MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
In a bid to bolster its dev sector credentials, the German city of Hamburg is funding a masters game degree programme at its principal university.
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW) will offer a masters degree programme entitled “Sound, Vision, Games”, funded by the State Ministry of Economic and Labour Affairs.
Hoping to sit ahead of the tech curve, the Ministry is also aiding the purchase of a ‘Motion Tracking System’, which will give students the chance to train their skills in advanced 3D animation.
Hamburg has consistently made strides in bolstering its presence in the game development industry. Only last month the city was said to have doubled its industry workforce to 1700 in under five years.
Research by the gamecity:Hamburg network says the region is looking to create some 300 new industry jobs this year.
“At the national level, Hamburg leads the way in terms of support for the games industry,” said Senator Karin v. Welck.
“By facilitating the new master’s degree programme, the Ministry of Economic and Labour Affairs is paving the way for another central component of a powerful and sustainable infrastructure for Hamburg as a primary centre of the gaming industry.”
Senator Axel Gedaschko, Minister of Economic Affairs, added,
“Bright minds and expert skills are crucial for the success of an economic region. The new degree programme is an essential step in our support for Hamburg’s booming games industry, which faces a shortage of specialist staff.
“The industry will be able to draw on highly qualified graduates with a distinct awareness of their ethical and moral responsibility – just as the numerous companies in Hamburg that are successful producers of adventure or puzzle games.”
Meanwhile the President of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences – Dr. Michael Stawicki – said that the upcoming masters course will “thoroughly examine.. the ethical/moral dimension” of game design.
