ABOVE PHOTO: Flying General Games will release its first title, Notoris: the Goblin War, in July.
Whether he was developing a civilization from hunter-gatherers to a medieval empire in Age of Empires or combating one-on-one in Dynasty Warriors, Steve Datz was influenced by video games from an early age.
Since he was 11 years old, he’s wanted to make a certain kind of video game – one that combined an overworld grand strategy campaign with real-time battles, where players can connect to characters in an immersive environment.
Players battle goblins in Notoris, a video game to be released by Flying General Games. 
Steve Datz, computer science senior and founder of Flying General Games.
Now a senior in the computer science program at University of Wisconsin-Stout, Datz has founded Flying General Games, an indie game development studio based in Menomonie, which focuses on developing original and unique stories within the strategy genre.
“As a Wisconsin resident, I feel the pain with most companies being on the West Coast or in Europe,” he said. “I have often wished there was an easier path forward and envision this area as a great place for a long-term studio. If I can provide that for others like me, I am going to try.” The growing business currently has a team of 19 people working remotely, looking to ship its first title, Notoris: The Goblin War, due for release in July 2022.
-Datz
“This is the first title in an intellectual property I’ve always wanted to work towards,” Datz said.
With a concentration in game design and a mathematics minor, he also serves as FGG’s designer, programmer and producer.
A video game studio in Menomonie
Datz, of Grafton, has been trying to get into the games industry on and off since 2010. He founded Flying General Games in February 2021 to “give ambitious students, alumni and freelancers an opportunity to work together on something commercial that can stand out,” he said, adding that some of the team members are from the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.
“As a Wisconsin resident, I feel the pain with most companies being on the West Coast or in Europe,” he said. “I have often wished there was an easier path forward and envision this area as a great place for a long-term studio. If I can provide that for others like me, I am going to try.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE
