Five Celebrities Who Enjoy Gaming

Gaming is arguably the world's fastest-growing industry, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.9%. Developers and gamers are earning lucrative amounts from their contributions. You can claim your share of the action by earning an MA Game Development degree from the University of Bolton. 

The programme helps you build your understanding of advanced game development techniques, expand your knowledge of the games business and enhance your transferable skills for a lucrative career in the industry. Depending on how well the market responds to your creations, you can also earn a celebrity following.  

Let’s explore some of the highlights you can expect to see on the course: 

Course Highlights… 

- We use a teaching-intensive, research-informed approach with the latest research and industry trends, meaning our students are career-ready to enter the industry once they graduate  

- We offer access to guest lectures from industry experts from the leading games studios in the UK, as well as past Bolton graduates who are now working in the sector  

- Opportunity to create and publish games for a variety of platforms including mobile, desktop, VR, and console. This enables our students to build a portfolio of their work throughout their studies as they gain experience creating and running an indie studio  

- Our lecturers are experienced in the games industry; having worked on published games and also have experience both working at or with publishers and developers  

- Our projects are flexible and designed to offer appropriate challenges based on student’s own skill set  

Let’s now look at five well-known celebrities who gamers! 

Elon Musk 

You may know him as the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, or Neuralink. But did you know that Elon Musk is also a huge gamer? It turns out that gaming is one of Musk's favourite ways to relax. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he said: "I like video games because I find them relaxing. I'm not a hardcore gamer or anything, but I like playing 'Civilisation' and a few other games." 

Interestingly, Musk's love of gaming hasn't just helped him relax; it's also helped him in business. In the same interview, he credited his experience playing 'Civilization' with giving him the inspiration for Tesla's autonomous vehicle program. He said: "The idea of auto landing rocket ships came from playing too much 'Civilisation.'" When it comes to his favourite games, Musk is a big fan of first-person shooters (FPS) and action-adventure games. Some of his favourites include 'Call of Duty,' 'Borderlands' and the 'Uncharted' series. He's also been known to enjoy the odd game of 'Minecraft' from time to time. 

Daniel Craig 

When asked about his love for gaming, Daniel Craig explained that it helps him to relax and unwind after a long day of filming. He also enjoys the challenge that video games offer, as well as the sense of escapism that they provide. Soime of his favourite games include Resident Evil 4, Halo 3 and Gears of War. He also spoke about how he regretted not having more time to play video games nowadays. 

Michael Phelps 

Phelps isn't just a casual gamer; he takes his gaming seriously. He even has his own Twitch channel where he live-streams his gameplay for his fans. When asked about his favourite game, Phelps didn't hesitate to answer: "Right now I'm really into 'Fortnite.' I love how fast-paced the game is and how it requires you to think quickly on your feet." It's clear that Phelps knows a thing or two about being successful in competition—both in the pool and in the gaming world. 

Tom Holland 

Tom Holland began gaming at a young age and cites it as one of his earliest interests. He has spoken about how gaming helped him through some tough times in his life and how it was a way to escape from reality. Games such as Halo, Gears of War, and Call of Duty were some of his favourites growing up. In fact, he even auditioned for the role of Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War movie that was ultimately never made.  

 
While he didn't get the role, gaming did help prepare him for his role as Spider-Man. In an interview, Holland said that "Playing all those video games when I was younger actually taught me a lot about hand-eye coordination, which came in handy when doing all the stunts for Spider-Man." He also credited gaming with helping him learn to stay calm under pressure, something that is essential for any superhero. 

Samuel L. Jackson 
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Jackson grew up during the golden age of arcades. He spent countless hours playing classics like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders. When he wasn't at the arcade, he was often glued to the TV screen, watching shows like Star Trek and Lost in Space. It was clear early on that Jackson was a natural performer with a knack for entertaining people. However, it wasn't until he started gaming that he realised his true potential as an actor. 

While other actors of his generation were focused on landing roles in big-budget blockbusters, Jackson carved out a niche for himself in the gaming industry. He quickly became one of the most sought-after voice actors in games, lending his unique talents to hits like Halo 3, Gears of War 3, and NBA 2K13. It was through these roles that Jackson began to gain mainstream recognition for his work as an actor. And as his profile continued to rise, so too did his opportunity to land roles in major motion pictures. 

Why study MA Games Development at the University of Bolton 

The MA Games Development degree at the University of Bolton grows your skills and confidence in game development, marketing expertise and gaming techniques. You also earn at least one credit on a published game when you complete the course. 

You will study alongside other students to form and run indie-style teams, further extending your understanding of game development concepts and production methods. Visit the MA Games Development page or make a direct course enquiry to learn more about the programme specification. 

For further information, please contact us at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk or call us on 01204 903807; we are here to help!