Exhibit to feature best of student work
The Digital Hub in Dublin is to exhibit a selection of student work including games, films, animations, and installations.
‘Best in Show’ launches in the Digital Exchange on November 20, and will feature work of students from NCAD, DIT, Limerick School of Art & Design, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, and the London College of Communications.
It will be open to the public from Friday November 21 to Thursday 27, excluding weekends. For more see thedigitalhubexhibit.com.
World Cyber Games Irish finals still open
- Irish finals open without attending 
- Must register on lanparty.ie and then on page sign up
- Two Dublin regional qualifiers in the next weeks
Registration for the Irish finals of the World Cyber Games is still
open, and is open to everyone not just those who competed in the
regional heats.
Gamers wishing to play in the finals must register at lanparty.ie, and also then sign up to the event on the ‘WCG Irish Finals‘ page.
Games to be played are Counter Strike 1.6 on PC with a team of five,
Project Gotham Racing 3 on Xbox, and FIFA 07 on PC.
Tickets cost
World Cyber Games Irish qualifiers set
Irish qualifiers for the World Cyber Games Festival 2007 in Seattle are due to take place in Dublin later this year.
The Irish qualifiers will be held at the Digital Hub on September 15 and 16, 2007.
The main Irish competition will be proceeded by regional finals, the
first to be announced will take place in Streete Community Centre,
Streete, Westmeath from Friday July 20 to Sunday July 22 - for more see
midlans.net.
Games to be played are Counter Strike 1.6 on PC with a team of five,
Project Gotham Racing 3 on Xbox, and FIFA 07 on PC. There is a wider
selection of games in the Seattle event, but funding and sponsorship
only allows for so many teams and players to be sent over to the US.
For more see worldcybergamesireland.com and the LAN Party section of boards.ie.
Dare to be Digital open day tomorrow
An
open day for the student computer games competition, Dare to be
Digital, will take place from midday tomorrow at the Digital Hub’s
Digital Exchange in Dublin.
As Games Toaster reported last May prototypes will be constructed in Dublin this year, with 9 of the 10 weeks of the competition spent in Ireland.
“Rather than just sending one team to Scottish finals, we will be
selecting six teams from the whole island of Ireland to be
represented”, commented Michael Hallissy, of the Digital Hub back in
May, “The six teams will take part in a mentoring and support program
in Dublin during which they will build their game. Support will be
provided by Irish and UK games companies. At the end of a nine-week
support programme, they will then travel to the University of Abertay
for the grand final”.
Last year at the international competition in Scotland, a Derry based team, Rule of Thumb, won in three categories — ‘Best Use of Technology’, ‘Best Team Player’, and team member McNicholas won ‘Best Artist’. For more details visit daretobedigitalireland.com.
World Cyber Games Ireland ends toady
The Sunday Tribune reports on the World Cyber Games Ireland…
Kicking off at midday yesterday, the crowd of predominantly male
competitors were preparing for a long day (and night) of non-stop
gaming. “It’s more of a social gathering, ” explained Eric Mooney from
website room101. org, who helped organise the event, as we walked into
the warm-up room…Paddy ‘Spaceman’ Conway from Dundalk was there to play Quake 3. “We’ll
play all dayand all night until they throw us out.” Where does he get
his energy? He gestures towards a can of Coke and a Snickers bar.
World Cyber Games Irish leg in Dublin
The Irish heats
of the World Cyber Games are to take place in Dublin from September 23
- 24. There are currently 103 of 250 places taken on the event’s Room101.org signup page.
Taking place at the government’s Digital Exchange
on Crane Street (near the Guinness Storehouse), it’s a
bring-your-own-computer 24 hour LAN, with competitions for PC and Xbox
360. Participants must be over 18 and holders of an Irish Passport.
It is planned that there will be two areas; one for players PCs only
used for warm-ups, and a competition area with neutral “state of the
art PCs with top of the range kit” which will be used by all players,
spectators will also be allowed to attend.
The official games for 2006 are Fifa Soccer 06, Half-Life: Counter
Strike 1.6, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, StarCraft: Brood War, WarCraft
III: Frozen Throne, Dawn of War: Winter Assault, and for the Xbox 360,
Dead or Alive 4 and Project Gotham Racing 3.
