Outspark | 2007 Outspark Online Game Competition

OUTSPARK is pleased to announce the 2007 OUTSPARK Online Game Competition designed to find a great new multiplayer online game for the English speaking Market. The winner of the competition will be awarded the option of a publishing contract and may receive project financing to complete their game.

BACKGROUND

Online multiplayer games are emerging as the largest growth segment in the global games market. Independent developers have established themselves as the key innovators and experts in online game play, revolutionizing virtual item sales and redefining casual games. Outspark publishes online games for the North American and world-wide English speaking markets and is looking for an exceptional game that can be successful on the global stage.

GOALS

Outspark hopes to find a game development partner with both an understanding of the important elements of online multiplayer game design and commercialization and an existing game in development. Outspark will then work closely with the developer to make the game an outstanding success. Outspark may also provide project financing for the completion of the winning game and an exclusive contract for publication in North America.

1.0 ELIGIBILITY

1.1 Game Developer Requirements

To be eligible to submit a game for the competition, the game development team/company must:

Demonstrate their plan to deliver final product for publication.
Demonstrate that they have the required expertise to successfully complete the project.
Have complete creative and financial control over the project from start to finish.
Own 100% of the Intellectual Property (IP) rights of the product.
Demonstrate that there are no legal, IP, or contractual obstacles to publishing the game in North America.

1.2 Game Project Requirements

To be eligible for the competition, submitted games must include the following:

The game must be in English and support online, multiplayer play.
The game should incorporate game play and community building elements with universal appeal.
The game should have commercialization built in as a key part of the core game play.
The UI and game play should support and encourage users of all ability levels, with elements for first time casual users who may not be familiar with the format.
The game should support one of the standard online distribution models: downloadable client, flash/web based, or episodic patches.
The design must be fun, professional, and suitable for a family audience.
A database and server infrastructure designed to scale.
The game must be at least at the prototype stage, or be based on an existing working game engine.
The game must be playable under Microsoft XP and Vista, and not rely upon the specific features of a particular web browser or other 3rd party application.

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPETITION

The Competition has three elimination rounds. For each successive round, applicants will be required to produce deliverables and achieve certain milestones. All rounds will be evaluated by a selection committee of Outspark employees. All materials submitted for the competition will be kept strictly confidential.

2.1 Round 1: Design Review

Eligible applicants are invited to apply to round 1: Design Review, with an outline of their project from a game play and commercialization standpoint (see below). More than one game may be submitted per developer.

2.1.1 Round 1 Deliverables

For Round 1, Outspark will review the overall design of the game, the development team, and project plan for completing the game. Please submit documents covering:

Test accounts and a prototype of the game are the ideal way to demonstrate the first two items, but not a requirement. Section 6 covers the application process and deadline for submission.

2.1.2 Round 1 Selection Criteria

A selection committee of Outspark Employees will evaluate the game entries, based on the following criteria:

Team Talent	Technical and creative competencies History of success in online game industry
Game Quality	Originality of concept and idea Emergent or original game mechanics Community game play elements Social game play elements Quality and creativity of the game Well thought out design and development plan
Monetization	IP/Brand longevity Plan for generating ongoing content Monetization potential Potential for additional channels (mobile, web 2.0)

Up to ten games will then be selected to go forward.

2.2 Round 2: Localization Development

The Outspark selection committee will visit each of the development companies for the games selected from round 1, meet the team, and look in more detail at the games. After the visit, the committee will focus on specific aspects of development, commercialization, and project delivery for round 2.

2.2.1 Round 2 Deliverables

The specific deliverables for this round will depend on game genre and style. At minimum, the selection committee will expect:

2.2.2 Round 2 Selection Criteria

The selection committee will evaluate round 2, based on the following criteria:

Quality of Prototype	Quality, robustness, and impact of prototype Universal community drivers
Project Planning	Well thought out plan for project completion
Integration	Elements/API for connection to game portal Possibilities for channel marketing

One game will be selected to go forward as a round 3 finalist.

2.3 Round 3: Publishing and Commercialization

The last round of the competition will involve a single game that Outspark feels will be successful for English speaking audiences with appropriate development. Financing funds will be available to help the finalist perform specific development tasks. These tasks will have been planned out during round 2.

During this final round, the Outspark committee and game developer will work together to finalize development plans, and prepare a time line and plan for publishing and service operation.

Reaching round 3 does not guarantee that the game will be published, and Outspark may chose to not continue with individual projects at any time.

2.3.1 Round 3 Deliverables

If the developer selected for round 3 can meet these deliverables they will be publicized as the Winners of the 2007 Outspark Online Game Competition.

3 HOW TO APPLY

Entry to the first round of the competition is open to any game developer who meets the eligibility criteria (see section 1). Applicants must send electronic versions of the documents requested in section 2.1.1 to GameCompetition2007@outspark.com before 5pm (PST) on January 30th 2008, along with a copy of the application form below for each game.

3.1 Notification of Decision

Applicants will receive email and written notification of the result of their application by February 28th 2008.

2007 Outspark Online Game Competition

November 2007