Carneyvale had beaten 350 entries from around the world to win Microsoft's XNA Dream-Build-Play competition earlier this year. -- ST FILE PHOTO
SINGAPORE'S video game creators now have new opportunities due to Microsoft's recently launched Xbox Live indie game marketplace; and the best will get up to $50,000 in government funding.
On Tuesday, Microsoft began accepting applications from Singapore game developers looking to publish their games on its Xbox Live system - which can be accessed by Xbox 360 consoles via the Internet.
To encourage game developers to 'share their dream game with the rest of the world', said Media Development Authority's deputy director for business development Michelle Lui, the agency is also offering up to $50,000 in grants to those with an 'innovative ... good quality' game idea.
Together with Microsoft, it will also co-organise game development workshops starting next year. Applications for the grant close in February.
The Government has identified the interactive digital media industry, including video games, as a key economic growth area, one it hopes will create 10,000 new, well-paying jobs by 2015.
Since Xbox Live was launched in 2005, gamers have purchased over US$2 billion (S$3 billion) worth of games and gaming-related services.
Globally, about 7 million gamers access Xbox Live's three-week-old community games channel, which is a new online marketplace for smaller, independent game developers to sell their wares.
Many Singaporean youths, said Microsoft's regional marketing manager for Xbox, Mr Alan Chou, grew up playing video games and want to try their hands at making one.
The traditional way of developing a new game takes time and costs a lot of money.
The creators are also up against thousands of other game developers all trying to find a game studio to bankroll, publish and market their games.
The new initiative said Mr Chou, allows people to 'short circuit' this process.
People interested in making a new game can simply download a free game creation kit to make Xbox games. When complete, the game will be submitted for peer review by other 'indie developers'.
Once approved, the game will be made available on Xbox Live for between $4 and $16. The game's creator keeps 70 per cent of the proceeds and Microsoft retains the remainder.
