Despite the fact that the Triangle is home to two of the most successful game development studios in the world--Cary's Epic Games and Morrisville's Red Storm Entertainment--there wasn't a local opportunity for students interested in pursuing a career in videogame development--until now. Wake Technical College will officially unveil its new state-of-the-art videogame lab at a press conference with U.S. Representative Brad Miller on Monday, February 26.

The new lab boasts 25 of the most powerful Alienware computers, which allows students to learn the craft of creating 3D videogames. With a growing number of videogame shops sprouting up around the region, there will be plenty of local opportunities for videogame programmers who take the two-year Associate's Degree in Simulation and Game Development.

The new computer lab is the centerpiece of this new program, which debuted last fall, after Wake Tech was awarded a three-year $858,000 National Science Foundation grant. It is one of the first of its kind in the nation, and is serving as a model for other educational institutions, including secondary and post-secondary schools.

With the videogame industry on a record pace--raking in over $30 billion globally last year alone--game development is a field that's secure for years to come. Videogames aren't going to go away. In fact, the industry is in need of new creative minds to help take interactive entertainment to the next level. The next generation consoles that are out now, like Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, are opening new doors for those interested in games.

Anyone who has played "Gears of War" or "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter" has seen a glimpse of the future of gaming. And both of those local game companies are sure to tap into new students for future games. It's nice to see the state putting money into game development. Ironically, both of the games that sold millions of copies last year (and still counting) are rated Mature. If that new legislation goes through, it would hurt the same local game studios the state's trying to promote. Let's hope that doesn't happen.