Interactive Tayside

Gaming’s gaping gender imbalance is to be tackled by a group aiming to promote careers in the sector to a new generation of women.

Scottish Women in Games, which has launched with its first meeting at DCA in Dundee, aims to educate a new generation of girls about the opportunities open to them and attract existing workers into the burgeoning digital industry.

Coordinator Maxine Dodds said females remained grossly under-represented among the sector’s programmers, designers and artists at a time when the demographics of the gaming public had changed significantly.

“There are very few girls coming into the industry — but we now know that more than 50% of gamers are women, and older women at that,” she said ahead of the event.

“The whole industry has changed, away from the original view of young lads sitting playing shoot-em-ups and car chase games in their bedrooms.

“We’re now looking much more at social games which people play on Facebook, or their phones, iPads and tablets. So the industry needs to address these issues, and the companies around Scotland are well aware that they need to deal with it.”

She said a job advertisement at one Dundee games firm had attracted 100 applications for only three posts — but just three of them had been from women.

She wants to see better coordination of outreach initiatives in schools, promotion of female role models, and better careers advice for women interested in the sector.

Ms Dodds is working alongside Skills Development Scotland to provide new video content for its employment-centred web portals.

“We should go into schools and give girls the opportunity to do a bit of game development using tools which are child-friendly — and from there get kids interested in the possibility of making games,” the consultant and former IBM project manager said.

Abertay University graduate Sophia George, co-founder of city games firm Swallowtail, spoke about her hope of inspiring more women in the industry following the release of Bafta-winning title Tick Tock Toys this year.

“The popular stereotypes of gamers just being young men couldn’t be more wrong,” she said. “What’s really worrying, though, is that this male-dominated idea is so pervasive and it influences what families think about games, and what young 
women think as they grow up and make decisions about their careers.”

Develop Magazine is putting together its list of the UK’s 100 top developers, to be released in June, in association with the fine folks at UKIE.  In past years, studios were judged solely on revenue generation.  However this year’s list promises to be rather different.

Here’s how the magazine describes the 2013 process:

Studios of all kinds will be featured in the UKIE-sponsored book – new or old, established, in-house or indie.  And for the first time we are allowing UK studios to submit details on their business.

Here’s how it works: we’ve set up a survey form which asks for basic information about your studio plus, and most importantly, details across four key areas: Heritage & Reputation; Commercial Success; Creativity & Product; and Potential.

These categories will help us understand your activity – whether you are a new mobile outfit with no games released or a console studio with lots of titles under your belt.

The Develop team will then read through and grade each submission in order to formulate our top 100.

Our popular digital book will then be compiled, written and published at the end of June, with commentary by our team of games industry experts.

Are we clear, here?  If you don’t enter, you have no chance of being included.

Develop is also offering a full glossary of all 500 development studios in the UK (almost 90 of which are in Scotland, remember) and you can book ‘premium space’ in the directory, so everyone knows you’re there and how wonderful you are.  Remember the ‘less than 200 jobs and zero value report from last year?  That came about thanks to there being no real hard data about who’s out there and what they do.

Of course, the Scottish Games Network has been offering this – free – to companies in Scotland for several years now, which shows just how far ahead of the curve we are up here. It’s nice to see the rest of the industry slowly catching up.

Again, just to make sure we’re being clear here…

IF YOU ARE A DEVELOPER – You need to fill in the form.

It will make sure people can find you.  If people can find you, you can bring in new work.

It is NOT shameless.  It is not a sinister plot or scheme.  It is not PR.

Fill in the form already…

UK Trade and Industry (UKTI) is looking for up to 25 leading app developers from across the United Kingdom to join them on a trade mission to silicon valley, to learn from America’s leading brands, platforms and companies.  The mission takes place on the 17th – 21st June 2013.

We are currently recruiting B2B and B2C companies with cutting-edge mobile apps to join us for four days of sharing best practice and shortcuts to success, from Silicon Valley’s leading brands and platforms in the mobile app industry.

Send your rock star developer to San Francisco to learn from the best and showcase your app during this week long mission of master classes, workshops, and a hackathon. These tech-talks will be specifically tailored for technical architects or developers of already launched business-to-consumer or business-to-business mobile apps.

During the four day programme, delegates will:

• Learn from experts and creators
• Network with US peers and innovators
• Promote your company and showcase your technology

 Inclusion in the mission will cost: £510 +VAT (£1020 less 50% discount under UKTI’s current export promotion scheme) through UKTI’s Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS).

