Push the boundaries of creativity and challenge yourself to craft experiences that deeply engage your players. This competition is open to all developers, working solo or in teams of up to seven. Create a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) game for one of the categories below by December 31, 2017 and you’ll get the chance to win cash prizes and show off your game to the world.
Application Deadline: 31st December 2017
Eligible Countries: All (except Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria)
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To Be Taken At (Country): USA
About the Award: This Challenge will operate as a skilled-based contest. This Challenge is hosted in the United States and entry information is collected on computers in the United States. This Challenge will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Challenge. If you do not agree with this provision and these Official Rules, please do not enter this Challenge.
The object of this Challenge is to recognize the best games for the Universal Windows Platform (“UWP”) platform, in four categories, as described below.
Categories: An Entry may be submitted in one (1) or more of the following categories:
- Cloud-powered game
- PC game
- Mixed reality game
- Console game
Type: Contest
Eligibility: You are eligible to enter this Challenge if you meet the following requirements at time entry:
- If you are a legal resident in your place of residence and 18 years of age or older as of June 27, 2017. If you are 18 years of age or older but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you must have your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission to enter; and
- You have the technical programming education, experience and/or knowledge to create games for UWP; and
- You are NOT a resident of any of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria; and
- PLEASE NOTE: U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Therefore, residents of these countries / regions are not eligible to participate.
- You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and
- You are NOT an employee of any company or organization that is involved in the provision of prizes, equipment or materials for this Challenge; and
- You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Challenge; and
- You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Challenge.
If you’re employed by a game development company that has 7 or more employees, you are eligible as long as your submission was not developed as a part of your job or for pay. If you are employed by an independent game developer with fewer than 7 employees, your submission is eligible if it was developed as part of your job/for pay.
Selection Criteria:
- Fun Factor:
- Does this game provide the desire to keep playing?
- How intellectually challenging, relaxing, stimulating or satisfying is it to play the game?
- Innovation:
- Is the Game creatively and technically unique?
- Production Quality:
- Is the overall Game play seamless? Judges will assess the quality of the assets used, the user Interface design, and overall performance and stability of the Game
- Business Plan/feasibility:
- Does the Team have a credible plan for getting their project to market?
- Does the Game have a reasonable chance of success?
Judging Criteria: To be eligible for judging an Entry must meet the following content / technical requirements:
- your Entry must be in English; and
- your Entry must be your own original work; and
- your Entry cannot have been selected as a winner in any other Challenge; and
- you must have obtained any and all consents, approvals or licenses required for you to submit your Entry; and
- your Entry does not include a previously submitted Game that was / is actively under consideration by Microsoft or a Microsoft agent for a publishing contract, or a Game that has been awarded a publishing agreement by Microsoft or a Microsoft agent, or any Game that has won a prize in a previous Dream.Build.Play Challenge. The exception is games that have been submitted as part of the ID@Xbox program. Games that have been published through this program may be submitted, if they meet all other Eligible Entry Requirements.
An Entry may NOT contain, as determined by us, in our sole and absolute discretion, any content that:
- is sexually explicit, unnecessarily violent or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group; profane or pornographic;
- promotes alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, or any political agenda;
- is obscene or offensive;
- defames, misrepresents or contains disparaging remarks about other people or companies;
- contains content which infringes intellectual property rights of others;
- communicates messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or good will to which we wish to associate; and/or violates any law;
- contains trademarks, logos or trade dress, without express written consent of the rights holder(s) or a reasonable apparent lawful bias for your use;
- contains copyrighted materials owned by others (including photographs, sculptures, paintings, music and other works of art of images published on or in websites, television, movies or other media) either without express consent of the rights holder(s) or a reasonable apparent lawful bias for your use;
- contains materials embodying the names, likenesses, voices, or other indicia identifying any person (other than a member of your family or community for whom you have received consent) including, without limitation, celebrities and/or other public or private figures, living or dead either without express written consent of the rights holder(s) or a reasonably apparent lawful basis for your use(s);
- contains look-alikes of celebrities or other public or private figures, living or dead either without express written consent of the rights holder(s) or a reasonably apparent lawful basis for your use(s);
- contains packaging or building (exteriors/interiors) owned by others.
Microsoft reserves the right to investigate and verify, conditionally reject, or reject outright any Entry, in our sole and absolute discretion, that we determine does not meet the above criteria.
Number and Value of Awards: Four (4) Grand Prizes – One (1) Grand Prize per category:
- Cloud-powered game – $100,000 USD (awarded pro rata to each Team member).
- PC game – $50,000 USD (awarded pro rata to each Team member).
- Mixed reality game – $50,000 USD (awarded pro rata to each Team member).
- Console game – $25,000 USD (awarded pro rata to each Team member).
Limit one (1) prize per Entry.
Timeline and Duration of Program:
- Registration Period: June 27, 2017 – December 31, 2017
- Team Formation and Game Submission Period: August 9, 2017 – December 31, 2017
- Judging Initial Round Period: January 2, 2018 – January 31, 2018
- Judging Finalist Round Period: February 1, 2018 – March 20, 2018
How to Apply:
- If you wish to participate in the Challenge, you must go to the Site (www.dreambuildplay.com) and sign-up for the Challenge during the Registration Period. You may enter as an individual or as a member of a team. Individuals eligible for participation in the Challenge may participate collectively as a “Team”, which may include at least one (1), but not more than six (6) additional individual Team members (up to a maximum total of seven (7) members).
- At any time during the Team Formation and Game Submission Period an Entry or Entry element (as listed above) may be submitted. We are not responsible for Entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for Entries that we receive but are not decipherable for any reason. We will automatically disqualify any incomplete or illegible Entry.
Visit the Program Webpage for Details
Award Providers: Microsoft
Important Notes: It is your sole responsibility to review and understand your employer’s policies regarding your eligibility to participate in promotions. If you are participating in violation of your employer’s policies, you may be disqualified from entering or receiving prizes. Microsoft disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for disputes arising between an employee and their employer related to this matter, and prizes will only be awarded in compliance with the employer’s policies.
This Challenge is void where prohibited by law.
