专访505Games亚太区副总裁Thomas Rosenthal：一所专门培养游戏人才的大学是什么样的？(12)

After the release of each team project the students, together with the Core Trainers, do a post-mortem.

We hold two 1-to-1 interviews each year with all the students. This is an excellent opportunity for our students to receive detailed feedback on their progress, areas of improvement and suggestions for professional and personal growth, for example, possible career paths. It’s also a time when, as the Academy, we can learn more about the individual students, how they feel about their progress, receive ideas and feedback on where we can improve and evolve.

To graduate, the students need to have successfully completed the exams and projects. They also need to maintain an 85% attendance rate.

Q：Does the university in Italy have a game design program? What is the system of game talent training in local schools?

Geoff Davis： There are no specific university game design programs in Italy. Some of the universities, within computer science, teach modules on game development.

Unfortunately, at the elementary through high school levels there are no programs focused on game design, programming or game art.

Q：What's the differences between China and overseas in the development of game talents? What program do you think should pay attention to？

Geoff Davis： When training to become a professional for the video game industry, we believe it’s crucial to surround oneself with industry professionals and immerse yourself in an environment that provides the real skills (hard and soft skills) you’ll need when landing a job in the industry. Our industry is becoming more and more competitive and there is constant search for qualified talent. One of the objectives of any professional industry training academy should be creating “competitive talent advantage” for the students.

Of course, this means paying attention to the practical and hands-on elements of learning, together with the theory. However, it’s also fundamental the training program gives you ample opportunities to apply your learning, that they help you build a portfolio, provide you with contacts in the industry and coach you towards unlocking your potential and getting you on the right track.

According to Newzoo, Italy ranks number 9 in terms of game revenues, based on consumer spending. In terms of video games development and related revenues, Italy is still trying to get it’s foot in the door to compete with other major international markets. There has typically been a backlash in the country against video games, both by institutions. This has caused misunderstandings and misinterpretations regarding the sector and, historically, has thwarted growth. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to view the idea of pursuing a career in video games as puerile and frivolous. However, Italy’s video game industry has taken positive strides forward and is moving from being considered a niche sector, into an integral part of the country’s creative landscape. Each year, new development studios are being founded and more publishing deals are being made with Italian studios. There is also an uptick of M&A activity with big video game companies acquiring Italian studios or investing in their growth. There is an estimated US$1.95 billion in revenue in 2022 in Italy and the video game industry accounts for the lion‘s share of digital media revenue.