IMGA 2006 Awards Submission Deadline Extended Until Sept. 25

The organizers of the third annual International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA) announced that the deadline for submissions has been extended until September 25, and all entries must be turned in before that date in order to be considered for a share of the $40,000 cash prize. IMGA sees worldwide mobile gaming studios, individual developers, students and researchers challenged to come up with the most innovative concepts for tomorrow’s mobile games. The awards themselves will be broken into Grand Prix, Most Innovative Game, Best Interactive Experience, Excellence in 3D, and Best Use of Connectivity categories. In addition, the overall winner of the IMGA Grand Prix award will win $15,000 as well as the opportunity to distribute their game to the public. Of those entrants submitted by September 25, the best and most “technically feasible” will be announced on October 3, 2006 during a ceremony at the Belle de Mai Media Park in Marseille. Those shortlisted will then have until January 26, 2007 to produce a demo version of their concept for judging, and winners will be announced at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona on February 14, 2007. This year’s awards will also include a separate competition for students, designed to support up-and-coming developers as they take their first steps within software development industry. Cash prizes will be awarded in the public competition, while students can also win gaming handsets, opportunities to attend training camps, plus an all-expenses-paid trip to the 3GSM World Conference 2007. Now in its third year, the IMGA organizers expect more developers and studios to enter the awards this year. 2005 saw the number of entrants increase dramatically by 64 percent on the year before. Further information on the categories, awards, and entering processes are available at the official website for the third International Mobile Gaming Awards.