Microsoft is following Sony to an extent.
In collaboration with Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE), the Redmond-based company launches Xbox Academy, which is meant to be a free, non-profit way to have courses for visual effects, animation, and game development in Australia for school-aged children. With this move, Microsoft wants kids to get interested in development to eventually make games for their platform (as well as PC) in the future.
GameSpot’s information mention that the kids got a Surface Tablet to take notes and do some programming on them, and they also got a development-ready Xbox One S to test their work in a real, working environment. Their game concept pitches then were critiqued by the other students, and the Unity engine, an option to make your product available on multiple platforms, is also part of the course.
Microsoft plans to teach 120 students at most during the holiday season (from April 10 to April 22). You cannot start interest in game development too early.
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