2008 InstantAction Developer Contest

#1 How very, very cool!

#2 Very nice GG. Thanks for the opportunity.

I could use a little clarification about the prizes though. I am aware that perhaps things are not finalized but maybe some ideas about the specifics of a "publication contract" could be mentioned? IE, exclusivity. Can I sell my product through other avenues after or does the contract grant exclusive publication to IA? And if that were the case, or even irregardless of that, what sort of numbers are we talking about re: the actual contract?

Also what kind of a time frame post contest are we looking at for completion of the game. Specifically, the rules allow for non-completed projects as long as they provide a solid playable demo. I think some clarification of final completion deadlines might help since there are a lot of folks with "irons in the fire" so to speak.

A final point and then I'll shut up I promise :) What about using middleware? IE Josh Ritters MMOKit. I suspect you will get a slew of MMO submissions using the MMOKit. I would hope that Josh actually puts MoM in the contest as I dont think any MMOKit based submissions could hold a candle to his polished and well functioning product.

Just thought I'd get some of those ideas out of the way before things get rolling along :) I do not suspect I will be submitting Aakrana (The MMO) for this but I do think it's possible the cardgame I am working on could be a perfect match for the contest.

Again, thank you GG for the opportunity. Look forward to watching this.

Mark

#3 Contract specifics will be disclosed only to the winning party at time of selection who can then choose to sign or not. Until then stack the odds in your favor by submitting whatever you have, there is nothing to risk by trying yet you have everything to gain.

#4 Ok, well thanks for the reply Josh. Although the contest is a great opportunity, you can understand that there would be quite a difference between the intrest levels of a $5,000 publishing contract and a 6 figure publishing contract. I brought the point up because there are some already very succesful and established Torque based projects in the community who's IP could qualify as 6 figure publishing potential.

As it stands I'll take the contest at face value and if I feel I've got something to offer as the deadline approaches I'll be sure to take part. Thank you again for the opportunity.

All the best to the entrants.

Mark

#5 I'm a little disappointed to read that it's open only to US residents, how come it's not open to developers from other countries?

#6 Thanks for the good questions. Let me see what I can answer:

While we wouldn't mind seeing a complete game sent to us, if the concept is too great to ignore, it could win even if it was using content packs for every piece of art. Obviously, the art would have to be improved as it develops, but we really are looking for the best proof of concept possible.

As for final completion deadlines, that will also be discussed with the winner while looking over the contract. Needless to say, only polished games will make it to InstantAction. It's important to note that the winner of the contest will have no obligation to sign a contract. They'll be able to look at our contract and negotiate with us on the details.

Really, there's nothing to lose by participating in this contest, and the potential to gain a lot. Entrants, including the winner, retain all of their IP rights.

#7 For what it's worth, our contract was written by Jeff Tunnell personally to be the most developer-friendly contract in the industry. The biggest point in the contract is that the developer continues to own their own IP. Another noteworthy point is that the development fee the developer recieves to enhance and port their game to InstantAction is just that, a development fee, and NOT an advance against royalties, so the developer will still make royalty from day one first sale. The amount of the development fee, if any, depends on the specific game, how complete it is, etc., so it's impossible to give even a ballpark figure in advance, it is not money you win, it is the amount you need in real and actual costs to actually complete your game and port it over. Though I cannot give contract specifics, anecdotally I hear from developers all the time about the quality of the contract, and it's something we take pride in.

Here's a random unsolicited quote from a developer we signed from just a few days ago:

"Firstly, I would have to say, that this is probably the most unbiased contract I have read in a long time, and is a refreshing change to our experience."

This is a completely typical response to our contract. You only need to know that it's lucrative in order to motivate you to submit, if your game is the one selected then you can decide about the contract specifics (once under NDA). Contract specifics aside, with the backing of IAC's powerhouse marketing, this is a very lucrative opportunity for any indie developer.

#8 Is this open to any type of game or is it limited to certain types?

#9 Dylan, you are being redundant just copying your post. The post is great, but doesn't state what genre you are looking for. What type of concept would be "too great to ignore" in your opinion?

#10 Whoops, that was an accident. Sorry Mike.

