Games Internship: Insights into Hamburg's Game Studio

The Games Internship program in Hamburg serves as a strategic initiative to introduce secondary school students to the professional landscape of the video game industry. By providing a comprehensive three-week immersive experience, the program aims to demystify various career paths within game development and foster early interest in the sector. The initiative is a collaborative effort involving local industry stakeholders, including InnoGames, Deep Silver FISHLABS, Tivola Games, the HAW University of Applied Sciences, the local game association, and Gamecity Hamburg, with pedagogical guidance provided by the Initiative Creative Gaming.

During the 2022 iteration, 20 ninth-grade students participated in a curriculum that balanced theoretical instruction with hands-on application. The program spanned multiple studio environments, where participants engaged in workshops covering core game design principles, audio production, and quality assurance. Students were tasked with creating their own board games and developing conceptual portfolios, which included character design and mood boards. These projects were presented to industry professionals at the conclusion of the internship, demonstrating the participants' ability to synthesize technical and creative concepts within a short timeframe.

The program emphasizes the importance of foundational academic subjects—specifically English, physics, and mathematics—as essential prerequisites for a career in game development. By offering direct exposure to studio operations, such as motion capture facilities and development environments, the internship successfully bridges the gap between academic interest and professional reality. The positive reception from participants and the ongoing commitment from Hamburg’s game studios underscore the program's role as a vital pipeline for cultivating future talent within the regional games ecosystem.