Local Program Developers Launch Mobile Game Brand

Lee Edwards | As of Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Project Fly is a single-player game that incorporates martial arts into an action/adventure story located in environments modeled after Chicago neighborhoods developed in large part by James "Quake" Cottrell.
Project Fly is a single-player game that incorporates martial arts into an action/adventure story located in environments modeled after Chicago neighborhoods developed in large part by James "Quake" Cottrell.

Get excited mobile game enthusiasts! James “Quake” Cottrell, founder of Quake Studios, a production company that creates independently financed films, special effects, and video games, has just created a mobile platform video game called “Project Fly”, as the first featured release of his Project Fly brand.

Project Fly is a single-player game that incorporates martial arts into an action/adventure story located in environments modeled after Chicago neighborhoods. Cottrell, an Englewood native, included a likeness of 87th & Vinceness Ave. into the game.

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James "Quake" Cottrell, founder of Quake Studios, plans to release his video game "Project Fly" and an accompanying film to consumers in fall 2015.

Cottrell, a well-traveled technology instructor in Chicago, currently serves as an adjunct instructor at ITT Technical Institute. He developed Project Fly four years ago with an initial team of 20 developers; several of whom were his former students from his tenure at Sanford-Brown College.

“I was pushing my students to make their dreams come true and after a while, I decided to get my ideas out there and make my dreams come true,” said Cottrell.

Today, Cottrell is leading a four person team, including two of his former students who are working as sub-contractors, for Project Fly’s eighth update, the latest version of the game to be released in fall 2015 through the Google Play Store, Ouya, and the Windows app store for mobile devices exclusively.

Cottrell is keenly aware of the lack of African Americans developers within the multi-billion dollar video game industry. He told the Chicago Citizen Newspaper that a lack of traditional opportunities led to him creating his own projects.

“[African Americans developers] exist [but] we’re forced to create our own,” said Cottrell. “Just think of your favorite studios, favorite companies…we’re not really represented … so if we can’t get our foot in the door we have to create our own platform.”

Cottrell is involved in all aspects of Project Fly by contributing as a sound design/composer, voice actor, art direction/game designer, sound/fx programmer and story writer. Cottrell along with fellow writers created a fictional universe complete with over 50 characters. He will release a Project Fly eComic to Windows, iTunes, and the Google Play Store on June 1, 2015 according to his Facebook page.

Cottrell is currently producing a live-action 90 minute film to complement Project Fly scheduled to be released in the fall.

To learn more about Quake Studios visit http://www.quakestudios.net/ or https://www.facebook.com/quakestudios.

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