Preston Guild Inspires Mobile App Game

A unique collaboration between a games company and university students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Lancaster University has resulted in the first Preston Guild mobile app game.

Dynamic new game ‘Cotton Pops’ was launched at a special event at the new Preston Visitors’ Information centre where the team demonstrated it to key members of the Preston Guild team and the media.

The app, which was developed to mark the Preston Guild, brings together Lancashire's traditional textile industry with modern mobile technology.

Turning a concept into a reality
It has been developed by RM Productions in conjunction with Games Design students at UCLan to turn the concept into a reality, after RM Productions’ sister company Black Bull Studios challenged them earlier in the year to come up with a mobile games idea in celebration of the 2012 Guild.

Georgina Cronshaw, Will Davies and James Burton’s Cotton Pops game idea was selected in May. RM Productions then introduced the trio to two students at Lancaster University, Jamie Briers and Will Moorhouse, who had the programming skills needed to complete the project.

Collaborations between university and industry
Preston Guild Festival Director Stella Hall approved the concept, and in May the design and programming work, which was funded by Lancashire County Developments Limited - Lancashire County Council’s economic development department, UCLan, Preston City Council and Lancaster University, began in earnest.
The game is a ‘warm –up’ version of the Guild Key – a puzzle-based interactive treasure hunt which will be launched next year, and is one of the Made In Preston portfolio of projects.

Peter Melling, one of the directors of Black Bull Studios, and founding co-director of RM Productions, said:

“Black Bull Studios has been supporting the Games Design Course at UCLan for five years now, mentoring the students and challenging them to enter our annual competition to design a game with an innovative concept.

“With the Preston Guild 2012 very much on everyone’s minds, this year we asked them to come up with a game that would relate to the Preston Guild and leave a legacy long after 2012 had passed.

“We were overwhelmed by the standard of the entries, but eventually Cotton Pops was chosen as the winning concept.”

Andrew Leeming, Senior Projects Officer for Lancashire County Developments, said:

"This initiative gives talented and creative students the opportunity to immerse themselves in some of the real world disciplines that employees and businesses are crying out for.

"It also presents a unique opportunity to mark something up on their CV and point potential employers to real evidence of a job well done.

"In Lancashire we excel in the digital and creative industries and by working with the students and staff at UCLan and our private sector partners, we been able to give a boost to an exciting and growing industry."

Bev Bush, Course Leader at UCLan, added:

“The BA (Hons) Games Design Course at UCLan runs a live brief annually for second year students to design a game for a mobile device as part of their games design module. This is known as the Mobile Bullets Challenge.”

The Mobile Bullets Competition, now in its fifth year, has been supported by Black Bull Studios, Supanetics, Shiny Development, Lancashire County Developments Limited, Preston City Council, UCLan, and Lancaster University.

This year ‘Cotton Pops’ has been developed and designed to promote and celebrate the forthcoming Preston Guild 2012.

Cotton Pops can be found at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cotton-pops/id480966513?mt=8  The game is designed for Apple’s iPhone 4 or later handsets and iPad but releases for other manufacturer’s handsets are planned.

Information about Preston Guild 2012

• Preston Guild is a historic celebration dating back to 1179, and represents a significant element of the North West’s rich cultural heritage and tourism offer. The holding of the Guild was a major occasion and the cause of much celebration across the city. Preston Guild is the only Guild still celebrated in the UK and as such is unique.
• A comprehensive programme of creative, innovative and inspiring events is being drawn up in association with community groups, partners and sponsors from Preston and across the North West.
• Preston Guild 2012 is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
•  Made In Preston is a portfolio of 11 creative projects that reflect the central Guild theme of Innovation and Creativity and range from the intimate to the monumental and the celebratory to the challenging.  All projects will showcase in Guild year.

For more information please visit www.prestonguild2012.com and you can follow the Guild on their Facebook page (Preston Guild 2012) and Twitter (@Guild2012).

07 December 2011