SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Lawrence Technological University will host its annual games, esports and anime expo, LTUX, on Saturday, April 4, from noon to 8 p.m. at its Southfield campus.
The campuswide event showcases original games by LTU game design and game software development students and alumni, as well as games by other local indie developers. Attendees will have the opportunity to demo new titles, speak with creators and explore careers in the gaming industry. The event also features a Super Smash Bros gaming tournament, hosted by LTU Esports director Benjamin Sobczyk, and a vendor marketplace.
Highlights this year include the return of Psychic Drive, a Detroit-based rental arcade founded by LTU alumni, and a tabletop miniature “paint and take” with Lucky 1’s Wargaming. The event will also feature a cosplay competition hosted by veteran cosplayer AMHCosplays, with awards for winners and runners-up in the Novice and Advanced divisions, as well as Best in Show, Judge’s Choice, and Host’s Choice awards.
In connection with LTUX, the children’s fundraiser Extra Life will host a charity livestream on Twitch the following weekend to benefit Corewell Health Children’s and raise funds for pediatric medical care.
Jose Gonzalez-Belmonte, assistant professor of computer science at LTU and one of LTUX’s longtime faculty coordinators, emphasized expanding participation this year from vendors and local small businesses. “We have a lot of new vendors we’re excited to see at LTUX,” he said. “We are also featuring a new food truck, Sober Eats.”
Sober Eats will join LTUX’s roster of food vendors, including Papelon Arepa Bar and Bubble Bee Tea.
For students like Katherine Tackett, a game software development major at LTU and CEO of indie startup Daedalus Studios, the event is a highlight of the year.
“LTUX is a great place to meet new people and see what others are creating,” she said. “From a development perspective, we get all kinds of playtesters who help us pinpoint the peskiest bugs.”
In her fourth year participating in the LTUX games showcase, Tackett will present Moorage, a first-person 3D fishing game scheduled for release on Steam later this year.
LTUX is organized by alumni, faculty and students from LTU’s College of Architecture and Design and College of Arts and Sciences. Admission is free and open to the public.
Activities will take place at 21000 W. 10 Mile Road in Southfield, primarily in the Architecture Building and the Buell Building (buildings 4 and 5 on LTU’s campus map). Guests are advised to park in lots A and G, with overflow parking in lots D and C.
For additional information about LTUX, visit the LTUX website or contact LTUX organizers at coordinator@ltuexpo.com or Gonzalez-Belmonte at jgonzale5@ltu.edu.
Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932 and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 10 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News & World Report lists it in the top tier of the best Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.