Indie Game Challenge

Dallas, Texas – (Sept. 3, 2010) – Six months after the inaugural Indie Game Challenge (IGC), finalists are achieving remarkable success in the video game industry. And with the deadline fast approaching for the second annual competition, IGC officials are encouraging game developers to submit their games by Oct. 1, 2010.

The IGC offers two $100,000 grand prizes, one-on-one meetings with AAA publishers and multiple avenues for game developers across the globe, both amateur and professional, to break into the industry.

“The overall intent behind this competition is not only to promote innovation and honor independent game developers, but also to bring about life-changing experiences,” said Dr. Peter Raad, executive director of The Guildhall at SMU, a founding partner of the IGC, along with GameStop Corp. and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS). “With the various successes of our first year finalists, we are proud to say that our expectations have been exceeded.”

Cogs, winner of the first year’s $100,000 grand prize in the professional category, is just one of many success stories. According to Lazy 8 Studios’ Rob Jagnow, team lead on Cogs, the IGC set both the game and studio on a fast track. “Cogs was selected as a launch title for the iPad, it picked up retail sales in Europe and is currently making its way to a number of other platforms. The prize money allowed us to kick off an ambitious new indie game project that would have otherwise been too costly.”

Success stories aren’t limited to only the big cash winners. Of the 12 finalist teams, three have signed with publishers and another is in negotiations.

"Thanks to the IGC, we were able to build interest in our game and make the right connections that ultimately led us to landing a deal with Zoo Publishing,” said John Krajewski, team lead for Vessel, one of the games that made it to the finalist stage. “It’s going to be a busy year, but we look forward to shipping an awesome game!”

Other significant accomplishments include:

Submissions for this year’s competition must be postmarked by Oct.1, 2010. New and previously developed games, on multiple platforms including online or self-published games that appear in the Apple store, as well as games submitted into other competitions, are eligible for entry, as long as they have not been professionally published in accordance with the complete rules found at www.indiegamechallenge.com.

Up to 12 finalist teams will be announced in late-January. Members of each team will be rewarded with the opportunity to pitch their games face-to-face with publishers like Sony, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Microsoft, NAMCO/Bandai, THQ and Ubisoft following the AIAS's D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit in February 2011.

Additional cash awards include: three $2,500 Skill Award winners in the categories of art, technical and gameplay, and a $10,000 “Gamer's Choice" prize. Also, a $50,000 scholarship to attend The Guildhall at SMU, one of the premier graduate level video game development education programs in the U.S., will be awarded to an eligible participant of the 2011 competition.

For more information on the challenge, visit www.indiegamechallenge.com

About the Indie Game Challenge

The Indie Game Challenge (IGC) is an annual competition for video game developers offering more than $350,000 in prizes for professional and non-professional categories. Founded by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, GameStop Corp. and The Guildhall at SMU, the IGC was created to foster game development innovation by independent developers. Prizes include cash awards, scholarships, national consumer exposure for the top games and an opportunity for the finalists to obtain professional feedback and seek commercial avenues for their games through face-to-face meetings with representatives from the leading game video game publishers. For more information on the IGC visit www.indiegamechallenge.com,www.interactive.org,www.gamestop.comorhttp://guildhall.smu.edu.