Tom Cole
University of Greenwich
Tom is Senior Lecturer in Games Development at the University of Greenwich. His research is situated at the boundary of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Games Studies, and focuses on the broadening and deepening of emotional engagement in videogames. He organises game jams, and for eight years directed AdventureX - the Narrative Games Convention, an internationally recognised sell-out event. Tom was previously at Supermassive Games where he was a designer on the BAFTA award-winning horror game Until Dawn and artist on Killzone Shadow Fall.
Tom Cole is speaking at the following session/s
Opportunities For Talent: Workshopping The Foundations Of A Better Future
How can we evolve the conversation from talent needs into sustainable growth opportunities?
Work alongside education and industry panelists of this and the previous session to raise your own issues and success stories, helping address your challenges and architect the foundations of a more resilient talent ecosystem.
The session begins with high-impact Provocations for Growth from a broad field of experts. Each speaker will provide a brief, five-minute talk on their experiences and expertise.
Following these insights, the floor opens for a Foundations Workshop. Participants will work in mixed groups of educators and industry to capture ideas using Padlet technology. Working through the obstacles, groups will brainstorm potential solutions drawing out and building the foundations for action.
Session Takeaway
- Identify and address shared barriers in the education‑to‑industry talent pipeline.
- Collaborate on practical ideas to support graduate development.
- Learn from cross‑sector perspectives, industry education, and those bridging the gap.
- Contribute to actionable foundations for future talent growth.
Session speakers
Fixing The Talent Crisis: Moving From Conversation To Action
This Roundtable is focused on the learnings from today’s Games Edu track. We will be consolidating and sharing our thoughts with each other, giving plenty of time for networking to build the necessary bridges and move the discussion into practice.
We will cover the key outcomes from the earlier sessions in the track. Giving a chance for educators, studio leads, and practitioners to share their own observations and challenges, looking for the common ground: where are the successes happening, and where do the challenges remain?
Moving on to networking and further discussion with the view to building the connections that will create lasting links to maintain the momentum and turn conversation into action.
Session Takeaway
- Consolidate key themes and learning from the Games Edu track.
- Share challenges and successes in developing early‑career talent.
- Build new connections across industry, education, and bridging organisations.
Session speakers
Games:Edu Track Intro & Keynote: Apprenticeships & the Tacit Knowledge of Game Development
Following a brief introduction and welcome to the day’s events by track hosts Laurence Oldham and Dr Tom Cole, in this keynote, Jake Habgood explores the role of formal and informal apprenticeship in the games industry. Drawing on experience from his own early career at Gremlin Graphics and 20 years of leading training initiatives across industry and academia, the session examines how much of what defines an effective developer is not easily codified, but instead acquired through observation, collaboration, and participation in real production environments.
The talk focuses on tacit knowledge, the practical understanding of workflows, judgement, and team dynamics that emerges through close interaction with experienced colleagues. It argues that this form of learning is central to game development, where rapid iteration, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and shared problem-solving are essential. The session also considers how changes in working patterns, particularly the shift toward remote working, affect the transmission of this knowledge by reducing opportunities for informal exchange, mentorship, and apprenticeship-style learning.
The keynote reflects on the implications for studios seeking to build capability, maintain cultural cohesion, and support early career development, particularly where traditional learning pathways are disrupted. It outlines considerations for sustaining effective knowledge transfer and team development in modern production contexts, before concluding with a Q&A.
Session Takeaway
- Understand the role of apprenticeship, both formal and informal, in developing games industry skills.
- Recognise the importance of tacit knowledge in production environments.
- Identify the challenges remote working presents for knowledge transfer and team development.
- Consider approaches to sustaining effective learning and cultural cohesion within studios.
Session speakers
