Description
China boasts one of the largest markets in the world for games and media content and is home to some of the most profitable media companies. However, there are significant differences between the Chinese creative sector and the UK. Commercial obstacles, cultural differences, variation in production processes, differences in business and regulatory environments, and different approaches to education and professional training are all cited as barriers to growth and international collaboration.
In this microcredential, you will learn more about how digital media production professionals in the UK and China are working together to reduce barriers and identify new opportunities for collaboration and growth.
Aims
The aim of this microcredential is to develop your knowledge and understanding of transnational professional practice in the global digital creative industries, with a focus on China.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Understand the distinctive cultural, regulatory, and business characteristics of the Chinese digital creative industries, and identify the knowledge, skills, and strategies international studios and developers require to succeed in this market.
Indicative Content
1 History and future of videogames in China
Focussing on the videogame sector as a case study of Chinese digital creative industries, how has the videogames market and industry developed in China, how is the Chinese videogames economy currently constituted, and what does the future hold?
2 Consumer trends and audience preferences
What is popular with audiences in China? What can we note about preferences in terms of narrative content, aesthetics, play styles etc. when compared with other markets?
3 Policy and regulation
What unique regulations or limitations are imposed on digital media within China, and what similarities are there with other national and transnational regulations? How is creative content development and publishing shaped by policy in China? What social and ethical challenges are presented by regulation, in China as well as in the UK?
4 Transnational working and co-production
How is digital creative content conceived, developed, and released by professionals working across borders? What are the challenges for small and independent creative studios, compared with multi-nationals with studios based in and outside China?
5 Publishing in China
How do digital media content like videogames make it to market in China? What processes and requirements must creative businesses be aware of, and how do developers find, connect to, and work with Chinese publishers? How do consumers in China access content, including on grey markets?
6 Challenges and success
Hear from UK and Chinese professionals on the China market, co-operation, the hurdles they cleared, and how they found success.
| Teaching and Learning Method | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 3 |
| Tutorial/Seminar | 6 |
| Supervised Practical Activity | 0 |
| Unsupervised Practical Activity | 0 |
| Assessment | 5 |
| Independent | 36 |
Guidance Notes
SCQF Level - The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.
Credit Value – The total value of SCQF credits for the module. 20 credits are the equivalent of 10 ECTS credits. A full-time student should normally register for 60 SCQF credits per semester.
Disclaimer
We make every effort to ensure that the information on our website is accurate but it is possible that some changes may occur prior to the academic year of entry. The modules listed in this catalogue are offered subject to availability during academic year 2025/6, and may be subject to change for future years.