- “Curvish” secures £25k
investment from the UK Games Fund - Michael Tougher’s “Dots”
beats off stiff competition to win the £15k investment from the Academy of
Engineering Launch Pad initiative.
The creativity and entrepreneurial expertise of
Glasgow School of Art graduates was underlined today as three recent Masters graduates
from the Serious Games and Virtual Reality programme – Calum Sinclair, Alex Horowitz and Nursalim
Ahmad – secured a maximum £25,000 investment grant from the UK Games Fund to
develop a commercial prototype of “Curvish”, and PDE graduate Michael Tougher won
the JC Gammon Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering for “Dots”.
Glasgow School of Art graduates was underlined today as three recent Masters graduates
from the Serious Games and Virtual Reality programme – Calum Sinclair, Alex Horowitz and Nursalim
Ahmad – secured a maximum £25,000 investment grant from the UK Games Fund to
develop a commercial prototype of “Curvish”, and PDE graduate Michael Tougher won
the JC Gammon Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering for “Dots”.
|
| Three GSA graduates have secured £25k investment from the UK Games Fund todevelop a commercial prototype of “Curvish |
The UK Games Fund investment for Curvish follows a
£5,000 Tranzfuser award which was used to develop a game to
be showcased at the prestigious EGX video games festival at which a team of
industry judges shortlisted the best games to compete for grants from
£10,000 to £25,000. Following a pitch to the UK Games Fund Sinclair, Horowitz and Ahmad secured a
maximum award of £25k from the initiative which is funded as part of the £4m UK
Government programme of games development funding and talent development.
£5,000 Tranzfuser award which was used to develop a game to
be showcased at the prestigious EGX video games festival at which a team of
industry judges shortlisted the best games to compete for grants from
£10,000 to £25,000. Following a pitch to the UK Games Fund Sinclair, Horowitz and Ahmad secured a
maximum award of £25k from the initiative which is funded as part of the £4m UK
Government programme of games development funding and talent development.
Announcing the six teams which had secured in
investment from the UK Games Fund Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital
and Culture, said: “Our video games
industry is world-renowned, and this fund will help start up games developers
develop their ideas and attract private investment. The Government’s UK Games fund
is now bridging that gap and through its Tranzfuser competition,
talented graduates are realising their dreams and turning them into
a reality for us all to enjoy.”
investment from the UK Games Fund Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital
and Culture, said: “Our video games
industry is world-renowned, and this fund will help start up games developers
develop their ideas and attract private investment. The Government’s UK Games fund
is now bridging that gap and through its Tranzfuser competition,
talented graduates are realising their dreams and turning them into
a reality for us all to enjoy.”
“It’s been fantastic to
watch Alex, Alim and Calum go from success to success with Curvish, after
meeting on the MSc in Serious Games and Virtual Reality programme,” says Daniel Livingstone, Programme Leader,
Medical and Heritage Visualisation and Serious Games at the GSA. “All three are incredibly talented, and very
hard working so I was pleased to be able to be able to arrange things for
them to continue to work on Curvish while completing their Masters. With this
latest success in obtaining funding from the UK Games Fund I’m even more
excited about the future ahead for all three.”
watch Alex, Alim and Calum go from success to success with Curvish, after
meeting on the MSc in Serious Games and Virtual Reality programme,” says Daniel Livingstone, Programme Leader,
Medical and Heritage Visualisation and Serious Games at the GSA. “All three are incredibly talented, and very
hard working so I was pleased to be able to be able to arrange things for
them to continue to work on Curvish while completing their Masters. With this
latest success in obtaining funding from the UK Games Fund I’m even more
excited about the future ahead for all three.”
|
| Michael Tougher’s Dots – an innovative approach to musical play which encourages learning and experimentation which has won the Enterprise Hub’s Launchpad Competition |
Meanwhile, recent Product Design Engineering graduate
Michael Tougher has won the Royal Academy of Engineering Launch Pad competition
for “Dots” – an approach to musical play which encourages learning and
experimentation.
Michael Tougher has won the Royal Academy of Engineering Launch Pad competition
for “Dots” – an approach to musical play which encourages learning and
experimentation.
Having come from a musical family Michael wanted to
help others to benefit from being creative with music and so developed Dots to
empower children to make their own music without having to master complex
musical instruments.
help others to benefit from being creative with music and so developed Dots to
empower children to make their own music without having to master complex
musical instruments.
The aim of the Enterprise Hub’s Launchpad Competition
is to enable a budding engineering entrepreneur (aged 16-25) to start a new
business based on their engineering innovation and maximise the chances of its
successful growth.
is to enable a budding engineering entrepreneur (aged 16-25) to start a new
business based on their engineering innovation and maximise the chances of its
successful growth.
