Connectedness Game Pitch Questions

Tips:

• We recommend recording the answers to these questions in advance.
• You should receive a copy of your answers sent to your email address upon successful submission.
• If you have a team, please select a reliable contact person who will be responsible for communicating on behalf of your team.

Your Game Pitch will entail you answering the questions below in the online Game Pitch form.

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(Q1) What is your email address? (You will need to confirm your email address in order to complete the form.)

(Q2) What is your name?

(Q3) If you have a team, what is your team name? (optional)

(Q4) What country are you in?

(Q5) What are your pronouns?

(Q6) Are you currently a middle or high school student (grades 6-12 in the U.S. or equivalent in your country)?
If so, what is the name and location of your school?

(Q7) What is the title of your connectedness game?

(Q8) Write a short description of your connectedness game. After reading this description players should want to play your game.

(100-150 words)

(Q9) How will your connectedness game use visual and auditory elements to engage and inform players about the importance of connectedness, especially for young people ages 13-23?

(100-150 words)

(Q10) How will your connectedness game effectively use game mechanics, storytelling, and/or rhetoric to engage and inform players about connectedness and its importance?

(Please realize this means that your game does not have to be story-based. It may use other design strategies or could be story-based, as you prefer.) (100-150 words)

(Q11) How will your connectedness game effectively use persuasion to engage and convince players that they want to be connected to their communities and to the people in their lives?

(100-150 words)

(Q12) How will your game help players to identify and utilize real-world skills which will assist them in becoming more connected to their communities and to the people in their lives?

(100-150 words)

(Q13) Please confirm that you have read and agree to the contest rules.

Hope Givers Student Gaming Award: a $1,000 prize will go to a student game created by a student or group of students, age 13 or older, that are enrolled in middle or high school during the contest period. The Hope Givers Student Gaming Award will be divided equally between the entrant and their school. This is in addition to any other Winning Entry Prize money for that game.
Thank you to Hope Givers for sponsoring this special prize for a middle or high school student!

Example scenario: There are ten eligible Finalists which include two student entries. Of these Finalists, three games receive scores from the judges indicating first, second, and third place. Neither of the student entries are among the Winning games. In this case:

• The entrants representing the three Winning games receive $5,000, $3,200, and $1,200 each.
• Based on the scores from the judges, one student game will receive the $1,000 Hope Givers Student Gaming Award. Of this, $500 will go to the student and $500 will go to their school.
• Each of the six Finalists who have not yet received a prize, including the non-winning student entrant, receive $100 each.

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. Entry in this contest constitutes your acceptance of these official rules.

The 2024 Life.Love. Game Design Challenge (the "Contest") is designed to encourage participants ("Entrant(s)" or "You") to use their creativity to create their own video game that helps players of the game: be more aware of the importance of being socially connected with their peers, families, and communities; be better informed about skills and attributes that support greater connectedness; become more confident in identifying and utilizing real-world strategies, tips, and skills which will assist them in becoming more connected to their communities and to the people in their lives in the real world; and want to be connected to their communities and to the people in their lives, especially for those players in the approximate age range of 11 - 22 years of age (the "Target Age Group"). Entrants who are age 13 or over and current middle or high school students (U.S. grades 6th through 12th), or the equivalent in their respective countries, during the Contest Period ("Student Entrant(s)") will be eligible for a special prize ("Student Prize") only available to Student Entrants. Life Love Publishing and/or its representatives will select Finalists ("Finalists") from all eligible entries submitted in Round One. Special consideration will be given to Student Entrants to ensure their representation among the Finalists. Finalists will be eligible to participate in Round Two and will submit completed games. Judges will choose the winning entries from the Round Two eligible Finalist submissions and prizes will be awarded in accordance with these Official Rules (these "Rules").

