Raising the Bar: Dream Game Contest now $10K
by Dave Young · 03/07/2007 (4:14 am) · 27 comments
In this blog we pre-announced the upcoming 1 year Dream Game contest.
Updates:
We've raised the bar with an additional sponsor, and the grand prize is now $10,000.
The contest entry date has also been moved to 4/1/2007. An odd day for a beginning, but it's no April Fool's.
NDAs will be signed by required parties to protect your intellectual property.
"Some people do not suffer fools gladly".
Also, a clarification that the contest will allow games built using (as a base) Torque game engines (TGE, TGB, TGEA, TorqueX) and the use of content packs is allowed, indeed encouraged as they significantly reduce development time. Products like ArcaneFX, Gryphon (previously known as MMO Enhancement Kit)/MMOKIT, and Titas will also greatly reduce the coding burden.
We will be hopefully announcing some new products by Dream Games soon which will also jumpstart your game development in a big big way!
Most of the points in the contest are awarded to get teams to adhere to good game design/team/project principles, so any team participating in this contest is going to learn quite a bit about getting the job done right.
It's time to show the world and your fellow Indies what you can do given the right tools and the motivation.
If you want to chat with us about the contest or come hang out with a great Torque community, come by IRC!
irc.mydreamrpg.com
#MyDreamRPG
Dream Games, Inc.
Updates:
We've raised the bar with an additional sponsor, and the grand prize is now $10,000.
The contest entry date has also been moved to 4/1/2007. An odd day for a beginning, but it's no April Fool's.
NDAs will be signed by required parties to protect your intellectual property.
"Some people do not suffer fools gladly".
Also, a clarification that the contest will allow games built using (as a base) Torque game engines (TGE, TGB, TGEA, TorqueX) and the use of content packs is allowed, indeed encouraged as they significantly reduce development time. Products like ArcaneFX, Gryphon (previously known as MMO Enhancement Kit)/MMOKIT, and Titas will also greatly reduce the coding burden.
We will be hopefully announcing some new products by Dream Games soon which will also jumpstart your game development in a big big way!
Most of the points in the contest are awarded to get teams to adhere to good game design/team/project principles, so any team participating in this contest is going to learn quite a bit about getting the job done right.
It's time to show the world and your fellow Indies what you can do given the right tools and the motivation.
If you want to chat with us about the contest or come hang out with a great Torque community, come by IRC!
irc.mydreamrpg.com
#MyDreamRPG
Dream Games, Inc.
About the author
#2
You never stop amazing me Dave. Im pretty sure that this is going to be a blasting contest, as well as a devfeast for sure.
Sideeffects such as raising dead coders, dormant projects and boosting the sale/use of content packs will be good im pretty sure.
Thanks for stirring the pot in a good way man!
03/07/2007 (4:34 am)
Jeez!You never stop amazing me Dave. Im pretty sure that this is going to be a blasting contest, as well as a devfeast for sure.
Sideeffects such as raising dead coders, dormant projects and boosting the sale/use of content packs will be good im pretty sure.
Thanks for stirring the pot in a good way man!
#3
03/07/2007 (4:34 am)
This keeps getting better and better. I'm sure it will draw alot of talent. It will definately be something to keep an eye on.
#4
I'll echo Mat's question - with that big a prize, are there 2nd and 3rd prizes too?
03/07/2007 (5:17 am)
$10k? Yikes!I'll echo Mat's question - with that big a prize, are there 2nd and 3rd prizes too?
#5
03/07/2007 (5:19 am)
2nd/3rd prizes are still in the works and pending security of additional sponsorship. 
#6
03/07/2007 (8:22 am)
NICE! I bet this really ups the bar! How totally cool! Great job as always! 
#7
03/07/2007 (9:22 am)
Congrats guys, this is really shaping up.
#8
Very nice initiative, you guys are doing a fantastic job at MMORPGKIT, keep it up.