Any genre of game is acceptable, as long as it has the multiplayer component in it. That said, with IA looking to be high-end games in a browser, a fully 3d game (or a technically impressive 2d game I suppose) has a better chance of winning than a relatively simplistic game.

By "too great to ignore" I mean a game that has a vast amount of obvious potential even if it's only a rough concept. In other words, a beautiful looking, nearly complete but otherwise generic racer could lose out to a game that is entirely innovative but only has placeholder art at the time of submission.

#11 I want to thank the folks for doing their best to answer the questions here. Really appreciate the effort and clarification :)

Thanks guys.

I'll have to look closer at the ToS and rules. If Canadians are excluded that unfortuantely includes me. A shame but I am sure it is due to the legal wranglings of cross border contract enforcement etc.

Still a great opportunity for the Torque community and I wish all contestants the very best of luck.

Mark

#12

Quote: Winner must enter into a standard IA publishing contract and adhere to all terms and conditions of that agreement.

-From the official rules.

That sounds a bit ominous. Still, a cool opportunity for anyone starting out!

#13 Dylan, thankyou. :)
That summed up my question perfectly. :)

#14

Quote: Winner must enter into a standard IA publishing contract and adhere to all terms and conditions of that agreement.

@Weston: True, but the winner could forfeit the publishing contract in which case a new winner would be selected. The IA publishing contract is negotiable, it's not a take it or leave it kind of thing.

Regarding submissions outside of the USA, please note that you can still submit games to us for IA publishing consideration outside of this contest! We have developers on IA from all over the world. This contest should motivate you, not stop you.

--Josh

#15 @Weston, that seems pretty routine to me really. If you win a publishing contract on IA, you have to sign the publishing contract for IA. What seems more ominous is part (b) of section 3. on the license which talks about a "transfer of IP". Is this still the standard keep-your-IP IA contract, or does GG hold your IP if you win?

#16 1.
Dylan's blog says entry must be by Feb 10th
Official Rules page Rule 2 says entry must be by Feb 8th 5:00pm PST
Official Rules page Features says entry must be by Feb 10th

Are the blog and features right, or is the official rule correct? I would think the official rules trump all and there might be some disappointed people with last minute submissions on the 9th and 10th.

2.

Quote:
All entries must be sent to GameDevContest08@GarageGames.com and must be submitted in .zip or similar file type

Just to clarify; can the email contain a link to the zip or installer, or does it have to be an attachment? Many email services have attachment size limits that are much smaller than even a modest size game. Especially if you have to include DirectX and XNA installers.

--Tom

#17

Quote:What seems more ominous is part (b) of section 3. on the license which talks about a "transfer of IP". Is this still the standard keep-your-IP IA contract, or does GG hold your IP if you win?

@Ross: I have no idea what you're talking about, there is no 3b in the contest rules, and 3b of the Torque license has nothing to do with IP. No matter, where ever you're getting this from, this is still the standard keep-your-IP IA contract, there is nothing "ominous" about this and we will never take your IP period.

Quote:Just to clarify; can the email contain a link to the zip or installer, or does it have to be an attachment?

@Tom: Do NOT include the game as an attachment; link to it instead. If you have no web host, use a service like http://www.yousendit.com/

Josh

#18 @Joshua, yeah I was actually referring to this

Quote:
General Conditions

Winners (and if winner is a minor in his/her state of residence, his/her parent/legal guardian) may be required to complete, execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release [and Intellectual Property Transfer]...(snipped)

Which is under 4. No sub a or b etc, I was just trying to remember without looking. In any case, I figured it was the standard IA contract as mentioned previously in this thread. No disrespect intended (personally I wasn't worried, and only used "ominous" since I was referring to Weston's post).

#19 @Tom: Good catch. I changed the Official Rules to start February 10th as the submission deadline.

#20 @Ross: No problem, I see it in section 4 now (not section 3). I have no idea why it was there or why it was in brackets. Check again, it's since been removed. I personally guarauntee you we have no desire or intention with this contest or with any IA publishing deal to take a developer's IP. Developers owning their IP is a cornerstone of our publishing of developers indie games. Thanks for catching.