Dare To Be Digital 2015 launches as Abertay invites applications

Abertay University has started accepting applications for this year’s Dare To Be Digital, in which student teams will compete to win the coveted BAFTA Ones To Watch Award.

For 2015, Abertay has widened the criteria for entry. Previous Dare events have given students just eight weeks to work on a game from scratch, explicitly excluding any student or jam projects already in production.

Now the only limitation is that entries must have been in production for less than a year and have had no previous commercial release. The additional freedom also extends to allowing students to use their own computers and tablets.

The competition will culminate, as before, with the Dare Protoplay show in Dundee.

“Dare to be Digital was set up to give students the best chance of working in the games industry, but since 2000 that industry has changed beyond anyone’s imagination,” says Professor Louis Natanson, Head of the School of Arts, Media and Computer Games at Abertay University.

“The explosion of mobile gaming and the new freedom to self-publish on app stores has fundamentally changed what students can achieve after graduation, with creating their own business now much more achievable than ever before.

“We want Dare to be Digital to reflect that opportunity and let students build on their university studies and their game jam projects.”

Anyone interested in taking part should register here before April 2, and submit their applications by May 3.

A panel of industry experts will then select 15 teams to complete their games over the summer, in the process competing for prizes from BAFTA, Channel 4 and other companies.

You can apply from anywhere in the world, but you’ll need an endorsement from a member of the teaching staff at your university.

For more information head to Dare’s website.