Channel 4 makes £1 million investment in Dundee's digital media sector

23 August 2010

• New TV series to follow Scotland's DareToBeDigital game design contest
• Major digital commissions for three leading Dundee games developers

 

Channel 4 has made a number of exciting new commissions totalling £1 million with a range of digital media companies including Headlight Scotland, Dynamo Games, Tag Games and Proper Games.  Channel 4 CEO David Abraham said:

"Channel 4 is determined to seek out the best UK talent on-air and online.  Dundee is one of the great success stories of contemporary media and we are pleased that our creative content editors are making an impact there."

Headlight Scotland have been commissioned to produce a new 3-part television series exploring the Dundee games sector, centred on the DareToBeDigital Game Design competition.  The competition pitches teams of students from all over the world against one another in bidding to produce the best interactive game over a 12 week period.

Dynamo Games - who have previously developed alongside Channel 4 for mobile platforms on brands such as Countdown - have been commissioned to create a major new Facebook game, Beauty Town. Beauty Town will provide predominantly female users with an engaging, fun interactive game that promotes positive body image; a theme covered in many of the Channel's successful television shows.

Tag Games, the company behind iPhone Apps store hits including CarJack Streets and Astro Ranch are working with Channel 4 to produce unique new interactive games around some of the Channel's most successful television brands, including Come Dine with Me and Peep Show.  As part of a co- investment deal with Creative Scotland, Tag Games are also developing exciting new fully owned IP across a variety of interactive platforms for their own full exploitation.  Paul Farley of Tag Games said:

"This opportunity to create games and apps based upon some of the UK's best loved and most popular TV shows, alongside developing original content of our own, is unique and exciting. It is vital to be creating content in the digital media industry as sectors such as gaming and television start to overlap creatively.

Both the Tag Games and Dynamo Games commissions have received joint investment from the Digital Media IP Fund; managed by Creative Scotland on behalf of Scottish Enterprise.

Channel 4's Education commissioning team is also in advanced discussions with another of the City's games developers around an exciting new commission to be announced later in 2010.  Against the backdrop of Channel 4's ongoing commissioning, another success story is Ruffian Games who are the lead developers on the recently released Xbox 360 critical and commercial hit, Crackdown 2.  Richard Wilson, of TIGA, the games industry trade body in the UK commented:

"Dundee is one of the UK's leading centres for video game development, featuring world class businesses and a world class university at Abertay.  At TIGA, we work to promote knowledge sharing and commercial relationships between different creative sectors; Channel 4's commissioning of new content with video game businesses strengthens knowledge sharing between television and games, bolsters innovation and powers creativity."

TRC Media, the independent media training company based in Glasgow have seen a number of their Cross Creative digital programme delegates come out of the Dundee games sector; with company representatives including Denki Games, Ludometrics, Tag Games and Dynamo Games. 

Notes to Editors/Additional Quotes

http://www.dynamogames.com/           http://www.tag-games.com/

http://www.proper-games.com/             http://www.daretobedigital.com/         

http://www.creativescotland.org.uk/

Ian MacKenzie, who has been leading on a number of the projects for Channel 4's Creative Diversity team said: "We are delighted to be engaging with the vibrant, world-class games sector in Dundee and personally it's a breath of fresh air to be meeting and working with so many capable companies in an area of contemporary media that is relatively new to Channel 4."

About the Digital Media IP Fund
The Digital Media IP Fund, managed by Creative Scotland, is jointly financed with £1.5m from Scottish Enterprise and £1.5m from the Creative Scotland Innovation Fund, a £5m fund from the Scottish Government.  Investment from the Digital Media IP Fund aims to stimulate the development and production of innovative, non-broadcast interactive content that encourages co-investment from the private sector and is capable of generating revenue for Scottish based companies.

 

• New TV series to follow Scotland's DareToBeDigital game design contest
• Major digital commissions for three leading Dundee games developers

 

Channel 4 has made a number of exciting new commissions totalling £1 million with a range of digital media companies including Headlight Scotland, Dynamo Games, Tag Games and Proper Games.  Channel 4 CEO David Abraham said:

"Channel 4 is determined to seek out the best UK talent on-air and online.  Dundee is one of the great success stories of contemporary media and we are pleased that our creative content editors are making an impact there."

Headlight Scotland have been commissioned to produce a new 3-part television series exploring the Dundee games sector, centred on the DareToBeDigital Game Design competition.  The competition pitches teams of students from all over the world against one another in bidding to produce the best interactive game over a 12 week period.

Dynamo Games - who have previously developed alongside Channel 4 for mobile platforms on brands such as Countdown - have been commissioned to create a major new Facebook game, Beauty Town. Beauty Town will provide predominantly female users with an engaging, fun interactive game that promotes positive body image; a theme covered in many of the Channel's successful television shows.

Tag Games, the company behind iPhone Apps store hits including CarJack Streets and Astro Ranch are working with Channel 4 to produce unique new interactive games around some of the Channel's most successful television brands, including Come Dine with Me and Peep Show.  As part of a co- investment deal with Creative Scotland, Tag Games are also developing exciting new fully owned IP across a variety of interactive platforms for their own full exploitation.  Paul Farley of Tag Games said:

"This opportunity to create games and apps based upon some of the UK's best loved and most popular TV shows, alongside developing original content of our own, is unique and exciting. It is vital to be creating content in the digital media industry as sectors such as gaming and television start to overlap creatively.

Both the Tag Games and Dynamo Games commissions have received joint investment from the Digital Media IP Fund; managed by Creative Scotland on behalf of Scottish Enterprise.

