SPOTLIGHT - Train2Game Student wins £10,000 for designing Windows8 Apps

Future's a game as Nicola's incredible journey across Europe pays off

WHEN Nicola Valcasara faced nothing but dead-end jobs in his home-town of Verona, he went on an incredible journey which ended on the doorstep of one of the world's biggest companies. The ambitious Italian rode almost 2000 miles through Italy, France and the UK on his Honda motorbike to  seek his fortune.

Nicola , aged 26, of Lowerstoft Close, south east London,  said: “I was delivering pizzas in Italy and working in an amusement park, anything to get by really, but then I found myself out of work for a year …

“I'd always had the ambition to work in the games industry but there are no real opportunities anywhere in Italy. I'd spent months applying to companies but got no response. “I couldn’t see any future at home and one day I just jumped on my motorbike and rode off into the night with my heart set on finding work.” After five days of travelling across Europe Nicola finally arrived in London. “It wasn't that I believed the streets were paved with gold but I knew it was a major centre for the games industry and that's all I wanted to get in to.” David Cameron has made the video games and apps industry one of his main focuses of the UK's economic recovery offering major tax breaks to companies offering new jobs and opportunities to talented people and financial support to major organisations. But Nicola's arrival in the capital was a nightmare - within 24 hours a gang tried to steal his motorbike and a few days later he was conned out of £300 by a company which promised to get him into the games industry. “It was terrible, I'd parked my bike in the street and five men tried to steal it – the police woke me up at 3am. The next blow was meeting up with a man who convinced me that his firm could teach me what I needed to know to realise my techy ambitions. They ripped me off. I was pretty despondent.”

“I didn't know he was in the competition. When he told us he had won we were in shock. He's a very quiet guy, then out of nowhere he told us he had won £10,000”, head chef Sandro Jaupi

But within ten days Nicola had found himself a job as a chef in one of London's top restaurants. “Things were looking up and I have always enjoyed cooking – but it still wasn't what I was looking for. I knew Microsoft's London offices weren't far from where I was working and I'd always wanted the chance to prove my abilities to them in particular. It was like I was standing on the doorstep of a dream.” Nicola started burning the midnight oil in a bid to break in to the games industry. “I used my wages to pay for aTrain2Game course, one of the biggest training colleges in the UK, and right away I began making games and apps.”

Nicola coaching Andrew Weber, Microsoft, at Le Mercury {deuxiéme}

It was then he entered the national Rapid2D development competition to find the best apps created for Microsoft's Windows 8.  Nicola was amazed to hear he'd won the top prize of £10,000. Part of the prize was to see his work go up on line, a visit to Microsoft's new centre in London and to receive mentoring from Gurus. “I can't believe it – it was worth that incredible journey through the nights on a motorbike from Italy.  Now I have money in the bank, I'm learning to build games which is my real ambition and I've got an introduction to Microsoft. I feel like I'm really on top of life.”

Sandro Jaupi, head chef (Nicola’s boss)

How do you feel about Nicola winning?

Absolutely amazing, He has worked for us for around 5 months. He really likes gaming; all he talks about is gaming in the kitchen. He works in the kitchen for a job but his heart is set on making games, this is like a dream come true for him.