Code-a-thon is a games festival for games developers worldwide. Talented student game programmers and artists will be challenged to code a game within 30 hours. Code-a-thon 2009 will be held in Singapore on the 10th - 11th July 2009 and the winners will have their games showcased at a grand marquee event.

Official Rules

The 30-hour Code-a-thon (the “Contest”) is organised by Nanyang Polytechnic and is held in July 2009. Each person or entity who enters the Contest (each, an “Entrant”) agrees to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of the Organizer and its judges, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to the Contest.

How To Enter

The registration deadline is 26th June 2009.

To enter the Contest, an Entrant must submit the following:

• A properly completed official entry form, located on the Contest application page at http://www.nyp.edu.sg/sgcc/codeathon/registration.pdf (the “Contest Website”).
• A digital copy of an official letter from the entrants’ school(s), certifying the status of entrants as full-time students. In addition, Entrants are to supply a physical copy of the letter. All physical copies are to be mailed to:

  The Organisers, Code-a-thon
  School of Interactive and Digital Media
  Nanyang Polytechnic
  180 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8
  Singapore 569830, Singapore

Upon receiving the Entrants’ registration, the Organisers will advise entrants on the eligibility for sponsorship of accomodation in Singapore for the Code-a-thon.

The Organisers reserve the right to decide on the limit on the number of teams each country will be able to send for Code-a-thon 2009.

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Winner Selection Process

At the end of the 30-hour Code-a-thon, the completed Game Demos initially will be evaluated by a panel of judges (the “Nominating Committee”), appointed by Sponsor and Organising Committee of SGCC. Members of the Nominating Committee may include employees of Sponsor, representatives from local or overseas game industry, and other individuals familiar with video game design.

The Nominating Committee will review the Entered Games and select assign a score of 1 to 5 to each Entered Game Demo in each of the following categories (each, a “Category”):

• Technical Achievement: Scores will be based on the technical mastery and innovation demonstrated by each Entered Game Demo’s game engine and code base.
• Excellence in Visual Art: Scores will be based on the innovation, quality, and impressiveness of each Entered Game’s appearance and visual effects.
• Best Of Show: This Category is open to all Entered Game Demos. Scores will be based on the overall innovation, quality, impressiveness, and enjoyability of each Entered Game Demo.

All Winning Games will be announced at the end of the 30 hours, and showcased at the marquee event.

Game Demo Requirements

Any entries that do not satisfy all of the requirements of this section may be disqualified.

1. Each team will be given 30 hours to build a Game Demo
2. The theme for the competition will only be given at the start of the 30-hour Code-a-thon. Each team member will be allowed to bring only ONE notebook computer for the event.
3. Source code submission is not required, but it is encouraged for educational purposes. However, entrants should be prepared to submit whole or partial source files if the judges require it (e.g. in the case of accusations of IP infringement).
4. Game Demos must be able to be compiled and run on a Windows® PC.
5. Any entry containing content that would qualify it for an 'AO' rating from the ESRB will be disqualified. In other words, if it's the sort of game that one would find in an "adult bookstore," it is not acceptable.
6. By entering the contest, entrants agree to provide proof of identification for any prizes awarded as required by law.
7. The judges reserve the right to disqualify any entry that is deemed to be contrary to the spirit of the contest.
8. Any entry that infringes the intellectual property of any third party will be immediately disqualified. This includes but is not limited to the use of 'ripped' sprites or graphics from other games, the use of sound effects and music from other games, and the use of registered trademarks. Use is permitted if the entrant has permission from the owner of the IP, but you should be prepared to prove that you have permission.
9. Any entry that uses third party technology without a valid license to do so will be immediately disqualified. If in any doubt as to whether your license permits distribution of your entry as per our terms and conditions, check with your licensor.

Entrant Requirements

Any entries that do not satisfy all of the requirements of this section may be disqualified.

Each Entrant is required to sign and return a declaration of eligibility and release of liability within seven (7) days of notification.

The declaration and release will include, to the extent permitted by law and even if already granted by a Entrant’s acceptance of these Official Rules, the grant by each Entrant of permission (without further compensation) for Sponsor to use the Entrant’s name, photograph and likeness (if an individual), logo (if any), state of residence, and Entered Game Demo for advertising, promotion, marketing, and administration of the Contest.

Prizes

Details of Prizes will be announced soon.

