HELPING NEW GAME BUSINESSES GROW IN THE MIDLANDS
How Birmingham City University can help you get your game business off the ground
Games@STEAMhouse is a free programme dedicated to helping creatives and entrepreneurs kickstart their new venture, and is at the centre of Birmingham City University’s drive to help grow new game businesses in the Midlands. Zuby Ahmed, associate professor in game design at Birmingham City University and co-lead at Games@STEAMhouse, tells us more about the initiative’s plan to support Midlands-based game businesses, and what it can offer budding entrepreneurs.
What is the aim of Games@STEAMhouse, and who should apply?
Although there are numerous pathways to choose from once you become a STEAMhouse member (either through being a sole trader or by owning or setting up a new limited company), the initiative focuses on helping you understand and launch your new venture into either the game industry or even something related to games. It can specifically be a videogame you need help with developing, producing or taking to market; it could be something game-related (either digital or non-digital) or even gamification-based.
What support does the programme offer?
You immediately benefit from 12 hours of targeted advice, where you’ll participate within consultancy meetings or group workshops, focused on videogame design, production and business management. We even run game jams, both digital and non-digital, so that people can experiment with their ideas. The latest one has one of our members developing a card game that she wishes to take to market.
What are you hoping to achieve?
We want to create and nurture opportunities for people with their new exciting ventures, so they go onto flourish, strive and survive in a competitive and dynamic industry. We hope that phase one of the STEAMhouse project allows us to develop phase two – an even larger incubation space and support space for more businesses to join and grow within.
Where can people sign up to the Games@ STEAMhouse programme?
If you are interested in accessing free support to help grow your games business, apply at
steamhouse.org.uk/blog/games. We also plan to be at EGX Rezzed in April to network further, so we hope to meet you there too.
“You immediately benefit from 12 hours of targeted advice, and participate in consultancy meetings or group workshops”