The year 2010 marks the first time teams from the United States will be participating in the international Dare to be Digital video game development competition thanks to the Georgia Institute of Technology’s (Georgia Tech) FutureMedia (sm) initiative. 

Five teams of students from Georgia Tech, supported by FutureMedia, have already applied to compete in the world-wide contest sponsored by the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland.

The teams may be among those selected to travel to Scotland to compete against dozens of arts and science graduates and undergraduates from all over the world in the Dare hothouse at Abertay Dundee. Each team consist of five students, usually a mix of artists, programmers and audio specialists, who will spend 10 weeks over the summer turning their ideas into fully functioning prototypes. They receive regular industry visits as well as a weekly wage, accommodation and equipment. Georgia Tech teams will receive coaching, technical expertise and financial assistance from the FutureMedia initiative. Enthusiasts can follow the progress of their favorite games online and interact with the teams via the Dare website.

In August, competition prototypes will be displayed at Dare ProtoPlay, a special event held as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland. The general public, as well as industry experts, will get to play and vote for the games. Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams during a special awards ceremony. Later in the year, the winning teams will attend the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Video Games Awards to compete for the coveted Ones to Watch Award. Last year's winning titles covered a range of genres and included a 3D puzzle platformer, an adventure platformer and a single player 3rd person 3D action-stealth game. Ideas varied from objects shrinking, museum thieves on a mission and playing with colors.

Students interested in registering to participate have until March 28, 2010 to submit an application. More information can be found at www.daretobedigital.com or by contacting Robert.macedonia@gtri.gatech.edu.

The Dare to be Digital competition is now in its eleventh year and is the premier talent spotting event in the industry with three winning games going forward as the sole nominees for the BAFTA Ones to Watch Award.

About FutureMedia:           

FutureMedia is a global collaborative initiative chartered to discover, create, commercialize, and shape the future of digital, social, and mobile media.

The goal of FutureMedia is to create a robust open innovation ecosystem that brings together experts, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists to create what’s next. FutureMedia serves as an economic and research development engine for Georgia and Georgia Tech.