These skill standards were developed in 2003 by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. They are the result of the collaborative work of industry, education, labor, and government. Their development was facilitated by Lake Washington Technical College through a grant provided by the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. The developers also produced comprehensive industry-identified curriculum modules for use by community and technical colleges in their design of curricula and assessment of industry skills.

Importance to Texas

According to a March 31, 2010 press release from Governor Perry’s office regarding the Game On! Texas Symposium, Texas is home to more than 120 video game development companies, the third highest concentration of video game development companies in the U.S. Texas developers employ more than 3,500 employees and annually spend more than $234.4 million in the state.

In August, 2007, Governor Perry signed a bill approving up to $22 million in production incentives for the entertainment sector, including video game companies. According to Governor Perry’s keynote remarks at the 2008 E3 convention, a game company can qualify for up to $250,000 of state money if they agree to spend it in-state and employ mostly Texas residents working on Texas projects. The grants were recognized as a workforce opportunity - that the incentives would stimulate growth in the industry that would, in turn, create a stronger demand for qualified technicians. The grants are an important statement of the growing economic impact of the game development industry in Texas.

TSSB Recognition

Several Texas-based representatives of the game development industry, including creative directors, studio directors, and members of the International Game Developers Association and the Digital Media Council served on a subject matter expert panel and reviewed the skill standards, ensuring that the content was still valid and current. The panel included representatives from the following Texas employers: Amaze Entertainment, Critical Mass Entertainment, BioWare, and KingsIsle Entertainment. The panel requested that the TSSB recognize the Electronic Game Content Development skill standards.

The TSSB recognized the skill standards at its October 21, 2008 meeting.