[HEADING=2]Review Arena vs. Film Noir 3: The Fate of Two Worlds[/HEADING]
Cue mood music. [audio=http://www.koimics.com/sounds/FilmNoirJazz.mp3]
Evenings in the business often end up like this one. Rainy afternoons yielding to disquieting evenings. Another day in the city, another lost life to the urban decay and rampant social ladder-climbing. Thinkers like I am would do better to keep our heads down, down a shot of whiskey, and try to forget everything we know. Can't be helped when a guy with a gun walks into your office. His hand shook as he raised the .45 to my head, and spoke through the torrent of drops dragging off the brim of his hat.
"Do another review contest."
"Review contest?"
"Yeah, your boss Spinwhiz put me up to it, see? Either you do another contest, or we kill that dame you call a wife."
Just like this city, to put me up to another contest. Last one ended in a back-alley shootout. Lost my secretary to an errant bullet. Dame could field clients without thinking about it, and could've given me this job without the business end of a barrel up my nose. Nasty business, that.
"Alright, I'll do your review contest. Under one condition. You get me a patsy. Some kid to do the moving and shaking."
"I ain't your errand boy, son. Spinwhiz isn't going to wait all month for you to hire some yuppie off the street."
"I've got a man already. But we're doing this my way."
"Whatever you say, Lassic, but it's your ass on the life if this one goes south."
I turned to my typewriter, and began drawing up the flyer. I could feel the oppressive haze as rain pelted my dusty windowsill. The spinning fan above causes the shadows to dance across the office. In my mind, I could still feel the cold stare of a .45, reminding me of the price of failure. Evenings in the business often end up like this one.
[HEADING=2]Subject:[/HEADING]
Any game is free reign. The only qualification is that the review is written in the style of a Film Noir. This could mean atmosphere, tone, or even using a narrator. This is up to the writer.
[HEADING=2]Rules:[/HEADING]
The rules are simple, each contestant must submit an anonymous review up to 1,500 words. The review must be spoiler-free and sent by private message to [user]NewClassic[/user] no later than 11:59:59 (GMT) on June 25th. Reviews may contain up to two pictures. Captions are not allowed on the pictures. Only one entry is allowed per user. Do not post entries on this thread. Any entries posted here, or whose content reveals the writer, will be disqualified.
Entries will be judged mainly on content, but formatting, spelling and punctuation will also be a consideration. Users will also judge on the Film Noir theme. Pictures will also be taken into account, should you use them, so judicious use of the image inline tags are recommended.
Once the deadline has elapsed, it will be up to the community to decide who the winner is. The catch is the reviews will be listed by a number, not a name. Two reviews will be pit against one another by drawing, and the review with the most votes will move to the next round. All reviews are on a single-elimination basis. At the loss of a round, or the end of the contest, the review writer will be announced.
The prizes are yet undisclosed, but infinite recognition is a definite likelihood.
[HEADING=2]Frequently Asked Questions:[/HEADING]
Q: Pictures allowed? Reviews judged anonymously? This all so new and frightening!
A: Not really, nilcypher had a similar setup for the Fallout 3 review contest some time ago.
Q: If we're not posting reviews here, what's the point of this thread?
A: Ask and answer questions, announce your intent to join the contest, a unified place to read the rules, that kind of thing.
Q: Is this an official Escapist Magazine contest?
A: This is a community-run event, so no. However, I'm doing what I can to put prize packs together of some kind or another. More word on that as time progresses.
Q: Can I just link a review that I'm hosting on another website?
A: No, because it has to be posted here on the forums to be judged, so it's a really good idea to write it so that's it compatible with our native BBCode. Also, if it can be tied to you in any way, it's disqualified. This includes personal Photobucket accounts for screenshots.
Q: Let's get down to nuts and bolts, why only 1,500 words?
A: As far as size goes, an average review should be in this neighborhood already. It's to challenge the writer, but leave enough room for the reader to get the big picture. Any higher, and it's likely to end up overdoing it.
Q: Could I get away with fewer words?
A: Sure.
Q: Could I get away with more words?
A: No.
Q: Oh, go on.
A: Still no.
Q: Do I have to count the words individually?
A: You can if you like, but most word processors will count them up for you. If you don't have a word processor, you can find an open-source processor called OpenOffice [http://www.openoffice.org/].
Q: About these pictures, are there any size limits?
A: Technically no, but if you dump a huge 1680 x 1050 image into your review, it will likely count against you. Keep them a sensible size and everything will be fine.
Q: Are you going to pull any weird tricks?
A: Well... D'uh.
Q: Can I promote my review when it's up for a vote?
A: No, since you would be using popularity instead of talent to get votes. Talent wins the contest, not internet-charm! Also, breaks the anonymity clause.
Q: Can we use old reviews that have already been posted to the Escapist forums, or must they be new reviews?
A: Has to be new. It won't be anonymous if it's identifiable.
Q: Can I change my review after I've sent it?
A: You have until the the deadline to propose changes.
Q: I've posted my review in this thread, now what?
A: I'm afraid you're disqualified. Do not post reviews in this thread. If you have, re-write of a different game, and submit via PM only. That is all.
Good luck, one and all!
)[/sub]
