Topic: One Game for One Game Program

I don't know how many programmers hang 'round these parts, but I figured I'd extend an offer here I made over on DSiCade. Here's the snippet from the news:

So here's the deal. If you submit a game to DSiCade that gets accepted, I'll send you a free DS game of your choice! Of course, there are some caveats...

• The game must be original and written by you
• Only one game per month, per submitter
• It cannot use trademarks or copyrights of someone else. e.g. That Pokemon simulator won't count even if it gets posted. (There are legal reasons for this.)
• DSiCade won't pay for international shipping. You have to be in a country where we can order the item for you locally or transfer equivalent funds through Paypal.
• The game must be tailored to work correctly on the DSi. Ideally, this means that it fits within the 2 screens with no scrolling or zooming.

I hope that all of you who thought you could swipe something off of javascript.about.com now realize it's going to be a bit harder than that!

(Besides, I've already received several of those and rejected 100%. They don't work quite right on the DSi or provide a very poor experience. So don't get lazy!)

Can I use Flash?
Nope. Flash does not work on the DSi. The games on DSiCade are Javascript-based.

Can I use Java?
Nope. Java does not work on the DSi. The games on DSiCade are Javascript-based. Please keep in mind that Java and Javascript are not the same language. In fact, they are very, very, very different.

Are the games here Javascript-based?
Yes! Now you've got it!

How do I create a game?
You will need to understand how to do web development. If you're familiar with creating web pages, then you're off to a good start. Use the browser information over on DSiBrew.org to adjust your page to fit the DSi browser. You can add interactivity by using Javascript to change the page elements on demand.

How do I submit my game?
Once you have your code complete, zip up the HTML, Javascript, and image files into a single archive. Then email that archive to jerason@wi
....

In case it's not clear enough, you can have your choice of any boxed DS game currently available. If there are DSi specific games available when you submit your game, you can have that. Or even a Points Card.

If that has you revved up but unsure how to start, then feel free to look for some good Javascript gaming libraries. GMP appears to work ok, and even has a tutorial. Just remember to test on the DSi as you develop or your game might not work when you're done.

Good luck everyone!

so dude when you meen free game of your choicedo you meen a ds cartridge game or a DSI ware game. also where did you get the money for this? i meen 34$ i can understand but did you sell somthing and have spare change?

DS Cartridge Game: Yes!

Sorry, there's no gifting service yet for DSiWare. But I can give you a Points Card instead.

also where did you get the money for this? i meen 34$ i can understand but did you sell somthing and have spare change?

Let's just say that the combined resources of DSiCade and WiiCade are behind this move. Very few DS titles cost as much as $34. (Though I certainly send you one that costs that much if that's the game you want.)

im a admin at dsihub so basicly this meens i cant enter because im there competitor well right now dsihub needs some games and we need all the help we can get

Your a butthole.You can help out if you want to.Also your not their competitor then your mean.Why can't we all be friends?

Hm... seems tempting....

I'm sorry you feel that way. Last I checked, DSiHub used technology created and shared out by myself & DSiCade. I hadn't realized the decision was to use that information against DSiCade rather than in concert. It doesn't seem like a very wise course.

As for the games, keep in mind that authors still own the copyrights on their works. DSiCade only asks for an irrevocable license to use the game you write in exchange for the free product you receive. Nothing prevents you from posting your game on another website.

Which gives me an idea. If anyone can produce a game worthy enough, I'd happily pony up the cash (yes, cash!) to enter a sponsorship agreement with that user. A sponsorship agreement would require that your game be submitted to other sites and that it carry the logo of the sponsoring entity. This is a pretty common way for Flash authors to make money, so I don't see any reason why it can't be applied to Javascript games on the DSi.

FYI, the first game submitted to this program is going live this weekend! Join us on DSiCade on Saturday, Sept. 12 at NOON Central Time for the launch party!

I'll be there!

For those of you who missed the festivities, you can still play the new game "Subdivide" by visiting www.dsicade.com on your DSi and tapping the right arrow (looks like this: > ) until you reach the page that says "Subdivide".

Thanks to everyone who attended the party! It was a lot of fun.

How many Nintendo points would you get for a game?

Query - must all the games be entirely client-side javascript, or can they make Ajax calls to utilize some server-side scripting? If it can do the latter, all sorts of interesting possibilities open up.

Wait, did you hear that? ...sounds like a thread about to be locked.

A standard points card is 2000 points.

Most of the work is client side Javascript. If you have AJAX needs, I can work with you on meeting them. e.g. Subdivide hooks into the DSiCade high score system.

Okay, I'll bite. Why?

Because usually when people try any sort of contest thread, they are snuffed out expediently.

This isn't a contest. It's an open offer to anyone writing code for the DSi Browser. If you can write HTML & Javascript, you can participate.

Talk to pixelman. He recently made an awesome platformer.