Aspiring games designers from around the world unveiled months of hard work at the launch of this year’s Dare ProtoPlay showcase.
Sixteen teams of developers from countries including India and the United States have spent two weeks at Abertay University competing in Dare to be Digital, adding the finishing touches to their games under the watchful eyes of some of the industry’s most distinguished experts.
Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, minister for further education, higher education and science, joined dignitaries from the world of games design at the public exhibition opening on Thursday morning.
The MSPÂ said the event was “fantastic” for the city and praised Abertay University for being at the forefront of the computer games industry.
She said: “Dare ProtoPlay 2016 is a fantastic event. It has been fantastic to see so many people here in Dundee, taking part in the event.
“It’s a great success story for Abertay University. They are a genuine global player in such an exciting industry, right here in Dundee.
“It’s very important that we encourage industries in Scotland such as games design and it is great to see that Abertay has been leading the field, not just in Scotland but across Europe. It would be a fantastic opportunity to see that success replicated across other creative industries in Scotland.
“I have played video games in my past, but I am from a different era to the ones that are on display here at Dare. I have had the opportunity to have a play with some of the games here today which has been very good.”
More than 13,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event, with the winning team and game due to be announced on Sunday.
One of the judges deciding on which game will come out on top is Lemmings co-creator and former Abertay student Dave Jones.
He said: “The Dare ProtoPlay event grows every year, and it is great to see so many young, enthusiastic developers.
“They remind me of a young me, they are loving what they do and loving what you do can lead to success. It will be difficult to pick a winner.”
During the opening event, Chinese games developer Perfect World signed a “memorandum of understanding” with Abertay, securing a closer working relationship with the university.
The event is free to attend, and will be open to the public until Sunday.
