appreciative presentation. That is more about the narrative.
The game play itself is a very straightforward tap based rhythm game.
[Rhythm game – a game where the user will play along with the music that is playing. So with Last groove – the rhythm fluctuates on what enemies you are fighting. Some enemies will require one tap, some two taps. All of the gameplay will be in alignment with the background track]
You traverse through the five different levels/tracks. You follow the story of these two young girls as they defend their home from Monster invaders. I wanted it to be really simple to jump into but also provide people with a challenge, with a narrative that feels really relatable to some of the experiences I observe and the world observes that black women go through.
I love the idea of creating a game that is an ode to black women – why do you think a game like this is necessary. I know but I have to ask.
I love the idea of creating a game that is an ode to black women – why do you think a game like this is necessary. I know but I have to ask.
There are so many different reasons why I think a game like this is necessary. One of them is that we are living in a world where we are finally starting to see more representation of characters that authentically represent us. However more still needs to be done. I remember when I was younger – not really having enough options like Street Fighter or Tekken. Some of the ways Black characters were represented was really one dimensional and I always felt like yes this character is Black but he doesn’t necessarily represent me.
I think it is important for us to be able to control the narrative and be in the rooms when these decisions are being made. There are games that tried to be inclusive but missed the mark and it was evident that they didn’t have people that represented the groups that they were trying to portray as part of their design team. Some of the customization in certain games – from the skin tones to the hair, falls short even today.
I get that – we do need to be in these rooms – do you ever feel a certain level of pressure on your shoulders. As black people when we are in spaces where we find ourselves to be the minority suddenly, we become the voice – the representative of our entire race. Do you feel that pressure in creating this game that everything you do has to be done 100 per cent correctly? The representation has to perfect?
Personally, I don’t feel that pressure only because I know that there are so many talented black video game developers out there now more than ever, and the games they are creating are wonderful and diverse and will show the world that Black people, like all people, come in different shapes and sizes, and enjoy and like different things. There are times I get asked questions – and I always try to make sure people understand that Black people have different options and opinions.
In terms of developing a game do you ever feel that pressure that the lead characters have to be black?
I think ultimately that comes down to the way I view myself and the way the world views Black art. I am inclined to balance the world of video games. I don’t feel like I have to make every character Black – but I believe that since I am in a position where I can accurately and organically speak from a perspective of a person that can represent these characters that aren’t often seen, I should take that into consideration. It doesn’t feel like an obligation, or even pressure, but it’s something I am naturally drawn to do.
I completely understand and I think you put it aptly we want balance the scales. If we are in a position where we can do so authentically, we should. Circling back to Last Groove – you called yourself a creative – man of many loves and we can certainly see the influence of music here in this game
When I was creating this game I wanted the average Black person to feel comfortable picking it up and playing – like akin to an angry birds, you didn’t need a PC or console to be able to play it.
I love composing video game music and I wanted that to be the main theme for this game. I feel like in our culture we love music and I wanted it to be something that felt relatable. I also wanted to create visuals that align well with really good music.
I love composing video game music and I wanted that to be the main theme for this game. I feel like in black culture we love music and I wanted it to be something that felt relatable. I also wanted to create visuals that align with really good music.
That’s wonderful – the way music has influenced you and this game. You mention creating the visuals and the music and the game – what was that process like?
Hard!
[Laughs]
It wasn’t easy developing a game whilst also working a full-time job as a Senior Software Engineer. Trying to balance the two was not easy but I felt like I needed to create this game myself.
In terms of the future are you going to be creating more games?
Yes I am, the next game I am going to work on is Star Squad – it will be my last rhythm game for a while. I want to make sure it is perfect and pristine.
Aside from working on another game – when it comes to my overarching goal that I want for my company: having gone through the process of creating a game myself I know the difficulties the struggles that I didn’t have to put myself through and I would like to create a network for other game devs and offer the, the opportunity to bring their games to life.
I love composing video game music and I wanted that to be the main theme for this game. I feel like in black culture we love music and I wanted it to be something that felt relatable. I also wanted to create visuals that align with really good music.
Last Groove is available now on the App store.
I am Annabel or creativelyanzy as I’m known online! I am the founder of Melanin Gamers: a gaming community that promotes diversity and inclusivity in the video games industry, with a special focus on content creators; whiles also providing a safe space for people of colour to come together and game
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I am Annabel or creativelyanzy as I’m known online! I am the founder of Melanin Gamers: a gaming community that promotes diversity and inclusivity in the video games industry, with a special focus on content creators; whiles also providing a safe space for people of colour to come together and game