The winner was
chosen by a panel of judges comprising some of the most successful innovators
and entrepreneurs in the technology sector. They assessed the
finalists against four key criteria throughout the application process: entrepreneurial potential and business awareness, the innovativeness of the technology, the potential for public benefit, and market potential.
chosen by a panel of judges comprising some of the most successful innovators
and entrepreneurs in the technology sector. They assessed the
finalists against four key criteria throughout the application process: entrepreneurial potential and business awareness, the innovativeness of the technology, the potential for public benefit, and market potential.
As the winner of the competition Michael received the JC
Gammon Award which comprises a year’s Membership of the Academy’s Enterprise Hub (including
mentoring, training, networking opportunities with some of the UK’s most
successful entrepreneurs and investors), and a £15,000 cash investment.
Gammon Award which comprises a year’s Membership of the Academy’s Enterprise Hub (including
mentoring, training, networking opportunities with some of the UK’s most
successful entrepreneurs and investors), and a £15,000 cash investment.
“Dots is a
worthy winner of the JC Gammon Award,” says Chair of the judging panel, Professor Andy Hopper CBE FRS FREng FIET, Professor of Computer Technology and
Head of the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory .
“As we all know, a key to innovation is creativity and play, and Dots
encompasses this in abundance. Not only will this inspire children to learn and
enjoy music, it has wider implications in terms of education and encouraging
the arts to meet technology, potentially inspiring a generation.
worthy winner of the JC Gammon Award,” says Chair of the judging panel, Professor Andy Hopper CBE FRS FREng FIET, Professor of Computer Technology and
Head of the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory .
“As we all know, a key to innovation is creativity and play, and Dots
encompasses this in abundance. Not only will this inspire children to learn and
enjoy music, it has wider implications in terms of education and encouraging
the arts to meet technology, potentially inspiring a generation.
“Michael is an ambitious entrepreneur who will
undoubtedly go on to succeed, and I am sure he will grow Dots into a successful
business.”
undoubtedly go on to succeed, and I am sure he will grow Dots into a successful
business.”
“The PDE team are delighted that Michael has won the
JC Gammon Award,” adds Craig Whitet, Head of Product Design Engineering at the
GSA. “Dots demonstrates how the PDE development process integrates engineering
technology with creativity to make innovative products that address real needs
and make a tangible impact. We wish Michael every success as he takes his
product and business forward.”
JC Gammon Award,” adds Craig Whitet, Head of Product Design Engineering at the
GSA. “Dots demonstrates how the PDE development process integrates engineering
technology with creativity to make innovative products that address real needs
and make a tangible impact. We wish Michael every success as he takes his
product and business forward.”
Michael plans to work with toy manufacturers and
schools to capture a share of the £45bn global Edtech market. A working
prototype has undergone user testing and received positive feedback from users
and the toy industry. He now aims to start a crowdfunding campaign to
bring the product to the mass market.
schools to capture a share of the £45bn global Edtech market. A working
prototype has undergone user testing and received positive feedback from users
and the toy industry. He now aims to start a crowdfunding campaign to
bring the product to the mass market.
Ends
Further information, images and interviews contact:
GSA Press and Media Relations
0779 941 4474
press@gsa.ac.uk
@GSofAMedia
Notes for Editors
Curvish is a skill-based puzzle-platformer in which
the player pilots a small droid to collect items in specific combinations.
Using their abilities to freely rotate the world and triple-jump, players must
dodge and avoid dangers to fulfil the objectives of each level. Items must be
collected in the exact order, which poses problems for the player as they
progress through each scenario.
the player pilots a small droid to collect items in specific combinations.
Using their abilities to freely rotate the world and triple-jump, players must
dodge and avoid dangers to fulfil the objectives of each level. Items must be
collected in the exact order, which poses problems for the player as they
progress through each scenario.
For full details of Curvisgh visit:
Dots takes an innovative approach by allowing people
to create music through separate stackable buttons on a mat, each of which acts
as a note and can be combined into entire chords. The buttons can be moved
around to play a different key, volume or even musical instrument, and in the
future will be able to be hooked up to an iPad so that children upload their
songs online, empowering people of all ages and abilities to create music.
to create music through separate stackable buttons on a mat, each of which acts
as a note and can be combined into entire chords. The buttons can be moved
around to play a different key, volume or even musical instrument, and in the
future will be able to be hooked up to an iPad so that children upload their
songs online, empowering people of all ages and abilities to create music.
A set of brightly coloured buttons – the ‘Dots’ – each
play a different musical note when pressed on the base mat. Dots can be
endlessly rearranged to create new tunes and even combined into chords when
piled on top of each other. The buttons are each marked with a specific musical
note-from A to G-enabling children to compose songs with ease.
play a different musical note when pressed on the base mat. Dots can be
endlessly rearranged to create new tunes and even combined into chords when
piled on top of each other. The buttons are each marked with a specific musical
note-from A to G-enabling children to compose songs with ease.
The technology’s ease-of-use encourages creativity and
experimentation and has strong potential educational value in terms of teaching
and engaging children in reading sheet music and composing songs.
experimentation and has strong potential educational value in terms of teaching
and engaging children in reading sheet music and composing songs.
http://michaeltougher.com