Although it was advertised that signups closed on August 18, this is apparently not the case. The world finals are in Monza, Italy from October 18 - 22.
Ballyfermot and Trinity students win computer games competition
- Northern Ireland team picked earlier this month
- Teams go to Scotland for the finals
- Competition possible door opener to games ind.
- Irish Gov agency to send six teams in 2007
- Prototype incubator to run in Ireland next year
After some confusion about the Irish event this year, winners of the Republic of Ireland leg of the Dare to be Digital student games development competition were revealed last week.
What is described as a ’supernatural crime thriller’ was the winning
game from ‘Enduring Fragments’; it was from a joint team of third level
students from Ballyfermot College of Further Education, and Trinity
College. The game, set in London around 1900, features the ghost of a
dead detective as the player charter.
The winning team from Northern Ireland were picked earlier in the
month. Hugh O’ Keeffe, Alan McNicholas, William Horton, David Doherty,
and Seamus Gallagher of ‘Rule of Thumb’ won with a ’story-driven
action/adventure game’ named ‘Gal:Ex Spatial Delivery’. They are
studying Interactive Computer Entertainment at the North West Institute
in Derry.
Fighting it out among four teams, from six colleges, the Republic
team were interviewed by a panel of judges - Peter Lynch, Eirplay
Games; Tony Kelly, IGDA; Peter McInally, Torc Interactive; and Paul
Durrant, Director of Dare to be Digital. Along with the Northern team,
they will now go to the University of Abertay in Scotland where they
will be given support to build a prototype for the finals hosted at the
university in ten weeks time.
Prizes include (in UKP) £2000 for ‘Greatest creativity /
innovation’, £2000 for ‘Best use of technology’, £2000 for ‘Greatest
market potential’, and further support. Previous winners have gone on
to work in the games industry.
The events are supported by government agencies in the south, the
north, and in Britain, as well as EA Games, and Donegal-based Torc
Interactive.
Michael Hallissy, of the Irish Government’s Digital Hub, said that
“the Dare to be Digital competition is an excellent initiative which
not only offers students the opportunity to apply their technical
skills in the area of games development, but it also builds their
capacity to collaborate, be creative and consider game development as a
real career option”.
Talking of their commitment to gaming as a career, and expanding on
plans for next year Hallissy states, “Rather than just sending one team
to Scottish finals, we will be selecting six teams from the whole
island of Ireland to be represented”. Adding that “the six teams will
take part in a mentoring and support program in Dublin during which
they will build their game. Support will be provided by Irish and UK
games companies. At the end of a nine-week support programme, they will
then travel to the University of Abertay for the grand final”.
Directory: Producers
Games Toaster’s Irish Computer Games Directory
PHASE ONE: Developers, Publishers, and Middleware Providers
After vastly expanding our news archive’s category tags, the following is the first phase of Games Toaster’s Irish Computer Games Directory.
Part one coverers producers (developers, publishers, and middleware
providers etc). This first phase, like what is to come, will be
dynamic; but also contains historic entrees.
The directory comes after many years of looking at the idea of a
database or similar. It is planned to expand from producers to every
area of computer games in Ireland.
NOTE: While
every reasonable effort has been made to make sure all information is
accuracy, we can not guarantee such. Please send error reports to
errors@gamestoaster.com. Other information is welcome at
directory@gamestoaster.com. As always, we can not take responsible for
other websites. Research sources: Company Registration Office, Dublin;
Google; companies’ websites; GameDevelopers.ie.
