Today, we're kicking off the Dream-Build-Play game development contest, offering a $10,000 (U.S.) grand prize and the opportunity for a winner’s game to be published on Xbox Live Arcade.

More than 20 winners will be selected to win prizes from Microsoft, Alienware, AMD, Autodesk and Softimage.  The grand prize includes an opportunity for the winner to receive an Xbox Live Arcade publishing contract, providing a chance to showcase the winner’s game on Xbox Live Arcade.

Dream-Build-Play is open to any user of XNA Game Studio Express, including the GarageGames Torque X platform. No purchase is necessary to compete. The contest ends July 2, 2007, and winners will be announced Aug. 13 at Microsoft Gamefest 2007 in Seattle. Additional contest details, including detailed eligibility and entry requirements, are available at www.dreambuildplay.com.

To show just how powerful the new XNA Studio Express tools are, we're sponsoring something called the "XNA Game Studio Express Challenge" at GDC this week.  We're hosting the XNA Lobby Bar at the Mascone Center in SF, where four teams of two will create four games in four days, starting Monday morning.  Ought to be interesting to see what they come up with over the next few days! 

For more information, check out the press release we just published.