Student Game Developers Win National Finals Of Global Competition

A group of computer game developers from the University of South Wales (USW) have won the national finals of a global competition run by Microsoft. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Team Sapient – made up of Masters students Riccardo Deluca, Ciaran Harty, Michael Harty and Thomas Mahoney – were named the winners of the Games category at the UK Imagine Cup finals, after creating a game called HexWorld. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Imagine Cup is a global student technology programme and competition that provides opportunities for students across all disciplines to team up and use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to create applications, games and integrate solutions that can change the way we live, work and play. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

HexWorld is a 3D adventure game that features an open and interactive world in which the player can explore, help natives and uncover mysterious dungeons and locations. Team Sapient spent months developing the game before travelling to Microsoft UK headquarters in Reading to present it at the national finals. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The team, who are all studying the Masters course in Computer Games Development, are now preparing for the online world semi-finals of the competition, and face an anxious wait to see if HexWorld will qualify for the finals, held at Microsoft headquarters in Seattle in July. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The winners will be awarded $50,000 and a mentoring session with Satya Nadella, Chief Executive of Microsoft. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Riccardo, 22, from Cardiff, started working on the game last September before entering it for Imagine Cup. He then drafted in Ciaran, 22 and his brother Michael, 23, both from Swansea, as well as Thomas, 24, from Tonyrefail, to develop HexWorld further. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Riccardo, 22, from Cardiff, started working on the game last September before deciding to enter the Imagine Cup. He then drafted in Ciaran, 22 and his brother Michael, 23, both from Swansea, as well as Thomas, 24, from Tonyrefail, to develop HexWorld further.
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“We’re all big fans of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, and particularly his character called Twoflower,” said Riccardo. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“He is Discworld’s first tourist, and inspired the main character for HexWorld. The game is all about exploring and going on an adventure.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Thomas added: “It was a huge shock to find out we’d won, out of all the teams from across the UK. We were up against some amazing projects so to beat them all was absolutely brilliant.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Paul Angel, Computer Games Development course leader, said: “Riccardo, Thomas, Ciaran and Michael have done an excellent job winning the UK finals of the Imagine Cup. This is a great achievement as they worked on this game alongside their normal studies, and shows what can be achieved when you combine technical skill with the personal drive to create something new.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Mike Reddy, Senior Lecturer in Computer Games Development, added: “As a former Imagine Cup Judge, I know the significance of extra-curricular work in making sure our games graduates stand out from the rest when seeking employment. The effort of producing a winning entry to the Imagine Cup is significant; at least doubling the work that students might be expected to do towards their courses. So, even being in the UK finals was quite an achievement. To win shows the determination that Team Sapient has to succeed in preparing themselves for a glamorous, but hard working industry.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​