Epic Announces $1,000,000 Intel Make Something Unreal Contest

[WarTourist]

INTEL AND EPIC GAMES LAUNCH “$1 MILLION INTEL MAKE SOMETHING UNREAL CONTEST”
Legendary mod-making contest with more than $1 million in cash and prizes to spark game development

CARY, N.C. – April 3, 2008 – Epic Games, Inc., the award-winning developer of multimillion-selling games and the world’s leading game engine, Unreal Engine 3, today announced plans to follow up the original “$1 Million Make Something Unreal Contest” with an all new competition to include esteemed sponsor, Intel Corporation. Winnings exceed $1 million in value, and consist of one coveted Unreal Engine 3 license as a grand prize and other cash awards and prizes, including Intel® Software Development Products and Velocity Micro PCs based on the Intel® Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform with two Intel® Core™2 Extreme quad-core processors. The 2008 “$1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest” will be judged in four preliminary phases and a grand final. Judging will begin in June 2008 and will conclude, with the grand final prizes being awarded, in fall 2009.

To participate, aspiring game developers create modifications (“mods”) for the PC version of Unreal Tournament 3 in a wide range of categories including environments, characters, weapons, gameplay, tools, vehicles and more.
Through the contest, players can unleash their creative skills, make new content and game experiences using cutting-edge game technology, and reap rewards on many different levels. The content created for this contest will be freely available to players of the PC version of Unreal Tournament 3 worldwide.

“To all you aspiring game developers out there – this is your chance to get in the big leagues. We have categories for all kinds of creatively talented people including programmers, artists, 3D modelers, designers and even aspiring film directors,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “You get to use the same world-class Unreal Engine 3 toolset we used to create Unreal Tournament 3 and Gears of War. Unreal Engine 3 is used by many of the industry’s leading game companies, so this is truly a chance to prove your worth and get your foot in the door of the game business while having your work potentially exposed to millions. To get mod-makers started, the collector’s edition of Unreal Tournament 3 includes over 20 hours of 3D Buzz’s professional-level video training materials for the Unreal Engine 3 toolset.”

“The ‘$1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest’ demonstrates Intel’s ongoing commitment to helping game developers harness the capabilities of the PC gaming platform,” said Elliot Garbus, vice president, Software and Solutions Group, general manager, Visual Computing Software Division, Intel Corporation. “We are passionate about unleashing developers’ innovation through our popular software developer tools, our Intel® Core™ 2 processor family, and high-performance platforms, like the eight core Intel® Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform, formerly codenamed ‘Skulltrail’. Combining Intel products with the Unreal Engine modding tools provides a wonderful opportunity for aspiring developers, machinima artists, and modders to jump in and truly change the game.”

The last “$1 Million Make Something Unreal Contest” catapulted World War II shooter Red Orchestra to fame. Its development team, Tripwire Interactive, was awarded the grand prize, an Unreal Engine 3 license, for overall Best Mod and throughout the contest earned nearly $80,000 in cash and computer hardware prizes. Red Orchestra was later shipped to retail outlets worldwide.

“A few years ago, we were just a group of fans with an idea to make a mod that we would all like to play," said Tripwire Interactive President John Gibson. "The Unreal Engine and its mod tools were perfect for the game we wanted to make, and with the hard work and determination of our team we used those tools to create Red Orchestra and win the mod competition. Winning the ‘Make Something Unreal Contest’ helped the Tripwire Interactive team realize our dream of founding our own development studio and bringing our game to retail. It is a real life 'Rags to Retail' story.”

Universities and students can participate as well. “We were pleased to be a winner in the educational category of the first contest sponsored by Epic and look forward to being part of this year’s competition,” said Dr. Peter Raad, founder and executive director of The Guildhall at SMU. “Unreal Engine technology has been a cornerstone of our program and has been a big part of us sending more than 180 artists, level designers and programmers since 2004 to work at more than 70 video game studios around the world.”

For more information about the “$1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest,” visit www.makesomethingunreal.com.

About Unreal Tournament 3
Published by Midway, Unreal Tournament 3 marks the return of the world's premiere first-person shooter to the PC, and its debut on the PLAYSTATION®3 system. Unreal Tournament 3 unleashes the full power of Unreal Engine 3, taking graphics, gameplay and challenge to a whole new level. Players engage in intense battles with other human players online, or against Unreal artificial intelligence that sets the industry standard. With the most powerful futuristic weapons and vehicles available, this is FPS action at its best! More information about Unreal Tournament 3 can be found online at www.unrealtournament3.com.

About Unreal Engine 3
The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and its best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 maintains those features while adding massive world support, multi-processor support, next-generation console optimizations, and one of the most mature tool pipelines in the industry. Unreal Engine 3's advanced toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained through the Unreal Technology Web site at www.unrealtechnology.com.

About Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its Unreal series, recently shipping Unreal Tournament 3 for PC and PlayStation 3. Epic’s breakthrough game, Gears of War, sold over 4.5 million copies and was awarded overall Game of the Year for 2006 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Game Developers Choice Awards, GameSpot, GamePro and many others. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including the Game Critics Awards’ Best Console Game and Spike TV’s 2007 RPG of the Year Mass Effect by BioWare and the 2007 BAFTA Best Game and Spike TV Game of the Year BioShock by 2K Games. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and three-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine's Front Line award for Best Engine. Epic was also recognized as 2006 Studio of the Year by Spike TV, 2006 Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine and 2007 Large Company of the Year by the North Carolina Technology Association. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through the Epic Games Web site at www.epicgames.com.

About Intel
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel Software is available at www.intel.com/software. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
Epic, Epic Games, Unreal, Unreal Tournament and Gears of War are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright ® 2008 INTEL Corporation. All rights reserved. .

[Dozinator]

Very Nice Epic.

Thank you from the PC Community ;)

[Giggity]

This will own hard..

[Tweakd]

Thanks for sharing WT. I'm sure this will raise a lot of interest and UT3 really deserves it. Good luck to everyone participating this time around.

[MysTikal]

Yay, it's open again.


The last “$1 Million Make Something Unreal Contest” catapulted World War II shooter Red Orchestra to fame. Its development team, Tripwire Interactive, was awarded the grand prize, an Unreal Engine 3 licenseDo you not mean Unreal Engine 2 (UT2004 era)?

[Hyrage]

This is the greatest 2008 news until the GoW 2 tech demo LOLLL.
Thx and nice move Epic!

[CaFe]

Omg Really? GUNNA MAKE SOMETHING UNREAL.

[TOP-Proto]

time to join www.tacticalops3.com , since we are in the running for the win!

( good luck all the teams!! :) )

[3Deeing]

time to join www.tacticalops3.com , since we are in the running for the win!

( good luck all the teams!! :) )

Indeed. ;)

(10char)

[paradigm]

time to join www.tacticalops3.com , since we are in the running for the win!

( good luck all the teams!! :) )

YES good luck to tacticalops3 development team !!!!!!!!!!! i'm sure you guys will win :):D:eek::cool:

[rektide]

Three months?! WAY UNCOOL.

Android challenge was 5 months, and thats just an application. I dont know what you expect a lone programmer to dream up and bring to fruition in 3 months.

I'm not sure how to kindly phrase this, but you need to seriously reconsider your deadline. I think you'll be much more pleased with the results if you give people some break in time on your brand new engine, and time to do some quarter decent design work.

[rektide]

Sorry missed the thing about phases. I'd push mutator and game type to a latter phase entry for sure.

[Dolfin]

Thanks Epic, making steps to keep the UT3 PC community going.

Get client-side demos working and im sure movies will really get the community thriving.

[heyqule]

Three months?! WAY UNCOOL.


ya.. many people still learning the engine... they should push the deadline to end of summer.

[Phopojijo]

If it's like last time, you can resubmit the same map in multiple phases.

It's mostly a test to see how well you can cram into short deadlines.

Sometime that plagues a lot of actual game companies.

[Chromatik]

I can't wait to see the mods maps and mutes this brings our way. This is exactly what we needed.

Thanks :cool:

[riftvalley]

Why is it that PS3 users are out in the cold? All of their customers who support them should be able to get that prize mod. Im sure they could cook it for PS3.

[RanShak]

Why is it that PS3 users are out in the cold? All of their customers who support them should be able to get that prize mod. Im sure they could cook it for PS3.

“The ‘$1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest’ demonstrates Intel’s ongoing commitment to helping game developers harness the capabilities of the PC gaming platform”

I don't imagine Intel is much concerned with consoles, what with like 99% of their revenue coming from PCs.

[NitrousOxide]

Why is it that PS3 users are out in the cold? All of their customers who support them should be able to get that prize mod. Im sure they could cook it for PS3.

