OFFICIAL RULES
LIEMANDT FOUNDATION HIDDEN AGENDA GAME CONTEST

The Liemandt Foundation Hidden Agenda Game Contest (“Contest”) is sponsored by the Liemandt Foundation (“Foundation”). VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

1. HOW TO ENTER:
An individual, or a team of up to eight (8) people, (“Entrant”) may enter the Contest by submitting an Entry Form (as defined below) to the Foundation between 12:00 A.M. CST on September 1, 2006, and 11:59 P.M. CST on December 15, 2006, and then by submitting a Game Entry (as defined below) to the Foundation no later than 11:59 P.M. CST on May 1, 2007. By entering, each entrant, or, if a team, then all team members, acknowledge and agree to be bound by these Official Rules.

2. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
Each Entrant must first submit a description a game that would adhere to the Technical and Teaching Requirements described below (“Entry Form”), along with the details of the entrants. The Entry Form can be found here.

Each Entrant:

  • must be over the age of 18 and must a lawful resident of the United States.
  • must be a full time undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited two-year or four year university at least through the Spring 2007 quarter/semester at that school.
  • must not be affiliated with the Foundation, or any entity associated with the administration or processing of the Contest, or any family member thereof.

A video game that is described in a valid Entry Form and is then submitted to the Foundation (“Game Entry”) must strictly adhere to these Official Rules to be considered eligible.

Each Game Entry must meet the following requirements:

  • No professional help may used to develop the Game Entry.
  • All art, graphics, video and audio used in the game must be created by the Entrant.
  • All code must be developed by the Entrant; however, the Entrant may use third party development libraries that are permitted to be used in a commercial, published game. IT IS THE ENTRANT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO VERIFY THAT ALL CODE OR TOOLS USED IN THE CREATION OF THE GAME MAY BE SUBSEQUENTLY USED IN A COMMERCIAL, PUBLISHED GAME AND FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF THE GAME ENTRY.
  • The Game Entry must adhere to the Technical and Teaching Requirements.
  • The Game Entry must be accompanied by documentation, including without limitation, directions for installation, game rules and objectives, instructions for using the keyboard or joystick for input and lists of credits for the game. This can be supplied as online documentation or provided in a printed format.
  • The Game Entry must include an automated installation and uninstallation routine.
  • The Game Entry must be playable, feature-complete, and reasonably error-free. Entrants will be permitted to issue one patch/update for a Game Entry, provided that the patch/update is submitted to the Foundation prior to the first round; however, the Foundation does not guarantee that the patch/update will be implemented.
  • The Game Entry must not be in any way affiliated with or sponsored by any member firm of the Entertainment Software Association (a list of member firms can be found at http://www.theesa.com/members.html) nor ELSPA (a list of member firms can be found at http://www.elspa.com), nor subsidiaries of any of these firms ("Ineligible Publishers"). Game Entries that have been developed, financed, or in any way assisted by Ineligible Publishers (or their subsidiaries) are ineligible for the Contest and will be disqualified.
  • The Game Entry may not be a derivative of previously released games by an Ineligible Publisher.
  • The Game Entry may not make use of previously released commercial engines or technology, unless it is from the approved list of engines.
  • The Game Entry may not be an add-on or modification that would requires the installation of another game in order to be played.

The following requirements must be met when submitting a Game Entry:

  • If you are submitting your game on physical media (CD-ROM or 3.5" disk), Game Entries must be insured, packed in proper containers, and shipped prepaid to:
    Hidden Agenda Contest
    c/o Lauren Davis
    4910 Avenue G
    Austin, TX 78751
  • Two (2) installable and copy-able copies of the game, in playable form and source code form must be submitted; and
  • If the Game Entry requires special equipment or hardware, such as force-feedback hardware, stereo-vision glasses, other headgear, graphics or audio cards, entrant must provide the necessary equipment and in such numbers so as to enable jury members to play the game.
  • Neither the Foundation nor any other party associated with the Contest is responsible for late, lost, damaged or misdirected Game Entries.

3. OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES:
AS A CONDITION OF ENTERING THE CONTEST, AND TO THE EXTENT LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE, ALL ENTRY FORMS, GAME ENTRIES, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTENT, AND ALL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS THEREIN WILL BE OWNED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE FOUNDATION. EACH ENTRANT WILL BE REQUIRED TO ASSIGN ALL OWNERSHIP OF A GAME IDEA AND THE GAME ENTRY, AND ALL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN THAT GAME IDEA AND GAME ENTRY, TO THE FOUNDATION IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST.

For each Entrant not selected to the Final Round, the Foundation grants a non-exclusive sub-licensable license to that Entrant (or team of Entrants, as applicable) to install, copy, distribute and make derivative works of the Game Entry submitted by that Entrant, so long as no trademarks, tradenames, logos, or any other designations relating to The Foundation are used in any manner in connection with the Game Entry.

4. WINNER SELECTION:
A First Round Competition Jury will be appointed by the Foundation in its sole discretion from a pool of game developers, teachers and educational game experts. The First Round Competition Jury will judge the eligible Game Entries in accordance with the scoring guidelines (as provided below). The top scoring five (5) Game Entries will be selected to advance past the first round to compete in the Final Round.

Entrant acknowledges and agrees that if selected by the First Round Competition Jury into the Final Round, Entrant will attend the Final Round in Austin, Texas in July, 2005 (exact date to be determined). If Entrant is unable to attend the Final Round, the Game Entry will be declared ineligible and the next highest rated Game Entry will be selected.

The Foundation will make arrangements for the Entrant, including the costs of travel, meals, accommodations, to attend the Final Round. All other additional costs will be borne by Entrant.

A Final Round Competition Jury will be appointed by the Liemandt Foundation in its sole discretion from a pool of game developers, teachers and educational game experts. The Final Round Competition Jury will judge the five (5) finalist Game Entries in accordance with the scoring guidelines (as provided below). The Contest will announce the winners of the Contest while finalists are in Austin for the Final Round of Judging.

5. SCORING:
For the first round and final round, each Game Entry will be graded on (i) effectiveness of teaching (30% of total score), and (ii) entertainment value (70% of total score). In the event of a tie, the Game Entry with the higher effectiveness of teaching score will be deemed the higher scoring Game Entry. All decisions with regard to selection and disqualification of Game Entries are final.

6. PRIZE:
The eligible Game Entry with the highest score in the Final Round will be declared the winner, and the Entrant for that Game Entry will receive the grand prize of $25,000 (“Prize”). In the event that the Entrant is a team, the Prize will be awarded to the individual designated as the team captain on the Entry Form. It is the team captain’s responsibility to allocate the Prize money among team members of the Entrant. Entrant is responsible for any federal, state, and local tax consequences and for compliance with all governmental reporting and payment requirements.

7. GENERAL RULES & CONDITIONS:
Entrants selected in the First Round will be required to sign and complete an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release (where legally permissible) and return the signed documents within ten (10) days of receipt of attempted delivery, otherwise the Entrant may be forfeited and the Entrant with the next highest score will be selected. In addition, the entrants selected in the First Round give the Foundation the right to the Entrant’s (or team members’) name, voice, picture, portrait and likeness for advertising and promotion purposes without further compensation, where permitted by law. These Official Rules and all matters related to the Contest will be governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:
THE FOUNDATION, AND ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, SHAREHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES, ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THIS CONTEST SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY AND SHALL BE HELD HARMLESS BY ENTRANT, AND ANY TEAM MEMBERS OF ENTRANT, FOR ANY DAMAGE, LOSS OR LIABILITY TO PERSON OR PROPERTY, DUE IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, BY REASON OF ENTERING THE CONTEST, THE ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE, OR WHILE PREPARING FOR, PARTICIPATING IN, AND/OR TRAVELING TO AND FROM ANY CONTEST-RELATED ACTIVITY. Any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event, attorney’s fees. The Foundation and its promotion and advertising agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, fraud, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions, whether caused by the Foundation, users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest.

9. TAMPERING:
If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause beyond the control of the Foundation that corrupts, impairs or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, the Foundation reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, extend or suspend the Contest and/or prizes. The Foundation reserves the right to disqualify any individual who tampers with or in any way corrupts the entry process. The Foundation may prohibit an Entrant from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in the Foundation’s sole discretion, the Foundation determines that said Entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair practices or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or the Foundation representatives.

     
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