“Have the next big idea in Mobile Games? Are you looking to make the next Coin Master, Pokemon Go, or Mario Kart Tour?  Whatever your idea, if you have a solid plan on how it would appeal to users, we want to help you make your dream a reality! Winners of the competition will receive paid development time to help them breathe life into their idea.  So you don’t need to know how to code it, just have a plan and idea that you believe in and if you win, the VSGI will help you build it.”

The fifth annual VSGI Mobile Game Competition provides students and recent alumni the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge in bringing their game design ideas to life.

The competition is open to students in and recent alumni of all Mason schools and colleges.

The competition consists of two rounds, with a first round application deadline of April 15th, 2020. The final round will take place on May 7th, 2020 from 10am-11am at Dewberry Hall on the Fairfax GMU Campus.  (This will take place during the Senior Game Expo 2020.)

Leading educators, entrepreneurs, and members of gaming industry will serve as judges on May 7th, providing participants direct feedback and first-hand experience in producing mobile games and applications. The final round is open to the general public.

$15,000 of paid development time will be available to competitors in the finals; being split amongst the First place and Runner-up pitches ($10k to 1st place and $5k to 2nd place).

Winners will work with development teams that will be coordinated and formed via the Virginia Serious Games Institute.  The winner will work with the team to develop the scope of work and the award will be used to pay for the development team’s efforts in creating a prototype, vertical slice, or visualization of the winning idea.  The scope of resulting work will be dependent on the amount won in the contest, but the VSGI will work with the winner and development team to ensure that they are able to best realize the idea of the winner.

For details on how the paid development time can be used, contact the VSGI via jcasey9@gmu.edu.

The following are guidelines for eligibility:

A.    Mason Affiliation. Your “Idea” must be 50% or more controlled by a Mason “Participant.” Your team may be organized as a solo enterprise, a small team with an idea, an organized project, or a larger organized company, partnership, corporation, etc.

B.    A Mason “Participant” is defined as:

a.     A currently enrolled (full or part-time) student in any Mason degree program , or

b.     An alumni of any Mason degree program who graduated after May 1st 2016 (within the past 4 years).

As part of the first round application, each submission will include a pitch document.

The pitch document should include the following:

1.     A 150 word summary of your idea.

2.     What are the Unique Selling Points of your idea?

3.     How big is your addressable market?

4.     Who are your competitors, and why is your idea better?

5.     How will you make money (what is your business model)? What are your revenue stream(s)?

6.     Who is involved in this idea? Background and relevant skills of any participants.

7.     How does your Mason Participant (student or alumni) control the idea?

Those entering will have the option of submitting a 60-90 second video pitch. These pitches may be shared with the public on Facebook.

Questions, please contact James Casey at the Virginia Serious Games Institute, jcasey9@gmu.edu.