The free Dare ProtoPlay computer games festival opened on Friday morning 9 August in City Square and the Caird Hall and continues through Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 August 10:00 - 18:00 each day. The organisers invite us to come to Dare ProtoPlay to play and vote for the Dare to be Digital 2012 games.
When I visited yesterday, there was a real buzz in City Square with a linked series of tents stretching between the edge of City Square up to the steps of the Caird Hall. Inside the tunnel of tents, in subdued lighting, were numerous computer screens and gaming consoles displaying the games which have been selected as finalists in this years Dare to be Digital video games competition. Visitors were studiously playing each of these games and then could vote for which they think is best.
Its a great day out for folk who enjoy computer games and a really fine demonstration of the creative and commercial opportunities arising from developing computer games.
I hope in subsequent years it might be possible to include an additional schools category in the Dare to be Digital competition. I have written to the Director of Education, Michael Wood and the organisers of the competition at the University of Abertay Dundee, to make that proposal.