I do believe programming requires some sort of computer....

[psy°mnïus]

sweeeeeeeet

[Brad.G]

you guys think its worth submitting the UT3 Tweaker in to this? :)

[3Deeing]

Why not. :)

[Fireseal]

ya.. many people still learning the engine... they should push the deadline to end of summer.

It's a business. They fully intend to push out as much content as possible sooner rather than later. Not only is there a lot of content, but the condensed timeline will generate a bigger buzz.

[Setheran]

Really excited about this. It's a much needed motivation-boost to press on with learning how to model custom content for my maps.

[SAHChandler]

I'm excited.
:)

[Slyrr]

There is a best Custom Character category. Epic - have you released your character/skeleton templates in a file pack that can be opened using 3DMAX 8? The versions you have posted are for users of max9 or higher. Not everyone has Max 9.

If there's a version that can be opened in max 8, please point those of us in the custom character community to where they may be found. Otherwise, we can't participate!

Also, do you yet have a TUTORIAL set for custom character creation? One that explains the process from start to finish, like you supplied for UT200X engine model creation? Last time I checked the UDN website (and I check it a lot) your free use side did NOT have such tutorials. And I can't afford the 'licensing fee' to buy my way onto the developer page.

Without these tutorials that explain HOW to do this stuff, I fear the custom character field will be limited to only a few people who have both the info and the files that the overall community does not have.... I'd love to participate. But right now, I can't.

I bought the collectors edition because of the video tutorials, which I hoped would explain the whole process of custom character creation. Alas, the videos are only for map makers and say nothing about CCC'ing.

In short - thanks for hosting the contest Epic. I just need some tools to participate.
1) A set of your male/krall models setup that can be opened in MAX8
2) Tutorials.

Keeping fingers crossed....

[3Deeing]

There is a best Custom Character category. Epic - have you released your character/skeleton templates in a file pack that can be opened using 3DMAX 8? The versions you have posted are for users of max9 or higher. Not everyone has Max 9.

If there's a version that can be opened in max 8, please point those of us in the custom character community to where they may be found. Otherwise, we can't participate!

Also, do you yet have a TUTORIAL set for custom character creation? One that explains the process from start to finish, like you supplied for UT200X engine model creation? Last time I checked the UDN website (and I check it a lot) your free use side did NOT have such tutorials. And I can't afford the 'licensing fee' to buy my way onto the developer page.

Without these tutorials that explain HOW to do this stuff, I fear the custom character field will be limited to only a few people who have both the info and the files that the overall community does not have.... I'd love to participate. But right now, I can't.

I bought the collectors edition because of the video tutorials, which I hoped would explain the whole process of custom character creation. Alas, the videos are only for map makers and say nothing about CCC'ing.

In short - thanks for hosting the contest Epic. I just need some tools to participate.
1) A set of your male/krall models setup that can be opened in MAX8
2) Tutorials.

Keeping fingers crossed....

Can you not download the Max 2009 demo, import it, and then export it as a .3DS?

[Bret Hart]

If we use default content in our maps would it not have a big chance of winning something or does a map have to use all custom content to win something? Or can we submit a remake?

[Raenz]

Posting in hopes that someone might already know, and if not, that Epic posts the answer on their makesomethingunreal.com site:

Is a third person shooter considered a FPS for the sake of this contest? I noticed that there will be two different categories for the mod part of the contest, and was hoping to get some clarification on whether an over the shoulder gameplay type falls under the FPS or non-FPS category.

Thanks for any info.

[Flak]

you guys think its worth submitting the UT3 Tweaker in to this? :)

Of course!

Good luck to everyone!!

[apoisonedgift]

How does the 4 phases aspect work? Work must be submitted in the first phase, but can be resubmitted over the other ones with improvements or something?

[Madgobbo]

Pretty much, if youre not done by the time phase 1 rolls around, you can always submit in a later phase, however, if you submit in an earlier phase, regardless if you win you can submit in a later phase so long as the mod has been improved dramatically for the next phase

Methinks its time I started powering on my mod at least to get it done by phase 3 or 4.

[Mark Rein]

Why is it that PS3 users are out in the cold? All of their customers who support them should be able to get that prize mod. Im sure they could cook it for PS3.Mods entered in the contest are judged on PC but there's nothing stopping the mod maker from cooking their mod for PS3 if they want to.

[Mark Rein]

Posting in hopes that someone might already know, and if not, that Epic posts the answer on their makesomethingunreal.com site:

Is a third person shooter considered a FPS for the sake of this contest? I noticed that there will be two different categories for the mod part of the contest, and was hoping to get some clarification on whether an over the shoulder gameplay type falls under the FPS or non-FPS category.

Thanks for any info.What we're really looking for in the non-FPS category are non-shooter-type mods. I think an over-the-shoulder shooter that plays like an FPS (with the camera drawn back) isn't going to win in that category but would be eligible for the normal FPS category. We've actually said in the rules that we reserve the right to judge any mod in any category we think it qualifies so we'd make sure a good mod gets proper consideration regardless of how the mod maker chose to classify it.

[Raenz]

Thanks for the answer....I appreciate it.

[Bret Hart]

Can someone answer my question?

[TOP-Proto]

Mods entered in the contest are judged on PC but there's nothing stopping the mod maker from cooking their mod for PS3 if they want to.

Hi Mark, i have a question about mod cooking. We definately would love to do this for TO3, and hopefully have TO3 a mod for PS3 consoles, but we are concerned over the the following.



Importing sounds is not supported. This is because UT3 uses a proprietary
version of ATRAC3 and we are unable to release the tool that is needed to
convert .wav files to the format required by the game.


So my question is, will we be able to import sounds for PS3 mods, and if so do we use ATRAC3 or another "supported" sound format?

[Giggity]

What we're really looking for in the non-FPS category are non-shooter-type mods. I think an over-the-shoulder shooter that plays like an FPS (with the camera drawn back) isn't going to win in that category but would be eligible for the normal FPS category. We've actually said in the rules that we reserve the right to judge any mod in any category we think it qualifies so we'd make sure a good mod gets proper consideration regardless of how the mod maker chose to classify it.

C&C: Unreal Wars!

An Unreal RTS! GOGO!

[GnabGib]

you guys think its worth submitting the UT3 Tweaker in to this? :)

Most definately.
It's the only tool i use with the ut3 , and very usefull , for me at least.

[Taboen]

C&C: Unreal Wars!

An Unreal RTS! GOGO!

Combine my 2 favourite games? YES YES YES YES:D

[Kev_Boy]

I was sooooo hoping there'd be one for UT3! And now there is! AWESOME!!! :D

[Green_Day_584]

w00t! i am complete!

nobody expect to hear from me for the next year or so... i'll be modding my 4$$ off on something i know i wont win!

w00t! thankyou Epic! :D

[Mark Rein]

If we use default content in our maps would it not have a big chance of winning something or does a map have to use all custom content to win something? Or can we submit a remake?You can submit whatever you want. How well it does depends on how it compares to the other things being judged in the same category. I don't think you need to have custom content to make a fantastic map. I'm not sure if a remake would be enough to win a prize or not to be honest. When we set up the new site it used the same URL as the version from the last contest but I'll see if we can setup an alternate URL to the old site so you can see what won last time. Note: just because something won last time doesn't mean a similar thing will win this time.

[Mark Rein]

you guys think its worth submitting the UT3 Tweaker in to this? :)Sure - go for it!

[Mark Rein]

Hi Mark, i have a question about mod cooking. We definately would love to do this for TO3, and hopefully have TO3 a mod for PS3 consoles, but... will we be able to import sounds for PS3 mods, and if so do we use ATRAC3 or another "supported" sound format?I don't know. We're trying to find a solution to this.

[apoisonedgift]

So whats the advantage to submitting your works by the first deadline if you can submit it later?

[[CALIBUR]]

This could help UT3 get more players on servers in the long run

[Bret Hart]

Can we submit things we've released to the public already?

[Kev_Boy]

So whats the advantage to submitting your works by the first deadline if you can submit it later?

Well.. the longer the game is out, the longer the editor is out and the more comfortable folks will become with it.
So sooner is probably better :)

[WarTourist]

So whats the advantage to submitting your works by the first deadline if you can submit it later?

Each phase has its own winners and prizes. If you didn't submit for a particular phase, you wouldn't be in the running for that specific phase's prizes.

Phase 1-4 though are self contained and to submit for one phase doesn't require that you submitted for the previous.

[faultymoose]

This is the best news I've heard all week! Make Something Unreal has to be one of - if not THE - best gaming community initiatives ever, and to see it come up again... SO EXCITED!

