University unveils world’s largest PlayStation teaching facilities

STUDENTS at Sheffield Hallam University are being given the chance to create videogames on the PlayStation 4 platform, through its partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s (SCEE) academic development programme, PlayStation First.

Sheffield Hallam has invested in 34 PlayStation 4 development kits for teaching on final-year undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Along with its extensive suite of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita development kits, the University now has the largest PlayStation teaching facilities in the world.

The new laboratory was officially opened by the developers of the SCEE’s new LittleBigPlanet 3 title, created by Sumo-Digital in Sheffield.

Students on Sheffield Hallam’s industry-accredited games courses will have access to a brand new PlayStation 4 laboratory, where they can learn the skills needed to make cutting-edge gaming software.

Dr Jake Habgood is course leader for the MSc game software development at the University. He said: “Our students have been learning how to use SCEE’s cross-platform technology to make games for the PS3 and PSVita for some years now.

“PhyreEngine is a serious C++ game engine, and our final-year MComp students have already used it to create a PlayStation 4 version of our collaborative puzzler game Aspect, which we’re planning to release on the PlayStation Network in the New Year.”

Dr Maria Stukoff, head Playstation First added: “We’re helping Sheffield Hallam develop the next generation of videogame talent succeed with PlayStation development. The new PS4 teaching laboratory is another example of how the University is leading the way in videogames education.”