The GUI Olympics begins MONDAY
Friday, February 27, 2004 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
This Monday, the GUI Olympics 2004 will begin. It's a contest to see who can create the world's best visual styles, icons, and Winamp 5 skins. Sponsors include Stardock, Nullsoft, ATI, nVidia, and others. Microsoft is also providing prizes to the contest. In total, over $10,000 (closer to $15,000) in cash and prizes will be given out including ATI video cards, an Xbox, tons of software and probably some surprises.
You will be able to enter skins individually or as part of a team. The top teams will get a big bonus prize. Anyone can form a team and there are no restrictions on the size of team (though obviously the bigger the team, the bigger the split in the prize money). You could have a Team MyfavoriteWebsite or a Team "l33t". It's up to whoever starts the team (on Monday there will be a mechanism on www.guiolympics.com to create your own team).
The rules are fairly straight forward. You have to enter submissions that are NEW. They can't be things that already exist. They also have to be in WindowBlinds visual style format. But if you've ever made a .msstyles visual style, it's pretty easy to make a WindowBlinds one and SkinStudio can convert a .msstyles file to WindowBlinds visual style format. And then from there add the missing features to make it competitive.
The contest begins on March 1 but JUDGING won't begin until April 5 so you'll have over a month to actually put together your stuff. And judging goes on during the entire month so you may potentially have nearly 2 months depending on what events you're concentrating on.
Here is the schedule of events:
April 5: Most minimalist visual style, Most creative Winamp skin, Most original icon package
April 8: Best Power user visual style, Most useable Winamp skin
April 12: Most usable visual style, Best power user Winamp skin, Best "themed" (icons go together the best) icon package
April 15: Most creative visual style
April 19: Best themed* visual style*, Best themed* Winamp skin, Best pseudo-OS icon package
April 22: Best Pseudo-OS visual style
April 26: Best overall visual style, Best overall Winamp skin, Best overall icon package
April 27: Top Team/Individual: WindowBlinds, Top Team/Individual: Winamp, Top Team/Individual: Icons
April 29: User's Choice: Best visual style, User's Choice: Best Winamp skin: User's Choice: Best icon package
*themed skin as in the whole skin keeps to a particular theme.
16 Events. Over $10,000 in cash and prizes. Anyone can enter.
The judges will be admins/employees from Stardock, Neowin, deviantART, and Nullsoft.
So there you have it. WB visual styles, icon packages, and Winamp 5. For $10k to $15k in cash and prizes spread among 16 main events.
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Reply #42 Saturday, February 28, 2004 11:29 AM
This community isn't about who's 'the best', it's about doing something we love and a mutual appreciation for the work that comes out of that. The GUI Olympics are intended as an incentive for skinners to put their hearts into creating the absolute best work they can achieve, for the betterment of both themselves(perhaps leading to commercial work of the type you enjoy) and the community by providing some high quality skins to download.
I really like the work TSF produce, and I'm happy that you've reached a point in your craft where you can make a decent living from it. Just because a skinner choses not to go the commercial route, that doesn't mean they are necessarily lower-grade than those who do.
I personally have been offered commercial work in the past, only to turn it down because skinning is nothing more than a hobby to me. I consider my work to be of a high standard, and when I hear someone being condescending about the non-commercial skinning work that goes on, I tend to get more than a little angry.
As I hinted before, modesty is usually the best policy. Let your work speak for itself, and leave the Don King promotion for the boardroom.
Reply #43 Saturday, February 28, 2004 11:39 AM
of course that "best skinners" thing is not something i would agree. i expect the best iconists rather to enter Pixelpalooza especially when entries for the GUI Olympics have to be exclusive.
but hey: that doesn´t really matter. it´s advertisement ... it doesn´t have to be true )
important is the fun factor
Reply #44 Saturday, February 28, 2004 11:40 AM
Maybe if i stopped getting attacked everytime i post something in this place i wouldn't feel the need to cop an attitude. I mean i'm the only one who catches s**t for posting an article to help save seals. How f**king ridiculous is that??
Grayhaze: feel free to skip over my comments if you don't like what i write. I'm not editing how i speak or comment because of you. I'm not here to please you. And don't speak for the majority - speak for yourself. Who are you to speak for the "majority" anyway. Are you their self-appointed spokesmodel?
Anyone else choose to rag on me save it. I'm not getting into a flame war with anyone anymore. Done with this petty crap.
Reply #45 Saturday, February 28, 2004 11:46 AM
Reply #46 Saturday, February 28, 2004 11:52 AM
i also don´t know if Kriptoner works for you on a regular basis or if you hired him only for one project. but what i know is that he is still doing "skins for fun", and he is a lot better than the pay-suite skinners (imho). this preview looks great and could for sure win the gold medal, don´t you think? http://www.ida.his.se/~a02linbr/wasabi/misc/d-reliction.png
Reply #47 Saturday, February 28, 2004 11:54 AM
[Message Edited]
Reply #48 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:04 PM
Hey, hey, let's here some "Woo hoo, [God, Buddha, Allah, Nature, the Goddess Spirits, Liberalism, etc.} is going to bless us again with the work of Bakerstreet!!"
