Ever since EGX, otherwise known as Eurogamer, started in 2008 it has become the go-to destination for gaming fans eager to enjoy a sneak preview of hotly anticipated new releases and for indie and student developers to showcase their projects.
This year there was an impressive number of both triple A and indie titles shown and game design students from Northampton College were able to attend the convention and see a broader perspective of the gaming community.
One Level 3 student said: “The trip was great, I had loads of fun and really enjoyed it. The teachers offered great support.
“I learnt how friendly the gaming culture can be at times and how people can just sit there and talk to you and be really friendly.”
This particular student expressed their admiration for the Forza Horizon series and how happy they were to have had the opportunity to play the latest game in the series, as well as two other titles they saw at the convention.
After talking to another student about what they had learnt, they expressed that they now fully knew what they wanted to mainly focus on. Modelling.
This student obviously had a passion for the more creative side of the gaming industry, as they later stated their desire to be a part of ‘scenic designing’ in games such as Skyrim or Fallout, stating they were their favourites when it came to large, open-world RPGs.
Both students seemed to have a clearer understanding of where their careers could go after attending this trip, and both knew how hard they would have to work to get there.
Luckily, there is a sub-section to the convention where students and others wanting to go into the gaming industry can explore all their options through the careers zone.
In this area, universities showcase both their courses and their students’ work. Students wanting to go to university to study game design at any level can see what they could expect from a future course.
For those out of education, there are also a few developers (often independents) showing what they would need from staff to complete their games. The students said this was very helpful for them to help them know exactly what to expect to be doing if they later decided to go to university or head straight into the world of work.
Evidently, the trip was extremely useful when it came to aiding the students in learning, discovering and achieving their future goals for their education and careers.