1. BINDING AGREEMENT: In order to enter the Contest, you must agree to the Rules. Therefore, please read these Rules prior to entry to ensure you understand and agree. You agree that submission of an entry in the Contest constitutes agreement to these Rules and that you may not submit an entry to the Contest and are not eligible to receive the prizes described in these Rules unless you agree to these Rules. These Rules form a binding legal agreement between you, Jennifer Ann's Group, and Life Love Publishing with respect to the Contest.


2. ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible to enter the Contest, an Entrant must: (a) be 13 years of age (or older) at time of entry; and (b) have obtained a parent's or legal guardian's prior permission if under the age of majority ("Minors") in their jurisdiction. Minors who enter must have the written consent of a parent or legal guardian in order to be eligible to receive any prizes, as described in Section 8 of these Rules. Contest is void where prohibited by law. Employees, interns, contractors, and official office-holders of Jennifer Ann's Group, Life Love Publishing, and any affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, advertising and promotion agencies, representatives, and agents ("Contest Entities") are ineligible to participate in this Contest.


3. SPONSORS: The Contest is sponsored by the Jennifer Ann Crecente Memorial Group, Inc. d/b/a Jennifer Ann's Group("Jennifer Ann's Group" or "Sponsor(s)"), a Georgia non-profit corporation (501 c(3)) with principal place of business at 2554 Drew Valley Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30319, USA. (EIN: 20-4618499). Additional sponsorship consideration has been provided by Hope Givers for the Winning Student Game(s).


4. CONTEST PERIOD:
   
   The contest period is from February 29, 2024 through August, 2024.
   
   Round One of the Contest begins on February 29, 2024 and ends on March 17, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern Time (ET) Zone (GMT-4) ("Round One Contest Period").
   
   Round Two of the Contest begins on March 23, 2024 and ends on June 30, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern Time (ET) Zone (GMT-4) ("Round Two Contest Period"). All dates are subject to change.
   
   Winning Games will be announced in August, 2024.


5. HOW TO ENTER: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. To enter the Contest, visit the Contest website located at https://Connecting.games ("Contest Site") during the Contest Period and follow the instructions that appear on the "Connectedness Game Design Challenge" page in the "How to Enter" section. You will be requested to complete an official entry form ("Entry Form") with all requested information, including your responses, or "game pitch", to the questions about your proposed connectedness game ("Game Narrative"). Entry Forms can only be submitted by Entrants. Those Entrants notified by Jennifer Ann's Group that they have been selected to proceed to Round Two of the Contest ("Finalists") shall participate in Round Two of the Contest by submitting their completed game entry ("Completed Game").
   
   LIMIT ONE (1) GAME NARRATIVE PER ENTRANT IN ROUND ONE. Subsequent entries will replace, and be treated as, the initial entry. Any submission not meeting the aforementioned criteria will be disqualified. Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing accepts no responsibility for submissions lost, delayed, damaged, defaced, or mislaid, howsoever caused. All entries will be deemed made by the Entrant submitted at the time of entry.
   
   LIMIT ONE (1) COMPLETED GAME PER FINALIST IN ROUND TWO. Subsequent entries will replace, and be treated as, the initial entry. Any submission not meeting the aforementioned criteria will be disqualified. Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing accepts no responsibility for submissions lost, delayed, damaged, defaced, or mislaid, howsoever caused. All entries will be deemed made by the Entrant submitted at the time of entry.


6. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. The Game Narrative submissions for Round One and Completed Game submissions for Round Two must meet the following criteria ("Entry Requirements"):
   
   
   1. They must not contain any depictions of violence.
   
   
   2. They must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libellous or contain any content that is tortuous, slanderous, discriminatory in any way, or that promotes hatred or harm against any group or person, or otherwise does not comply with the theme and spirit of the Contest.
   
   
   3. They must be unique creations that have not been previously published and will remain unpublished until after the contest has ended.
   
   
   4. They must not contain content, material or any element that is unlawful, or otherwise in violation of, or contrary to, any applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulations including the laws or regulations in any jurisdiction where the entry is created.
   
