Space Ape Varsity is our new program housing any projects we kick off in the collegiate space. Through mentorship and knowledge-sharing, our goal is to build relationships with educational institutions and their student bodies to inspire and support future leaders of our industry.

Our first project under the Varsity umbrella, are Masterclasses.

Over the month of March we held a series of Masterclasses focusing on different disciplines within the games industry to give students an insider’s look at the space they will soon be entering. Through six tailor-made sessions students learned about a variety of disciplines ranging from Game Design and Development to UI/UX, Marketing and Community.

We partnered with London universities to deliver the lectures to their students in person, and also livestreamed the sessions on Twitch’s frontpage. Each class was followed by a Q&A with both the students present at the lecture, and those watching online. More than 10 thousand people tuned into the Masterclasses live over three weeks.

Space Ape is an advocate for education, training in games, computer science, and the myriad of specialties that make up our vibrant industry. We’ve already had so much positive feedback from students. We’ve just wrapped up our first round of classes for this semester and we’ll be looking to cover more topics and disciplines in the fall. Thank you to the University of Greenwich, University College London, the NUEL, NACE and Twitch for all their support this semester.

You can find a synopsis, complete slides and videos for each of the six Masterclasses below. For more info email varsity@spaceapegames.com

Creative Engineering 101

Tom Mejias

Tom Mejias is a Client Engineer at Space Ape Games and a whiz at prototyping new titles. During the hour Tom gave an overview of the games industry and the engineering roles that exist within it as well as some in depth guidance, tips and tricks for specializing in the role of Creative Engineer.

Tom’s slides

Watch Tom’s class

You can find all the Masterclasses here:

https://www.twitch.tv/collections/S-kGIX1YGRVAMw

Designing for Competition

Andrew Munden

Andrew Munden leads Live-Ops at Space Ape and has been a competitive gamer since his teens. Students will learn about designing for a competitive environment and why features that seem ‘fun’ aren’t always good for the player.

Andrew’s slides

You can find all the Masterclasses here:

https://www.twitch.tv/collections/S-kGIX1YGRVAMw

Game Design for Modern Times

Adam Kramarzewski

Adam Kramarzewski is a Game Designer at Space Ape with 11 years of experience in the industry and a new book just about to be published. He gives students an unfiltered insight into the production practices, responsibilities, and challenges facing Game Designers in the modern game development scene.

Adam’s slides

Watch Adam’s class

You can find all the Masterclasses here:

https://www.twitch.tv/collections/S-kGIX1YGRVAMw

 

High-Performance Team Management

Pablo Calvo

Pablo Calvo heads up Social Media at Space Ape Games and has previously worked in esports as a team manager and coach. In this widely applicable lecture he discusses high performance teams and the skills learned in competitive play that can be transferred across work and study.

Pablo’s slides

Watch Pablo’s class

You can find all the Masterclasses here:

https://www.twitch.tv/collections/S-kGIX1YGRVAMw

UI/UX: Building Player Experiences

Adam Sullivan & Lissa Capeleto

Adam Sullivan heads up UI/UX at Space Ape. He and fellow UI artist Lissa Capeleto take students behind the visual language of games. In their class Adam and Lissa share their insights about how to build meaningful player experiences. UI and UX- much more than buttons or layout.

Adam and Lissa’s slides

Watch Adam and Lissa’s class here

You can find all the Masterclasses here:

https://www.twitch.tv/collections/S-kGIX1YGRVAMw

 

Communities: Bridging the Gap

Deborah Mensah-Bonsu

Deborah Mensah-Bonsu heads up content at Space Ape. Join her as she delves into the world of the players. There’s no game without the player community – Where do you find it, how do you build it and how can you help it grow. Join her as she shares her tips for empowering players, using content to connect and setting a community up to thrive.

Deborah’s slides

Watch Deborah’s class

You can find all the Masterclasses here:

https://www.twitch.tv/collections/S-kGIX1YGRVAMw