Background
With a Bachelor of Arts graduate from the College of William and Mary, Michael Vogel always had a fascination with games. Before coming to Georgia Tech to study his masters in Digital Media, Vogel worked as a writer for the educational game company Muzzy Lane Software and as a quality assurance tester for video game publisher Bethesda Softworks. At first, he did not realize the worlds of design and literature could merge. However, Vogel discovered Georgia Tech’s Digital Media master’s program, a program that would give him the opportunity to greater impact the world of development through that intersection.
While pursuing his masters, Vogel focused on developing communities of game makers. For example, he was crucial in the creation of Different Games Collective, an annual volunteer-run event promoting inclusivity within the gaming community.
Work Experience
Currently, Vogel works as a Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of his immersive entertainment startup, FANATICUS. In both roles, Vogel continues his mission to develop gaming communities. Vogel said, “I have no interest in pursuing tech for tech’s sake — tech development needs to be tempered with social good.” Whether he is helping students combine humanistic inquiry and design at the DILAC Lab or giving Harry Potter fans a VR experience they’ll never forget through FANATICUS, Vogel continues to prove that media and the humanities can make the biggest impact by combining strengths.
