28th May 2009

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Professor Liam Maguire, Head of School of Computing and Intelligent Systems, with Microsoft speaker Liam Cronin, and lecturer Michael Callaghan

Experts in the multi-million pound computer games industry are taking part in a two-day international event at the University of Ulster’s Magee Campus focused on using Microsoft’s XNA video games development platform.

The Microsoft XNA Academic Summit (XNAFEST 2009), which opens today has attracted more than 60 leading academics and industry practitioners in design, development and teaching, with speakers from Italy, Belgium, UK and Ireland.

The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the benefits of using the XNA platform for teaching and highlight the range of resources already available to educators.It is jointly organised and hosted by the University’s Intelligent Systems Research Centre, the School of Computing & Intelligent Systems, Faculty of Computing and Engineering and co-sponsored by its, Office of Innovation Knowledge Club Program.

The speakers are leading figures in the industry and academia who bring a wealth of practical experience of XNA/game development.The event is being attended chiefly by academics currently using or considering using XNA as part of a games development course, and participants will receive practical advice and tutorials and demonstrations from educators and industrial experts in this area.

Summit Director and Lecturer Michael Callaghan of the Serious Games and Virtual Worlds research team at the Intelligent Systems Research Centre, said. “We are delighted that Microsoft has chosen to host their XNA academic summit at the University of Ulster.”  

Dr Shane Wilson, from the Intelligent Systems Research Centre, said, “XNA is a great technology for not only creating highly interactive and visually appealing games but is also an ideal platform for teaching students the fundamentals of programming in an interesting and familiar context”.

He added, “We are delighted to have secured so many innovative and highly influential XNA experts to talk at the Academic Summit here in Magee. I am sure participants will find the event inspirational in terms of how gaming technologies such as XNA can be integrated into course curriculums.” 

Liam Cronin, Academic Engagement Manager Microsoft Ireland added: “One of the critical challenges for the technology industry across Europe and other parts of the world has been the falling numbers of computing science and engineering students. At the same time though, the gaming industry has been one of the fastest growing sectors in information technology and Europe has become a hotbed for game development, producing some of the most exciting and marketable games and franchises in worldwide gaming.

"XNAFEST 2009 is a great opportunity to get first-hand experience of game development. For Microsoft, this is another opportunity for us to highlight the necessity of supporting academia in science and technology for future progress of the industry in Europe.”

Attendance at the summit is free to attend but you must REGISTER as places are strictly limited. The summit website is here http://www.xnafest.com/.

For further information on XNAFEST 2009 please contact: Michael Callaghan, School of Computing and Intelligent Systems, Faculty of Computing and Engineering at: 028 71 375771 or email mj.callaghan@ulster.ac.uk.  

For further information, please contact:

Trina Porter
Telephone: 028 71675511
Email: Trina Porter