Oulu Game LAB's current situation.
We feel that it is our responsibility to update you on the recent events that shaped and continue to affect the upcoming development of OGL.
A lot of speculation has been in the air recently so we want to make sure that you are informed.
The following are now confirmed regarding Oulu Game LAB:
Responsibility inside OAMK will move from the Culture department to the ICT department.
Will be located in the Rantakatu premises until spring of 2021, when our rental contract ends.
No updates on what happens after. It has been hinted that due to OAMK moving to the Linnanmaa campus, all degrees are moving to the campus. - We will have to move as well.
ICT will continue to provide game development online courses for the Spring term.
This means that the resources that we had in the past for Spring Demo Path will be allocated to the development and running of the online game development course.
Should focus more on the employment of students.
Our results will be measured based on the amount of students that get employed.
3rd year ICT students will have half of Demo Path as compulsory studies with the option to do the full Demo Path.
This means we will start re-designing Demo Path so that it can accommodate the influx of ICT students that are only for half of Demo Path.
Game Path structure will change.
It is not clear yet how.
Will be replacing coaches with teachers.
In order for the structure to be cost-effective, we will start using more the talent that we have inside the university.
Kajaani trip (Northern Game Summit) is out of the question
No resources.
Game LAB will be run by only one person.
Currently, the plan is that Anna will be focusing on Resistance Games.
It is now becoming clear that the current structure of OGL will change. It might be that we will focus more on the needs of the local industry, creating a structure that allows faster iterations and creation of products that can be developed and launched inside the limited timeframe. We will see.
In the end, I would like to end with a reply we recently gave when asked to comment on our view on the importance of Game Education in Finland.
Game Education is extremely important in order to sustain the growth and competitiveness of the local industry. At its core, education should be the one that pushes the boundaries of industries, allowing students to experiment in a safe environment different solutions to future problems.
We at OGL believe that in order to achieve such success - education needs to be disruptive. As the world is revolving more and more around technologies working together, interdisciplinary education is increasingly more important. We need to support innovation, creativity and economic growth by empowering students to think and experiment in a safe environment. And lastly, education needs to be connected to the industry so that it doesn't lag behind. If possible, education, should be in the center of the game industry hub so that it can iterate quickly based on the needs but also be part and help the growth of the community.
We will keep you updated as the situation develops.
