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Dare to be Digital 2008

NCsoft and Zoë Mode sponsor four University of Brighton teams in games design contest.

29 July 2008 – for Immediate Release

Leading Brighton games developers NCsoft and Zoë Mode® have joined together to support this year’s Dare to be Digital Brighton heat. Run by the University of Abertay and the University of Brighton, Dare to be Digital Brighton is supporting four student teams in this year’s competition. The competition is also supported by the local development agency SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) and Channel 4.

With extensive mentoring in art, programming, design and audio provided by Zoë Mode® and NCsoft, the students are also supported by the University of Brighton, who have provided studio space, hardware and technical support.

“It was an extraordinary experience. Apart from sharing technical knowledge, we also got involved with their team interaction. It’s an epitome of the real world: dynamic, competitive and stretching. NCsoft is delighted to be part of the game,” said Jay Scott, Head of Product Development, NCsoft.

“If we are to get the best graduates into the industry it’s vital that we work with universities and initiatives such as Dare to be Digital to ensure that students get the best education, training and support possible, before they head out into the industry” said Angela Fenge, Operations and Marketing Director, Zoë Mode®. “We’ve found that graduates who have been involved with Dare are among the best graduate applicants out there and we’re thrilled to be able to help support them in this fantastic competition”.

"The University of Brighton welcomes the fact that we have been invited to host such a dynamic event and share our expertise and technical support alongside other local businesses from across the south east," a spokesperson of the University of Brighton commented.

There are four teams working in the Brighton heats of the Dare to be Digital competition. The students come from the South East region. Their game ideas include “a fast and fun, pop-up book inspired 3D lane-based game for Xbox Live Arcade”; “an adaptive 2D puzzle game with a strong emphasis on audio”; “a heavily stylised 3D adventure game with a twist” and “a third person survival adventure”.

All Dare to be Digital games will be displayed at Dare ProtoPlay, held in Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 10-12 August 2008.

For more details of Dare to be Digital, please visit:

http://www.daretobedigital.com

Media enquiries: Elaine Russell e.russell@abertay.ac.uk

About NCsoft Europe

NCsoft Europe (NCE) is headquartered in Brighton, United Kingdom and is wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft operates publishing offices within North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand and has development studios in Seattle, Austin, California (North America) and Seoul (Korea). NCE recently announced the formation of the first European development studio, based within the UK.

NCE began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage® II (November 2004), City of Heroes® (4th February 2005), Guild Wars® (28th April 2005), City of Villains™ (31st October 2005), Guild Wars Factions™ (28th April 2006), Guild Wars Nightfall™ (27th October 2006), Guild Wars: Eye of the North™ (31st August 2007) and Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa® (2nd November 2007). More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

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NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Aion: The Tower of Eternity, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Paragon City, Rogue Isles, Dungeon Runners, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Guild Wars: Eye of the North, Guild Wars 2, Lineage, The Chaotic Throne, The Kamael, Hellbound, Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Zoë Mode®

Zoë Mode is the leading independent developer of music and party games, working on hit franchises EyeToy® Play and SingStar® in collaboration with Sony London Studio. Zoë Mode also developed the award winning Crush™ for SEGA, Dancing with the Stars for Activision and have a number of other original titles in development, including the recently announced Rock Revolution for Konami Digital Entertainment Inc and You’re In The Movies for Codemasters. Based in the heart of Brighton in the UK, the studio comprises 140 staff and is part of Kuju Entertainment Limited.

www.zoemode.com

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