Ryan Gilbrech, a two-time graduate of Mississippi State University, is the proud founder of Meta Games, a video game development company he started in October of 2014.
Gilbrech graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering from MSU in December 2012. In August of 2015, he returned to Starkville to earn a Masters in Business Administration shortly after the startup of Meta Games.
Gilbrech said he has two memories from his time at college he holds more fondly than the rest. The first was running the Video Game Club (VGC), a time-consuming responsibility Gilbrech considered well worth it.
“It took up a lot of my time, but it was a ton of fun being responsible for all that,” Gilbrech said. “It was gratifying knowing that we created a really welcoming, fun space for all types of gamers to hang out.”
By the time Gilbrech’s term was up two years later, the VGC was hosting two events each week with upward of 40 people attending each one.
Gilbrech’s other favorite memory from MSU was following his friends, Benjamin Weed and Ali Borazjani, as the two worked on their own startup biomedical device company, Innometrix.
Without Weed’s and Borazjani’s influences, Gilbrech said he never would have considered starting Meta Games. Through the two fellow biomedical engineering students, Gilbrech was introduced to MSU’s newly-formed Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach Center, commonly known as the E-Center.
Gilbrech kept close ties with the E-Center as he pursued his MBA and worked on Meta Games. The center provided Gilbrech with advice he assured was much needed.
“I wouldn’t be here without them,” Gilbrech said.
Eric Hill, director of the E-Center, said he enjoyed every second of working with Gilbrech.
“Ryan (Gilbrech) is one of the most brilliant entrepreneurs I’ve had the pleasure of assisting,” Hill said. “The company he is building is the consummate example of what is possible focusing on the customer and nailing what they will not just buy, but will love.”
Meta Games is currently working tirelessly on its first game, a platform-style fighter called “Dragon Slayers.” The game, which is similar to “Super Smash Bros.,” will make its debut on PC later this year.
Dragon Slayers will also make an appearance on Kickstarter on March 6. Gamers interested in backer-exclusive rewards can find more information on the Meta Games’ website, along with a newsletter and Discord group.
Gilbrech said he is devoting his entire life right now to making the upcoming Kickstarter campaign the best it can be. Meta Games hopes to offer interested backers a few playable demos, a polished campaign video and a beautiful backer page.
The recent website launch is the company’s first push on social media, and the positive response it received has left the team feeling more motivated than ever.
Gilbrech’s startup is currently built on a team of 17 people, a number growing by the day. A majority of the group only worked on a small section of Dragon Slayers, and some members are contract workers from across the world.
Meta Games’ 3D modeler, Christoph Schoch, said he respects Gilbrech’s dedication and the team he has put together.
“I’ve only known Ryan (Gilbrech) for a few months, but in that time, he has shown great dedication and will to take risks,” Schoch said. “He has put a lot of time and effort into developing a project that he truly cares for.”
The group chats online throughout the day, working as a team on a project every member is passionate about. Even Gilbrech said he cannot believe the enthusiasm the group has for the game.
“I’m amazed that they all flocked to the project, considering how insanely talented they all are,” Gilbrech said. “So many of them could be working on anything, but they choose to work on ‘Dragon Slayers.’”
Gilbrech’s love for video games started as early as the age of three, when he received a Sega Genesis for Christmas in 1993.
He said he remembers playing “Cave Story” in 2005, a game made by one person with no previous developing experience. The creator had no skills whatsoever—it took him five years to finish the project—but Gilbrech found it to be a better product than what most large corporations were releasing at the time.
It was almost 10 years later when Gilbrech had his own idea for a video game, something he mentioned in passing to his parents.
“It wasn’t until my dad told me he thought it’d succeed and that I should go for it that I ever really considered going into game dev (development),” Gilbrech said. “Kind of wild, right?”
Shortly after, Gilbrech quit his job at Capital Steel to start his own company and earn his MBA.
Gilbrech said he has always tried to be an encouraging person with a positive mindset, and in middle school, he set out to make a screen name that reflected the same attitude.
Gilbrech believed if he could do something special and then encourage others to do the same, then his advice would mean more.
“If Michael Jordan told you that you had a lot of potential in basketball, you’d probably take it to heart, right?” Gilbrech said. “So I wanted to be someone like that. I wanted to make a tag I’d have to live up to.”
He eventually decided with the word “winner,” but with a characteristic misspelling—“Winnar.” This was a more popular name than Gilbrech anticipated, however, so he began to add an “-ly” at the end when “Winnar” was taken. Thus, Gilbrech’s signature screen name, “Winnarly,” was born, and though Gilbrech is not fond of the name himself, he said other people seem to like it.
For aspiring video game developers, Gilbrech suggested starting off small: make the simplest game possible, then make it even smaller. Practicing on something no one will ever play can help students get “hooked” on the process.
YouTube tutorials are also a great resource for future game developers, and Gilbrech instructs students to follow them step-by-step. Even basic game development is a long road.
With the release of “Dragon Slayers” nearing every day, Meta Games will soon be known as more than a small start-up from a MSU alumnus.
Hill said he believes Gilbrech’s game will be only one of the selling points of the up-and-coming company.
“Their relentlessness towards customer-centric quality is what will put Meta Games on the map,” Hill said.