‘Priceless experience’ for games design students

ABERTAY University’s new Dare Academy games design competition has reached it’s intense hothousing period.

Six teams of students will design, test and create prototypes from July 10 to August 4.

Each team will have a working budget of £1,000 and will receive mentoring from leading games companies as well as workshops and guest speakers.

High-profile mentors and speakers come from companies such as Sony and Rockstar Games.

Topics will range from technical sessions through to how to get your game to market, how to promote your game, legal issues, creating eye-catching press and also pitching techniques.

The three top teams will win placements to international games studios in China, India and the US, with the winners expected to jet out in October, November and December this year.

The final teams include Wee Door with its game OIL, Lavalamp Games with I am Here, Pocket Sized Hands with Honeypot Espionage, 8Bit10 with King of the Castle, Bit Loom with PHOGS! and Hypnotic Pigeon with Shade.

Leo Reid, of 8Bit10, said: “Dare is an excellent opportunity to create a project with the mentorship and guidance from industry professionals, leading to us showcasing our game at a massive gaming expo.

“The whole experience is priceless and is sure to help all involved move one step closer to achieving their goals from landing their first games job to starting their own company.”

This summer, Abertay teams will compete for a huge prize package including the opportunity to showcase their prototypes at the UK’s biggest games conference EGX, which attracts more than 75,000 people to the NEC in Birmingham every year.

Abertay University