It's announcements time! A lot is going on in our casual gaming world and the creative talent behind the games we love is really blossoming. Is it the crisp February air? The freshness of a new year? Either way, here's an update on a few recent events you should know about. Consider yourself... informed!

Just wanted to let you know that the entries are all in for Experimental Gameplay's second competition. The first competition was to create games with a "consume" theme, and the theme of this one (which is sponsored by Red Octane) is to create games that use a dance pad, but that are not dance games.

The Experimental Gameplay Project has just announced their second game design competition, and this one is going to be RED HOT! The folks at Red Octane, makers of Guitar Hero, are sponsoring this latest competition and they are looking for innovative game ideas that make use of their company's Ignition Dance Pad. Competitors are being asked to design a non-dance game that uses the pad.

As mentioned a couple of days ago, the Experimental Gameplay Project has just launched their game design competition today by announcing the gameplay theme: consume. You now have two weeks to come up with a game designed and developed with that theme in mind. Games that do not follow the theme may be disqualified.

the Experimental Gameplay Project has been so successful that they are opening up the fun to anyone who wants to get involved! They are holding a 2-week game design competition to build a game based on a theme. The top 5 competitors will receive an interview with THQ’s Heavy Iron Studios. One will be selected for a paid summer internship with the company.

The entertainment technology students at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) are up to their Experimental Gameplay antics again this semester. Their goal is to create over 50 games in one semester by popping-out four (4) new games every Wednesday.