YoYo Games have just announced their biggest competition to date, with cash prizes valued at $35,000, and additional software prizes worth up to $85,000.
The ‘Win Big’ competition requires entrants to use GameMaker Studio to create games for Windows 8, submit them to the Windows Store, and have them pass Windows Store Certification before 28th June 2013. The competition lasts for just under 2 months and is open to both new and previously-created games alike. While this puts a dampener on the concept of genuine competition, at least one cash prize is offered for the “best new game”.
To enter, a Windows Store Developer Account is required, however YoYo Games are offering 200 free developer accounts to entrants.
Cash prizes include:
- $10,000 for 1st place
- $5,000 for 2nd place
- $1,000 for 5 x 3rd place prizes
- $5,000 for best new game
- 50 x $200 runner up prizes
Additional software prizes are also available.
Furthermore, since this competition is for GameMaker Studio users only, YoYo Games are offering a discounted upgrade from GameMaker 7, 8, and 8.1 to GameMaker Studio Professional for only $50, as opposed to the usual rate of $99.
Terms and conditions apply.
Will you be entering? Leave a comment below.
Who wants to own a windows 8 machine to test this on? As Valhalla said the prizes are large enough to justify the content grab, but I don’t own, and hope to never own, a windows 8 pc.
Sad though, wouldn’t have minded a go at one of the prizes.
-Elmernite
I would love if it accepted GM8 Games 🙁 But sadly it don’t but its a good competition
Well, you have a good chance to upgrade now for only $50 if you want to join.
I don’t understand why YYG is making the contest eligible for games built for Windows 8 only. What’s wrong with other platforms? I’d like to see the contest opened up so that no matter what you’re building to, you can have a chance of winning.
It’s just Microsofts cheap way of getting some actual content into Windows 8(god help us). YoYoGames will probably be directly getting more out of this than all the winners.
It’s clearly a content grab, though at least the prizes are big enough this time to be forgivable.
I don’t see any problem with this at all. They’re the ones offering a prize, so what are you guys complaining about? Any company would do the same. Honestly, it’s not as if Microsoft is the only enterprise trying to make a profit. Basic economics.