All prizes will be awarded on-site. The venue will be announced in the later stage. It is possible that some or all Winners may be offered gifts from Conference sponsors or other third parties. Sponsor makes no representation or warranty that any such gifts will be offered or received, does not endorse any such gifts, and is no way responsible for any such gifts.

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Restrictions/Eligibility

The Contest is open only to individuals who are 13 years or older, in each case who have access to the Internet on or before July 31st, 2009. Individuals under the age of 18 years must provide evidence of parent or legal guardian consent satisfactory to Sponsor. Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and its advertising, promotion, and production agencies, as well as employees of any of the foregoing, members of such employees’ immediate families (including spouse, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, step-children, step-parents and in-laws), and persons with whom such employees are domiciled, are not eligible. Each Entrant may enter only one (1) game in the Contest.

In addition to the foregoing general eligibility requirements, the following additional requirements must be met

• Ineligible Publishers: Only unpublished and self-published games (i.e., a game published by an individual ) are eligible to be entered in the Contest. Games that have been funded by, or that are affiliated with, an "Ineligible Publisher" are not eligible for entry. An “Ineligible Publisher” is any firm that is involve in any monetary transaction.
• Derivatives: Unpublished or self-published games that are derivatives of games previously released by an Ineligible Publisher are not eligible for entry in the Contest (e.g., a game that was previously published by an Ineligible Publisher that has been re-issued as a "special edition" with or without the backing of a publisher is not eligible.)
• Platform: Entered Game Demo must run on the Windows platform

Release

By entering the Contest, each Entrant releases and holds harmless Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, and employees from any and all responsibility or liability arising out of or relating to: (i) any personal injury, death, property (including computer) damage, or other loss or claim of any kind arising from or in connection with any violation of these Official Rules; the Contest, the Conference or any Entered Game; the acceptance, possession, or use of any prize; or any travel required by the Contest; (ii) any entry or other materials that have been tampered with, that are misdirected, incomplete, incorrect, non-conforming, corrupt, lost, late, or ineligible, or, with respect to mail-in entries or materials, that are sent postage due; and (iii) computer, telephone, cable, satellite, network, hardware, software, or other technical malfunctions or failures; garbled or jumbled transmissions; Internet or website inaccessibility or delays; printing or typographical errors in any Contest or Conference materials; or any other technical or human errors occurring in connection with the Contest or Conference.

Representations

By entering the Contest, each individual submitting entry materials (including an Entered Game) represents and warrants to Sponsor that:

• such individual either is the Entrant (if the Entrant is an individual) or is a fully authorized representative of the Entered Game;
• the Entrant and the Entered Game Demo fully comply with all eligibility requirements and all other provisions of these Official Rules;
• in preparing the Entered Game Demo and entering and participating in the Contest and the Conference, the Entrant has complied and will comply in all respects with all applicable laws, regulations, and rules and has not violated nor will violate any agreement or understanding by which it is bound, including any confidentiality, employment, consulting, intellectual property assignment, or license agreement;
• the Entered Game Demo consists entirely of Entrant’s own original work or of work to which Entrant has all necessary rights; and

neither the Entered Game Demo nor the duplication, use, display, performance, or distribution of the Entered Game Demo will infringe or misappropriate any intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any person or entity.

Termination

Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest in its sole and absolute discretion if the Contest becomes technically corrupted or is not capable of being run as planned, including infections by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest. In such event, Sponsor will post notice at the Conference and on the Contest Website and will implement an alternate means for awarding all prizes.

Miscellaneous

If any part of these Official Rules is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or otherwise unenforceable, such part will be deemed modified or eliminated to the extent necessary, in the court’s opinion, to make it enforceable while preserving the original intent of the Sponsor, and the remaining parts of these Official Rules will remain in full force and effect. The Contest will be governed by, and these Official Rules will be interpreted by, and enforced in accordance with, the laws of Singapore, without regard to any conflicts of laws principles. The Contest is void where prohibited by law. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Official Rules, the Contest, the Conference, or any prize must be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Singapore, and Sponsor and each Entrant irrevocably waive any objection to the venue and jurisdiction thereof.

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Contact

The Organisers, Code-a-thon
School of Interactive and Digital Media
Nanyang Polytechnic
180 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8
Singapore 569830
sgcc@nyp.edu.sg

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