Game-On: If you can play games, why not make them?

An interest in game development usually stems from a love of video games. And if you’re interested in game development as a career path or a hobby, it’s never too early to start. This year’s Philippine Game Development Festival (PGDF) comes back with its annual installment of Game-On, the premier game development competition for undergraduates.

Starting on the first day of PGDF, students will plan, develop, and improve their games for a whole month until “Judgement Day”, where they will have to ‘defend’ their projects. Though Judgement Day’s final date has yet to be announced, it is confirmed that the top groups will be invited to the Industry Awards Night on December 6, 2013 at the Ascott Hotel in Makati City.

Here are several important details about the competition:

• There are two categories — Master class and Mobile class. Participants of the Master class will develop the game without any form of mentorship while participants of the Mobile class may seek the help of a consultant. The two categories also vary in platforms. The Mobile class requires its participants to make games for the Android (Froyo) platform while the Master class is for browser games.
• Students may form a group of not more than five members. They don’t have to come from the same school, but they must all be enrolled undergraduates.
• Registration is free, but there will be a charge of P100 per team member ($2.31) after participation has been confirmed.
• Although the competition kicks off on the same date as PGDF, registration remains open until November 15, 2013. Keep in mind that the later you register, the less time you will have to develop your game.
• The theme and other important details for both categories will be announced during the festival on October 25-26 at the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.

For more information, head over to the PGDF official website. You can also follow the Game Developers Association of the Philippines’ (GDAP) official Facebook page.