Tipperary Institute host Ireland’s computer gaming ‘Cheltenham’ 
Students from across the country gathered for Games Fleadh ‘09 and 30th anniversary celebration of Asteroids

Click here to see a few images of the days events!

 

Team 2000 Drum from Dublin Institute of Technology, winners of the XNA Ireland Challenge Colleges Cup

Computer gaming’s very own Cheltenham took place on the 11th and 12th March but it was a case of a ‘trip to Tipp.’ instead of to the Cotswolds as third and second level students from across the country descend on Tipperary Institute (TI) for Games Fleadh ’09 and a special celebration to mark the 30th anniversary of iconic computer game Asteroids.
Over 300 students attended both events, which kicked off with Tipperary Institute hosting the officially endorsed 30th anniversary celebrations of iconic computer game Asteroids. The XNA Ireland Challenge, sponsored by Microsoft, specifically honoured the 30th anniversary of Asteroids (c) Atari Interactive Inc. 1979-2009 as computing students presented their own versions of the iconic game in the competition.

 

Lucan Community College winners of the XNA Ireland Challenge Schools Cup.

Tipperary has a proud association with computer game giant Atari as it was in Tipperary town that the global company established a European manufacturing base in the 1970s and manufactured 2,000 Atari arcade cabinets per month there for the international market. Welcoming Atari’s endorsement of the celebration, Philip Bourke Coordinator Games Design and Development at Tipperary Institute said:

 

“We are really honoured for Atari to officially endorse a competition that marks a milestone anniversary for one of the most popular games in computer gaming history. Asteroids was one of the original of the species, as it were, in computer games and Atari is looking forward to seeing the innovative ideas students come up with,” he said.

 “As technology users become more skilled and the systems they interact with become more complex, there is a requirement for skilled designers and developers who can create sophisticated but naturally elegant user experiences. The Microsoft XNA Challenge and Games Fleadh provide a forum for the best up and coming talent in this space to showcase their wares to games studios that attended to scout for developer talent.”
“the XNA Ireland challenge received entries that fast forward the way in which gamers interact with the classic, by using camera based gesture-game play.”

Students from Dublin to Galway competed in a variety of competitions at the Thurles campus during the two day event. Over recent months these students have been plying their raw computer programming skills to devise programmes for the XNA Ireland Challenge, Robocode Ireland, SchoolBots Challenge and other gaming competitions at the Games Fleadh.   The Games Fleadh is essentially aimed at helping to redress the Information and Communications Technology sector graduate shortage in Ireland by encouraging students, through computer gaming, to pursue a career in ICT.

Galway Mayo Institute of Technology’s diamond touch version of Asteroids.

It is also a unique opportunity for these young students to showcase their skills to industry, with representatives of many large ICT and gaming companies on hand to scout for up and coming computer programmes. Among the leading games companies represented will be the makers of PURE, Black Rock Studio (part of Disney Interactive Studios), double-BAFTA winning hit 'Crackdown’ creators Realtime Worlds, casual games leader - PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) who have created top titles such as Bejeweled and Peggle, Gala Networks Europe who are hosting the European debut of Dragonica MMORPG at Games Fleadh and Microsoft Games Studios.
Mr Liam Cronin, Academic Engagement Manger with sponsors Microsoft Ireland said that one of the key strengths of the Games Fleadh and XNA Challenge is that it promotes innovation amongst Ireland’s ICT cohort of the future and this type of innovation is central to Ireland’s future prosperity.

“If we want to succeed as a competitive global economy, we need to focus on innovation in the public and private sector.  One of the key factors in driving this theme of innovation will be our academic institutions and our students.  We need to ensure that there is a strong connection between the worlds of education and business and that together we’re focused on innovation. Our continued support for the Tipperary Institute and its Games Fleadh is recognition of the importance of that link,” he said.