Electronic games are commonly seen as a form of leisure entertainment by most students today. However, parents often criticise them as a hindrance to productivity. Since 2016, the term "eSports" has emerged, elevating electronic games to internationally recognised competitive events. "eSports" has become a new direction for young people. Popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games have started organising various international competitions with prize money reaching millions of dollars, giving rise to professional eSports teams and associated product companies that sponsor relevant competitions and teams to promote their products.
The eSports industry has tremendous potential, leading to the emergence of new disciplines.
Recognising this, some major countries have embraced the eSports trend by encouraging the establishment of eSports companies, supporting teams, actively discovering and nurturing eSports athletes, and even promoting the development of innovative electronic games. With the support of governments and the business sector, individual games often host various international tournaments. Even in Hong Kong, a small place, eSports athletes won gold medals in the eSports event at the 2018 Asian Games! eSports has evolved from entertainment to an international competitive sport and even a burgeoning industry. According to Goldman Sachs' projection for the esports industry, the global esports market is expected to skyrocket from $655 million five years ago to nearly $3 billion by 2022!
As "eSports" embarks on the path of industrialization, the demand for game developers and designers has significantly increased, leading to a supply shortage. The United Kingdom, as one of the leading European countries in the development of "eSports," is not inferior to eSports powerhouses such as South Korea and Japan in training related talents. Some UK universities have taken the lead in offering bachelor's degree programmes related to eSports. The scope of these programmes has expanded from design aspects that are familiar to the public to areas such as event management, marketing, and player training that go beyond traditional design, allowing eSports-related courses to advance in line with the pace of industrialization.
Combining "entertainment" and learning: What do eSports courses teach?
Firstly, it's important to clarify that relevant "eSports" courses do not focus on teaching individual gaming skills, team battle tactics, or in-game item configurations!
Currently, more than 50 universities in the UK offer bachelor's degree programmes related to eSports. These programmes can be broadly classified into Design, Technology/Programming, and Business Management, with the majority being in the former two categories.
The appeal of electronic games often lies in their exquisite composition, character design, and user interfaces, as well as digital elements like animation effects and sound effects. Therefore, courses in the Design category can be further divided into:
- Games Art
- Games Animation
- Virtual Reality (VR) Design
In these courses, students typically focus on using different software to design and create action effects, voice-overs, and artwork for game characters or backgrounds. Creativity, design style, and computer graphic skills are highly valued.
As for students in the Technology/Programming category, their courses can also be considered a form of design, but with a focus on programming and construction. Commonly taught programming languages include C++ and JavaScript, and students also learn about interface design, algorithmic programming, artificial intelligence (AI), and other computer-related subjects. These courses are more suitable for students who have a background in technology and computer science (ICT) or those who have a passion for computer games but are more interested in programming than art and design.
One particularly interesting programme is the less common "Games Development" course, which can be seen as a hybrid between the Design and Technology/Programming categories. Students in this programme begin by conceptualising and developing their own computer games. Starting with enrollment in this course, students take charge of graphic design, action programming, game storylines, special sound effects, interactive interfaces, and more. This course is suitable for students interested in both aspects or those who have a general interest in electronic games without a clear direction.
Design and programming courses are more common, while business management courses are becoming popular.
Under the development of the eSports industry, which is becoming industrialised, different management, operations, promotion methods, and marketing-related subjects are involved. Currently, there are fewer than 10 universities in the UK that offer business management courses with eSports as the main theme. These courses cover eSports project planning, promotion, live streaming, program production, player training and management, crisis management, and social media communication. These courses are suitable for students who are passionate about eSports but not inclined towards art design or computer programming.
The trend of incorporating eSports courses in art universities
In UK universities, eSports is a relatively new subject. Initially, it was mainly led by polytechnic universities, which are known for closely following the needs of society and offering timely new courses. They also invite industry professionals as instructors to teach the leading technologies and skills required by the industry. On the other hand, art universities, as the name suggests, offer courses mainly related to art or design subjects and expand into non-design courses related to relevant fields. Taking eSports as an example, besides offering specialised courses in game art and game animation design, art universities combine their strengths in art and design skills and the use of advanced software to offer courses in game programming, virtual reality design, web systems, mobile application development, and event management courses related to eSports. This makes the curriculum of computer game departments more comprehensive and caters to the preferences and interests of different students.
Since it is called "eSports," the hardware and software facilities of universities are essential. For students in computer game departments, there are dedicated computer studios, Games Studios, equipped with various gaming consoles from different brands. They also include professional equipment for different aspects, such as:
- High-definition computer screens: using efficient Nvidia RTX graphics cards
- Electronic drawing tablets: commonly used industry brands like Wacom Cintiqs and Intuos Pros
- Oculus Quest 2, Microsoft Hololens, and Hololens 2 smart glasses: used for testing and experiencing virtual reality
- Android and iOS mobile app development tools
- Xsens MVN Awinda real-time motion capture tools
Students can have early access to industry-standard equipment in universities, which is important for their future careers. Software usage is also crucial, whether it's graphic design, animation design, or game programming. It may be the soul of creating a successful game. Therefore, most art universities provide professional application software for students to use, such as Unreal Engine, Adobe Creative Cloud, MVN Studio, and more. With complete facilities, students naturally become proficient in using these industry-specific equipment and systems.
Falmouth University: Specialized Game Academy for training professional talents
Compared to polytechnic universities, art universities not only combine the ability to develop and teach new subjects, along with experienced instructors and professional equipment from the industry but also adhere to the excellent teaching traditions in art and design. Falmouth University embodies these characteristics. The university has established the Games Academy specifically for computer game departments, offering up to 10 related courses covering various areas, including:
- Electronic game art design
- Game animation
- Virtual scene design
- Electronic game programming
- Web design
- Robot design
Falmouth University has one of the top computer studios dedicated to electronic games among all universities in the UK. Students can use various professional computer equipment, virtual environment spaces, industry-standard software, and different gaming platforms to design their own game projects. These studios often have extended opening hours, allowing students to work on their creations anytime and anywhere, and exchange ideas with fellow students. The instructors in these courses mostly have rich industry experience, and some have worked for major well-known game developers such as EA Games and Square Enix. They can impart their industry experience to these future game masters.
Launching a forward-thinking esports management program
In 2022, the university will introduce a new program called BA Esports, focusing on esports events. In addition to learning about esports culture and promotion strategies, students will also gain an understanding of companies related to the esports industry. They will learn how to organise esports events and negotiate collaborations with game developers and esports teams to attract more viewers. The program will also cover topics such as real-time streaming and live event production techniques to create engaging and interactive esports content. The aim of this new program is to familiarise students with the operational aspects of this emerging industry and meet the growing demand for talent in the esports event sector. By offering this course, the university demonstrates its commitment to the future development of esports and its visionary approach.
If you have a passion for video games, an interest in developing new games, or a boundless imagination for the world of gaming, equip yourself with the rising tide of esports and prepare to dive into this immensely promising emerging industry!
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