When are you fellows going to learn that your lives aren't about your silly egos and disagreements. It is about my ego.
Now come on, let's all unite in the joy that is me.
Reply #49 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:05 PM
Jesh, you will need to get used to the idea that:
1) You're NOT a skinner. You're a skin merchant. Nothing wrong with that (so am I) but that leads to #2.
2) Not every post written everywhere is about you. )
There maybe basketball players out there who are better than anyone playing in the NBA. But you know what? Nobody cares. For the general public, when it comes to talking about the best at something it is usually those whose works are available for others to determine for themselves.
That is what makes the GUI Olympics so compelling, I think. It lets both those who make skins for fun and those who make skins professionally both able to submit things under the same rules and circumstances. I'm sure there will be some good skinners that don't participate for whatever reason, but to the general public, it won't matter. Any claims of "Well I could have beaten them" will sound as hollow as some guy who says they're really good at basketball who doesn't play in the NBA or any other public forum.
Reply #50 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:12 PM
Like i said show me where i said we could beat everyone? You don't get it - i personally don't care about competing in something like this. I don't feel the need to "win a gold." I have other priorities like earning a living and doing some charity work. The only competition i've ever entered us in is the I.D. Design Review for I.D. Magazine. That's something i want to win going up against the best International design firms in the world. And i didn't have to create anything new for that. Just had to submit work from 2003.
[Message Edited]
Reply #51 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:14 PM
I should also point out that even "professional" skinners would be (IMO) missing a huge opportunity by not entering.
The GUI Olympics is going to get a great deal of coverage. ATI, Microsoft, nVidia, Nullsoft are pretty big companies and they're all going to be pointing to it.
I also know that ATI is going to be in the business of hiring skinners to make skins for a project they're working on and that this contest they'll be looking closely at (which is one reason they're giving out thousands of dollars in video cards).
And then there will be the media coverage which is likely to be significant. This will be a great way for people to show case what they want to do. And with $10k to $15k in prizes, it's not exactly a charity event for the winners.
Reply #52 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:17 PM
Jesh, you are a paranoid person. Not everyone is trying to attack you.
If you want to call yourself a skinner, then go for it. If you want to say you're an astronaut, that's fine too. It's a free country.
Reply #53 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:20 PM
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Reply #54 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:21 PM
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout
When I get all steamed up
Hear me shout
"Tip me over
and pour me out!"
Well he said we could be anything we want to be
Reply #55 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:22 PM
Are you still getting the full copyrights to the skins that are entered into the contest? I imagine so. See i know while part of this thing is to have fun for the artist in competing i also know you stand to gain alot more than the artists. For the low cost of 10K in cash and prizes (some of which you don't have to contribute) you get the full rights to use how you see fit around 250 skins. That averages about 40 dollars per skin that you get to seed your applications with. Not too shabby. So let's call a spade a spade. While this competition is great for the artists its even better for you isn't? Now tell me brad was that paranoia or just crystal clear thinking?
Reply #56 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:22 PM
| But let's face it the best skinners are too busy making money to worry about a contest. |
That was just one of the many, many times you said it Jesh. You claim that the best skinners are making money. You are making money, so we can therefore take it that you are among the best. I am not making money, so we can therefore take it that I am not among the best. Hence the anger at the obvious put-down.
Reply #57 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:25 PM
Reply #58 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:25 PM
| Are you still getting the full copyrights to the skins that are entered into the contest? |
I'm not sure what he means by this, but I want to make sure. I still have the copyright to any skin I enter, correct?
No you're not the only one, grayhaze.
[Message Edited]
Reply #59 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:27 PM
You just sat here and went through a whole scenario of how i would act and what i would say and think and the reality is - that whole scenario has never happened. So how can you possibly speak for how would i act in this circumstance. That's ridiculous. I hope you realize that. I'm actually a good sport when i lose. If i give something my best then that's good enough for me.
But hey if i ever need to know how i will act in a given situation before it happens i'll be sure to ask you.
And the copyrights thing could have changed from last time. I'm speculating - sort of what you seem to like to do.
[Message Edited]
Reply #60 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:28 PM
You are probably among the best Windows Media Player skinners in the world. Let that be what you're known for, not your ability to self-promote.
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Reply #41 Saturday, February 28, 2004 11:07 AM
As far as the arrogance i've been accused of that before, a little true? Maybe, mostly confidence stemming from the fact that we've done nothing but grow as a company since inception and produce imo some of the best work in our industry (that was a little arrogant). Actually i would say i'm cocky not so much arrogant. The cockiness usually comes out when i feel like i'm being attacked. And we all know that never happens to me here at Wincusto