   
   5. They must not contain any content, material, or element that displays any third party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark, or otherwise indicates a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party or commercial entity. For Round Two Finalists, text acknowledgements are acceptable in the Completed Game entries; additionally, Jennifer Ann's Group will supply a graphic image identifying Jennifer Ann's Group as the game's primary sponsor; the image will be placed at an appropriate location as part of the Finalist's Completed Game entry.
   
   
   6. They must only contain text, graphics, audio, designs, and game mechanics that entrants have proper rights to use (e.g. works in the public domain; original creations by the entrant; third-party works with rights granted by rights owner).
   
   
   7. They cannot contain any content, element, or material that violates a third party's publicity, privacy, or intellectual property rights.
   • During the Contest Period, the Sponsor, its agents and/or the Judges will be evaluating the Entries to ensure they meet the Entry Requirements. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Entrant who submits an entry that does not meet the Entry Requirements. Incomplete entries or entries not complying with these Rules are subject to disqualification.
7. ROUND ONE JUDGING: Each Game Narrative will be evaluated based on the following "Criteria":
   
   1. potential educational value of the proposed game to discuss, demonstrate, or otherwise engage players about connectedness and its importance, especially for those in the Target Age Group;
   2. potential entertainment or otherwise compelling value of the proposed game;
   3. potential of the proposed game to increase awareness about connectedness and its importance;
   4. potential of the proposed game to encourage discourse about connectedness and its importance;
   5. potential of the proposed game to persuade game players about connectedness and its importance;
   6. potential of the proposed game to help players identify skills or attributes and learn how to strengthen those skills or attributes in order to help the player become better socially connected with their peers, families, and communities;
   7. game elements of the proposed game; and
   8. adherence to the Game Narrative, Entry Requirements, and these Rules.
   9. Note: Special consideration will be given to Student Entrants to ensure their representation among the Finalists.
   ROUND TWO JUDGING: Each Completed Game will be evaluated and scored based on the following "Criteria":
   
   1. educational value of the game to discuss, demonstrate, or otherwise engage players about connectedness and its importance, especially for those players in the Target Age Group;
   2. entertainment or otherwise compelling value of the game;
   3. potential of the game to increase awareness about connectedness and its importance;
   4. potential of the game to encourage discourse about connectedness and its importance;
   5. potential of the game to persuade game players about connectedness and its importance;
   6. potential of the game to help players identify skills or attributes and learn how to strengthen those skills or attributes in order to help the player become better socially connected with their peers, families, and communities;
   7. game elements; and
   8. adherence to the Game, Entry Requirements, and these Rules.
   The above Criteria will be used to score all Completed Games. The Completed Game(s) with the significantly highest score(s) will be deemed the "Winning Game(s)". There will be at least one Winning Game; at the sole discretion of the Sponsor, there might be more than one Winning Game. The Student Entrant(s) with the significantly highest score(s) will be deemed the "Winning Student Game(s)". There will be at least one Winning Student Game; at the sole discretion of the Sponsor, there might be more than one Winning Student Game. Entries from Finalists that are not Winning Games or Winning Student Games are considered "Non-Winning Finalists" for purposes of these Rules.
8. Notifications:
   
   
   • Round One Finalists Finalists will be notified on or before March 23, 2024 by email.
   
   
   • Potential Winners Potential winners will be notified August 2024 by email.
   
   
   • Decisions of the judges are final and binding. In the event there are not enough eligible entries, not all prizes will be awarded. If a potential winner is unable for whatever reason to accept their prize, then Life Love Publishing reserves the right to award the prize to another entrant.
   
   
   • Notification of Potential Finalists / Winning Game(s): Becoming a Finalist / Winning Game is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with all the terms and conditions set forth in these Rules. If a potential Finalist is disqualified for any reason, a replacement Game Narrative Entry entrant might be chosen as a potential Finalist. If a potential Winning Game is disqualified for any reason, the Completed Game that received the next highest total score will be chosen as the potential Winning Game. The potential Finalist(s) / Winning Game(s) will be selected and notified by email.
   
