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Yea, saw this on DIY...
Too bad not many develop shockwave games.
Game Trust Challenge
http://www.gametrust.com/solutions_d...?pid=solutions
OFN? you decide.
"ELIGIBILITY is open to any and all game developers, "The Casual Game Evolution Challenge" seeks to identify the best single-player Shockwave games and game concepts for online, tournament, and download play. The market for casual games is evolving, so hop on for the ride with Game Trust on a new tricked-out Vespa!"
Yea, saw this on DIY...
Too bad not many develop shockwave games.
Last edited by Sirrus; 03-06-2005 at 06:48 PM.
And for those of us who do develop in Shockwave, the prizes really aren't that appealing when you look at the rules in detail.
The grand prize is a Vespa. Okay... It would be a nice novelty item, but realistically I wouldn't have much use for it.
The other prize is guaranteed distribution on GameTrust and "possible" distribution on shockwave.com. To be honest, this isn't much different than just submitting your game through their regular game submission pages. In fact, by entering in the contest your odds will probably be lower of getting noticed because there will be a higher volume of submissions.
When RealArcade ran their contest at least they offered $100,000 in addition to a distribution agreement. Now that's incentive.
The only upside to this contest is possibly getting a little extra publicity. However, if you have a quality shockwave game that matches GameTrust's and Shockwave.com's audience, then they'll distribute your game anyway, contest or no contest.
Not to appealing, at least for me.....
Not to mention it appears to be requiring exclusive rights...
and (c) enter into a Game Distribution Agreement granting Game Trust exclusive distribution rights beginning upon delivery to Game Trust of the Game integrated with the Game Trust platform (Game Frame) and extending twelve (12) months thereafter (Agreement).
Game Trust Response
Overview:
“The Casual Game Evolution Challenge” is a contest designed to help developers of casual games gain exposure, distribution, and revenue for a winning title. The contest provides a unique opportunity for a developer to cut through the clutter and bring their casual game title to market in a fast and effective way. The benefits of winning include:
The Prize: A custom built and specially modified Vespa scooter, including chrome guard rails, fine leather seat, windshield, and more! This is no ordinary Vespa!
Distribution: As part of winning, Game Trust will orchestrate an exclusive premiere on Shockwave.com, with 18.8 million unique visitors in January, 2005, according to Media Metrix, and then Game Trust will work to syndicate the game across the Game Trust licensees and partners, which include REAL Arcade, Yahoo Games, MiniClip, AOL, and more.
Revenue: The winner will receive a most favored nation revenue share agreement for download sales and tournament fees. Game Trust may also offer a down payment of up to $10,000 as part of the Game Plan program.
Publicity: The winner will be featured in prominent press releases. Game Trust will work with various media outlets, such as GameDaily and others, to feature the winning title. The contest already has over 300 pages on Google, and this is growing with the exposure at the GDC.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is Game Trust?
A: Game Trust develops a software platform for online casual games, providing turnkey community, tournament, and ecommerce functionality. The platform includes an easy to use API and SDK for adding functionality to Director and JAVA games.
Q: Can I submit a game concept versus a finished game?
A: Yes. Developers can submit a game concept by filling out the submission form. The more detail in the submission form, the more likely that you will be to win. Submitting a beta version or game graphics is helpful to the judges.
Q. Does the game have to be written in Director/Shockwave?
A: Yes. Developers can submit a game in another language if they plan to port it to Director. Macromedia and Shockwave.com are co-sponsors of the contest.
Q: Is the contest only available to residents of the United States?
A: No. Any developer from any country can enter.
Q: How will I get the Vespa?
A: There is a $1,000 shipping and handling fee for the Vespa to be sent to the winner. Any additional sipping and handling costs need to be paid by the winner.
Q: Why don’t the contest rules promise distribution or the down payment?
A: For contest legal reasons, the contest sponsors can not guarantee distribution or the down payment. However, the point of the contest is to bring a great game to market and help the developer receive worldwide recognition.
Thanks don, this doesn't sound too bad to me guys. It's not like your going to base your whole business model on winning contests. If you are capable of producing a top notch casual game then this might be a great way to get visibility. If you don't think you have the skills or experience to compete in the competitive casual games space then this probably isn't for you.
One thing that you cannot underestimate is the value of visibility. Visibility brings you a lot of opportunities. For just one game this seem like a good way to 1. make some money 2. get your name recognized in the "industry" side of things. It never hurts, plenty of indies I know do contract work to help fund their own development, including myself. I've seen countless threads on "how do you get contract work?" well this would be one way
Dan MacDonald
a prisoner of the cause
.. wait, you have to pay big money to get a prize you may not even want anyway? is there an option of getting something else in the place of the vespa?
Clarification in Contest Rules
You don't need to "pay big money" for the Vespa. Actually, if you look at the rules, Game Trust pays for up to $1,000 in shipping costs, and the winner simply has to pay any amount over $1,000.
Here's exactly what it says:
"Prizes: Grand Prize is a new Vespa motor scooter together with shipping to Winner’s destination up to a maximum cost of $1,000. Winner agrees to pay for any shipping in excess of $1,000."
This seems pretty fair to me
Then again, if you're capable of producing a top notch casual game, then you really don't need this contest in the first place. Let's be honest, if you have a top notch casual game, you can negotiate your own contracts with Shockwave, BigFish, Real, and etc and end up making more money since you're not tied down to a 12-month exclusive with Game Trust. As for visibility, you'll get plenty of visibility and "industry" contacts when your game appears on 3-4 portals.Originally Posted by Dan MacDonald
The only significant upside I see to this contest is that Game Trust will evaluate prototypes (most portals prefer near completed games). Creating a prototype doesn't require a huge investment, so it wouldn't hurt to design a prototype strictly for this contest. But if you already have a "top notch" casual game in the works, you might as well hold on to it and shop it around to the other portals with non-exclusive contracts.
As for the Vespa, here's the pic from GDC:
http://www.throbbing.com/pictures/gdc/
I suppose "top notch" requires some elaboration. You have to assume that the people who will participate in the competition will be self selecting. You're not likely to run up against Sprout, hipsoft, popcap etc. As you say these people are already representing themselves and doing just fine. To win this contenst you aren't goint to need to make a game of the calibur of feeding frenzy or Big Kahuna. The people most likely interested in this competiation are relative unknowns, people starting out, maybe fresh converts from the retail industry who havn't made a name for themselves. If you can be "top notch" in that category of participants it is something you should consider.
Dan MacDonald
a prisoner of the cause
They give away only a picture of it as the main prize?! Terrible!
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