Nothing gets students more motivated than the possibility of prizes and eternal
fame and fortune—that, or possibly free beer—and two competitions have kicked off to get students developing game
AI.
Microsoft's Imagine Cup, a worldwide
technology competition, encourages students to enter one of several categories to win cash prizes: the Project
Hoshimi Programming Battle pits teams of 1-2 programmers against each other to see who has the best code in a
fictional scenario. There's a total of $15,000 prize money in the Project Hoshimi section alone.
EA have also announced their Tank Wars
competition, open to computer science students from selected schools in the US, Canada and the UK. The rules
explain that students will have to write tank programs which will battle each other for ultimate supremacy—the ultimate
prize is a workstation for both you and your university, as well as a set of EA games.
It looks to be an interesting way to get into AI or games programming, if you fit the criteria and have time to spare,
so good luck to anyone who does enter.
Reader Comments (8)
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:38PM (Unverified) said
I did the music for a programmer once, he was making a game for some contest held at his uni. Think he went on to get a job in a big UK game studio. They wanted me to work for them too, as a musician like. but it would have meant dropping out of uni. they had better take me back in 2 years time ;)
contests are fun. but Microsoft ran? I'd be too scared. show them anything original and they'd steal it and hide behind some beefy lawyers. cowering as they hug their suitcases of money.
contests are fun. but Microsoft ran? I'd be too scared. show them anything original and they'd steal it and hide behind some beefy lawyers. cowering as they hug their suitcases of money.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:38PM (Unverified) said
The Tank Wars competition seems more exclusive than inclusive. (It is a pretty short list of schools quite frankly.) However, it is a pretty interesting program to mess around with. I'm planning on writing an AI for it over winter break. I believe a few other members of Wolverine Soft (http://wolverinesoft.org) are doing the same.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:38PM (Unverified) said
Reminds me of good ol' C-robots. Or Omega. I loved those games. Now I want to dig up my old PSX copy of Carnage Heart.
I'd like to see a concept like this explored over something like Xbox Live Arcade.
I'd like to see a concept like this explored over something like Xbox Live Arcade.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:38PM (Unverified) said
...Or you could do some actual work while at Uni... stupid bloody students... death to you!
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:38PM (Unverified) said
What a strange concept, #4!
The work I did at Uni would be far less use to a game development career than winning one of these competitions :) It all depends where your priorities lie.
#2 you've hit it right on the head. Even if your school isn't on the list, you can still tinker around with the stuff. Mine is on the list but I don't have the time to do either competition, sadly.
The work I did at Uni would be far less use to a game development career than winning one of these competitions :) It all depends where your priorities lie.
#2 you've hit it right on the head. Even if your school isn't on the list, you can still tinker around with the stuff. Mine is on the list but I don't have the time to do either competition, sadly.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:38PM (Unverified) said
$15,000 is sure a lot less than paying a programmer's salary. It's just exploitation of students. I'm sure that all code is then the property of "CorporationNameHere" after the competition.... it's sad.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:38PM (Unverified) said
BRING ON THE SCORCHED EARTH!
That's what this makes me think of anyway. That game was quality back in the day.
That's what this makes me think of anyway. That game was quality back in the day.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:38PM (Unverified) said
C#?? pfft...
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