If you think only the big game companies get to make titles based on popular cartoon franchises, think again. Cartoon Network has announced the launch of its second annual Project Goldmaster, a competition that will give one up-and-coming game developer the opportunity to create a downloabable game featuring characters from such hit series as Codename: Kids Next Door, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
Part of the Independent Games Festival (IGF), the contest will see ten finalists selected to compete to win the top prize. The winner will be announced during IGF at the 2005 Game Developers Conference, taking place in San Francisco March 7-11.
Last year’s winner was Flashbang Studios, whose first game, Beesly’s Buzzwords, was a finalist in the 2004 IGF. As winner of the Project Goldmaster competition, the studio developed Sealab 2021: Sweet Mayhem, a Cartoon Network Power Play game that launched on AdultSwim.com in November 2004. Flashbang will release a new title called Glorm in mid-March and has two other games in development for release by Summer 2005.
This year’s winning studio will be charged with building an interactive title that fans can download at CartoonNetwork.com.
Paul Condolora, VP/General Manager for Cartoon Network New Media, comments, “Cartoon Network has always been focused on attracting new talent, first for our animated series and now to develop interactive games based on our successful series. We know our audience loves games as much as we do–last year CartoonNetwork.com had 1.6 billion game plays–so we’re looking for a company that is as passionate about gaming as our audience is."
In its seventh year, the Independent Games Festival received more than 78 original entries from 11 countries in two different categories. A panel of 36 judges narrowed down the field to 20 of the most innovative independent game developers worldwide. Finalist games can be viewed at www.igf.com.
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