Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, took part last week in an Xbox Academy workshop designed to empower and inspire an audience of aspiring game developers from across the UK.
In partnership with Into Games and Catch 22, Microsoft’s Xbox Academy hosted a free two-hour workshop in London, where a panel of gaming industry specialists shared their expert knowledge and advice with young people, many of whom are from hard-to-reach or less – represented backgrounds.
Sixty percent of British adults play games.
“It’s fantastic to see an event like this and a group like this come together,” Satya told attendees during his fireplace chat with Xbox On host, Charleyy Hodson. “To build a great game, you have to start by saying that we need to attract a really diverse group of people to get into this industry and be part of the teams that make these games.
Satya underlined the importance of gaming to Microsoft, and Microsoft’s commitment to the industry, saying, “It’s at the heart of our DNA… what motivates us is how we bring more enjoyment from gaming to the 3 billion people who play. “
Speaking about the range of skills required to create games, Satya added: “We, as an industry, need to move forward to make it really more inviting. It’s not just about hardcore coding – it’s that spectrum of skills that are needed.” to make games.
“I think the case for diversity in gaming is probably the easiest to see, because of the nature of what games are,” Satya added. “We’re definitely very committed to doing our part, in terms of whether it’s Xbox Academy or something else that will help more gamers or more people from all backgrounds get into [the games industry].”
Satya was joined by Rare Studio Head Craig Duncan and Executive Producer Louise O’Connor, each reflecting on their own careers and reiterating Xbox’s commitment to nurturing talent in great studios that in turn create great games where, when and how players but want to play.
Into Games’ Chief Executive Declan Cassidy and Cassia Curran, founder of Curran Games Agency, also offered practical advice and guidance on building a career in the UK games industry.
Participants were able to ask questions of all the speakers and learn more about building a career in the game industry in their specific area of interest.
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As for Satya’s personal advice to people who want to start a career in the game industry?
“I always say, don’t wait for your next job to do your best work,” Satya advised. “I’ve honestly never felt that the first job I did was less important than the job I’m doing now.
“We all have high ambitions, we want to get somewhere – and that’s all fantastic. But what will get you there is the passion and excellence with which you deliver what you do today.”
“These kinds of events are great for me,” said participant Ben afterwards. “My passion is accessibility and I’m especially interested in user experience. I think it’s important for me to find a company that shares the same values as me, so I want to talk to Rare right now!”
Kyle, who came through the Catch 22 program, was particularly interested in Cassia Curran’s advice on the differences between game development and game publishing, while Max – who had traveled from Manchester to attend the workshop after a C++ bootcamp hosted by Into Games – was looking for “great advice from people on what they learned while making games”.
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