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Yesterday, I posted about various government bodies investing heavily in the gaming industry in one way or another. Well, keeping in that spirit of state-sponsored gaming, here’s a story about a rather interesting school in the works over in Liverpool (You know, where those Beatles guys from that Rock Band game are from?)

Develop Online reports that there are plans in the works to build a £5 million National Games Academy in order to turn Liverpool into a “breeding ground for the finest computer minds in the country.”

According to the Liverpool Daily Post, the city is currently the “most significant” region for gaming in the UK, thanks to the presence of companies including Sony, Evolution Studios (MotorStorm <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31341/motorstorm/index/" title="MotorStorm">MotorStorm</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31341/motorstorm/news/" title="MotorStorm news">News</a></h6> (2)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31341/motorstorm/news/" title="MotorStorm news">Previews</a></h6> (1)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31341/motorstorm/review/" title="MotorStorm review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31341/motorstorm/videos/" title="MotorStorm videos">Videos</a></h6> (4)</li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/31341/motorstorm/screenshots-and-images/" title="MotorStorm cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (3)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> ) and Bizarre Creations (Project Gotham Racing <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/41837/project-gotham-racing-4/index/" title="Project+Gotham+Racing+4">Project Gotham Racing 4</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/41837/project-gotham-racing-4/news/" title="Project+Gotham+Racing+4 news">News</a></h6> (2)</li> <li><h6>Previews</h6></li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/41837/project-gotham-racing-4/review/" title="Project+Gotham+Racing+4 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/41837/project-gotham-racing-4/videos/" title="Project+Gotham+Racing+4 videos">Videos</a></h6> (4)</li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/41837/project-gotham-racing-4/screenshots-and-images/" title="Project+Gotham+Racing+4 cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (60)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> ). However, I have a feeling that other cities such as Edinburgh (Rockstar North), and Dundee (Realtime Worlds, Ruffian Games) might be eager to debate this claim. Yet, there’s no doubt Liverpool will certainly have a leg up with the addition of a special institution designed to train the game developers of the future in every aspect of game design (art, programming, tech, business, IP development, etc.).

The games academy is still very much in the planning stages, but officials say they hope to secure government support sometime soon to get things jumpstarted. Best of luck to them.

Source via Develop Online