OUYA CREATE will give developers a chance to win $45,000 in prizes for showcasing game prototypes
While OUYA has been hard at work compiling its impressive list of development partners for the console’s spring launch, the folks behind the Kickstarter sensation wants to encourage developers everywhere to create wares for the console. It’s easy enough to create and port games to OUYA with the ODK, but perhaps a little bit of a fruitful nudge will get a few more independent developers excited for the Android console.
That’s where OUYA CREATE comes in, a new development competition that will deliver $45,000 in cash and prizes for developers to create working game prototypes for OUYA. The games have to be new, meaning no porting existing titles, and the prototypes have to be whipped up by January 23rd. If you can buckle down and get knee deep into some code you could find yourself in line for some nice prizes. Here’s a more detailed account of how things will go down:
- Create a *new* game for OUYA – any style, any genre as long as it’s playable (and, of course, fun).
- Submit your playable OUYA game prototype between January 14 and 23 to Kill Screen for review.
- Show off a video of your demo on YouTube, tweet it up on Twitter, gather your fans on Facebook to gain gamer support and awareness of your OUYA game. Social media support will be one of the criteria used to select finalists.
Kill Screen is OUYA’s partner on the competition, and they — alongside some other industry names — will be the ones reviewing and judging entries. Winners will be picked based on purposely subjective views of the games’ “sheer greatness,” community support for the game (meaning you need to get those “likes” and “thumbs up” campaigns going), and successful use of the OUYA to its full potential.
The grand prize will be $20,000, nothing to sneeze at for most budding independent game developers. The grand prize winner will also get a “you did it” bonus once the game is complete and fully launches on OUYA. Five runner ups will receive $5,000 for winning one of the following categories:
- “Most Surprising” Award: For the game that does something new and unexpected.
- “Four Bright Buttons and Two Joysticks” Award: For the game demonstrating the best controls.
- “Most Immersive” Award: For best demonstration of how a game feels in your living room, instead of your pocket.
- “Best Couch with Friends” Award: For the game that makes us most nostalgic for the days of all-nighters and Goldeneye in our friend’s basement.
- “Pop Your Eyes Out” Award: For the game that astounds, visually.
And should those winners complete and launch their games, they will get $1,000 bonuses. It sounds great to me. I would be quick to download the ODK if I were a developer because these are some great prizes to be had, and if you were looking to expand your portfolio and get some more eyes on your wares then this is a great way to do just that.
Entries will be accepted starting January 13th and will continue to be accepted through January 24th. Head to the OUYA CREATE site for more details. Oh, and if you’re looking for an awesome community to share ideas with why not head to OUYABoards.com and sign up? It only takes a minute, and you’ll be mingling with some of the most enthusiastic OUYA fans you’ll find.