Staffordshire University - Staffs Speciality : Computer Science
programme: Games Technology

Staffordshire University is rightfully acclaimed as one of the best universities in the UK for studying Game Design. Whether your degree preference is Computer Game Programming, Games Development or Games Design and Programming, they have created an environment where all the cohorts frequently work together to emulate the industry’s collaborative working practices. However, they have failed to incorporate the various game genres the industry worked on within the modules. The modules adhere to shooting games only, and while this is the preference for most of the students taking the course, I interpreted this as a failure to recognise and incorporate other genres and their mechanics into the start of our degree journey. This adherence made the course seem repetitive and sometimes unenjoyable. As a student, you can experiment with other genres, but only if all learning is entirely self-directed, which can be a struggle when working within a university framework. Working within a framework ensconces a beginner but can limit them from developing further. It creates a centralised reliance on the lecturer who made said framework from the students and the other lecturers who have to teach the framework they didn’t create. Often, I would have to wait for my lecturer to hear back from the framework creator to fix my issues, which halted my progress in development. Genre experimentation is usually coupled with collaborative work; therefore, you may be unable to explore a genre you would like to unless your group agrees. The university’s computer labs and software installed on them permit a bricolage of game development, thereby creating diverse and unique games.