The InGAME R&D Centre opens it’s doors for the first time for an Industry Taster event. Let’s take a look at what was on offer.
Sean Taylor, Director of InGAME, welcomed guests and walked them through InGAME’s R&D Services. At the heart of it is the R&D voucher scheme, where local studios can apply for a suite of R&D support from our team of researchers and industry partners. You can find out more about the R&D Voucher scheme, and how to apply, on our opportunities page. Masterclasses, networking events and technology testbeds are also in development with more information to follow later in 2019.
Industry Demonstrations
As everyone digested the opening remarks (and their bacon rolls), we opened the floor to a range of demonstrators. These handpicked titles shine a light on the diversity of games and services created within Dundee in the InGAME Partnership. Ruffian Games showcased their madcap VR compendium ‘RAD TV’ and they had the courtesy to chain off a ‘skelp free zone’ to avoid the flailing arms of competing players. It was fast, furious, a little bit sweaty, but also huge amounts of fun.In the meditative corner, Biome Collective exhibited their beautiful VR prototype Garden. This game encourages exploration and strategic thinking, as players create music through the cultivation of their own colourful wilderness.
Academic Showcase
Abertay University alumni Pocket Sized Hands demonstrated their Poppy Scotland collaboration ‘Their Memory’. This impressive recreation of the Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory is packed full of stories from British veterans. It’s a moving and powerful experience and an example of the collaborations we will foster through the InGAME programme.Not to be outdone, our academic showcase brought to life the latest innovations from Dundee’s leading innovators. From squidgy character physics, DIY controllers to water effects, all sorts of playful experiences were on offer. Andrei Bokio exhibited SiViT, a system which converts models of cancer cell signalling into interactive simulations. These can be used without specialist computational expertise and indicate the potential of Games technology outside of entertainment. InGAME will running innovation workshops with Healthcare and Agriculture professionals to explore the benefits of games tech in these fields. Watch this space throughout 2019.
Ministerial Visit
Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, was in attendance and said: “The InGAME project shows how cutting edge research and innovation, supported by the Scottish Government and our partners, is bringing together universities and industry to increase knowledge exchange and drive inclusive growth.“Creative industries, such as gaming, are making a significant contribution to Scotland’s economic growth.”
“By acting as a catalyst for innovation, InGAME is well positioned to help boost growth in the sector by assisting scale-ups and inward investment, as well as providing support to start-ups and SMEs.”
“There is no doubt that Dundee’s videogames industry has benefitted hugely from a unique mix of expertise from local industry, enterprise and academia, and it is fantastic to see that type of collaboration having such a tangible impact.”
We thank the Scottish Funding Council for facilitating Mr. Lochhead’s visit and for their ongoing support. We are currently curating a calendar of events for the rest of 2019 so please keep an eye on our events page.