Mission activities will include:

• A pre-departure webinar to discuss Mission goals and objectives
• Four days of meetings and master classes with strategists and evangelists from:
• Multi-platform tools such as PayPal, Mozilla, and Adobe
• B2B strategies such as Mashery and Box
• B2C strategies such as Netflix and Kindle
• Platforms, Operators, and devices such as Sony and Samsung
• Demonstration stand at networking event to showcase your app(s) to Silicon Valley press and potential partners
• Participation in a hackathon

Delegate companies will need to meet the following minimum criteria:

1. UK based SME* - or
2. UK based Mobile App team (<50 people) in a larger company - and must have:
3. Launched at least one mobile app (ideally a suite of apps) with at least 1500 downloads and 25 ratings And ideally a:
4. Software Developer with awesome C++/Java capabilities and some GUI skills too

Deadline to apply is 17 May 2013, and applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

All applicants will be notified whether or not they have been selected to participate in this mission. If you are selected to participate in this mission, you must make payment via the OMIS system by 31 May 2013 to guarantee your space in the mission.

Register here.

A new centre designed to support start-up companies in the digital, technology and creative media sectors is being launched in Dundee.

IDEAScotland plans to support up to 10 fledgling firms to develop into successful and sustainable businesses in its first year.

The scheme is a collaboration between brightsolid, DC Thomson and both Abertay and Dundee Universities.  It is being funded by an initial investment of £250,000.

The centre will be based at the University of Abertay and will provide successful applicants with virtual networking, equipment, business mentoring and introductions to investors, as well as free workspace.

IDEAScotland will work closely with the IDEALondon start-up centre at TechCity in Shoreditch, which was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in December 2012.

IDEALondon was established by Cisco, DC Thomson and University College London with the aim of supporting the growth of digital and media companies there.

“Building future business opportunities in Dundeein collaboration with international networks can only be good news for all stakeholders in the region”

The two centres will share investor links, business opportunities and customer testing.

The programme will see start-ups develop their teams and customer base, work on prototypes and participate in roadshows to pitch their product and organisation to potential investors.

The head of emerging technologies at brightsolid, Kenny Lowe, said: “Dundee has a long and vibrant history of innovation in the technology and digital media sectors that brightsolid is very proud to be a part of.

“Through the IDEAScotland centre we are looking forward to helping jump start a new wave of exciting business ventures, leveraging support and information channels that wouldn’t traditionally be available to start-ups.”

DC Thomson’s director Richard Hall described the programme as an exciting opportunity to further promote digital entrepreneurs in the UK, especially in Dundee.

The programme will also link with an Abertay University scheme which offers up to £25,000 to help small and new businesses create prototypes of games and other interactive digital content.

The director of business development at Abertay University, Paul Durrant, said: “IDEAScotland builds on our successful UK Prototype Fund in investing in digital start-ups, and we look forward to supporting exciting new companies that have the potential for rapid growth with the support of the partners and investors.”

Professor TomInns, dean of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) at the University of Dundee, said it was an important development for the city.

He said: “IDEAScotland will form a key programme for our graduate and research talent. Opportunities for new digital businesses are emerging from all the discipline areas within DJCAD.

“Building future business opportunities inDundeein collaboration with international networks can only be good news for all stakeholders in the region.”

A Dundee computer games company is to double the number of staff it employs.

YoYo Games currently has 25 employees but is planning to create an additional 25 new positions, mainly in systems development, software engineering, sales and customer service.

The firm makes the “GameMaker:Studio” software, which is credited with being the world’s most widely used game development software.

The expansion has prompted the company to move to new offices.

YoYo Games established its European headquarters in Dundee in May 2010 by opening an office within Abertay University with two team members.

The business focuses on helping developers create games that can be played on multiple devices, such as phones, tablets and computers.

As part of the growth plans the company has leased new offices in the DundeeOne building within the £1bn Dundee Waterfront development.

Sandy Duncan, YoYo Games CEO, said: “The business is growing rapidly and we need top quality flexible office space that will reflect the scale of our ambitions whilst providing our staff with an environment in which they can continue to do great work.

“We are delighted with Dundee – the quality of staff coming out of the universities and colleges is outstanding and has been core to our success.

“This move into Dundee Waterfront and the DundeeOne building will allow us to accelerate our growth plans and hopefully create further high quality employment opportunities.”

Mike Galloway, Dundee city development director, said: “YoYo Games is an outstanding example of the entrepreneurial technology-led businesses that are flourishing in Dundee.

“We are very pleased that the company is doing so well, and pleased that they have chosen to locate in the Waterfront Area.”

