30 November 2011
'Spotlight on Games' for computing students
Photo opportunity: 3-5pm on Friday, 2nd December at Queen Mother Building, University of Dundee. Students will be showing off their games to industry professionals.
Computing students from the University of Dundee will have the chance to impress potential future employers later this week when they meet with representatives of established computer games companies and other firms who utilise technology.
As part of their coursework, third-year Applied Computing students have been learning to write games to a professional level. The inaugural ‘Industry Spotlight on Games’ event was held last year after lecturers felt the students would further benefit from feedback from senior figures from the industry.
It proved a huge success, with student both establishing contacts within industry and having the opportunity to act on the feedback received.
As a result, it was decided to make the Spotlight an annual event, and students will spend Friday afternoon meeting with the students, providing them with tips and hints and advising them how to develop their ideas further. Members of the public are also welcome to come along, try out the games and meet the students.
The meeting should prove inspirational to the students, as several of the experts they will be meeting are themselves graduates of the Applied Computing programme.
Dr Karen Petrie, from the University's School of Computing, said she was sure the industry representatives would be impressed by what they see, and would be indulging in some talent-spotting.
'This is a great opportunity for students to meet with potential employers and make an impression on them, two of our students gained work placements over the summer as a direct result of last years event,' she said.
'From speaking to the employers after last year’s event, we know how impressed they were by the exceptional standard of games created. The students have done a really fantastic job and some are of a standard where they could be released as indie games today.
'These students have a big futures ahead of them, and they can only improve with the feedback they will receive from professional from the computer games industry, as well as the boost of seeing how others are making their mark in the games world.'
One of the exhibiting students will be Christopher Walker, who has produced 'Frackin' Toasters', in which gamers take on the role of Captain Chaos of the deep space vessel Mayhem.
With command of five attack ships, the task is to defend Mothership Mayhem and all who sail within by fending off enemy drones and bringing your trusted pilots back home safely. The lives of the pilots, and all those aboard the Mayhem, depend on the judgement and timing of the gamer, and Christopher will be challenging the School’s visitors to prove they have what it takes.
The students will meet with representatives a number of companies, including Dynamo Games, Tag Games, Denki, Outplay, NCR and DC Thomson.at the Queen Mother Building from 3-5pm on Friday, 2nd December.
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902 |
