Could computer game design become a core subject for engineering?

UK departments offering engineering degrees are struggling to maintain recruitment levels at a time the British government is aiming to increase the number of school leavers entering further education to fifty percent. Although engineering academics sight a number of external factors which contribute to this situation, there appears to be reluctance in addressing the question that the problem may lie in the courses on offer. At Lancaster University we decided to tackle this question by devising courses that could provide students with the necessary skills for a career in engineering and at the same time making them as attractive as possible to prospective students. One such course perspective is that of "computer game design", which presents a wealth of opportunity for teaching what may be considered "core topics", for future engineers. In this paper offer ways of producing new courses that challenge more traditional approaches to teaching engineering.