THE international success of Japan's computer games industry has produced a host of new colleges exclusively for aspiring game software developers.
"Ten years ago teenagers wanted to grow up to be pop stars. Now more and more of them aim at becoming video game creators," said Shuji Miyake, chief administrative officer at Human Creative School - which was the first specialist computer game design school in the world.
The school was established in Kichijoji, Tokyo, by the software company Human in 1990. A basic two year course costs about 2.6 million yen (£24,500), and gives students the chance to develop their own games under expert supervision. Most go on to join software houses, or establish their own, supplying industry giants such as Nintendo, Sega, Sony and Matsushita.
Despite the emergence of more than 50 rival game colleges, the school has increased its intake to 450 and plans to offer a course over the Net next year, for which it has already had more than 4,000 inquiries.
Part of the appeal is the chance to join in Japan's first mainstream success in the international entertainment industry.
Since Taito launched Space Invaders in 1978, Japan has dominated the global computer games market which is now said to be worth £16 billion a year. The short fat plumber Mario, of Super Mario fame, is modern Japan's most successful cultural export, having sold 115 million software packages worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film.
The domestic market has also nurtured a generation of game enthusiasts. It is said that more people own and play computer games in Japan than anywhere else in the world.
Nintendo, who dominate the market, estimate that almost every household with a child has a Nintendo famicon (family computer game). The latest 64 bit model sold 350,000 units within three days of its domestic release. From next year, the latest game titles will be available in convenience shops.
Games machines have been blamed for a marked decline in the fitness of Japanese schoolchildren and worsening communication skills. "When I was growing up you could go outside to play," said Seichi Saito (32). "But now there is no space for that in urban areas, so kids stay at home, and play computer games.
But after years of criticism, the Nintendo generation are now in demand. The government has stressed the need for Japan to nurture creative individuals, something the mainstream education system has noticeably failed to do.
Software companies offer game developers salaries starting at about 5 million yen, while top game designers now appear in the national tax administration agency's list of Japan's highest earners.
Yoshihiro Ito, a second year student at HCS, has already secured a promise of employment with a software house on graduation next March. "Having grown up with video games, I am very lucky to get the job I want, rather than run of the mill office work. My friends are really envious of me," he said.
"Attitudes have changed so much," Mr Miyake said. "Just two years ago, the image of a game developer was of an introspective, obsessive geek, but now all sorts of people are interested. We look to them to give us a Japanese Steven Spielberg."