I do have a question though: Can we enter the same mod in multiple categories? I noticed that Mark said the judges reserve the right to judge a mod within any category they think it fits.

[Hyrage]

you guys think its worth submitting the UT3 Tweaker in to this? :)
And you'll probably win the Best Tool :D

[Brad.G]

And you'll probably win the Best Tool :D

il put it in and see what happens :) trying to get pipe switching working on the next version.. but thats another story and not the right place for it :rolleyes:

[Calvin Hobbes]

No best audio/sound category?

[Pendrokar]

Does this contest include video/film/movie making on Unreal Engine 3? Because there is one guy who would surely do it and would make something EPIC on unreal engine 3.
I only know him from gametrailers.com. His name there is montyoum(devs of gametrailers even made a "game" page called montyoum with his movies inside!). And he has made some horrific movies such as the Haloid (Halo vs Metroid)- http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/57998.html
and Dead Fantasy (Dead And Alive vs. Final Fantasy)- http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/115884.html
(Part 2)- http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/193489.html

I am not advertising his movie, but I think he would deserve something for his movie-making! + I would like to see what he is capable of!

EDIT: Oh wait gametrailers.com set some HD too:
Dead Fantasy Part 1 HD - http://www.gametrailers.com/player/26450.html
Dead Fantasy Part 2 HD - http://www.gametrailers.com/player/32364.html

[Slyrr]

Can you not download the Max 2009 demo, import it, and then export it as a .3DS

An idea. Would it preserve the skeleton, bone names, links and all?
And has someone already done this and posted the .3ds files someplace? That would also be great - it would spare me the hassle of installing an application that I'm not going to use and cluttering my registry/hard drive for a one-shot deal...

[bazzwano]

Can we enter in a map that we have already crated since the release?
If so id really like to submit my map safeguard

[Bret Hart]

Can we enter in a map that we have already crated since the release?
If so id really like to submit my map safeguard

A guy is already submitting his tweaker tool, so I don't see why not?

[Silent Assassin]

No Mac?

*10chars*

[MonsOlympus]

An idea. Would it preserve the skeleton, bone names, links and all?
And has someone already done this and posted the .3ds files someplace? That would also be great - it would spare me the hassle of installing an application that I'm not going to use and cluttering my registry/hard drive for a one-shot deal...

I dont think it does hey, well the shape of the skeleton perhaps but not the actual anim stuff you'd need for rigging I dont think.

Im not an animator though only a modeller :p

Some nice tidbits of info in this thread :)

I do have a question, can someone enter a phase/category more than once? Like say if I have 2-3 mutators I would like to enter instead of just 1, ofcoarse I wouldnt enter every little mutator I make though :p

Im just wondering what the judges would be looking for in this category. Mutators can do alot of things, they can be big or small, they can break compatibility or be very compatible with other mutators. Like would technical prowess be just as important as an original idea, or perhaps the idea is to expand UT3's gameplay but not drastically change it.

Anyways, like for eg a voting mutator would that be considered a tool and also a mutator? or does is tool specifically an external application? You gotta wonder if ease of use will play any part, or if technical prowess (lack of bugs perhaps) and features will win the judges.

Im just curious though as if only 1 entry per phase is allowed (per person) I need to know which would be the best to submit, maybe thats part of it all is just taking a best bet and hoping. If multiple entries are allowed thats kewl, I'll just pick the best ideas and stick with the shortlist :cool:

[Nokill]

I'd like to wish everyone good luck with there creations and I'm sure there will be loads of original and functional new types of game play :)

And if anyone is looking for a inspirational chat on game functionality or design hit me up.
Nokill [at] redcellgaming.com

[Henrik]

I'd like to know what prizes (or how much cash) would be involved for someone submitting a machinima, being that it could potentially be as much work to create as a mod, it would be nice if it was eligible for the grand prize also. An engine license could be equally handy for animation as for creating a game. I understand that Epic has already sold licenses to people for this purpose and I believe it only fair that we receive the same opportunity to win one through this contest in that category.

My second question is whether the machinima has to be real-time, or playable through the engine, or can it be rendered out to an app such as say, adobe premiere for further editing? (my suspicion is the former, but never hurts to check..)

[Kev_Boy]

I can't believe this hasn't become a twenty-plus page thread yet.. this is really good stuff!
It deserves better than a 'mere' seven pages :D

[Tailsnake]

I'm just happy to see this announced, now it looks like there will be quite a few more interesting mods like Zeeless, Angels Fall First, Tactical Ops 3, Project Stealth, and Renegade X.

[TOP-Proto]

I can't believe this hasn't become a twenty-plus page thread yet.. this is really good stuff!
It deserves better than a 'mere' seven pages :D


in my opinion this is down to several factors.

1. to mod in UT3 requires a steep learning curve. Most of my team have takens weeks to go though the tutorials on the special edition CD's and online resources to understand the new technology
2. Support for mods when you get stuck isnt there yet because UT3 is so new. (my team help each other as best they can)
3. To make a mod in UT3 (a TC one at least) you cant be weak in any one area of
1. Texture Artists
2. Modeller
3. Animator
4. Sound Artist
5. Sound Effects
6. Coder
7. Project Management
8. PR

4. because of point 3, the only real viable way for a UT3 mod team to work, is to have a big team, and manage it in small chunks.

its extremely difficult keeping a huge team in check, and motivated, and it takes alot of time/effort to do so.

Because of all these facts, thats why theirs not that many UT3 mods.

the bar for UT3 mods is raised much higher and the learning curve is very steep at the moment with little / no information

Some things hinder the starting of mods, like lack of mod support for TC's (i think i got a solution to this which once i worked out one bug i will post on these forums (and you guys will love me for it!))

but like i said, its a higher bar for UT3, and your team really need to be a cut above the rest to produce anything near "COD4" standards that people are comming to expect.

[Angel_Mapper]

8. PRHeh. :confused:

[3Deeing]

PR = Public Relations

[TOP-Proto]

sorry angel mapper (huge fan of your stuff by the way! :) )

[Mark Rein]

Can we submit things we've released to the public already?Yes, absolutely!

[Mark Rein]

I do have a question though: Can we enter the same mod in multiple categories? I noticed that Mark said the judges reserve the right to judge a mod within any category they think it fits.Yes you can. In fact if you only enter it in one and we think it might deserve a prize in three we'll judge it in all three.

[Mark Rein]

I do have a question, can someone enter a phase/category more than once? Like say if I have 2-3 mutators I would like to enter instead of just 1, ofcoarse I wouldnt enter every little mutator I make though :pYes you can enter as much as you want. I'll leave the technical portions of your answer to Jeff.

[Mark Rein]

I'd like to know what prizes (or how much cash) would be involved for someone submitting a machinima, being that it could potentially be as much work to create as a mod, it would be nice if it was eligible for the grand prize also. An engine license could be equally handy for animation as for creating a game. I understand that Epic has already sold licenses to people for this purpose and I believe it only fair that we receive the same opportunity to win one through this contest in that category.We have not put the exact prize distribution information up on the site yet but looking at the last version I saw there was approximately $25,000 total available to be won in the 'Machinima' category. In total there is over US$500,000 in cash available to be won in the contest!


My second question is whether the machinima has to be real-time, or playable through the engine, or can it be rendered out to an app such as say, adobe premiere for further editing? (my suspicion is the former, but never hurts to check..)I'll let Jeff answer that one.

[faultymoose]

Yes you can. In fact if you only enter it in one and we think it might deserve a prize in three we'll judge it in all three.

Thanks, Mark!

Damn this is exciting! /claps hands and giggles

[MonsOlympus]

Yes you can enter as much as you want. I'll leave the technical portions of your answer to Jeff.

Ahh thank you for that :)

I was speaking to some people on irc and from what they were saying its not really a coding contest but a fun contest. So perhaps I should put fun up the top of my list, it also sounds as if the source will never be looked at so I dont think theres much need to be neat.

So I got a pretty good idea of where to head (just prioritzing) if you guys cant answer that, I can understand not giving too much away in this case I guess.

[Taboen]

So what kind of stuff can you send in? Anything or total conversions only? Mutators, gametypes?

[faultymoose]

So what kind of stuff can you send in? Anything or total conversions only? Mutators, gametypes?

Check the website! :)

Pretty much anything. There are categories covering all map types, as well as mutators, utilities, visuals, etc.

A lot of categories, with a lot of prizes :D

[Cyzmyass]

Thanks Epic, this will help speed up new content being made.

Things im looking forward to most; Invasion, Tam and new warfare maps.

