Independent game developers will compete for Casual Connect’s renowned Indie Prize at ECGC 2018

RALEIGH, NC, USA, April 3, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The East Coast Game Conference (ECGC), the largest gathering of video game professionals on the eastern seaboard of the US, has teamed with Casual Connect, one of the game industry’s preeminent conference series, to bring Casual Connect’s highly sought after “Indie Prize” to ECGC 2018, which will be held April 17-19 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

The ECGC 2018 first place winner will be awarded a Casual Connect Indie Prize scholarship, which includes a guaranteed spot in the Indie Prize showcase at Casual Connect Europe in London, along with passes to conference sessions and parties. New for 2018, ECGC will also award Indie Prize participants with cash prizes of $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $200 for third place.

Indie Prize is a scholarship and competition focused on the up-and-coming creative forces of the industry. Across four global events, over 500 teams showcase their games and compete for prizes and the coveted Indie Prize Awards. Indie Prize showcases at Casual Connect offer participants an opportunity to learn and network with other developers and showcase their games, skill sets and ideas to publishers and potential partners. The London event will bring together the best that Europe has to offer along with the first place winner from ECGC 2018.

At ECGC 2018 all games must be presented for in-person judging in hands-on playable form with a minimum of 15 minutes of gameplay. To secure a spot at ECGC, game developers are invited to register to exhibit in Indie Alley at http://ecgconf.com/exhibitor-registration/ and apply to Indie Prize at https://ecgconf.com/indie-prize.

Indie Prize qualification requirements include:

1. The company is independent and majority owned by the team, not investors.

2. At least 50% of the submitted game IP is owned by the development team.

3. Applicants must be able to attend Casual Connect Europe 2018, which will be held May 29-31 in London.

4. ECGC applicants must have a booth or be part of a team from a school with a booth at ECGC and be prepared to lobby Indie Prize judges April 18-19.

The ECGC 2017 Indie Prize winner was Katsu Entertainment of Cary, NC, creator of DOOMWHEEL, a wickedly fast-paced infinite runner set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe, developed in collaboration with Games Workshop. Katsu’s DOOMWHEEL went on to be a Finalist at Casual Connect 2017 and 2018.

Katsu Games Co-founder Stephane Imbert said, "Attending Casual Connect last year was a breath of fresh air and a greatly invigorating experience -- so much so, we attended our second Casual Connect event this year. The quality of the games in the Indie Prize showcase was excellent and the people we met were very friendly. There is a lot to unpack in the 2-3 days of the event, and the opportunity to meet with other professionals in the games industry is very valuable."

London is rich in innovative game and tech development, much like Raleigh. Independent game developers can also apply to be a part of Indie Prize London through Casual Connect’s internal contest that receives more than 1,500 submissions during the year.

ECGC provides the game development community an engaging program as well as many opportunities for networking and collaboration. For more information, visit https://ecgconf.com.

Walter Rotenberry
Triangle Game Initiative
919-578-8579
email us here

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