Yesterday, April 29th, saw the launch of the N-GAGE challenge in Ireland, an innovative competition seeking the best game concepts for the latest generation of colour mobile phones.
If you are a budding designer then this is the competition for you. No expertise, experience or computer skills are necessary to enter the N-GAGE challenge – all they ask is that you are over 18.
Organised and managed by UPSTART games and supported by Nokia (Ireland) Ltd. and O2 Ireland information on entry forms can be obtained from www.upstartgames.com/challenge or by texting ‘reg’ followed by your email address to 51101.
A short list of 25 entries will be narrowed down to five finalists by a judging panel which includes people like David Jones of Real Time Worlds (creator of Lemmings, Grand Theft Auto), consultant Neil Jones-Cubley (formerly of Sony Psygnosis), Sebastian Clayton of Digtial:CC and Gavin Barrett of Nokia.
Prototypes of the five finalists will be developed in consultation with Digital:CC and made available via a competition website for public trial and voting. The eventual winner will be announced at an event in Oct. 2003.
And the prize? That should read prizes.
Well for the eventual winner an advance of €5,000 on eventual royalties of the game when published, a period of training at a Digital Hollywood facility in Toyko or LA, an internship in a games development company and an ‘original concept’ credit on the published game. The winning concept will be published globally by Upstart Games and distributed in Europe by 02 through the 02 Games Arcade service.
And if that wasn’t enough – all five finalists will receive an N-GAGE game deck and games.