Blizzard's First Mapping Contest

[2-P]

http://eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/community/contests/sc2maps/

Deadline is September 11

Prizes:
-5000$
-Blizzcon Ticket + Flight + Stuff
-Map playable at Blizzcon

 

[13lade619]

$5000

that should be enough inspiration for someone!

'cant wait to see what they;ll come up with.

 

[Im_On_56k]

$5000 prize money for an official Blizzard contest? Really? Especially something that will require a solid month of constant work if you expect to win.

Meh. $5000 is a lot of money. Don't get me wrong, but this is an official Blizzard contest. Not a fan site contest.

 

[Arkless]

$5000 prize money for an official Blizzard contest? Really? Especially something that will require a solid month of constant work if you expect to win.

Meh. $5000 is a lot of money. Don't get me wrong, but this is an official Blizzard contest. Not a fan site contest.

1. You should NOT enter only to get the price. That would take all the fun from it.
2. For a map to be good, you don't need "a solid month of constant work". What you need is a good idear and the skill to make it into a map. If you add a bit of fun (yes, there are guys like me, who enjoy creating maps ), you will be able to create a damn good map in your free time in that month. A good map does not need the perfect models + the perfect script and everything else to be perfect (thought it would be a plus).
Everything a good map needs is that all the pieces fit (wich is not too hard if you got experience, if you don't, you have to test a lot == consumes time)!

 

[Im_On_56k]

1. You should NOT enter only to get the price. That would take all the fun from it.

I'm not talking about the 'reason' to enter. There is little or no reason not to enter. I am talking about Blizzard putting a measly $15000 (total) up for grabs for a few people. Resulting in $5000 for three people.

The HDH tournament had somewhere around a $5000 prize pool. That's a HUGE prize pool for something coordinated by just a few people. Not to mention those who participated only had to spend a few hours playing some 1v1s. (yes I realize most of them are professional sc players)

2. For a map to be good, you don't need "a solid month of constant work". What you need is a good idear and the skill to make it into a map. If you add a bit of fun (yes, there are guys like me, who enjoy creating maps ), you will be able to create a damn good map in your free time in that month. A good map does not need the perfect models + the perfect script and everything else to be perfect (thought it would be a plus).
Everything a good map needs is that all the pieces fit (wich is not too hard if you got experience, if you don't, you have to test a lot == consumes time)!

You expect a map without polish to win? Your free time in one month won't result in a perfectly polished map. There are going to be people who will spend every second of every day working on a map they will be submitting to this contest. Will that make the map good? Who knows. I would hope they are committing their time to something that will be enjoyable to play.

I'm talking about the time you will probably need to invest if you are aiming to win this contest. I'm not talking about what it takes to make a good map...

Especially something that will require a solid month of constant work if you expect to win.

 

[Sevion]

I am so totally in!

 

[mapguy]

5000 ? for mounths of work?
Im already editing an WC3 map and this takes a lot of time!
this is a lot of time to have ideas
a lot of time to make the ideas
a lot of time to test bugs

in resume, you lose a lot of time.

5000 for 5 mounths of my life? I think not, blizzard, I earn more than it working at a regular job.

I like to make maps, but, Cmon, work like crazzy just for 5000 is stupid!

blizzard is f*ck*ng rich, they can give at least 15000 !

guys, This is just a stupid contest to create a substitute for DOTA on SC2, make the map popular, turn into premmy map, make everyone pay to play. and surprise, you, the guy that made the map only gains 5000. Do you even realize that you could earn more than 5000 if you put the idea of your map in the paper and copyright it and sell to some game industry for more than 5000?

blizzard is using you, they are using you to make money, the 5000 you get is less than 1% of what they get with your map.

do you think it's fair?

 

[Arkless]

I'm talking about the time you will probably need to invest if you are aiming to win this contest. I'm not talking about what it takes to make a good map...

Oh, I missed the part where they stated that the best tech demo wins.

Actually you will never be able to beat a good idear made with decent skills and only basic models. That's just because models, clear code and the best terrain ever cannot make up for a good idea.

That's why I like the S][C editor so much, you got averange+ models and a good language, the only thing you need is the idear.

 

[Karawasa]

There is a reason not to enter actually. By submitting, you give away licensing rights to Blizzard.

 

[Viikuna]

"Submit and we own your map, bitches"

 

[esb]

Boycott the mapping contest! =D

 

[Viikuna]

Actually, Blizzard already owns everything you make with the editor, so youd have to boycot sc2 mapping and probably the whole game all together.

 

[Doomhammer]

I'm more than curious to see which types of maps will shape up out of this contest after all. I mean out of those people who do not intent to hold back their "truly original" ideas.

 

[Flare]

I wonder, will maps created before the beginning of this contest be elligible for submission?

5000 ? for mounths of work?

Well, you have (less than) a month to complete the map before the deadline so... no, it's not months of work. Building upon it after the contest ends, sure, but that's the author's decision since further work won't net him the prize money a second time

guys, This is just a stupid contest to create a substitute for DOTA on SC2, make the map popular, turn into premmy map, make everyone pay to play

They can do this without having to hide under the guise of a mapping contest...

