Tag Archives: competition

Train2Game News: Microsoft offers points for Windows Store apps

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W8CompThis is another great opportunity for Train2Game students who have a game idea and just want an excuse to get working on it! From now until 30 April, Microsoft will give you points towards a prize of your choice for every app you upload to the Windows Store.

Who is eligible to participate in the UK App Builder Reward Programme?

Open to individuals who are eighteen years or over at the date of entry and who have the applicable UK Windows Store and/or Windows Phone Developer Account.

What is the timeframe of the UK App Builder Reward Programme?

The programme is open for apps that are published between Monday 4th Feb 2013 to Tuesday 30th April 2013. App builders will have up to Sunday 19th May 2013 to claim points for their app(s) (see the “How Do I Claim My Points” section). The points must be redeemed for rewards by Tuesday 31st May 2013 (see the “Redeeming Points For Rewards” section).

What apps are eligible for the UK App Builder Reward Programme?

Windows Store and Windows Phone apps published between Monday 4th Feb and Tuesday 30th April 2013 are eligible for the programme. Furthermore, in order to earn points for your app, it must certain requirements. Click here for full details.

How do I earn the additional bonus point by incorporating Windows Azure Services:

  • Compute – Web/Worker Role, Azure Mobile Services and Azure Media Services.
  • Storage – Blobs, Tables, Queries.
  • Database – Windows Azure SQL Database

To validate that you are using one of the Windows Azure Services, please provide your Windows Azure Subscription ID and Live ID so this can be verified when you are claiming your apps for points.

How do I claim my points?

  • Firstly, develop and publish your Windows Store and/or Windows Phone app.
  • Secondly, register and sign in to the UK App Builder Reward Programme
  • Then, submit your app in the ‘claim points’ section. Be sure to include the name, URL of your app. In order to claim bonus points, be sure to include your Windows Azure details and/or existing Windows Phone or Windows Store app details if ported.

What happens to the points that I don’t use?

Any unused and remaining points earned in this reward programme that are not used before Friday 31st May cannot be carried forward to any future reward programmes and will, therefore, be lost. So, make sure you use your points before the programme finishes. App builders will have up to Sunday 14th April 2013 to claim points for their app(s). The points must be redeemed for rewards by Sunday 28th April 2013.

How do I ensure the points I claim are updated on the UK App Builder Reward Programme?

To ensure that your points are allocated effectively and efficiently, please ensure that you accurately input your Windows Store and/or Windows Phone developer details (publisher details, full name, and email according to the developer account).

When will I receive my points once I have claimed them on the website?

Please note that processing time is not immediate and not in real time. Points will be awarded after 5-10 working days. We will do our best to turn this around as soon as possible. But please bear with us and only contact us if you have not received your points after 10 working days you have claimed your point online. As outlined before, you can help by ensuring your publisher name, for the Windows Store and/or Windows Phone details are correct.

What is the maximum number of points I can earn?

There is no maximum in the number of points you can earn but all points earned must be redeemed by 31st May, and, there is a maximum number of points we have on offer for each point category. See below for the maximum of points we will allocate to each category.

General Points for Apps
Publish a Windows Store App 50 Points
Maximum of 60,000 points available across the whole rewards programme.
Publish a Windows Phone App 25 Points
Maximum of 12,500 points available across the whole rewards programme.
Bonus Points
Your Windows Store or Phone App incorporate one or more Windows Azure Services 25 Points
Maximum of 12,500 points available across the whole rewards programme.
Your app Windows Store app is ported from Windows Phone or Windows Phone app is ported from Windows Store. 25 Points
Maximum of 12,500 bonus points available across the whole rewards programme for WP>W8.
Maximum of 6,250 bonus points available across the whole rewards programme for W8>WP.

When will I receive my reward once I have redeemed my points?

You will receive your reward within 6 weeks of redeeming your points

What if I am a Windows Store or Windows Phone developer residing outside of the UK?

