The range of game education programs in northern Sweden is extensive and continues to grow. Soon, there will also be an opportunity to study game development in Umeå. There is a great interest in games, and both local and national students are drawn to the region.
New for this year is the opportunity for game enthusiasts to study their game education in Umeå. The new educational programs offered are Game Programmer and Game Designer.
– It feels especially exciting that we are now getting an even broader range of programs in the region with Futuregames' establishment in Umeå, says Daniel Wilén, Managing Director at Arctic Game.
There are many advantages to studying game development in northern Sweden. A wide and rapidly expanding range of game education programs, guaranteed accommodation in both Skellefteå and Boden, close collaboration with local game companies, and a very high employment rate after completing studies attract many new students to the region.
One of the students is John H. Sandman from Piteå, who is studying to become an Indie Game Developer in Boden.
– The best thing about this program is all the different fields you study and learn, and the insights you get about the games industry. What can be challenging is getting into the technical aspects of game creation. We have fantastic teachers, and we get great opportunities to meet companies and studios to take part in their knowledge and expand our network, says John H. Sandman.
With over 70 studios in the region, there are plenty of professionals within the cluster. Johanna-Lovisa Vannebäck works as a Project Manager and has previously studied Project Manager IT & Games in Skellefteå.
– I have always loved games and spend a significant portion of my free time playing them. When I left the restaurant industry and began looking for the next step, the thought naturally turned to games. I knew I wouldn't be good at programming, designing, or creating graphics. But I knew I was good at one thing – leading people. I then found the education program that combined both of these things, leading people and working with games. During the course of my education, I have also been inspired by all the women working in the games industry. We are clearly underrepresented, but it has given me more determination. I want to be part of this industry to show that we exist and thereby pave the way for other women who may not dare yet, says Johanna-Lovisa Vannebäck.
Boden and Boden Game Camp are among the actors within the game cluster that have a strong established arena for game education, and they welcome the expansion of education programs in the region.
– Cultivating a strong partnership in the education sphere, spanning from Boden to Umeå, is a prospect I eagerly anticipate. Our current successful collaboration within the corporate realm sets the stage for building a robust and close-knit alliance in the field of education hopefully, says Hanna Müller, Business Developer at Boden Game Camp and Boden Business Park.
Near the end of Autumn, Arctic Game hosted Vladislav Perge and Lavinia Macovei, two Community Managers from Supercell. They are both attached to some of the Finnish mobile giant’s biggest IPs.
We welcome Pernilla Lindmark as the new regional project manager for the three-year Intersective Game project. Pernilla has previously been the local project manager for the project in Skellefteå and brings her strong commitment and ability to find new solutions to her new role.
We welcome Björn Hortell as the new local project manager for Arctic Game in Luleå. You'll find him at Luleå Science Park, where he'll be handling game projects focusing on both game companies and gamification methodologies in other industries.