Ukie announces sponsorship of Dare ProtoPlay video games festival

5 July 2012 - London, United Kingdom – Games and interactive entertainment trade body, Ukie has today announced its sponsorship of this year's Dare ProtoPlay video games festival, the hugely popular finale of the Dare to be Digital competition run by the University of Abertay Dundee.
 
As part of its on-going commitment to the UK’s up-and-coming developers, Ukie is also sponsoring the Dare Indie Fest, a new part of Dare ProtoPlay which is presented by the Abertay Prototype Fund and will bring independent developers together with publishers, funders and commissioners to create new business opportunities.
 
Ukie will also hold a production tax credits briefing sessions at Dare Indie Fest to give local games businesses the chance to give their input into the government's tax credits consultation.
 
Dare ProtoPlay presents the 15 student games built over the nine weeks of Dare to be Digital to thousands of members of the public in Dundee. Three winners are picked as the exclusive nominees for the BAFTA ‘Ones to Watch’ new talent award.
 
Dare ProtoPlay runs from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 August in Dundee’s Caird Hall and City Square.
 
Ukie CEO, Dr Jo Twist, said: "We are really pleased to be able to support the fantastic up and coming talent the UK has to offer. Dare ProtoPlay and the Dare Indie Fest showcase the very best and the future of our industry and Ukie intends to do all it can to continue to help grow these businesses.
 
"We share Dare to be Digital's goal of improving the flow of skilled graduates into the games industry through our Next Gen Skills campaign. But it is one piece of the puzzle: we also need to make sure that we have the most supportive financial ecosystem in place to secure the future of the talent. This is why we're holding a tax credit conversation at Dare Indie Fest so that local businesses have their voice heard."
 
The tax breaks briefing session will take place on Friday 10 August, from 4pm -6pm, at Dundee’s Caird Hall.
 
You can find out more and register at www.ukie.org.uk/taxbreaks
 
Dare Indie Fest is presented by the Abertay Prototype Fund, which invests up to £25,000 in new and young games companies. Other major sponsors include Dundee City Council and Interactive Tayside.
 
Game developers can apply for space to exhibit their games to industry experts and thousands of members of the public at Dare Indie Fest for FREE.
 
All companies interested in exhibiting should apply at http://www.daretobedigital.com/128_Dare-Indie-Fest-Dare-ProtoPlay.html
 
www.dareprotoplay.com
 
#Dare2012 @DareToBeDigital
 
www.facebook.com/daretobedigital
 

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Contacts:
For all Ukie press enquiries, please contact the Ukie press office on T: +44 (0)20 7534 0582 or E: press@ukie.org.uk
 
For all Dare to be Digital media enquiries, please contact Chris Wilson (Communications Officer) – T: 01382 308522 M: 07837 250284 E: chris.wilson@abertay.ac.uk
 
About Dare to be Digital
Dare to be Digital is a video game development competition for undergraduates at universities and colleges of art, hosted and run by the University of Abertay Dundee.
 
Teams of student programmers and artists compete in an intensive 'hot-house' development environment over the summer vacation, building fully-functioning prototypes for assessment by industry judges and a public vote at Dare ProtoPlay in Dundee, 10-12 August 2012.
 
The three winning teams from Dare to be Digital each year become the sole nominees for the BAFTA ‘Ones to Watch’ Award.
 
For more information, please visit http://www.daretobedigital.com/
 
About Ukie
The Association for United Kingdom Interactive Entertainment or Ukie (pronounced YOU-KEY) is a trade body that represents the whole of the UK’s video games and wider interactive entertainment industry. Founded in 1989 (and formerly known as ELSPA), Ukie’s membership includes games publishers, developers and the academic institutions that support the industry.
 
Ukie works with government to champion a range of issues including age ratings, education and skills, tax incentives and protecting intellectual property rights. It also works with the media to ensure true and accurate representation of the sector by raising awareness of the industry’s positive economic contribution and the societal benefits of gaming to policy makers, regulators and consumers.
 
One of Ukie’s key roles is to support its members by providing them with key market information, promoting careers and offering the business support services, training and best-practice knowledge to enable them to operate most effectively.
 
In addition, Ukie compiles weekly, monthly and annual retail charts and sales reports for the UK market.