Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs Relating To Rule #2

2.1 Can I submit my game early? Is there any advantage?

p(()).Yes, you can submit your game before the deadline. This will allow you to receive crucial feedback from others that will help you remove bugs and improve gameplay. It also leaves more time to add polish as the scoring period draws nearer. You may update your submission as many times as you wish before the end of the entry period.

FAQs Relating To Rule #3

3.1 What is the entry fee for?

iDevGames is a non-profit community-supported website. Entry fees for the contest are used to offset the bandwidth cost of hosting uDevGames entries, prize shipping and the iDevGames website.

3.2 I am unable to submit the entry fee with the methods provided, what should I do?

If you are unable to join the contest based on an issue with the entry fee, we suggest that you post in the uDevGames 2008 message board, and a friendly person may pay on your behalf. Please contact us regarding any questions about payment options.

3.3 When should I pay the entry fee?

After you complete the Entry Form. The Entry Form and Fee may be submitted any time before the end date of the contest entry period.

3.4 I paid the entry fee, but it says I haven’t!

Your payment must be processed manually. It may take a day or two to show up. Be patient.

3.5 I paid the entry fee, but now I must withdraw from the contest.

We regret that you must redraw from the contest, but we cannot refund your entry fee. Please understand that your entry fee will only go towards the bandwidth cost of the contest and iDevGames.com.

FAQs Relating To Rule #4

4.1 I only released screenshots of my game before the contest. Why can’t I submit it?

By releasing screenshots of your game to the public, you have allowed the opportunity to receive feedback on your graphics, style, and polish which can potentially give you an unfair head-start in the competition.

4.1 Can I use source code from a game that was released to the public prior to the start of the contest?

The use of source code used in a game released prior to the start of the contest is allowed, provided that the entry is a substantially new work and meets the conditions of Rule #5.

FAQs Relating To Rule #5

5.1 Can I use third-party, closed or open source engines, frameworks, libraries, or plugins, in my game?

Yes, however, they must be available to the general public before the start of the contest entry period. For example, Unity and Torque are allowed.

5.2 Can I enter a clone of, or “tribute” to, a popular video game?

Yes, but keep in mind that Originality is one of the categories games are scored on. In no circumstance will games which infringe intellectual property rights be allowed to enter uDevGames 2008, so make sure you get permission before using anybody else’s creation in your entry.

FAQs Relating To Rule #6

6.1 What is meant by “Source Files”?

Source Files refer to the editable files the developers used (possibly in conjunction with a development tool or tools) to build the game, including the source code, scripts, makefiles, and project files. In combination with the Assets, anyone with the development tools used by the developers, should be able to build a complete working game, as well as modify any part of it.

6.2 Do I have to use a particular language, programming tool, or IDE?

No. You may use any programming language or tool to create your game as long as it does not conflict with any of the rules of the contest. Please note that scoring will not be affected by what you use to create your game. If your development tool(s) utilizes source files and can create a stand-alone double-clickable Mac OS X game that meets the criteria of rule #8, your entry should be fine.

6.3 Why must I make the source of my game available to enter?

iDevGames is dedicated to enhancing the Macintosh game development community. One of the ways of achieving this is to demonstrate programming techniques through example. By making the release of the source code one of the uDevGames entry conditions we hope to greatly increase the availability of good, Macintosh-specific, game code examples so that everyone can benefit from them.

6.4 Will the source code for my game be judged, and is commenting required?

Your source code will not be judged, nor is it required that you comment your source code. However, the community benefits more if your code is easy to read, so commenting, descriptive variable and function names, and any documentation is recommended and appreciated.

6.5 Are you interested in receiving updates to my source code even after the contest is over?

Yes!

6.6 Will others be able to use my source code in their own entries?

No, the source code will only be made available after the contest is over and the winners declared.

6.7 What license should I select for my source code?

If you are unsure, we recommend using the MIT License. The MIT License is a simple and friendly license with few restrictions. Other licenses are increasingly restrictive. For information on the various licenses, read about the licenses at opensource.org. Also try doing a search on Google for the license you are interested in. Another good resource is the iDevGames’ Forum.

6.8 Do I have to release the assets for my game as open source too?

No! The assets used in your game can be licensed in any way you see fit. The only requirement is that the assets must be included with the source code so that anyone can download, build, and run your game. This really comes down to convenience, so that the assets do not need to be scraped from the binary submission in order to build the game.