[greggorypeccary]

I have had some ideas kicking around my head for a while. Some of them started as Ideas for comics or animated stories. Slowly over time and years of gameplay they turned into ideas for games.I never thought I would be able to make a quality game at home.I saw a video somewhere that was demonstrating how to use the ut3 mod tools . What I saw got me excited and renewed my interest in these stories. I have a rudimentary knowledge of 3d art programs . I went out and bought ut3 for the mod tools. I seriously doubt I will have anything done for any contest but I may be able to make something with this software . I think it is great that you get this for free .The one thing I would like to know is where I can get some type of user manual or tutorial to help me learn some of the specifics. Any help would be greatly appreciated....thanks

[TOP-Proto]

the unrealwiki http://wiki.beyondunreal.com/ and the unreal udn udn.epicgames.com are great places to start.

also mod communities you find via google will help.

be warned, making mods is very difficult, but very rewarding.
you might find yourself like me, and unable to stop modding cause you enjoy it too much!! :)

[greggorypeccary]

thanks TOP-Proto

[icufos]

My suspicians are confirmed. Epic ARE 'The Gods of Goodness in all things gaming!':D

[m3fs]

We have not put the exact prize distribution information up on the site yet but looking at the last version I saw there was approximately $25,000 total available to be won in the 'Machinima' category. In total there is over US$500,000 in cash available to be won in the contest!


I'd like to know what prizes (or how much cash) would be involved for someone submitting a machinima, being that it could potentially be as much work to create as a mod, it would be nice if it was eligible for the grand prize also. An engine license could be equally handy for animation as for creating a game. I understand that Epic has already sold licenses to people for this purpose and I believe it only fair that we receive the same opportunity to win one through this contest in that category.

My second question is whether the machinima has to be real-time, or playable through the engine, or can it be rendered out to an app such as say, adobe premiere for further editing? (my suspicion is the former, but never hurts to check..)


I'll let Jeff answer that one.

I don't see why you couldn't splice your in-game shots together with a 3rd party program. There are so many elements to consider. Voice overs, sound effects, the soundtrack score, particle effects, filters, etc...some of which can be done effectively in game and some that can't. :)

[Henrik]

Well that would be nice indeed, but I asked Epic as their answer is the only one that actually counts.

[UnrealGrrl]

:( 10 characters, ok... wish the character customization stuff had been fixed before the contest was announced...

and no audio/sound categories just kinda sucks.

[Henrik]

Was there one last time? I'd love that as much as anyone - I'm actually an audio engineer as well as a musician - but I'm not sure it suits the MSUC since without the music or audio being in a map or mod, it becomes pretty ambiguous.

[synister]

Winner: www.TacticalOps3.com

[TOP-Proto]

Winner: www.TacticalOps3.com

we wish :P

problems are
1. competition ends 2009 so plenty of time for new 1st person mods (get your entires in!! :) )
2. TO3 expects professionals who work in the games industry to club together and outclass our "amature by comparason" attempts
3. Our TO3 Community is more important than MSUC (dont get me wrong, for most of us on the TO3 team, top prize is a dream)

i love playing mods :) i loved the trickjump maps and the bombing run mod, where you had goals to get the ball into (sorry i forgot the name of it)

the monster server mods were great too :)

[13th_Disciple]

we wish :P

problems are
1. competition ends 2009 so plenty of time for new 1st person mods (get your entires in!! :) )
2. TO3 expects professionals who work in the games industry to club together and outclass our "amature by comparason" attempts
3. Our TO3 Community is more important than MSUC (dont get me wrong, for most of us on the TO3 team, top prize is a dream)

i love playing mods :) i loved the trickjump maps and the bombing run mod, where you had goals to get the ball into (sorry i forgot the name of it)

the monster server mods were great too :)
who all is on the team, Proto? Shag helping y'all out or any of the old timers?

[TOP-Proto]

who all is on the team, Proto? Shag helping y'all out or any of the old timers?
www.tacticalops3.com\staff no old timers from AoT AFAIK :(
(doesnt he work for epic now anyway? ;) )

[UnrealGrrl]

Was there one last time? I'd love that as much as anyone - I'm actually an audio engineer as well as a musician - but I'm not sure it suits the MSUC since without the music or audio being in a map or mod, it becomes pretty ambiguous.

of course there was, i won first place in phase one so it must be true! :)
red orchestra (i believe) won in phase 3 for sounds and i cant remember what happened in phase 2... maybe it was Zounds?

maybe someone from Epic will pipe up and say they just forgot to add the audio categories for voicepack and best sound design in a mod, cause thats a big oversight :(

[m3fs]

I'm still waiting on the machinima rules clarification...

[deadxatthexscene]

AWESOME! Glad they did this now, we need more content for UT3! =) Anyone need an audio engineer/composer? *ahem* Music in general? You can check out my stuff

www.myspace.com/clevelandbledsoe

[Skill]

GAAH! and my motherboard just broke! oh well, i doubt i could make anything better than chaotic dreams.

[DesertBlackcat]

this is great

[paradigm]

I have a question for Epic about the unreal license that could be won. Will it be the current engine, or will it be the updated one unreal engine 3.5, which is being used for GoW2?

[faultymoose]

My guess is that sub-revisions (version 0.1, 0.5, etc.) are free to licensees. Most software companies license their software in this way. You only pay extra for the next major revision (v4.0). Of course, I have no evidence to support this, and it's nothing more than a guess :)

[SaxxonPike]

Not sure if this is the appropriate location, but...

I'm an experienced musician/audio engineer looking to hook up with a skilled modding crew for this contest.

saxxonpike@gmail.com

[paradigm]

saxxon send an application to www.tacticalops3.com I know they are looking for skilled audio engineers.

[m3fs]

Not sure if this is the appropriate location, but...

I'm an experienced musician/audio engineer looking to hook up with a skilled modding crew for this contest.

saxxonpike@gmail.com

We need a sound effects person at the moment and a couple animators. Do you have a portfolio you can point me to?

[Pendrokar]

We need a sound effects person at the moment

Whups! Seems I'm the one you are looking for! Check your PM's

[Angel_Mapper]

PR = Public Relations

sorry angel mapper (huge fan of your stuff by the way! :) )I know what PR means, I just don't think it's necessary at all to make a mod.

[Bret Hart]

I can't find anywhere on www.makesomethingunreal.com where it tell us where to submit our maps to by phase one deadline date?

[Cr4zy]

Hmm after looking over the site, is this US only, or is it open to everyone, everywhere?

[UnrealGrrl]

I can't find anywhere on www.makesomethingunreal.com where it tell us where to submit our maps to by phase one deadline date?

if i remember from the last contest, it wasnt until near the deadline that the submission format was set (like where to upload stuff to)...

and if anyone official from the contest reads this - is there really No Audio / Music / Voice / SFX category this time for the MSUC?

[TOP-Proto]

I know what PR means, I just don't think it's necessary at all to make a mod.


its absolutely essential that you keep in touch with your community bases, and spread the word.
we also try to ensure our PR team cover a wide variety of languages, which really helps us in other countries such as germany, where our.

they also interview all new recruits and do things internally too for us.

FAO sound guys, we are looking for sound effect engineers, and maybe one or two more music engineers ;) we have an application form on our site you can use

http://www.tacticalops3.com/apply/

In your application, please include samples.
Also include your msn so we can interview you :)

[Bret Hart]

its absolutely essential that you keep in touch with your community bases, and spread the word.
we also try to ensure our PR team cover a wide variety of languages, which really helps us in other countries such as germany, where our.

they also interview all new recruits and do things internally too for us.

FAO sound guys, we are looking for sound effect engineers, and maybe one or two more music engineers ;) we have an application form on our site you can use

http://www.tacticalops3.com/apply/

In your application, please include samples.
Also include your msn so we can interview you :)

Are you guys looking for mappers too? :D

[nobuddy]

who will hold the copyright on the winning mod? ;)

[Angel_Mapper]

its absolutely essential that you keep in touch with your community bases, and spread the word.
we also try to ensure our PR team cover a wide variety of languages, which really helps us in other countries such as germany, where our.Bah, a quick email to BU's news page is all you need. :p

[r1esG0]

I didnt see anything on the rules about this being US only.

Either way, there is a thing i would like to point.
Rules says the content cannot be from another third party game.

Those ones who say the will make a command & conquer mod, should take care about this point.

Either way, if im participating, i will be on the character category for the third phase.

Luck to everyone.

[Bret Hart]

Okay but what about my VCTF-Timberland? I am not using any content from halo in that, the ring was photoshopped by my friend from scratch.

[Angel_Mapper]

If nothing else, just delete it before entering the map if you're in doubt.

[Mark Rein]

I have a question for Epic about the unreal license that could be won. Will it be the current engine, or will it be the updated one unreal engine 3.5, which is being used for GoW2?It will be Unreal Engine 3 with whatever features we're making available to licensees at the time. We don't have a version "3.5" - there's just one engine.

