Independent Games Festival

12th Annual Independent Games Festival
March 11, 2010
GDC 2010
Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, CA

IGF Logo

About IGF/IGF Mobile | IGF Contest Overview | Important Dates | Press Coverage | Sponsors

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IGF Awards:
Thursday, March 11th, 6:30pm
Moscone Convention Center, Esplanade Room

IGF Pavilion:
TBA

About the IGF

IGF WinnerUBM TechWeb Game Network (producers of Game Developer magazine, Gamasutra.com, and the Game Developers Conference®) established the Independent Games Festival in 1998 to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers. Just as the Sundance Film Festival benefits the independent film community, the IGF creates a similar event for independent game developers in addition to the student population of game developers.

Located at the Moscone Center at the Game Developers Conference®, and open to any members of the public or game professionals who have bought an Expo Pass to the show, the IGF Pavilion showcases every single finalist for that year's Festival in playable form. Members of the development team for each IGF finalist are on hand to discuss and demonstrate the title and talk to top game publishers and distributors attending the show.

The IGF Awards will take place on Thursday evening of the Game Developers Conference®, with thousands watching the awards presentation before the Game Developer's Choice Awards are presented. In its 12th year, the IGF has given away hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes and major recognition to innovative, independently created video games from all over the world, from early pioneering titles such as Oasis, Alien Hominid, and Gish, through newer stand-outs includingWorld of Goo, Audiosurf, Braid, Everyday Shooter, and Blueberry Garden.

About IGF Mobile

Now in its third year, IGF Mobile, a sister event to the main IGF competition, will feature independently developed handheld games for all mobile devices including cell phones, Apple's iPhone, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, and Windows Mobile devices. More information is available on IGFMobile.com.

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IGF Contest Overview

The Independent Games Festival event features the main IGF Competition itself and the IGF Student Showcase. See 2009 Winners and Finalists here.

IGF Competition

The main IGF Competition will give out eight major awards:

  • Seumas McNally Grand Prize ($20,000)
  • Excellence In Visual Art ($2,500)
  • Excellence In Audio ($2,500)
  • Excellence In Design ($2,500)
  • Nuovo Award ($2,500)
  • Technical Excellence ($2,500)
  • Audience Award ($2,500)
  • Direct2Drive Award (TBA)

There are five specifically named finalists for each award. All finalists will be invited to the IGF award ceremony at GDC 2010. The IGF Audience Award will be voted from the finalists in all other categories.

IGF Student Showcase

The IGF's Student Showcase will highlight a total of ten games this year:

  • IGF Student Showcase Winner ($500)

In addition there will be a prize for best overall IGF Student Game awarded as part of the IGF Awards, with the finalists comprising all of the Student Showcase winners:

  • Best Student Game ($2,500)

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IGF 2010 Important Dates

July 1st, 2009 Submissions are Open
November 1st, 2009 Submission Deadline, Main Competition
November 15th, 2009 Submission Deadline, Student Competition
January 4th, 2010 Finalists Announced, Main Competition
January 11th, 2010 Finalists Announced, Student Competition
March 9th-13th, 2010 Game Developer's Conference 2010
March 9th-10th, 2010 Indie Games Summit @ GDC
March 11-13th, 2010 IGF Pavilion @ GDC
March 11th, 2010 IGF Awards Ceremony (Winners Announced!)

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Press Coverage

The IGF receives broad industry coverage from top gaming sites and publications. A sample list of the press covering the event includes:

  • BBC
  • Wired
  • Computer Games magazine
  • Computer Gaming world
  • EGM
  • G4TV
  • Flipcode
  • Game Daily
  • Game Revolution
  • Gamasutra.com
  • GameSpot
  • Gamedev.net
  • Gamespy.com
  • Gaming Age Online
  • IGN.com
  • Joystick101.org
  • Live Game News
  • MCV
  • 4gamer.net
  • Game Tunnel
  • OffWorld
  • PC Gamer
  • Slashdot
  • ZDTV

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Sponsors

Download Partner:

D2D logoDirect2Drive is a leading digital download store, which successfully distributes AAA titles from every top publisher in the industry.

It will now deliver that same service to top independent game developers, by providing them with a dedicated platform to promote and sell their games to the more than 30 million unique visitors that visit IGN every month.
www.direct2drive.com/buy-indie-games-download


Gold Sponsor:

Unity LogoUnity Technologies is a 3D game development tool provider, enabling the creation of totally dynamic online content that rivals the newest games on the console market. Based in Copenhagen with an office in San Francisco, CA, Unity provides tools to game developers and creative visualization professionals alike to deliver the best 3D web content. The Unity engine is currently being used by leading game developers, educational institutions and industry visionaries including: Smashing Ideas, Trigger, Freeverse, Shockwave.com, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Flashbang Studios, ThreeMelons and Skyworks Technologies.
www.unity3d.com


Student Showcase Platinum Sponsor:

DigiPen logoDigiPen Institute of Technology, located in Redmond,Washington, has been providing highly capable programmers and production artists to the game industry for over 10 years. With a rigorous curriculum endorsed by many industry leading companies, DigiPen graduates have the knowledge and ability to achieve the professional standards expected by employers.
www.digipen.edu

Student Showcase Platinum Sponsor:

ENJMIN logoENJMIN: The Master degree comprises a two year program to be undertaken following three years of post-high school technical education usually at university level. The Master allows for a major subject in one of six specialty areas: game design, visual design, sound and music design, software design and development, ergonomics and project management.
http://www.enjmin.fr/


Media Partners:

Gamasutra.com logoGamasutra.com is the largest independent web site devoted to the art and business of making games. Every day, Gamasutra offers new features about game technology and business, offers product and industry news, has a giant job board, hosts game developer resumes, offers a directory of game development contractors, and more. Gamasutra.com has grown from its 1997 launch to over 450,000 members today.
www.gamasutra.com

GD Mag logoGame Developer magazine is the only print publication that delivers technical how-to features, industry news, and product reviews to professional game developers. Each month the most renowned and respected developers in the industry explain the technology behind the most successful and innovative games to 85,000 total readers, making this truly the publication "by game developers, for game developers."
http://www.gdmag.com

 

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, click here.

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