Can I post a contest in the forums?

[amoeboar]

Hi all,

I want to host a small contest on the Unity forums. Is this allowed? And if so, where can I post it?

The gist: I will link to a simple game and ask the community to replicate it. They can either make a direct clone or use creative liberty, I just want to see how the idea can be executed by a wide array of people. The person who does the best job gets a prize of, say $350. What are people’s thoughts?

If this type of thing isn’t allowed or is not encouraged, is there a place (on the forums or elsewhere) where I can find people to do this type of work?

Thanks for any advice / tips / feedback.

[amoeboar]

Bueller? Bueller?

[Not_Sure]

Go for it.

People post contests all the time. Usually right here in general.

But I will say that without some sort of institution or product behind the contest it may seem a little fishy coming from someone who has barely been on the forums.

[neginfinity]

Honestly, I’d ask community manager like @Buhlaine or @aliceingameland about this. There WERE contests posted by forum members, but they did not have cash prizes.

[Not_Sure]

@neginfinity

Honestly, I’d ask community manager like @Buhlaine or @aliceingameland about this. There WERE contests posted by forum members, but they did not have cash prizes.

Oh, true.

[JohnnyA]

I’ve done cash prize contests before, and the mods have specifically said its okay. I’ll try and find the post.

EDIT:

Where do we post competitions and things on the border of...

[zombiegorilla]

Please provide more details. How is it presented? What are the conditions? What are the rules?

I am curious what details are missing here. If you are willing to put up a monetary prize, what are value are you getting in return? I tend to err on the side of skepticism.

[JohnnyA]

@zombiegorilla

Please provide more details. How is it presented? What are the conditions? What are the rules?

I am curious what details are missing here. If you are willing to put up a monetary prize, what are value are you getting in return? I tend to err on the side of skepticism.

I wouldn’t worry too much. I doubt many, if any, will replicate a game for a possible prize of $350.

[neginfinity]

@JohnnyA

I wouldn’t worry too much. I doubt many, if any, will replicate a game for a possible prize of $350.

Depends on the game. If someone asks to replicate Star Wars MMO in 3 days, then it won’t be happening, of course.

[zugsoft]

It’s a very good idea to make contest.
After, $350 is a lot for a poor country, and nothing for a rich country.

But I like the idea.
When I need some specific design, I use often Fiverr, the quality is not bad for the price.
But why not a Unity contest on Unity, it’s more fun

[amoeboar]

Thanks for all the replies! Super helpful. I’m new here so seeing the activity and getting the feedback is is really encouraging.

@zugsoft I will try fiverr, as another option, too. Thanks!

@neginfinity it’s nothing quite like a MMORPG. Simply a webtoy I found online that I want to try and replicate and then build off of. For an experienced Unity developer I can’t imagine a rough sketch (which is what I’m looking for) taking more than a few hours.

Thanks again, all! More to come soon.

[Murgilod]

@amoeboar

Thanks for all the replies! Super helpful. I’m new here so seeing the activity and getting the feedback is is really encouraging.

@zugsoft I will try fiverr, as another option, too. Thanks!

@neginfinity it’s nothing quite like a MMORPG. Simply a webtoy I found online that I want to try and replicate and then build off of. For an experienced Unity developer I can’t imagine a rough sketch (which is what I’m looking for) taking more than a few hours.

Thanks again, all! More to come soon.

So this isn’t so much a contest as it is contract work disguised as a contest.

[amoeboar]

@Murgilod Not quite… What I’m looking for is wide open to interpretation. Why I’m posting a contest rather than just hiring somebody is because I want to see how each person interprets the theme differently, and I would reward the best idea. The purpose is to inspire some new ideas with the possibility for a collaboration down the road, though I’m not setting out with that intention.

EDIT: Either way, I’m brand new to the forums, so that’s why I dipped my toes in the water by asking what’s appropriate / not appropriate, how to approach what I’m looking for and where to go if this isn’t the right place. I’m doing things very conscientiously!

[Buhlaine]

I would say that @aliceingameland 's post in the thread above applies here as well. You could also look at using Unity Connect and posting a task that people can try to tackle.

@aliceingameland

Oops, somehow missed this. Bit late to the party here, but I’d put it in Commercial, since you are providing paid work. However, please do make it clear in your post and in any private conversations you have with people what your pitching process will be like, and at which point they have actually secured payment.

If you haven’t, I’d consider a step in there where people firstly pitch the basic idea and key points of an article, giving you a chance to say yes/no before people actually get into writing something at length, especially if you don’t plan on providing a kill fee.

[zombiegorilla]

As I suspected, there was another reason behind it.

This is called spec work, and it is considered unethical.

No!Spec | don’t underestimate your worth

Hire a concept artist / designer / prototyper explore ideas for or with you. Pay them for thier time. Alternatively, find someone to collaborate with and explore with you. Decide your best route and you can post in the commercial or collaboration forums. Make sure to review the rules there before posting.