Jordan Wall talks North Carolina A&T experience, creating the first HBCU open

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Jordan Wall talks North Carolina A&T experience, creating the first HBCU open-world video game

Video Transcript

We have Jordan Wall in the building.

We’re bringing him up right now.

Jordan, how you doing today?

I’m doing good, man.

Thanks for the interview.

I appreciate it.

Man, well, listen, I’m excited, man.

Listen, we connected on this, like, back in, like, July.

Yeah.

And I mean, I saw you dropped the video with the game footage.

Yeah.

Man, I’m super excited to talk about things, man.

How’s everything going, man?

You’re, you’re an HBCU alumnus now.

Man, you got North Carolina A&T G-Hoes coming up, 100 centennial- Yeah G-Ho.

How you feeling, man?

I feel good, man.

Just working every day.

Working at work, but also working on the game as well.

Super excited for G-Ho 100 anniversary, so it’s gonna be a great time.

Excited to see my, you know, fellow Aggies, but looking forward to it, man.

Yeah, man.

So let’s really get into it.

So I wanna start from the beginning, ’cause we’re gonna talk about it all.

I wanna start from the beginning.

So I saw in the video that we just played, and if you all don’t know, we played his, one of his graduation videos.

That was tough.

I had to add that to the stream.

Okay?

And you got a A- Aggie mom and Aggie dad.

Yeah.

Okay?

Yeah.

So, I, so I wanna ask you what made you choose North Carolina A&T as your HBCU?

But I, I think I know the answer, but go, go ahead and let us know.

Yeah.

Honestly, my parents went there.

And I, I was from Greensboro, so I always grew up saying, “I’m never gonna A&T.

I’m never It’s too close to home.”

But, I used to hoop back in high school, and so after things didn’t, you know, work out with that, I decided, you know, go to A&T.

It was the best place.

It was close to home, close to my family, so I felt like it was a great opportunity, you know, grow and, just enjoy, you know, that HBCU experience.

All right, so you a hooper, so I, I gotta ask you.

Like, you saw my NBA 2K highlights.

Yeah.

So what you feel about them, man?

What you feel about it?

You decent, for sure.

I’d say you decent.

Decent?

Oh, man, Jordan.

Golly, now you said I’m decent, man.

Yeah, nice.

I feel it.

I feel it.

I feel it.

So, yeah, do, do, do you play 2K?

Are you Do, do you play 2K?

Yeah, for sure.

Yeah, I play 2K, Madden, GTA, I’m excited about that coming out.

Yeah.

Those are my main games, but, yeah, 2K is definitely a go-to, for sure.

I love it.

So what, what, what side are you on?

You on Xbox side?

PlayStation?

You do PC gaming?

Oh, yeah.

‘Cause the game coming out on PC, so what’s, what, what’s happening with it?

You definitely got it.

Well, now that I’m making my own game, I’m definitely more of a PC gamer.

But I would say starting off, growing up, definitely PlayStation.

I always play PS5.

Always, always, always.

Dang.

I, I hope you said Xbox, man.

That’s the side I’m on, man.

I was hoping you was gonna Xbox.

At the, at My dad’s Xbox had Xbox 360.

Yeah.

I got the Xbox Series X and the S. Like, man- Man, I, I need to find some Xbox gamers in the HBCU community, man.

We could start, like, a College Pro 27 league, play HBCU football.

We, we’ll get to that- Yeah a little bit later, man.

But- Yeah let’s talk about, you know, your time at North Carolina A&T.

So you were an information technology major, and now you’re a graduate of North Carolina A&T- Yeah in information technology.

So tell us about your experience at, at, at North Carolina A&T.

Honestly, it was a great experience.

I wouldn’t change it for the world.

You know, I came in, crossed out for early on as a freshman.

I was involved in multiple different orgs on campus.

I was a RA.

So I was definitely busy on campus.

I would say, my time on campus was definitely, I made the most of it, and I think that, you know, I got the most out of that HBCU experience.

So, I had a great experience.

I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I do miss college sometimes, but, I’m thankful for the experience that I had.

I love it.

I love it.

So you did all that different stuff, and- Yeah you came out as alpha in your freshman year.

Like, how’d you find the time?

Like, did you come in with credits?

Like, like, how, like, how did you do it?

Are you a genius?

I mean, I guess you are.

But, like, are, are you Like, how’d you do all this?

Just hard work, just perseverance, just knowing what I wanted to accomplish.

I wanted to get done while in school.

I, I made the, you know, proper steps to get everything done that I had to get done.

