While the cash prizes and opportunities for the winners are worthwhile, it should be noted that the entries must be new games (ie not available or published), and that while you retain the intellectual property on the game, Nokia will have the right to acquiring the winning entries under a mutually acceptable agreement:
"Participant hereby grants Organizer a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, perform and create derivative works from a Winning Competition Entry for such further evaluation purposes."
Also, even if you don't make it into the top three, you might still find Nokia working with your IP:
"Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Terms and Conditions, the Participant understands and agrees that Organizer (and its contractors for or on behalf of the Organizer) independently develops and may begin developing concepts, games and applications that are similar or identical to the Winning Competition Entry and/or other Entries and nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall limit the Organizer's (or its contractors for or on behalf of the Organizer) right to do so. The Participant will not be entitled to any rights in, or compensation in connection with, any such independently developed concepts, ideas or applications."
Now I fully support the competition, and I know that when you're dealing with IP, especially in games, everyone needs to be careful. Nokia are obviously doing so, I'd urge people submitting to the competition to do the same.
Good luck!
Full Press Release.
Nokia Mobile Games Innovation Challenge dares developers to 'rock' mobile games world
April 09, 2008
Three most innovative concepts offered Nokia Publishing pre-production contracts and cash prizes
Espoo,
Finland - Nokia today launched the worldwide Mobile Games Innovation
Challenge, a unique global competition with €70,000 in prizes, designed
to encourage development of innovative game concepts with the power to
positively disrupt the global mobile gaming industry and to help propel
mobile gaming with handheld devices into a new and exciting future.
The
first competition of its kind to encourage unique concepts in mobile
gaming from developers of all backgrounds and all levels, the Mobile
Games Innovation Challenge seeks the best in groundbreaking ideas and
game concepts from the brightest and most creative minds in mobile
gaming today.
Sponsored
by Nokia Publishing, the Mobile Games Innovation Challenge invites
developers to submit mobile gaming concepts to help drive mobile gaming
to the next level, relying on the advanced features and functionalities
of N-Gage compatible devices, and Java- or Symbian-based Series 40 or
S60 devices from Nokia.
The
three most innovative game concepts will be offered Nokia Publishing
pre-production contracts, targeting publication of their winning
concept on the corresponding Nokia device platform. In addition, the
first winner will be awarded €40,000, the second €20,000, and the third
€10,000 to enable the participant to further develop the concept.
"Nokia
enthusiastically presents this Mobile Games Innovation Challenge as a
unique opportunity for the best and brightest mobile game developers
worldwide to really rock the industry with innovative, one-of-a-kind
concepts that showcase what you can do with our mobile platforms," said
Dr Mark Ollila, director of games publishing, Nokia. "The
pre-production contracts and €70,000 in cash prizes toward development
of the winning game concepts is only part of the excitement - the
Challenge also gives developers a chance to truly make their mark on
global mobile gaming through unique and positively disruptive gaming
concepts never seen before."
Beginning
immediately, developers wishing to compete for the Mobile Games
Innovation Challenge can submit their game concepts online at
http://developer.n-gage.com/innovation.
Contestants are encouraged to enter more than one mobile gaming
concept, with the winners to be selected by an external panel of mobile
gaming industry experts on the criteria of innovation, fun, feasibility
of execution, and market potential.
Gaming
concept submissions will continue through August 20, 2008. The winners
will be chosen by the external panel of judges and announced during a
special award ceremony at the Nokia Games Summit in Rome, Italy,
October 29-30, 2008.
Deadline
for submission of all applications is August 20, 2008 at 11:59 p.m.
GMT. Further information on the registration process, including
description of entries and eligibility requirements are available at
http://developer.n-gage.com/innovation.
