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Gearbox has given almost $50,000 to The Guildhall at SMU to support new students entering the programme.
In addition to providing scholarships, staff members at Gearbox will also serve as mentors to the students during their studies at SMU. The developer, which is currently working on Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway and a Wii version of Sega classic Samba de Amigo, has also donated a sound lab to the institution, giving students the chance to use sound effects and music created by Gearbox in their own projects.
Gearbox CEO and president Randy Pitchford said: ““The only thing growing faster than our industry is the critical need for new and creative talent. I think it is clear that the video game industry has the vast financial support and consumer demand it needs to continue its global growth. But what I and many industry leaders are very worried about is hiring and retaining world class talent. That’s why programs like The Guildhall at SMU need our support.”
“It doesn’t really surprise me that Randy was the first industry leader to support our Fellows Scholars program,” Dr. Peter Raad, founder and executive director of The Guildhall at SMU, said.
“Randy was instrumental in the formation of our program and has been a huge supporter. He believes, as we do, that we need to find ways to ensure financial barriers do not stand in the way for the very best students to attend our program and become contributing professionals and future leaders in the dynamic video games industry.”