So when I was looking you up, like, you, you, were the first A&T student to receive the Vanguard Co-Op Award.

You on- Yeah you made the Chancellor’s List three times.

You were one of four A&T students selected for AfroTech 2025.

And I know for me, in my time, in my time at my, at my, at my HBCU, I really define a lot of my time at Fort Valley by the moments that I had.

So- Yeah what do those moments mean to you, and what do those moments mean to your HBCU experience in general?

Like, how did those moments shape you and your experience?

I think only just, honestly, just putting on for my school.

Like, you know, being the first, co-op to receive, or the first person to receive that co-op with Vanguard and, you know, going to AfroTech and, and also making the Chancellor’s List and, and being smart in the classroom, it just kind of, you know, allowed me to put on for my, for my HBCU, but also know that I can do a lot of different things that I didn’t know I was capable of.

So when I came to A&T, I wasn’t sure how I would fit in.

I wasn’t sure, you know, what that experience would be like, ’cause, you know, you’re going from high school to c- college, that’s a big jump.

So, there was a lot of things I questioned and a lot of things I wasn’t, I wasn’t sure about, but at the end of the day, you know, I made, I met people who, who pushed me to be better.

I got involved in different things, and I made the most of that experience.

So it was, it, you know, I’m thankful for, you know, at the end of the day.

So of course, like, we showed your graduation video.

We showed the Yard video.

Yeah.

But I just wanna know, like, you know, what are you doing now after you graduated?

‘Cause, like, North Carolina A&T, we are, you know, biggest HBCU, produced all these amazing graduates.

Yeah.

And I always just wondered, like, like, how is it?

Like, you, you’re at A&T, you’re at this, this huge institution doing so many amazing things, producing so many amazing people, and then, like, now you’re like, you’re in real life.

You’re in the real world with us.

You know what I’m saying?

So, like, what has it been like, you know, like, like just post-graduation?

And I’ve even seen, you know, some, some of your videos where you’re vlogging and stuff.

Yeah.

Like, like what has post-grad life been like for you?

Oh, it’s been good I took a trip with my family to Italy.

That was the start of my summer.

I had a great trip with them.

And then, you know, I’ve been working on the game.

I’m currently a software engineer at Bank of America, so most of my time is spent in that technology space.

But honestly just been working, man.

I come home from work, I stay up late, work on the game.

I know we have a deadline to, to meet, and, you know, as the founder I wanna, you know, set an example of, you know, for people who are working with me and people who And, and what’s next to come in the future.

So, you know, my focus is mainly on the game, and, just enjoying graduation.

I think definitely being that I moved away from home, and now I’m in New Jersey, life has definitely slowed down, but, it’s been good for me.

I think that, you know, I’ve had time to reflect and, and spend time on my game.

That’s, that’s really what I’m focused on right now.

I love that.

So I wanna ask this, just for the folks that are watching that, you know, that might be, that might be, students that wanna get in, in, into information technology, or even adults that wanna change their career.

Yeah.

What is it like being a software engineer at Bank of America?

What do you do?

Yeah, it’s good.

So what I do is, you know, I work on the front-end applications, which is, like, kinda like the UI and what you see on your screen.

So I’m working with people who are working on back-end services as well.

So it’s, it’s a lot of collaboration.

And, you know, it’s, it’s good work.

It’s definitely helps me think and, and learn, and talk to different people about certain things, ’cause I have to learn a lot.

But I would say for anyone who wants to get into this, you know, space, just take the time to learn what, what it really entails.

You know, IT is so broad, and what I do is not what someone else may do.

Some people may work in, you know, project management or, hardware.

But there’s so many different, you know, things that you can do within IT.

So just take that time to learn what it really entails and, you know, go for it.

I love it.

So now- Mm-hmm let’s hop into The Yard.

Like, that is the video game coming out on- Yep Steam really soon.

So of course, like, we just saw the preview and we saw the concepts of what you’re building already.

So just walk us through this concept.

So how’d you come up with the concept for the, The Yard?

And give us the description of what it is and what folks can expect.

Yeah.

So The Yard is a fictional HBCU, open world RPG video game.

You know, the idea came to me, I was just chilling, honestly, and it came to me.

When I was chilling I was like, “Yeah, I gotta make this happen.”

’cause I knew that it’s such a great idea and I really wanted to, you know, make the HBCU experience within a virtual, a virtual game.

And so what I did was I did research on different game engines that, you know, we could use.

We’re building a Unity game engine.

And so with that I started to get a team together.

