Indie Game Challenge

Apr 17, 2009
7,729
San Diego, CA
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INDIE GAME CHALLENGE MISSION

Our mission is to support the independent games movement by providing aspiring game developers the opportunity to showcase their skills, break into the game business, and launch their careers to the next level.

INDIE GAME CHALLENGE FOUNDERS

About GameStop Corp.
Headquartered in Grapevine, TX, GameStop Corp., a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer. The company operates 6,244 retail stores in 17 countries worldwide. The company also operates an e-commerce site, GameStop.com, and publishes Game Informer(R) magazine, a leading multi-platform video game publication. GameStop Corp. sells new and used video game software, hardware and accessories for video game systems from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. In addition, the company sells PC entertainment software, related accessories and other merchandise. General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website: http://www.gamestopcorp.com

Media Inquiries:
Charles Hodges
GameStop Corp.
(817) 722-7052
[email protected]

Academy of Interactive Arts and Science
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts. The Academy's mission is to promote and advance common interests in the worldwide interactive entertainment community; recognize outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences; and conduct an annual awards show (Interactive Achievement Awards) to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. The Academy also strives to provide a voice for individuals in the interactive entertainment community. More information can be found at http://www.interactive.org.

Media Inquiries:
Geri Gordon Miller
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
818-876-0826 x202
[email protected]

The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University
The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University is the premier graduate video game education program in the US. Many of the school's founders are industry icons, and classes are taught by industry veterans. In six years, the program has graduated over 300 students, and alums work at more than 80 video game studios around the world, with several graduates now serving in leadership positions. SMU offers both a Master's degree and a graduate Professional Certificate of Interactive Technology in Digital Game Development, with specializations in art creation, level design, and software development. For more information, please visit www.guildhall.smu.edu.

Media Inquiries:
Ron Jenkins
The Guildhall at SMU
972.473.3546 (office)
www.guildhall.smu.edu

For Questions About Registration Process and Game Submissions
Please email: [email protected]

HERE'S WHAT YOU'RE GAMING FOR

One Professional Grand Prize Winner and one Non-Professional Grand Prize Winner selected from Finalists will each win $100,000.

Twelve Finalists - grouped into six Professional and six Non-Professional will receive:
$500 USD per person stipend for travel arrangements to attend awards ceremony, publisher meeting, and trophy presentation at Red Rock Casino Resort Spa, 11011 W. Charleston, Las Vegas, NV 89135. Maximum of 5 attendees per team. Individuals are responsible for arranging their own travel and lodging to attend event.
An audition session with a professional game publisher (like Capcom, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, NAMCO/Bandai, Nintendo, Sony, THQ, and Ubisoft) of no more than 30 minutes in which Finalist will have opportunity to showcase game for possible publishing contract, which would be offered only at sole and unfettered discretion of participating professional game publisher.

Three Skill Award Winners to be selected from Finalists:
$2,500 USD - Technical Skill Award Winner
$2,500 USD - Art Skill Award Winner
$2,500 USD - Gameplay Skill Award Winner

Scholarships
All contest participants who opt in during registration process may be considered for a $50,000 scholarship to attend The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University for graduate professional game development program.
Undergraduate scholarships may also be awarded to participants who opt in during registration.

HOW TO ENTER

Ready for your chance to show the gaming industry what you've got? Here's how to enter the 2010 Indie Game Challenge:
1.) Read the Official Contest Rules and register online using the button below.

2.) Mail us the following:

Your Video Game on a Disc (10 copies)
All game discs must be submitted with an installer. Game discs must also include a document with instructions for installing the game and basic game play instructions. This document must be in PDF, Word, text, or HTML. For a full list of entry requirements and guidelines, please read the Official Contest Rules. iPhone game entries require a special process for submission. For detailed instructions on how to submit an iPhone game, please email [email protected].
Your Pitch Video on a Disc (2 copies)
In 60 seconds or less, tell us about you or your team, your game, and why you think your game should win the Indie Game Challenge. Entrants can take creative liberties to showcase video editing skills and have the option to incorporate themselves and/or footage of their game in order to make pitch. Remember, the public may end up seeing this video, so lets keep it clean! Please read the Official Contest Rules for format requirements for Pitch Video.
Copy of your registration confirmation page
Copy of your PayPal confirmation receipt (see step 3)
Make sure to include your name, and the name of your game in the Body of your Paypal payment.
Mail to:
Indie Game Challenge
5232 Tennyson Parkway
Building 2
Plano, TX 75024
3.) Submit your entry fee via PayPal

You will see a payment link on the confirmation page once you register.
The entry fee is $100 (or $75 if you are a GameStop Edge Card member). Entry fees are being used to cover administrative costs for The Guildhall at SMU, and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, both of which are non-profit organizations. Any remaining funds will be used to fund scholarships for video game design/development students.

