InGAME and Nesta launch $69,000 game dev contest for healthier neighborhoods
R&D center and non-profit agency launch Scottish game maker competition to better imagine accessible food environments
Today Dundee-based R&D center InGAME and with non-profit tech agency Nesta launched a Virtual Healthy Neighbourhoods Challenge for a grand prize of £50,000 ($69,000).
The competition aims to create a better understanding of how access to healthy and affordable food affects environments.
The challenge will ask Scottish game developers to create virtual food environments and their submissions will establish the Nesta Playbox. The platform will serve as a library of designs that will be used to test new approaches to healthy and accessible food options for people.
Three development teams will each receive £5,000 ($6,900) to implement their design pitches.
The winning team will receive a prize of £45,000 ($62,000) to further develop their concept in a two month period.
"Our vision for the Nesta Playbox is to provide an evolving, data-rich game technology-based environment that enables Nesta to better map and understand the systemic challenge of obesity and test ways to improve access to healthy and affordable food," said head of creative innovation at Nesta Deborah Fox.
"We're delighted to partner with InGAME and we're excited at the potential of working with Scotland's videogames sector to harness game design techniques and create a Playbox that helps to address our mission and drive positive change."