Dare to be Digital unveils UKIE as major sponsor
5th May 2011
Dare is proud to announce that trade body UKIE is sponsoring this year’s contest and helping judge the completed games.
UKIE, the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, works extensively with computer games education providers, developers and publishers to promote the UK games industry to the public and the Government.
UKIE is also leading the way on implementing the recommendations of the UK Government-commissioned Livingstone-Hope review of the skills needed for the high-value, high-growth video games and visual effect industries to succeed.
The Livingstone-Hope ‘Next Gen’ review strongly backed the Dare to be Digital model of delivering practical education in a real-world working environment, calling on sector skills council Skillset to work with Abertay University to introduce workplace simulation throughout UK computer games education.
Andy Payne, Chairman of UKIE, said: “UKIE is delighted to support the inspirational Dare to be Digital competition, created and run by UKIE members Abertay University.
“UKIE exists to support the wider interactive entertainment industry in the UK. We need to make sure that the UK’s video game developers have a supply of quality people, with the right skills to be the next generation of creative talent.
“Dare to be Digital has a proven track record of uncovering high quality talent and UKIE is proud to be sponsoring the competition this year and is very much looking forward to working with the team at Abertay to uncover the video games stars of tomorrow.”
UKIE Commercial Manager Sam Collins will also join the judging for this year’s competition, helping to select the three finalists who will compete for the unique BAFTA ‘Ones to Watch’ award.
Dr Louis Natanson, Academic Director of the Institute for Arts, Media and Computer Games at Abertay University, added: “Dare to be Digital is delighted that UKIE is offering support for this year’s competition and joining our other judges to help pick the three winners.
“Every year we see incredibly talented young game designers come to Abertay University in Dundee for the chance of a lifetime – to learn first-hand how exciting and challenging making a game really is, and to get noticed by some of the world’s most experienced game designers.
“We’re in the process of selecting the teams to interview for this year’s contest, and look forward to working with UKIE to help find the next generation of video games talent!”
Dare to be Digital recently welcomed Intel Corporation as a title sponsor for a third year. The company has worked with Dare to be Digital to give the teams financial support and supply them with the latest technology for the competition.
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