Hello people with more power than I have.

Please move my thread Writing Challenge "Underground" - There be prizes! back to the Writing forum.

I have embarked on running a set of challenges. Once per month in Game design, Writing for Games, Music and Sound and Visual Arts. The first of those challenges you can find here: Tumbleweeds - A creative challenge with rewards.

The philosophy of why these challenges exist I have discussed with Michael as per the following conversation (amended to remove erroneous issues):

Stormynature

Basically I started this competition (with a view to making this a regular thing) by where the top 3 (as determined by upvote/downvote) will get a GDNet sub for a year bought for them by me (or a steam prize if they have something equivalent or better). Given that it is coming up to the end of the month at which point the Tumbleweeds competition comes to a close. I needed to figure out how I was going to ensure Gamedev got the money off me to cover the winner's upgraded subs, where appropriate

Michael

Dude.. no prob, we'll donate the subs to help you out. Just send me the winner list when you are done with the competition. Good luck! =)

Stormynature

Nay don't donate!

Part of my twisty thinking behind this is not only providing some extra funds to the site (albeit not huge funds but it will add up overtime and I don't mind paying) but also to generate ownership within members so that when the sub does run out they are more likely to re-up by themselves.

Of course the main reason I am running these and future comps (which will incorporate each of the four creative forums- one per month) is also to start showcasing talent within the creative forums from people who might not necessarily have something substantial they could present by other means.

Michael

I like it.. it's an interesting idea for sure. =) Well I suppose one way of doing it would be to collect the registration fee amount and send it to our paypal @ advertising@gamedev.net. Then I could give out coupons to the winners that they could use for GDNet+ access.

Would that work?

Finally the last thing in my post says the following:

Also in case anyone does wonder why I don't do this through the lounge rather than in the the specific creative forums (yes there will be also art/music ones in the next 2 months), it is because I am looking for those who show intentions of interest by being respective members of the forum as opposed to drift netting entrants.

These challenges are about finding the people who are a part of that particular forum. They are about mining the talent of those particular niches and contributing the mini-communities that exist within each forum's growth. . I don't want it an open slather process and more importantly I don't want it placed where the target group is not.

So please move the thread back or if it is disagreed - provide a reasoning that makes sense.