I got a 3D designer.

I didn’t know how to make a, a map.

I got a developer who could help me, you know, develop the game.

And so what I did was I posted my project on Freelancer, and that’s, like, a, a place where you can, you know, get people to make your project or kinda help you out with it.

And so I got lucky.

A guy from, a guy from Brazil I chose, and he, he kinda helped me make the map, and he’s, he’s definitely been a big help.

But, I just knew I c- I have to have a team for this game to make it go where I want it to go.

And so that’s what I did.

I put together a team and did some research and, and here we are.

Now in September you guys saw the preview, and I’m, I’m really excited about y- about you guys having the chance to play the game.

I think you guys would really like it.

I love it.

So what I wanna do is I wanna play the trailer again, because we’re gonna be re-streaming this on Twitch, where that’s where the gamers are.

Yeah.

So I wanna replay the trailer, and then we’re gonna dive more into it.

All right, guys, we’re back.

And this time it’s <a href="https://comicvibe.com/legend-of-zelda-officially-returns-to-totk-era-on-may-2027-with-new-figures/” title=”Legend of Zelda Officially Returns To TOTK Era On May 2027 With New Figures”>officially time to unveil the video game that I’m the founder of.

Without further ado, let’s get into it.

As many of you know, I just graduated from the number one public HBCU, North Carolina A&T State University, and I want to create a video game based off the HBCU experience.

That is why I created the video game The Yard.

The Yard takes place at a fictional HBCU called MECA A&M.

Within The Yard, you’ll be able to customize your character, play as a boy or a girl, interact with people on campus, choose your major, play basketball, and much more.

We currently built a demo for the game, which is a sneak peek of what the full game will entail.

The Yard is a PC game that’ll be available on a platform called Steam in a few months.

So follow the page and stay up to date with updates coming soon.

I’m super excited for you guys to play the game.

It creates your own journey at MECA A&M.

And with that being said- This is what you’ve been waiting for I officially welcome you all to The Yard.

You ready?

So that was the trailer for those that didn’t know, or for the folks that are listening on podcast.

You know, if you wanna go see it, make sure to go over to YouTube.

So first and foremost, like, I gotta get a demo, man.

Like, you know- y- you gotta, you gotta put me I, I have a Steam Deck, so I mean, I can- Yeah I can play the game.

But also MECA A&M, so what made you come up with that HBCU name?

And can, give us a little bit of rundown about the HBCU that, that you created.

Yeah, so MECA A&M, when I think of MECA, I think of, you know, Black excellence.

I think of Howard, and I think, that was a great name.

Just, you know, adding that A&M, kinda like FAMU at the end of it, kinda makes sense of a HBCU name for a video game.

And so within the A- within The Yard we’ll have different things like, you know, people on campus that you can interact with.

All the NPCs are, you know, Black for, for the game to make that, you know, environment.

We’ll have a student center, like we have at A&T where you can go inside.

You’ll have a dorm, where you can interact with and change clothes, a barber shop.

You can drive around campus.

So we have a bunch of things to make the game feel like you’re actually, at your HBCU.

And so we’re looking to, you know, implement these things and, you know, make people feel like, “Okay, I’m back at home.”

And, you know, that’s, that’s the plan with The Yard.

I love that.

So when I was just, like, looking at both the video and also just preparing for the interview, and also when we spoke earlier, in July, the first thing I thought about- Was like The Sims.

That was the first thing that I thought about Yeah So is that an accurate comparison to, to what The Yard is?

I would say you could say The Sims, Roblox, but what I think of is, like, an old school game named Bully.

I’m not sure if you heard of Bully before.

Yeah, exactly.

Exactly.

Yeah.

I’ve, I’ve, I love Bully.

Right.

I’m waiting for Bully 2 to finally come out.

Right.

Yes, yes.

This is, this is Bully 2, but a HBCU experience.

You know what I’m saying?

So that’s kinda what I wanted to, resemble with.

Of course, we’ll have different, you know, storylines of course, and, you know, different, actions taken within the game.

But, I would say Bully is what the game mostly, you know, resonates with.

So I got questions now ’cause I played Bully.

All right?

And, and I got, I gotta tell this story real quick.

Yeah.

So I played Bully, I got it for Christmas, because Christmas is my birthday.

I got it for Christmas.

Mm-hmm.

And I was playing the game, and my parents took the game because they thought it was changing my personality.

Yeah.

So they hid it from me, and they, and they sent it back to GameStop.

I waited for years until I was a senior in high school- Yeah and I had to buy the game myself ’cause they couldn’t do nothing then.

