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Applications now open for 2013 Dare to be Digital student developer contest

Cash prizes and a potential BAFTA on offer

Applications now open for 2013 Dare to be Digital student developer contest
Applications are now open for 2013's Dare to be Digital competition, which tasks student development teams from all over the world compete for cash prizes and the chance to win a special BAFTA award.

To enter the prestigious contest, you'll need to gather a five-strong team of students and submit your application before 9 April 2013.

If your application is successful, your team will be invited to Abertay University to develop a prototype game over the course of nine weeks.

The journey begins here

The contest itself will begin on 10 June at Abertay University. During this time, participants will stay in university accommodation, working full time on their projects and living on a weekly stipend provided by organisers.

Once the nine weeks are up, the Dare ProtoPlay event will kick off in Dundee on 8 August and run for four days. Dare to be Digital contestants will showcase their games to the attending public and industry experts, who will vote for their favourites.

Then, at the Dare awards ceremony, three prizes will of £2,500 each will be awarded to the three highest scoring games on the criteria of innovation and creativity, market potential and use of technology.

The BAFTA bit

But the process (and prizes) don't end there. Seven months later, the winning teams will attend the BAFTA Video Games Awards to compete for the "Ones to Watch Award."

In 2012, Swallowtail Games took home that prestigious award, after being named one of the three Dare to be Digital winners in 2011 for Tick Tock Toys.


Tick Tock Toys

"Entering the competition was one of the best decisions I've made" said the team's creative director Sophia George.

"During Dare, I learned so much from fellow competitors and industry mentors about game development, and winning the competition has opened many doors for each member of the team.

"Dare to be Digital is the best opportunity for students who want to work in the games industry – most of the people I know from Dare are now either working in the games industry or have started their own companies. Also, there's a chance you get to go to the BAFTA awards, which is a lot of fun!"

Starry-eyed

Kimi Sulopuisto was the team leader of Kind of a Big Deal, one of the three Dare to be Digital winners in 2012.

As such, Sulopuisto is up for a BAFTA this year, and the team is currently working on bringing its project, Starcrossed, to new platforms.


Starcrossed on Windows Phone

"Dare to be Digital has been an excellent first step in our effort to break into the video game industry," said Sulopuisto.

"The competition gave us real hands-on experience that simply cannot be found in a classroom, as well as good professional contacts," Sulopuisto explained.

"Anyone interested in a career in game development should apply to Dare because it could really help kickstart that career. Experience, contacts and reputation are well worth their weight in gold."

Staff Writer

PocketGamer.biz's news editor 2012-2013