I was certainly surprised to see this one float into the Inbox this morning... Epic Games and

announce the Make Something Unreal Live Contest. Those of you who've been around a while remember the legendary series of contests Epic has conducted over the years, in which contestants create Unreal Engine content and vie for big prizes. The twist this time around is that the content will all be created for the iOS. The winner receives an Unreal Engine 3 license for that platform.

Epic Games, Inc., creators of the billion-dollar "Gears of War" franchise and the award-winning Unreal Engine 3, announce Make Something Unreal Live, an independent game development competition co-sponsored by Train2Game, the UK's premier game development distance learning resource. This unprecedented event will take place over the course of six months and culminate in a spectacular real-time conclusion at

Gadget Show Live 2012, the premier consumer show taking place from April 11-15, 2012 in Birmingham, UK. The winner of Make Something Unreal Live will receive a commercial Unreal Engine 3 license for iOS.

Winners of the Train2Game and Epic Game Jam, happening November 4-6 at the University of Bedfordshire, will compete in the event next April. In both competitions, all games will be developed for iOS devices using Epic's Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of Unreal Engine 3 which has been installed on more than 1 million unique machines.

Following this week's game jam, development teams will benefit from a six-month incubation period in which a range of senior industry veterans will nurture projects by reviewing key milestones, providing guidance and shaping scope. During this time, talent will prepare for the final showdown at the Gadget Show Live, where more than 100,000 attendees will watch them bring to life Unreal Engine 3-powered creations in real time.

"We are looking forward to working with Epic Games and Train2Game to bring a completely new element into the Games Zone at GSL 2012," said Gadget Show Live Event Director Matt Hodgins. "A huge number of our visitors are into gaming, and will undoubtedly be excited to see how new games are developed and brought to life at the event."

"Once they're out there in the real world, our students will flourish based on their ability to create fantastic experiences under pressure," said Train2Game Course Director, Tony Bickley, "this is one of the best opportunities they