September 17th, 2008 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Game Awards | 1 Comment »
It has been a while since we reported on a competition from AT&T and I-Play in which they hope to find the next big thing in Windows Mobile games. A few days back, the winner was announced.
And the winner is… Nikos Konstas, an independent developer from the United Kingdom with his mobile game Pool Rebel. Pool Rebel is a billiards simulation game designed for Windows Mobile phones. The game features realistic physics, intuitive controls and addictive game play.
Nikos first started writing games at age 15 when he bought his first computer, although he never completed any, he said. It wasn’t until 2005, 18 years later, when he decided to write a game for his PocketPC.
“I play pool quite a bit and wanted to find a pool game for my phone,” said Nikos. “When I couldn’t find one I really liked, I decided to write my own. I designed Pool Rebel with the casual gamer in mind. While I think it will improve their pool skills if they play it enough, my hope is that they just have fun with it.”
Mark Collins, vice president of Consumer Products for AT&T’s wireless unit, said, “This contest hits at the heart of our commitment to engage the development community while advancing our leadership position in offering the most Windows Mobile games of any provider.”
“Developers are in Microsoft’s DNA,” said John O’Rourke, general manager for Windows Mobile. “We are committed to providing tools and resources for developers, and this contest exemplifies how the Windows Mobile platform can empower creative people, like Nikos, to create these fantastic applications.”
As the winner, Nikos will receive a mobile game developer contract with I-play, prime placement of the finished game on the game portal on AT&T Media Mall and a cash prize of $25,000.
“We are thrilled to participate in rewarding independent game developers for their creativity,” said Don Ryan, Chief Operating Officer, Oberon Media, I-play’s parent company. “We’re excited to publish the winning game, as this contest reinforces I-play’s leadership position as the home for innovation and originality in casual game publishing.”
“I am very happy and excited to win. I honestly didn’t expect this at all,” said Nikos.
Congratulations Nikos Konstas!
Thank you! 🙂
To celebrate the event a free windows version of the game can be downloaded from: http://www.poolrebel.com
Just follow the link at the top-right corner of the page.