I was, I was in high school, and I had to go back and buy the game myself from, from the GameStop in East Macon.

So, yes- Yeah I know a lot about Bully.

So when it comes to Bully, and I, and I’m glad you said that because it, it puts me in the frame of, like, questions that I definitely wanna ask.

‘Cause the first question I had, especially after I saw Grand Theft Auto VI, the extended trailer that they released on Netflix, is you have Jason and you have Lucia.

Mm-hmm.

And, like, Jason and Lucia, they talk.

Yeah.

So, like, one of the things that people have been talking about fervently is that Jason gotta, like, sort of court Lucia, make sure Lucia’s good, and Lucia- Yeah the same thing for Jason to make- Yeah sure like everything’s all good.

You gotta answer them text messages.

If you don’t answer them, Lucia gonna be mad.

Jason gonna be like, “Are you roasting me?”

So is it gonna be the same way on The Yard?

Because you know how it is with HBCUs and, and couples- Yeah and all the different stuff.

So is it gonna be like that on The Yard?

That’s definitely a thought.

The main thing we wanna focus on is, you know, creating your own journey.

That’s kinda what I picture, you know, when I think of That’s what I think of when I think of HBCUs is, you know, create your own journey.

Everyone’s journey is different.

Everyone’s unique.

On campus, everyone is different.

So the plan is to, you know, allow people to create their own character, create their own journey within that storyline.

The storyline that we create, the, decisions that you make within the game will affect the outcome of the game, so everyone’s, you know, journey will be different.

And, you know, we’re still cooking up the storyline, still making, you know, what we Still d- thinking about what we wanna put in the final game.

But that’s the plan that we’re, that we’re going towards.

Man, i- i- if you put relationships in there, man, listen- Yeah I’m, I’ma find the love of my life- I didn’t, I didn’t find in college.

I swear to God, like I’ma, I’ma, I’ma find her.

I’ma find her.

Like, my That’s the first thing I’ma do.

I’ma, I’ma, I’ma move in and I’m, I’m, I’ma find her.

Like, you know- Yeah I’m gonna wait till I’m a sophomore though.

I’m, I’m not even gonna wait till I’m a sophomore.

They gotta take me more seriously.

But, like, so Bully, another thing about Bully is, like, you have the campus.

So you have the campus of Bullworth Academy, and you’re a- Yeah and you’re able to, to interact with of course the different characters.

Of course, like in, in Bully, you’re bullying people, so it’s like- Right, right that, that’s the thing that’s going.

I would assume that it’s not gonna be fights at the student center.

Or like people hitting you with wedgies.

That’s not gonna happen, correct?

Nah, that’s correct for sure.

Definitely not gonna happen.

Okay.

So I just wanted ‘Cause that, ’cause that was a part of Bully too, stealing bikes and stuff like that, running from the prefects.

So- Yeah when it comes down to it, so are we gonna see the broader city that Mecca A&M is in?

Because in Bully, after you get past that first chapter, you fight Russell, and you beat up Russell.

Yeah.

Russell becomes your friend.

So now you’re able to, to, to experience the city that Bullworth Academy is in.

Yeah.

It’s not necessarily a huge city, but it’s different stores, it’s adults, you have curfew, people are driving cars.

So, like, are we gonna be able to see, like, the broader city- Yeah that Mecca A&M is in?

Yeah.

So for the, for the demo exactly you guys will see mainly just the campus.

You guys will have, you know, the stuff that I talked about with the barber shop, the basketball gym, the student hall of course.

So for the demo you guys will see only the campus, but with the full game we plan to expand to a larger city where you can explore, do different things, and just explore the town.

I think that’s, you know, what people wanna see in an open world game, so that’s what we’re looking to, you know, achieve.

Man, listen, like when, when, when I find the love of my life on Mecca A&M’s campus, we going off campus.

Take her out.

Take her out to a date.

We going on a date.

We going on a date, man.

You already know what we gotta do.

Yeah.

We gonna, we, we can’t just stay on campus.

For sure.

You know, we gonna go to the, to the student center function.

Yeah.

You know what I’m saying?

Yeah.

We gotta go off campus though.

So I love that.

So, so the storyline itself, so we know that these different games have, have storylines.

So you, so you said that there’s a storyline with the game.

So you’re still creating it.

You can’t say nothing.

You gotta be tight-lipped, discretion- Yeah what we learned in HBCUs.

For sure.

You gotta be discreet, we’ll be discreet.

Yeah.

