Gaming
Winners announced for first-ever Scottish Games Awards
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ION LANDS’ CloudPunk lead the charge with three wins
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David Jones, Founder of DMA Design wins the Lifetime Achievement award
The winners of the first-ever Scottish Games Awards have been announced following a gala ceremony which took place last night [Thursday, 27th of October]. The inaugural awards ceremony took place at Malmaison, Dundee and was the climax of Scottish Games Week, which saw events take place all over the country in a bid to showcase games as Scotland’s secret weapon in the tech sector.
Celebrating the very best of the games industry across Scotland, the winners include Dundee studio Team Terrible whose title ‘The Baby In Yellow’ was crowned Best Small-Budget Game, Aberdeenshire’s Brilliant Skies Ltd who won the Technical Achievement award, and BAFTA-winning Amicable Animal who have now lifted the Audio trophy for its work on SOLAS 128. With a Glasgow-based lead writer and artists from Edinburgh, ION LANDS’ epic Cloudpunk won three titles- Art and Animation, Creativity and Best Large-Budget Game, while Dundonian games industry veteran David Jones won the Lifetime Achievement award.
The Scottish Games Awards winners in full are:
Art and Animation
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Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
Audio
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SOLAS 128 (Amicable Animal)
Best Educational Programme
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Dundee & Angus College: HN Games Development
Best Educator
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Dr Lynn Love
Best Large-Budget Game
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Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
Best Small-Budget Game
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The Baby in Yellow (Team Terrible)
Creativity
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Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
Diversity Champion
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Tanya Laird
Lifetime Achievement
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David Jones
Stewart Gilray Award (Community Spirit)
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Colin MacDonald
Technical Achievement
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From the Depths (Brilliant Skies Ltd.)
Tools and Technology
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Dislectek
Chaired by renowned journalist and author Chris Scullion, the award winners were selected by a jury of games industry experts with a deep knowledge of the sector, including:
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Brian Baird: Technical Director at Bethesda Games Studios Austin
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Joe Donnelly: Feature Writer at GamesRadar+
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Alisdair Gunn: Director at Glasgow City Innovation District
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Steven Hamill: COO at Scottish Edge
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Keza MacDonald: Video Games Editor at The Guardian
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Jim Trinca: Games journalist and video producer
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Jo Twist: CEO of UKIE
Chris Scullion, journalist and author of The NES Encyclopaedia said: “It’s been a huge honour to chair the judging panel for the inaugural Scottish Games Awards. The quality of the nominees is a perfect indicator of the enormous degree of talent that can be found in the Scottish games industry, and I’m looking forward to the awards (and Scottish Games Week as a whole) acting as a catalyst to help the industry grow from strength to strength.”
Angus Robertson, Culture Secretary, said: “Scotland has a world class reputation for games development as the winners of the first Scottish Games Awards have clearly demonstrated.
“The focus this week on the dynamism of the games sector and its growth potential shows the important role the industry has in supporting our economy. The technology and creativity that drives the sector has also brought benefits to other key areas such as education, healthcare, energy and financial services.”
Brian Baglow, Director of Scottish Games Week and Founder of the Scottish Games Network said: “The level of creativity and technical expertise across Scotland is outstanding, as is the passion, enthusiasm and commitment that we see from so many people across the whole games ecosystem. Today we are celebrating those achievements and turning the spotlight on the individuals, organisations and games that make Scotland’s games community such a vibrant and fun place to be.
“As the culmination of Scottish Games Week, these awards are a stake in the ground which proclaim that games are important, that we have a significant role to play in Scotland’s future and that we are going to be a far larger, louder and more prominent part of Scotland’s digital future.”
The Scottish Games Awards concluded Scottish Games Week, an expertly curated week of events across Scotland, with events focussing on onboarding the uninitiated, bringing together educational institutions and the games ecosystem.
Scottish Games Week is being delivered by the Scottish Games Network and is supported by the Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund, delivered as part of its Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review (STER) programme. Scottish Games Week is sponsored by 4J Studios, Blackadders LLP, Johnston Carmichael, YAHAHA, Aream and Co, Escape Technology, 4Players, NLAE and The SQA. Scottish Games Week is supported by partners Barclays Eagle Labs, Barclays Games & Esports Team, CodeBase, Dimoso, GT Omega, Digital Xtra Fund and Citizen Ticket.
