Cowman09v3

“Oh the Cowman and the
Farmer should be Friends”

This is an extended version of
the slides. Make sure you
read the notes!

Mike.Reddy@newport.ac.uk


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b__zC3nzOY0

Or… why the Games Industry and
Academics should be closer…
…but not too close!
Dr. Mike Reddy, Newport, Wales
@DoctorMikeReddy #gamesedu09
Turn on your MOBILES!
Txt 07971 *** *** to comment

24/7 Summary
24 seconds: START…!
24 seconds: STOP!
7 words:
“I need land…
…Don’t fence me in!”
Dean Martin, adapted song lyric from “Don’t fence me in”

“Don’t Fence Me In!”
Games development is a valid method for
increasing motivation and a useful educational
resource for teaching ‘hard’ disciplines
Industry requirement for key Transferable Skills
allows slow moving HE institutions to be
leveraged into looking at new learning and
assessment techniques
Academic Freedom is the best route to wider
social acceptance and cultural penetration
Does a Virus really understand Biology?


A Job Advert?
Game programming/artist wannabe wanted:
• 0 years industry experience
• No portfolio to speak of
• Must be incapable of eye contact
• No ability to work in a team necessary.

No, NOT likely is it? So, how do we best
prepare graduates for the industry?


Another Job Advert?
From: (s) Paul Seaman
Sent: Mon 13/07/2009 05:23
To: Mike Reddy Subject: Jobs
Mike,
Couple more applications sent off. Graduate Programmer at Codemasters and
designer at Rare

Rare – So what kind of people are we looking for?
Your experience in games design is not necessarily important. We're also not
too concerned about the roles you've had and the games you've worked on.
What we really need is the ability to think differently, think ahead and
challenge the rules of what an interactive experience can be.

Cheers Paul S


“Oh, we don’t expect much
from our Programmers...”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IirwbDZbG1Y

Games Degree?
Sound Pedagogy SKILLSET Accredited
“Paizogogy!” (GREEN)
(PURPLE)

NOT SKILLSET
Accredited
(CYAN)

SKILLSET/Industry
Involvement (ORANGE)


Games Degree?
Sound Pedagogy SKILLSET Accredited
“Paizogogy!” (GREEN)
(PURPLE)

NOT SKILLSET There appear to be spirals
of light green or light blue.
Accredited Actually, they are identical
(CYAN) (R=0, G=255, B=150
(c) Akiyoshi Kitaoka 2009
-- www.psy.ritsumei.ac.jp/
~akitaoka/color12e.html

SKILLSET/Industry
Involvement (ORANGE)


How Industry could harm us
Liverpool sculptor Arthur Dooley, on questioning
the 60s plan to destroy rows of terraced houses,
and the destruction of whole communities –
AD: “Did the locals mind?”
Archtect: “No. Consultations had taken place and
the residents had raised no objections at all.”
AD: “Well, There's no-one as easy to rob of their
culture as those that don't know they've got
one.”
There is an often invisible culture to Academia


SKILLSET v Universities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqiFtNJy9d0

Which is Cat, which is Pigeon?

Skillset?
Standards are good…
…and the more there are the better!
Any system is better than none…
…but only just!

How many people here are Game
Developers? Ex-developers? Christians?


Søren Kierkegaard 1811-1855

Father of Existentialism and
severe critic of Denmark
Church & Danish Culture
Championed the concept of
‘becoming’ by constant doing.

Image References
http://www.qwantz.com/fanart/kierkegaard.png
http://www.lib.uwo.ca/weldon/news/hottopics/images/ki
http://comunicaciondiegosaturno.files.wordpress.com/2
http://www.victorshepherd.on.ca/images/heritage/soren


Knowing HOW & WHY is not
as important as being able...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jByfWOLmjo

...to Learn by FAIL “FAILogogy!”

Some things to ponder…
Should we count as success the students
who decide NOT to go into the games
industry, as well as those who
successfully get gaming jobs?
Is it the job of a University to fill short-term
recruitment problems?
How do we square team work experience
against traditional individual assessment?


A Quote on Assessment
Student: "Professor Einstein, the questions
you put on this year's final exam are the
same ones you gave us last year.“
Einstein: "Yes, I know, but last year the
answers were different.“
Newport (and others!) emphasis is focussed
on portfolio development and LOTS and
LOTS of inter-disciplinary group work
Over ¾ of degree is Games specific, but…

Games Degree?
Trip Hawkins, founder of EA, 3DO and
Digital Chocolate:
• First ever games graduate with a degree
in “Strategic and Applied Game Theory”
From Harvard! The ultimate generic course
with bit of games content thrown in
What do WE want from a Games Degree?
• Employer? Employee? Life-long Learner?


Cowman/Farmer conflict

Following slides unused in 09 talk


Publishers… Developers…
• 95% about profit, with as • 95% about turn over, with
little risk as possible little chance for profit
• Ruthless in culling “no • Most products under
starters” and elitist in development do not make
choosing dev’ partners it to final production
• Understand developers • Or fail in the market
make bad games and place, with 1 in 4 (?)
willing to give advice successful AAA titles
• Want to own the • Intellectual Property lost
Intellectual Property to the money men
• Have very tight deadlines • Have very tight deadlines
and changing markets and changing platforms


Industry… Universities…
• 95% about recruitment, • 95% about turn over, with
with no scope for risk little chance for profit
• Ruthless in culling “no • Most student under-
starters” and elitist in graduates may not make
choosing graduates it to final employment
• Understand academics • Or fail in the recruitment
make bad courses and place, with 1 in 4 (?)
willing to give advice successful in getting a job
• Want to control the • Course Content lost to
Curriculum (e.g. Skillset) the vocational focus
• Have very tight deadlines • Have very tight deadlines
and changing job needs and changing pressures


Cowman09v3

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