Tips from the top for Dare contestants
19 June 2006
Note to editors: Interview opportunities with
Richard Leinfellner can be arranged by telephoning Kevin Coe
on 07850 904110 on Monday morning.
Contestants in the UK's premier computer games design
competition received tips on winning from the very top of the
profession today (19 June).
Richard Leinfellner, Executive Producer & Vice President
of Electronic Arts visited Abertay University to talk to
students taking part in Dare to be Digital 2006.
He said: "Yet again DARE seems to have attracted some of the
best new talent, I am planning to spend some time to help
them hone them their ideas and put them in pole position for
one of the major prizes."
Richard has been developing video games since the early
1980s, and has been associated with a string of successful
games development companies and many bestselling titles. He
co-founded Palace Software in the 1980s, headed Mindscape's
European games production division in the 1990s and has
worked at Electronic Arts for the last nine years.
Dare to be Digital organizer Jackie McKenzie said: "As one of
the judges of Dare to be Digital for the last three years and
with more than 20 years of experience in developing
best-selling computer games, Richard is the ideal person to
give our contestants the inside track on How to Win
Dare.
"We're delighted that, as well as giving a presentation to
all the students, he also found time in his busy schedule for
one-to-one sessions with each of them. It was invaluable
personal tutoring that I am sure will make a big impact on
how they develop their ideas over the coming weeks."
Scottish Enterprise Tayside business growth director Jill
Farrell said: "The competition gives students an excellent
insight into the working world and access to advice from
people with real success stories behind them, such as
Richard.
"The lessons they will learn from him will stand them in good
stead, whether they go on to employment in the burgeoning
digital games sector or go into business themselves."
In all, 42 students from all over the world qualified for
this year's Dare to be Digital competition. Divided into
seven teams, they will be working night and day from now
until late August to develop a prototype video game,
receiving daily support and weekly training sessions from
industry specialists, with accommodation and a weekly
allowance of £170 thrown in.
At the end of the competition, a panel of experts will judge
the prototypes and award prizes at a special awards ceremony
and talent showcase in August.
The teams for Dare 2006 comprise four from Scotland, one from
Northern Ireland, one from Ireland, and one from Canada. In
addition, the Scottish Executive's Fresh Talent initiative
has funded seven places for Chinese and Indian students, each
of whom has joined one of the teams.
(Ends)
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Dare to be Digital 2006 is funded by Abertay University,
Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Dundee City Council, and
sponsored by NCR, BBC Scotland, Belfast City Council, The
Digital Hub, NESTA and the Scottish Executive. The media
sponsor for Dare to be Digital 2006 is 'Develop'
magazine.
Dare to be Digital has established an enviable reputation for
producing high-grade talent. Of the four Scottish teams that
entered last year, for example, one became a start-up games
company in Glasgow, and another is currently negotiating with
a major publisher. A third team became a start-up company
based at Abertay with funding from NESTA and is developing
its concept into a commercial product, while the fourth -
whose members are completing their studies - is negotiating
the sale of its game to a developer. Team members from
previous years have gone on to work for major names such as
Lionhead, Electronic Arts, and Microsoft while local talent
is also retained in Dundee by Real Time Worlds, Denki and
other companies.
Media enquiries: Kevin Coe
T: 01382 308452 M: 07850 904110
E: k.coe@abertay.ac.uk W: www.abertay.ac.uk