The videogame industry in the U.S. grossed $10.3 billion in 2002 according to The NPD Group, up 10% over 2001. Unfortunately, the pool of skilled developers is not large enough to meet even current demand. Interested students and industry would benefit greatly from an organized system that trains new developers, but PTE Amherst is not providing this system. Hi-Score will be PTE Amherst's game development community. It's mission will be to support students pursuing a career in the game development industry.
The videogame industry is showing sustained growth in spite of the economic downturn. Game sales continue to increase, year after year, as does the number of people required for each project. Unfortunately, not enough skilled workers exist to meet demand. High-profile games can easily take a team of twenty to thirty highly-skilled people two years to make.
The problem is not that making games is an unpopular career, but that games take immense skill to create. That skill comes mainly from experience. This creates a huge barrier to entry for would-be game makers, and is why hundreds of applicants will be reviewed and rejected for each position - sometimes leaving the position unfilled even after extensive recruiting efforts. Those who get hired are rewarded with fulfilling jobs and professional-level salaries.
Some of these students, who've decided to make games as their career, pick the wrong major, because it's not clear to them which educational paths lead to which jobs. Students may pick Computer Science, because they equate making games with programming them. These students may actually prefer design, and could choose other degrees, such as English, architecture, and psychology. They may prefer to lead a development studio or publish games, and could choose business or marketing. A game development community could help them identify early on which path will take them where they want to go.