Nvidia Launches Mobile Gaming Awards

The well-known graphics chip manufacturer Nvidia has announced an initiative to encourage 3D game development for mobile and handheld devices. The company-sponsored competition, the International Mobile Gaming Awards, is intended to inspire both professional developers and homebrew enthusiasts to create new titles for mobile devices. The competition's official site is now live. Individuals interested in participating have until September of this year to submit initial proposals. Late September will see the top 20 concepts selected by a jury of experts. Chosen entrants will recieve support in order to create a demo version for the month of January 2006. Support may take the form of office space, technical support, and software assistance. The jury will choose four winners in February of 2006 in the categories of Best Art, Best Game Play, Best Technical Achievement, and an Overall Winner. The Announcement will be made at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. In addition to prizes, the Overall Winner will recieve a contract to develop the title for commercial release. "The market for mobile gaming is in its infancy, but as the technology develops, we believe the market's appetite for exceptional content will as well," said David Roman, vice president of corporate marketing at NVIDIA. "As a Company at the forefront of this innovation, NVIDIA is proud to host a competition that will seek out the world's hottest developing talents and honour those individuals and companies that are working to make 3D gaming on mobile phones and handheld devices a reality."