Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 13-17.
Example contest and prize offerings
Keep an eye on Unity, game platform manufacturers, and industry organizations event web sites
for contest announcements. Broaden your search to include “app developer” in addition to “game
developer,” as many app contests have game categories. If you live in a metropolitan area, check
the calendar for your local conference center for video game, electronics, and app-related events.
Usually the results of the contest are announced at the event, so bear in mind that contest rule
publication dates and submission deadlines will occur much sooner than the actual event.
Read the fine print
. Know the deadlines, know the rules, and know the ramifications of the
participation agreement. If you miss the deadline, you can't win. If you don't follow the rules, you
might be disqualified. If you don't read the fine print, you just don't know what might happen. I've seen
people taken by surprise that they lost ownership rights to their game by entering it in a contest.
Using the Windows Store example, to be eligible for the contest your game had to be published on
the Windows Store between May 1, 2014 and July 20, 2014, so there is no question that the game
still would have belonged to you. On the other hand, this means that your game had to go through
the submission process for the Windows Store, which means you probably should have had your
business entity set up. If you are accustomed to submitting that just-finished assignment to your boss
or professor minutes before the deadline, your game probably won't make it to the judges in time.
