Always Read The Fine Print

In celebration of the full release of Pixel Game Maker MV, KADOKAWA and Active Gaming Media are holding a developer challenge over on Itch.io that started a few days back and runs until March 31st, 2020.  The awards are pretty solid as well, the ability to have your game published on the Nintendo Switch, as well as cash rewards including:

Grand Prize (1 person or group): 1,000,000 JPY

Side View Award: 50,000 JPY

Top View Award: 50,000 JPY

Multiplayer Award: 50,000 JPY

Pixel Game Maker Select Award: 50,000 JPY (This will be based on user votes so please make sure the game’s page is set to “Public”)

PLAYISM Special Award: The winning work will be published by PLAYISM.

*Winning games may be selected for use in downloadable content on Switch, novelization, comic adaptations, etc.

*Depending on the entries it may be the case that no titles are selected for awards.

So good so far… so why the warning about the fine print?  Well…

At the time of winning (either at the time of notification or publication of results, whichever comes first), the winner is considered to have agreed to give KADOKAWA exclusive rights on the use of the winning content (including all related novelizations, electronic novelizations, comic adaptations, animation, motion pictures, games, merchandise, digital goods, translations, as well as other adaptations, reproductions, and uses, including granting said uses to third parties).

The winner also cannot use the submitted work for commercial reasons for either themselves or other third parties outside of our company without prior written consent.

Ouch.  Additionally, it never actually says anything about earning anything from being published on the Nintendo Switch.  Learn more in the video below.

GameDev News


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