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Sponsors announced as Dare Academy 2024 gets underway
The sponsors of Dare Academy 2024 have been revealed.
Longstanding partners Henderson Loggie and Lindsays are joined by Epic Games in lending their support to Abertay University’s flagship video games competition.
Dare Academy will see six talented teams of undergraduate students spend the summer months developing games with support from academics and expert industry mentors.
The competition benefits from industry sponsorship and support, with companies also providing on-campus mentoring to the students to inform the design process and support skills development.
Dare is designed to replicate a real-world gaming industry environment. It challenges students to work together across different disciplines of the courses offered by the School of Design and Informatics to produce creatively, and technically, strong game prototypes.
In June, Abertay announced the six teams that would compete for the Dare trophy.
Misfit Moths, Sloth Doctor Games, SplatterCow Studios, Pretty Interesting Experiences, Triple 7 Studios and HoldUp Games! will spend the summer perfecting their work in the university’s Centre for Excellence in Computer Games.
Stephen Bain, Partner and Head of Video Game Developers at Henderson Loggie, said:
Dare Academy continues to be a breeding ground for incredible talent in the games industry, and we're delighted to be back on board as sponsors for another year. We can't wait to see the creativity and innovation that the finalists bring to the competition this time around. Supporting Abertay's innovation hub and Dundee's thriving games scene is something we're truly invested in.
Alastair Smith, a Director in the Corporate and Commercial team at Lindsays, has been part of the firm’s team supporting the competition for several years. He said:
The talent that the Dare Academy unlocks is amazing. The fact that, time and again, those who take part go on to be involved in blockbuster releases stands testament to that. We are delighted to be supporting it once again. It’s always fascinating to get a glimpse into the creative mind of those behind the games. As they develop their concepts, our aim is to give them the tools they need to ensure that not only their creativity flourishes, but their business potential too. By helping them to understand their legal rights and responsibilities - whether they be about intellectual property, copyright, employment issues or anything else - we hope that the rounded experience of the academy will be a real springboard to success.
Dr Dayna Galloway, Head of Abertay’s Division of Games and Arts, said:
We are extremely grateful to all of our Dare Academy sponsors for their support this year. These partners will bring unique insight and expertise to Dare which will be invaluable to every student taking part. This will assist the Dare teams not only throughout the summer months of the competition, but on into their careers post-university.
James Butcher, Education Development Manager at Epic Games, said:
It is fantastic to be supporting Dare Academy again this year. I am really looking forward to seeing the amazing work that the student teams will create throughout the duration of the program. Each year the quality of output keeps getting stronger.
