Game Design + Project Management = a new kind of certification?

When you study Business Administration one of the main components is learning Project Management.  I had a great project manager at Boston University.  He has tons of years of experience in manufacturing and business project management, and was an absolute sage when it came to helping any project of mine.  But when I suggested a project based on a computer game, he shrugged his shoulders and politely suggested that I pick a different topic.  I did pick a different topic (a comparison of Call Centers including a new kind called a "Distributed Call Center") but kept working on my own project that became The ZoRTS Project.  Effectively doing two senior projects...

Keith Fuller has been writing blog posts on #ALTDEVBLOG about his Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certifications.  These are things that I was encouraged to get, and have thought hard about getting.  His recent posts have convinced me that learning more about them is a critical step for my future in game design, but actually getting the certifications may not be.

The issues that he's addressing today is more along the lines of creating a new certification specifically for Game Designers, born out of the same place as the previous two.  I am VERY interested in this concept.  PMP or CSM certification specifically for game design would resolve my "should I, shouldn't I" debate instantaneously.  The question is how do we move things forward?  I don't know the answer to that.  I actually only have more questions.

Are there any other break away certifications?  Have they succeeded or failed and why?  More gamer's who are learning to be game designers need a familiarity with CSM and PMP ideas.  Folks already established in the industry need more familiarity as well. We should find more folks in the Community who are very familiar with project management and get their advice.  Perhaps everyone interested in this idea should sit down face to face and talk about it.

This has already been brought up to with Scott Macmillan of Boston Indies in a casual way (a quick tweet).  But the Boston area has some great resources to start talking about this in a more serious way.  I think it's time to rally the troops and give this some serious talking time.