The Indie Game Challenge development competition has had its deadline extended nearly a month, from October 1 to October 31.

Announced last month, the content is sponsored by retailer GameStop, game development school The Guildhall at SMU, and academy The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

For a $100 entrance fee, the Challenge offers the chance for independent developers to win a $100,000 grand prize in either the professional or nonprofessional category, or a $50,000 scholarship to The Guildhall at SMU.

Games that have previously been entered into other game development competitions are still eligible to win Challenge prizes.

The contest's finalists will be announced on January 15, 2010, with the winners honored during the Interactive Achievement Awards at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas in February 2010.