So, like, is there any, any hints you can give us of, like, the story and what it entails?

Nothing as of now.

Still- Okay still making, you know, adjustments, and, you know, still trying to decide, like, which direction we wanna go.

But what I can say is that, it’ll be around 15 to 20 stories.

So, you guys will have multiple stories within the game, and every story will be different.

Some will be tailored towards HBCU life, some will be fictional of course, because it’s a fictional HBCU.

But, we really wanna capture that HBCU experience within the game.

So another question I have is we know that online gaming is a big thing.

And we know that folks like to have those different experiences.

And when I think about The Yard, I think about the fact that like, like you can have Mecca A&M like not just the single player mode, ’cause I do single player games, but you’re also gonna be online.

So is that a component of the game that you all are planning to do?

Yes, that is a, a big component.

I’m not sure when it will be done.

I know GTA is waiting one to two years for their online version, and we may take the, you know, same approach.

But definitely wanna add online within the game at some point, so a lot of people are gonna interact with friends and, you know, make your, make friends on campus, so to speak.

So we definitely wanna add an online version within the game, along with that story mode and that story version I love that, man.

Let, listen, I’ma jo- I’ma join SGA and we- we gonna plan the best- Yeah homecoming concert in- Yeah Meck A&M history.

Okay?

Listen, we gonna bring- SGA president, all that.

Listen, li- listen, I’m, I’ma, I’ma be there, and, and o- ours gonna be better than the FAMU’s and A&T’s.

We gon’- Right we gonna figure it out.

Y’all got money, though.

We gonna a- a- I don’t know about A&T.

I don’t know about A&T’s, but maybe FAMU for sure.

We Like, they got T- they got T.I., Summer Walker, like, like- I saw it Billy Berry.

I saw it.

So I mean, listen, like, but, but, but man, we, we gon- we gon’ bring It’s a video game, man.

I might bring Tupac back.

You know what I’m saying?

Right.

You never know.

Like, we fly, we might have Mi- Michael Jackson out.

So I, I, I love it.

So when it, when it comes to the game, you said you’re doing it on Steam right now.

Mm-hmm.

So I know for a lot of people, PC gaming, like, PC gaming, it, it goes crazy because you got the mods- Yeah the different stuff you can do.

Like, you can upscale, like, you know, the images and stuff in videos, um- Yeah when, when it comes to the graphics and stuff like that.

So, one thing for me that I was thinking about is, like, I wanna see it on a console.

Like, I wanna, like, boot up my Xbox Series X and, like, play it, and then I know PlayStation 5.

Like, I can see people on campus, like, playing it, ’cause I know at Fort Valley we would have, like, the different, and you know, get-togethers and functions that are in the student center.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And campus life had, I think, an Xbox.

I think it was Xbox One, ’cause w- that was, the Xbox X Series S came out after I got out of college.

So we had the Xbox One, and then I remember, like, we, I’d walk in there, they had all the stuff set up, and you had, like, the big screen, and folks, like, are playing, like, 2K- Mm-hmm and Madden and stuff like that.

So I can see something similar be- being with The Yard.

So, like, is that something you’re looking at in the future to port it to the Xbox, to PlayStation, to, to, to the, the Switch?

Like, are you planning to do that in the future?

Yes, definitely.

The demo will be, you know, on Steam, but the full game we wanna release on, you know, console, PC.

A lot of people, you know, play it on their gaming systems.

We have a lot of plans, honestly, like you said, with the, you know, playing at your HBCU.

We have a esports gaming room at A&T.

I wanna definitely, you know, bring The Yard to that, that space, but also do pop-ups on campus to allow people to play the game.

We just have a lot of plans in store.

I’m super excited about the plans that we have.

But, it’s, it’s gon’ be crazy when it all come, when it all comes together, for sure.

Man, I’m, I’m excited.

I just wanna say, don’t forget about Fort Valley, okay?

I, I need you to bring that there.

My brother’s down there, you know what I’m saying?

I got you.

My brother can, can, can host a Yard, a, a, a Yard situation.

We can play 2K, ’cause he- Oh, yeah ’cause he, he good, he good at 2K.

I be beating him.

He beat me the last time we played- 2K26, but I be beating him, okay?

He shoots too many three-pointers.

I, I play on the inside, I play old school, okay?

What’s your favorite team?

My favorite te- Hawks- Hawks, okay but also 76ers, because LeBron- Oh has come back to, to Philly.

The 76- the 76ers- Yeah were my first favorite team because my favorite player is Allen Iverson.

