Stupidly simple games degree exam paper is very real

On first glance, this exam paper looks like a hoax intended to poke fun at the recent trend for video game degrees. However, if you dig a little deeper, you'll find that it's actually a genuine exam paper that students studying Computer Games Art or Computer Games Design at The University of Teesside have to take. We're sure many of you could answer these questions in your sleep, for example, question number 14 is "What was the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) videogame console, released in America and Europe, known as in Japan?"

We could leave you to giggle at the absurdity of students taking out massive loans just to learn about the history of video games, but here's the reality check. It's important to note that the History of Games module (of which this exam paper is from) is only a single module out of six that a typical student has to study throughout the year. As the University's course page says, "Studying the History of Games provides context to the course." The rest of the modules students have to take involve learning how to code and design games, which is not something you can do in your sleep, although I'm sure many students will attempt it with a hangover.

[Thanks Chris!]