The 2012 Dare to be Digital design contest is under way in Dundee, offering a major shop window for ambitious young computer games developers.
Fifteen teams comprising a total of 75 students will spend the next nine weeks developing their game concepts before they are showcased at August’s Dare ProtoPlay festival in the Caird Hall.
Hosted by Abertay University, the competition gives talented students the chance to be mentored by games industry experts from Blitz Games Studios, Codemasters, Cobra Mobile, Denki, Digital Goldfish, Jagex, Outplay Entertainment, Rare, Ruffian Games, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Ubisoft.
Three teams will be shortlisted at Protoplay and the overall winner will pick up the BAFTA ‘Ones to Watch’ award.
Professor Louis Natanson, who leads computer games education at Abertay University, said the competition has already launched a number of careers and industry headhunters will again be circling to pick up the cream of the talent.
He said: ”We’re delighted at the strong support our partners in the games industry continue to show for Dare to be Digital and our free Dare ProtoPlay computer games festival.
”The students who start Dare today have a very good chance of being hired by some of the most exciting, most successful games companies in the world.”
The games are developed for a wide range of platforms including Android tablet, iPad, iPhone, PC, PlayStation Vita, Smart Goggles, Xbox 360, Xbox Kinect and Windows Phone 7.Follow the teams’ progress at daretobedigital.com