[Mark Rein]

I can't find anywhere on www.makesomethingunreal.com where it tell us where to submit our maps to by phase one deadline date?The site will start accepting submissions at some point in May or June. Way too early for that now.

[Mark Rein]

who will hold the copyright on the winning mod? ;)We're not going to take anyone's property, if that's what you're asking. However the question of who owns a mod can be complicated based on whether the mod is 100% original material, created by the mod-maker, or whether it contains some Epic-owned content.

Note: I am not a lawyer so please do not take this as legal advice.

[paradigm]

thanks mark

[Bret Hart]

Thanks for the answers Mr. Rein :D

[r1esG0]

I think halo guys have a chance, because the contest says you can use third parties intellectual properties as long as you have signed authorization of usage.

For that, the rules under the microsoft content usage rules
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/developer/rules.htm

could be understood as a written authorization of usage.
So the halo player model could enter the tournament, and the halo levels too.

(i didnt want to say it eitherway because nao i hav more enemies on the character category, im kidding rolf, xD ...)

[Cr4zy]

Hmm after looking over the site, is this US only, or is it open to everyone, everywhere?

No answer to this then Mr Rein?

[Angel_Mapper]

I don't see where you're reading in the rules that it's US only. The last contest wasn't.

[faultymoose]

I think halo guys have a chance, because the contest says you can use third parties intellectual properties as long as you have signed authorization of usage.

For that, the rules under the microsoft content usage rules
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/developer/rules.htm

could be understood as a written authorization of usage.
So the halo player model could enter the tournament, and the halo levels too.

(i didnt want to say it eitherway because nao i hav more enemies on the character category, im kidding rolf, xD ...)

I think you might wanna read a bit further down :)


strictly for noncommercial and personal use


You can’t sell or otherwise earn anything from your Items. We will let you have advertising on the page with the Item on it, but that’s it. That means you can’t sell your Item, post it on a site that requires subscription or other fees, solicit donations for your Item of any kind (even by PayPal), use it to enter a contest or sweepstakes, or post it on a page you use to sell other items (even if those other items have nothing to do with Game Content or Microsoft). This doesn’t restrict you from using your Item for film festivals – that’s not our intention, even if you get a prize for winning. But where someone is trying to promote their commercial venture (even just a commercial website) with a “machinima contest”, they need our permission to do this. If they’ve got our permission you’ll know…

[Bret Hart]

Oh my god not this discussion again...

[r1esG0]

Oh yes, i should have read that. :O

[BananaXtreme]

YES good luck to tacticalops3 development team !!!!!!!!!!! i'm sure you guys will win :):D:eek::cool:


Yes i think so 2, it looks awesome ! keep it up;)

[Cr4zy]

I don't see where you're reading in the rules that it's US only. The last contest wasn't.

I didnt read it as US only, but i also didnt read it as Worldwide. I was just double checking, i wasnt around when the last contest took place so i wouldn't know. :)

[W!zzard]

Good luck to Everyone trying to make something unreal! :)

[Bret Hart]

Good luck to Everyone trying to make something unreal! :)
Thanks, working hard on improving my conveyor map :D

[Dozinator]

Good Luck to all

Unreal Rock & Roll thats my job.;)

[280Z28]

Any idea when the list of prizes will be announced?

[Bret Hart]

Any idea when the list of prizes will be announced?
I would like to know also.

[280Z28]

I would like to know also.

I can't even find the list from last time. :confused:

[Taboen]

Prizes? :O
I thought it was for the honour of winning a competition like this.

[Kev_Boy]

Honour is nice... prizes are better :D

[TOP-Proto]

hehe...

the amount of work needed for any element of this competiton, if you manage to submit some work, then thats a huge achievement on its own.

theirs a reason why the deadlines are next year for some parts of the competiton, and theyre very generous deadlines (looks like 3 - 6 months on top for buffer)

basically if your able to get something finished and its half decent, you probably should get a portfolio together and try getting into the games industry ;)

its like "the unreal school" where the only way to qualify is to complete something thats quality :P

(disclaimer, im a huge fan of "cheesiness" in games. some of the most playable games /mods are incomplete with quirks , and some of the most fun games dont have the best graphics, but if your aiming for the games industry, theyre reluctant to add "cheesiness" to their games, and most definately reluctant to have anything that doesnt look great :- which makes it great for mods ;))

As a helper for mod makers, if your doing a total conversion and your making levels from scratch, you can expect with the best team to have one level complete in 3 - 4 months

weapon models, for a 1st and 3rd model + untextured uvw's only (not animations or sounds) should take 2 - 4 weeks with most of the work being done in the first 2 weeks and tweaking for the next 2

with the right coder(s) in place, a new gametype will take around 2 - 4 months depending on complexity, and will require huge amounts of playtest time.

tip.

make sure you get your scales for player models and maps sorted as early as possible. (get a level designer to make you a basic "obsticle course map" )

[strangelet]

interestin and useful tippage there.

I'd just like to also pimp our project, Angels Fall First: Planetstorm. (http://www.affuniverse.com)

we too are going all out to be contenders in the MSUC. if scifi is your bag and you have serious skillz, come join our team cos we're lovely.

[Tailsnake]

There are gonna be some really impressive mods coming out in the next year, Angel Fall First, Unwheel 2, TO3, Project Stealth, Renegade X, and Zeeless are all contenders.

[Bret Hart]

I bet the judges will have a tough time deciding which mod is best.

[TOP-Proto]

I bet the judges will have a tough time deciding which mod is best.

thats the responsibility and burdon of the judges.... ;) (an all important role cause it can change the lives of a mod team)

[scarslasher]

Wasn't it called "Make It Unreal" instead of "Make Something Unreal"?

Eh, either way, I can't wait to see the creativity this'll spark. :)

[Bret Hart]

Wasn't it called "Make It Unreal" instead of "Make Something Unreal"?

Eh, either way, I can't wait to see the creativity this'll spark. :)

I do not believe so.

[frvge]

Project Stealth will indeed also compete in various categories. You'll see :)

[Henrik]

Isn't the point of stealth to "not" see? ;)

[H3i53nb3rg]

Lol 'Unwheel 2'...clever.;) :D

[TOP-Proto]

Lol 'Unwheel 2'...clever.;) :D

surely it shoudl be unwheel 3? ;)

[stevend]

I work for a game developer thats currently working with Unreal 3. Would myself or members of my family not working with my developer be considered affiliates or such, according to the rules and regulations of this contest?

Would any of us be eligible to enter?

[Sunshine1709Str]

question :

"Best CTF Level
Enter during Phases 1, 2, 3
Make an awesome level for the Capture the Flag game type. In this category, you're welcome to use any of the existing content that comes with UT3, or you may create your own. The best levels will combine great gameplay with strong visuals and good performance."

Does it means that i have to make 3 maps? Or i can decide myself in which phase i can join? help please,....thx

[enisys]

Is anybody interested in getting a mechanics/sandbox designer for thier mod? If so, you can email me at univiii@yahoo.com. I think i have innovative weapon / powerup / gametype / geometry ideas that could enhance any mod, so long as it plans on being futuristic.

[ambershee]

I work for a game developer thats currently working with Unreal 3. Would myself or members of my family not working with my developer be considered affiliates or such, according to the rules and regulations of this contest?

Would any of us be eligible to enter?

From what the rules say:


Employees and agents of contest sponsors, including, but not limited to Epic Games, Inc., Intel®, their respective agents, officers, parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively "Contest Sponsors"), and members of their immediate families (parents, children, siblings, spouses) and/or persons living in the same households as such persons, whether related or not, are ineligible to enter the Contest and cannot win prizes.

Companies using UE3 aren't employees or agents of the contest sponsors, so it should be possible.

[Bret Hart]

question :

"Best CTF Level
Enter during Phases 1, 2, 3
Make an awesome level for the Capture the Flag game type. In this category, you're welcome to use any of the existing content that comes with UT3, or you may create your own. The best levels will combine great gameplay with strong visuals and good performance."

Does it means that i have to make 3 maps? Or i can decide myself in which phase i can join? help please,....thx

No, just one map, but you can enter during phases 1, 2 or 3. I don't know how many maps you can submit altogether though

[m3fs]

We are entering the MSUC Machinima category. We have written 20 full episodes for the first season, have begun voice work and have 40 more episodes in the queue. My question is, can I enter a different episode at each phase?

It would be nice to submit the entire thing but that may break the 5 minute rule by about 95 minutes :D

[Bret Hart]

We are entering the MSUC Machinima category. We have written 20 full episodes for the first season, have begun voice work and have 40 more episodes in the queue. My question is, can I enter a different episode at each phase?

