Only 5 percent of game design degrees accredited

It's long been known to followers of the computer games industry that the UK doesn't hold the same sway that it used to, but according to the BBC we may now know why - a lack of proper courses for professionals.

In a survey of game development courses in the UK, the BBC found that there were a healthy 81 available courses centered around computer game development...but that only 4 of them were accredited courses.

The survey comes fresh on the heels of an outcry from the computer games industry in the UK, which claims that the UK government is not doing enough to support it compared to other arts businesses such as film. There's also a serious worry that graduates from all these 81 courses are not being properly equipped with the fundamental skills required to work in computer game development.

David Braben, creator of Elite! and chairman for the Games Up? campaign which is seeking to highlight the skills shortage in the UK put it bluntly, sayin "95% of video gaming degrees are simply not fit for purpose. Without some sort of common standard, like Skillset accreditation, these degrees are a waste of time for all concerned."

"We are facing a serious decline in the quality of graduates looking to enter the industry," continued Braben. "The death of maths, physics and computer science graduates is hitting us hard."

Comments from the BBC story are also quite interesting and eye-opening, with lecturers claiming that the problem lies in finding out what skills and tools the industry requires graduates to be skilled in.

Are you looking to get in to game design, or have you studied one of these course? If so, we'd love to hear from you so drop us a line in the forums.