Students meet in a classroom and work at their laptops.

Game Business & Publishing Major

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It takes a lot of work to publish and launch a successful game, and the work isn't confined to game development. Get involved in all the behind-the-scenes action-the business development, communications, analytics, and so much more-that can ultimately make or break a game's success.

From the store shelf to gaming conventions, social media to your favorite esports franchise, games are a massive industry. Earning more than $150 billion per year in revenue, games are "bigger than the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NHL combined."* What does that look like from a business perspective? What roles and processes are necessary to keep these companies running?

Learn the video game industry by immersing yourself in it.

Why study Game Business & Publishing at Champlain College?

You'll get the full picture of the game market and process by working in the Champlain College Game Studio, where students in each game major collaborate in a complete ecosystem that simulates the industry. Your experience here sets you up to transition seamlessly into your career.

In our Upside-Down Curriculum, you'll start taking classes in your major on day one. That means four years of practical courses and learning through firsthand experience; you'll graduate with a background to rival many candidates who are already working in the field.

Focusing your degree with one of our three concentrations, you'll further tailor your industry expertise in the areas that interest you most.

  • Business Strategy
  • Content & Community
  • Research & Analytics

At Champlain, you'll gain the business, communication, and collaboration skills you need-all within the context of the video game industry and how it functions in the real world.

Learn More on Our Game Studio Website

*Gaming as a Cultural Force Just Stepped to the Forefront of Entertainment by Paul Traeger, Svp, Group Director Comms Strategy, Havas Media
How Much is the Gaming Industry Worth in 2021? by Teodora Dobrilova, TechJury


JUST THE FACTS

THE BEST

The 2021 Fiske Guide to Colleges selected Champlain as one of the "best and most interesting schools" in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain.

THE MOST

Champlain was named a "Most Innovative School" by U.S. News & World Report (for the seventh consecutive year!) in its "America's Best Colleges" 2022 rankings.

#1

Burlington, Vermont, our hometown, is ranked the #1 Best College Town by Travel + Leisure magazine.

WHAT SETS US APART

The Game Studio Experience at Champlain College

The unique Game Studio Experience at Champlain College gives you start-to-finish game-building experience in a professional environment. You'll collaborate with your peers in each of our game majors to create playable games in a studio that parallels the processes of the industry. By the end of your four years, you'll be ready to work in a professional studio.

Students demonstrate and play video games at the Champlain Game Studio Senior Show

Annual Game Studio Senior Show

You will have the opportunity to present the game you create with your Game Studio team—as well as your own demo reel—to recruiters from all over the United States and Canada. Recruiters often come to the Senior Show to scout new talent, from companies like:

Insomniac Activision/Vicarious Visions
Behaviour Hidden Monster Games
Otherside Entertainment Sony Bend
Trivium Interactive Ubisoft
Velan

Champlain students attending the Game Developers Conference in San Fransisco

Game Developers Conference

Champlain College sends a cohort to the world's largest game developers conference each year in San Francisco. Game Studio faculty, students, alumni, and the Game Studio Career Coach attend the conference for professional development and networking. The Career Coach facilitates exclusive networking meetings for Champlain students with top recruiters from companies such as Ubisoft, ArenaNet, Crystal Dynamics, Survios, Insomniac, Rockstar, and Sony.

CHOOSE A CONCENTRATION

Business Strategy

Focus on the strategic aspects of game businesses. You'll take additional courses in management, finance, and markets.

Content & Community

Develop your skills in creativity and communication—this concentration is ideal for students who are most excited about the PR and social aspects of the game industry.

Learn more about the Game Business & Publishing concentrations.

Research & Analytics

Dive into the data. Game companies rely on extensive research in order to make smart decisions; learn how to lead that decision-making process. 

SAMPLE COURSES IN GAME BUSINESS & PUBLISHING

Year 1

BUS 110 Business and the Entrepreneurial Mindset EGD 102 Game History

Year 2

LEG 120 Business Law COR 2 Advanced Business Internship

Year 3

ECN 255 Managerial Economics GBP 300 The Global Game Industry

Year 4

CCC 410EGD Capstone in Game Development EGD 420 Game Studio III
SEE FULL CURRICULUM

We researched game genres and the risks associated with each genre. You don't have to compromise the vision of the game you want to make—this class teaches you the skills to assess the risk that comes from the game design choices you make, and what you can do to address them.

Donovan Garcia-Buckler '22 on the Game Entrepreneurship course

YOUR FUTURE

Break into the Business of Games

The game industry is competitive, fast-paced, and ever-changing. The Game Studio environment will prepare you to adapt to a dynamic marketplace and thrive in your career, whether you join a big-name gaming company or create your own!

Upon graduation, you'll be prepared to...

Leverage your collaborative, leadership, and interpersonal skills to effectively organize and manage collaborative relationships in and outside of your organization.

Think, work, and respond with a high degree of originality, divergent thinking, and risk taking.

Evaluate the intersections, influences, and social contexts of both game communities and the larger world, and make decisions and advocate for policies from a position of shared humanity and openness toward difference.

Explore all Game Business & Publishing program learning outcomes.

Possible career choices include:

  • Branded Content Coordinator
  • Brand Insights Associate
  • Digital Product Manager
  • Esports Broadcasting
  • Esports Content Producer
  • Esports Game Agent
  • Game/Esports Journalist
  • Game Monetization Associate
  • User Experience Analyst
  • User Research Assistant

Latest Game Studio News from The View

Let us know you’re interested so we can keep in touch!

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Sign up to download our academic catalog, and receive helpful tips and advice, deadline reminders, and inspiring information about careers, majors, and college life at Champlain. See why we’re ranked one of the most innovative schools in the country.

Nice to meet you!

Thanks for getting in touch. Download your Academic Book here. Please reach out anytime if you have any questions about Champlain; you can call or text us at (802) 625-0201 or email us at admission@champlain.edu.

Check out our list of majors, come visit our beautiful campus, and explore our blog, The View, for the latest news and updates.

OH, AND THERE'S MORE...

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