Wednesday, September 25, 2019
By: Matthew Doucette
For the fourth year in a row (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Microsoft presented the Xbox MVP Award to Matthew Doucette. MVP stands for "Most Valuable Professional".
Meet me at "Meet the MVPs" page at mvp.xbox.com.
Matthew Doucette presented the Xbox MVP Award.
The award is decided individually, based on many pieces of work. For me it included:
- Our educational work* such as:
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- Kids Make Games, where we taught Xbox/Microsoft game development in our public school system, using the same Microsoft technologies that we used to make our own games.
- We taught Microsoft technologies online while using them to make our own games, some showcased in our Learning Center.
- Our game development workshops and game jams via Ignite Labs, a start-up incubator I co-founded that hosts many events.
- Our blog and technology focused blog posts, once called Xonatech.
- Our work with independent developer platforms, such as Xbox LIVE Indie Games (XBLIG) and ID@Xbox, much of it non-publicized.
- Our efforts in game development forums, sometimes relating to our game prototypes.
- Our efforts in social media:
- Our guest speaking appearances, on game development and entrepreneurship.
- Our mentorship on game development and entrepreneurship, most non-publicized work. Including co-founding and launching Ignite Labs start-up incubator and previously The Hub Yarmouth co-working space.
- Our ongoing efforts to develop and publish games to Xbox One and other platforms using Microsoft technologies.
- Etc.
*I am also a faculty member and Faculty Working Group Chair of the NSCC Game Development program, however this does not count towards Xbox MVP due to it being a paid position.
Here is the full note:
Congratulations! We are pleased to renew your status as an Xbox MVP! As you know, this award is given to community leaders who actively share their high quality, real world expertise and work to enable others to do the same. We appreciate your outstanding contributions in Xbox communities during the past year.
The Xbox MVP Award provides us the unique opportunity to celebrate and honor your significant contributions and say, "Thank you for your community leadership.""
That is all.
About the Author: I am Matthew Doucette of Xona Games, an award-winning indie game studio that I founded with my twin brother. We make intensified arcade-style retro games. Our business, our games, our technology, and we as competitive gamers have won prestigious awards and received worldwide press. Our business has won $190,000 in contests. Our games have ranked from #1 in Canada to #1 in Japan, have become #1 best sellers in multiple countries, have won game contests, and have held 3 of the top 5 rated spots in Japan of all Xbox LIVE indie games. Our game engines have been awarded for technical excellence. And we, the developers, have placed #1 in competitive gaming competitions -- relating to the games we make. Read about our story, our awards, our games, and view our blog.