The gaming industry offers students some of the most “viable and exciting” opportunities in Ireland, according to Dr Stephen Brennan, director of marketing and strategy of the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA), at the launch of the Irish leg of ‘Dare to be Digital’ competition. The ‘Dare to be Digital Competition,’ is an international video-games development competition for third-level students, co-ordinated by the DHDA and supported by the North-South Cooperation Unit at the Department of Education and Skills.
The competition has a strong focus on cross-border links, as teams applying to the competition must include third-level students in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Successful applicants will spend nine weeks at Abertay University in Scotland this summer developing prototype video games and receiving mentoring from industry experts. They will also get a weekly stipend of stg£150 each, free accommodation in the university and a team budget of £200.
“This competition offers students a foot in the door of the gaming industry, which – without doubt – is one of the most exciting and booming industries in Ireland,” said Brennan.
“Not only is it bucking the trend by creating jobs at a time of national recession, it is also continuously evolving in response to new technological developments.
“Many of the jobs on offer in gaming today didn’t even exist four or five years ago. And it’s not just those with technological or mathematical skills who should consider gaming as their choice of career – in addition to coders and programmers, it also presents opportunities for artists, designers, sound engineers, translators, marketers and animators,” he said.
At the end of the competition, the prototypes will be displayed at a talent showcasing event called ‘Dare ProtoPlay’, letting the general public and industry experts play and vote for their favourite games.
The three highest-scoring teams will receive prizes of stg£2,500 and the chance to attend the BAFTA Video Games Awards to compete for the ‘Ones to Watch’ award.