BAFTA, Dare Partner For Ones to Watch Award

The British Academy of Film and Television and Dare to be Digital student game development competition have partnered to offer the BAFTA Ones to Watch Award, a new award to be given to a winning Dare to be Digital team at BAFTA's October British Academy Video Games Awards. Developed and organised by the University of Abertay Dundee, Dare to Be Digital pits teams of students from the UK, India and China against each other in a 10 week contest to develop a fully functional prototype of a new game idea, with the finalists judged by a panel of games industry experts. This year, the three winning teams will be shortlisted for the new BAFTA Ones to Watch Award, with the winners awarded at BAFTA's British Academy Video Games Awards. Dare to be Digital organizers also recently announced that the 2007 event's newly established London and South East center will be hosted by Electronic Arts’ UK studio in Guildford. The London and South East center is the third of three host centers announced for this year’s contest, the others being in Dundee and Belfast. Said BAFTA games committee chair Paul Jackson, "A critical part of our recognition of video games as a third aspect of screen culture alongside film and TV is the celebration of the talented development stars of the future. Dare to be Digital provides a proven route for recognising talented young development teams and we are very excited at the prospect of showcasing new talent in this way."