Gaming
PopOK Gaming Unveils “First Balloon” in the Thrilling Crash Series
PopOK Gaming is excited to announce the release of “First Balloon,” the latest game in its popular Crash series. This new addition promises to take players on an exhilarating adventure, where they will soar through the skies and experience breathtaking moments and enticing rewards as their balloon ascends.
“First Balloon” offers a unique and thrilling gameplay experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats. As the game begins, players place their bets and watch as the multiplier starts increasing from 1x and continues to rise. The goal is to cash out at just the right moment to secure a multiplied payout. However, there’s a catch: if players don’t cash out in time, they risk losing their bet.
The excitement builds as players navigate the challenge of timing their cash-outs to maximize their winnings. With the potential to win up to x10,000, “First Balloon” offers the chance for massive rewards.
How does it work?
Place a bet
Watch the multiplier increase from 1x upwards
Cash out anytime to get your bet multiplied
“First Balloon” is designed to provide a thrilling and immersive gaming experience, combining the excitement of risk and reward with the beauty of a soaring balloon journey. It’s the perfect game for those seeking adventure and the thrill of high-stakes gameplay.
Don’t miss out on the latest addition to PopOK Gaming’s Crash series. Start your adventure today with “First Balloon” and experience the excitement for yourself!
Gaming
SimplePlay has launched a new Table Game: Beauty and Gorilla King !
One day, the Beauty, whom Gorilla King is deeply in love with, gets captured and locked inside a tower. To save the love of his life, Gorilla King needs to avoid the deadly hunters on every floor of the tower and make his way to the top to win his precious back!
Beauty and Gorilla King” is a mini-game where players are given a tower with rows of covered squares with either beauties or hunters. Players need to start from the bottom row. Whenever a square of beauty is unveiled, players move one floor up and the winning multiplier increases. Players can choose to continue their progress to move upwards and win more, or to leave this round and take the accumulated winnings! However, if a hunter is unveiled, all the winnings will be lost and players have to start a new round. Get to the top of the tower to unravel huge riches!
Come and experience “Beauty and Gorilla King” now!
Gaming
Big Screen Gaming Summit Joins PG Connects Helsinki, Spotlighting PC and Console Development
The Big Screen Gaming Summit, a new two-day event dedicated to PC, console, web3, VR, and AR games, will debut alongside Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki on October 1-2, 2024. One ticket, two events!
This expansion of the world’s leading independent games conference series aims to provide a comprehensive forum for the evolving landscape of multi-platform game development.
The dedicated summit will feature eight specialised tracks covering crucial industry topics, including market trends, UGC, live service games, discoverability, practical AI, and more. Each track will offer in-depth discussions, panels, and presentations from industry experts, providing attendees with valuable insights into the latest trends, technologies, and business strategies shaping the future of games. The summit will also explore emerging markets in Latin America, Asia, and MENA, which are expected to drive future player growth on PC and console platforms.
“As the games industry continues to evolve, we recognise the continuing importance of PC and console platforms alongside mobile,” said Dave Bradley, COO of Steel Media. “The Big Screen Gaming Summit represents our commitment to serving the entire games industry, offering a unique opportunity for professionals to explore the challenges and opportunities across all major platforms.”
The event will also host The Very Big Indie Pitch (PC + Console Edition), providing indie developers with a platform to showcase their projects to a panel of experts. This competition offers valuable feedback and exposure for up-and-coming developers in the PC and console space. Indie developers are encouraged to apply early, as spots are limited.
Both the Big Screen Gaming Summit and Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki will take place at Wanha Satama, Helsinki, as part of the Finnish Games Week. Finland is famous for its mobile games, but it’s also home to renowned studios like Housemarque and Remedy Entertainment, showcasing the country’s strength in PC and console game development.
Early bird tickets offering savings of over £300 are currently available, providing access to both events. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with industry professionals, gain insights from leading experts, and explore the expo area. The event will also feature a MeetToMatch online meeting platform, facilitating valuable connections among participants.
In addition to the main conference tracks, the summit will include roundtable discussions, networking events like Investor Connector and Publisher SpeedMatch, and a party in downtown Helsinki. As part of Finnish Games Week (30 September – 4 October), the Big Screen Gaming Summit and Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki will join the IGDA Leadership Day, W In Games and more activities celebrating the regional games scene.
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