At the two developers I’ve worked for, there’s always been a strong demand for talented programmers. You honestly can’t get enough of them. It looks like NSW’s educational facilities have recognised the growing need for developers and has realigned a number of courses to be more in tune with the current state of the interactive industry. Namely, iPhone and Android app development.
According to this piece in the Daily Telegraph, Wollongong Uni now has a “bachelor of computer science in multimedia and game development” that will focus on iPhone and Android apps, while Macquarie University lets students major in interactivity and games that will acclimatise them not only to app development, but website design. Finally, Sydney Uni will give “interactive technology” a thorough studying in its design and social media course.
I should point out that application development is different to games, and I’m not surprised there’s a shortage of talent. Games make up the largest segment of App Store at 16 per cent, and the lure of this apparent gravy train is strong, despite it being extremely difficult to get noticed in a sea of mediocrity without the aid of Apple itself. Given the choice between creating a stock market app or the next Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja or Flight Control, the choice is almost non-existent for the tech-savvy 18-year old.
I’ve always been an advocate of the hands-on approach — if you want to program, or make games, then download one of the many free programs that facilitate such development and do it. Unity, Torque, Visual Studio, MonoDevelop, Eclipse, UDK — the list goes on. That said, a guiding hand in the form of a specific degree can’t hurt. Just don’t expect said to degree to automatically grant you a job, though this applies to most industries.
Image: Firemint.
Universities to teach computer games to school leavers in NSW [Daily Telegraph, thanks Danny]
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