This article was written by Elle Villa, 16, during her work experience at Into Games! Find out more about Elle's experience here.

The games industry is still a relatively new sector that is rapidly advancing. Tech-based jobs, including game development, have been pushed to the forefront of the global economy. However, access to games-adjacent education (computer programming, 3D-modelling, etc.) isn’t widely available. In fact, a lot of games education could be seen as exclusive to a certain type of socioeconomic background. Resources simply aren’t shared equally; oftentimes marginalized communities like the working class or ethnic minorities miss out on opportunities that their more privileged peers have access to.

The Ukie UK Games Industry Census 2020 brought forth the statistic that 81% of the industry is educated to at least an undergraduate level, 50% of workers have a game-specific qualification in design/art roles and 60% of gaming programmers have STEM qualifications. The systemic disparities and unequal spread of resources make it harder for certain communities to have opportunities to fulfil their full potential. The census also found that only 10% of workers in the gaming industry are Black, Asian or ethnic minorities, and are noticeably under-represented in senior/managerial positions; further proving this case.

The gaming industry is largely dependent on young people (most workers are 35 and under), which means that it’s even more important to focus on making sure that they, irrespective of background, have access to the tools they need to compete in one of the UK's, and the world’s, most booming industries.

A great first step towards accessibility in gaming education is Core Games. The platform provides users with a multitude of services that enable them to make their own game from scratch. This includes music/sound samples, 3D models, and more in order to fuel developer creativity as well as interfaces that can be used regardless of your programming level. You also have the option to publish and monetize your game on the Core Games platform. Core also hosts free boot-camps that go into specialised and business aspects of game development. 

The platform continually provides unique learning opportunities. Users have the option to network with other members on their website, share ideas, build on concepts and remix other games. Full accessibility for games education is a project in the works, but with little steps, we can slowly craft it into a reality. Find out more about Core and learn from the team how to explore programming for the first time.