Last year marked HTC’s very first Vive Developer Awards (VDAs), which saw tens of thousands of dollars go to VR app developers across a number of categories. Now, submissions for this year’s VDAs are open, spanning more categories than last year, including Entertainment, Education, Arts & Culture, Enterprise, and Location-based Arcade games.

First place for each category will nab a cool $50,000, which includes a studio profile video produced by the Vive team, “priority access” to new developer hardware, and a shiny trophy. Second place gets a financial award of $20,000, and all of the above (besides the $50K of course).

Last year’s first-prize winners included Apollo 11 VR (2016), Fantastic Contraption (2016), Cloudlands: VR Minigolf (2016), and Allumette (2016).

image courtesy HTC

Developers can only submit their app to one category, but can submit multiple titles with the maximum possibility of winning two prizes, meaning a single developer could technically take home $100,000.

HTC says all eligible entries will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel of Vive employees. Evaluation will be based on:

  1. overall virtual reality experience including, but not limited to, how fun, useful and engaging the title is
  2. engagement metrics including, but not limited to, total downloads, total user sessions and overall time played

Competing apps should either already be on Viveport, the company’s Vive-focused app store, or be submitted before the submission window closes on February 9th, 2018.

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Here’s a look at the 5 newly revised categories for this year’s VDAs:

  • Entertainment: An app that captivates the player in an engaging world and story. Features interactivity that is satisfying and rewarding. Leaves a lasting impression. Encourages the player to revisit the title again and again.
  • Education: An app that offers immersive and interactive learning experiences for the classroom or outside of it. Sparks curiosity, imagination and passion for intriguing subject matter.
  • Arts & Culture: An app that enables, preserves, and democratizes creation in the arts. Addresses a diverse, global audience and contributes to the knowledge and enjoyment of cultural heritage.
  • Enterprise: An app that aims to transform businesses with digital innovation. Accelerates the way teams create, cooperate and execute. Impacts key areas such as visualization, design, collaboration, marketing/sales and simulation/training.
  • Arcade: An app that will delight customers new to virtual reality. Designed for location-based entertainment considering ease of learning and playtime. A great choice for venues and businesses offering virtual reality experiences. 

For more information on how to enter, check out the contest rules here.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.