A new project to connect computer games students with business investors launches today (Wednesday 10 April) at the University of Abertay Dundee.
The Code Bar has been established with support from the Intellectual Property Office to provide the computer games industry one-click access to innovative projects created by students in the University.
Established game development studios can easily download games, check their potential to be developed into full titles, and then purchase all the rights for a one-off fee through a closed auction.
The Code Bar is intended to unlock valuable intellectual property created by students at Abertay University and on the world-leading game development competition Dare to be Digital.
Brian McNicoll, games industry consultant and co-founder of BAFTA-award winning Dynamo Games, worked with Abertay University staff and students, and the Intellectual Property Office, to deliver the project.
Brian McNicoll said: “The Code Bar takes a very different approach to bringing promising new student games out to the market. There are so many games created by students at Abertay University, and on Dare to be Digital, that could be developed further by the right company.
“We’re looking to unlock promising, hidden intellectual property – giving games companies new creative ideas to develop into full products, paying students for successful sales of their exceptional work, and hopefully bringing more innovative games to market.”
The students who have submitted work to the Code Bar will receive 60% on the successful completion of a sale of their game to an investor.
Rosa Wilkinson, Director of Innovation at the Intellectual Property Office, said: “The Intellectual Property Office is delighted to have been able to support this exciting initiative through its Fast Forward Competition.
“The Code Bar is an excellent example of how the competition can support innovative approaches to knowledge exchange that benefit both businesses and students, leading to products and services that will help the UK economy to grow.”
Projects are available for educational use on an evaluation-only basis, allowing aspiring developers access to the games to understand how they were built.
The rights to each project can also be acquired by a developer or publisher who has the means to finish and release the game to market.
For more information, and to see the seven projects the Code Bar is launching with, please visit http://thecodebar.abertay.ac.uk/