Sony games development awards for Abertay students
20 October 2005
Photo-opportunity: These awards will be presented by a Sony representative at 3.15pm, in Lecture Room 1517, Kydd Building, Bell Street, Dundee. You are welcome to send a photographer.
Three computer games technology students at Abertay University have won prizes for their work from computer games giant Sony.
The prizes were presented for outstanding development work on a PlayStation 2 Games Console during academic year 2004/05.
First prize, a PlayStation2-Linux games development kit, a cheque and a certificate signed by Sony's vice-president of technology Paul Holman, was awarded to James Bird.
Runner up prizes of cheques and signed certificates were awarded to Grant Norrie and Laurence Emms.
The prizes were presented to all three students today by Sarah Ewen of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE). Sarah oversees the PlayStation2-Linux developers community for Sony, and traveled to Abertay today to present the awards and deliver a masterclass on the new PlayStation3 games console and their cell architecture.
The three award-winning students developed computer games as part of their second-year studies in console game programming.
Computer games technology lecturer Dr Henry Fortuna, who teaches console games programming at Abertay, said: "Students are introduced to console game programming during the second year of their course using PlayStation2-Linux development kits donated by Sony. The Console Game Programming module culminates with students creating a computer game, with the best three being awarded the Sony prizes."
Henry, himself an expert in PlayStation2 programming whose own software is used by educational establishments and individuals all over the world, added: "These Sony prizes are a great accolade both for our students and for the course. They clearly demonstrate the value that the games industry puts on the calibre of our students and the material we are teaching."
Abertay started teaching console game programming back in 1998 using the original PlayStation1 games console. The University changed to the more modern and powerful PlayStation2 console in 2002, and is now revising its teaching to take into account the new PlayStation Portable launched earlier this year.
Henry commented: "We have gone from strength to strength in this area and are now widely recognised as a world leader in the teaching of console game programming."
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
More information from: www.abertay.ac.uk
www.playstation2-linux.com
Henry's game development framework for the PlayStation2 is freely available at http://www.hsfortuna.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk.
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