PHILIPPINE INDIE GAMES INITIATIVE

To qualify for the program, developers must adhere to the following rules:

 

• Project PIGI only accepts digital video games that are not yet published or released.

• The game being submitted shouldn’t have any previous investment and/or publishers to whom the team legally owes royalties. 

• The lead developer or representative for each team must be a Filipino citizen, or a resident of the Philippines. The team’s core members should also be based in the Philippines.

• Team size is limited to 1-50 members only.

• Developers must be of legal age (18 and above).

• Developers must be able to provide working demos or prototypes of their games.

• All interested teams must accomplish our official registration form found here.

• Submission period is from August 2021 to February 28, 2022.

The organizers will invite independent and veteran game developers, video game journalists, and other individuals familiar with game development, to evaluate each of the submitted games. The evaluators will use the following criteria to select the program’s finalists:

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Originality

Does this concept show uniqueness within its genre or does it create a new model/game mechanic? Value will be given to teams who identify their game’s inspiration (other games) and show how they’ve combined those elements into a new and interesting concept.
 

Visuals

How does the game’s overall art concept fit within the game and is it appealing to the target market? Value will be given to teams who have quality art concepts; however, panelists will not place weight on the level of completion or complexity of the art. Instead, focus will be placed on art as an isolated element relating to the overall project.
 

Gameplay

Each team should be able to explain the unique elements of their game and its core mechanics. How creative is the implementation of the mechanics? Is the gameplay engaging enough? Does it take into account the user’s experience?
 

Business Model

The goal of Project PIGI is to help Filipino game developers create marketable game IPs. Does the team have a good sense of their game's business model? Do they understand their core market / audience? Each team should be able to explain the core business model and which elements they expect to monetize, and how they will effectively reach their target market.

Finalists will be contacted via email to let them know that they've been selected to proceed in the next phase of the program. As a finalist, you'll receive intensive feedback and mentoring from successful game developers. The goal of the mentoring phase is to help you polish your game and pitch deck in order to give you the best chances of securing a publishing deal.

 

Finalists will also take part in the program’s culminating event, the Pitch Day, wherein they will showcase and pitch their games to local and international viewers. The best presentations will be awarded the following:

 

• Judge’s Choice

• People’s Choice

 

Project PIGI will also post each finalist’s presentations, prototypes and team information on its website for further promotion.

Q: Will developers have to give over the rights of their IP to the organizers?

A: The organizers of this event have all volunteered to do this in the belief that we should promote the creation of new Philippine IP. All IP will remain the ownership of their creators. However, IP ownership may change depending on the specific deal a team closes with a publisher.

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Q: Does Project PIGI provide funding?
A: We don't provide funding. We simply act as a bridge and help developers reach out to potential partners and publishers to help them secure publishing and funding for their projects. 

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Q: Am I guaranteed to receive funding or a publishing deal?
A: No. Funding and publishing deals are between the developers and the publishers. We don't get a say on how the negotiation goes. However, Project PIGI will do its best to help the developers polish their pitch decks and provide mentoring to have the best chances of landing a deal.  

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Q: Will Project PIGI be present during the negotiation deals?
A: No, but we would be happy to offer advice or answer any questions the developers might have about their deals to the best of our abilities.

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Q: Does Project PIGI get a cut of the funding I'll receive from a publisher?
A: No. If the developer gets funding from a publisher, the money is theirs to keep and use to improve on their projects.

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Q: My game is already released. Can I still apply to the program?

A: Sorry, we only accept unreleased games at the moment.

 

Q: My game already has a publisher. Can I still apply to the program?

A: We only accept games that have no prior commitments or investments from publishers and other parties that legally require the developers to give away shares or royalties of their games.

 

Q: Does Project PIGI accept tabletop games?

A: We only accept video games at the moment.

 

Q: Does Project PIGI accept entries from non Filipino teams?

A: Thank you for your interest! This is our first attempt at this event and we want to keep it local for now, so we only accept entries from Filipino teams.

 

Q: Does the team need to be a registered company already?

A: No, but this will probably be a necessity should you seal a deal with a publisher, so it is something you should be preparing for in the future.

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Q: I wasn't selected as Judge's Choice or People's Choice. Will Project PIGI still help me find a publisher?

A: Yes, we will assist all finalists in communicating with a publisher.

 

Q: I wasn't selected to be a finalist. Will Project PIGI still help me find a publisher?

A: Sorry, but no. We are focused on assisting the finalists; however, if an entry interests one of the partners or the organizers, they may decide to reach out to you individually to see if they can help you.