SpawnPoint - Where Game Begins

International computer game competition launches in Dundee

Over 70 students from as far away as China began their 10 week computer game design challenge at the University of Abertay Dundee today.

The computer arts students and graduates from Canada, China, India, England, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Southern Ireland, and Wales are finalists in Abertay’s ‘Dare to be Digital’ computer game design competition.

‘Dare to be Digital’, now in its tenth year, sees fourteen five-strong teams competing against each other to design a prototype game or other interactive digital entertainment. The teams beat off fierce competition and survived industry scrutiny during the regional finals, to secure their place in the grand final.

This is the first time that the finalists have all stayed in one host centre, at the Abertay Library in Dundee. Paul Durrant, Director of Business Development at Abertay said: “Dundee is the perfect place for a gathering of such brilliant talent. We are proud of Dundee’s position as a UK leader in computer games and of course, proud of our contribution to an industry which brings large local investment and employment opportunities.

“Here the finalists will have access to some of the finest minds in the industry who will provide mentoring support, and thanks to the generous support of our technology partners they will be using the very latest in game development technology. This really is an opportunity like no other.”

The teams will now spend 10 weeks in the Dare hothouse at Abertay, with each team receiving a stipend and industry mentoring from some of the top names in the business. At the end of the 10 weeks the teams face the ultimate challenge - showcasing their games to an audience of thousands at Dare ProtoPlay, part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Enthusiasts can keep up with the progress of their favourite games online and interact with the teams via the Dare website www.daretobedigital.com  .

Ends