Vocational Games Development

This is an exciting new course that gives learners the skills and knowledge to progress into a career in the games industry. Over the two years learners will work on a range of game projects using industry standard software to develop creative and technical skills and will be able to specialise in either Game Art or Game Development. This course is equivalent to three A Levels and you will achieve a BTEC Extended Diploma.

Learners will be assessed through coursework projects that will develop skills in concept generation, character design, digital graphics, 3D modelling and animation, interface design, user testing, game production, scripting and designing for mixed reality (AR/VR). Learners will also develop skills to work in other digital media industries.

Learners will be treated more like ‘trainees’ than students as the ethos of course is to operate as a Games Studio rather than like a traditional educational setup. Here, you will develop your creative, technical and employability skills. You will be in the studio for three days per week working on projects but also expected to work independently on your designs and games to meet the studio deadlines.

If you are serious about a career in the games industry then this is the course for you!

Students can take part in trips to EXG in London, The National Media Museum, The National Games Arcade, University visits and GameJam’s against other colleges. There will also be an opportunity to enter work into competitions, experience collaborative projects as well as gameplay workshops, our testing and gaming facilities.

This course is assessed by coursework.

• Skills in industry-standard software such as games engines, modelling packages and production tools
• Industry-standard development practice to plan and develop games to prepare you for employment within a wide variety of roles
• Games scripting and implementation for development programs to use across a number of devices
• Understanding of testing environments, suites and tools to be able to debug and resolve game issues
• About the games industry, how it works and what it takes to be successful within different roles
• Working as part of team and managing your workload and responsibilities
• How to be successful within your chosen field, and to prepare you for your next step of your career

Year One

In year one you will develop games design skills through a series of short projects using a range of software and techniques. In the 3rd term you will show off your skills by producing a game sequence in response to a project brief.

Year Two

In the second year you will focus on the area of the games industry you want to progress into (Game Art or Game Development), build on these skills and produce a major project to develop sequences for a game to meet a brief.

5 GCSEs at grade 4 including English & Math's at Grade 4 or above. GCSE average 4.5.

There are a variety of different progression routes you can follow with this course. This can include different pathways to achieve numerous careers through Higher Education, Apprenticeships or directly into Employment. Here are some progression routes:

• E-Sports Professional
• Screenwriter
• TV/Film Producer
• Games Designer
• Media Researcher
• Promotions Manager
• Media Analyst
• Web Designer
• Social Media Content Producer
• Marketing
• Press