Okay.

So that was my first favorite team, so you know.

Okay.

I, we, we be playing and, and I, I, I be, I be When, he’s good, though.

Like, I be having- Yeah to really hold on.

But, like, he’s really good, so, like, we, man, don’t forget about Fort Valley, and also- I got you the smaller HBCUs, because I know that- Yeah like, back, this is probably, like, you know, ’08, ’09, they, they had the Black College Football Experience game.

And, you know, they had- Yeah like, you know, all the different HBCUs that were in it.

Mm-hmm.

And all the older alumni, from the 2000s.

I know saying older alumni in the 2000s makes them feel old, but I’m sorry.

That’s all right.

But, like, you know, the older alumni from the 2000s, like, they talked about how they had the game truck that came on campus and they were playing the Black College Football Experience, and that’s still available, I know, in the Xbox store.

Yeah.

You know?

I was a- I was able to play it.

It had its issues at that time, but I think it was a very forward-thinking idea because HBCUs were s- were starting to be not represented in the NCAA games of that time.

Yeah.

So I definitely see the vision for what you’re trying to do.

And you say there’s a story.

We can’t talk about the story.

We gotta have discretions, okay?

Always.

So when it, when it comes to The Yard, is it a one-time release that you’ll update as time goes on, or it’s like The Yard 2, The Yard: San Andreas?

Like, the, like, is it gon’ be like, you know, different versions of The Yard, like, that, that’ll come in the future?

Yeah, we gon’ make this something, something big.

Definitely, you know, gon’ drop the full game, get feedback from there, learn what we can improve upon, in The Yard 2.

But I plan to make this, like, a whole, you know, whole thing going forward.

Hopefully we can drop every year like 2K and Madden does, but, this is just a start of something special.

It’s just the beginning.

The demo is a, a precursor of what’s to come and, we’ll use the demo to, you know, gain that feedback and see what we can improve for the full game, what people like, what people don’t like, and then, you know, make the adjustments and, and drop that full game.

I love that.

And, you know, one thing I wanna go back to in your graduation video that, like, in your graduation video you had, like, stacks of money, okay?

Yeah, I did.

It was stacks of money that was around, and I’m pretty sure it was real.

Yeah.

Okay?

‘Cause, like, your, your, your family- No, for sure I, and I know they got it, and I, so you, you got it.

You know, y’all was in Italy.

For sure.

So, like, like, you know, you ain’t, you can’t be broke going to Italy, especially not right now.

Yeah.

So the whole entire thing is that, like, I know that, like, this can be very lucrative, and because no one’s done this before.

Never.

I mean, we’ve had an HBCU game in the Black College Football Experience, but that was sports, and this sort of encompasses the, the culture side.

So I can see this being a very lucrative idea.

So is that sorta, like, what, what you’re looking for?

Are you looking to become a video game developer and then after The Yard you go on to do other games?

Like, so what, what is the future in that regard?

Yeah, I got some ideas for, you know, a next game.

But right now we’re focused on The Yard.

With The Yard, we’ll make, like, a whole gaming studio.

That is my plan moving forward, you know, to take The Yard and expand it and, you know, make it, like, one of the biggest games in the gaming industry.

I think for myself, I have a lot of expectations and a lot of, things that I wanna do with this game.

So we’re looking to use The Yard for, you know, a platform to make, you know, our, my own gaming studio, and I think that this is one of those games that would be great in the gaming industry.

Like you said, a game that people haven’t seen before, that really- puts HBCUs on a platform that people haven’t seen, and I think that would be a, you know, a great thing for, you know, the HBCU community, but also the gaming industry as well.

Yeah, and I think the growth of esports is huge too, because that can be something, like you said, you have the esports room at North Carolina A&T, and, you know, there’s a, a lot, a lot of institutions that are starting to have esports as a major.

Right.

Even esports teams.

You know, EA does, during the Super Bowl- Right they’ll bring HBCU students up to play in a championship, and they win real prizes.

So, and that- Yes and Nor- and Go- North A- A&T won that on o- one of those years.

Mm-hmm.

So, like, I, I definitely can see the future when it comes to that.

And I wanna ask you this as sort of to close out the interview before we get to, like, you know, all the stuff to, you know, to let people know what, what you got going on.

Mm-hmm.

But what is, what is your favorite video game, and why?

You know, me personally just being born in 2004- Mm-hmm I would say Grand Theft Auto.

I’m a big GTA fan.

That’s kind of what sparked me wanting to create an open world game, and kinda where I got some inspiration from.

