The New York Television Festival and Xbox are running an “Xbox LIVE Originals Contest”:
The “Xbox LIVE Originals” contest will invite a wide range of artists and Xbox users to create a 5 to 15-minute pilot episode introducing an original television series. The pilots may be live-action, animated or both. All entries must be submitted before June 29th, 2007. A selection of standout finalists will be featured exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace starting in July. The winner of the contest will receive a 0,000 deal with Xbox LIVE to create a six-episode series based on the short pilot as well as an exclusive screening event at the 2007 New York Television Festival.
Xbox have also announced the “Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge”:
Microsoft has outlined an all-new socially minded global gaming competition, the “Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge.” This worldwide competition, set to launch this summer to participants in more than 100 countries, will challenge college students to come up with the best game based on the theme of global warming. […]
Microsoft and Games for Change will award cash prizes to the best entries, which can be applied to the students’ education. Winners will receive an invitation to present their entries to the Microsoft games management team for possible inclusion as a download in the popular Xbox LIVE Arcade service. Finally, the first place team or individual will also win the opportunity to become an apprentice at Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business as part of its internship program.