Game/Prototype Contest

[jessycat]

Hi Guys, (are there actually girls here other than me??)

I wanted to let you know about CGA Innovate 2007, a contest that the CGA is hosting this year as part of our conference in Kyiv.

The contest has two parts: (1) "Special Nominations" is the submit your innovative game/prototype part of the contest and win fancy prizes that works pretty much like every other contest (2) and second "Main Category" which is the submit your innovative game/prototype to the contest with the chance to receive funding to complete your game and help with distribution as well.

We came up with these two categories because after asking many of you what you would like - you mentioned that while it is cool to get recognition for cool games, it doesn't really help pay the rent nor does it help get your game out to consumers.

I encourage all of you to participate - if you are just starting out and would like help to pay some of your bills, help with user testing, distribution, etc ... then the "Main Category" is for you. If you are part of an established team and would like a little pat on the back for making an innovative game - then you can submit your prototype or game for the "Special Nominations" section.

Indie Developers are the primary group that we hope will benifit from Innovate 2007 - so please take a moment to read over the website/rules and give us comments: http://innovate2007.casualgamesassociation.org/. (email me at recognition@casualgamesassociation.org)

Have a great weekend,

Jessica

[Musenik]

Excellent news! I'll be there.

thanks,

[Jesse Hopkins]

Sounds like a "Dream Build Play" type thing. If anyone out there wants to have me on their team for music or SFX, I'll lower my rate for the contest. I was on board for Shuggy, one of the "Dream Build Play" finalists.

[Andy]

WHY?!
Why all such contests are always devoted to some innovation and when you come to any publisher they want just blatant clone from you? :)

Did organizers of such contests ever worked in real industry? Or they just like to fool real players pushing always the same game ideas to them but calling them original and innovative?..

[sillytuna]

Calm down Andy!!!

[bvanevery]

WHY?!
Why all such contests are always devoted to some innovation and when you come to any publisher they want just blatant clone from you? :)

Because the contest organizers don't like the status quo of how the publishers do business. The contests are trying to stimulate innovation in the game industry, and the publishers aren't.

Did organizers of such contests ever worked in real industry?

Certainly true of the Independent Game Festival (http://www.igf.com) organizers and most of the judges.

Or they just like to fool real players pushing always the same game ideas to them but calling them original and innovative?..

I'd welcome specific critique of the judging practices and results of any particular contest. I've advocated for innovation, innovation, innovation in my 6 years as a judge for the IGF. I don't always get my way because I am only 1 judge. I've seen games get innovation awards that I don't think deserved them. But I've seen the judging work more times than it hasn't. Every year we've changed the way the contest is run somehow, and every year I've seen a small improvement. I'm still waiting for innovation awards to become reliable though, to always really mean it.

[Andy]

Calm down Andy!!!

Gotcha! :D

I was just wondering Alex. Why they always stay on opposite positions? :p
And who would pay more - good publisher or good reputable contest. :D

Saying honestly I hate innovations as they implemented in most of such games. They kinda screaming - Hey! Looks how I'm innovative! Instead of just being new and fun. But who I'm after all? I haven't ever made anything original furthermore haven't won any such contest. :)

[bvanevery]

Saying honestly I hate innovations as they implemented in most of such games. They kinda screaming - Hey! Looks how I'm innovative! Instead of just being new

What do you mean by "new," if not innovative? Do you just mean that it's a new product from the studio?

and fun.

The IGF used to have a formal notion of "innovation" and "execution" being different parts of the score. "Innovation" meant "is this game trying to do things that other games haven't done?" "Execution" meant "is this fun to play, engaging, artistically polished, satisfying, thought provoking?" or whatever else was appropriate to the particular award category. We'd rate innovation from 1 to 10 and execution from 1 to 10 to arrive at a final score from 1 to 100.

2 years ago this scoring system was declared "complicated" and replaced with a simple 0 to 100 scale. Judging instructions still emphasize that rewarding innovation is supposed to be part of the score.

This year things have been simplified further, now there's just 1 "Innovation" award. It's not specific about whether game design, art, audio, or technology is innovative. I'm not sure how this is going to work out. It may cheapen the value of the Grand Prize from an innovation standpoint. On the other hand, we haven't seen much innovation in art, audio, or technology, so it may be more appropriate to give "Excellence" awards for those. "Excellence" doesn't imply any kind of innovation, only that production values are good, etc.

I think the IGF has succeeded at rewarding innovation more times than it has not. I really don't care if you complain that it's doing that, Andy. Coming up with real innovation is hard. Coming up with real innovation that actually translates into a successful, well-executed product that lotsa people wanna play and buy is even harder. It's beyond most people's budgets and abilities. So the IGF has been rewarding the less lofty goal of experimental gameplay, art, audio, etc. "Experimental" means it doesn't necessarily have to work. The point is to reward experimentation and not necessarily require it to be just as popular and polished as the next match-3 clone.

Of course, if it's innovative and well executed, that's typically a contest winner. For instance, Oasis (http://www.oasisgame.com/).

[AJirenius]

:D

I just finished my first game and have a publisher on that one which is a shame really as I feel like in the middle right now, have not created enough material on my nexdt upcoming game and maybe TOO much on my game that hopefully will be released soon.

Well well... I guess these kinds of contest are more focused on bigger teams than one man shows.

[sillytuna]

Gotcha! :D

I was just wondering Alex. Why they always stay on opposite positions? :p
And who would pay more - good publisher or good reputable contest. :D

Saying honestly I hate innovations as they implemented in most of such games. They kinda screaming - Hey! Looks how I'm innovative! Instead of just being new and fun. But who I'm after all? I haven't ever made anything original furthermore haven't won any such contest. :)

Hey about-as-opinionated-as-me man!

Innovation is a funny thing. It's very difficult to truly innovate and get a fantastic result. However, "experiemental" innovation is really important, even when it doesn't work.

The particular implementation may not work, but it may inspire someone else in some way, and it will hopefully have broken a boundary of sorts.

I'm a huge fan of rewarding innovation, yet I'm also a realist in that not all innovative products are good, or to my liking at least.

[jessycat]

1- Publishers may want clones from you to round out their portfolio, but innovative games are more valuable to them. Think of a publishing portfolio as a supermarket - they need to have generic eggs, butter and milk - but the store also needs those yuppie items they can charge premium dollar for.

2- As for our credentials..... http://amsterdam.casualconnect.org/advisors.html#cga

[Andy]

Wow! You've got on board Miguel Oliveira?! :D Cool!!! He is my hero!... :D

[jessycat]

Oh - forgot to answer one of the "real" questions :)

The top prize for the contest is 80K and a very generous distribution agreement. So the average indie developer would probably make more from the contest than a publishing deal. And you get to put a little "winner" graphic next to your game - how fun.

[sillytuna]

The publishing deal - what are the actual terms, or is it a sell the lot outright job? Forgive me but it didn't seem clear.

BTW Is this THE Jessica of the Casual Games Conference etc?

[jessycat]

Hey Guys, just to let you know we closed the contest today - originally, we were going to leave it open another week - but we got so many submissions we cut it off.

But if you missed out - if you submit today you will still get in:

http://innovate2007.casualgamesassociation.org/

[jessycat]

To answer you Q -
the publishing deal is a real % share. And is much better than standard publishing deals.... it is part of a contest, so it needs to be better right? :)

[zoombapup]

Alex: Yes, its that jessica.