Stonking Great Game Contest Now Live!

Zero Punctuation is The Escapist's groundbreaking and award nominated video review series starring Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw. Every Wednesday Zero Punctuation picks apart the games so you don't have to in an unfiltered style that can only be described as "rapid-fire." Gamers love it, developers fear it and and now it's your turn to create a game and be judged by Yahtzee!

Starting Wednesday, August 5th, 2009, The Escapist will be taking submissions for browser based Zero Punctuation games.

Why? Yahtzee put it best:

People have tried to make ZP-based games before. But now they'll have to make them to some kind of actual standards, the poor suckers. Let's hope the entries will be as enjoyable to play as they will be to criticize.

-YZ

For more details and a full set of rules, please visit our main contest page by clicking here.

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Damn, I guess I'd better start learning how to code flash xD Anyone got any free programs I can use for it?

Well well well. Looks like I won't be seeing daylight for a few weeks. GO GO GADGET CODE MONKEY POWERS!

Sounds like fun.

What are the dementions you want us to use for the flash rendering area? Can we take up a whole 1024x768 screen, or do you want us to contain our windows to something that can fit inside the escapist webpage template?

hamster mk 4:
Sounds like fun.

What are the dementions you want us to use for the flash rendering area? Can we take up a whole 1024x768 screen, or do you want us to contain our windows to something that can fit inside the escapist webpage template?

I would imagine they would want it to go with the website. 1024x768 is pretty big for broswer-based media.

Fuck, makes me wish I knew some sort of coding language.

Ah well. Make a point-and-click adventure about Yahtzee trying to stop companies producing gunmetal-grey FPS games.

hamster mk 4:
Sounds like fun.

What are the dementions you want us to use for the flash rendering area? Can we take up a whole 1024x768 screen, or do you want us to contain our windows to something that can fit inside the escapist webpage template?

Looking into specific dimensions for you. Will be back with an answer shortly.

As a non-coder, and not one enamoured of Zero Punctuation, I have little to add to this. However, disqualifying Zero Punctuation games on the grounds of it containing:

Excessive vulgarity, lewdness or profanity

seems a tad ridiculous.

Spinwhiz:

hamster mk 4:
Sounds like fun.

What are the dementions you want us to use for the flash rendering area? Can we take up a whole 1024x768 screen, or do you want us to contain our windows to something that can fit inside the escapist webpage template?

Looking into specific dimensions for you. Will be back with an answer shortly.

That would be spectacular. Thanks

Can't wait to see what some of the fans come up with.

I'm thinking Yahtzee DDR :)

HardRockSamurai:
Can't wait to see what some of the fans come up with.

I'm thinking Yahtzee DDR :)

I'm hoping for whackamole. Wouldn't win the competition, but it'd be funny for a few seconds.

Please could we have some more clarification on this ruling:

Acts prohibited under law in any national, state or local jurisdiction in which The Escapist website may be viewed.

Forgive me for seeming pedantic, but don't most games feature things like this, i.e. fighting games = assault and battery, shooting games = murder, racing games = speeding and reckless driving.

What about if our game featured a 20 year old man drinking or buying a beer, which is prohibited in some states where the drinking age is 21?

Since most countries with an internet connection can get the Escapist, does this mean that we can't feature most gameplay mechanics, which are bound to be illegal somewhere, or does this refer to just things like rape, drug use and Nazis (illegal in Germany)?

Is this a ploy to make us be extra creative and to force us to really think outside the box?

pigeon_of_doom:
As a non-coder, and not one enamoured of Zero Punctuation, I have little to add to this. However, disqualifying Zero Punctuation games on the grounds of it containing:

Excessive vulgarity, lewdness or profanity

seems a tad ridiculous.

Excessive is the key word there. There's a line where you cross into bad taste, and the staff and judges get to decide what that is, and reject the ones that go above and beyond.

hamster mk 4:
What are the dementions you want us to use for the flash rendering area? Can we take up a whole 1024x768 screen, or do you want us to contain our windows to something that can fit inside the escapist webpage template?

650px wide will be the only requirement, but I suggest 650x365 if you're looking for a starting point. That's the same size as the video playback area on the site.

I think extra points should be awarded for incorporating elements from Yahtzee's own games (the Chzo Mythos, 1213...)

I'd love to be able to enter, but I have no idea how to make flash games. Even if I do I'll probably lose out to someone who's been making them since they were five or something.

