Top university pioneers collaborative, business-led approach to keep up with pace of change in tech industries
In partnership with TIGA, world-renowned top 10 global research university, University College London (UCL) is launching a new model of continuing professional development for the videogame industry, with its course The Games Quarter.
The Games Quarter is a CPD certified course of 26 evening sessions, led by experts from top UK studios, leading industry practitioners and tutors from UCL itself. The sessions will cover four key areas: 1) Business & Finance, 2) Design, Development & Production, 3) Marketing & Public Relations, 4) General industry knowledge.
What makes The Games Quarter different?
UCL believes the pace of change and level of emergent complexity in the tech industries is such that a different approach is required to effectively benefit professionals working in tech, this means:
- Sessions are led by practitioners who work at the cutting edge of their own field
- The ultimate goal is to enhance the user experience, and the effective, early use of consumer feedback is a core focus
- A diverse and holistic approach is required, in terms of students, tutors, and course topics, to help participants understand how all the pieces of running a successful tech business fit together in practice
- The course is ‘co-curated’ with all those taking part on an on-going basis, because constant improvement, updates and adjustment are required for to keep up with the industry
The Games Quarter is officially approved by the CPD Certification Service. However, rather than providing a qualification the focus is on transforming real life games businesses by providing:
- A network of peers and expert industry contacts
- A practical toolkit for dealing with the challenges individual games businesses are actually facing
- The structure, insight and planning needed to start a new games business or secure funding
- The structure, insight and planning needed to launch a new game, or enhance an existing concept
- An experience that complements and helps prepare games businesses for other types of training such as incubator and accelerator programmes
This approach has been pioneered by UCL and Mobile Monday London with The Mobile Academy programme over the past two years, and following its impact and success is now being rolled out, for the first time, for the videogame industry.
UCL has also learned that for busy tech professionals, short, regular evening sessions are most effective. As such, the first Games Quarter programme runs over eight weeks from 10th June to 29th July, every Tuesday and Thursday evening and will be held at IDEA London, 69 Wilson Street, EC2A 2BB.
Only a small number of places are available, so participants are kindly asked to register as soon as possible via http://thegamesquarter.org.uk/register.
The Games Quarter is subsidised by UCL Advances, UCL’s centre for entrepreneurship, so the course starts at just £252.65, including VAT, for start-ups & independent developers with less than five employees. Further discounts of between 10% and 20%, depending on business size, are available for TIGA members.
The course is also being part funded by the Capital Accelerator Programme, an initiative led by Capital Enterprise to support accelerators, incubators and universities such as UCL to help start-ups and small businesses in the London tech sector to accelerate their growth. Part funded by the European Regeneration Development Fund via the Mayor of London, this initiative is proud to support TIGA and UCL to discover and support the next generation of great games companies in London.
As The Games Quarter is approved by, and therefore eligible for funding by Creative Skillset, games companies can claim back up to 50% of the cost of sending staff on the course. Please note companies must apply for funding and receive confirmation of the grant prior to booking the course.
Dr Alastair Moore, IDEALondon Governing Board Member, UCL Enterprise, Senior Manager Accelerator Programmes, UCL Advances – Centre for Entrepreneurship, comments:
“We are delighted to partner with TIGA because its connections with and understanding of the UK videogame development industry are second to none.
“The video game sector is one of our most important creative industries and one where the UK provides real leadership. Due to both economic and technological drivers the videogame sector has been and continues to go through a period of unprecedented change, in both its scale and speed.
“UCL believes now is the time to apply the lessons we’ve learned from pioneering a new approach to continuing professional development in mobile, to the games industry.”
“The Games Quarter will bring together expert practitioners and a diverse community to collaborate and co-curate a learning experience that will help participants learn how to run a games business in the real world. From finance to design, and development to marketing, The Games Quarter’s uniquely holistic approach will show how all the pieces of the fast moving and complex games industry fit together.”
Dr Richard Wilson, CEO, TIGA, added:
“TIGA aims to enhance the professionalism and proficiency of the UK games industry. We want to help developers and digital publishers to be as good at running a business as they are at making games.
“We are partnering with UCL because The Games Quarter offers a new and effective model of continuing professional development for the games industry, which will encourage knowledge sharing and best practice and make a practical, commercial difference to developers and digital publishers.
“The Games Quarter will help game developers enhance both their technical and business skills by working on a real-life project that will have a significant positive impact on their business. It will also involve developers teaching developers and so promote the building of more sustainable and successful studios.”
-ends-
Notes to editors:
For testimonials and case studies for UCL’s The Mobile Academy, the continuing professional development model on which The Games Quarter is based, please contact contact Julia Shalet, course director for The Mobile Academy, via: julia@themobileacademy.org.uk
Video testimonials can also be found on The Mobile Academy’s homepage: http://themobileacademy.org.uk/
About UCL (University College London)
Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world’s top universities, as reflected by performance in a range of international rankings and tables. UCL currently has 27,000 students from almost 140 countries, and around 11,000 employees. Our annual turnover is nearly £1 billion.
About UCL Enterprise
UCL Enterprise provides UCL’s structures for engaging with business for commercial and societal benefit. In includes three units: UCL Advances, UCL Business and UCL Consultants, along with corporate and industrial partnerships. Together, they provide access to the capabilities and resources of the UCL community to help businesses start, grow and develop.
About Mobile Monday London
Mobile Monday London is the community for people involved in building and deploying mobile products and services. With over 14,000 members it has the objective of being a catalyst for mobile business and innovation.
Since 2005 it has helped members to keep abreast of continuing and ever accelerating change by staging topically themed events and by facilitating knowledge exchange among members.
Mobile Monday London provides a forum for people from all disciplines, it provides an environment where small and large businesses feel equally at home, within which fruitful partnerships form and where funding and acquisitions take place.
About TIGA
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK video game industry. We help developers and digital publishers build successful studios, network with the right people, save money and access professional business advice. We also have traditional publishers, outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership. TIGA is 90% funded by independent UK businesses. 80% of our board members are developers and/or from UK owned businesses, and 50% of our board are UK business owners themselves. Since 2010, TIGA has won 16 business awards. TIGA focuses on three sets of activities:
- Political representation
- Media representation
- Business services
This enhances the competitiveness of our members by providing benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities. It also means our members’ voices are heard in the corridors of power and positively represented in national, broadcast and UK video game trade media.
Get in touch: Tel: 0845 468 2330
Email: info@tiga.org
Web: www.tiga.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tigamovement
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TIGAMovement
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/tiga
For further information, you can also contact:
Dr. Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO on: 07875 939 643, or email: richard.wilson@tiga.org
Drew Field, TIGA Communications Director on: 07720 643 344, or email drew.field@tiga.org