Cult of Rapture Contest Ideas

[2K Elizabeth]

You've probably seen the winner of the first Screenshot Scenario was announced. (Thanks for your patience with this -- we had more entries than I expected.)

Since I’ve had such an outpouring of creativity over the Screenshot Scenario Contest, I’m thinking we should mix the next contest up a little bit. With all the assets out there for BioShock, people have been making some killer fan art – Why not reward you guys for that?

For our next contest, I’m thinking of you guys putting your creative skills to the test in making a Cult of Rapture poster. Winner of the contest would receive something like an all-expense paid trip to our BioShock launch party this summer, second place will receive a Cult of Rapture tee shirt and our official BioShock poster, and the honorable mentions will receive Cult of Rapture tees at my discretion.

Would you rather take a stab at a contest like this (and others to come as I dream them up) or continue on with the Screenshot Scenario Contests?

It’s up to you! Vote in this poll.

[Hatesink]

I voted yes, but I'm in the U.K., so I'm not eligable. :/ :o

[pn18]

...I'm not eligable. :/ :o

same here. that's the reason why I don't vote on this poll.

[Hatesink]

same here. that's the reason why I don't vote on this poll.lol

...it didn't occur to me not to vote. :p

[Rapture_Tourist]

Oh boy, this sounds great :). I love to do posters! When I had the first German fansite about the MMORPG Ryzom, I made this poster:

http://mitglied.lycos.de/merdna/ryzommini.jpg

Gimme a poster contest ;)

EDIT: To make it a real community contest, participants should be registered forum users.

[Hatesink]

Do you get the feeling that if there was a 'Couldn't care less' option it'd have about fifty votes by now.

[a rabid chicken]

I have a question about this. Would this fan art contest be instead of or in addition to the screenshot scenario contest?
I feel like the screenshot scenario contest is a very nice idea, but it would probably be slightly better, in my opinion, if instead of setting up along the lines of, "A splicer attacks you, you have x number of different resources to use against him," it presented a slightly more open situation where the player has a specific objective but it's not quite so simple how he gets from point A to point B. I might be describing this poorly, but an example of the kind of situation I'm thinking of would be, for example, something along the lines of the situation in the Hunting the Big Daddy video where you are shown a small area and are told, "You have a shotgun, a pistol, and a wrench at your disposal, as well as x plasmids. This is the environment you have to work with. Kill the Big Daddy or find some other way to gather adam from the little sister." I think a slightly more open-ended situation like this might get some more interesting answers and show off the capabilities of the game a bit more, because in the first screenshot scenario contest, it was pretty clearly established what your options were. Just my two cents.

[vrap]

I'm also an international fan, so I'm not going to mess up the vote with an irrelevant opinion. However, both options are cool, it'd be good to see some fan art from the really skilled fans, and the screenshot scenario contest is good for seeing up-to-date footage of the game.

[Hatesink]

That's weird— I misread the title. I read it as "fan-created sub-missions" as in create a possible sub-mission (that might be given to you by one of Rapture's factions). I guess, had I read it correctly, I wouldn't have voted.

[Hatesink]

Idea for a competition (but possible bandwidth/flooding problems)

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2962&postcount=44

[jackinthebox]

i voted yes... it would be nice to see both contests (poster contest would be better), but i don't live in the usa. if the contests would also be for people not living in the usa, it would be great.

[Hatesink]

2K might be able to cut down the weight of entries by only offering the prizes to forum subscribers, plus that way I guess you can promote the forum at the same time and maybe get a few more people on the boards.

I guess that's a lot simpler than my last suggestion :p (although it's probably not as sticky)

[Adam Nuhfer]

Winner of the contest would receive something like an all-expense paid trip to our BioShock launch party this summer, second place will receive a Cult of Rapture tee shirt and our official BioShock poster, and the honorable mentions will receive Cult of Rapture tees at my discretion.


Rapture Mom! As one of your older "Kids" at 51 years of age, I hope I can be right up front with you. You said in another post, "I love you kids". I assume you mean all your Rapture family you've come to know and love. Why can't for something of this importance, you/2K, give all of your kids a chance at this. This is a once in a life time opportunity. It would mean a lot to all/most of us. I'm not in the running at all, out, nada, etc.., so this isn't for me, it's for the rest of the family. I'd like to see you talk with the higher ups and see if they can't give all your kids a chance. To limit those whom can enter to just a few countries, is, I think, a bit unfair. They will buy and love the game just as well as myself or any one else in the family.

Several years back I made an offer to Ken for a donation towards making a System Shock 3. He turned me down. No Problem. I'll make you this offer, You get 2K to open this up to all your rapture Forum family and I'll send you $400.00 US Dollars to help offset yours costs to do this. You have a real chance here Mom to make a few of these "Kids" very happy indeed. How bout it?