   
   • If a potential Finalist does not respond to the notification attempt within three (3) days from the first notification attempt, then such potential Finalist may be disqualified and an alternate potential Finalist might be selected from among all eligible Game Narrative entries received based on the judging Criteria described herein.
   
   
   • If the Entrant of a potential Winning Game or potential Student Winning Game does not respond to the notification attempt within three (3) days from the first notification attempt, then such game may be disqualified and an alternate potential Winning Game or potential Student Winning Game will be selected from among all eligible entries received based on the judging Criteria described herein.
   
   
   • Except where prohibited by law, all Prize Winners will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and Publicity Release and provide any additional information that may be required by Sponsor. If required, Prize Winners must return all such required documents via email or fax (or as otherwise instructed) within forty-eight (48) hours following attempted notification or such potential Prize Winners will be deemed to have forfeited the prize and another potential Prize Winner may be selected based on the judging Criteria described herein.
   
   
   • In the event the potential Prize Winner is a minor, their parent or legal guardian must sign the documents and return them as described herein. All notification requirements, as well as other requirements within these Rules, will be strictly enforced. Determinations of Judges are final and binding. All Prize Winners, including any parent representatives, agree to keep the Completed Game strictly confidential between time of submission and the Completed Game's final launch by Life Love Publishing.
9. PRIZES:
   
   The entrant of at least one Winning Game will be eligible to receive a minimum of $3,000 (USD) prize money. An announcement about the Winning Game(s) will be displayed on Jennifer Ann's Group's game portal JAGga.me website and itch.io page for the remainder of 2024.
   
   The entrant of at least one Student Winning Game and their respective school will be eligible to equally share $1,000 (USD) prize money. An announcement about the Student Winning Game(s) will be displayed on Jennifer Ann's Group's game portal JAGga.me website and itch.io page for the remainder of 2024.
   
   All Non-Winning Finalists will be eligible to receive a minimum of $100 (USD) prize money upon successfully submitting their completed game in accordance with these rules. Some Non-Winning Finalists may also have their games published on the JAGga.me website and/or itch.io page.
   
   A total of $11,000 (USD) in prize money will be distributed among all Winners and Finalists, subject to the minimum prize monies described above. Distribution of prize money will be announced when the Winning Games are announced. Additional Winning Games might be selected from among the Finalists.
   
   Further details regarding prize distribution will be provided to winners in the prize acceptance documents approximately four (4) to six (6) weeks after Sponsor's receipt of prize acceptance documents from winners.
   
   All entrants and educational institutions receiving prize money are considered prize winners ("Prize Winners") for purposes of these Rules.


10. TAXES: Prize Winners are responsible for any federal, state, and local tax consequences and for compliance with all governmental reporting and payment requirements. Winning funds will be sent in U.S. Dollars via cashier's check through Postal Mail or via PayPal (at the option of the winners).


11. GENERAL CONDITIONS: At the time of submitting a Completed Game all Round Two Finalists will also electronically provide to Life Love Publishing all source files and components necessary to re-create the Completed Game ("Source Files"). Life Love Publishing and/or Jennifer Ann's Group may use these Source Files to: publish the Completed Game to marketplaces; provide language translations; update content; develop derivative works; and / or to localize such game for other countries, regions, or organizations at Life Love Publishing and/or Jennifer Ann's Group's sole discretion.


12. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: All Prize Winners give Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing the right to the Entrant's name, voice, picture, portrait, and likeness for advertising and promotion purposes without further compensation, where permitted by law. All Prize Winners also give their consent to Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing and to those whom they may authorize, to photograph, film, videotape, and/or to use a photographic / digital reproduction of their entry with or without their name, to identify them by name, and/or to quote or record statements made by them, for any editorial, promotional, marketing, or other purpose broadly related to the mission of Jennifer Ann's Group ("violence prevention"). This consent does not extend to the purposes of endorsement of product or service advertising for any unrelated third parties. As a condition of receiving their prize, Prize Winners must grant Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing the non-exclusive, royalty-free, licensable, assignable rights to all: completed, object, and source files; necessary media files; and associated intellectual property rights of their entry for purposes of publishing, promotion, marketing, research, creation of derivative works, and internal use.


13. WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY: Entrants warrant that their entries are their own original work and, as such, they are the sole and exclusive owner and rights holder of the submitted Game Narrative / Completed Game and that they have the right to submit the Game Narrative / Completed Game to the Contest and to grant all required licenses. Each Entrant agrees not to submit any Game Narrative / Completed Game that: (a) infringes any third party proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, industrial property rights, personal or moral rights or any other rights, including without limitation, copyright, trademark, trade names, industrial designs, patent, trade secret, privacy, publicity or confidentiality obligations; or (b) otherwise violates applicable international, state, federal, or local law.
    
    To the maximum extent permitted by law, Entrant indemnifies and agrees to keep indemnified Sponsor and its agents and subsidiaries at all times from and against any liability, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs, and expenses resulting from any act, default, or omission of the Entrant and/or a breach of any warranty set forth herein. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Entrant agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Sponsor and its agents and subsidiaries from and against any and all claims, actions, suits, or proceedings, as well as any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees) arising out of or accruing from: (i) any Game Narrative / Completed Game or other material uploaded or otherwise provided by Entrant that infringes any copyright, trademark, trade secret, trade dress, patent, or other intellectual property right of any person or defames any person or violates their rights of publicity or privacy; (ii) any misrepresentation made by Entrant in connection with the Contest; (iii) any non-compliance by Entrant with these Rules; (iv) claims brought by persons or entities other than the parties to these Rules arising from or related to Entrant's involvement with the Contest; (v) acceptance, possession, misuse, or use of any prize or participation in any Contest-related activity or participation in the Contest; (vi) any malfunction or other problem with the Contest Site in relation to the entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant; (vii) any error in the collection, processing, or retention of entry or voting information in relation to the entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant and in the voting process; or (viii) any typographical or other error in the printing, offering, or announcement of any prize or winners in relation to the entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant.


14. ELIMINATION: Any false information provided within the context of the Contest by Entrant concerning identity, mailing address, email address, ownership of right, or non-compliance with these Rules or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the entrant from the Contest.


15. INTERNET AND DISCLAIMER: Jennifer Ann's Group, Life Love Publishing, and any other Sponsor(s) are not responsible for any malfunction of the entire Contest Site or any late, lost, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, illegible, undeliverable, or destroyed entries due to system errors, failed, incomplete or garbled computer or other telecommunication transmission malfunctions, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, typographical, or system/human errors and failures, technical malfunction(s) of any telephone network or lines, cable connections, satellite transmissions, servers or providers, or computer equipment, traffic congestion on the Internet or at the Contest Site, or any combination thereof, including other telecommunication, cable, digital, or satellite malfunctions which may limit Entrant's ability to participate. Jennifer Ann's Group is not responsible for the policies, actions, or inactions of others which might prevent Entrant from entering, participating, and/or claiming a prize in this Contest. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Rules will not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. Sponsors reserve the right to disqualify Entrants who violate the rules or interfere with this Contest in any manner. If an Entrant is disqualified, Sponsors reserve the right to terminate that Entrant's eligibility to participate in the Contest.


16. RIGHT TO CANCEL, MODIFY, OR DISQUALIFY: If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest, Jennifer Ann's Group reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. Jennifer Ann's Group further reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant who tampers with the submission process or any other part of the Contest or Contest Site. Any attempt by an Entrant to deliberately damage any web site, including the Contest Site, or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Jennifer Ann's Group and Life Love Publishing reserve the right to seek damages from any such Entrant to the fullest extent of the applicable law.

### End of Rules (February 29, 2024) ###