Video games are big business these days but according to the Livingstone-Hope review published today, many developers are finding games graduates still have a way to go before they can be let loose on a live project.
With this in mind, Gamer Camp (www.GamerCamp.co.uk) – a highly practical, industry-backed, finishing school for gamemakers from Birmingham City University, has launched three new training schemes based in the bustling city; Nano, Mini and Pro.
“Each Gamer Camp scheme runs over full-time hours in a fantastic studio complex in Birmingham city centre. We provide quality, intensive training for budding games artists and programmers to help launch their careers in the games industry,”” says course mentor and former Head of Studio at Codemasters Guy Wilday (Colin McRae Rally, SEGA Rally).
“Gamer Camp has been shaped from the ground up by major developers to ensure students are equipped with the techniques, skills and experience that studios demand, but don’t often see, in new recruits.
“”Viewed by many as best practice, a major development period compliments the training sessions; recreating a working studio environment within NTI Birmingham’s impressive facilities. In project teams, students are set a brief and mentored by the likes of Blitz, Codemasters, Freestyle or Rare to produce a working game that will then be published via a platform’s online store.
The shortest of the sessions, Gamer Camp Nano, runs for 1 month from 4th to 29th July, and costs £499.00 per person, as up to 8 programmers and 4 artists or animators create games for a smartphone platform.
Gamer Camp Mini, the intermediate version of the course, lasts 3 months from 20th June to 22nd August 2011 and costs each participant £1,499.00. Mini focuses on handheld gaming, with students using more advanced development hardware to create a game for the PSPGo.
Gamer Camp Pro students, meanwhile, will be awarded with an MA in Video Games Development from Birmingham City University for completing the 9 month course starting in September 2011, and developing a game for the PlayStation 3 using the latest PlayStationMove technology. Gamer Camp Pro will cost EU students £8,000 and non-EU students £10,050.
Applications for each course can be made online via www.GamerCamp.co.uk. Payment is made upon acceptance onto a course, all of which are subject to an interview.
NTI Birmingham (www.ntibirmingham.co.uk), a software training centre and design studio is part of Birmingham City University, hosts each Gamer Camp course in its city centre facility.
ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS –
Gamer Camp was run for the first time in 2009, with Gamer Camp Nano running the first time in November 2010. – For all press enquiries, including comments from course mentors or to arrange filming during the course, please contact David Allen on 0121 202 4816 or david.luke.allen@bcu.ac.uk.