October 24, 1997

[contest][art] Origins Award design competition

October 24, 1997

The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design is pleased to announce a competition to come up with a new design for the Origins Awards (the actual physical Awards given to the recipients at the ceremony). The competition is open to anyone who cares to submit a design, and there's a $1,000 cash prize for the winning design. Here's the press release, along with the competition guidelines:

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Blacksburg, Virginia October 22, 1997

The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Announces Origins Awards Design Competition

The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design today announced the opening of a design competition for the new Origins Award. A substantial cash prize is being offered for the winning design, which, beginning with the 1998 Origins Awards, will replace the plaques currently given to Award recipients.

For the past twenty-three years, recipients of Origins Awards, the premier awards for design and production excellence in adventure games, have received plaques to commemorate their acheivements. These semi-generic plaques will be replaced with a unique and prestigious Award that will better reflect the creative nature of the game industry, and will become a symbol of the high standards of the Awards.

"We're looking for an Award that will better develop the image of the Origins Awards ceremony as a key annual event in the game industry, and become a lasting symbol of game design excellence," commented Academy Chairman Charles Ryan.

The design competition is open to any entrant, and features a $1,000 cash prize for the winning design. The deadline for submissions is February 15th, 1998; submissions must comply with the official competition guidelines to be considered. Guidelines can be obtained by contacting the Academy. [a copy of the guidelines is attached]

The annual Origins Awards recognize excellence in adventure game design and production. They are sponsored by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design, a professional organization serving the game industry and a committee of GAMA, the Game Manufacturers Association. For more information on the Academy, the Origins Awards, or the design competition, contact the Chairman at 540.953.1658.

Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Award Design Competition Guidelines

1. Deadline for submissions is February 15th, 1997.

2. The winning design, and an alternate final design (for use should the winning design prove impractical to manufacture), shall be decided upon by the Committee of the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. The decision of the judges is final.

3. The winning design will elegantly convey the unique and creative nature of professional game design, reflect the high standards of Award recipients, and contribute to the prestigious image of the Origins Awards. In encapsulating these ideals, the design will be simple and enduring, and generally reflective of the broad range of games produced now and throughout the history of adventure gaming. It will be practical enough to be reasonably implemented as the Origins Award. Any practical medium is acceptable, and the winning design may take the form of a desktop (statuette, for example) or wall-mounted (plaque) award.

4. To be considered, a submission must include: a cover letter with complete information on the designer; a description of the Award, explaining the elements chosen and what they represent; and drawings sufficient to illustrate the Award visually. Only one design per submission will be considered.

5. All design submissions become property of the Academy.

6. The winning design will be awarded a prize of $1,000 at the 1998 Origins Awards. Should the winning design prove impractical to manufacture, and the alternate final design is instead chosen, the prize will be awarded to the alternative final design.

7. This competition is open to all; however, Academy Committee members and officers and directors of GAMA are ineligible for the cash prize.

8. Should submissions prove insufficient or inadaquate in the decision of the judges, the Committee may choose not to select a winning design or an alternate design. In such case, the prize will not be awarded.

Charles Ryan Chameleon Eclectic charles@blackeagle.com www.blackeagle.com