Staffordshire University is launching the new learning facility at Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, offering pioneering games industry courses to equip graduates with skills to feed the world’s fastest growing industries.
The training facility will open its doors in September 2019 and is currently recruiting for degrees in Esports, Computer Games Design or Games PR and Community Management.
The bright, modern space features a gaming arena, studio, broadcast control room, and social hub including a kitchen area.
£700k is also being invested in top-of-the-range equipment and installing a new technical infrastructure at the site. The facility is kitted out with NewTek’s cutting edge broadcast equipment, which features their innovative Network Device Interface technology (NDI). The NDI network allows compatible systems, devices, and applications to share video, audio, and data over IP which will allow students to host and broadcast live esports events without the need of conventional video cabling.
NDI enabled kit includes Panasonic AG-CX350 cameras, a remotely controlled Panasonic 4k PTZ Camera which can pan and zoom around the event space, plus portable cameras which can be plugged straight into the NDI network. Newtek Spark Pro will also enable games consoles to connect straight into the brain of the broadcast setup - a brand new Newtek VMC-1R Video Mix Engine vision mixer.
Other tech includes a Newtek 2-Stripe Control surface, Characterworks graphics software, autocue, talkback, and a portable Green Screen. Over £30k has also been invested in creative lighting to recreate the atmosphere of major gaming tournaments.
Rachel Gowers, Director of Digital Institute London, said: “We’re really excited to give prospective students, the public and gaming industry colleagues a first glimpse of the plans for Digital Institute London. This creative learning environment will prepare our graduates to become trailblazers in the esports, games development and community management industries.
“Interconnected technologies like the NDI network are being used more and more in industry to allow broadcasting on channels like Twitch, YouTube and Facebook simultaneously. Our students will get hands on experience of using this future facing technology while they study - which means they are ahead of the game when they graduate!”
For more information about courses and information on how to apply visit -https://dilondon.staffs.ac.uk/