Mobile games developers wishing to enter the International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA) have just over two weeks left to do so. All entries must be in by 25 September, with judging starting on 3 October in Marseille.
The 25 nominated projects will be announced on the IMGA website on 10 October. The nominees then have until 26 January 2007 to submit a playable version of the game. IMGAs Technical partners and sponsors will provide testing facilities at Orange, software licenses from Adobe, phones from Nokia and services to the nominees on request. The winners will be announced on February 14 at the IMGA Awards Ceremony during the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.
The IMGA takes place annually and showcases the most innovative, original and creative games worldwide. Each year, mobile gaming studios, individual developers, students and researchers are challenged to come up with the most innovative concepts for tomorrows mobile games. An international jury selects the 25 most appealing, original and creative ideas that seem to be technically feasible. Award sponsors include Nokia, NVIDIA, Orange, Adobe, MOVIDA Group and Texas Instruments.
The objective is to create a new and exciting set of awards to recognise the worlds most talented mobile game developers, whether they are from professional studios, universities or even back bedrooms.
Recent research published by media research group, Screen Digest, suggests that by 2010, there will be a global installed base of more than 2 billion games-enabled mobile handsets and the worldwide games download market will be worth US$6.4 billion (3.4 billion).
There are prizes of $5,000 (2,670) each for each of the five awards on offer, with an additional $15,000 for the overall winner of the International Mobile Gaming Grand Prix, won last year by AR Tennis, an innovative Bluetooth and camera and game concept. In addition, winners also receive software licenses from Adobe, phones from Nokia and a guaranteed contract with an operator and a publisher to market the title.
More information on the IMGA website.