iDevGames

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — JANUARY 13th, 2006 — Representatives of Freeverse Software announced the winners of the OMG (Original Mac Games) Cup 2005, honoring the three best of the six finalists that were selected by the Mac gaming community in December 2005. The OMG Cup is a new game programming contest established by iDevGames, in connection with Freeverse Software, to encourage unique Mac game development. “The OMG Cup was created to recognize the need for original Mac games as well as to highlight the bright future of Mac gaming,” said Carlos Camacho, Editor-in-Chief of iDevGames. “They, along with many talented independent game developers in our community, are advancing the state of Mac gaming at a grass-roots level.”

The challenge of the contest was to create innovative Mac OS X games that emphasize engaging gameplay — in only six weeks. A distinguished panel of industry-leading professional game developers, artists, and software engineers selected the three winners based on a combination of gameplay, originality, and overall presentation. The OMG Cup 2005 Winners are:

• Escort Wing by William Hogben, Stephen Johnson
• Pawns by Matt Diamond
• Tracktor Beam by Will Thimbleby

The first place winner, Escort Wing, will receive “The OMG 2005 Cup Trophy”, $300 US dollars, one game from Freeverse Software, one year of high volume file hosting from Pure Static, and a contract with Freeverse Software to turn their winning entry into a finished product. (Either a shareware or retail product at Freeverse Software’s discretion.) The second place winner, Pawns, will receive $150 US plus any three Freeverse Software games, and 10 months of high volume file hosting. The third place winner, Tracktor Beam, will receive $50 US, any three Freeverse Software games, and 8 months of high volume file hosting. The other finalists will also be receiving various prizes.

Ian Lynch Smith, President of Freeverse has said, “Working with iDevGames.com to sponsor the Original Mac Games contest has been a great experience. We feel encouraging original Mac game development is the only way to keep the Mac a vital entertainment platform. I’m happy to say that I’ve been overwhelmed with the quality and quantity of games submitted during the six week development time allowed by the rules. It’s an exciting time to be in Mac Games.”

To play the three winning OMG Cup 2005 games along with 30-plus other entrants’ games, please visit the OMG Cup downloads page at:
http://www.idevgames.com/contest/downloads/

The official rules and more information may be found at:
http://idevgames.com/index.php/contest/omg_info/omg_cup_2005

About iDevGames
Established in 1998, iDevGames’ mission is to educate, support, and enhance the Macintosh Game Developer community. We also hope to facilitate the exchange between developers and designers so that the Macintosh game market can expand and improve. iDevGames features articles, the latest industry news, tutorials, an active forum, downloads, and much more for Macintosh Game Developers.

About Freeverse:
Freeverse strives to develop and draft seamless software, with a particular concentration on the Mac OS. Our titles have received numerous awards including four Apple Design Awards, two MacWorld “Best of Show” awards and a Macworld Magazine “Game Hall of Fame.” Our original characters have appeared in TimeDigital, Wired, and Animation World magazines, as well as television commercials for Blockbuster Video. Headquartered in New York City, Freeverse draws upon the talents of artists, programmers and sound designers from around the globe.

For More Information Contact:
Carlos Camacho

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Official Rules
Freeverse