DANIEL GETHING, 31,
FROM HORDEN, COUNTY DURHAM
What was your reaction when you first heard you’d received the scholarship?
I was so overwhelmed, I had to immediately give my grandad a ring and tell him the news. Growing up with my grandad, he was the one who had got me into computers and gaming from such a young age. He is my inspiration and I’ve always wanted to make him proud. Safe to say, he was just as excited as I was!
Has working in games always been a goal of yours?
I’ve been one of those late bloomers when it comes to having a life goal. I never knew what I wanted to do from leaving school and I ended off just doing dead end jobs that made me really unhappy. I always had a passion for gaming, it helped me through some of the darkest times of my life mentally and when I realised, I could go to university and do a degree in game design, it was a no brainer. All I want to do is help create games that help the players enjoy what they play and help them escape from real world problems.
What would be your dream job (and where)? My dream job in the gaming industry would be working alongside Hideo Kojima on a new Metal Gear series. I’ve always been in awe of the way he can create a game that feels more like watching a film. His storytelling within a gaming world is something I hope I can one day replicate.
What kind of an impact has receiving the scholarship had on your life? Do you feel you would have been able to pursue a career in games without it? The scholarship has helped so much in terms of finance relaxation. As a mature student, I run my home and live with just me and my dog Shadow. I have a part time job as a postman, but the finances help free up more time to enable me to put less time into working hours and more time into my university work. However, in all honesty, I could give or take with the financial help. For me the scholarship was all about having that personal relationship with a big gaming studio where I can turn to them if I need mentoring for any specific areas of my work. The people at Creative Assembly have been so helpful and I’ve gotten some great advice from their game director, Richard Aldrige.
What attracts you to the games industry? As I said before, I want to create games that help people in a way they have helped me in the past. I feel like my creative mind belongs in the gaming world because there are so many possibilities with very little limitations when it comes to creating a narrative driven gaming experience.
While the industry is changing, it has historically been dominated by male, white and middle class voices. Do you feel that your background could be an asset, providing a new, much-needed perspective in games? I have grown up around a deprived area in an ex-mining village from the North East, England but I don’t think that gives me any more of a reason to be an asset or provide a different perspective in gaming. My willingness to work hard and trust in my own ability is what will make me a great asset to the gaming industry. Hard work doesn’t always mean you’ll be guaranteed to be successful, but success won’t be achieved unless you work hard to get it.
What is your perspective on the state of diversity in the games industry? Both in terms of race and gender, but also economic backgrounds? I never put myself in a position where I judge others by who they are and what they look like, so it’s hard for me to give an opinion on this. It’s important that everyone is treated equally and everyone is given a fair chance, no matter what you do in life, so it’s always disappointing if I ever see that’s not the case.
What kind of changes would you like to see in the games industry? I would love to see more accessibility for gaming. I saw a photo on Twitter of a dad and his disabled child gaming together. They had some sort of modded set up where the dad would be able to play with one side of the controller and the child used the other. It was such a wholesome photo and it really made me feel like we take so much for granted when it comes to gaming.
GETTING THE WORD OUT Of course, much of the battle is not only in breaking down the barriers that keep people from joining the industry – but also getting the word out that a career in games is possible in the first place. “This is a massive, massive industry we’re
dealing with here,” says Fenton. “I don’t think the generation coming along actually appreciates that and appreciates those opportunities. If we can spread the word across a real
diverse group of people that these opportunities are out there, then how brilliant! Just to say that you can come from all sorts of different backgrounds and work in this industry, there is a place here for you.” Which begs the question, how effectively
are we spreading that message? The industry has been in the spotlight for some time now, perhaps more so than ever before as studios recorded record profits over the pandemic. We’ve certainly communicated the incredible talent the industry already has, but are we doing enough to encourage the next generation of game creators? Particularly among those from economically disadvantaged communities – how effectively is the industry communicating that there is a place for them here too? “Oh, it’s definitely growing,” notes Fenton.
“There’s loads and loads of more courses, there’s a kind of competition between the universities going on. We do a lot of outreach work, but we need to do a lot more. Getting out into schools and their careers departments – There’s a lot more work to be done, and we’ve talked with Creative Assembly about how we can get more involved in that outreach work with schools.” “We speak to students that are on the pathway
to go into university,” says Smith. “We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to students in schools, as well as the parents, and busting those misconceptions at a much earlier age than we thought. And those misconceptions are well bedded-in with some of the parents. “We spend a lot of time correcting some of
those, and sharing articles highlighting that this is a thriving industry – you don’t have to worry about whether your son or daughter is going to be able to afford to live whilst working in the games industry. It’s not what you think it is here, come and have a look at it. When we do the motion capture sessions, and we can show
42 | MCV/DEVELOP March 2022
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