NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Students interested in making a career out of developing computer and video games may be interested in a new discipline to be offered by the University of New Orleans.

The university says its computer science department is now offering a concentration in game development.

The Advocate reports a 2011 study by market research company the NPD Group found that video game sales in the United States generate about $8.8 billion annually, while sales of computer games total about $450 million.

The game development concentration could become a recruiting tool for the university, computer science chair Mahdi Abdelguerfi said.

“The pervasiveness of computer gaming on personal computers, game consoles and handheld devices has generated significant student interest and job opportunities after graduation,” Abdelguerfi said.

Both introductory and advanced courses in game development and mobile application programming will be offered.

The courses taken together with classes in computer graphics and programming, form the foundation of a new concentration aimed at preparing students for productive careers in game development, Abdelguerfi said.

“With the presence of Touch Studios, Gameloft and Red Ticket Games in New Orleans and Electronic Arts in Baton Rouge, game development promises to be a significant industry in the Silicon Bayou of southeastern Louisiana,” Abdelguerfi said.