News
27 October 2008I love games proves a hit
AROUND 100 schoolchildren and sixth-form students from the North East of England will find out what life would be like working in the world of videogames development this week as part of an initiative to sow the seeds for the next generation of talented game makers in the region.
During Codeworks GameHorizon’s I Love Games on 29 October at Northumbria University, a group of 14-18-year-olds will hear about life in the games industry directly from some of the world’s leading developers – the makers of chart-toppers such as The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, the Driver series, and Big Mutha Truckers.
The event will include employer presentations from Eutechnyx, Ubisoft Reflections and Mere Mortals, as well as three workshops during which the students will find out about how a videogame is made, and the pros and cons of working in the industry. The workshops will give them the chance to try their hand at designing and programming their own games.
The students who have signed up from a number of schools and sixth-form colleges throughout Tyneside.
Sean Storey, a designer at Ubisoft Reflections, says: “Events like I Love games provide the chance for people that are enthusiastic and passionate about videogames and the games industry to come in direct contact with industry professionals. This in turn gives the enthusiasts a realistic view on how to enter the industry and above all it paints a picture of what the industry is looking for in potential candidates.
“More and more games courses are set up by colleges and universities all over the world, sadly only a select few of these provide students with skills that are useful in game development, events like I love games help people make the right choices to achieve the goal of becoming an industry professional.”
GameHorizon is the leading business network for UK games companies: developers, publishers, middleware firms and other service providers. It works to facilitate more collaboration, improve knowledge and increase local and international trade for its members. This is the third event the organisation has run in the hugely popular I Love Games series.
Carri Cunliffe, head of sector development at of Codeworks, said: “The videogames industry is one of the UK’s most important creative exports, yet it is currently suffering from a significant skills shortage. Many students would love to work in the games industry, but they don’t know how to do it, and they often don’t find out what subjects they’ll need qualifications in until its too late. Few realise, for example, that they’ll need qualifications in mathematics to succeed in many roles within the industry.
“Through our I Love Games events, the companies who make the games are able to tell students exactly what they need to do to get a job in the industry – and to show them the realities of working in it, as well as the fun they can have.”
Voice of the sector
“It's great to see what Codeworks has been able to achieve in terms of urban regeneration, enveloped in this environment of creativity - it really is amazing.”
Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class
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