SERIOUS GAMES STUDIO
| SGS – Serious Games Studio | |
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| FROM: | West Midlands, UK | |
| KEYWORDS: | R&D promotion, prototype, working space, working infrastructure, innovation promotion, networking, | |
| DURATION: | May 2010 - July 2013 | |
| INDICATIVE COST: | 700.000 € | |
| FUNDING: | EU funds (ERDF), private funding | |
| FOCUS: | Game sector | |
| Serious Games Studio provides a secure prototype development studio, within the location of the SGI (Serious Games Institute). It brings together regional SMEs in the Interactive Digital Media Industry (Serious Games Sector) with potential commissioners (buyers) of Serious Games and digital media products, together with academic staff, in order to jointly research, design and develop new serious game prototypes. More than an incubator the SGS is not exactly an incubator but an organization to support the business, to seek investment sectors, to prototype a product and understand if is ready to go to the market. It runs 25-week studio sessions which generate significant R&D in the Region and increase levels of innovation across regional Serious Games Companies. The project directly supports most of the strategic functions and summary aims of the WMES (West Midlands Regional Economic Strategy). SGS approach is based on: - introducing Commissioners (buyers, such as larger corporate companies, museums, heritage centres, the Police, Fire service, Charities, City Councils, Schools and Universities). The SGI worked with their contacts and market the project to attract commissioners to the project and the project website. The project team worked with the commissioners to set up and facilitate the Studio - providing a secure physical space for the Serious Games studio within the Serious Games Institute, with conferencing facilities, a business incubator, an applied research team and also has server and technology hosting facilities - producing prototypes. The prototype stage would include full game design, research, visualisation, technical coding and complete demonstration of a new software application. The final day would incorporate a formal presentation of the working demo to the ‘client/potential commissioner’ within the SGI demonstration suite. A final project brief and evaluation document would also be produced for all parties - licences for new technologies to beneficiaries so that they can monetise the product |
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| SPECIFIC GOALS • provide financial assistance so that regional SMEs can release developers and designers to work on the project • provide new technology in applications, platforms and engines situated at the SGS • provide post Studio support alongside Business Link • provide services for business development, access to markets and access to investors • provide a transparent system for beneficiaries to apply for and to take part in the studios • implementing IP agreements for commissioners and beneficiaries |
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| MAIN NEEDS MET by the GP NETWORKING, CLUSTERING AND INCUBATION • incubation: working space and infrastructure made available • secure prototype development studio where customers, developers, academic staff can cooperate MARKET ACCESS • support in access to market • matching with customers and commissioners R&D, EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER • technology transfer and R&D results promotion • provision of new technology (applications, platforms and engines) BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT • provision of business development services • support in IPR management |
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| TRANSFERABILITY AND SUCCESS FACTORS This practice could be easily transferred in another region as they could get support from their ERDF funds. They can also just employ a very small team of developers and work in partnership with University/research centres. The video games technology is used to develop new product (mobile apps) and prototype that can be then developed to a full functioning application. In this way, the videogame sector can find an opportunity. |
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| QUOTATION OWNER OF THE PRACTICE: Coventry University Enterprises Ltd REFERENCE PERSON: George Constantinou, Gconstantinou@cad.coventry.ac.uk WEBSITE: http://www.seriousgamesinstitute.co.uk/applied-research/default.aspx?section=10&item=146&category=1 |
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| FURTHER DETAILS | ||
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