Intel Game Demo Contest - FAQ - Intel® Software Network

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	March 18, 2009 9:00 PM PDT

Am I eligible to enter?

If you are 18 years or older, you are eligible to enter the contest. This is a worldwide contest, with some restrictions. See Official Rules.

I've changed my approved entry and it disappeared. What happened?

When you update or modify your entry, it will need to go back through our approval process before we post it. Be patient - it will reappear after our approval!

How does the judging work?

When you complete your registration form, you supply information about who you are and what your plans are for your game (your demo abstract). Starting in April and continuing through August, there will be community voting on the best abstracts, with weekly prizes of $100 USD cash gift cards awarded. On May 1st you’ll be able to upload screenshots and movies of your demo, and during the finalist selection period of July 1st through 21st, 2008, anyone who visits the site can vote on you screenshots and moviesthumbs up. At the end of the finalist selection period, the top scoring entries will become our finalists for the second round of judging, which will be done by Intel and game industry judges. For the second round of judging, finalists will need to submit the actual executable of their game demo. The grand prize and subsequent prize winners will be selected by our panel of game development experts.

Do I have to provide the source code for my game? Who owns the Intellectual Property (IP) for the game and the demo?

We want you to have a successful business model with your game, which is why this is a game DEMO contest. You retain all rights to your intellectual property, and you don't have to send us the source code. Finalists will assign to Intel the right to distribute their game demos -- we'll post them on the contest website, show them at trade shows, etc. These are all great ways to increase the exposure of your demo, and hopefully drive sales of your full retail product.

Can my group or educational class submit an entry together?

Yes, but only one person or corporate entity will be awarded prizes, for tax purposes. Plan ahead and consult a financial advisor if you require tax advice.

What are the deadlines for the competition?

Full details are in the Official Rules. Registration Forms are due by July 1st, 2008. After community judging, finalists need to submit executables by August 15th, 2008.

Considering that there are a lot of professional game developers out there, what are the chances that an indie/student/hobbyist like me will win?

The chances are good! AAA developers often have exclusive deals for distribution of their game demos, or they have an existing technology relationship with Intel which would disqualify them from the contest. We expect that the vast majority of our entries will be from small developers and student groups. Check out the winners from 2007.

The Official Rules state that if I have "an existing technology enabling account with Intel" then I can't enter... does that include members of the Intel Partner Program?

Registered or Associate members of the Intel Partner Program are eligible to enter the contest, however if your company is a Premier or Premier Elite member, you have access to direct assistance from Intel engineers and you are not eligible to enter. Sorry, we can't directly help you compete in our own contest.

Can you provide any additional resources that can help me develop my game demo?

Yes! This was a common request from last year's contest. We have a Resources page which we will keep up-to-date with sample code and articles that we think might be useful for contestants. You should also bring items you’d like to discuss into the discussion forum we’ve set up especially for contest participants. Get feedback from your peers and Intel Engineers. Be sure to try out the Intel® Software Development Products. We’ve provided temporary licenses for all participants.

Can we use an Open Source game engine to create the game?

Yes, the only requirement is that you have the right to distribute the finished product. If the Open Source code also requires distribution of source code, make sure you are in compliance.

When can I expect to receive the community bonus prize?

The winner of the weekly community bonus prize will be notified by phone, e-mail or post within seven days of the selection. All prizes will be awarded within six weeks of the date of notification.

From July 1, 2008 to July 25, 2008, what principles will be followed to evaluate entries to determine the ten finalists in each category?

All contestants must upload screenshots and movies of their game demo to the contest website by July 1, 2008. From July 1-July 25, 2008, the judges will use the following principles to evaluate the entries and determine the ten finalists in each category.

Judges will only choose entries that have at least one submitted screenshot or movie. Judges will examine the screenshot carefully to see if it comes from a real game and is not a design mock-up.
For Best Threaded Game entries, judges will look at the description of the entry to see if there is any detail on how the demo takes advantage of multiple cores. Bad example: "My game will run super fast on a multi-core computer!" Good example: "My game uses multiple threads to handle physics and AI, and adds additional graphics effects on multi-core computers."
For Bes t Game on the Go, we'll look for details on mobility features. Bad example: "My game is easy to play on a laptop!" Good example: "My game uses the trackpad on laptops to allow the user to tap out a beat like on a drum, and has a special power-saving mode that is enabled when running on battery power."
For Best Game on Intel(R) Graphics, we'll look for details on graphics. Bad example: "My game has great graphics!". Good example: "My game satifies performance criteria for RPG games on Intel graphics chipsets, and the graphics effects can be turned up for more powerful graphics hardware."