I think GTA V is one of those games that is just a great game overall.

And, you know, I think Rockstar’s done a great job with the games that they produced.

I’m super excited about GTA VI, so we’ll see what, what that has to, you know, entail, but, GTA V for me is just one of the craziest games of all time.

I feel that.

You said GTA V, so ’cause I, I was gonna, I was gonna ask you that, and I, I wanna a- ask you the follow-up still just so we can get it on the record.

I’m not a Crosby kid- Yeah but now I got a, I got a Mas Kanwar for Fort Valley.

Yeah.

So I gotta ask the follow-up, okay?

So you s- you said GTA V, but, like- Yeah is that your favorite?

Like, which one is, like, your favorite?

Like, give me, like, at least your top two.

Like, which one’s, like, you know, you really rocking with?

I’ve only played GTA V, ’cause just- Okay you know, I with, you know, my parents and everything with how it is.

Gotcha.

But gonna shout out my parents, they watching right now.

But, um- Mm-hmm GTA V is just one of those great games.

I just, I really enjoyed it from start to finish.

What, what did you like about, about GTA V?

‘Cause I know for me, I, ’cause my parents were the same way, so- Mm-hmm I got bullied, but I, I still can get GTA V, so I- so I got, I got grown.

Um- Yeah ’cause, ’cause I wasn’t playing, like, games like that in college, which I sort of regret.

I stopped after my freshman year.

Mm-hmm.

But, like, one thing I liked about GTA V, I, the, the, a lot of, like, the characters, a lot of the main characters, like, I didn’t like it being so many characters.

I li- I rock with Franklin.

Michael and Trevor’s story was, was interesting.

But I did like the mechanics and how it improved from GTA San Andreas to, you know, the PSP games and GTA IV.

But, like, you know, the gameplay was very snappy.

Like, you know, you had the gunplay- Yeah you had the fighting.

It was really snappy- Yeah and it made it a game that was redeemable.

Mm-hmm.

And Rockstar made Max Payne, and Max Payne 3- Right is one of the best games ever because of those shooting mechanics.

Mm-hmm.

So, like, you know, as, as, as someone that is way more knowledgeable than me when it comes to the technical side of the game, like, what, what, what did you really like about, about GTA V that you might have taken, you know, it with you as you create, you know, your gaming universe?

I think, you know, now that I’ve made my own game, one of the craziest things that I’ve seen is just how their storyline comes together.

How they, you know, how it goes from, you know, a black fade scene to, you know, great interactions.

That’s just, like, crazy just, you know, speaking out loud.

Like, the things that they did within that game and, you know, the movement and everything, it was just great.

And I think that we’re taking some of that same, you know, movement and, you know, same type of controls and putting that within our own game, within The Yard.

So, I think for me, you know, playing the game, it was always kinda, like, smooth to play, and that’s one thing I wanted to capture in The Yard.

Like, having that smooth gameplay and allowing people to, you know, free roam is, is, is cool.

Like, people can do what they want.

But that was one of the things that I wanted to, you know, put with- put withinside, put withinside The Yard.

Okay, I gotta ask this too ’cause I just thought about this.

So you, so you, so you, you finished the, the, the, the solo, the solo story mode, right?

You finished it with GTA?

Oh, for sure.

Okay.

For sure.

So, you know what I’m about, you know kind of what I’m about to ask.

Okay.

So you get to the end, and Buddy comes to Franklin’s house.

Oh, yeah.

And he said, “You gotta do this.”

And then I think his girlfriend come over.

So, like, what, and ’cause for me, I, I didn’t realize that you had three options.

I thought it was like- Yeah mm-mm, Michael- Yeah mm-mm, Trevor.

Right.

I chose Trevor, ’cause Trevor- Yeah was getting on my nerves.

Yeah.

Because Trevor was, like, going, acting crazy, so we, we, we, we got Trevor, okay?

Yeah.

We got I, I felt bad about it when I found out there was a third option.

We got Trevor, but I had to save, and I did the third option.

So- Yeah what, so w- when you got to that mode or that, that mission and, and that choice, what’s the choice you made?

Did you make the third choice?

Did you pick one of the other two choices?

It was definitely tough, but I chose Michael.

I, I feel like Trevor was a, was a good guy, misunderstood, but I think, you know, Michael had a lot of issues within his family life and everything.

But I, I chose, I chose, I chose Michael.

That was, that was my decision.

I feel.

Now granted, Mi- Michael was sort of a snake.

‘Cause Mi- Michael did lie.

I’m telling you.

