Anyone curious about breaking into the video games sector can hear directly from professionals working in the field at a free expert talk at The Hive.
Beyond the Controller, taking place from 6.30-8pm on 17 September, will feature a panel discussion and Q&A with industry professionals and University of Worcester lecturers, giving attendees the chance to learn about the varied roles and careers available in the gaming sector.
Matt Searle, originally from Worcester and now a Senior Content Designer at a games studio, is one of the organisers and will be on the panel.
He said: “The event will be an open forum panel about how games are made, giving people behind-the-scenes insight into the industry and how people get into it.”
The UK games industry is worth billions of pounds, and the West Midlands is one of the nation’s leading regions for game development.
Matt continued: “We’ll start with a panel discussion, where we’ll explore different career paths, and then we’ll open it up for people to ask their own questions. It’s really designed to be an informal chance to ask what you want and get a clearer understanding of how to get a career in gaming.”
Matt has worked all over the country for some of the biggest names in the gaming industry.
“The thing I love most about games is how multi-disciplined it is,” he said. “I work in design, but I often work alongside user interface experts, or animators, there’s so much you can do. Even if you think you’re not technically minded, or that you can’t draw, there are lots of options.”
The event is aimed at people of all ages who are curious about their route into working in the field.
Matt said: “It’ll be just as interesting for younger people who are excited about the prospect of a career in the gaming industry as it will be for people who are older and are considering a career change.”
“We’ve worked with people from all kinds of backgrounds,” he added. “There are many skills like people management that can really be put to good use in this field.”
Joining Matt on the panel will be Lewis Blythe, a Senior Character Artist, Jacob Crawford, a Senior Game Designer, and Alexander Brown, a Senior 3D Environment Artist.
Also on the panel will be Owen Simons, Lecturer in Game Art at the University of Worcester.
“The best thing about working in the industry is being able to craft new assets which help develop those new experiences for players,” he said. “If you’re creative and love making games, it’s an amazing career. I only ever wanted to be an animator in this field and doing what you love to do every day is amazing.”
Owen’s career began in animation working in children’s television before moving into creating assets for video games, which he still does alongside is lecturing role at the Unviersity of Worcester.
“We have a state-of-the-art set of dual-screen workstations in our bespoke studio at the Unviersity,” he said. “It’s a great space for us to teach in and there’s plenty of space for independent studies as well.”
The event is completely free, but booking is advisable. Book your tickets on The Hive website.