Sorry, but this programme is available to residents in the UK only (Northern Ireland excluded).

Is there a discussion forum I can join?

Yes, join us on the UK App Builder LinkedIn group here http://linkd.in/ukw8apps.

I have more questions, who can I ask?

Please email us on enquiries@my-rewards.com.

Train2Game News: Search for a Star, last chance to sign up!

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Aardvark Swift’s Search For A Star 2013 set to be the biggest year in the competition’s history

Students looking to showcase their work to the industry are joining Search For A Star competition in record numbers as registration closing date (the first of March) approaches.

Search For A Star the nationwide competition for student games developers and programmers will soon reach the final stages of its registration process. With 100 entries so far, this year will set the record for the most entries to the competition and is set to be the biggest year in the competition’s history. The final opportunity to register for the competition is the first of March.

Search for a Star is a nationwide competition designed to highlight and reward the UK’s most promising video games students. The competition spans the UK’s leading areas of higher education (universities, blended learning courses and colleges) and is an excellent chance to shine the spotlight on students studying video games related subjects (including computer science and computer games programming) and also highlight the UK’s leading courses.

The register and find out more about the competition go to www.aswift.com/searchforastar/

Daniel Collinson, last year’s Search For A Star Winner and now an employee at Sony Evolution, said: “I’m happy to hear that more and more people are interested in the Search for a Star competition. People who are passionate about getting into the industry MUST take part as it makes such a huge difference.

Even just taking part looks good on your CV as you are keen to try other things outside of your University modules. Employers want people that not only study hard, but demonstrate that they really are passionate and keen to get into the industry, this is done by doing personal projects in their spare time, taking part in game jams and of course competitions such as Search for a Star.

The competition will teach candidates the type of interviewing processes that real studios do. I personally never had a real interview before so the skills I learnt from the competition helped me land my dream job working for Sony Evolution. I will be following this year’s competition and can’t wait to see the games from stage 2, good luck to all, it’s a very nerve wrecking and exciting process.”

Created by Aardvark Swift the competition is contributed to by some of the UK Games Industry’s most respected video games developers. Included in the judging panel are representatives from: The Blast Furnace, Headstrong Games, Rockstar Leeds, Microsoft, Sony Evolution and many more.

All entrants receive CV and Portfolio advice from Aardvark Swift, up for grabs for the winners will not only be physical prizes provided by Microsoft but also internships at some of the most prestigious games developers in the UK, including: Sony Evolution, Exient and Boss Alien.

The register for the competition and find out more about the competition go to www.aswift.com/searchforastar/

Train2Game News: Train2Game in 2012- October to December

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Train2GameThe last bit of this year has been just as busy as the rest, with Microsoft announcing that Train2Game are one of their sponsors for their new Power Up competition.

Train2Game are also offering a prize for the Power Up competition of a large amount of PR to make sure who ever wins will get a lot of attention from the industry and the public which will highly increase the winners job prospects.

Train2Game also attended this years Eurogamer.

In the Train2Game booth at Eurogamer the public was able to play the winning game from the World Record winning Game Jam, Royal Rush. The player that got the highest score on the game that day won a prize and of course bragging rights.

You can watch the video of Train2Games time at Eurogamer below:

It has been a pleasure to bring you all the news since I started back in September and I do hope you have all enjoyed reading it. I will continue to bring you all the latest news and updates from the industry we love and bring you many more interviews from fellow students and industry professionals.

Train2Game gives students opportunity to design game for UK Film Council feature film

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Train2Game has launched its latest competition for students  in association with BAFTA-nominated writer and director, Trix Worrell to accompany upcoming feature film ‘Avenging Angel’ with games concepts.

Entrants will be required to design one of two games referenced in the fiction of the story – either a full web game created by one of the characters and featuring online avatar creation and UGC or a smaller smartphone game based on Hangman, which also turns out to be the source of a dark force in the community.

Full details are below!

Details on how to enter will shortly be available on Train2Game Student World and the Train2Game forum.