ICS News Archive

Hireability Gaps and Frictions Between University Game Programs and Industry Hires [2023]

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has published a new study in partnership with the Department of Informatics at the University of California – Irvine highlighting significant gaps between university game development programs and industry recruitment expectations and hiring needs.

Principal researchers, Nika Nour, current Ph.D. candidate at UC Irvine and former Executive Director of the IGDA Foundation, as well as Dr. Constance Steinkuehler, Professor of Informatics and Co-Director of the Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Center, and Garrison Wells, current Ph.D candidate, investigated the relationship between college and university game development programs and current recruitment conditions within the games industry, focusing their inquiry and analysis on the apparent disconnect between industry needs and student skills deriving from academic programs.

The researchers conducted interviews with 21 recruiters and hiring personnel representing more than 20 games industry employers, ranging from game development studios and startups to major platforms and AAA companies. Their findings point to critical gaps between what recruiters at game companies look for and the skills game program graduates offer.

Download the full report at IGDA.