Competition now closed, thank you for all the fantastic entries. The winners will be announced shortly.

Do you want to see your family created as video game characters by a top games designer? Ukie, the organisation that represents the games industry, is launching a competition to find the UK’s most collaborative and creative video game playing families, one of which will win the opportunity to see their video gaming family come to life as video games characters, and become PEGI Family Gaming Ambassadors.

Of those who enter, one family from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be selected as the finalists, each winning a games console and selection of video games for the family to play together — worth £250.

One of these three finalist families will then go on to be selected as the overall winner, and will win a day-trip to visit a UK-based video games developer and have their family transformed into video games characters by a top video games designer.

They will also be named PEGI Family Gaming Ambassadors, and have the opportunity to share their stories of playing video games together with other families and the media. What’s more, as Ambassadors, the winning family will have the opportunity to receive and test games together to be reviewed on askaboutgames.com and appear in videos to be featured on the website.

Children aged 4-15 can enter the competition on behalf of their families, and should fill in the questions below.

Enter details of your parent or guardian in the form below in order to enter the competition. Ensure that your family are aware that you are entering the competition and have read the terms and conditions of the competition.

The closing date of the competition is 27th August 2012

1. Open only to entrants from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland aged between 4-15 years, excluding employees of the promoter, UKIE, PEGI and their immediate families, their agents or anyone professionally associated with this promotion.
2. This promotion is void where this promotion is prohibited.
3. The prize is one video games console and three family appropriate video games for the four finalist families. The overall winning family will win a visit to a UK-based games studio and receive a visual mock-up of their family as video games characters, created by a video games designer and have the opportunity to become PEGI Family Ambassadors.
4. To enter: Answer the questions outlined on the competition page, using your imagination to invent your family as video games characters.
5. Only one entry per person is allowed. No entrant may win more than one prize.
6. All correctly completed entries will be forwarded to a judging panel made up of developers and associated PEGI stakeholders. The winner will be the entry that in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the most creativity and collaboration between family members.
7. A winner from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will win one video games console and three family appropriate video games, before a final winner is chosen, who will win a day-trip to a UK-based games developer studio for him/herself and up to three other members of their family featured in their competition entry, as well as a visual mock-up of their family created as video games characters. They will also become PEGI Family Gaming Ambassadors for the Control.Collaborate.Create. campaign. Becoming a PEGI Family Gaming Ambassador may involve testing a limited number of games as a family which they will then be asked to review on askaboutgames.com. With this comes the possibility of the winner and their family members pre- selected, being asked to appear in videos on askaboutgames.com.
8. The day trip will include: travel to and from a UK-based studio for the winner and up to three further members of the family featured in the competition entry, as well as lunch at the studio. No other subsistence or travel costs will be included in the prize, nor including any other costs of a personal nature not stated (including spending money) all of which will be the sole responsibility of the winner and their guests.
9. The prizes are non-transferable, non-refundable and may not be combined with any other offer, is only available under this promotion and has no cash value. There is no cash alternative, except where the promoter, for reasons outside of their control, is not able to provide the stated prize, in which case the winner will receive a prize equal or greater value.
10. By entering this competition each entrant confirms that his/her entry is their wholly-owned creation and to the extent that such entry makes use of any third party materials that these have been fully cleared unless they are no longer protected by copyright or other intellectual property rights. Entrants will keep the Promoter harmless from any claims in relation to their entry that the entry infringes the personal or proprietary right of any other person. By submitting an entry, each entrant (or their parent/guardian on their behalf) grants to the Promoter a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to edit, publish, translate, modify, adapt, make available and distribute the entry throughout the world in any media now known or hereafter invented. Each entrant (or their parent/guardian on their behalf) undertakes to complete any necessary documentation to formalise the licence. If you do not want to grant us these rights, please do not submit materials to us.
11. The prize must be taken as stated and no compensation will be payable if a winner is unable to use the prize as stated. Any unused prize elements will be forfeited.
12. The day trip to the UK-based games studio must be taken during a weekday within the month of October or November and is subject to availability and certain black-out dates. The overall winner must confirm a date for the trip no later than two weeks after they have been informed of their win.
13. No bulk, third party or organised group entries will be accepted. Incomplete, illegible, photocopied or corrupt entries or those not in accordance with entry instructions will not be accepted.
14. No responsibility is accepted for lost, damaged or delayed entries. Proof of sending will not be accepted as proof of receipt.
15. The closing dates for entries is 11.55pm 27 August 2012.
16. Winners will be notified by email within 28 days of the closing date. In the event of unforeseen circumstances the Promoter reserves the right to the substitute the prize for an alternative or equal or greater value.
17. The promotion decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
18. The names and counties of the winners will be made available upon request.
19. The promoter will only use the personal details supplied for the administration of the competition and for no other purpose, unless we have your consent.
20. Winners may be required to participate in publicity arising from the promotion.
21. The Promoters assumes no responsibility for damages, losses or injuries that result from acceptance of the prize. An indemnity/waiver may be required from all travellers.
22. By taking part in this promotion all entrants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by these terms and conditions.

