Contest Provides Aspiring Video Game Developers a “Life Changing”
Opportunity to Showcase their Skills, Meet Top Game Publishers, Compete
for Almost $300,000 in Prizes
GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME), The Guildhall at Southern Methodist
University and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) today
announced the launch of the Indie Game Challenge. The Challenge is
designed to be the preeminent competition for video game developers by
offering winners almost $300,000 in prize monies and scholarships,
including $100,000 grand prize awards for both the winning professional
and non-professional games. In addition, finalists will receive national
exposure and be eligible for additional prize money by having their
pitch videos posted on GameStop.com and GameStop TV for People’s Choice
Award voting. Complete entry and contest details are available at www.indiegamechallenge.com.
Professional and non-professional individuals or teams are asked to
submit game betas and game pitch videos between July 14 and Oct. 1,
2009. Judging will be conducted by the Academy of Interactive Arts &
Sciences. Up to 12 finalist teams will be announced on or about Jan. 15,
2010, and up to five members of each finalist team will be flown to an
awards reception Feb. 19, 2010, at the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las
Vegas following AIAS’s D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate,
Entertain) Summit. D.I.C.E. is an annual conference dedicated to
exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as
they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment.
In addition to the awards presentation, each finalist team will receive
the unique opportunity to pitch their game ideas face-to-face to
executives from top publishers such as Sony, Nintendo, Electronic Arts,
Capcom, Microsoft, NAMCO/Bandai, THQ and Ubisoft. These meetings will
allow competitors to receive valuable input and have the opportunity to
open up commercial avenues for their games.
“Our entire industry is dependent on the cultivation of new, cutting
edge game developers who continue to stretch the boundaries and
imaginations of gamers,” said Mike Hogan, senior vice president of
marketing, GameStop Corp. “By joining forces with The Guildhall at SMU
and AIAS we hope to stimulate a new generation of game developers and
reward them with cash awards and scholarships. Perhaps the most
important aspect of the Challenge for competitors is the potentially
life-changing opportunity to meet face-to-face with professionals who
have helped make the gaming industry the success it is today.”
According to Dr. Peter E.
