New Weekly Game Design Challenges

For those of you who like game design challenges, GameCareerGuide has started a weekly design challenge:

Starting this week, we'll be running a weekly Design Challenge. The Design Challenge is an exercise in becoming a game developer, asking you to look at games in a new way — from the perspective of a game creator, producer, marketer, businessperson, and so forth.

Each Wednesday I'll propose a design question. You'll have one week to answer it (see below for how to submit your answers). The following week, the best answers and the names of those who submitted them will be posted along with some commentary.

James Portnow's Design Challenge [GameCareerGuide]

"Guess the Date Owen's Xbox Returns" is officially over. Corey Goupil correctly guessed April 7, winning a Rock Band hoodie and some other great schwag. But really, there's only one winner here: Me. I got my Xbox back yesterday, delivered to my office.

As you can see, I have properly memorialized Corey and the four others to pick April 7: (I'm guessing at correct names here, from their email addresses): Mitchell Tai, Joe VanHoudt, Fred Collin and Donald Walen. Corey was randomly drawn from those five. All of their "autographs" now adorn my Xbox case. More than 160 of you entered, and that was just too many to write on my case, but I thank you all. Keep reading after the jump.

Five World Records Up For Grabs in Brooklyn

March 17, my Xbox 360 finally showed the Red Ring of Death. March 18, Brian Crecente offered me this job. It was kinda zen, as one door closes, another opens.

My name's Owen Good, I live in Silicon Valley and I'm one of the new weekend editors. As you may have read I worked with Brian on the night shift at our old gig, the Rocky Mountain News. Ordinarily, I'd now throw in a hard-bitten newspaper anecdote with a lot of swear words, but this is Kotaku, not The Wire.

Now, the big elephant in the room is that a lot of you commenters wanted this gig and the fact I once worked with Brian adds a hairy gorilla to the elephant. Everyone hates nepotism except for the nepot. So I realize my obligation to earn my stay here.

Instead, I'll just bribe you.

That Grand Theft Auto IV limited edition package is, unless you're in desperate need of a duffel bag for all your duffeling, a teensy bit overpriced. Fortunately, GameStop is giving away ten-thousand dollars in a GTA IV promotion, so you could be swimming in lockboxes, key chains and other branded tchotchkes if you win. You could also be swimming in airfare, as four winners will fly to New York City for a chance to get that ten large. It's really quite simple, only requiring a text from your mobile phone or the filling out of an online form. No purchase or hooker beatings required! Good luck.

Grand Theft Auto IV Sweepstakes [GameStop]

Jay is Games Casual Game Competition #5 Is Up

Jay is Games' Casual Gameplay Design Competition #5 is now up with twenty one entries. I always like spending some time with the contest entries when they're finally up; even though there's always an overarching theme (this go around, it's 'upgrade'), the games are usually a pretty diverse and interesting bunch.

Unlike previous competitions, all the games are available for perusal right now, and they're not doing individual blog entries to introduce the titles. Still, there's a nice spread and variety, so if you've got some time to waste, wander over and check them out.

Casual Gameplay Design Competition #5 [Jay is Games]

IndieCade '08 Submissions Now Open

IndieCade is a festival of independent games that makes appearances all over the place; this year, they'll be at events in Hangzhou, E3, E for All, PAX, and a couple of other places. And, like their name would imply, they're out showcasing independent games. The call recently went out for independent game submissions for the 2008 festivals. The rules look pretty flexible, with the primary requirement being that no major developer's money has crossed your palm in reference to the submitted game:

To be eligible for IndieCade, your game must not have funding from a major publisher .... You can have other deals with these publishers; your game just can't. There is no age requirement for submission.

IndieCade has an inclusive submissions policy and invites submission of all styles and genres of games, including PC, browser-based, casual, puzzle, mobile, ARGs, Big Games and installation-based games (submitted via video if not playable on-site), mods (provided they conform to game engine licensing agreements), serious games, activist games, art games, virtual worlds and "sandbox" style games, and more! We also welcome student games and games developed by universities, schools and non-profit organizations. All entries should have a digital component, but hybrid games are not only welcome, but encouraged. Innovation is the name of the game.

That's quite a lot of options. The submission period closes 11 April; games will be judged by a panel, and finalists will be notified by mid-May.

IndieCade Submissions

Make Game, Win Money, Change Health Care

Assassin's Creed Short Film Contest

Get That Xbox 360 Pimped John Now

Announcement: Ashcraft Is... Night Editor!

RetroBlast! Child's Play Contests

The December Charity Drive will culminate with a special treat for two children's hospitals in the United States. One children's hospital will receive an Arcade-In-A-Box Home Arcade Console and a second children's hospital will receive a complete Dream Arcades Home Arcade system.

SportsCenter Invaded By Xbox 360

Ed Wood Second Life Festival

EB Games Gives Out Sweet Custom Guitar Hero Controller

Toys 'R' Us Gives Away 25,000 Wiis

Kotaku Scout Wins DS Contest, Will Be Blasted into Space

Be The Ultimate Kratos