More info: indiegamechallenge.com/



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FAQ
Q. What if I don't know how to program or code a game? Can I simply submit my idea?
A. To enter the Indie Game Challenge, an actual game beta is required, even for the non-professional category.

Q. Has the contest deadline been changed? What date does the contest end?
A. The contest deadline has been extended to October 31, 2009, 11:59pm CST. All submissions must be postmarked by this date to qualify for the 2010 Indie Game Challenge contest.

Q. Can I enter my game if I have previously or currently entered it in another game competition?
A. Yes. The Indie Game Challenge is open to all U.S. independent developed games, including games that were developed for other prestigious contests such as the Independent Game Festival, Epic's Make Something Unreal and Intel's Level Up game contest.

Q. How do I contact a live person for registration help and questions about game submissions?
A. Contact the Indie Game Challenge via the help line email address first: [email protected]. If your problem requires personal assistance, someone will contact you via telephone.

Q. Will we be receiving any information between the registration and game submission deadline?
A. Yes. Every registrant will receive an email informing them that their entry package and games have been received and are being processed.

Q. Can I enter iPhone games in the Indie Game Challenge?
A. Yes, teams and individuals are limited to entering only one iPhone game into the Indie Game Challenge. iPhone game entries require a special process for submission. Entrants submitting iPhone games have the following two options:
Games currently live in the iPhone Game Store will be purchased by our judging panel. Please let us know the name of your game during the registration process so we can locate it.

For unreleased games, please submit your entry details through the registration page, submit pitch video, and Paypal payment, but do not mail us your game discs yet. Once the judging process begins, the Indie Game Challenge will contact you with a list of the judge's DeviceIDs. At this point, you can then mail us a binary which is set up for ad-hoc distribution and includes the specific supplied IDs. For detailed instructions on how to submit an iPhone game, please email [email protected].


Q. What if I am chosen as a finalist and can't attend the awards presentation in Las Vegas? Will I still be eligible to win?
A. Yes.

Q.What if I am awarded a scholarship but do not wish to use it? Can I receive monetary compensation instead?
A. No. During the registration process, you will be asked whether or not you wish to be considered for the scholarship. At that time, you must make your decision. If you choose not to be considered, the scholarship will go to another candidate.

Q. Who are some of the publishers that we could possibly meet if chose as a finalist?
A. Capcom, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, NAMCO/Bandai, Nintendo, Sony, THQ, and Ubisoft.

Q. Are there any other ways to pay without using a credit card?
A. Yes. You can add a bank account to your PayPal account and pay via e-check. PayPal is the only accepted way to pay for registration.

Q. Will I be responsible for paying taxes on any awards I receive?
A. Yes. Please refer to the Official Rules for all the information regarding taxation on the winners' prizes.

Q. Is my submitted game going to be distributed for free or for profit once I enter it without my consent?
A. No. We are in no way trying to pull a 'fast one' on anyone who has poured years of their life into creating a game. The entire goal of the Indie Game Challenge is to give developers the opportunity to be discovered, make it big, and advance their careers. The decision to be published, should the opportunity arise, or to have your game distributed either for free or for profit rests solely in your hands, the creator of the game. Your game is in good hands!

The Indie Game Challenge will only use your entered game for judging purposes, and will have the right to use any entered games only for mentioning in advertisements or promotional materials in order to market future Indie Game Challenge contests, not to give away or distribute the game for free or profit. For example, if Game X wins the challenge in 2010, and goes on to become a big success, we would definitely want the ability to call out the fact that "Game X was the winner of the 2010 Indie Game Challenge" in promotional materials for the 2011 contest.

Q. Can I enter my game if I have previously or currently entered it in another game competition?
A. Yes. The Indie Game Challenge is open to all U.S. independent developed games, including games that were developed for other prestigious contests such as the Independent Game Festival, Epic's Make Something Unreal and Intel's Level Up game contest.