SN Systems and Nintendo are working together to allow university students to access game development tools.

For the first time, games technology students at four leading universities in the UK will have access to exclusive development tools, thanks to an agreement with SN Systems and Nintendo. Both companies have agreed to supply their development hardware and software, SN-TDEV, outside the official Nintendo registered developer community, allowing universities to incorporate Nintendo GameCube development as part of their core syllabus.

Until now, such hands-on experience has been out of reach for UK students as the development kits and build tools typically cost thousands of pounds. SN-TDEV has overcome these issues by reducing development hardware costs by up to 60 per cent, making it accessible to universities.

Dr John Purdy, University of Hull, said: "This agreement will open up a whole new level of education and research for both students and staff. Through being exposed to such extensive practical experience our students will leave University with a greater depth of understanding about how the theory relates to the practical. We are always striving to attract high calibre students and this announcement will undoubtedly stimulate an even greater level of interest from prospective students."

"We are delighted by the response and enthusiasm we have received from all these Universities," said Ramin Ravanpey, Director of Software Development Support at Nintendo of America. "The UK is renowned for its first-class games development and we hope our agreement will strengthen its success. Our entire industry benefits by offering gaming students the resources and encouragement they need to maintain and exceed the top-notch standards set in video gaming."

Commenting on this development, Andy Beveridge, Director at SN Systems, said: "These students are the future of the games industry and it is essential we invest in their development. Businesses need to work more closely with educational establishments to ensure students have the relevant skills when they graduate. SN-TDEV is an ideal, cost effective solution which will give students vital practical experience and enable them to hit the ground running when they start their first job."

SN-TDEV hardware is a cost-effective hardware platform for developing games for the Nintendo GameCube. It enables data transfer at 3MBytes/s, making life much easier and more efficient for games developers. The hardware also includes 48MB of memory, optical disk drive and USB2 connection to a PC. SN-TDEV provides a cost-effective alternative solution for games developers providing their complete hardware and software needs in one portfolio.