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NoGD Awards
NoGD contests are currently closed, but check back frequently for new announcements. Details and deadlines of past contests are below. NoGD Award winners are announced on Notes on Game Development, Notes on Design, announced in the newsletters sent to both NoGD and NoD’s over 35,000 global subscribers, and included in press releases sent to all major design and media publications. Also, NoGD Awards are judged by panels of notable industry experts.
2D/3D Character and Environment Art Competition (Deadline June 15, 2008)
Aspiring Women Game Artists Competition (Deadline June 20, 2008)
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2008 NoGD 2D/3D Environment and Character Art Competition
OPEN FOR ENTRIES
Deadline June 15
The 2008 Notes on Game Dev 2D/3D Environment and Character Art Competition is now open for entries. Art will be judged by some of the top talent in game development today including Damian Pannell (Artist, Relic, Vancouver, British Columbia), Doug Oglesby (Concept Artist, Red Storm Entertainment), Jesse Brophy (THQ, Phoenix, AZ), and Nate Purkeypile (World Artist, Bethesda).
A winner will be selected for each of the four categories (3D Environment Art, 3D Character Art, 2D Environment Art, 2D Character Art), and a Grand Prize Winner will be chosen from these finalists. Winners and runners up will be announced in the Notes on Game Dev and Notes on Design Blogs and in their respective newsletters which include 40,000 global subscribers. Winners will also be announced on GameCareerGuide.com, the leading portal site for game career seekers and industry recruitment.
Excellent prizes for winners include a full Game Art Certificate Program from Sessions Online Schools of Game Art, a broad choice of instructor-led game art and animation classes, membership in IGDA, and subscriptions to Game Developer Magazine.
PRIZES:
Prizes have been donated from our four outstanding sponsors:
Grand Prize Overall Winner receives:
• The right to use the NoGD 1st Place Award Winner digital seal in their portfolio / reel.
• A fully paid grant for the Accredited Game Art Certificate Program at Sessions Online School of Game Art ($5355 value) - OR - any number of the instructor-led online classes taught at Sessions Online School of Game Art including Maya Basics, Maya Advanced, Tiling Textures, Game Lighting and Color, Tiling Textures, Character Animation, Character Setup and Rigging, Game Analysis and Criticism, Intro to Game Development and History of Video Games
• A one year membership in the International Game Developers Association.
• A one year subscription to Game Developer Magazine.
Winners of each individual category receive:
• The right to use the NoGD Category Winner digital seal in their portfolio / reel.
• A one year subscription to Game Developer Magazine.
HOW TO ENTER:
CATEGORIES:
There are four categories in which you may enter. You may submit only one entry for each category.
3D Environment Art:
• Interior or exterior of an architectural structure
• Outdoor landscape, geological or organic formation
• World objects
2D Environment Art:
• Interior or exterior of an architectural structure
• Outdoor landscape, geological or organic formation
• World objects
3D Character Art:
• Creature
• Monster
• Human character
• Fictional character
2D Character Art:
• Creature
• Monster
• Human character
• Fictional character
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES:
Submissions are due by June 15, 2008 with winners announced July 1, 2008. One submission per category is allowed.
GUIDELINES FOR ENTRIES:
- Submit your art as a high quality JPG to competitions@sessions.edu with your category, title of work, name, email address, and phone number. One email per image please.
- Submissions are due June 15, 2008.
- You can submit one JPG for each category.
ABOUT THE JUDGES:
 Jesse Brophy Blizzard, California - Jesse Brophy is a 3d artist who has worked at a range of game design companies, including THQ, Atari, Breakaway Games, and Sony. Throughout his career he has worked on numerous titles in various capacities including character, environmental, and technical art positions. Jesse currently works at his dream job as an artist for Blizzard Entertainment. Jesse has a BFA in drawing and visual communication from the University of Arizona. |
 Damian Pannell Artist, Relic, Vancouver, British Columbia - Relic artist Damian Pannell worked on modeling, textures, and gameplay aspects of the vehicles and tanks for Company of Heroes. Well-established in the Real Time Strategy genre, Company of heroes continues to develop its visual quality and coding ease with the Essence Engine. And of course, it also recently won the “Best PC Game” and “Outstanding Innovation in Gaming” awards at the Elans. |
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 Doug Oglesby Concept Artist, Red Storm Entertainment - Doug Oglesby is a founding member of Red Storm Entertainment, and has worked on eleven game titles in some capacity, nine of them at Red Storm and four as Lead Artist. He received his degree in Communication Arts, with a focus in graphics and illustration, and worked for five years in television, during which he received an Emmy and five Emmy nominations, as well as three international awards from the Broadcast Designers Association. Mr. Oglesby has also worked as a freelance illustrator, a potter, and a children’s book illustrator, and is currently in pre-production for an unannounced tactical action console game. |
 Nate Purkeypile World Artist, Bethesda - Nathan Purkeypile is a World Artist at Bethesda Softworks who graduated from DigiPen in 2004 as Valedictorian. He got his start in game development in the Half-Life 1 mod scene, working on mods such as Action Half-Life and Desert Crisis. Since then, he has worked on a number of commercial titles such as Metroid Prime 3, Aeon Flux, and Bloodrayne 2. He is currently working on creating a number of environments for the upcoming Fallout 3. |
ABOUT THE SPONSORS:
Sessions Online School of Game Art
http://gameart.sessions.edu/
The Sessions Online School of Game Art is dedicated to giving you the skills and portfolio you need to break into a game industry career. Classes in Maya, 3D modeling, texturing, lighting, color, game development, and animation as well as elective in fine arts, digital imaging, digital photography, and design, help you develop your artistic talent and build a killer reel. Get your skills working with a Faculty of top industry talent and complete your program in 12-18 months. The full Certificate Program being awarded for winning the 2008 NoGD 2D/3D competition is viewable here: http://gameart.sessions.edu/programs/the_program.asp
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International Game Developers Association
http://www.igda.org/
The mission of the IGDA is to advance the careers and enhance the lives of game developers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community. As an IGDA member, you are part of the worldwide community of game developers who share their knowledge, insight, and connections that help to develop your career and personal status within the community. From local chapter meetings, to online discussions, to committee and SIG output, the IGDA provides invaluable information and resources to learn from and contribute to.
