For Global Distribution: March 24, 2009 at 10 a.m. PST
Microsoft opens third annual Dream-Build-Play game design competition, announces new
developer tools
Kicking off the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Microsoft today announced the third
annual Dream-Build-Play global game development competition that encourages aspiring and hobbyist
developers to create new and innovative games for Xbox 360.
Beginning Monday, April 6 developers from all over the world will have an opportunity to submit their
unique game creations to the Dream-Build-Play 2009 competition for a chance to win a cash prize and an
opportunity to sign an Xbox LIVE Arcade publishing contract. Winners will be announced this fall. Last
year, more than 7,800 members of the community enrolled in Dream-Build-Play, yielding more than 350
completed games from all over the world developed using Microsoft’s free XNA Game Studio tools.
Several of last year’s winners, including Team GAMBIT for “CarneyVale: Showtime” and Mommy’s Best
Games for “Weapon of Choice,” collectively took home more than $70,000 in prizes and have since
become top sellers on the Xbox LIVE Community Games Channel. Winners from 2007, “The Dishwasher:
Dead Samurai,” “Blazing Birds” and “YoHo Kablammo!” from the United States, Canada and UK
respectively, are all slated for release on Xbox LIVE Arcade in the coming months.
Microsoft also announced new updates to its free XNA Game Studio development tools, available to
professional and hobbyist developers this spring, which will allow developers at any level to take
advantage of new partner additions and Xbox LIVE features. Community Games developers will be able
to include customized Avatars, which have quickly become one of the most popular features on Xbox
LIVE, and professional Xbox LIVE Arcade developers will be able to release game add-ons like episodic
content and include LIVE Party functionality making playing games a social experience by letting gamers
seamlessly play and chat with their friends online.
“The level of innovation and the number of submissions we receive each year to Dream-Build-Play has
increased exponentially because the development community is becoming increasingly familiar with the
XNA Game Studio,” XNA General Manager Boyd Multerer said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what
developers are able to create with the latest LIVE features and updated tools at their disposal.”
The XNA Game Studio update, which will also include improvements like video playback and new audio
APIs, means that more games featuring Avatars and LIVE Party could start appearing on Xbox LIVE as
early as this fall.
Additionally, Microsoft reinforced its commitment to professional developers with the preview of new Xbox
360 Development and Test Kit hardware. This hardware includes additional debugging memory that
allows developers to more efficiently produce games, push the console to its maximum capabilities, and
ensure the best titles continue to be created for Xbox 360.
More detailed information about XNA can be found by visiting http://creators.xna.com. For additional
information about Dream-Build-Play, visit www.dreambuildplay.com. For additional information about
previous Dream-Build-Play winners, visit www.Xbox.com.
Should you have any questions or comments please contact:
Jessica Lange, Jessica.Lange@edelman.com – (323) 202-1419
Jeremy Bartram, Jeremy.Bartram@edelman.com – (206) 268-2234
For product shots of the professional Xbox 360 Development Kit, please visit
http://creators.xna.com/press