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meaningful play 2008 game exhibition and competition

Game Exhibition and Competition

Call for Games

The Meaningful Play Game Exhibition and Competition will allow academic, independent, experimental, serious game, and/or student developers to gain recognition for their creative/innovative work in game design and development.

All games submitted to Meaningful Play will be peer-reviewed. Game submissions will be reviewed by at least two members of the academic community or game industry specializing in the area of the game’s focus. Authors will be provided with reviewers’ critical comments as well as any suggestions for revision. Worthy projects will be selected and shown at the Meaningful Play Game Exhibition held at the conference.

All exhibited projects will have the option of being included in the game competition. The game competition will take place at the conference itself. During exhibition times, a panel of judges will rate the games. Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite games (for a People’s Choice Award.)

Winners and runner-ups in each category, as well as the People’s Choice Award, will be announced and prizes will be distributed at an awards ceremony that will take place during the closing session of the conference on Saturday, October 11.

Submissions will be accepted from April 1, 2008 to August 15, 2008. We will review games periodically throughout the submission timeframe (see Selection Process below.) Please submit early so, if accepted, you will have ample time to make necessary travel plans.

Entry Requirements

The Meaningful Play Game Exhibition and Competition requirements are as follows:

  • Before submitting a game to Meaningful Play, you must have obtained the permission of all persons or entities having any rights in the game.
  • Games that make use of previously released commercial engines or technology are only eligible if they have the legal right to exhibit the game as-is. (NOTE: You do not necessarily need the right to publish the game to exhibit.)
  • Games that make use of art and audio assets not created by the game authors are only eligible if they have the legal right to exhibit the game as-is.
  • Game mods (game add-ons that require the installation of another game in order to be played) are not eligible unless you provide a legal copy of the game with submission for judging and bring a legal copy for exhibition.
  • Games can run on any platform (PC, Mac, console, PDA, etc.), although we may ask developers who submit games that require special hardware that is difficult to obtain to submit a demonstration video of the game being played. Non-digital games are also acceptable.
  • Games in various stages of completion are eligible for Meaningful Play, but the game must be in a form that is presentable and playable for judging and exhibition.

Commercial games and serious games are elligible for exhibition.

In addition to the general entry requirements stated above, the following requirements also must be met to be eligible to be listed as a “student created” entry:

  • Only students (high school, undergraduate, or graduate) may have worked on the game, and those student developers must have been enrolled in school during the primary development time of the game.
  • You must have had no professional help develop your entry. The spirit of this event is to showcase what students can do, unassisted by professionals. Guidance and assistance from your instructor/professor is fine and should be duly credited.

Exhibition

If your game submission is accepted and you confirm your attendance, please take note of the following:

  • You will be expected to attend the Meaningful Play conference and exhibit your game title. Such exhibition will include, without limitation, (i) staffing an exhibition booth and demonstrating the game during the exhibition time; and (ii) conducting yourself in a manner that upholds the good name and reputation of the Meaningful Play conference.
  • Meaningful Play will provide one display area for each accepted game, which will consist of table space, hook-ups for electricity and Internet connectivity, and a space for your poster. Teams will be expected to supply hardware necessary to operate the game.
  • You will be responsible to cover your expenses of attending Meaningful Play, including the conference registration fee, travel, meals, and accommodations.
  • You will be responsible for bringing your own equipment for exhibition. This includes computing hardware, display, speakers, and any special equipment or hardware, such as force-feedback hardware, stereo-vision glasses, other headgear, graphics or audio cards.
  • You will be expected to create a poster with at least the following components: the title of Game, one screenshot or frame grab from the game, the list of authors, and a brief description of the game, including what is unique or innovative about the game such as the technology, game design, purpose of the game, or intended audience. The poster will be exhibited with the game.

Competition and Awards Ceremony

All exhibited projects will have the option of being included in the game competition. The game competition will take place at the conference itself. During exhibition times, a panel of judges will rate the games in each category. The categories will likely include:

  • Most innovative game
  • Most meaningful game (best application of gaming toward a meaningful purpose)
  • Best student created game
  • Best overall game

Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite games (for a People’s Choice Award.)

Winners and runner-ups in each category, as well as the People’s Choice Award, will be announced and prizes will be distributed at an awards ceremony that will take place during the closing session of the conference on Saturday, October 11.

Important Dates

April 1, 2008   Game submission opens
August 15, 2008   Game submission closes
(all games due)
September 1, 2008   Notification of acceptance on games
October 9, 2008   Game Exhibition at Conference
October 11, 2008   Game Competition Awards Announced

 

2008 Game Competition Winners

The game exhibition took place at the conference reception on Thursday, October 9, 2008. A panel of three industry and three academic judges reviewed the games during the exhibition. The following were announced as Meaningful Play 2008 Game Competition winners at the conference closing on Saturday, October 11, 2008:

  • Most innovative game

    Hush
    By: Jamie Antonisse, Devon Johnson, Chris Baily, Brittany Pirello, Joey Orton

  • Most meaningful game (best application of gaming toward a meaningful purpose)

    Crossroads Village
    By: Brian Winn, Ziba Scott, Eric Pearson, Adam Rump, Gaston Rampersad, Peter Diaz, Marie Lazar, Mary Stanish, Joe Fitzgerald, John Quick, Chris Portrey, Nate Cooley, Vered Seidmann, Kacie Schaeffer, and Jennifer DeFore

  • Best student created game

    Polyglot Cubed
    By: Lindsay Grace

  • Best overall game

    Hush
    By: Jamie Antonisse, Devon Johnson, Chris Baily, Brittany Pirello, Joey Orton

 

How to Submit

You may submit your game entry either through email or physical mail.

Include the following information with the submission:

  • Game Title
  • Game Authors
  • Game Description (maximum 500 words)
  • Game System Requirements
  • When was the game created?
  • How was the game created? (tools, middleware, APIs, language)
  • Is this an entirely "student created" game?
  • Any other comments about the game?
  • Playable version of the game
    • Game URL (preferred) – If you are providing a URL for judges to download your game (preferable), make sure it is available at that location from time of submission through the end of the conference.
    • If you are mailing your entry in, send two (2) playable versions of your game on separate CD-ROMs, DVDs, cartridges, or other appropriate media

The game submission must arrive by August 15, 2008 to be considered.

Email all submission materials to inquiries@meaningfulplay.msu.edu or mail them to:

Meaningful Play 2008 Game Exhibition
253 Comm Arts Bldg, MSU
East Lansing, MI 48824

Neither Meaningful Play, nor any other party associated with the conference is responsible for late, lost, damaged or misdirected game entries. Game entries will not be returned.

Submissions will be accepted from April 1, 2008 to August 15, 2008. We will review games periodically throughout the submission timeframe (see Selection Process below.) Please submit early so, if accepted, you will have ample time to make necessary travel plans.

 

Selection Process

All game submissions will be peer reviewed by a panel of industry and/or academic judges for inclusion in the Exhibition. Games will be selected based on:

  • Appropriateness of the game to the topics of the Meaningful Play conference
  • Innovations in game design and/or technology
  • Quality of game playing experience
  • Quality of game audio and visual design

The panel will review submitted games periodically from April 1, 2008 to August 15, 2008. You will be notified in regards to your submission as soon as a decision is made. After which, you must confirm your plans to attend the conference. Your game will not be exhibited if you do not attend. Further, your game will not be eligible for the game competition if you do not attend.

Please submit early so, if accepted, you will have ample time to make necessary travel plans.

 

Additional Questions?

Please address any questions not covered by the information available herein or elsewhere on the Meaningful Play Web Site to inquiries@meaningfulplay.msu.edu.