HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — After years of service, structure, and solving tech problems in the Marine Corps and on Capitol Hill, Willie Blount is now solving a very different challenge: how to bring fun to neighborhoods all over Maryland.
Blount is the founder of Next Level Gaming, a high-tech mobile gaming party bus built from the ground up using his expertise in IT—and a shared passion with his son, Mike.
Watch as the father-son duo explain how the gaming business works
“It looks like a mobile arcade,” Blout said, standing inside one of his customized gaming trucks. “But what you’re really seeing is military discipline, tech training, and a whole lot of father-son bonding… all packed into one bus.”
Willie Blount served in the U.S. Marine Corps starting in 1994, where he worked in aviation radar and communications. After eight years in uniform—six active, two inactive—he came out as a sergeant and went on to spend more than two decades working in IT for the U.S. Congress.
“While I was in the Corps, I started to learn some IT stuff—it was the 90s, and it just clicked with me,” he said. “That path led me to D.C., and eventually right here to this business.”
Blount describes himself as a “serial entrepreneur,” but said Next Level Gaming is the one that allowed him to fully combine his passions for gaming, technology, and family. He and Mike used to bond over long hours of Call of Duty when Mike was a kid. One day, an idea hit them—what if they could bring that experience to others?
“My IT background lets me wire things up, make things work the way they need to,” Blount said. “Once the trucks are built, I bring them back here to Maryland, wire them out, and we’re ready to roll.”
The result is a sleek, custom-designed party bus loaded with hundreds of video games, multiple monitors, laser tag setups, and sound-reactive lighting. But for the Blounts, it’s never been just about the tech.
“It started as a passion, but it turned into something we really believe in,” said Mike Blount, who now works as the mobile operations manager. “Not a lot of people can say they work with their dad, that their dad is their boss, and still love what they do every day. I’m really thankful for it.”
Willie said he sees Next Level Gaming as more than a business—it’s a platform for possibility, especially for veterans looking to transition into entrepreneurship.
“There are resources out there—especially for veterans—if you want to build something,” he said. “The first part is finding mentors, people who’ve been there. If you really see the vision, take the step. The worst thing that can happen is failure—and I see failure as a lesson.”
As a veteran-owned company, Blount hopes to inspire others to believe in their own potential, regardless of their background.
“You sign on the dotted line when you join the military, saying you’re willing to give your life for the country,” he said. “That experience taught me discipline, confidence, and drive. Now I get to use that to build something for the community—and with my son by my side, that’s the real reward.”
From birthday parties to community events, Next Level Gaming is now rolling through neighborhoods across the region, leveling up the party scene—one game at a time.
To learn more about Next Level Gaming or book the mobile experience, click here.
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