29 April 2013 Last updated at 19:14 ET

Lateef Martin never thought he would design a video game, but the rising popularity of the mobile platform changed his prospects.

Designers no longer need to work for the major game companies to distribute their material. The independence offers designers more creative control – indispensible for Martin, the co-founder and creative director of Miscellaneum Studios.

Martin says he has long been concerned about the lack of black and minority video game designers – and characters. Consequently, Martin says, young video game enthusiasts who are black may not see game design as a viable career path.

He hopes to change that at Execution Labs in Montreal, a space where independent game designers gather to grow their ideas.

Produced by the BBC’s Kate Dailey and David Botti