HAMK Gaming Academy
At HAMK Gaming Academy, you have the opportunity to study and conduct research on topics related to e-sports and its business aspects. In the Gaming Lab facilities across campuses, you can blend utility with fun as these spaces can be utilized for both studying and playing games with study buddies.
Studies
At HAMK Gaming Academy, you can study courses related to games and gaming. You can choose these courses as part of your own degree, and all HAMK degree students interested in these studies are welcome to participate.
The 15-credits wide Esports Business Management module consists of three courses. The studies last for two periods and are set in periods 2 and 3. The module is available for all HAMK degree students.
The module contains three courses of 5 credits:
- Sports Management (5 cp, English)
- Esports Projects (5 cp, English)
- Marketing and Events (5 cp, English)
The Esports Management and Marketing and Events courses run in full as an online implementation. The Esports Projects section may require attendance depending on the project.
The module is in optional studies and open to all HAMK UAS students. The module has a maximum attendance of 40.
You can check more details of the module here>>
Read about the module experience here>>
Module content:
the student:
- knows how to design and model 3D game assets
- is able to select an appropriate 3D modelling method based on the required optimisation for a game engine
- understands the principles of a specific game engine and requirements of the target platforms
- is able to programme functionalities with game engine
- is able to produce a working and optimised executable programme using a game engine
- understands the possibilities and the challenges of VR and AR as a presentation mediums and is able to capitalise on its strengths
- knows the most common VR and AR devices and is able to select the appropriate technical solution
HAMK Gaming Academy offers HAMK degree students the opportunity to profile their know-how in the form of a thesis when it comes to esports regardless of their education.
HAMK Gaming Academy coordinates future thesis needs of companies related to esports to HAMK, forwards them to students and acts as the commissioner of the theses themselves. Primarily theses are giving to the students, who have have been or who are involved in other activities of HAMK Gaming Academy. If you are interested in making a thesis regarding esports, contact gaming@hamk.fi.
Examples of theses that have already been done.
- Structure and Gaps of Esport Governance and Path for its Pursuit of Legitimacy Among Traditional Sports, Derek Suarez
- Mobile Gaming Industry Market Analysis, Sami Marttila
- Esports and Podcasts: Developing HAMK Gaming Academy’s Brand with an Esports Podcast, Juliet Aittomäki
- Pelitilan kartoittaminen Pirkanmaalle, Jaakko Nippala
- E-urheilun valmennuksen kaupallistamisen mahdollisuudet Suomessa, Jari Yltävä
- How to bring traditional sports marketing into eSports, Aleksi Sipilä
Gaming Labs
We offer students access to three modern gaming spaces where you can play together with your classmates! All gaming rooms are equipped with five high-performance gaming computers, a great selection of games, and necessary equipment
And if your favorite game isn’t on the pc’s, you can email gaming@hamk.fi about it, and we will see what we can do. Currently CS:GO, Dota 2, LOL, Valorant, Rainbow 6 Siege and War Thunder are the games on the pc’s.
Gaming Lab reservations
Gaming Lab can be found in the the Riihimäki campus (room RI-B219). You can reserve Gaming Lab for your use through the Pakki or Tuudo systems (Room reservation –> Gaming Lab).
Remember to Notice the last number from your reseravation example RI-B219-1. The last number behind the room’s number means your computer slot. There are 5 computer’s in the room and all of them are open for reservation.
Rules
- Gaming lab will be closed 15 minutes before the campus is closed.
- Gaming lab needs to be kept clean
- The reservation will be made on Pakki or Tuudo for the Gaming Lab RI-B219. (Room Reservations –> Gaming Lab)
- Person who made the reservation is responsible for the pc and the peripherals.
- Remember to read the complete rules from the Door of the Gaming Lab
- Vaping/smoking is forbidden in the campus.
- Alcholic beverages are also banned in the campus area.
- You cannot download new games/software. Suggestions for them can be made by sending an e-mail to gaming@hamk.fi
- Misuse will lead to a closing of the room for an undetermined time.
Hardware
- Predator Orion 3000
- 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700F 2.10 Ghz
- 16,0 GB RAM
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
- 1TB SSD
Peripherals
- GK650K OMNIS KALH RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
- HyperX Cloud II headset
- Glorious Model-O gaming mouse
- Throne Pro V2 Gaming chair
- Predator PO3-640 144 Hz
Gaming Lab reservations
Gaming Lab can be found in the A building of the Valkeakoski campus (room 140A). You can reserve Gaming Lab for your use through the Pakki or Tuudo systems (Room reservation –> Gaming Lab).*
Gaming Lab reservations system is Currently updating.
Rules
- Gaming lab doors closes at the same time as campus.
- Gaming lab is only meant for people in Hamk.
- Gaming lab needs to be kept clean, including computer peripherals.