Win a copy of Harry Potter^TM  for Kinect^TM and a games console to play it on. We recently published our All About post for Harry Potter Kinect. As promised we have a competition to go along with that.

Prize: A copy of Harry Potter for Kinect and a games console  to play it on

Enter: Read our guide to Harry Potter games and leave a comment here stating which is the best Harry Potter game for your family (and why) to enter. Subscribe to FamilyGamerTV for updates on Harry Potter and other games.
Date: Competition runs from 21rd November to 14th December.

Follow @askaboutgames to keep up to date with our latest information and competitions. Like our Facebook page to keep up to date with our latest information and competitions.

Prize provided by WB Games, Terms and Conditions.

Supported by Loquax Competitions.

HARRY POTTER FOR KINECT software © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by Eurocom Developments Ltd. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.  All rights reserved.

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.  Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR.

WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
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While we track the top selling games each week on Ask About Games, Family Gamer TV is getting its viewers to vote on which has been the best video-game for their family.

The awards pick games that are particularly suitable for each PEGI grouping, considering not only whether the game is appropriate, but also whether a person of that age would enjoy playing it.

Games to vote on are listed on this year’s Family Game of the Year page. There are also prizes for  those who have registered their vote. The winning games in each of the age groups, and the overall Family Game of the Year will be announced at the end of January when the voting closes.

We’re happy to announce that a family from Rotherham is our overall winner the nationwide competition to find the UK’s most collaborative gaming families.

Mackenzie Clarke (11), from Clifton Village, impressed the judges with her idea and her description of what her family game characters’ powers would be. In her game, her family  work together, using their special moves to make other people happy and protect the world from turning evil. Her ‘Magnificent Mum’ can stretch to over 50 metres to protect her family, ‘Dynamic Dad’ can  push any objects no matter how heavy, Mackenzie can turn anything hot or cold and her brother can run as fast as light.

Having come top in the regional round of the competition, winning a Kinect for Xbox 360 console bundle, Mackenzie then went on to win the national prize. As part of this, the family visited Microsoft’s Soho Productions facility in London, home to developers of interactive entertainment experiences, such as Kinect Sesame Street TV and Kinect National Geo TV, exclusively on Xbox. They met staff at the studio, and were given an insight into the many roles involved in creating these new experiences, where kids can engage and learn in an entirely new way through full-body, interactive television. They were also given the opportunity to play the recently launched season two of Kinect Sesame Street.

At the end of their visit, Mackenzie was presented with an image of her family created as  games characters, based on her competition entry. The family are also now official PEGI Family Gaming Ambassadors and get to test games together, and review them right here on askaboutgames.com.

After the visit to the studio, Mackenzie said: “I’ve really enjoyed today. I’ve learned a lot about games, and how much work goes into making them. I love my family picture too – it actually looks like us! When I entered the competition I took lots of time on my entry to make it good, so it’s great to see it come to life – I’m really pleased that I won.”

Her mother, Lisa, added: “Our visit today has shown us that games are more educational than ever, and seeing the technology behind them has been fantastic. We’ve definitely been inspired to play even more as a family now!”

Jo Twist, CEO of Ukie said: “Games are a fantastic way to bring families together.  “We’re delighted that Mackenzie and her family are our overall winners. We loved her competition entry and the way she used her creativity to come up with a great game idea and characters who all worked together to save the world. We look forward to working with her and her family as PEGI gaming ambassadors in the future.”