“Last week might well go down as a defining moment for the games industry. The announcement by the Government that the ICT curriculum will be reorientated in favour of computer science and programming is a testament to the excellent work done by Next Gen report authors Ian Livingstone and Alex Hope and the many people and companies who have got behind the Next Gen Skills campaign.

Breaking through the many layers of Government bureaucracy and getting policy-makers to actually listen is a battle in and of itself. As Livingstone himself has already indicated, and will no doubt reiterate in the coming weeks and months, this is a momentous shift in policy but the real work starts now as industry figureheads and policy-makers come together to shape the future of the computer science curriculum in our schools.

Unlike the games industry tax debate, which is a sector specific issue, improving the relevancy of the skills we are teaching younger generations is something that affects the future of the creative industries and a large section of the workforce. Reforming the education and skills sector will not only lead to growth in the already successful UK games industry but it will equip school leavers and graduates of all disciplines with core ICT skills that will serve as a solid foundation for jobs in any sector that relies on computing and technology – be it engineering, the financial services or design. As we transition into the knowledge economy, it’s becoming a needs-must situation.

All the developers I have worked with are self-taught and cannot speak highly enough of the virtues of work placements

Convincing the Government – and in particular the previously sceptical Department of Education – to change its position on computer science education in schools is a great start to this campaign and gives the industry something to work toward. We need an adaptable education system that can provide a programme of computer science that is more capable of keeping up with the rapid pace of change in the hi-tech and gaming industries. But what about the students who are currently languishing in video games education at university?

Just a quick chat with any of the developers and designers at Neon Play confirms what most have known for quite some time; video games courses are not teaching students adequately in the skills required to get a job in the industry. One of our developers’ complaints about his computer games programming course was that they never did enough actual programming – it was only through a work placement year at a games company that he learnt programming languages that are considered games industry standards. Similarly, one of our games artists, who studied for a BA Hons in Design for Interactive Media, talks about lecturers knowing substantially less about the field of study than the students and a 3D modelling teacher, for instance, who was learning the practice himself the day before teaching each class. Hardly an education fitting of expensive tuition fees.

And what happens when students leave university? Many are faced with studios that are reluctant to take on graduates lacking in significant work place experience and, due to the overall lack of skilled graduates, the chance of finding a junior position at a games studio is decreasing. At Neon Play, we’ve had student or graduate developers interviewing for positions with really poor portfolios. Some will show us a prototype game, others have created only a YouTube video concept but if they want to work in the games sector, we would expect them to at least have made a complete game.

I hate to say it but, at this moment in time, I seriously question whether a three year university course is of any real benefit for a career in this industry. Sure, it demonstrates an ability to commit to a course of study but it’s not where most developers and designers are learning their trade. All the developers I have worked with are self-taught and cannot speak highly enough of the virtues of work placements.”

– taken from http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-01-16-higher-learning by Oli Christie

Dissertation Ideas, Video games in education

Thinking further ahead than my short essay I am looking at video gamesa and education. We have a “limited” choice of games for education at the moment, consisting of mostly simple math games or english games that hit straight to the point and are not really fun in the higher years od school. With such platforms such as Xbox, PS3 or PC being so popular nowadays I wonder if there is a way of encorporating the idea of fun gaming with the ability to learn.

Video games are part of everyday life now for most young adults and teenagers around the world, often having a group of friends online. This is because they are so immersive and exciting to play and I believe the ideas behgind them can be spread elsewhere.

The biggest idea is what computer games do to keep the interest of thier user engaged and how to adapt that into a learning enviroment. There has been many times in the poast where I could tell you in detail the lore of a world I had been playing in, but then struggled to resite all the correct dates in my history class. As much as a matter of time spend on each activity, games are just more fun and exciting, 1. allowing us to learn for a longer period without boredom hitting in. 2. Allowing us to be fully engaged and not distracted by such social networks etc.

I will certainly be posting some more aticles from other sources than just my own ideas to bolster my portfolio on this subject.

Media Specificity Lecture

The human body adapts with the problems it faces in life. It either loses and dies or survives and learns from it. This is evolution.

Just like the body evolves, so does the way we think and because of this media needs to evolve with it.

Media Specificity is makiing sure you are using the right tool for the right audience.

“An artwork, in order to be successful, needs to adhere to the specific stylistic properties of its own medium.”
“Gotthold Ephraim Lessing 1776

However with the medium being the meida some of this is limited by the acutal reader, it is simply an extension of our own perosnal physical and mental limitations.

“If we are defined by our physical and mental limitations,
by extending these we change the definition of ourselves. ”

An example of evolving can not always be a good thing in media, for example being able to store things on notes means we forget more as our memory has to remember less. In the future we might lose the skill to write from too many keyboards being used.

We extend our limitations through technology through advances. We have extended our sight with 3D, social life with internet and apps such as facebook etc.

Communication Theory Lecture

Laswell’s Maxim,

Powerpoints are seen as more difficult for people to convey their full ideas. -bullet points instead and explainging over the top is a better method.
Transmissional – Technical
Constitutive – Group understanding.

Shannon and weaver 1949 – Cybernetic theory.

3 levels of communication, Technical, semantic, effectiveness.
Learn understanding from direct experiance.
Failure in communication is a result in failure to sustain authentic human relationship.

Messerschmidt

Expressions – Cool Models.

Hermoneutic Circle
“Face” layout

Sound Lecture

Above is my notes from the sound lecture, it is a basic comprehension of how sound is used and where it is most powerful. We talked about propaganda for example China and Russia where sound is strictly used. The introduction of sound into film and how that had an effect in both propaganda and also lesuire. Why sound is important and how it effects us, as another sense it creates more immersion and combined with visual truly grabs our attention.

Comics Lecture Notes

Old Comics – wordless novels, just portrayed with pictures.
Every style of drawing has its own layer of meaning. eg realism.
5 major points of comics- Movemnet, frame, image, word, flow.

An interresting point Garry touched on was how we as artists nowdays tend to try create realistic models etc as we think that is the better side. His argument was that cartoony can be better for imagination which is true.

After invention of TV viewer used to more complex visuals – more detailed comics.
Comics and media based on current affairs. eg Superman popular in WWII.
Patriotism – Captain America.
After war heroes dipped and sci-fi and horror came in.
1960 propaganda chanegd comixs to pro capitalism.
1986- heroes return, Maus, dark knight, watchmen.
Chris Ware comics – different stucture
Art Spiegelman – Maus was based on the Nazis.

French call comixs the “ninth art”. More serious rather than comedy.
1940’s french have big american influence.
Moebius.
Fantomas real first superhero comic.