Gamers offered development chance

Game enthusiasts in Irish third-level institutions can pit their game development skills against their international counterparts with the launch today of the 2005 Dare to be Digital Ireland competition.

Dare to be Digital will provide student teams with the opportunity of developing their own games and presenting them to leading figures in the Irish and British gaming sectors.

The winners of the Irish heat will travel to Scotland in the summer of 2005 to compete in the International Dare to be Digital competition.

This initiative is being run in Ireland by The Digital Hub through the Diageo Liberties Learning Initiative and supported by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

Irish students must submit their games ideas in teams of five to The Digital Hub by March 2005.

The team must include at least one creative, one technical and one business management person and collaboration between colleges is encouraged.

This is the second year the competition has been run in Ireland.

Irish students who are interested in competing in next year's competition can contact The Digital Hub, or check the Dare to be Digital website at www.daretobedigital.ie, where information about the 2005 heats will be published shortly.

The Digital Hub is a Government initiative to create an international digital enterprise centre in the heart of Dublin.