2008 ArtSpark Competition Open 'Til April 14

I'm not entirely sure what's going on with the HBMG Foundation's 'ArtSpark' competition (designing a stage play or a video game seems to be a pretty broad spectrum of potential products), but in case you're feeling creative, submit an application for the 2008 collaborative competition. Since we here at Kotaku didn't get the information until yesterday, the nice people at HBMG are apparently willing to extend the deadline a little for those of you who came by this information on Kotaku.

The rules of the game are simple... Start with nothing. Use a piece of visual art and a musical composition to "spark" the creation of a video game or play. "Spark" a new musical composition and piece of visual art as a new play or video game is created. Finish with a public showcase of your work and the chance to walk away with a cash prize! Don't forget to enjoy the toys that the HBMG Foundation gives you along the way: a budget, workspace, industry workshops, and equipment to help facilitate the process.

Sounds like an interesting concept, and I'm curious to see what will be produced at the end of this 12 week competition. Collaboration can be fun!

2008 ArtSpark Festival [HBMG Foundation]

Five World Records Up For Grabs in Brooklyn

The Video Game Name Generator Competition

The Video Game Name Generator is always good for some fun, but what's even better is the game design competition run by the Independent Gaming Source: entrants had three weeks to come up with a game based on a generated title. The contest garnered 48 playable entries, including such scintillating titles as "Time Shark II: Medieval Shark Strike Force," "Shameful Pachinko Romance," "Post-Apocalyptic Unicorn Uprising," "Emo Harvest on The Oregon Trail" and my favorite, "Super Mario vs. Programming in China."

If you're running Windows, you're in luck. Head over and check out the entries, many of which are of pretty high quality for only having three weeks of lead time.

The Video Game Name Generator Competition [The Independent Gaming Source via GrandTextAuto]

Video Games At the Beijing Olympics

Not as an actual sport, of course, but it's going to be an official welcome event: US based Global Gaming League (GGL) has signed a deal to make sure video gaming will be a part of the '08 Games, at least in some way. They're planning a tournament leading up to the games, all sorts of contests, actual competitive gaming, and ... more spectators than the actual Olympics?

But for GGL, and apparently for China, video gaming is serious business. "This event will be heavily covered by the media," says Fong Hong, who is honorary general secretary of the China Internet Gaming Organizing Committee, editor of a large-circulation national technology newspaper called Netizen and an employee of the Chinese Ministry of Information Industries. If he says so, it is likely to be so.

Says a very optimistic Owen: "We believe the crowds we'll get will be far larger than for the Olympic games themselves." The venues, still to be chosen, are likely to be big soccer stadiums - not unusual for gaming competitions in China and elsewhere in Asia. Video gaming is rapidly becoming one of the world's most popular spectator sports, with audiences, especially in Asia, numbering many millions both live and on TV.

GGL has a press release up at their website, promising more information to come.

Video games meet the China Olympics [Fortune/CNN Money]

'Why Games Matter' Competition Open For Voting

Even Mongolia Makes A Bid For E-Sports Glory