It would be nice to submit the entire thing but that may break the 5 minute rule by about 95 minutes :D

Good luck to you on that :)

[Sunshine1709Str]

No, just one map, but you can enter during phases 1, 2 or 3. I don't know how many maps you can submit altogether though

ty for helping me, i think i will spend a lot of time to make the best

[ambershee]

We are entering the MSUC Machinima category. We have written 20 full episodes for the first season, have begun voice work and have 40 more episodes in the queue. My question is, can I enter a different episode at each phase?

It would be nice to submit the entire thing but that may break the 5 minute rule by about 95 minutes :D

Yes, I believe you can enter in different phases quite happily.

[Permafried-]

Sorry if this has been asked already but after 16 pages I found myself quickly skimming over what's here. I submitted my information on the main page for the contest but have yet to receive an e-mail of any kind and was wondering if this is expected?

I ask since I read the rules, overview, etc. and it mentioned filling out an etry form; however I don't see any direct link to this which is slightly misleading. At first I thought perhaps my Hotmail address would be ignored so I submitted using my ISP e-mail instead but still nothing has shown up.

Could someone please point me in the right direction or have I done everything necessary to sign-up (looking at creating a Mutator) and I will eventually receive an e-mail to fill out all the required information?

Thanks in advance.

[UnrealBomber]

What are the phases I couldn't find them on the website. At least in real detail to where I could know how long I have to enter into the last mapping phase

[Bret Hart]

What are the phases I couldn't find them on the website. At least in real detail to where I could know how long I have to enter into the last mapping phase

The contest will be conducted in four consecutive phases. The closing date for submissions for Phase 1 is June 27, 2008. The closing date for submissions for Phase 2 is October 17, 2008. The closing dates for submissions for Phase 3 shall be May 15, 2009 and the closing date for submissions for Phase 4 shall be August 31, 2009. Winners will be announced on the official contest web site (http://www.makesomethingunreal.com).

[Bret Hart]

Sorry if this has been asked already but after 16 pages I found myself quickly skimming over what's here. I submitted my information on the main page for the contest but have yet to receive an e-mail of any kind and was wondering if this is expected?

I ask since I read the rules, overview, etc. and it mentioned filling out an etry form; however I don't see any direct link to this which is slightly misleading. At first I thought perhaps my Hotmail address would be ignored so I submitted using my ISP e-mail instead but still nothing has shown up.

Could someone please point me in the right direction or have I done everything necessary to sign-up (looking at creating a Mutator) and I will eventually receive an e-mail to fill out all the required information?

Thanks in advance.

I think Mark Rein mentioned that when it's close to the time for the first submission date which is June 27, we'll recieve an email if we signed up on the main page, I think, I could be wrong though.

[Sunshine1709Str]

"Best CTF Level
Enter during Phases 1, 2, 3
Make an awesome level for the Capture the Flag game type. In this category, you're welcome to use any of the existing content that comes with UT3, or you may create your own. The best levels will combine great gameplay with strong visuals and good performance."

new question :

there are 3 phases, and oes it means that in every phase someone win? also there will exist 3 winners?

[EpicJon]

I think the answer to your question is yes, if i can recall what Mr. Rein told me :)


-EJon

[Lee_Stricklin]

I know this is for Unreal Tournament III only but, I would like to shine the light on a couple of awesome modders and artists doing stuff for the original UT and post links to what they are doing. I was upset when I saw the Unreal Engine 3 only posted on the contest page and these guys that I'm posting probably would've had a chance if it wasn't for that limitation. Here are the projects being worked on:

Unreal Tournament Extension Pack by FXD|Shadow
-------------------------------------------------
This is a HUGE graphical update that adds a new SDK, emitters, a freakin physics engine!, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff (including a possible grass generator) that I don't have time to type in. This would've been a potential contest winner so track it here:
http://www.moddb.com/mods/9974/unrealtournament-extension-pack

Unreal Tournament Retexturing Project by Diehard
------------------------------------------------
The Unreal Tournament Retexturing Project by Diehard from the Celtic Warriors Clan originally started on Unreal and Unreal Gold and then expanded to UT (Classic, 99, GotYE). You can track it here:
http://www.unrealtexture.com/UT/Website/Projects/UTRProject/UTRProject.htm
For better shots click on the link under my signature and then click on the link for new graphics.


I know (sadly) that there is no way for these guys to enter the contest, but please check out there projects and if you have a copy of what is arguably still the best UT, download them.

[Permafried-]

I think Mark Rein mentioned that when it's close to the time for the first submission date which is June 27, we'll recieve an email if we signed up on the main page, I think, I could be wrong though.
Thank you...I was thinking this may be the case but wanted to be sure. I made a switch from a Mutator to a Gametype after realising I could morph my mutator into a fullblown gametype; so it looks like chances are high I'll be missing the first deadline and will be lucky if I hit the second. Hopefully my 3DS Max skills are still up to snuff since I'm trying to do the vast majority of the work myself but once scripting is complete I'll be on the hunt for a level designer to assist with that portion, I'm god awful with the editor :).

[RoninMastaFX]

I'm going to try my best to make sure UT3DOM get's into this contest! :D

[Sunshine1709Str]

okay.
i sign me up, and get the message that i will get a mail with all facts and dates. but after a whole week, nothing.
EPIC? why?

[Bret Hart]

Maybe you'll get an email close to submission time?

[Brad.G]

okay.
i sign me up, and get the message that i will get a mail with all facts and dates. but after a whole week, nothing.
EPIC? why?

its hardly an issue until closer to the closure date. they will open it soon enough no doubt ;)

[TOP-Proto]

okay.
i sign me up, and get the message that i will get a mail with all facts and dates. but after a whole week, nothing.
EPIC? why?

maybe theyre secretly sabotaging you? (sorry couldnt help it) :D

[Remus]

OK, after what happened with the DM-Lego map I've been thinking about my DM-Tiberium map. I'm going to need an official answer from someone. What do I have to change on it? The only thing that is against the contest rules is the copyrighted music that's in it, which I will remove, but what about the name, do I have to change that too?

[Henrik]

Names can be considered intellectual property, so that would be a smart idea.

[sephia321]

To anyone interested i e-mailed epic games about the problem with the submissions and they said that late this month they will be sending more information/deadlines/whatever is needed to know :) So don't worry Sunshine1709Str :) Be good

[BuFFY]

Wohaaaaa very nice and mucho mucho money! =)

Still, first epic does say UT3 PC Version aint that important, and then the community should code for epic, so maybe the game is played more? =)

No offense, but thats a thing I will never unstand =(

Still, I hope there will be mucho mucho good mods, because I like the game!
Keep it up and EPIC ... grrr =)

[Bret Hart]

Wohaaaaa very nice and mucho mucho money! =)

Still, first epic does say UT3 PC Version aint that important, and then the community should code for epic, so maybe the game is played more? =)

No offense, but thats a thing I will never unstand =(

Still, I hope there will be mucho mucho good mods, because I like the game!
Keep it up and EPIC ... grrr =)

No no no, it's PC IS OUR BREAD AND BUTTER.

[blackbird]

nice contest, but are u serious about the 1mil lol?

[BattleMode]

Has anyone figured out yet how to actually submit something for this contest?

[Bret Hart]

nice contest, but are u serious about the 1mil lol?

It's $1,000,000 distributed out to all the categories. Such as $2500 for first place best DM map, best VCTF, plus an $8,000 gaming machine.

lololollolololo

[Bret Hart]

Has anyone figured out yet how to actually submit something for this contest?

Someone mentioned earlier that it will probably mid-june perhaps.

[MOusetrap101]

YES good luck to tacticalops3 development team !!!!!!!!!!! i'm sure you guys will win :):D:eek::cool:http://forums.epicgames.com/images/smilies/smile.gif
:)
you guys are going to loss im going to win. http://forums.epicgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif
:eek:

[MOusetrap101]

Has anyone figured out yet how to actually submit something for this contest?
Dude i dono yet i guess just spam epichttp://forums.epicgames.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
:D

[280Z28]

Still no prizes breakdown...

[Mr Evil]

Soooo... maybe I'm being dense here, but how does one actually submit an entry?:confused: I signed up with the form on the main page (http://www.makesomethingunreal.com/) a couple of days ago, but nothing came of that. I can't see anywhere else to make an entry. It says the closing date is 1st June, which is approaching fast.

p.s. Shouldn't the smilies use alpha transparency? The one in my post looks terrible.

[ambershee]

1st June? Where did you pull that out of? First entry deadline date is in a month.

[WarTourist]

Hi. Submissions for phase 1 aren't currently open. There will be an announcement, to that mailing list as well as other sources, when Phase 1 submissions are open. Instructions on how to submit will then be posted on the site.

