whatsoever in a few years’ time if we’re
not careful.” Revolution Software co-founder Noirin
Carmody says programming is not the only area in which students are lacklustre: “We really struggle to get good quality, skilled artists. Currently most of our art is produced by people overseas. It’s not just a tech shortage, it’s right across the board.” And, says Distinctive Games’ MD Nigel
Little, the increasingly broad range of jobs in the games industry makes teaching the relevant skills even more challenging: “It’s not just about programmers and artists – there’s so much more to it now. There’s analysts, community managers, web app programmers and lots of different roles that need filling.”
INTERN AFFAIRS Both universities and developers are trying to help improve students’ employability. Game Republic runs a student showcase
every year, inviting studios to see graduates’ final year projects. In fact, several Game Republic members hire new recruits as a direct result of this showcase. Meanwhile, Sheffield Hallam is one of many
institutes in the region that is Skillset accredited, and it even runs placement programmes, sending students to work with the likes of Sumo to gain real experience. “Our placement programme has been what I can only describe as frustratingly successful,” studio boss Porter says. “We don’t like giving them back for the final year, but we know
DEVELOP-ONLINE.NET
we’ve spent the time investing in people that are really good and hopefully they’re keen to come back when they are available.” There’s still plenty of room for
improvement. Many studios agree there seems to be confusion within academia about certain terms. When an applicant claims they have studied games design, for example, their skills often only extend to level design. It’s a source of much irritation.
More people are playing games than there ever have
been, so I only see the region continuing to thrive and grow.
Paul Porter, Sumo Digital “I receive far too many game design
graduates, but the vast majority are just no good to get employed,” says Little. “There’s too many of them coming through the system – that seems to be a problem. Programmers are more difficult to find.” It’s not all bad news. One thing the studios
all agree on is that there are many benefits to running a games development business in Yorkshire – though there is an ongoing but light-hearted dispute about which city serves as the best base.
“York is one of the most amazing cities in
the UK,” says Carmody, to much exaggerated disagreement from Sheffield and Leeds devs. “There’s an awful lot of talent there within
York University, lots of new start-ups in the area, plus access to grants and funding. There were also the transport connections: it’s two hours to wherever you need to go: London, Manchester and so on.” Barrett adds that it’s handy for local game enthusiasts: “One thing we’ve seen recently is people who have grown up here are coming back to work in smaller studios. They’ve been to Canada, worked on huge 1,000-people teams and want to move back to being on a 15-man team. “That’s been great for us, because it means
we can offer those people something a bit different where they feel more involved with the whole process.” Just Add Water CEO Stewart Gilray agrees: “Half our team is Scottish – if they want to go home and see their families, it would be eight or nine hours from London, whereas it’s only three or four from here. The cost of living is cheaper, as well.”
NETWORK IN THE NORTH Yorkshire developers are also thankful for the community spirit they share with each other, due in no small part to the ten-year-old Game Republic. The firms regularly discuss projects and issues, share information and resources, and even lend each other dev kits. Alex Amsel, MD at developer Tuna, says: “It also makes it a lot easier to find people to
NOVEMBER 2013 | 31
Members of local network Game Republic often meet up to discuss industry issues, and even support each other on their projects
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