Leaflet

“Dundee is recognised as one of the UK’s most
important games development hubs with several
notable studios based here and Abertay has long
provided the profession with well-educated graduates
that fuel the industry,” explains Dr Henry Fortuna,
director of Learning and Teaching, Institute of Arts,
Media and Computer Games, University of Abertay,
Dundee. “However, it is imperative that our students
stay ahead of the technology curve and are familiar
with the latest games development software and
hardware. That’s why we made the decision to create
the Centre for Excellence but, in order to make it a
success, we needed to partner with a technology
vendor that could supply leading edge workstations
that provided the ultimate in performance at a
reasonable price.”
Combining price and performance for cutting edge
capabilities
After assessing several companies, the University
decided that HP offered the best performing
technology at an affordable price. Together, they
developed customised workstations that could cope
with the heavy demands of modern games
development software. Forty HP workstations, with
quad-core processors, 6GB memory, top of the range
nVidia graphics cards running 64 bit Vista
professional, were built to meet the University’s
exacting standards. They were coupled with 24-inch
high-definition monitors to best showcase the
student’s work.
“HP understood what we wanted to achieve and
helped us to do so in a cost-effective, timely fashion,”
adds Fortuna. “The result is a suite of bespoke
workstations that can cope with even the most
demanding software. Given the ambitions of the
Centre and our student’s need to push the creative
boundaries, it is fitting that it is equipped with the
best technology the industry has to offer.”
The best software for the best education
Students can now work with the most up-to-date
software packages, including Microsoft Visual Studio
and Games Studio, Maya 2010, Emergent
Gamebryo and Sony PhyreEngine. The workstations
have proved so robust in their first term of use, that
not only do all these applications run smoothly but
there have been no operational issues with any of the
hardware.
“The workstations have proven an enormous hit with
the students and not just the ones on the games
development courses,” comments Fortuna. “As the
best performing machines on campus, other students
often try to sneak into the Centre and make use of
their advanced capabilities. We have also had a
team from a World-renowned games studio based in
Dundee come in to test and optimise the
performance of some of their in-development games
on our new HP platform.”
Iain Smith is a post-graduate student undertaking a
Masters degree in Professional Practice Games
Development and was one of the first to try out the
new HP workstations: “The new computers are a vast
step-up from the previous platform. Previously, I would
often prefer to work on my own laptop but these
workstations outstrip anything I have ever worked on
before. Furthermore, in the context of the Centre for
Excellence and the new open plan working
environment, the new technology helps boost student
morale and also gives us a taste of what it will feel
like to be working in the real World. I have no doubt
that working on the HP platform will give me a
genuine advantage when it comes to getting a job
and will help equip me with the skills needed to
become a cutting edge games designer.”
The new Centre for Excellence has, in the space of
just a few months, established itself as one of the
leading games development teaching facilities in the
country and is helping to attract the cream of
Britain’s students.
“The Centre is a massive selling point for the
university and at its heart are the new HP
workstations. Digital industries are critical to the
economic and cultural well-being of the UK and we
are delighted to be at the forefront, in partnership
with HP,” concludes Fortuna.
To learn more, visit www.hp.com
© 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change
without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements
accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional
warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
4AA0-4368EEW, March 2010
Customer
solution at
a glance
Primary applications
• Microsoft Visual Studio
• Microsoft Games Studio
•Maya 2010
• Emergent Gamebryo
• Sony PhyreEngine
Primary hardware
• HP Z400 Workstations
• HP LP 2475w TFT
HP Services
• Hardware support