BitRabbit
C/NAME: BitRabbit
TYPE: Mobile games developer
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2004
ADDRESS: Dublin
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.bitrabbit.net/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/bitrabbit/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
CanDo Interactive
C/NAME:
TYPE: Web games developer, middleware provider
STATUS: Active
SET UP:
ADDRESS: Belfast
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.candointeractive.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/cando_interactive/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
DC Studios
C/NAME: DC Studios Ireland Limited
TYPE: Developer
STATUS: Not active
SET UP: 2005
ADDRESS: Dublin
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB:
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/dc_studios/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
DemonWare
C/NAME: Demonware Limited
TYPE: Middleware provider
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2002
ADDRESS: 69 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1
OTHER LOCATIONS: Los Angeles; Vancouver
WEB: http://www.demonware.net/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/demonware/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Eirplay Games
C/NAME: Eirplay Limited
TYPE: Mobile games developer
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2001
ADDRESS: Digital Depot, Thomas Street, Dublin 8
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.eirplaygames.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/eirplay_games/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Frantic Games
C/NAME:
TYPE:
STATUS: Active
SET UP:
ADDRESS: Athlone
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.franticgames.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/frantic_games/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Frogwares
C/NAME:Frogwares Ireland Limited
TYPE:
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 11/04/2000
ADDRESS: 22 Northumberland Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland
OTHER LOCATIONS: France; Ukraine
WEB: http://www.frogwares.com/
GT:
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft May 02, 2006
Gmedia
C/NAME:
TYPE:
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2004
ADDRESS: 4 Michael Street, Limerick
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.gmedia.ie/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/gmedia/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Havok
C/NAME: Havok.com Limited
TYPE: Middleware provider
STATUS: Active
SET UP:2000
ADDRESS: Digital Depot, Thomas Street, Dublin 8
OTHER LOCATIONS: San Francisco
WEB: http://www.havok.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/havok/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Kapooki Games
C/NAME: Kapooki Games Limited
TYPE: Games developer
STATUS: ** Liquidated **
SET UP: 2003
ADDRESS: Dublin
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.kapookigames.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/kapooki_games/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Kerbyware
C/NAME: Kerbyware Limited
TYPE: Mobile games developer
STATUS:
SET UP: 2005
ADDRESS: 82 Edgewood Lawn, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.kerbyware.com/
GT:
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Meedja
C/NAME: Meedja Limited
TYPE: Web games developer
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2000
ADDRESS: Dundalk
OTHER LOCATIONS: Dublin
WEB: http://www.meedja.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/meedja/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Microsoft/Xbox
TYPE: PR, marketing, distributor
C/NAME:
STATUS: Active
SET UP:
ADDRESS:
STATUS:
SET UP:
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB:
GT:
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Nephin Games
C/NAME: Nephin Games / Nephin Games Limited / Nephin Games Investments Limited
TYPE: Mobile games developer
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2003/2005/2006
ADDRESS: Galway Tech Centre, Mervue Business Park, Galway
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.nephingames.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/nephin_games/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Phooka Entertainment
C/NAME: n/a
TYPE: Games developer
STATUS: Active
SET UP:
ADDRESS: Derry
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.phookaentertainment.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/phooka_entertainment/
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Pooka Games
C/NAME: Pooka Games Limited
TYPE: Games developer
STATUS: ** Dissolved **
SET UP: 2002
ADDRESS:
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB:
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/pooka_games/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
PopCap
C/NAME: Popcap Games International Limited
TYPE: Web games developer
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2005
ADDRESS: 30 Herbert Street, Dublin 2
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.popcap.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/popcap/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Purplenose Games
C/NAME:
TYPE:
STATUS:
SET UP:
ADDRESS: 73 Fishermans Wharf, Ringsend, Dublin 4
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.purplenose.com/
GT:
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland
C/NAME: Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland Limited
TYPE: PR; marketing; distributor
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 1999
ADDRESS: Dublin
STATUS:
SET UP:
