Talented Finalists Rise From Fierce Competition for 2006 Independent Games Festival

[JIVE News]

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Five Innovative and Distinctive Titles Will Compete for the $20,000 Grand Prize for Best Independent Game Finalists for the 2006--Independent Games Festival (IGF) competition have been chosen among a record-breaking 118 entries and will be on display at the 20th annual Game Developers Conference, slated for March 20 - 24, 2006 in San Jose, Calif.

Winners will be revealed at the IGF and Game Developers Choice Awards gala ceremony on March 22 at the San Jose Civic Auditorium. A judging panel composed of 40 industry professionals, comprised of mainstream and independent developers and independent journalists, was formed to single out the exceptional indie titles from the rest of the pack. Cash prizes totaling $35,000 will be awarded during the ceremony, but only the following five finalists will have a chance to win the $20,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize for best independent game, the largest award to date. The selected games are:

* Introversion's cult action-strategy title Darwinia
* Ankama's French strategy-RPG MMO Dofus
* Grubby Games' fiendish puzzle platform game Professor Fizzwizzle
* Digital Eel's innovative 'short' space exploration title
Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space
* Pocketwatch Games' ecosystem-building Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa

Best Innovation in Game Design category includes:

* Darwinia
* Rumble Box
* Strange Attractors
* Braid
* The Witch's Yarn

Best Web Browser Game category:

* Dodge That Anvil
* Moleculous
* Dad 'N Me

Technical Excellence:

* Saints & Sinners Bowling
* Tribal Trouble
* Tube Twist
* Darwinia
* Crazy Ball

Innovation In Visual Art:

* Dofus
* Darwinia
* Putt Nutz
* Glow Worm
* Thomas And The Magical Words

Innovation In Audio:

* Professor Fizzwizzle
* Saints & Sinners Bowling
* Dodge That Anvil
* Glow Worm
* Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space

In addition, an Audience Award will be voted by the public from all the finalists. "Games are now a mainstream form of art," Simon Carless, IGF co-chairman, said. "As with any art, the independent scene flourishes. We're proud to be supporting innovative indie games and giving them the spotlight they deserve with these awards." Finalists in the IGF Modding category and Student Showcase will be announced in January 2006. The IGF was established in 1998 by the CMP Game Group to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers, in the way Sundance Film Festival honors the independent film community. Past winners include Wik & The Fable Of Souls, Alien Hominid, Oasis, and Gish.

For more information regarding the IGF and finalists, please visit http://www.igf.com. To register for the Game Developers Conference and review conference information, please visit http://www.gdconf.com.



SOURCE CMP Game Group

Web Site:

http://www.cmpgame.com

http://www.cmp.com

http://www.igf.com http://www.gdconf.com