Cyberport launches digital games development programme

Local creative talent will be able to stretch their imagination, innovation and technological skills by joining a new digital development programme at Hong Kong Cyberport.

The programme, Xbox Games Incubation Programme, is designed to nurture digital games development and to enhance the standard and competitiveness of the digital entertainment industry in Hong Kong.

It has been organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company in collaboration with Microsoft, the developer of Xbox.

Under the incubation programme, talented programmers and developers will be invited to submit their creative and innovative projects for evaluation.

Selected candidates will be offered an opportunity to produce their own titles at the Xbox Games Incubation Centre, an integrated game studio soon to open at Cyberport.

The centre is supported by Cyberport's Digital Media Centre (DMC), the most sophisticated digital content creation facility in Hong Kong. DMC's mission is to advocate and facilitate digital entertainment development in Hong Kong.

Deputy Government Chief Information Officer Betty Fung said today (October 6) that digital entertainment was an emerging and rapidly growing global industry.

"It has extended its impact across different genres spanning television, movies, games, advertisements, music and education," Mrs Fung said.

"Building on our well-established movie production foundation and the creativity of our industry practitioners, Hong Kong's digital entertainment products and service are increasingly well recognised internationally."

Mrs Fung said that to foster the growth of the industry, the OGCIO had implemented a series of measures covering the provision of infrastructure, technology upgrading, research and development and marketing to develop Hong Kong as a digital entertainment hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Leveraging Cyberport's advanced technology platform, we want to nurture more experts, cultivate innovative ideas, and ultimately enhance the overall competitiveness and international recognition of Hong Kong's digital entertainment industry," she said.

Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport Nicholas Yang said he believed the Xbox Games Incubation Programme would further accelerate and lay a solid foundation for a successful digital entertainment industry for Hong Kong.

Small and medium-sized games-development companies, final-year students in post-secondary programmes and postgraduate students are eligible to join the incubator project.

Further information about the programme and the evaluation process can be downloaded from xbox.cyberport.hk

Ends/Wednesday, October 6, 2004