Sony Awards Prizes To Student Console Programmers

Three computer games technology students at Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland have won prizes for their work from computer game giant Sony. The prizes were presented for outstanding development work on a PlayStation 2 Games Console during academic year 2004/05. First prize, a PlayStation 2 Linux games development kit, a check and a certificate signed by Sony's vice-president of technology Paul Holman, was awarded to James Bird, and runner-up prizes were awarded Grant Norrie and Laurence Emms. The three award-winning students developed computer games as part of their second-year studies in console game programming. Computer games technology lecturer Dr Henry Fortuna, who teaches console games programming at Abertay, said: "Students are introduced to console game programming during the second year of their course using PlayStation2-Linux development kits donated by Sony. The Console Game Programming module culminates with students creating a computer game, with the best three being awarded the Sony prizes." Abertay started teaching console game programming back in 1998 using the original PlayStation1 games console. The University changed to the more modern and powerful PlayStation2 console in 2002, and is now revising its teaching to take into account the new PlayStation Portable launched earlier this year. The PlayStation 2 Linux kit used by the university was generally available to the public, although is now sold out in North America, and has actually been used in initial development on a completed commercial PlayStation 2 title, the forthcoming Putt Nutz from developer Black Mountain Games.