World-renown brands such as LinkedIn, Chillingo, Pearson, The Guardian and STV will be among the speakers at this year’s Digital 2013, held at the SECC on Thursday. They will talk about their experiences of creating revenue from the digital market. Delivered by Scottish Enterprise through its Interactive Scotland initiative in partnership with Ambition Scotland, this year’s Digital 2013 will explore how organisations are ‘Designing their Digital Presence’ and how they are generating a return on their investment from profit, attention from customers, and value perceived by them.

Alisdair Gunn, project director at Scottish Enterprise’s Interactive Scotland initiative said, “Many existing business models are being challenged today as we move from a product-centric to service-centric market. Digital businesses are driving this disruption, however more time and expense is being spent trying to create a digital presence that creates profit.

“We have attracted some of the world’s leading organisations and thought leaders in digital design this year, all of whom are actively evolving our digital society and market economies of today. As well as networking with hundreds of Scotland’s leading digital and creative decision makers from gaming, broadcasting, web, film, marketing, mobile, advertising, publishing, cultural and creative businesses, Digital 2013 is where you can hear the latest insights from the global digital market and I’d encourage anyone working in the sector to come along.”

The annual event offers a selection of keynote speakers, panels, workshops and exhibitions. It also brings together the sector’s key influencers responsible for developing the commercial, digital and creative strategies. It provides a launch pad for picking up the latest approaches for ‘creating and measuring value from digital’. Topics to be covered include: responsive design; methods for analysing and using data; creation of compelling digital content; approaches to building profitable digital services; and digital service definition.

Tom Hall, Vice-President of Education Technology Partnerships (a division of Pearson) said, “The global classroom is undergoing huge transformation today, and technology brings a mass of opportunities for education companies to reach learners in a more direct, more personal, and more effective way. We’re looking forward to sharing some of our findings with the audience at Digital 2013.”

This year the event has a new feature – The Games Lounge. Around a dozen of Scotland’s leading companies and organisations will showcase their games and demonstrate why the interactive sector is one of Scotland’s most exciting creative industries. As Ed Rumley, Chief Operating Officer of Chillingo commented, “The mobile gaming industry is experiencing tremendous growth; we look forward to sharing our publishing expertise with Digital 2013 attendees and highlighting how great independent developers can find success in today’s competitive marketplace.”

Digital 2013 is Scotland’s flagship, annual event for the Digital and Creative Industries and is Scotland’s national digital conference.

INDEPENDENT games developer Cobra Mobile is hoping for a major boost in sales as it makes its first release in the Chinese market.

The Dundee company’s iBomber title is being taken into the app store provided by giant telecoms firm China Mobile.

That will see it available for download among China Mobile’s subscriber base of more than 700 million people.

Players in the game – which was originally released in 2009 –must pilot an aircraft over a number of combat zones destroying key targets such as enemy buildings and navy fleets.

Cobra said the integration with social gaming network Papaya and sister network AppFlood will allow players to share and compare their results with other people.

The initial game is free to download, although players can purchase additional levels and improvements to their aircraft if they want to progress further.

Mark Ettle, Cobra chief executive, said: “We have been looking at the Chinese market and the best and correct way to enter that market for many years.

“One of the reasons we started working with Papaya was it was a way for us to get into the Chinese market as they had relationships in place.

“We are not going in half-heartedly. It is all guns blazing.

“China Mobile has a new software development kit which allows direct billing. The user can press a button then access and buy the rest of the game, which is hugely important in the digital space.”

China Mobile is a state-owned telecoms firm which is listed on the New York and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

Cobra has tweaked and translated some parts of the game for the Chinese audience.

However Mr Ettle said a large portion of the Chinese market prefers apps from Western developers to be as close to the original as possible.

He said: “They like Western content and like it to be written the same way as it is in the West.”

Mr Ettle expects it is likely that Cobra will add to its workforce of 14 on the back of the move into China.

Since the link-up with China Mobile, another large Chinese telecoms company has been in touch with Cobra expressing interest in its content.

Mr Ettle said: “The mobile space [in China] has matured and now has a certain level of handset.

“We believe we can attack that market without spending millions and millions.

“We need to see six to eight to 12 weeks down the line to see how things translate into sales, but even if you take 1% of 1% of 700 million, that is still a huge opportunity.”

Around 70% of Cobra’s sales come from the American market at the moment.

In a separate move this week, it is launching iBomber into the Google Play app store for Android devices.

Mr Ettle said: “That puts it in front of another couple of hundred million handsets.

