The deadline for entries for the prestigious gaming competition, Dare to be
Digital, is close. Event organisers are urging game enthusiasts in Irish third-level
institutions who want to turn their love of games into a possible career
to enter the competition which closes at 12noon, March 31, 2005.
Dare to be Digital, which is being run in Ireland by The Digital Hub through
the Diageo Liberties Learning Initiative and is supported by Enterprise
Ireland and IDA Ireland, will provide student teams with the opportunity of
developing their own games and presenting them to leading figures in the
Irish and British gaming sectors. The winners of the Irish heat will travel
to Scotland in the summer of 2005 to compete in the International Dare to be
Digital competition.
Devised by the University of Abertay in Dundee, which has run the
competition since 2000, the 2005 international competition is open to
current higher or further education students and recent graduates from
several countries including the UK and the Far East.
Winning Dare to be Digital can lead to incredible opportunities. The overall
2003 international Dare to be Digital winning team presented their idea to
leading games company Electronic Arts and two of its members were hired by
the firm, while the 2004 winners showcased their games alongside the biggest
names in computer games at ECTS, one of Europe's leading trade events for
the interactive entertainment industry.
Irish students must submit their games ideas in teams of five to The Digital
Hub by 31 March 2005. The team must include at least one creative, one
technical and one business management person. As these skill sets may not
all exist in the one educational institution, collaboration between colleges
is encouraged. Entrants are encouraged to look beyond traditional game
formats and examine the potential for games to be used as learning tools,
particularly in the mobile gaming sector.
The winning team in the Irish heat will be hosted and supported in the
University of Abertay, Dundee for the summer of 2005 where their concept
will be turned into a working prototype. The winning Irish team will receive
mentoring support from senior staff at the University, as well as leaders in
the gaming sector including the BBC, Microsoft and Electronic Arts.
Further information and application forms can be downloaded on Dare to be Digital website www.daretobedigital.ie.
Dare to be Digital Ireland is associated with the international Dare to be
Digital competition based in Scotland and promoted by the University of
Abertay Dundee, Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Dundee City Council.
For information on Dare to Be Digital visit www.daretobedigital.com
