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Visit to Asia’s biggest gaming conference showcases intern project to the world
An Abertay student showcased a game he created at the Tokyo Games Show 2024 thanks to an internship project set up by one of the University’s very first graduates.
Gary Clink of industry-leading tech company Digital.ai was a student in his final year of a business and computing degree when Abertay gained university status 30 years ago.
The Senior Director of Sales Engineering, also a local Minster in Dundee’s Hilltown area, has forged a career in the digital sector since graduating and set up an internship opportunity for an Abertay student as a way of giving back to the University, while also seeking to nurture the next generation of talent.
During a successful summer internship, Brandon Mooney, a BA (Hons) Game Design and Production student, built a game designed to demonstrate Digital.ai’s advanced Security and Quality solution, which is utilised by companies to protect top gaming titles, including Elden Ring and many others.
The prototype proved so successful that Digital.ai chose to fly Brandon out to Japan to demonstrate it to delegates attending Asia’s largest games conference.
Gary said that the project, which comes as Abertay celebrates 30 years of university status, was an example of what can be achieved when young people are given the right investment and support.
He added:
“Brandon has made a significant impact during his time with us at Digital.ai and the company has been hugely impressed by his professionalism, creativity and a level of technical skill that’s made him ready to go into the games industry. We were delighted to be able to support his internship and the trip to the Tokyo Games Conference - he’s been a real ambassador for us throughout his internship. On a personal level, it’s been a really fulfilling experience to comeback to Abertay and get a feel for how the institution has grown and developed over the years – being part of the Abertay Alumni Network is something that’s really special to me.”
Brandon said:
“Having the opportunity work with such a high-profile company, produce a game, and travel to Tokyo has been such an amazing opportunity. I’ve learned so much from Gary and the team that I’ll take forward into my career and I’m really thankful for the experience.”
Ryan Locke, Head of Abertay’s national Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education, said:
“This is such a great example of the community ethos that exists here at Abertay and within our network of graduates. We’re so fortunate to benefit from such a rich and connected games and tech community here in Dundee and we are grateful to Gary and Digital.ai for investing their time, resources and expertise to provide this excellent project. We’re proud to be among the world’s very best institutions for games design and a massive part of that is connected to the strength of the sector here in Dundee and the willingness of our graduates to keep supporting those following in their footsteps.”
Abertay’s Faculty of Design, Informatics and Business is ranked the top International School by the Princeton Review 2024 was the first institution in Scotland to receive accreditation from The Rookies, a global authority on excellence in creative arts education.
