75 contestants from 16 universities, split into 15 teams, will each have 9 weeks to complete a working game prototype. Three of the teams will win a Bafta 'Ones to Watch' award. Applications must include a pitch for their game idea and a panel of judges will then shortlist potential teams for interview. More >
Pining for the loss and consequence of Ultima Online, plus the death of the games and art argument.
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How a tiny box of tricks is helping David Braben in his mission to foster a new generation of game makers.
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As government clears the way for computer science in schools, the Royal Society highlights lack of suitably skilled teachers.
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Education secretary says government is "revolutionising ICT as we know it," but does it go far enough?
Find your future kickstarting others' at the University of York or creating the next generation of graphics hardware at ARM.
In an interview with The Guardian Vaizey exercised caution, pointing to the UK government's ongoing review of the national curriculum - the findings from which are to be published next year - and the Department for Education's upcoming technology strategy for schools report. More >
2UK secretary of state for education Michael Gove has thrown his weight behind calls for computer science to replace ICT in the national curriculum. Speaking to students from Catmose College in Leicestershire at the ICC in Birmingham last week, Gove said: "I think one of the problems we've had is that the ICT curriculum in the past has been written for a subject that is changing rapidly all the time." More >
A pair of US high school students were yesterday awarded a $100,000 college scholarship for using Kinect to analyse human walking patterns in a project that could ultimately be used in the design of prosthetics for amputees. Ziyuan Liu and Cassee Cain, seniors at Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, won the Team Prize at the Siemens Competition, an annual awards ceremony designed to promote the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). More >
David Braben on the dumbing down of computer science education.
The UK government has given a ringing endorsement of Raspberry Pi, the low-cost computer that David Braben hopes will kickstart a new wave of interest in programming. In its response to the Next Gen skills review, the department of culture, media and sport writes: "The government recognises the potential developments such as the Raspberry Pi computer project have for stimulating and motivating children to understand basic computer science in schools." More >
Ian Livingstone welcomes "very encouraging" pledge to ensure students are better prepared for careers in hi-tech industries.
3Birmingham City University has today begun accepting applications for its Gamer Camp: Nano course in February 2012. The month-long development course runs in a simulated studio environment and has been designed with input from the likes of Blitz Games, Codemasters and DJ Hero developer FreeStyle Games. More >
Frontier Developments' head on fostering a new generation of game makers.
1The Arvon Foundation has launched a dedicated games writing course, featuring the likes of Heavenly Sword writer Rhianna Pratchett. The five-day, residential course will be tutored by Naomi Alderman and David Varela, both of whom have worked on Mind Candy's ARG Perplex City, with Alderman also writing for The Guardian. More >
Ian Livingstone has said he is expecting a "positive response" to the Next Gen skills review he co-authored with Double Negative founder Alex Hope. The report highlighted the shortcomings in the way the national curriculum prepares students for careers in the digital and creative industries, and called for computer science to replace ICT, which focuses on the use of software packages instead of how to make them. The government was expected to respond to the report this week, but speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Livingstone confirmed it would take a little longer. More >
UK prime minister David Cameron yesterday acknowledged the need for an overhaul of the way children are taught to use computers in schools, admitting that the current education system is "not doing enough to actually teach the next generation of programmers." More >
UK trade body UKIE has announced that it will head up the formation of a cross-industry coalition with a view to implementing recommendations made in the Livingstone Hope Next Gen review. The announcement follows last week's BBC Newsnight spot which looked at the Livingstone Hope review and also saw the UK's minister for culture, communications and creative industries Ed Vaizey call for a computer science revolution. More >
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Richard Wilson warns that government plans for industry guest teachers in schools not big enough to have a dramatic impact.
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Says ICT is taught badly in schools and calls on businesses to help train the next generation of programmers.
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