Next, he saw Nintendo’s combination of music, art, action and story. He started to understand the full possibilities of video game design — and started thinking of a future career.

“Back then, saying you wanted to design video games was like saying you wanted to be a surfer when you grew up,” Raithel, studio director for Graphite Lab in St. Louis, told a group of students and community members gathered for a recent Missouri State master class.

“Even now when I tell people that’s what I do, they say, ‘Oh, that’s cute.’ ”

Games include Play-Doh, My Little Pony and more

Raithel has had an impressive career in game development since graduating in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in electronic arts.

After college, he was one of eight original employees at Black Lantern Studios, a Springfield-based game development company that has had continued success since 2004. In the beginning, Black Lantern developed an industry reputation for being fast. Nickelodeon approached them in 2006 about quickly creating a “Dora the Explorer” game — among the fastest builds ever heard of in the industry. They pulled it off, and that brought them into the niche market of early childhood games.

Raithel has worked on more than 50 titles, and his company has grown to include more than 50 professionals.

He has worked with companies including Disney, Nickelodeon and Hasbro, producing educational games and apps such as “Play-Doh Create ABCs.”

When Raithel, a St. Charles native, moved back to the St. Louis area in 2009, he opened Graphite Lab under the Black Lantern umbrella. Recently, he helped develop the mobile game app “My Little Pony: Party of One,” which reached the No. 1 ranking in 73 countries. It sold more than one million downloads the week of Aug. 3-10, 2014.

Before MSU: “The $7,500 mistake” of playing it safe

Raithel’s enthusiasm for gaming tempered in high school, when teachers encouraged a “more sensible” route. But a year into studying computer science at a different college, he knew it was not his path.

“I call it ‘the $7,500 mistake,’ but it was an important lesson,” he said. It taught him to trust his gut … and his girlfriend, Jennie. Now his wife, and mother to their three daughters, she encouraged him to explore his original interest in game development with Missouri State’s electronic arts program.

“Follow that passion early and exhaust yourself! Don’t sleep through it, man. Try lots of things and take risks when you’re young.”