Each phases submissions will be open for roughly a week. Phase 1 closes on June 27th so I expect submissions to start being accepted around June 20th.

[Mr Evil]

1st June? Where did you pull that out of? First entry deadline date is in a month.

Nevermind, I misread it. It's because I usually see dates with day then month, so seeing "1 is June" on the rules page turned into "1st June" in my mind.

[280Z28]

Hi. Submissions for phase 1 aren't currently open. There will be an announcement, to that mailing list as well as other sources, when Phase 1 submissions are open. Instructions on how to submit will then be posted on the site.

Each phases submissions will be open for roughly a week. Phase 1 closes on June 27th so I expect submissions to start being accepted around June 20th.

Any word on when the available category prizes will be announced? If you wait too long, it could look like you're considering changing them around based on who/what you hear will be entered.

[ambershee]

I get the feeling we won't know what the prizes are until they're awarded.

[Bret Hart]

I get the feeling we won't know what the prizes are until they're awarded.

Mark rein already said what they'd be for best DM map:

$2500 first place, $2000 2nd, $1500 third, $1000 fourth, $500 fifth. Plus first place gets an $8,000 gaming computer.

[UnrealBomber]

When can I enter the contest.

[UnrealBomber]

nevermind I read a previous post

[Sunshine1709Str]

ok. where i have to upload my map for the contest?

[R.Flagg]

Mark rein already said ... first place gets an $8,000 gaming computer.

Just FYI - for the last MSU contest they announced gaming computer prizes worth $3000 - but they ended up giving away computers that were worth about half that amount (and it took them about a year to finally give them out).

So.... you have to assume that despite what Epic says, the hardware prizes are "subject to change to something much less valuable without notice".

Good luck!

[ambershee]

All the prizes are subject to change at any time (and Mark Rein says a lot of things).

[Mr Evil]

Just FYI - for the last MSU contest they announced gaming computer prizes worth $3000 - but they ended up giving away computers that were worth about half that amount (and it took them about a year to finally give them out).

So.... you have to assume that despite what Epic says, the hardware prizes are "subject to change to something much less valuable without notice".

Good luck!
All they have to do is pay for it in Euros, since by the time they give out the prizes, $3000 will be worth about €50.

[Sentientv2]

If I may ask a question. Is it ok to enter a single map into both competitions (Make Something Unreal and 3dBuzz)?

[R.Flagg]

All the prizes are subject to change at any time (and Mark Rein says a lot of things).

Haha. Yeah, it's real common in big contests to halve the value of announced prizes after contests have been won. Sure, that's done all the time. :rolleyes:

[_N_]

Hmm, I'm wondering about the rules regarding use of Epic resources in maps. The site says we may use any existing UT3 resources and any resources we make ourselves but not any third party resources (that we don't have permission to use).

What about taking a texture or static mesh from a stock 2k4 map (i.e. one that shipped with 2k4) and touching-it-up for use in our UT3 map?

I'm assuming it's probably okay because technically there's no "third party" content here (just existing Epic content being touched-up by the mapper) but just want to be sure I don't get disqualified over a small technicality.........

Oh, and regarding the contest, it's simply awesome. This is what distinguishes Unreal from the countless other online FPS games.

[Sentientv2]

Hmm, I'm wondering about the rules regarding use of Epic resources in maps. The site says we may use any existing UT3 resources and any resources we make ourselves but not any third party resources (that we don't have permission to use).

What about taking a texture or static mesh from a stock 2k4 map (i.e. one that shipped with 2k4) and touching-it-up for use in our UT3 map?

I'm assuming it's probably okay because technically there's no "third party" content here (just existing Epic content being touched-up by the mapper) but just want to be sure I don't get disqualified over a small technicality.........

Oh, and regarding the contest, it's simply awesome. This is what distinguishes Unreal from the countless other online FPS games.

Can you export static meshes from a UT2K4 package and "touch them up"? I am assuming you're referring to enhancing them in a modeling program. If you're mixing and matching stuff from the new engine and the old, you're going to run into some quality control issues. If you're not upping the poly counts of the old meshes (like I said, not sure if you can even re-export an ase into obj, mb, maa, etc.) then the older models will surely stick out like a sore thumb. Add to that the the original meshes from UT2K4 won't have any lightmap channel functionality without having at them in a modeling program. I know you can export textures. Shaders in UT2K4 are no good anymore though I can't figure why you'd want to use them anyways.

I really don't want to dash your idea into the rocks. It does seem like the end result will only suffer if you use this older stuff. I've used some of my older stuff in a UE3 map and it was apparent within a few hours that the results I was seeking were not going to be produced without a re-approach of all of my textures (normals, spec, emissive, etc.), an extra map channel on all of the meshes, and resolution increases to all of the meshes to get them up to snuff with the status quo. You could probably pick up blender for free and learn how to create some good stuff with it. You also might look at educational discounts on Maya or Max and make something worthwhile with them.

Best of luck.

[_N_]

It's mostly the hi-res textures in 2k4 I'm interested in. If you look closely, several of them were already ported over and are used in various UT3 materials. There's a few other good one's I've made use of too.

[ambershee]

Haha. Yeah, it's real common in big contests to halve the value of announced prizes after contests have been won. Sure, that's done all the time. :rolleyes:

There's no need to be an asshat about it. It does say clearly that prizes are subject to change. If hardware prizes are given out as late as last time, I wouldn't be surprised that the value of them has diminished.

[Kev_Boy]

The deadline is closing in right about now, when can we expect to see full information? :)

[bazzwano]

3 weeks to go and still no registration form... Ill be submitting my first map in phase 1 and my second in phase two.

[jayoplus]

I just checked the www.makesomethingunreal.com (http://www.makesomethingunreal.com) site and it seems Phase One is open for submissions.

Good Luck to everyone.

[Kev_Boy]

I noticed that site was down a few days ago, so I've had my hopes up for an update and what do you know... it's here!

I'm planning to submit as late as possible, gotta use every day I got to make it as good as I can. I don't need months more though so Phase 1 it is :)

[Bret Hart]

I hope DM-Conveyor does well :D

[m3fs]

as far as using assets from other games. Can I mention things like "immulsion" and "Sera" in my machinima?

Also, for some clips I would like to show some locus attacking. Can I fraps some GOW clips and put them in my show without being DQ'd?

Thanks

[crowl]

If you've tried submitting a mod, and you didn't get a confirmation page, please re-submit your entry.

The submission functionality has been tested and should be working fine now.

[UnrealGrrl]

and if anyone official from the contest reads this - is there really No Audio / Music / Voice / SFX category this time for the MSUC?


anyone? you just forgot to add it on the list right?

[Mr Evil]

anyone? you just forgot to add it on the list right?
I noticed that too. I wanted to submit the music I wrote, but there is no suitable category.

[UnrealGrrl]

there were actually some ommisions and additions last contest, so i am hoping this was left out by accident or will be added next rounds...

[RS-ShadowBlade]

Hi, i'm wondering if i can check whats been submitted to the contest so far? I would like to be sure that what i submitted, is submitted :) I don't have fast/reliable internet, thus i just want to be sure my submission was accepted.

Thanks
ShadowBlade

[StalwartUK]

There's probably no sound category as UT3 PS3 doesn't support custom sounds. Why bother putting effort into something that most players won't be able to experience?

[Mr Evil]

There's probably no sound category as UT3 PS3 doesn't support custom sounds. Why bother putting effort into something that most players won't be able to experience?
Why bother doing anything? Because we like doing it. It's nice if the maximum number of other people can experience our creations, but it's not necessary for me, and I'm guessing a fair number of other modders too. It's not as if there are no PC players either.

[Ivanov]

So far as I understand, there's only 5-minute time limit for the best cutscene now. But why?

[Badass_Cyborg]

Quick question: Are people in the UK (i.e. me) eligible to enter the competition? Because Im gonna be seriously pissed if I cant enter

[Sunshine1709Str]

of course. all nationalities are welcome. why do you cant enter?

[bazzwano]

How do those who do not live in the US get a TIN (Taxpayer ID number), MSU states.
"Selected Contestant(s) (whether individual, part of a Team, or from a School) must provide Sponsors a Taxpayer Identification Number (“TIN”) prior to the awarding of any prize"

[uznkeiqmet]

How do those who do not live in the US get a TIN (Taxpayer ID number), MSU states.
"Selected Contestant(s) (whether individual, part of a Team, or from a School) must provide Sponsors a Taxpayer Identification Number (“TIN”) prior to the awarding of any prize"

I think thats mostly for tax purposes in the USA, where Epic is based, and where they are concerned about tax requirements. Im guessing that non-US residents won't need to supply that information, since they dont have it, and that'll be just ok with your entry. As I just said, that's my guess.