It might be worth a shot though. Anyone got a good tutorial and program they can recommend me?

What is the policy on development blogs?

Should we post updates in this thread, create a new topic in another message board on the escapist, maintain our own blog on a different site, or keep our progress to ourselves?

Sounds like a great idea as long as Yahtzee don't mind doing it, but I doubt I'll particepate in the competition. No surprise that Yahtzee didn't create this thread himself. :)

CaptainChaosify:
Sounds like a great idea as long as Yahtzee don't mind doing it, but I doubt I'll particepate in the competition. No surprise that Yahtzee didn't create this thread himself. :)

You are aware that he works for us, right?

In any event, I can assure you Yahtzee is 100% on board with this contest. He will even be judging ;)

Russ Pitts:

CaptainChaosify:
Sounds like a great idea as long as Yahtzee don't mind doing it, but I doubt I'll particepate in the competition. No surprise that Yahtzee didn't create this thread himself. :)

You are aware that he works for us, right?

In any event, I can assure you Yahtzee is 100% on board with this contest. He will even be judging ;)

So you know it'll be good.

Or at least properly shouted at.

Hey, it sounds fun. Hopefully it will be something good.

You just know its going to be some Xbox Live Community game but I think it would interesting if it was a random flash game you'd find on a site like Newgrounds (where some Escapist contributors have been before they were here).

I don't make games, although I know someone who does... I'll be right back.

Proteus214:

Spinwhiz:

hamster mk 4:
Sounds like fun.

What are the dementions you want us to use for the flash rendering area? Can we take up a whole 1024x768 screen, or do you want us to contain our windows to something that can fit inside the escapist webpage template?

Looking into specific dimensions for you. Will be back with an answer shortly.

That would be spectacular. Thanks

Just in case you didn't see Virgil's post:

650px wide will be the only requirement, but I suggest 650x365 if you're looking for a starting point. That's the same size as the video playback area on the site.

hamster mk 4:
What is the policy on development blogs?

Should we post updates in this thread, create a new topic in another message board on the escapist, maintain our own blog on a different site, or keep our progress to ourselves?

You could probably start a WIP thread in the forums. Just keep it relevant.

I would at least hope that this thread would remain open in case there are reasonable questions along the way. I know that I might have one or two in the planning stages.

Proteus214:
I would at least hope that this thread would remain open in case there are reasonable questions along the way. I know that I might have one or two in the planning stages.

Yes, it will remain open.

Is making a game using a program just as Game maker prohibited?

Arggh! I can't do it!
And for the first time I had an idea :(

What a pitiful choice of time... Well it lasts till October, I guess I will have some spare time by then.

Still, aren't the ownership conditions a bit aggressive? I can't say I like the idea of giving away any rights to the game, even when given free assets to work with...

pigeon_of_doom:
As a non-coder, and not one enamoured of Zero Punctuation, I have little to add to this. However, disqualifying Zero Punctuation games on the grounds of it containing:

Excessive vulgarity, lewdness or profanity

seems a tad ridiculous.

Not to mention

Acts prohibited under law in any national, state or local jurisdiction in which The Escapist website may be viewed.

Don't...all videogames involve murder?
Or at least killing of some kind?

Could a game be from a group of users?

MaxTheReaper:

Don't...all videogames involve murder?
Or at least killing of some kind?

Your reputation as the site's resident psycho is well deserved if you have that view of gaming ;)

Although that guideline is somewhat crappily worded.

pigeon_of_doom:

Your reputation as the site's resident psycho is well deserved if you have that view of gaming ;)

Although that guideline is somewhat crappily worded.

I am not a psychopath!
One of the criteria doesn't apply to me!
One!

Anyway, even Mario was a brutal killer.

I do hope i get to play an awesome game from a developer, yay already its my first day here and some good news of a hopefully awesome game!

We are going to be able to download it right?

The only problem I see, is most the games are going to be very complex or serious. The escapist owning the rights of the creation is going to kill a lot of creativity. No one want's their work owned by someone else, specially if they may want to use it as a portfolio. That alone has made me veer away from entering the contest. Good luck to anyone that enters though.

Imagine if newgrounds was that way, never would be the site it was today.

Damn year 12 exams, I wont have time to make one. And recently my computer has been overcome with a state of legality which means to make a game I would have to either get rid of that state or fork out ~$400 for flash. Unless there is some other flash-making program I'm not aware of (please tell) there would be lots of us in my position.