FAQs Relating To Rule #8

8.1 Do you welcome cross-platform games and their code?

Yes, cross-platform (Mac OS X, Linux, Windows, etc) entries are welcomed, however all entries must have a native Mac OS X executable.

8.2 Does my game need to support PowerPC? Mac OS X 10.4?

Entries are not required to run on PowerPC machines or versions of Mac OS X prior to 10.5.5. However, such support is encouraged to reach the greatest number of voters.

8.3 I am using the XYZ framework. Do I have to include in my entry?

If the XYZ framework is not installed on Mac OS X by default, you must include it with your entry, requiring no extra installation. For example, if you are using SDL, you must include the SDL framework with your game, and the user must not be required to install it into a system directory.

FAQs Relating To Rule #9

9.1 Can I further develop my game and sell it after the contest?

Absolutely. You may simply not sell the game during the contest.

FAQs Relating To Rule #10

10.2 Can my game require an internet connection?

Yes, as long as the short description of the game on the contest page and the included documentation notes that the game requires a connection to the Internet.

10.3 Can my game download or stream additional data from a remote server?

Yes, as long as the source code for the custom server software and the Assets being served are also included in the source submission in accordance with Rule #5.

FAQs Relating To Rule #11

11.1 What is a postmortem?

A postmortem documents what went right and what went wrong during the development process of your game. Hopefully the lessons you learned along the way will be communicated to others so that they can repeat the successful parts of the development process, and avoid the pitfalls you encountered in your project. To learn more about writing a postmortem, see the article “Conducting a Project Postmortem”. http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article977.asp

Other questions

Why are winners required to submit a prize review?

uDevGames is generously sponsored by donations from individuals, indepentent, small, and large companies. A direct benefit to these sponsors for supporting uDevGames is the product evangelism of prize receipients through word of mouth, prize reviews, and mentions in future postmortems.

Do all team members need to register separately?

No, exactly one Entry Form is submitted for each game entered into the competition. Once the form has been submitted, any of the team’s members may contribute to the entry without any further registration.

How are you going to stop “ballot stuffing” during the voting period?

It is regrettable that people might try and attempt to skew the results by scoring a game more than once, but we take precautions to deter and prevent such actions. If you feel that there has been any element of cheating by any entrants or their associates then please contact us as soon as possible. We would like to emphasize that any attempt to cheat during this competition will lead to instant disqualification.

I do not have time to create the game assets AND program a game. What do you recommend?

iDevGames has a large selection of sounds and graphics that you may freely use in your game. There are also many other websites with game assets that have licenses allowing you to use them in your games.

Team up! Many developers are in the same boat, with limited time and skills to complete a finished game. Use the iDevGames forums to find someone to partner with.

Entries using copyrighted materials without the express consent of the copyright holder will be immediately disqualified. If you are unsure of the legal status of any particular game assets then we would recommend not using them.

I don’t have a server where can I host my game, what should I do?

All entries, including the binary and source submissions, are hosted by iDevGames to be available to the public.

What genre should my game be?

Any game genre is acceptable. It should be noted, however, that some game genres are more suitable than others given the time constraints of the competition. For example, a puzzle game should be fairly easy to implement in the given time, but a detailed 3D multi-player online role-playing game is perhaps unrealistic.

Most games these days are 3D; does mine have to be?

No, your game does not have to be 3D. Graphics is just one area that games are voted on, and 2D games with good gameplay and polish can do just as well.

Are their any language requirements for games?

The contest is open to developers (and gamers) all over the globe and so no language has been made mandatory. However, the majority of players and developers speak English so we would recommend you use English if possible.

Can I promote my entry on my Web site?

Yes, this is fine, however we ask that you provide a link to the contest page as well as a short explanation of uDevGames so that gamers can try all the games in the contest.

Why have you allowed iDevGames’ staff to enter?

All staff, with the exception of the editor, have been allowed to enter. The majority of iDevGames’ staff are volunteers and active game developers. To exclude them from the contest would penalize them for helping to make iDevGames the great resource for Mac game developers that it is and could also hinder our recruiting efforts for more staff members. Please be assured that no favoritism will be shown to staff members.

Do you need any help regarding this competition?

Word of mouth is key to making uDevGames a bigger and better event each year. Please post to the forums and mailing lists you visit about the contest. Whether you decide to enter or not, we encourage you to play the submissions, provide feedback to the developer(s), and vote on which one you think is the best. You can help by playing video games!