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Disney launches future internet games contest with Abertay University

10 Mar 2014

The Future Internet Games Contest is being launched on 10 March by Disney and the Future Internet Consortium partners in association with Abertay University, looking for experimental pervasive games that enable large groups of people to play together in the real world.

Ideas for games in the areas of augmented reality, blending real and virtual worlds, and city-wide play will be assessed by a panel of experts from the Europe-wide Future Internet (FI) Content initiative.

This Disney-led project comprises major European and global companies and research centres, who have joined their skills to drive innovation at the crossroads of content, media, networks and creativity.

Entries can be made until 10 June, with a £2000 prize for the winning web or mobile game – and potential opportunities to work with the Disney-led consortium.

Professor Kenny Mitchell, Research Lead at Disney Research, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for budding game developers and veterans alike across Europe to show their skills on a highly visible and important stage as part of our Future Internet Content project.”

The partnership between Abertay University and FI Content is to focus on the Pervasive Games platform, where the real world and internet experiences are playfully mixed together.

The platform focuses on multiplayer mobile gaming, using cutting-edge internet technology to enable large groups of people to play together, and moving games beyond playing on a console at home or remotely interacting with friends through social games.

Game developers are invited to think about how a mobile game can be an augmented version of the real world, offering play between real people that creates something more exciting and interactive for everyone.

Professor Louis Natanson, who leads computer games education at Abertay University, said: “Abertay University is delighted to work with Disney on the Future Internet Games Contest, and we look forward to seeing how game developers address this challenge.

“Games have incredible power to bring people together, to entertain and to change how we perceive the world around us.

“Future internet technologies, and the hugely powerful smartphones everyone carries with them, offer an unprecedented opportunity for designers and programmers to build entirely new ways for large groups of people to play together in the real world.”

The Future Internet Games Contest is led by Disney and associated partners in association with Abertay University.

For more information, and to apply, click here.