Class of PS4: how will Sony

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The clue?s in the name. PlayStationFirst is not the result of a philanthropic whim to nurture learning for the sake of education. It is an unabashed scheme to place Sony?s platforms ? Vita for most and PS4 for a select few ? in front of a fresh generation of developers at some of Europe?s most respected institutions.

 

The project is not new, having been conceived in the pre-PS2 era. But although PSFirst isn?t a knee-jerk reaction to the popularity of indie development for mobile platforms ? now a conventional career aspiration ? the benefits for Sony of getting dev kits into the hands of aspiring Terry Cavanaghs are plain enough. Fostering a production line of game creators who feel at home using its architecture makes commercial sense. But is PSFirst good for students, and for games?

 

Unsurprisingly, educators at the five institutions selected as PS4 partners ? Gamer Camp at Birmingham City University, Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Abertay Dundee, NHTV University in the Netherlands and PlaygroundSquad in Sweden ? believe the answer to those questions is yes. But then the opinions of those educators, all seasoned developers and academics with enviable industry ties, should be taken seriously.

 

?It?s fantastic to be in Sony?s first wave of institutions receiving PS4 dev kits,? says Dr Jake Habgood, a senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University. ?I remember getting my first PS1 dev kit back at Gremlin in the ?90s. I literally didn?t want to go home each day.? Habgood, a former Infogrames and Sumo Digital project manager, also heads up Sheffield Hallam?s own development studio, Steel Minions. ?It?s inspiring to see that same voracious appetite in my own students,? he says, ?and the fact they get to use this kit before other students will give them a tangible advantage on their CVs.?

 

While students are buffing their LinkedIn profiles, they?ll also develop their professional skills as they seek to be published via PlayStation Network. All of the selected institutions are known for their commitment to mimicking industry practice. And Sony hopes students will be better prepared for any workplace after participating in PlayStationFirst.

 

?Studios need and expect graduates to be work ready,? says Gamer Camp Studios director Oliver Williams. ?Few studios have the time and resources to spend on training graduates. The PSFirst initiative backs institutions who teach actual game development, and therefore the recruitment and induction burden on studios who hire graduates is less.?

 

Brian Beuken, a lecturer in game programming at Dutch university NHTV, believes the specific access PSFirst affords is invaluable for students. ?Sony?s vision has allowed access not only to hardware but to software such as PhyreEngine and PlayStation Home,? he says. ?The partnership allows us to receive cutting-edge technical information and to participate in Sony?s forums, helping to ensure our continued excellence in preparing students for the requirements of an ever-evolving game industry.?

 

There is also a wider benefit to the game education sector with a knock-on effect for industry, as Gregor White, director of academic enterprise at Abertay Dundee ? home to the biggest Vita development lab in Europe ? says. ?The PlayStationFirst project offers a forum where academics and developers can meet. The best academics in Europe can get together and share processes. We have access to developers within Sony and a line of sight on the latest developments. It makes our projects and student experience more relevant.?

 

Oliver Williams says the scheme is not just about boosting employability, but feels it?s vital for the future of the industry. ?Next-gen consoles have the opportunity to reignite sales, which have been in decline for some time,? he notes. ?Giving gamers new experiences could be the key to generating this growth. By giving unjaded, enthusiastic and able young people access to the technology and support to create such experiences, PSFirst can have a role in the success of next-gen gaming.?

 

Certainly PS4 is having an impact on Jake Habgood, who is in little doubt of the platform?s core strength. ?It?s definitely the potential for indie games on the PS4 that is getting me most excited. The likes of Journey, Flower and Ibb And Obb on the PS3 were all really inspiring examples of what indies can achieve.?

 

GameCubator business coach Magnus Bj?rkman, who has ties to PlaygroundSquad, is another believer: ?By supporting the training providers with dev kits and support, we hope to be able to give back some new, interesting game concepts and, who knows, maybe some new, innovative games to the market.?

 

 

Source: http://www.edge-online.com/news/class-of-ps4-how-will-sonys-playstationfirst-scheme-benefit-the-game-industry/

 

Always good to see games development and education mix  (Y)

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Always good to see the platform holders do this kind of thing :yes: The indie scene is definitely the most exciting part of the gaming world right now IMO. Looking forward to seeing what these young folk can do and hopefully they make it to the big leagues (Y)

[trooper11]

Great to see Sony continuing to invest in this area.

The secret to a platform's success is ultimately game developers. So to invest time and money to get your devices into the hands of new game developers is a must.

It seems like their is a public emphasis on indie developers with the start of this new console generation, so I can't wait to see the games that result from this.