Channel 4's Education commissioning team is also in advanced discussions with another of the City's games developers around an exciting new commission to be announced later in 2010.  Against the backdrop of Channel 4's ongoing commissioning, another success story is Ruffian Games who are the lead developers on the recently released Xbox 360 critical and commercial hit, Crackdown 2.  Richard Wilson, of TIGA, the games industry trade body in the UK commented:

"Dundee is one of the UK's leading centres for video game development, featuring world class businesses and a world class university at Abertay.  At TIGA, we work to promote knowledge sharing and commercial relationships between different creative sectors; Channel 4's commissioning of new content with video game businesses strengthens knowledge sharing between television and games, bolsters innovation and powers creativity."

TRC Media, the independent media training company based in Glasgow have seen a number of their Cross Creative digital programme delegates come out of the Dundee games sector; with company representatives including Denki Games, Ludometrics, Tag Games and Dynamo Games. 

Notes to Editors/Additional Quotes

http://www.dynamogames.com/           http://www.tag-games.com/

http://www.proper-games.com/             http://www.daretobedigital.com/         

http://www.creativescotland.org.uk/

Ian MacKenzie, who has been leading on a number of the projects for Channel 4's Creative Diversity team said: "We are delighted to be engaging with the vibrant, world-class games sector in Dundee and personally it's a breath of fresh air to be meeting and working with so many capable companies in an area of contemporary media that is relatively new to Channel 4."

About the Digital Media IP Fund
The Digital Media IP Fund, managed by Creative Scotland, is jointly financed with £1.5m from Scottish Enterprise and £1.5m from the Creative Scotland Innovation Fund, a £5m fund from the Scottish Government.  Investment from the Digital Media IP Fund aims to stimulate the development and production of innovative, non-broadcast interactive content that encourages co-investment from the private sector and is capable of generating revenue for Scottish based companies.

 

• New TV series to follow Scotland's DareToBeDigital game design contest
• Major digital commissions for three leading Dundee games developers

 

Channel 4 has made a number of exciting new commissions totalling £1 million with a range of digital media companies including Headlight Scotland, Dynamo Games, Tag Games and Proper Games.  Channel 4 CEO David Abraham said:

"Channel 4 is determined to seek out the best UK talent on-air and online.  Dundee is one of the great success stories of contemporary media and we are pleased that our creative content editors are making an impact there."

Headlight Scotland have been commissioned to produce a new 3-part television series exploring the Dundee games sector, centred on the DareToBeDigital Game Design competition.  The competition pitches teams of students from all over the world against one another in bidding to produce the best interactive game over a 12 week period.

Dynamo Games - who have previously developed alongside Channel 4 for mobile platforms on brands such as Countdown - have been commissioned to create a major new Facebook game, Beauty Town. Beauty Town will provide predominantly female users with an engaging, fun interactive game that promotes positive body image; a theme covered in many of the Channel's successful television shows.

Tag Games, the company behind iPhone Apps store hits including CarJack Streets and Astro Ranch are working with Channel 4 to produce unique new interactive games around some of the Channel's most successful television brands, including Come Dine with Me and Peep Show.  As part of a co- investment deal with Creative Scotland, Tag Games are also developing exciting new fully owned IP across a variety of interactive platforms for their own full exploitation.  Paul Farley of Tag Games said:

"This opportunity to create games and apps based upon some of the UK's best loved and most popular TV shows, alongside developing original content of our own, is unique and exciting. It is vital to be creating content in the digital media industry as sectors such as gaming and television start to overlap creatively.

Both the Tag Games and Dynamo Games commissions have received joint investment from the Digital Media IP Fund; managed by Creative Scotland on behalf of Scottish Enterprise.

Channel 4's Education commissioning team is also in advanced discussions with another of the City's games developers around an exciting new commission to be announced later in 2010.  Against the backdrop of Channel 4's ongoing commissioning, another success story is Ruffian Games who are the lead developers on the recently released Xbox 360 critical and commercial hit, Crackdown 2.  Richard Wilson, of TIGA, the games industry trade body in the UK commented:

"Dundee is one of the UK's leading centres for video game development, featuring world class businesses and a world class university at Abertay.  At TIGA, we work to promote knowledge sharing and commercial relationships between different creative sectors; Channel 4's commissioning of new content with video game businesses strengthens knowledge sharing between television and games, bolsters innovation and powers creativity."

TRC Media, the independent media training company based in Glasgow have seen a number of their Cross Creative digital programme delegates come out of the Dundee games sector; with company representatives including Denki Games, Ludometrics, Tag Games and Dynamo Games. 

Notes to Editors/Additional Quotes

http://www.dynamogames.com/           http://www.tag-games.com/

http://www.proper-games.com/             http://www.daretobedigital.com/         

http://www.creativescotland.org.uk/

Ian MacKenzie, who has been leading on a number of the projects for Channel 4's Creative Diversity team said: "We are delighted to be engaging with the vibrant, world-class games sector in Dundee and personally it's a breath of fresh air to be meeting and working with so many capable companies in an area of contemporary media that is relatively new to Channel 4."

About the Digital Media IP Fund
The Digital Media IP Fund, managed by Creative Scotland, is jointly financed with £1.5m from Scottish Enterprise and £1.5m from the Creative Scotland Innovation Fund, a £5m fund from the Scottish Government.  Investment from the Digital Media IP Fund aims to stimulate the development and production of innovative, non-broadcast interactive content that encourages co-investment from the private sector and is capable of generating revenue for Scottish based companies.