I’m telling you.

He was, he was sort of a snake.

And but the funny thing about it is that we, when, when, when you get Michael, Trevor done with you now.

Yeah.

Tre- Trevor gonna come- Right but he like- Yeah “Don’t, don’t ever call me again.”

So I’m like, that’s like, that’s cra- and, and, like, the third, when you, like when I played the third, ’cause I, I finished it, and I think that was 2021, like, right after I, I got my Xbox Series S. Yeah.

And, like, that third mission was, was crazy just how they all, it all- Yeah came together, and, like, the banter between Michael and Trevor was crazy.

Yeah.

So like, I, I d- I definitely see the vision.

And like I said, like, I, I really do this.

Like, I really be gaming.

You know what I mean?

I don’t create the games, but I create the moments- Yeah in the game, you feel?

So listen, I, I’m very excited about this opportunity, ’cause I think that when we look at different moments in HBCU history, like, we think about moments that impacted, HBCU enrollment.

We have Different World.

Like, Different World has a sequel series coming out.

Right.

And that impacted enrollment for college and for HBCUs.

Right.

College Hill and Drumline, you know?

You- Yeah you have those two vehicles that in the 2000s really sparked enrollment.

And we’re in a streaming era.

Twitch is a thing.

You know- Yeah video games are a thing.

Especially- Yeah when we’re talking about porting this game, and also PC gaming as well.

This could very well for a lot of people that are interface with the Casa Nats and the Speeds and the folks playing the games- Exactly this could sort of be that next level, and that really could be something to add to the legacy of HBCUs, and especially as HBCUs build these esport programs.

So I’m, I’m- Exactly super excited for just what you have going on a- and what you’re building.

And the last thing I wanna ask before we go is where can we find you on social media, and how can we support this game?

And do you have any more information about The Yard?

Yeah, for myself, my Instagram is jordanwall.two, and then for The Yard, Instagram, it’s theyardofficialgame.

We’re also on TikTok as well.

But as far as The Yard goes, I’m just super excited for you guys to play the game.

We’re working very hard on it, you know, very diligently every single day.

It’s been a grind, for the past eight months, I would say.

So, we’ll be dropping, I can’t give exact date, but Black History Month is what we wanna target, you know, to, you know, bring in that HBCU experience and bring in Black History Month.

So that’s our target and what we’re aiming for.

So February 2027, The Yard will be dropping on Steam.

You guys will be able to play it, and that’s the demo, just the beginning.

Just getting started, but I’m excited for you guys to play the game and create your own journey.

And with that being said, you know, welcome to The Yard.

I love it, I love it.

And, and your family’s in here.

Like, they, they, they on YouTube.

Yeah.

Let’s go.

Great work, Jordan.

Yeah, yeah.

Shout out to your other family members who are watching.

They’re so proud of you.

So you’re making your family proud.

Yeah.

You’re making A&T proud.

You’re making me proud, okay?

Yes, sir.

I appreciate it.

You deserve it.

I’m ready to play the game.

You know what I’m saying?

So let’s make it happen.

I’m super excited for you, and what I’ma do is I wanna play the trailer again.

I’ma play your graduation video again, ’cause it was fire.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Okay?

And then we’re gonna go in and get, and get up out of here, Jordan.

Thank you so much for coming on.

Yes, sir, man, appreciate it.

All right, guys, we’re back, and this time it’s officially time to unveil the video game that I’m the founder of.

Without further ado, let’s get into it.

As many of you know, I just graduated from the number one public HBCU, North Carolina A&T State University, and I want to create a video game based off the HBCU experience.

That is why I created the video game The Yard.

The Yard takes place at a fictional HBCU called Mecca A&M.

Within The Yard, you’ll be able to customize your character, play as a boy or girl, interact with people on campus, choose your major, play basketball, and much more.

We currently built a demo for the game, which is a sneak peek of what the full game will entail.

The Yard is a PC game that’ll be available on a platform called Steam in a few months.

So follow the page and stay up to date with updates coming soon.

I’m super excited for you guys to play the game and create your own journey at Mecca A&M, and with that being said- This what you’ve been waiting for?

I officially welcome you all to The Yard.

You ready?

Like what you hear?

Yeah.

Also, head to hbcupulse.com to stay up to date on what’s going on in the HBCU community.

Thank you for listening to HBCU Pulse Radio.

• Jordan Wall talks North Carolina A&T experience, creating the first HBCU open-world video gameJordan Wall talks North Carolina A&T experience, creating the first HBCU open-world video game
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