UK Gaming Industry Skills Shortage

[Ian]

The BBC reports that the UK is suffering from a shortage of skilled computer games programmers. Out of the 81 degree courses, only 4 of these are accredited by Skillset (a government body which monitors these courses):

"The games developers say that they are struggling to find in the UK the kind of high-powered mathematicians and computer scientists that they need to build increasingly sophisticated products.

"We are facing a serious decline in the quality of graduates looking to enter the industry," said David Braben.

"The death of maths, physics and computer science graduates is hitting us hard."

Jamie Macdonald, of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said there was a need for Centres of Excellence which would prepare graduates to compete for jobs in the industry."

Find out more in this BBC article.

 

[Waynos_Face]

Off the top of my head i can only think of " Free Radical " as a British Games Developer/Programmer, that have made a widely distribuited/multi format/decent game (Haze).

Anymore for anymore?

Apparently they have all legged it to Canada.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080528-game-developers-flee-uk-for-canada-tax-breaks.html

 

[Ian]

I think there are still a few left, like Eidos, Codemasters and SCI... I think they are all British anyway

 

[Abarbarian]

Eidos is british .

http://corporate.sci.co.uk/

thats a flag I'm waving .

 

[Waynos_Face]

Ahhh, no wonder i forgot Eidos, must have blocked them from my memory after playing Kane & Lynch on the PS3.

 

[alan1000]

Shortage of high-powered mathematicians and computer scientists in the gaming industry? They're probably all out looking for REAL jobs.

 

[Waynos_Face]

How is it not a real job?

What is a real job?

 

[Abarbarian]

Of course being part of the gameing industry is "a proper job". Every politician worth his salt knows that if you keep the masses amused and ocupied then things will be just fine.

 

[G~MAN]

Its a hard industry because you get a lot of people think "Ohhhh game designing sounds fun" when really there is so much more to it than just designing games.

 

[Abarbarian]

Yep being a games tester must be so frustrating.

 

[tyston]

comment

Off the top of my head i can only think of " Free Radical " as a British Games Developer/Programmer, that have made a widely distribuited/multi format/decent game (Haze).

Anymore for anymore?

Apparently they have all legged it to Canada.