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.
[Message Edited]
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Reply #62 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:30 PM
| I still have the copyright to any skin I enter, correct? |
Of course you do Çërêb®øJÐ. You're not being paid for the work, and even if you were you would have to sign over the legal rights to Stardock. As an artist, you retain copyright to your work until such time as you sign a contract to say otherwise.
The only condition they may set is that the winning skins be possible inclusions in future versions of the software. Which is something I'm sure none of us would have a problem with.
Reply #63 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:30 PM
Stardock doesn't get any copyrights to the skin. We never have. The skins are owned by the artists. They grant us a license to distribute them (obviously). The rules, btw, are publicly posted on GUI Olympics.com.
And given that this is the second GUI Olympics, not the first, history has already shown that Stardock treats the submissions with absolute respect.
The benefit Stardock gets out of the competition is pretty straight forward: Publicity. The same benefit that skin authors get.
So yes, you were demonstrating more paranoia. If you weren't so insecure you would see this event for what it is. But you are right about one thing, the more you trivialize it, the more insecure you sound, the more you sound (to me anyway) that you are making excuses why not to participate because you aren't sure what the outcome would be.
You are right in one implication, I'm pretty good at business. And entering the contest is a good thing(TM) for both pros and non-pros alike for a wide variety of reasons. Skinners have over a month to come up with what they want to enter and the rewards in publicity, fandom, recognition, and cash/prizes are pretty compelling.
In short, regardless of why one skins, the GUI Olympics really is a good thing for the community both pros and non-pros.
Reply #64 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:32 PM
the quality standard for "good" skins in the media player field (be it Winamp or WMP) is higher though.
guess i´ll download that Skinstudio thing tomorrow. i won´t even use the skin, but still i want to see what i can do with it
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Reply #65 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:32 PM
I agree with Frogboy, you do sound like you're trying to make this event seem trivial.
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Reply #66 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:34 PM
Reply #67 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:36 PM
Reply #68 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:37 PM
| I agree with Frogboy, you do sound like you're trying to make this event seem trivial. |
Why don't you reread my previous comments before judging. How many times do i really have to say i think this is a good thing but we have committed ourselves to charity skins before you people get the message. Charity to me is more important that a contest. There is no hidden message in that. None. Zero. Why you paranoid people think that's a slight to the contest is beyond me but i'm late for a date.
Reply #69 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:38 PM
Reply #70 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:40 PM
Reply #71 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:40 PM
You really do need to work on your communication skills Jesh. It now sounds like you're hinting that the existance of the contest is a bad thing and that the money would be better spent going to charity.
Reply #72 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:40 PM
so long guys. Have a nice day. I'll read your flames about me later on. Try to use words like "arrogant", "paranoid" and "astronaut" in them so at least we can stay on topic.
Reply #73 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:41 PM
Reply #75 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:43 PM
Anyway i already know who might win all categories ...
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Reply #76 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:44 PM
(If no one can take a hint, this is reminder that it is much better to laugh at the fool than stick your fork in the guy sitting next to you. I have pissed off both Frogboy and Jesha, so I think everyone will acknowledge my expert opinion. Nothing comes of shizznitz like this, other than sheepish apologies and uncomfortable relations.)
ALL HAIL ME!!!
Reply #78 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:45 PM
"/ me" without the space.
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Reply #79 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:46 PM
| Jesh writes: so much more important than your little contest |
Yea, I can't imagine how someone could take that as trivializing the GUI Olympics.
It's much ado about nothing. Unless Jesh learned to skin, he couldn't really enter anyway. The question is whether the skinners he contracts to make skins have time to enter or not. He's not speaking for them. He's speaking for himself and since Jesh has never released a skin to my knowledge EVER it's really a non-issue.
It would be like me saying that our skinners don't have time for a "little contest" as if I have some sort of magical control over the skin authors we contract for our projects. And incidentally, I also act as "art director" but don't call myself a skinner for that reason. I do call myself a skinner because..I...actually...create...skins.
There is no shame in not entering. But the reality of the situation is that the general public is going to look at this as the contest between the best of the best participating in 3 different fields of skinning. Those who don't participate will sound, I suspect, like sour grapes if they say "Oh yea? Well I could have won a lot of stuff but I just didn't have time..." No one has to enter. But from a community stand point, this contest will be a who's who of skinning. It may not be fair but that's reality.
Reply #80 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:46 PM
grayhaze wanders off to polish his 'faux gold medal'
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Reply #61 Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:29 PM