University of Abertay Dundee News Release
NEWS RELEASE
DARE TO DOWNLOAD
11 September 2007
The six games that made it to the final in this year's Dare to be Digital competition are now available to download at http://www.daretobedigital.com/showcase/showcase.php
The competition winners are Phoenix Seed with Bear Go Home, for 'Innovation and Creativity'; Carebox with ClimbActic, for 'Use of Technology'; and Voodoo Boogy with Ragnarawk, for 'Commercial Potential'.
These teams each won £2,500 and a place on the short list for the brand-new Ones to Watch BAFTA award.
Phoenix Seed comprises four Chinese students and one Scottish student from Dundee, whose Bear Go Home game is a cute far-eastern styled game aimed at casual gamers. Players must help Bear find his way home, but without directly controlling him.
The Carebox team of students from Edinburgh University designed Climbactic, a game in which players combine the skills of two distinct characters to conquer sheer rock faces, deep chasms and icy summits.
Voodoo Boogy comprises five students from Abertay University, whose Ragnarawk is a fantasy role-playing game in which the player battles evil demonic forces using their only weapon - an ancient and powerful electric guitar.
The remaining three finalists were Super E.G.O. from Bournemouth and Warwick Universities, with their game Airborne; Lucid Dreams from UCCA Farnham, with their game Desire FX; and zero.one from Dublin City University and Carlow Institute of Technology, with their game Heaven2Ocean.
The six finalist teams were each presented with a Best Practice Handbook from games industry association TIGA.
For further information please contact Tracey McNeish on 01382 308 935.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Dare to be Digital games can be downloaded at http://www.daretobedigital.com/showcase/showcase.php
About Dare to be Digital
Dare to be Digital was first piloted among computer games students at Abertay in 1999. Since 2000, the competition has been run by a partnership of the University of Abertay Dundee, Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Dundee City.
Until this year, Dare to be Digital took place entirely in Dundee, but often including teams from the rest of the UK and overseas. Abertay University's decision to almost double the number of contestants for 2007 lead to the setting up of the regional host centres.
Dare to be Digital has established an enviable reputation for producing high-grade talent. Contestants from last year's competition are now working for RealTime Worlds, Codemasters, BBC Scotland, Denki, Rockstar North, Electronic Arts UK and Electronic Arts Shanghai.
Dare to be Digital is sponsored by AMD, EA, London Development Agency, Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise Tayside, NCR, University of Abertay Dundee, Nesta, Channel 4, XNA, Xbox 360, Realtime Worlds, Scottish Enterprise, Dundee City Council, Digital Hub, Belfast City Council with the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment's Building Sustainable Prosperity Programme, Intertrade, Queen's University, Disney Interactive Studios, Mirai, BBC Scotland and TIGA
Dare ProtoPlay was also sponsored by AMD, Realtime Worlds and Scottish Enterprise.
ENDS