Local software firm Radical takes a stand against the looming labour crisis

As Canada braces itself for a skilled labour shortage, one Vancouver company is working aggressively toward a unique solution. Radical Entertainment Inc., one of Canada 's largest private developers of digital entertainment, announced today that several employees will teach an undergraduate class in video game programming at the University of BC 's computer science program this fall.

The gaming industry is incredibly fast-paced, and a successful development company must attract top technical and artistic talent. As Radical continues to grow, filling key positions is critical. Consequently, the company 's management can 't sit back and wait for a labour crisis to pass.

"With over a dozen game development firms in Vancouver, we know there is a demand for skilled employees, especially those who inherently understand the game development process," says David Forsey, Radical Entertainment 's Director of Research. Forsey believes that teaching is one of the best ways to ensure that local schools turn out more graduates who are prepared for the realities of the industry.

UBC is one of the few universities across Canada to offer game development courses as part of its curriculum. Forsey, who holds a Ph.D. in computer science, and Radical programmers Mark James and Neall Verheyde originally developed the curriculum for the University of Calgary where students can take a specialization in video game development.

The UBC course is aimed at students in their final year of the computer science program. Working in teams and using materials from actual game productions, the students form small independent game development companies under contract to a large publisher.

"Students experience a condensed version of the entire development process from game design and technical documentation, to meeting milestones and delivering a final game, mimicking life at a real game company," said Forsey.

They 'll also be more prepared for a real job market. Armed with a design brief, technical documentation and a demo CD from the course, grads will also have an edge over other jobseekers. "Very few other applicants will have this level of experience," added Forsey.

The course also gives Radical an advantage in attracting these well-prepared grads. "If we want to hire the best people," said Radical 's Director of Human Resources, Leah Rubin, "we need to get the message out as soon as possible in their careers that we are a innovative company. The benefits to both sides are huge."

Forsey and his teaching team are currently exploring opportunities to offer the course at SFU or TechBC in the future. The University of Calgary also has Radical staff teaching in its program.

About Radical Entertainment
Founded in 1991, Radical Entertainment has grown to become one of North America 's leading developers of digital entertainment. The company creates top-selling entertainment products for the industry 's most powerful publishers, such as Fox Interactive, Microsoft and THQ. Recent high-grossing titles include Simpson 's Road Rage, Dark Summit, MTV Snowboarding, and Independence Day. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Radical also maintains an in-house Research and Development team run by industry leaders in 3D graphics and real time technology. Radical Entertainment prides itself on bringing creativity, imagination, passion and commitment to every aspect of its business. In 2000, the National Post named Radical Entertainment one of Canada 's 50 Best Managed Private Companies. For more information about Radical, visit the company 's web site www.radical.ca.

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For more information:
Farrah Jinha, Public Relations
Radical Entertainment
Tel. (604) 980-2410
Email: fjinha@radical.ca