Computer game developers have just one week left to enter the £100,000 TIGA Games Contest, which is funded and managed by the University of
Abertay Dundee’s Prototype Fund.
Four prizes are on offer across three categories: games on-the-move,
games in-the-home and social web gaming. Two prizes are available for
the social web gaming category.
To apply, please visit https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/tiga-games-contest
Successful applicants will receive up to £25,000 funding, free TIGA
membership for six months, mentoring, and support from the technical
teams at contest supporters Antix Labs or Turbulenz.
IC tomorrow,a Technology Strategy Boardprogramme,is running the contest and also providing access to online consumer test bed trials.
Paul Durrant, Director of Business Development at Abertay University,
said: “Getting funding for exciting new projects can be difficult, so
we’d strongly encourage developers to apply for this exciting
opportunity.
“As well as receiving £25,000, working with TIGA, Turbulenz and Antix
for mentoring and support is a great opportunity for any company. We’ve
seen strong interest so far in this contest, so are expecting some
innovative responses to the challenges.
“The Abertay University Prototype Fund is all about creating these new
opportunities, and we look forward to funding more fantastic game ideas
with strong business potential.”
Dr Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO, said: “TIGA, the trade association of
games developers and digital publishers, is determined to help more
start-up studios and small games businesses prosper and grow.
“The TIGA Games Competition, run in conjunction with Abertay
University, Antix Labs and Turbulenz, provides a wonderful opportunity
for games developers and publishers: the winners receive prototype
funding, mentoring and free TIGA membership for six months.
“I hope that all start-up and small UK games studios will enter this competition. There is only one week to go!”
The successful applicants will be judged on their market potential,
having a commercially viable business model, and the fit with the
category briefs.
Applications must be received by 12:00 noon on Thursday 26th January 2012.
To apply, register at https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/tiga-games-contest for the TIGA Games Challenge group.
For hints and tips from Antix and Turbulenz on how to apply, please refer to:
Games on the Move –https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/tiga-games-contest/games-on-the-move
Games in the Home – https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/tiga-games-contest/games-in-the-home
Social Web Gaming –https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/tiga-games-contest/social-web-gaming
(Ends)
For media enquiries, please contact Chris Wilson (Communications Officer) – T: 01382 308522 M: 07837 250284 E: chris.wilson@abertay.ac.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Competition categories
Applications must address one of the following specific challenge areas:
Games on-the-move
– supported by Antix Labs (1 Award) – should be
designed for a shared experience for players in immediate proximity and
run on tablets and phones. The developer may choose that the game can
also be run on TVs, set-top boxes and PCs but the most important
emphasis should be on a strong mobile experience supporting a flexible
business model. Games should be shared via Wi-Fi and possibly Bluetooth
to another user to play in multiplayer mode without having to return to
the service provider’s store.
Games in-the-home
– supported by Antix Labs (1 Award) – should be
designed for friends and family to play together around a TV or set-top
box using their phone or tablet as an active part of the game. The TV
would be used as the game’s public display viewed by all competitors and
observers. The mobile platforms would be connected via Wi-Fi and used
for displaying any private information. The game business model should
be ad-based, freemium or pay-per-play.
Social web gaming
– supported by Turbulenz (2 awards) – browser
video games are now a multi-billion pound sector of the industry. How
can this fast growing platform be taken to the next level? Turbulenz
aims to enable the evolution of browser games through its unique web
games platform that brings social connectivity and high quality games
together for the first time. How can a game take advantage of playing
with friends in real-time – collaborating, competing and challenging
your friends directly online – all with instant access in the browser?
Applicants should carefully consider making their game relevant to a
broad audience of casual gamers online. Make it fun, keep it simple and
connect gamers with their friends online.
More details on each challenge can be found at https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/tiga-games-contest
The same technology solution will not be considered across multiple challenges.
About Antix Labs, Ltd
The Antix Game Player (“AGP”) is an on-device software client for
native games services licensed to multiple tier one device makers. Third
party casual, advanced casual and premium games are distributed in a
device-independent format similar in concept to MP3 or PDF. This format
lets consumers access and share games from any of their connected
AGP-powered 'screens', which include mobile phones, TVs, STBs, PMPs, and
PCs. In much the same way as they do already with music, photos and
videos, consumers can distribute trial games virally across networks and
off-line to their friends and family while still protecting the rights
and revenues of operators and publishers. In addition to AGP itself,
Antix provides the corresponding tools, certification mechanism,
optional white-label store, and optional game warehousing necessary to
deploy a complete service offering. Antix Labs Ltd., headquartered in
Reading, England was founded by Francis Charig, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. For more information, please visit: http://antixlabs.com/ or contact Neil Curtis, Marketing Director, Antix Labs Ltd, neil.curtis@antixlabs.com, +44 7747 474234
About TIGA
TIGA is the trade association representing the UK’s games industry. The
majority of our members are either independent games developers or
in-house publisher owned developers. We also have games publishers,
outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst
our membership. In 2010 TIGA won two business awards including ‘Trade
Association of the Year’ from the Trade Association Forum. In 2011, TIGA
won six business awards including ‘Trade Association of the Year’ from
the Trade Association Forum and ‘Outstanding Organisation’ from the
Chartered Management Institute. Richard Wilson won the ‘Leadership
Award’ from the Trade Association Forum and the ‘Outstanding Leader’
award from the Chartered Management Institute. TIGA is an Investors in
People organisation. For further information, please contact Dr Richard
Wilson, TIGA CEO on: 07875 939 643, or emailrichard.wilson@tiga.org
About IC tomorrow
IC tomorrow, a Technology Strategy Board programme, enables content
owners and application developers – any business with a new service, new
business model or new way of deploying hardware or software technology –
to trial their ideas with UK consumers through its test bed.
For more information please visit: IC tomorrow.
Media enquiries about IC tomorrow should be directed to: Richard
Botley, Sarah James or Karel Kumar at liberty – Tel: 0207 751 4444,
email: ictomorrow@libertycomms.com
About Turbulenz
Turbulenz is a games platform built exclusively for the web. Offering
the widest possible audience for brilliant content, Turbulenz brings
social connectivity and high quality games together for the first time.
The Turbulenz games platform is an internet destination (turbulenz.com)
that combines a new console-quality gaming experience with a social
network. Powered by the Turbulenz HTML5 JavaScript SDK and social APIs
that hook your game in with Facebook and Twitter, Turbulenz brings high
quality 3D games and social features such as badges, leaderboards, live
online multi-player and chat into one single web platform.
For more information, visit Turbulenz at www.turbulenz.com or contact Gavin Shields on 01483 338 720 or email gavinshields@turbulenz.com
About Abertay University
Abertay University launched the world’s first ever computer games
degree in 1997. This postgraduate Master’s course was followed by a
complementary undergraduate course, and later by specialist courses in
production management and game applications development. Abertay has the
highest number of Skillset accreditations for computer games courses
(four out of ten across the UK) as well as holding full Skillset Media
Academy status, a recognition of the important industry skills that are
developed on our courses. More information at www.abertay.ac.uk
About the Abertay Prototype Fund
Abertay University’s Prototype Fund is specially designed for start-up
and small, established developers requiring additional working capital
up to £25,000 to cover the staff costs to produce a prototype for a new
intellectual property. The grant funding does not dilute equity
ownership or create a balance sheet liability. The development team for
the prototype can also be supplemented with graduates from any UK
university and funded within the grant budget. Students and graduates
can register now for work experience as part of the Talent Pool at the Prototype Fund website.