International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA) doubles cash prizes
to US$ 35,000
IMGA builds on last year's success with over 60 partnerships
in 40 countries
Marseille, July 12 2006 - The IMGA, the international awards
for mobile game developers, has today announced a doubling of
its cash prize fund to a total of US$ 35,000. Now in its third
year, the IMGA is set to go from strength to strength with more
developers and studios expected to enter the awards this year.
2005 saw the number of entrants increase dramatically by a
massive 64 per cent on the year before and the trend looks set
to continue. Over the next two months, developers from all over
the world will be submitting their best games, hoping to win
one of the following prestigious awards: the IMGA Grand Prix;
the Best Interactive Experience Award; the Best Use of
Connectivity; the Excellence in 3D Award; and the Most
Innovative Game Award. After the deadline date of September 11,
20 nominees will be selected to enter the final stages of the
Awards. Since 2004 the competition has been supported by Nokia,
NVIDIA, Orange and Belle de Mai Media Park Marseille. This year
sees Nokia, NVIDIA and Orange remain as main sponsors and Belle
de Mai as co-sponsor. This year also sees Adobe, Japan's MOVIDA
Group and Texas Instruments joining as main sponsors, with
Auchan and the Khronos Group joining as co-sponsors. IMGA has
closed more than 60 partnership agreements with publishers,
studios and other companies in the wireless business that will
help them to promote the Awards. In 2004, 114 games were
entered into the competition and in 2005 the number of entries
grew to 187. Sixty-two per cent of all entries came from
Europe, with 14 per cent from Asia and eleven per cent from
North America. Last year's submissions showed that development
studios were enthusiastically embracing 3D and multi-player
opportunities. AR Tennis, last year's winner of the Grand Prix
and the Technical Achievement Award, innovatively used
interface technology by using a camera phone to enable a
virtual game of tennis. Anders Henrysson, PhD student in Sweden
and co-creator of AR TENNIS said: "Following its success in
last year's awards, AR TENNIS has become famous in mobile
entertainment. Publishers are lining up and several large
companies have offered their help in bringing the game to
market. IMGA is exactly what AR TENNIS needed to get one
important step further and we will definitely participate again
this year." Maarten Noyons, the managing director of IMGA
commented: "What really makes the IMGA unique is its focus on
innovation and creativity in game development. We challenge
every developer to come up with his or her most original,
ambitious, creative and groundbreaking game plan. The minimum
entry requirements are a strong convincing description of your
mobile game concept and three visuals. Entries can be made
online at www.imgawards.com. Mobile gaming is a fascinating
arena for creative developers with inspiring ideas and the IMGA
is the perfect platform to make sure that these ideas receive
the recognition and rewards they deserve." - ENDS - About IMGA
The International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA) is a yearly
contest for the most innovative and creative mobile games in
the world. The objective is to create a new and exciting set of
awards to recognise the world's most talented mobile game
developers, whether they are from professional studios,
universities or even back bedrooms! Recent research published
by media research group, Screen Digest, suggests that by 2010,
there will be a global installed base of more than 2 billion
games-enabled mobile handsets and the worldwide games download
market will be worth US$6.4b. www.imgawards.com Press Contacts
and images Trimedia Communications Yvonne Maher 0207 471 6844
or Yvonne.maher@trimediauk.com Matthew Wright 0207 471 6881 or
matthew.wright@trimediauk.com
