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Sony Computer Entertainment supports Australian game developers of tomorrow with launch of PlayStation®First

Accreditation awarded to Academy of Interactive Entertainment 

Sydney, 21 May 2013Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) has today announced the launch of the PlayStation®First Academic Partnership Programme in Australia.  PlayStation®First is the Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) and SCE World Wide Studios (SCE WWS) Academic Partnership Programme designed to inspire innovation across the suite of PlayStation platforms. PlayStation®First establishes partnerships with higher education organisations deemed to be at the cutting edge of development and research.

SCE Aust. has selected the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) as the first Australian participant in the company’s PlayStation®First Academic Partnership Programme. As part of the global program, which sees the AIE awarded PlayStation®First status, the educator will receive 6 PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) development kits for its students and will feature PlayStation game development as part of its syllabus.

PlayStation®First status is awarded by invitation only to leading university courses, educational organisations and talent incubators around the globe. As the leading educator for the Computer Game Development and 3D Digital Arts Industries, the AIE was the perfect partner for PlayStation®First’s Australian debut.  The AIE will roll out the initiative across its Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne campuses offering all students the opportunity to learn, create and innovate using the PlayStation Vita as the initial platform of choice.

The driving force behind PlayStation’s talent initiatives is Dr Maria Stukoff, Head of Academic Development for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.  “PlayStation®First is about integrating the latest PlayStation developer kits into the curriculum to ensure students have cutting edge industry tools,” commented Dr Stukoff. “Our first academic partnership in Australia, with the AIE, allows us to foster the next generation of game developers and to support the wider video games industry in this country.”

“The opportunity to work with the PlayStation suite of platforms ensures our students are getting industry relevant skills to step confidently into the video game development sector,” said Neil Boyd Director of Business Development and Marketing at the AIE. “The students are eagerly anticipating the access they will get to this leading platform, and having it built into the heart of their curriculum really adds to the possibilities for their future careers.”

The PlayStation®First Academic Partnership Programme is designed to champion the highest quality of university game development through the PlayStation tools licensing programme, student talent initiatives, game jams and exclusive incubation labs. PlayStation®First offers platform specific licences for academic development covering:  PlayStation®3 (PS3™), PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita), as well as software agreements for Move.me™ and PlayStation®Mobile (PSM).