More than 1,000 visitors descended on Abertay University at the weekend to catch a glimpse of the future of computer games design.
The Abertay Digital Graduate Show (ADGS) saw more than 170 students showcase their work, and will run until Tuesday at the Abertay union building.
Final year students from the university’s school of arts, media and computer games displayed innovative and in some cases award winning work – their first tentative steps into an industry thought to be worth almost $100 billion (£77 billion) worldwide.
Some of the most popular stands included a sandpit that uses an interactive projector, a game highlighting elderly loneliness and a Triple A horror prototype.
On Saturday morning children and parents learned about Abertay’s computer arts courses by creating 3D worlds from paper before an afternoon programming session using Minecraft and bananas.
Clare Brennan, ADGS lead and Abertay curator, said this year’s show was the biggest in the university’s history.
She said: “The event has been non-stop ever since our VIP launch night on Friday and there has literally been something for everyone.
“And we are not finished yet. The show is open from 10am to 3pm on both Monday and Tuesday, so I would encourage people to come down, take a look, and find out more about the work of our School of Arts, Media and Computer Games.”
On Saturday evening, a special Pecha Kucha talk was held on campus celebrating 20 years of Abertay being the first university in the world to offer degree-level qualifications in game design.
Pecha Kucha is a presentation style in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each, a format which keeps presentations concise and fast-paced.
More than 300 people took part in the anniversary discussion, which saw presentations from graduates including Ubisoft art director Liam Wong, Danny Parker of Ninja Kiwi, and Timea Tabori of Rockstar North.
Many of the final year students displaying at this year’s show were keen to eschew typical video game tropes with their work.
Cian Roche, 25, was part of a team which developed a “gentle” game, in response to the high number of games filled with “bullets”.
Cian said: “We originally developed Glaze for the Dare protoplay competition last year, and were awarded a grant from Channel 4 to continue developing our idea.
“We have been able to have this game released over two platforms, Playstation 4 and Xbox One, but pretty much started from scratch as to how it plays.
“You play as a dragon, exploring the countryside, and it is a game aimed mostly at primary school children, but it is also for adults looking to escape from games which have a lot of bullets.
“We really wanted to challenge the stereotype of what games can be, and the staff at Abertay allowed us to develop that. Our lecturers pushed us and really helped us work on what we are passionate about.”
Student Eilidh MacLeod used her experiences with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to develop a game which would provide a virtual reality “safe-space” for players.
She said: “Games were always a huge coping mechanism for me growing up.
“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that has personally impacted my life, so mental health and improving mental wellbeing through creative practice has always been a huge passion of mine and often the drive behind the majority of my projects.
“Recover aims to harness the skills and coping mechanisms taught in clinical therapies given to those suffering from PTSD, and create a safe game environment where they can be practiced and encouraged.”