Gustavo M
03/07/2007 (10:14 am)
Wow, this is beginning to look really interesting ... ;)Very nice initiative, you guys are doing a fantastic job at MMORPGKIT, keep it up.
Gustavo M
#9
And, if we have also a side-project, can we register 2 games for one team ?
03/07/2007 (1:03 pm)
I have questions : if we are already making a game that's not yet close to alpha (no real content), but with some features made, can we still register to the contest ?And, if we have also a side-project, can we register 2 games for one team ?
#10
03/07/2007 (3:43 pm)
Erm... so when you say Team... can it be a team of 1? You see I don't have any friends :) I would like to enter this, but as a lonewolf if that's okay? 
#11
03/07/2007 (3:55 pm)
A team of 1 is ok but a whole lot of work. As for the previous questions I think Dave will have to answer the specifics of what is acceptable.
#12
It can't be something that a good dev could put together within a couple week's time. We expect people have some experiments and beginnings laying around, and hopefully the good beginnings of a design doc, but something a team has been working on for 3 months, or a single person for longer, is not a fair entry. The idea is to take the concept from soup to nuts, and learn some lessons while it gets done. I know this is a little bit fuzzy, but the length of the contest will level the field somewhat, as will the rest of the requirements.
We want entries close enough to their beginnings that they will experience, benefit from, and share the process of the entire game development cycle with the rest of the Indie world. We're all meant to learn from these projects, as much as possible!
03/07/2007 (4:18 pm)
"Not in significant stages of development"It can't be something that a good dev could put together within a couple week's time. We expect people have some experiments and beginnings laying around, and hopefully the good beginnings of a design doc, but something a team has been working on for 3 months, or a single person for longer, is not a fair entry. The idea is to take the concept from soup to nuts, and learn some lessons while it gets done. I know this is a little bit fuzzy, but the length of the contest will level the field somewhat, as will the rest of the requirements.
We want entries close enough to their beginnings that they will experience, benefit from, and share the process of the entire game development cycle with the rest of the Indie world. We're all meant to learn from these projects, as much as possible!
#13
03/07/2007 (6:58 pm)
Okay, you have seen my posts on my life algorithm. Is that too far along? I am barely getting started in my opinion. 
#14
well I definatey will be watching this anyways.. :)
TomFeni
03/07/2007 (7:16 pm)
guess I am out...well I definatey will be watching this anyways.. :)
TomFeni
#15
This better fits the spirit:
Game can't have been a previous contest winner in any contest, and game cannot have been published already or be in consideration to be published.
03/08/2007 (9:16 am)
After further consideration, we are going to have to relax the "significant stages of development" requirement quite a bit. After all, we allow the use of 3rd party mods/kits, and its a strawman argument to say that you sell yourself your own mods which you developed.This better fits the spirit:
Game can't have been a previous contest winner in any contest, and game cannot have been published already or be in consideration to be published.
#16
03/08/2007 (2:39 pm)
I think if people track the evolution of the game on a website it will be evident whether they are starting with an unfair advantage or not. I think this will serve as a basis of judgement when scoring the games. If the judges think the developers started with too much, and are not within the spirit of competition they can choose not to let them win. It's a political thing, but then, isn't everything? 
#17
Just joking!
wanted to say - hey, you are doing really great!
It will be very interesting to have a look at the progress :)
... hope to find some time for getting my hands on your pack..
03/08/2007 (2:50 pm)
Dave, can I apply to this contest? AfterWorld :)Just joking!
wanted to say - hey, you are doing really great!
It will be very interesting to have a look at the progress :)
... hope to find some time for getting my hands on your pack..
#18
03/08/2007 (7:24 pm)
This couldn't have come at a better time; my grant just rolled in on Monday count me in.
#19
03/08/2007 (8:32 pm)
You mentioned all of the Torque Engine's, is using TNL also permitted?
#20
03/09/2007 (12:04 am)
$10K... wow... That is awesome. 
Torque Owner Mathieu