They have been offering video games degrees in the UK for a long time. The video games market here is VERY competitive. I have a friend doing video games design and he is currently on placement with a studio in the UK - very difficult to get also!

Video games have a LOT of money ploughed into them.

I would never major in video games, I just don't see it as a stable career option. I know a lecturer who teaches computer games programming and he said the market is too all over the place to guarantee work for a video games programmer.

I really don't like how 'diluted' degrees have become due to subjects like these. I think they should remain professional qualifications in professional subjects. I'm not saying that designing video games is not a profession, because it is. It's just that nowadays you can earn a degree in virtually any subject and it's a respected qualification. I feel that the respect is unjustified when you have doctors, lawyers, teachers and video game designers, all being able to say they hold degrees when some are more 'professional' than others.

As soon as PORN STUDIES becomes available in the UK I am doing it.

Lol, does that degree exist? I'm sure I read somewhere that it does...

LOL, I bet my bf would!

I wouldn't, but I have two very good friends that would love this degree... only if it weren't in NY.

Aww man I'd totally minor in this.

I'm majoring in Computer Science right now, which technically is a programming degree, but the fun thing with that is it allows you to do both programming and research. A few of my friends in the department want to go into video games, but most of us are into web software, operating systems or databases.

Seems a more worthwhile degree in comparison.

I'm an NYU Interactive Telecommunications Alumni and I think this is wonderful news. I guess I wished they had offered this earlier!! When I was there.

I took at least 3 classes with Frank Lantz (co-founder area/code) who will be the temporary interim director of the center, and he's wonderful. Absolutely an amazing and creative person, who has so much passion for the gaming industry.

Kudos I say!!

very cool. My brother would love to do that.

I think it's great! I'm majoring in Computer Science with a focus on video game development so a major that focuses specifically on video games would have been great as a second major. I'm glad Universities are introducing unique majors - especially for undergrad degrees. Even a degree for Video Game development could let you go on to earn a professional degree. With my major in CS I can still go to law school for IT Law AND actually major in something I'm passionate about! NYU is smart for offering students the ability to study a subject they're actually interested in!

Actually, plenty of Universities in the US do this already also, just not very well known ones.

I'm a Computer Science major also, and I'm actually planning on going into video game design, but I'd like a little expertise in more than just video games, y'know?

YES. My brother will be amazingly happy.

WATCH OUT! Video Game degrees are a big joke in the industry.

I was a Game Art major for a year at UAT and I wish I hadn't even spent that much on it. Gaming companies rarely look for a degree, just a finished game and/or a demo reel. You are -much- better off just going to a technical school (Vancouver Film School or Gnomon School, to name a few... stay away from Full Sail though...) or even learning on your own.

The school just gives you the materials (right software; tutorials (you can buy yourself); -sometimes- people with industry experience, but usually those who couldn't make it themselves...). The majority of the people who graduate with "Game Design" degrees don't know the first thing about the actual making of the games, just a lot of theory and if they're EXTREMELY lucky a half-working demo.

...and all they actually offer you that's useful totals for MUCH less than the tuition of any school offering a gaming degree. You can even get expert advice/critiques places online.

Game programming is a bit more useful but that's because it's a lot more technically based... but even then you're better off with a regular computer science degree so you have a fallback because even now the industry is over-saturated because gaming degrees have become "trendy"

Sorry that was my rant. I just have a lot of friends that recently graduated with gaming degrees and they're all screwed and in a lot of debt.

P.S. Wow, my grammar is awful late at night... but a hope it helps someone D:

well i think that seeing as how graphic design and gaming are becoming more and more in demand, it makes sense that there's some type of major there. i just wonder who they will get to teach the courses

Really a fabulous article.well done.......

mls