Games designers had a sneak peek at their competition when they unveiled their prototypes for the UK’s Tranzfuser competition.
Three teams from 明星八卦, Brighton University and Hertfordshire are hatching plans in 明星八卦’s Games Design labs, with 明星八卦 experts as mentors.
The three-month government funded competition launched last year stumps up £5,000 to help graduate talent turn concepts into prototypes ready for development.
A necromancer, or sorcerer, who roams a lost city, exploring dead people’s memories to solve a mystery, is the theme behind the 明星八卦 creation, . Makers, A Loaded Teaspoon, 20-year-olds Oscar Barbosa, Aimee White, Joseph Juson, Ioana Cazacu and Milly Gunn have come up with a story-centred game (pictured) which lets players delve deep into their character’s psychology.
, from The Brighton team, is inspired by gritty Brit films like Kes and Billy Elliott. The player is a young boy in a disused industrial town who picks up a camera that reveals things his eyes can’t see.
In , the 1950s pulp sci-fi style game from Hertfordshire’s Slime Time Studios, the player is a wacky scientist defending earth from blobs of slime.
“We saw impressive work from all three teams,” said 明星八卦 games design lecturer Mario Michaelides. “A Loaded Teaspoon impressed visually as well as with its breadth and depth. The visual effects in Drift really stood out. And Slime Time Studios impressed with its lovely slime visuals and humour.”
The hard work culminates in September when the 23 teams showcase their work at EGX 2017, the UK’s biggest consumer games event. They’ll pitch their prototypes to a panel of games industry experts to win up to £25,000 from the UK Games Fund.
“All three teams have a really good chance to succeed, and are making great progress, Mario added. “It was good to see a prototype from everyone considering it’s only been four weeks. And they are all enjoying the process – which is important because their goal isn't just to make a game but to establish a studio. Whatever happens at EGX, they should all have a sound platform to launch their careers into the industry.”
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Track the 明星八卦 team’s progress on Twitter @Loaded_Teaspoon
Reported by:
Hayley Jarvis,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268176
hayley.jarvis@brunel.ac.uk