Dare ProtoPlay 2010

The world’s leading computer games competition, Dare to be Digital, has announced the line-up for its annual showcase in Edinburgh, including the first opportunity for the UK public to get hands on with Microsoft’s/Rare’s Kinect Sports game.

Presented by Turner Broadcasting and the University of Abertay Dundee, the international competition attracts students from across the globe to take part in a 10-week challenge in an attempt to produce the next big game. 75 students have 10 weeks to complete their prototypes at the Abertay University Dare hothouse, at the end of which the teams will showcase their games in front of thousands of visitors at Dare ProtoPlay, which is part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Dare Protoplay 13-15 August 2010 at Edinburgh International Conference Center Programmes:

15 new Dare games: Created by young talent from across Europe, Asia & America. Creativity, market potential and use of technology are the primary objectives for the young developers, which the audience will see all reflected in games produced for iPad, PSP Go, Android Phone, Windows 7 phone, Wii, Xbox and PCs. Visitors can play and vote for their favourite games at Dare ProtoPlay.

Studio games & technology showcase: Members of the public will be able to play for free: Kinect Sports by Microsoft; [adult swim] by Turner Broadcasting, Realtime Worlds’ APB, Blitz 1UP’s indie games, Denki’s new Xbox 360 game Juggle! alongside Quarrel and Denki Blocks! and LittleBigPlanet, WipEout Pulse, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE).

Intel partnered with SCAN will bring TEAM DIGNITAS, a SCAN/Intel sponsored gaming team to Dare ProtoPlay and the public will be able to play against some of the best e-sports champions on the latest 3XS custom gaming PC’s.

Dare Workshop 13/14/15 August: For serious young participants, Dare ProtoPlay is offering 12-16 year olds the chance to learn the skills of developing a video game in a mock-up studio. A two and a half day workshop partnered with BAFTA will see teenagers working as a team, creating their first title.

Dare ProtoPlay Bamboo: The world’s largest graphic developer, Wacom will showcase the Finalists’ work from the Dare with Bamboo competition.

Industry talks: Industry leaders will introduce the audience to the latest technology including Kinect from Microsoft, development tools from Adobe and the most powerful gaming machines from Intel. BAFTA will discuss how to get into the industry and the vital role that education plays through the UK's first Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education at Abertay University.

How to get into games: Representatives from Abertay are offering assistance through the Support for Business programme, which will provide prototype grant funding to small games development companies. Students and graduates will be employed to undertake part of the grant-funded projects. There will also be a chance to look at some of the games created by the students from the UK’s first Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education in Abertay University.

Dare to be Digital, now in its eleventh year, is organised and run by the University of Abertay Dundee and judged by some of the leading names in computer games development. The 2010 competition drew entries from over 11 countries and almost 80 universities worldwide, with finalists taking up the challenge at the Abertay campus in Dundee and competing for the coveted BAFTA Ones to Watch award.

Over the past 10 years Dare has produced some of the most exciting young talent to emerge from the academic sector and attracts support from some of the world’s biggest names in entertainment development.

For details, go to www.DareProtoPlay.com

Ends 27 July 2010

Press contact:

Stephanie Robertson/Jennifer Butler

Weber Shandwick

T: 07809 665 773 / 07770886937

E: srobertson@webershandwick.com / jbutler@webershandwick.com

Notes to editors:

About Dare to be Digital

Dare to be Digital is organised and run by the University of Abertay Dundee, with sponsorship from Turner Broadcasting, Intel, Wacom, NCR, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and Dundee City Council. The teams are mentored by prominent video games studios including BBC, Blitz Games Studios, Cohort, Rare, Realtime Worlds, Rockstar North, SEGA, Sony and Ubisoft.Technology support is provided by Adobe, Autodesk, Codesion, Crytek, Emergent, Hansoft and Sony. Teams of student programmers and artists compete in a 10-week intensive 'hot-house' development environment over the summer vacation, building fully-functioning prototypes for assessment by industry judges and a public vote at Dare ProtoPlay, scheduled for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

The three winning teams from Dare to be Digital each year become the sole nominees for the BAFTA “Ones to Watch” Award, and the 2009 Dare and BAFTA winning team also won a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award.