Second E3 College Game Competition Announced

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has announced details on their second E3 College Game Competition.  The E3 College Game Competition features some of the best and brightest student talent in video game development and provides colleges and universities with the opportunity to showcase some of their work at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Colleges and universities that wish to compete must submit one game along with the storyline and content assets for their playable video game.  A panel of judges made up of industry professionals will review all submissions and choose five finalists to showcase their game on the floor at E3 2014.

“Last year’s collegiate game competition showcased the immense creative talent that our university system is developing for the video game industry,” said Mike Gallagher, president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade association that owns and manages E3 and represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “ESA is proud to continue hosting the E3 College Game Competition, and its important mission of providing a spotlight for the rising game design talent that will influence the future of our industry.”

The competition this year will target over 400 colleges, universities art and trade schools that offer video game development programs.  The competition last year ended up in a tie between the University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Flash Frozen and Savannah College of Art and Design’s Lost in Thought.

“The E3 College Game Competition was an amazing experience for our students. It allowed our students to get an insider’s view of the game industry and make many valuable connections within the industry,” said Diane Christie, game design and development program director at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.  “The showcase provided our students with a unique opportunity to have their game exposed to a large number of people and the feedback they received from game industry veterans and media professionals was invaluable.”

“For many years, E3 has been a legendary expo where heavyweight AAA game studios showcase their best projects. It was an honor to be a winner of its first college game competition in 2013,” said Tony Tseng, professor of interactive design and game development at Savannah College of Art and Design. “Our faculty and students were thrilled to be a part of this fascinating expo and showcase the game our students produced at SCAD. It was exciting to demo our game alongside the world’s top game development studios. The game industry is changing and the demand for indie games grows each year. By incorporating this college game competition into E3, and by bringing that indie student spirit to the expo, the ESA once again demonstrates a clear understanding of the latest trends in the industry.”

ESA will provide full details on guidelines on specific design, concept and key asset requirements to all participating schools.

Important competition dates for those that are interested are:

• Acceptance of submissions starting March 14, 2014
• Final deadline of submissions is April 18, 2014
• Finalists notified on May 9, 2014
• Winner to be announced at E3

Colleges and universities that are interested in more information on submission guidelines and competition details can contact the ESA at ESA@theESA.com

For more information on E3, be sure to check out the website or Twitter page.  For more information on the ESA, be sure to check out their website or Twitter page.