Thanks Mom-Love Adam :)

[LastGiantRobot]

I agree with Mr. Nuhfer that what every effort that can be spared to include non-North American applicants should be made. As for the contest ideas I understand that you are limited in man hours in reviewing the entries so as much as I would like both contests to go forward concurrently could they instead cycle? Fan art then screenshot and so on. As for the poster idea, it is great because Bioshock needs a symbol which will automatically elict the ideas that Bioshock represents. While Bioshock has logos already we need the videogame equivalent of the Last supper(a standard we may fall short of but worthy of attempting). For example the GOW posters that show frentic close quarter battles aptly show off the gritty desprate fights that the game embodies. Plus this would be a great excuse for releasing high res screenshots and art assets that would be neccesary for the posters creation...

[Hatesink]

To be honest I don't think it should be based on ability, since it's discriminatory. Just have them email an address with 'competition' in the subject line and just pick one at random.

[LastGiantRobot]

I respectfully disagree Hatesink. Unless they felt that their extraordinary efforts were going to be rewarded the more skilled artists among us may not dedicate the time and effort necessary to craft a well made design. For example I look forward to more artwork from Rapture Tourist or JackintheBox or any of the unknown artists among us but they may not be willing to dedicate their weekend off work to make a design if they felt they would not have a greater chance at meeting the Bioshock team or getting a stuffed BigDaddy doll. Plus the devs will be able to use words like prosumer centric media campaign at their board meetings...

[Hatesink]

My suggestion isn't for you to make a poster for absolutely no reason, my suggestion means you wouldn't have to make a poster at all :p;)

I was under the impression they wanted to cut down the number of emails they've been having to trawl through.

Edit: How about sending pictures of dead presidents to win a t-shirt (and everyone wins) ;)

[Adam Nuhfer]

To be honest I don't think it should be based on ability, since it's discriminatory.

Hatesink: I wish you wouldn't look at it like that. I'm not in the running at all, but will help Rapture Mom/2K with a donation if they open it up to most nations.

I don't see a problem with Rapture Mom/2K doing it they way she/they want. Yes, it's unfair to us whom suck at art design, and I suck at it. I still don't have a problem with knowing I'm OUT OF LUCK!

Look around you! Most of todays movie directors, rock groups even more than likely even perhaps Ken Levine was at some point in his early days inspired by someone, somewhere by something. This contest will inspire some of our fellow Rapture family members to put forth their best stuff. Key being it will inspire. Would System Shock 2 have been the fantastic game it is in MY/OUR hearts had someone else other than Ken and the creative team at IG/LGS done it. The winner may be inspired to the point of they one day creating a cutting edge game that blows us all away. Then, by that happening, we all win!!!

I see this as an investment in the future. OUR future of gaming creativity!

Thanks!


I look forward to August 21st to see some outstanding creativity take shape on my computer. Come on EB Games, Don't fail me like you did with Doom 3.

[the_bUg]

I voted for something other than those 2 ideas, because to me fan art is so lame it's not funny.

I'd rather something like a mini ARG (alternate reality gaming) as has been done on many other sites leading up to a games release (URU for instance) and can be a great way to draw extra attention to your product. Of course, you would have to outsource the actual creation of a mini arg to someone who is experienced in those sorts of creations. But the idea of solving a mystery, and uncovering puzzles etc requiring diverse knowledge and perhaps a lil real world adventuring could be quite fun.

Hell, past pre game release args have had a profound effect on the existant comunity and brought others in to their community as well.

My other idea would be a digital photo contest rather than fan art. Perhaps, people go out in to the realworld and look for the most bioshock inspired scene they can find and submit those.

Or perhaps, the bioshock logo, a prize could be given to the one whom finds a way to display the bioshock logo in an incredibly creative or visible way!

These are all fun contest idea's which are not nearly as lame as fan art...

God I hate fan art. XD

[a rabid chicken]

Adam Nuhfer, do you know that EB games is not making BioShock? I don't think they're even game developers. If you meant EA, they're not making BioShock either.

[Adam Nuhfer]

Adam Nuhfer, do you know that EB games is not making BioShock? I don't think they're even game developers. If you meant EA, they're not making BioShock either.



EB games, retail store <http://www.ebgames.com/> is where I buy most all of my games. They are like a 50 mile round trip for me.

They failed me on Doom 3 by not getting the game in when it was supposed to arrive. I had pre paid for it. Do to a shipping glitch on their end it was going to be two days late. So, I drove to Erie Pa [215 mile round trip] and got it at Best Buy the day it was released. I'll do the same for BioShock when it comes out if need be. Five dollars down holds a copy when it is released as they only get so many copies in each store. After that, It's first come, first serve. Other than the glitch with Doom 3, I haven't had any other problems with them.

I've noticed over the last few years they carry fewer and fewer games for the PC crowd. Most of the games they carry seem oriented towards console market.