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Game Developer Magazine
http://www.gdmag.com/
Game Developer, the print publication written specifically for creators of entertainment software, provides technical and industry information to over 35,000 professional game developers. Each month, industry leaders and game development experts share technical solutions, review new products, and discuss strategies for creating innovative, successful games. Professional game developers count on Game Developer magazine for the most relevant and respected content in the game industry.
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Aspiring Women Game Artists Competition
Scholarship Competition
Open for Entries
Deadline Friday, June 20th
9% of game artists are women and they make on average over $10,000 less per year than their male counterparts (Source: Game Career Guide, 2007).
Notes on Game Dev invites all women aspiring game artists to submit an essay to the 2008 NoGD Aspiring Women Game Artists Competition for a chance at a full time scholarship to Sessions Online School of Game Art.
Sessions Online School of Game Art, an accredited online program that can be accessed anywhere, wants to provide education to women and diversify the industry. Students leave the program with a strong portfolio and reel reviewed by faculty and industry professionals before graduation.
Entries will be judged by female leaders in game art and education including Heather Kelley, Sheri Graner Ray, and Cristin McKee. Prizes to be provided by Sessions Online School of Game Art, IGDA, and Game Developer Magazine.
PRIZES:
Prizes are being provided by our three sponsors:
Two Grand Prize Winners will receive:
• A fully paid grant for the Accredited Game Art Certificate Program at Sessions Online School of Game Art. ($5355 value)
• The right to use the NoGD Grand Place Award Winner digital seal in their future portfolio / reel.
• A one year membership to the International Game Developers Association.
• A one year subscription to Game Developer Magazine.
Two Runners Up will receive:
• The right to use the NoGD Grand Place Award Winner digital seal in their future portfolio / reel.
• One year subscription to Game Developer magazine.
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HOW TO ENTER:
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES:
Friday, June 20th.
GUIDELINES FOR ENTRIES:
Write a 500 word essay that answers the following questions:
- Why do you want to be in the game industry?
- What is your past experience with art?
- What is your dream art job in the game industry?
Submit entries as an email or PDF to competitions@sessions.edu with your name, email, and phone. Deadline is Friday, June 20th.
The winner will be announced on July 1st.
ABOUT THE JUDGES:
ABOUT THE SPONSORS:
Sessions Online School of Game Art
http://gameart.sessions.edu/
The Sessions Online School of Game Art is dedicated to giving you the skills and portfolio you need to break into a game industry career. Classes in Maya, 3D modeling, texturing, lighting, color, game development, and animation as well as elective in fine arts, digital imaging, digital photography, and design, help you develop your artistic talent and build a killer reel. Get your skills working with a Faculty of top industry talent and complete your program in 12-18 months. The full Certificate Program being awarded for winning the 2008 NoGD 2D/3D competition is viewable here: http://gameart.sessions.edu/programs/the_program.asp
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WIGI
http://www.womeningamesinternational.org/
Women in Games International works to promote the inclusion and advancement of women in the global games industry. We believe diversifying the game development, media, academic and publishing workplace results in not only a more equitable space, but better products. Women in Games International advocates for issues important to both women and men in the game development industry, including a better work/life balance and healthy working conditions.
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Women in Game Development
http://www.igda.org/women/about.html
The Women in Game Development Special Interest Group (SIG) was formed to create a positive impact on the game development industry with respect to gender balance and equity. We feel it is important to have specific, measurable goals so that the work of the SIG remains focused. Our goals
are to assess the numbers of women working in the games industry in a variety of roles, track changes over time using a combination of available data and primary research, and work to increase the number of women employed in the industry with a variety of recruiting programs.
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Womengamers.com
http://womengamers.com/
Incorporated in 1999, the mission of WomenGamers.com is fourfold: first, to provide a fun, dynamic online gaming site that caters to the interests and needs of different types of women gamers. To achieve the widest possible appeal, all game genres are reviewed and discussed. Second, the site serves as a platform or the dissemination of information about games from an informed, socially-conscious, female-centered perspective. Third, WomenGamers.com gathers information from visitors about their gaming preferences, opinions, concerns, and ideas for the future of gaming, and the industry. Fourth, WomenGamers.Com offers a suite of services that includes customized consulting services, market research, and support services to game companies and universities. Its revenues stem mainly from advertising.
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