Jamie Sefton, MD of Game Republic joined a roundtable event at Sheffield Hallam University last week. The event brought together staff, industry partners and policy makers to discuss the games industry from both a local and national perspective. In attendance was Alex Sobel MP, Chair of The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Video Games and Esports, Diana Buckley, the Director of Economy, Skills and Culture at Sheffield City Council, and Fliss Miller, Director of Skills at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. VIP guests were also given a tour of the Games@Hallam facilities which included the Playstation®4 and Playstation®5 development labs, and Sheffield Hallam’s in-house game studio.
Jamie Sefton said “This was a great opportunity to share insights on talent, skills and wider economic issues related to games in the region. In addition we were treated to a tour which now has made Sheffield Hallam University one of the best equipped PlayStation teaching labs in Europe following investment in new PlayStation®5 development kits,offering students the chance to create videogames using the latest technology.
As well as learning using the latest technology, students also have the opportunity to develop their own games at Steel Minions. The Steel Minions games studio provides students on Hallam’s game development degrees with workplace simulation within a studio environment.“
PlayStation Development
The development lab was opened on Friday 10 May, as part of the department of computing’s ‘Game Over 24’ end of year showcase and celebration.
The University has invested in a total of 34 kits PlayStation®5 development kits for teaching on industry-accredited games courses.
Along with its extensive suite of PlayStation®4 development kits, the University now has one of the best equipped PlayStation teaching facilities in the world, thanks to the University’s partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s academic development programme.
This programme has the mission of establishing a network of world-class educational establishments, capable of generating fresh talent on Sony’s platforms. The best game development courses coupled with hands-on training provides the perfect environment for students to become the PlayStation development stars of the future.
Final-year and postgraduate students will have access to the new PlayStation®5 laboratory, where they can learn the skills needed to make cutting-edge gaming software.
Dr Paul Parry, Subject Group Leader for Games and Artificial Intelligence, said: “Today’s showcase event provides the perfect platform for our students to demonstrate their skills and talents to game industry employers. Every year, our students amaze us with the quality of the games they produce as part of their studies. Today also marks a special occasion; the launch of our prestigious PlayStation® 5 computer lab, the place where our students learn how to create games on the world’s leading game development platform. We were fortunate to welcome our VIP guests to assist us in celebrating this special moment.”
Tom Sampson, Associate Technical Director at Sumo Digital, and Hallam alumnus, said: “It was a real privilege to be invited back to Sheffield Hallam for the “Celebration of Games” event, and it was an honour to officially launch their new PlayStation 5 lab. Having access to this equipment is a real game changer for students, as it exposes them to real-world hardware, software, and development practices, usually reserved for professionals.
“This provides the students with a unique learning experience and a genuine advantage when it comes to applying for their first role in the games industry. Having witnessed the determination and passion of the students and the excitement around this new facility, I can’t wait to see what they’re able to create!”
Sheffield Hallam University is a Game Republic Educational Partner and will be sending teams to the Game Republic Student Showcase on 6th June 2024 at Staffordshire University.