Advanced Games Research Group
Introduction
The United Kingdom is acknowledged as a world leader in game development.
To maintain this lead UK plc must invest in the future by training the next generation of developers and by researching and developing new game technologies. There must be research into newly emerging application areas for games technology, such as medicine. Other maturing game application areas, such as education, must be explored and extended.
Academia has an important role to play in educating for game development and researching new game technologies. The games industry is constantly evolving, either consolidating after the introduction of new gaming platforms or preparing for the next wave of gaming platforms. The evolution is not just technical but also requires development methodologies and funding models to be updated as projects and teams increase in size. The rapidity of these changes results in the industry being largely reactive rather than proactive.
The establishment of a Advanced Games Research Group has put the University of Portsmouth at the forefront of preparations for the future success of the UK games industry and research into the rapidly growing discipline of ludological research. The centre focuses on proactive responses to the changing game development climate, feeding expertise and knowledge into the games industry.
The Advanced Games Research Group is becoming a South of England/Northern Europe hub for prestigious and valuable research; establishing the University of Portsmouth as a leader in game research and education.
Overview
The aim of The Advanced Games Research Group is simply to extend the boundaries of computer games technology, both within the world of games and by migrating the technology to other areas. The centre also supports the growth of new (entrepreneurial) businesses.
The Advanced Games Research Group will broadly divide into the following research areas:
- Locative, alternate reality and pervasive gaming
- Software engineering and programming, including artificial intelligence
- Graphics and realisation, including sound and music
- Game design theory and practice, including perception, interface design, contextual issues and massively multiplayer gaming
- Entrepreneurship and project management
- Game technology applications i.e. education, medicine, sports and so on
These areas are reflected in the teaching both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels within the University of Portsmouth. The existing BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology, MSc Computer Games Technology and BSc (Hons) Enterprise in Computer Games Technology already cover many of the above areas. Other courses in the university touch on these subject areas and are involved in the group's activities. The Advanced Games Research Group is a focus for cross faculty co-operation.
Staff and Students
University of Portsmouth lecturers, PhD and other postgraduate students provide the backbone of the research group.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are being pursued to further cement links with industry.
"Most game industry research is constrained by market forces to anticipate a future that extends only as far out as next Christmas. But academic researchers have the luxury of both studying the past and imagining the future five, ten, twenty years out."
(Celia Pearce (2003) International Game Developers Association Retrieved 17th May 2005 from www.igda.org)
For more information contact:
Mark Eyles
Course Leader
BSc Computer Games Technology
E-mail: mark.eyles@port.ac.uk