- If HAMK Smart Research unit has reserved the room, Gaming lab is not open for others.
- You cannot download new games/software. Suggestions for them can be made by sending an e-mail to gaming@hamk.fi
- Refreshments are forbidden near the computers.
- Vaping/smoking is forbidden in the campus.
- Alcholic beverages are also banned in the campus area.
- Misuse and not following the rules will lead to a closing of the room for an undetermined time.
Hardware
- Acer Predator Orion 3000-620:
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-10700
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
- 16 GB DDR4 RAM
- 1024 GB SSD
Peripherals
- L33T Gaming Elite V4 PU – Gaming Chair
- Glorious PC Gaming Race Model O – Gaming Mouse
- Blackstorm RGB Mech 2021 60% Dual Mode – Gaming Keyboard
- AOC 24G2U 24″ – Gaming Monitor
- HyperX Cloud II – Gaming Headset
Gaming Lab reservations
Gaming Lab can be found in the E building of the Visamäki campus (room VI-E240). You can reserve Gaming Lab for your use through the Pakki or Tuudo systems (Room reservation –> Gaming Lab).
Remember to Notice the last number from your reseravation example VI-E240-1. The last number behind the room’s number means your computer slot. There are 5 computer’s in the room and all of them are open for reservation.
Rules
- Gaming lab will be closed 15 minutes before the campus is closed.
- Gaming lab needs to be kept clean
- The reservation will be made on Pakki or Tuudo for the Gaming Lab VI-E240. (Room Reservations –> Gaming Lab)
- Person who made the reservation is responsible for the pc and the peripherals.
- Remember to read the complete rules from the Door of the Gaming Lab
- You cannot download new games/software. Suggestions for them can be made by sending an e-mail to gaming@hamk.fi
- Misuse will lead to a closing of the room for an undetermined time.
Hardware
- Predator Orion 3000
- 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700F 2.10 Ghz
- 16,0 GB RAM
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
- 1TB SSD
Peripherals
- GK650K OMNIS KALH RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
- HyperX Cloud II headset
- Glorious Model-O gaming mouse
- Throne Pro V2 Gaming chair
- Predator PO3-640 144 Hz
HAMK Gaming Team
HAMK Gaming- team is currently focused on CS:GO. Other games will be a part of the team’s operation, if there is interest. HAMK Gaming team had their first showing in the Hämpton Games esports event in 2020 where they placed first. In 2020 our team placed second in the same event.
HAMK Gaming – team is open to every HAMK student who is interested. If playing for a team is something you are interested in, contact us gaming@hamk.fi
HAMK Gaming Team was in Co-operation with youtubers NikojaSanttu and HAMK. HAMK Gaming played CS:GO against them in their video
Events
Hämpton Games
Hämpton Games is a local CS:GO event held in Hämeenlinna. HAMK is one of the main sponsors and cooperators of the event. Qualifiers are played before the event itself. The event includes semifinals and finals. The event venue has been Verkatehdas the previous years. HAMK is a sponsor and a collaborator in the event. The event is held by the local gaming room Bunkkeri.
Bitfest
Bitfest is organized by Häme University of Applied Sciences Business IT degree programme. The focus of the seminar is digitality, but subject is dealt multidisciplinary from different perspectives such as entrepreneurship, business, start-ups, innovations and internationalization.
The aim of the event is also to inspire students and companies to implement projects based on their own passions and expertise in multidisciplinary cooperation.
What is a HAMK Gaming Academy?
The popularity of esports is rising internationally, as well as in Finland. Esports is described as competitive playing of video games. HAMK is participating in this phenomena by arranging studies, doing research and working with multiple projects related to this field.
Our Approach
HAMK Gaming Academy connects HAMK with local, areal and national partners. Esports is build around competitive gaming, but the business environment has multiple approaches that all can be connected to the different degree programmes of HAMK, from business administration to smart and sustainable design.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
HAMK Gaming Academy is fitted into the structure of the degree programmes of HAMK, meaning students cannot directly apply for the Gaming Academy, but can take courses as a part of their degree.
Research and Business Cooperation
HAMK Gaming Academy works closely with HAMK Smart research unit. The cooperation materializes in the Future Wearables & Gaming lab space in Valkeakoski, where we are exploring the potential of wearable smart devices in the field of esports and developing upon it.
Article on video Gaming by university students:
E-sports and video gaming popular among HAMK students
Article on the possibilities of esports from HAMK’s perspective:
What esports could mean to HAMK?
We have also done two surveys on HAMK students about their gaming hobbies and about their interests in esports.
Corporate cooperation and projects are materialized especially in thesis cooperation and in Esports Business Management modules project portion. Projects have been done for The municipality of Vesilahti, The City of Valkeakoski, HAMK, Gaming room Bunkkeri and for Hämpton Games.
Hämpton Games is built in collaboration with regions operators.