Judges select four best presentations to contest the grand finale at Gadget Show Live
The 12 teams shortlisted in the competition presented their work in progress live to a panel of judges at the Wellcome Trust. This year’s MSUL theme is ‘Mendelian Inheritance: genetics and genomics,’ which is supported by the Wellcome Trust, and each of the 12 shortlisted games has been developed according to a creative interpretation of this topic.CARY, N.C. – Epic Games, Inc., creators of award-winning games and game technology, has announced the four finalist teams who will complete in the grand finale of Make Something Unreal Live (MSUL) 2013, the European student game development competition.
The teams were ranked on a range of criteria including scientific implementation, concept originality and presentation quality. The judging panel comprised Jo Twist, CEO of UKIE, Stephen Gaffney, CEO of Fireteam, Tim Edwards, editor of PCGamesN, and senior personnel from Epic Games and the Wellcome Trust.
The four successful teams are:
| Name | University | Game Title |
| Dead Shark Triplepunch | Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden | Loch Ness |
| Kairos Games | Staffordshire University | Polymorph |
| Static Games | Bournemouth University | Mendel’s Farm |
| Team Summit | University Of Abertay, Dundee | Beings |
“We were hugely impressed by the quality of all 12 shortlisted entries to this year’s competition,” commented Mike Gamble, European Territory Manager at Epic Games and a member of the judging panel. “We have some real talent among the teams and it was a difficult decision to pick just four from the original 12 games.”
Dr. Darren Logan, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and a member of the judging panel, said, “Interestingly, all four finalists tackled different characteristics of the theme, cleverly representing important, and often misunderstood, aspects of Mendelian Inheritance. The constraints of the theme have challenged the teams to think more creatively and they have demonstrated the potential to really enhance the game through the science itself. ”
The finalist teams have four months between now and the start of Gadget Show Live, which opens on April 2, 2013, to work on their games using Epic’s Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of Unreal Engine 3 (UE3). In addition, software provider Allegorithmic is providing all finalists with full licences of its Substance Designer texturing solution, which enhances productivity and streamlines workflow together with UDK. Teams will be mentored by selected games development studios throughout the process and will also be able to call on scientific support from the Wellcome Trust.
At the Gadget Show Live finalists will rapidly iterate upon their games live on the show floor in front of MSUL judges and visitors to the show. On the final day of the exhibition, the overall winning team will be announced, and awarded with a commercial Unreal Engine 4 licence for PC digital distribution.
MSUL 2013 is also supported by Staffordshire University, Epic’s educational partner for the programme, and UKIE, the games industry trade association. Head of UKIE Jo Twist said, “I was so impressed by the quality and diversity of the teams and their presentations. This is a perfect example of how our industry can work more closely with the education community to help nurture the very best talent. The support from industry mentors and real world pitching experience is so vital for the next generation of developers which will feed and sustain our fantastic industry.”
To follow the progress of MSUL 2013, visit http://www.facebook.com/MakeSomethingUnreal. Video footage from the presentation day will also be available on the Unreal Engine channel on YouTube.
Over the past decade Epic’s Make Something Unreal game development competitions have awarded millions of dollars’ worth of cash and prizes, enabled the release of numerous commercially successful computer and video games and jumpstarted many careers.
About Unreal Engine
Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for its cutting-edge graphics, best-of-breed toolset and scalability across major platforms. Operating on nine platforms, including PC, consoles and mobile devices, Unreal Engine 3 is designed to accelerate developers’ productivity for creating high-quality games, applications, training simulations, 3D visualizations, digital films and animated entertainment. Powering hundreds of games and integrated with two dozen leading software technologies, Unreal Engine 3 holds more than 20 technology awards, including seven Game Developer Front Line Awards and five Develop Industry Excellence Awards. The Unreal Engine also holds a seat in the Front Line Awards Hall of Fame. Epic recently revealed Unreal Engine 4, winner of multiple Best of E3 2012 awards, which offers unprecedented workflow improvements and graphical capabilities that provide unparalleled accessibility for developers building the next generation of games and applications. For additional information, please visithttp://www.unrealengine.com.
About Epic Games
Established in 1991, Epic Games, Inc. develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company is responsible for the bestselling “Unreal” series of games, the blockbuster “Gears of War” franchise and the groundbreaking “Infinity Blade” line of mobile games. Epic’s award-winning Unreal Engine technology has won dozens of awards and is available for licensing. Epic is continually recruiting top talent for its studios located in North Carolina, Washington, Utah, Maryland, Poland, Korea and Japan. Additional information about Epic can be obtained athttp://www.epicgames.com.
About Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
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