Do you even realize that you could earn more than 5000 if you put the idea of your map in the paper and copyright it and sell to some game industry for more than 5000?

Do you expect a video game developer to pick up a map idea because it is "good"? Considering the time and money that would have to be invested in something that could inevitably result in utter failure (a good, original game idea that can translate well to a standalone game is hard to find), a developer won't be keen on investing in something that isn't a great idea

blizzard is using you, they are using you to make money, the 5000 you get is less than 1% of what they get with your map.

Do you have any information to support this claim? Pulling numbers out of your arse doesn't really support your argument very well...

 

[Viikuna]

It kinda feels bad, though.

Back in the day we just modded for fun, Blizzard provided us the editor, because it was a cool feature we would have fun with, which was one more reason to buy their games.

Today its just another way for them to make money. A nastly little plan to get people do stuff in case some of them does something really cool that they can use to make more and more money.

 

[FrozenShadow]

No Philippines. How sad.

It disappoints me how Blizzard neglects our country.

 

[mapguy]

There is a reason not to enter actually. By submitting, you give away licensing rights to Blizzard.

"Submit and we own your map, bitches"

Like I myself just said:

guys, This is just a stupid contest to create a substitute for DOTA on SC2, make the map popular, turn into premmy map, make everyone pay to play. and surprise, you, the guy that made the map only gains 5000. Do you even realize that you could earn more than 5000 if you put the idea of your map in the paper and copyright it and sell to some game industry for more than 5000?

---------------

It kinda feels bad, though.

Back in the day we just modded for fun, Blizzard provided us the editor, because it was a cool feature we would have fun with, which was one more reason to buy their games.

Today its just another way for them to make money. A nastly little plan to get people do stuff in case some of them does something really cool that they can use to make more and more money.

We share a point of view. Me too thinks the WC3 editor is cool because it's fun and "magical" you map for yourself because you like to make maps, and you like to share it and make a lot of maps!
In SC2 your just working for blizzard FOR FREE!
FOR FREE
FOR FREE!

 

[Ninja_sheep]

5 grand seems like a fair price to me.
Ofc it's not much for blizzard, but that's how contests work: The one who makes the contest usually profits.

Has there ever been anything similar with better prices then this?

 

[Flare]

We share a point of view. Me too thinks the WC3 editor is cool because it's fun and "magical" you map for yourself because you like to make maps, and you like to share it and make a lot of maps!
In SC2 your just working for blizzard FOR FREE!
FOR FREE
FOR FREE!

If my understanding of the Warcraft 3 License Agreement is correct (I think this is the first time I've read it, hah), then I believe the same was applied to WC3 but in a less say-it-as-it-is approach

1. Limited Use License. Blizzard Entertainment ("Blizzard") hereby grants, and by installing the Program you thereby accept, a limited, non-exclusive license and right to install and use one (1) copy of the Program for your use on a home, business, or portable computer. The Program also contains a 'World Editor' (the "Editor") that allows you to create custom levels or other materials for your personal use in connection with the Program ("New Materials"). All use of the Editor or any New Materials is subject to this License Agreement. In addition, the Program has a multiplayer capability that allows users to utilize the Program over the Internet exclusively via Blizzard Entertainment's on-line game network Battle.net or other hosting service authorized by Blizzard Entertainment. Use of the Program over Battle.net or other hosting service authorized by Blizzard Entertainment is subject to your acceptance of Battle.net's Terms of Use Agreement. Blizzard Entertainment reserves the right to update, modify or change the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement at any time.

2. Ownership. All title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights in and to the Program and any and all copies thereof (including, but not limited to, any titles, computer code, themes, objects, characters, character names, stories, dialog, catch phrases, locations, concepts, artwork, animations, sounds, musical compositions, audio-visual effects, methods of operation, moral rights, any related documentation, and "applets" incorporated into the Program) are owned by Blizzard Entertainment or its licensors. The Program is protected by the copyright laws of the United States, international copyright treaties, and conventions and other laws. All rights are reserved. The Program contains certain licensed materials, and Blizzard's licensors may protect their rights in the event of any violation of this Agreement.

The Program (WC3) contains the Editor (WorldEdit) according to Article 1 which, to me, suggests that what applies to the Program applies to the Editor

If my interpretation of Article 2 is correct, just about anything pertaining to the Program (and, by extension, the Editor) is the property of Blizzard Entertainment - however, it's not clear as regards whether anything created with the Editor falls under this (on one hand, you could argue that it is since all the tools provided/required to make maps are owned by Blizzard, and on the other hand, the map itself was not something that employees or associates of Blizzard created)

I don't know a whole lot about license agreements and legal terminology/phraseology - anyone around who can give a definite interpretation of what the articles mean in relation to WC3 map ownership?

 

[NightShade]

^The main problem lies in the interpretation of "New Materials". It could mean new maps that you make, or new patches and maps that they make.

I don't get what everyone is complaining about. It's people like you that make people spend all of their time making and polishing the map, expecting that they need to do that to win. Blizzard can steal your map any time they want and sell it. This map making contest is only so that they can get some good maps in the game fast...
And then steal and sell them.