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Pong World wins Pong Indie Developer Challenge
Atari has chosen the winners of its Pong Indie Developer Challenge, and – surprise – the top honor goes to Pong! Well, okay, it's not just Pong. zGames' Pong World features multiple paddle "creatures" in various worlds with powerups and environmental hazards, and it earned $50,000 and a publishing deal with Atari.Second place goes to MadRuse's 3D Pong Tournament, and third place goes to Eppy Games' Fong, a cartoony Pong in a circular arena. These two also get cash awards and publishing deals; Atari will announce specifics of those publishing deals (as in, when they will result in games you can play) soon. Check out trailers for all the finalists at Atari's site.
15 indie developers re-imagine Pong for iOS, hope to win Atari contract
As far as video games go, it doesn't get much simpler than Pong -- two paddles, one ball, no complications. A classic, to be sure, but definitely not the flashiest game when pitted against the average smartphone title -- maybe that's why Atari is asking indie developers to jazz it up. Yes, the Pong Indie Developer Challenge is in full swing, and Atari has pared down some 90-odd submissions to mere 15. Not familiar with the contest? Here's a quick refresh: Atari is looking for indie developers to re-imagine Pong for iOS as a fun, original, visually interesting and overtly marketable title. The stakes? Winners can score up to $100,000 and a publishing contract with Atari. Many of the semi-finalists' redesigns are as simple as adding multitouch gestures or bending the traditionally square playing field into a more circular court, but a few ambitious developers mixed it up with 3D playing fields, anthropomorphic paddles or augmented reality multiplayer. Check out Mashable's collection of contestant trailers at the link below for a look at the Pong of tomorrow. As for us? We're still pretty pleased with yesterday's model.