Abertay Games Team in Seattle for Microsoft Imagine Cup Finals

Abertay Games Team in Seattle for Microsoft Imagine Cup Finals

Members of Blacklight Games, an Abertay University student games development team, flew out to Seattle this week for the Microsoft Imagine Cup Finals. 

The international competition seeks out the most innovative, and potentially world-changing software solutions from student teams across the globe.

Third year students Matthew McAuley, Marc Martinez and Emily Peterson represented the team with their game Firepoint, a first-person mixed reality simulator which aims to bring a new level of realism to firefighter training without the element of risk, in an attempt to be crowned worldwide champions, and take home the $100,000 prize.

The team, the second Abertay group in two years to make it through to the finals following local and national heats, hope to use the simulator as a tool to help firefighters in community outreach, recruitment and training. 

"Being in the world finals for the ImagineCup two years in a row is a great achievement for Abertay. It's a testament to our creative students pushing the limits of Mixed Reality technology to solve current problems and challenges. It's been a rich experience for all those involved." - Professor Ruth Falconer, Head of Computing and Maths Division

At the event, Firepoint's use of HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality technology to allow trainees to see through the eyes of a firefighter as they tackle a variety of issues through a multi-storey training ground, was demonstrated in the Mixed Reality category to a panel of judges including Erica Brescia, co-founder and COO of Bitnami, and Peggy Johnson, Microsoft's Executive VP of Business Development.

Following pitches from all 49 team finalists, the judges had the tough decision of which teams would then battle it out in the semi-finals for the prize money and prestigious trophy and, whilst Blacklight ultimately lost out on a place in the final 18, the team's tremendous effort was recognised by Abertay's Computing and Maths Division Leader, Ruth Falconer, who accompanied them on their trip:

"Being in the world finals for the ImagineCup two years in a row is a great achievement for Abertay. It's a testament to our creative students pushing the limits of Mixed Reality technology to solve current problems and challenges.

It's been a rich experience for all those involved."

To study games at Abertay visit www.abertay.ac.uk/schools/school-of-design-and-informatics/