“Google Play is the single go-to store for all Android mobile phone and tablet users so launching onto [it] will further extend the game and brand to the rest of the world.”

Cobra, founded in 2005, has developed a number of games for Apple and Android devices including Low Grav Racer, Storm in a Teacup, Mouse About and Fore.

It has also received three Scottish BAFTA nominations.

A Dundee software development company has won a major contract to create a medical testing app for one of the country’s leading universities — and praised the invaluable business links offered by the city’s airport.

Imperial College London has one of the largest medical faculties in the UK, and has now hired Waracle to create a mobile app that will revolutionise its medical testing programme.

The app will match testing programmes with people based on their individual medical conditions, saving time and money and allowing those on the programmes to submit their responses electronically.

Waracle already has a strong track record developing apps websites for leading companies and organisations, including NHS Scotland, the SFA and Sony Music.

But the South Tay Street firm said the Riverside airport was crucial when it came to allowing Dundee companies to compete.

Business development director David Romilly said: “We’re delighted to have been selected to work with Imperial College London, one of the world’s most prestigious universities, on a ground-breaking project which sees Waracle’s mobile and web technology deployed in the university’s Bioresource programme.

“Having fended off competition from nine developers across the UK, including some of London’s biggest app development agencies, ICL chose to work with Waracle based on our significant track record and technical expertise.

“Our approach differs to other developers in that we’re focused on the science of app development, using cutting-edge technology to constantly refine and optimise software based on hard data and user behaviour — an approach favoured by ICL.”

Mr Romilly added: “The Bioresource programme is a pioneering new project being spearheaded by Imperial College London that provides an extensive sampling framework for medical testing.

“The programme invites participants to undergo a baseline medical test, and the participants are then matched with specific testing-programmes based upon their individual medical conditions.

“Administering a programme of this scale via traditional, paper-based processes can be costly and time-consuming, which is why ICL have chosen to deploy mobile and web technology developed by Waracle to increase speed, efficiency and data security.

“Imperial College London were extremely impressed with our track record in delivering mobile and web solutions to the NHS. Last year we developed a tablet survey application that saves the NHS time and money and is currently being used at NHS sites across Scotland.

“The tablet app replaced an existing paper-based process with mobile, web and back-end technology designed and developed by Waracle right here in Dundee.”

Mr Romilly added that despite the falling passenger numbers at Dundee Airport, its direct services to London City have been invaluable for Waracle.

He said: “We often joke when pitching to clients down south that we can be in central London quicker than they can using the Dundee to London City flight.

“It’s a real asset to our business and enables us, and other Dundee companies, to compete on a national level, bring in high-profile clients and expand our workforce in Dundee.”

Briefing Event

You can view the webinar recording from the contest briefing event here. 

Summary

The IC tomorrow Digital Innovation Contest 2013 is offering seven businesses the opportunity to receive up to £25,000 each in funding to develop innovative commercial prototypes meeting broad challenges set in conjunction with our industry partners – HarperCollins, Constable & Robinson, MediaCom, Ogilvy & Mather UK Group and JCDecaux, FremantleMedia UK, Samsung and YouTube. 

The challenges

• two awards of up to £25K* each for the development of a prototype service or application in the ‘Publishing’ theme challenge area with challenges supported by HarperCollins and Constable & Robinson.
• two awards of up to £25K* each for the development of a prototype service or application in the ‘Advertising’ theme challenge area with challenges supported by Ogilvy & Mather UK Group and JCDecaux and MediaCom.
• three awards of up to £25K* each for the development of a prototype service or application in the ‘TV’ theme challenge area. With challenges supported by FremantleMedia UK, Samsung and YouTube.

Benefits

In addition to the £25K* of funding, each successful applicant will retain their intellectual property and will:

• gain from exposure to a range of leading publishing, advertising and TV industry partners
• test their proposed application, product or service with a relevant publishing, advertising or TV partner
• promote their prototype solution via the IC tomorrow programme
• receive support in resolving delivery issues related to the proposed application or service.

Apply

The contest takes place over a two stage process, to apply for stage one you simply need to fill out our online application form and produce a two minute video about your proposal by 12 noon Wednesday 24 April.  We aim to select 21 finalists to go through to the second stage which will include a live pitch to a panel of judges. For more information about the contest process click here.

Key Documents

Brief

Guidance Document – You must log in and join this group to download this document.

BRITAIN’S first smartphone app aimed at cutting the suicide death toll is being officially launched in Tayside today.

The app is initially being targeted at middle-aged men at risk of taking their own life, and will be promoted this Saturday at the Dundee United v Aberdeen football match at Tannadice.