Gamer Camp: Biz, MSc in Video Game Enterprise and Production
- Dates:
- 24th Sep 2012 - 30th Aug 2013
Overview
This course is subject to validation in April 2012.
Gamer Camp: Biz is a year-long masters level course for the next generation of games industry entrepreneurs.
The games industry is full of project managers, entrepreneurs and associate producers, who all need serious managerial and business know-how to lead a game production to completion, be it a 79p iOS app or a £30m AAA console release.
Although these people will not be coding or designing art assets on a daily basis, it is vital that they have a comprehensive and realistic understanding of the game development process, and how all the disparate elements operate and come together to produce the polished game you see on the shelf.
On Gamer Camp: Biz, we give people who want to work in games, an in-depth experience of the full game development process combined with all the hard-edged business skills they need to run a small games business or manage a studio production. Gamer Camp: Biz is suitable for both those in the games industry and graduates with an appropriate degree who are keen to strike out on their own.
This very practical approach is mirrored by Facebook, when new a new staff member starts at Facebook they go through a “Bootcamp” to ensure they understand the code base and how the programming team works.
“To make sure all our engineers share this approach, we require all new engineers — even managers whose primary job will not be to write code — to go through a program called Bootcamp where they learn our codebase, our tools and our approach. There are a lot of folks in the industry who manage engineers and don't want to code themselves, but the type of hands-on people we're looking for are willing and able to go through Bootcamp." – Mark Zuckerberg.
We believe an understanding of how games are made will help you build a successful game development company. We'll show you how games are developed, designed, produced, commissioned, concieved and sold - prepare to get stuck in and get your hands dirty because Gamer Camp is a hands-on experience.
Key Facts
Consider Gamer Camp: Biz as the year you start your video games business.
On Gamer Camp: Biz you'll get specialist skills training, mentoring and support from leading game developers, artists, producers and business owners.
The course is delivered in a series of boot-camps followed by one-to-one support, studio based game development and project delivery. Most teaching sessions can be attended in person or as online sessions making the course more accessible for those currently in employment or those are aren’t able to base themselves in Birmingham, UK for a year.
Aspiring games video game entrepreneurs can apply for a place (please select: Video Gamer Enterprise and Production (Gamer Camp Biz) Msc from the drop down list) on Gamer Camp: Biz where you'll experience making a game in a development team and in so doing learn and understand the roles and function programmers, artist and designers play in the games development process.
Gamer Camp: Biz builds upon the technical and creative skills that underpin games development teaching you how games development teams are managed and how complex processes, ideas and personalities can combine to create a successful games product. The course will also show you how to set up in business and explain the business models available to generate income from games
- Understand and experience game development roles (programming, art & design)
- Recreates a game development studio environment in NTI Birmingham's facilities
- Real qualifications, with an MSc in Video Game Enterprise and Production
- Opportunity to set up your business whilst on the course or work at a partner company
- A Gamer Camp course. Gamer Camp has been recognised as one of the top games courses in the UK, highlighted in the Livingstone-Hope Next-Gen report and Gamer Camp are part of the Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Academic Advisory Board.
Course Dates: 24th September 2012 to 27th July 2013, 23rd September 2013 to 26th July 2014.
Course Structure
Gamer Camp: Biz takes place over the course of 12 months and is divided into three sections:
PG Certificate: Game development simulation
PG Diploma: Game production and delivery, game business models and business start-up
Masters: Placement
For the first two modules (September to December) you will be based in an development studio environment working on a live game development brief in teams. You can either work based at the NTI Birmingham or you can work in remote development teams.
After the initial development experience you will start to examine how your business will make games, what type of games you'll make, for what platform and/or devices and crucially how you'll make money from the game products your business develops. This phase of the course takes place from January to May
The final module runs May to August and is a placement. During this module you will experience a live game development process, there are three options. You will either be based within the development team on Gamer Camp: Pro working on a project for a partner organisation (in 2012 Gamer Camp: Pro students worked on a new game concept for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) or you’ll take a placement at a partner games studio or you can start your own company while you are on the course and receive support during your first 4 months.
The course will be delivered in “Boot-camp Style” with intensive teaching blocks lasting between 1 and 4 weeks in duration followed by assignments with planned review points for support and guidance.
Assignments will be a mixture of team and individual work.
The course can be taken either as standard, block release with studio environment based at NTI Birmingham, or completely flexibly and remotely.
Key members of the staff delivery team are Guy Wilday and Oliver Williams please see team pages on this website for more information.
Modules
| Module |
Dates |
| Indie Game Development Code and Art |
24th September to 13th October 2012
|
Practical Game Design
|
24th September to 13th October 2012
|
| Video Game Production |
9th January to 28th February 2012
|
| Video Game Business and Start-up |
11th March to 23rd May 2012
|
| Video Game Professional Enterprise and Production Practice |
28th May to 30th August 2012
|
Employment Opportunities
The Gamer Camp courses have been designed by some of the UK's most successful games companies to completely prepare an individual for working in a development studio through simulating a development team project from start to finish.
Gamer Camp: Biz has been designed to help the next generation of game business leaders to succeed in the dynamic and exciting field of games.
The main focus of the course is setting up in busines, however employment within the games industry is also an option, successful students will be prepared for roles as project managers and assistant producers within the games industry
Entry Requirements
Minimum requirements:
- Degree
- Passion for games
- Confidence to run a business
- Comfortable user of Windows or Mac OS applications
Desired, but not essential:
- Experience of web or software coding (HTML, Java, C, C++, C#)
- Experience of art asset creation using Adobe Creative Suite, Maya, 3DS Max or ZBrush
- Game development experience
- Degree related to games, programming, art, business, management, marketing, law, economics or design.
In addition to the above, international (non-EU) students also require:
- English – IELTS 6.0 (no less than 5.5 in any bands)
Application Details
Applications can be made using the online application form. (please select: Video Games Enterprise and Production (Gamer Camp: Biz) Msc from the drop down list).
We strongly urge potential applicants to apply early to avoid disappointment, as we interview applicants on a fortnightly basis and offer places throughout the year. However, the final deadline for applications to Gamer Camp: Biz 2012 is currently Friday 27th July 2012 for UK & EU students and Friday 6th July 2012 for overseas students.
For general information about applying to study at Birmingham City University, please refer to the Making your Application section.
Enquiries
Unsure whether to take the plunge, or have a question about Gamer Camp? Simply email oliver@gamercamp.co.uk, call 0121 202 4816 or speak to us on Twitter.
Fees Notes
Fees are paid upon acceptance onto the course.
Fees can be paid in installments or up front, £1000 must be paid on enrolment, which takes place on the first day of the course
Course fees can be supported by a career development loan, please see the loans sections of this website
Further Information
More information can be found on GamerCamp.co.uk, via the Facebook page or Twitter feed.
Check out the Gamer Camp website for details about the Gamer Camp mentors, options for funding your course and nearby accommodation.