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.playstation.ie/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/sce_ireland/
GT(2): http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/playstation/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Selatra
C/NAME: Selatra Limited
TYPE: Mobile games publisher
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2002
ADDRESS: National Software Centre, Loughmahon Technology Park, Blackrock, Cork
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.selatra.com/
WEB(2): http://www.fonearcade.com
GT:
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
StarCave
C/NAME: Star Cave Studios Limited
TYPE: Games developer
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2005
ADDRESS: Unit 10, Galway Tech Centre, Mervue Business Park, Galway
OTHER LOCATIONS: Austin, Texas; Australia (studios)
WEB: http://www.starcave.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/starcave/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Taintech
C/NAME: Taintech Creative Studios Limited
TYPE: Games developer
STATUS: ** Closed 2000, Dissolved 2003 **
SET UP: 1997
ADDRESS: Dundalk, Co Louth
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB:
GT:
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
TKO
C/NAME:
TYPE:
STATUS:
SET UP: 2003
ADDRESS: 29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB:
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/tko/index.html
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Torc Interactive
C/NAME: Torc Interactive Limited
TYPE: Games developer, middleware provider
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 1999
ADDRESS: Drumhaggart, Muff, Co Donegal
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://torcinteractive.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/torc_interactive/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Ubisoft
C/NAME:
TYPE: PR; marketing; distributor
STATUS: Active
SET UP:
ADDRESS:
STATUS:
SET UP:
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB:
GT:
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Upstart Games
C/NAME: Upstart Games Limited
TYPE: Mobile games developer, publisher, and distributor
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 2003
ADDRESS: 8 Grattan Court, Grattan Street, Dublin 2
OTHER LOCATIONS: Tokyo; New York
WEB: http://www.upstartgames.com/
GT: http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/upstart_games/
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Vivendi Universal Games
C/NAME: Vivendi Universal Games Ireland Limited
TYPE: Localisation, testing
STATUS: Active
SET UP: 1995
ADDRESS: Eastpoint Business Park, Fairview, Dublin 3
OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEB: http://www.vugames.ie/
GT:
NOTES:
ABOVE LAST UPDATED: First draft April 17, 2006
Digital Hub game events continue in Dublin
The games events at the Digital Hub
continue with ‘Talk Digital: Game Design - Responding to New
Interfaces’, a games industry Careers Expo, and a Wireless Wednesday
seminar ‘Mobile Games - Successful Business Models’.
‘Responding to New Interfaces’ at the Diageo Liberties Learning
Studio at 10-13 Thomas St, is on today from 10am to 11.30am with an
unspecified international panel.
Today and on Tuesday, the ‘Gaming Careers Expo’ in the Digital
Exchange on Crane Street runs from 9.30am to 5.30pm with free entry.
Students from the ICE course in Derry city who have formed the games company ‘Phooka‘, will be there today for their first public showing of ‘Recall’ their first game currently in development.
While the Wireless Wednesday talk and panel discussion at the Guinness Hop Store costs 20 euro and starts at 8am and runs till 10.30am. A currently unannounced person from gamedevelopers.ie will chair the event, with speakers from TKO Software, Selatra, and Opera Telecom.
The games events end on May 18 with ‘Talk Digital: Learning Through
Gaming’, although the Hub’s second games focused exhibition ‘Exhibit 8′
will continue till the end of the month. To register for any of the
events, or for more information, visit thedigitalhub.com.
Games events at the Digital Hub
On
Thursday, computer games events planned for this month start in the
Irish Government’s Digital Hub in Dublin. Exhibitions, debates, and a
‘Careers Expo’ are pencilled in from May 5 to May 18.
The Digital Hub is home to a number of games industry companies, including middleware company Havok, and mobile games developers TKO, and Eirplay Games. As we reported recently, games developer DC Studios are in the process of moving into the Hub.
The Hub’s latest exhibition, ‘Exhibit8: New Frontiers in
Gaming’ is open office hours, 9.30am-5.30pm, from Thursday, with the
official launch of the events on the same day, incorporating the
announcement of the winners of the student games competition Dare to be Digital Ireland.
On Friday (May 6) a public talk titled ‘Censorship in the games
industry’ is set to debate censorship in games, chaired by the
journalist and critic, Medb Ruane, the panel is to include Ger
Connolly, the Duputy Irish Film Censor;
Dr Mary Corcoran, Professor of Sociology, NUI Maynooth; and Paul Hayes,
a games marketing consultant. Other panel-based discussions lined up
are ‘Game Design - Responding to New Interfaces’ (Monday, May 9),
‘Mobile Gaming: Successful Business Models’ (Wednesday, May 11),
and ‘Learning Through Gaming’ (Wednesday, May 18).
To guide those looking into a career in the games industry, the
Gaming Careers Expo takes places 11am to 5.30pm, on Monday, May 9.
For full listings of venues and times, as well as registration for some events, visit the Digital Hub’s website.
Edited 03/05/2005: changes to the panel of the ‘Censorship in the games industry’ debate.