Sun Sponsored Game Dev Contest

General Discussions
#1

There was talk of such a thing last year around GDC time but it never happened. Perhaps now that the Game Tech Group is formed something can happen in this area to ignite some spark in the Java Gaming community?

E.g. If publishers aren’t quite ready to take the risks associated with new Java game developers, perhaps some prize money will be enough of a carrot to dangle in front of some would be game developers to produce some showcase works.

If Sun invests some cash in to paving the way, proving that Java enables top quality game development using less resources than traditional C/C++ game developers… well it just might pay off. Maybe a deal to market and sell the winning entry on a popular web site (something that will get more traffic from the target users than java.com)? Of course it will only work if the community comes up with some really slick games and not the “toy” applet games that you see on most web sites.
Things like Wurm, Tribal Trouble, Magicosm, AlienFlux… stuff with some polish. I would like to see something like that get some marketing promotion that actually reaches the gamers out there instead of just us Java nerds :).

#2

Me too :slight_smile:

Cas :slight_smile:

#3

Working on it…legal issues and prizes. Stay tuned…

-ChrisM

#4

Give up those old Sparc stations… I know you’ve got them sitting in closets because noone uses them anymore :slight_smile:

Heck even giving away copies of Sun’s Java Desktop would be a great prize. This was actually one of Microsoft’s tactics back in the day to seed the world with its technology.

#5

[quote]Heck even giving away copies of Sun’s Java Desktop would be a great prize.
[/quote]
+1 ;D

#6

Nah, I’m holding out for a Sun Fire 3800:

http://www.sun.com/servers/midrange/sunfire3800/index.xml

Seriously, though, a game-dev contest is a great idea. Just so long as all the previous comments from the old thread are borne in mind…

#7

[quote]if the community comes up with some really slick games’
[/quote]
I don’t know about the old thread but there is always one major problem with game programming contest -> Content. There are plenty of programmers around here but no modelers or artist. And hence you get games like the toy applets that are so prevalent. Contest are fun though.

#8

So, you reckon it would benefit from a pool of “free content”?

That would make for a pretty cool contest - everyone gets to share a set of PD or for-this-contest-only images, sounds, textures, models. I know of at least one games company that would probably donate a CD of assets in return for the free publicity (for their asset-licensing wing).

Perhaps it would be relatively easy to get a simple license that said “you can use these assets ONLY for games that qualify for the competition; you are not allowed to promote the game outside of the competition, nor sell it - unless you sort out licensing with each of the content-owners whose content you used”. I.e. you’d be allowed to point people to the competition and say “here’s one I did”, but you wouldn’t be able to completely omit to mention the compo and just use the free art to make a “free” game…

As for the games… it could certainly make judging easier :).

#9

Ah, good idea on the shared resources. =)

#10

I dunno about you guys but I’m terribly disinclined to lift a finger programming unless there’s greenbacks at the end of it these days…

Cas :slight_smile:

#11

I’m hoping I never reach that stage. =)

#12

[quote]I dunno about you guys but I’m terribly disinclined to lift a finger programming unless there’s greenbacks at the end of it these days…
[/quote]
If you still have the right to sell the game when the contest was over then it’s not such a big deal… Use the contest and whatever prizes and publicity it provides to your advantage.

I figure the Game Tech Group could use the contest as a promotional tool that would benefit both their efforts and the game developers that participated.

A body of royalty free media for use in Java games might be cool for the purposes of the contest… but you don’t want to create the situation where gamers think all Java games look the same.

#13

[quote]I dunno about you guys but I’m terribly disinclined to lift a finger programming unless there’s greenbacks at the end of it these days…
[/quote]
If I ever reach that point, hopefully I’ve finished my MBA/JD. But even then i really hope I NEVER reach that point. I’ve never been in it for the money.

#14

If I ever reach that point, I think I’m going to become a carpenter.

#15

Why carpentry? Its seasonal, you work with a bunch of pot heads/crystal meth freaks and its outside work. You want inside work. Trust me.

I think Princec has accomplished enough in gamedev that his attitude is justified.

OT: Ari Feldman has a gpl version of his spritelib that has some good pixel art in it. I know everyone was thinking more of 3d models and what not though.

#16

I’d like to suggest that any contest is themed, and themed in such a way that the barrier to entry is very low. Like we advise all the newbies in here, 2D is the way to go (using whatever 2D technology tickles your fancy).

Setting up other arbitrary constraints like whether there can be a background, how many sprites you’re allowed, the total size of graphics and sound resources etc. also help lower the barrier to entry and often produce some excellent gameplay.

Unfortunately the lower the barrier is, the less likely the results are going to impress anyone outside this forum.

How about if the competition were to produce a proof-of-concept demo for a game publishing deal sponsored by Sun? Then you’d be talking…

Cas :slight_smile:

#17

How about categories?

  1. Hobbiest
  2. Professional

a) 2D
b) 3D
c) Multiplayer

With a prize for the overall best. It might encourage more folks to enter but still allow the results to be impressive.

Kev

#18

[quote]How about categories?

  1. Hobbiest
  2. Professional

a) 2D
b) 3D
c) Multiplayer
[/quote]
Nice sentiment, but…the first four of those are hard/unfair to judge. E.g. does a pro C++ game developer who’s only new to java fit into 1 or 2? If the answer is 1, then how many people who enter actually make their living writing java games :frowning: ? Any?

E.g. Is Alienflux 2D or 3D? The effects couldn’t be achieved without 3D, but the gameplay is in 2 dimensions. There are plenty of even-more-3D (e.g. 3rd person perspective) games where the gameplay only takes place in 2D, so this is not so easy to call…

Perhaps it’s best to judge on several independent criteria, and only have one competition, but have prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.

OTOH, the main driver behind multiple-categories in compos (having run some large-dollar ones before) is political - who wants to sponsor “5th prize”? Yes, well. So, you have 5 categories, and every sponsor gets to sponsor a “1st prize”. If they pay extra / give a better prize, they also get the priviledge of having the category named after them ;). That’s how it usually works… :frowning:

#19

They were only suggestions. Probably should have added a great big E.G.

Kev

#20

[quote]Yes, well. So, you have 5 categories, and every sponsor gets to sponsor a “1st prize”. If they pay extra / give a better prize, they also get the priviledge of having the category named after them .
[/quote]
So how about a ‘PuppyGames Award’ then for one category (openGL based retro game for example). The prize: PuppyGames promoting and hosting the game and the winner takes the sales for a given 1st period. Maybe throw in a copy of AF and the upcoming Invasion of the Jellies.
That’s more or less how it works already, minus the competition part. :wink:
And then Sun promoting the game and PuppyGames with it. It could be a nice stimulation to get another game at PuppyGames which would be nice, plus the extra promotion would benefit all parties.
Just a thought.

Erik