For many people going to university and school in general is all about making the most money possible. This is why generally you see parents and people pushing for their children to make their way into business programs or medicine, but the reality of university has been changing a lot over the past decade. We’ve seen a meteoric rise in the popularity of programs such as engineering and computer science, but the reality is that they are not the only tech-centric courses that I’ve been taking prominence. More and more we have seen universities and colleges add courses all around video games. To many people, this might be a puzzling choice but let’s take a deeper look at why more schools are introducing gaming courses in 2024.
It’s no secret that the video game industry has become a behemoth among industries. Similarly to other entertainment businesses such as TV shows and the film industry, the video game industry has become a multibillion-dollar industry that keeps growing every single year. Whether we are talking about Activision Blizzard king profit margins or the ever-growing expansion of companies such as Sony and Microsoft, anyone can see that there is a lot of money moving in this industry and there is no sign of it stopping. Would this in mind it’s no wonder that companies such as Disney have been trying to make their way into this industry as well to make sure to get a piece of the pie. But where do students fit into this and where do gaming classes come into play?
It’s quite simple really as the industry grows further and further so does the demand for skilled labour in those positions that open up. One of the realities that come into play when we talk about the video game industry is that often gaming companies will want to open offices all around the world since it allows them to not only be able to appeal to different interest groups but also benefit from the tax breaks and benefits provided by different governments. As such we’ve seen schools in both Canada and Europe start to build entire university curriculums based on video game-centric jobs. These jobs and these curriculums are great because many people who studying them end up having an assured place in a company that will offer them starting salaries that are around 70,000 U.S. dollars.
One other impressive thing about this industry is that it is very multifaceted. Hello, how is that you might wonder? Not only do you need people who make the games, but you also need people who play them. This might seem like a given but not necessarily if you think about competitive play in high-level spheres. What does that mean concretely though? It means exactly what you think it means. It means that whether you are a Minecraft survival mode player or a leaderboard-topping Call of Duty player, there is room somewhere for you in professional play. By professional play, we are talking about E sports athletes. While this term might seem silly to somebody who is not aware of the industry the reality is that esports athletes can make a lot of money as well as be recognized for their skill all around the world.
As such nowadays you can see in the video games outwards all around the world prizes for the most deserving eastport athletes and even for the casters for those games. Competitive play can lead to massive cash rewards as well as great sponsor opportunities that give you even more profit. This is why many schools nowadays have esports teams representing their school as it is a great way to not only make a name for the school but also allow gamers who have the skill to make a decent living and potentially make it to pro play. So, you can see that schools can invest in training their gamers to be great representatives of their names to carry their school names into big competitive events. We know how crazy this sounds but this is a sign that our future is going a certain way. While to some it might seem odd the reality is that this future is bright and gives a lot of hope to many young people who still looking for their place in the sun.
As you can see schools introducing gaming courses is no surprise after all. As there is a future for many students in the gaming sphere whether it be as a creator or as a player there is no other option than for schools to invest in those brilliant minds’s future. It just goes to show that you never know when muting will become popular and what new opportunities will open for many young people who dedicate their time to things that you might see as silly or pointless. Gaming has not only earned its place in the spotlight but it will continue to defend it and earn it every single day as we see this industry and the industry of competitive play continue to become a household name.