Serious Games challenging us to play a better future
Via: Microsoft News Center - Press Release: Microsoft Reveals Imagine Cup 2011 Winners and Unveils $3 Million Grant Program
Following my prior post Imagine Cup 2011 US Finalists: Serious Games To Change The World, Microsoft Corp. announced yesterday the winners of the ninth annual Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition, honoring student innovations that address global problems such as improving road and fire safety, eradicating poverty, and creating a more sustainable environment. The company also unveiled plans to launch a three-year, $3 million competitive grant program to help recipients realize their vision of solving the world’s toughest problems.
Imagine Cup teams will be eligible to apply for grants that include a combination of cash, software, training, consulting and other support. Microsoft will announce details about the grant program and application process later this summer.
The Imagine Cup 2011 competition winners were announced at the Imagine Cup World Festival and Awards Ceremony at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. Narrowed from more than 350,000 global registrants, more than 400 students from 70 countries traveled to New York to compete at the Worldwide Finals.
All Imagine Cup competitors created projects that address the Imagine Cup theme: “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems.” Imagine Cup 2011 consisted of five competition categories: Software Design, Game Design, Embedded Development, Digital Media and Windows Phone 7. In addition, participants might also compete in four challenges: Orchard, IT, Interoperability and Windows 7 Touch Challenge.
Following my prior post Imagine Cup 2011 US Finalists: Serious Games To Change The World, Microsoft Corp. announced yesterday the winners of the ninth annual Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition, honoring student innovations that address global problems such as improving road and fire safety, eradicating poverty, and creating a more sustainable environment. The company also unveiled plans to launch a three-year, $3 million competitive grant program to help recipients realize their vision of solving the world’s toughest problems.
Imagine Cup teams will be eligible to apply for grants that include a combination of cash, software, training, consulting and other support. Microsoft will announce details about the grant program and application process later this summer.
The Imagine Cup 2011 competition winners were announced at the Imagine Cup World Festival and Awards Ceremony at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. Narrowed from more than 350,000 global registrants, more than 400 students from 70 countries traveled to New York to compete at the Worldwide Finals.
All Imagine Cup competitors created projects that address the Imagine Cup theme: “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems.” Imagine Cup 2011 consisted of five competition categories: Software Design, Game Design, Embedded Development, Digital Media and Windows Phone 7. In addition, participants might also compete in four challenges: Orchard, IT, Interoperability and Windows 7 Touch Challenge.
In the Game Design category, there were three subcategories in which teams competed; all winners focused on some element of environmental sustainability and each winner earned $25,000 (U.S.).
In Game Design — Mobile, Team Geekologic (France) for Brainergy - a puzzle game based on using alternative energy sources to power cities.
In Game Design — Mobile, Team Geekologic (France) for Brainergy - a puzzle game based on using alternative energy sources to power cities.
Team Geeklogic from France
In Game Design — Web, Team Cellardoor (Poland) for The Book of Elm - an interactive story book which encourages children to participate in saving the environment by taking simple actions.
Members of Poland’s Team Cellardoor demo The Book of Elm for the judges. The game illustrates the importance of taking care of the environment in everyday life through the interactive story of Elm, a creature on a quest to fix the mistakes done by people around the world
And in Game Design — Windows/Xbox, Signum Games (Brazil) for Ucan - solved urban problems including health, education and the environment through a strategy game.
Brazil’s Team Signum Games demos their winning Game Design – Windows/Xbox entry "UCan," a strategy game that invites players to solve urban problems
The following is a list of the top three winners in each of the three Game Design subcategories:
Mobile
• First Place: Geekologic (France)
• Second Place: Close World Mobile (France)
• Third Place: Team Dragon (United States)
Web
• First Place: Cellardoor (Poland)
• Second Place: Signum Fidei (Philippines)
• Third Place: Quegee Team (Slovakia)
Windows/Xbox
• First Place: Signum Games (Brazil)
• Second Place: JubJub (Thailand)
• Third Place: WickedTeam (Czech Republic)
The complete list of Imagine Cup 2011 winners can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/jul11/07-13IC11PR.mspx