[fleshsniper1]

Ill be submitting my character, how many people are submitting for the character category as of now. I want to win first prize but i just started a few weeks ago and barely know how to go about but i am basically done with my character.

[abraham2]

Can anyone tell me how many levels are allow in the contest under the same game type.please and thanks for the help

[Kev_Boy]

I think you're free to submit as many levels as you wish :)

[abraham2]

Thanks again

[AllyMan]

I’m trying to submit entry in the contest, however, whenever I do submit and after my files are uploaded, I get taken to page that says “The page you are looking for can not be found.”. Is this meant to happen or has my submission failed?

[Nurb]

Hi, I uploaded my map DM-Cath to this contest, but it does not show up under "Category: Best Deathmatch Level". I'm not sure why.. I'm pretty sure I haven't broken any rules, so is it just a mishap that it isn't listed? Would I get an email if the map or myself for any reason didn't qualify?

[SmokeRingHalo]

Hi, I uploaded my map DM-Cath to this contest, but it does not show up under "Category: Best Deathmatch Level". I'm not sure why.. I'm pretty sure I haven't broken any rules, so is it just a mishap that it isn't listed? Would I get an email if the map or myself for any reason didn't qualify?

Mine hasn't shown up either and I submitted it yesterday afternoon. It says it takes awhile to show up but I wouldn't think it would take this long, and I did get the "successful entry" message. I hope someone looks into it because I would hate to think that anyone would be made ineligible for phase one due to a buggy uploading system.

[Brad.G]

Mine hasn't shown up either and I submitted it yesterday afternoon. It says it takes awhile to show up but I wouldn't think it would take this long, and I did get the "successful entry" message. I hope someone looks into it because I would hate to think that anyone would be made ineligible for phase one due to a buggy uploading system.

there are many like that, but i would not worry about it.

Visit your submission link and confirm it has a bold line in green stating it has been submitted in to pahse one or something along those lines. alternatively:

Look at the entries which have been made in the category you submitted yours to.
click on view details

You will now see the info for that submission on file planet. at the top, you will see the directory path leading to that section...
Home / Gaming / Action / First Person / Unreal Series / Unreal Tournament 3 / Maps / Deathmatch

Click on deathmatch (for example) and look for your entry. when clicked on if it comes up with green bold "submitted in to phase one" etc than you have nothing to worry about :)


hope this helps

[SmokeRingHalo]

there are many like that, but i would not worry about it.

Visit your submission link and confirm it has a bold line in green stating it has been submitted in to pahse one or something along those lines. alternatively:

Look at the entries which have been made in the category you submitted yours to.
click on view details

You will now see the info for that submission on file planet. at the top, you will see the directory path leading to that section...
Home / Gaming / Action / First Person / Unreal Series / Unreal Tournament 3 / Maps / Deathmatch

Click on deathmatch (for example) and look for your entry. when clicked on if it comes up with green bold "submitted in to phase one" etc than you have nothing to worry about :)


hope this helps

This did help, but only to show that my map wasn't listed. I guess I will upload it again, but I still think the upload system may be bugged. This wouldn't be the first time I've had problems like this with fileplanet, which is why I usually don't use them.

[AllyMan]

Try and keep the descriptions short. Mine was way too long and when I cut it down to one sentence it successfully submitted!

[Apoptoid]

I finally submitted my model successfully, by leaving the "Additional Info" field empty. But when I follow the submission link there is no green statement that it has been submitted to phase 1. Also, on fileplanet I can only see one single submission in the model section. This can`t be true!! I hope the submission confirmation mail is enough to be sure to be in the contest.

[blakvege]

I submitted my tool yesterday, got the confirmation email, but my submission doesnt have the green submitted for phase one text. http://www.fileplanet.com/188460/180000/fileinfo/UltimateConsole It also doesnt show up when I try and look for Utilities under Unreal Tournament 3 on Fileplanet. I really hope my submission is actually in the contest...

[Kibbler]

I put mine in last night, and I dont have the green submission text... Yeah, that freaks me out a bit. Maybe they need to be authenticated or something by Epic before they get the text? I am just worried I didn't check off the CTF-Map box... ;(

http://www.fileplanet.com/188508/180000/fileinfo/CTF-Skybound if you want to see my entry. :

Does anyone know how to get an image in the Fileplanet link? It looks so lonely and boring without a screenshot.

[AllyMan]

same here, no green text, tools catagory as well.... i really hope i'm enterd!

[Kibbler]

Does anyone know if you can re-enter or change your file? I submitted before midnight last night to ensure I was in before the due date.. only to see that it doesn't close until midnight TONIGHT. ;(

There are a few little bugs (floating jumppads) and I could use some more polish time. It wouldn't really affect my gameplay, but it'd just make it more.. cohesive. :D

Is there no way to redo my submission? Will epic ban me if I put in my map twice? :P

[bez]

Does anyone know if you can re-enter or change your file? I submitted before midnight last night to ensure I was in before the due date.. only to see that it doesn't close until midnight TONIGHT. ;(

There are a few little bugs (floating jumppads) and I could use some more polish time. It wouldn't really affect my gameplay, but it'd just make it more.. cohesive. :D

Is there no way to redo my submission? Will epic ban me if I put in my map twice? :P

I uploaded v2.0 yesterday but i still dont see it on the msu site. so to be on the safe side i upload again today with a new version v2.1

so i hope one of them got received and if they got both file I am sure they know to use the latest version.

http://www.fileplanet.com/188547/180000/fileinfo/RealWeapons-mutator-v2.1

[Mandinga]

My file was posted on file planet and on the MSU website but it only has my first name, you guys chopped off my last name :(

[Lord_PorkSword]

Anyone know how long it takes to verify that our map is part of the comp? Like the others I've submitted my map and have recieved the email reciept but on the download page it doesn't specify(have the green writing) that the map is part of the comp like the other maps?? The map also isn't listed on the MSU homepage? :confused:
Maybe they've gotten a massive influx right before the end date so it's taking a while to sort through the entries...lets hope! :)

It would be nice, though, if we could modify our description on the fileplanet link but as long as it's in the comp it doesn't matter I suppose. :)

[genthly]

No contest for me.
Upload crashes every time i try. I can upload on any site, but not on Epics. Seems, i can count myself out. 2,5 months of hard work for nothing... :(:(:(:(

[SmokeRingHalo]

Sorry guys, the MSU upload bug wont be fixed until patch 1.4. Buggy game, buggy contest.
Seriously though, I hope Epic is starting to realize that associating with gamespy & fileplanet is more trouble than it's worth. I have a feeling that this is something else that Epic will never live down.

[Blade[UG]]

Depending on wether I'm using Opera or Firefox, I get logged in with different IDs. I had to submit with Firefox because the upload page kept throwing out my 7mb submission telling me that it had to be less than 2gb to enter.

The whole gamespy id and authentication thing is hideous, but I'm sure that the benefits to Epic outweigh the downsides, as otherwise Epic is large enough that they could just say "alright, we've had enough." if it were causing problems, issue a patch, and be done with it.

When I login with my email address in Opera, I get presented with my choice of about a dozen Gamespy IDs that I can login with. When I login with Firefox, I get presented with my choice of about a dozen UT3 IDs that I can login with. It doesn't make much sense.

Anyway, I submitted about 9pm, it's almost 4am, and there's nothing on my file indicating that it has been submitted for the contest.

* and i did get confirmation email

[LennardF1989]

Ok... So I submitted my files yesterday (way before the deadline!!!)

http://www.fileplanet.com/188598/180000/fileinfo/Project-Stealth-Custom-Character

But it still isn't showing up as a submited entry, why?! We had a lot of work on it, I would be very unhappy if it weren't submitted, even though there is still Phase 2 aswell.

[Badass_Cyborg]

:( Ive got the same problem as you guys, got the confirmation email but no green writing saying it has been submitted. I can only hope it will be submitted to phase 1 eventually.

And by the way does anyone know when the results of phase 1 will be released?

My CTF map >>>> http://www.fileplanet.com/files/180000/188559.shtml

[goodkebab]

Yeah....i got the confirmation,

Successful entry!

http://www.fileplanet.com/files/180000/188598.shtml

but its not listed at all.

[Charybdis]

I don't think they update the makesomethingunreal.com "all entires" section automatically. After I uploaded my entry it took a few hours for it to show up on the actual site.

[genthly]

Epic, please don't let us wait with no answer. We spent a lot of time working hard to make it to the contest. Don't do this to us. You know who wanted to participate, those silly bugs shold not be supposed to stop us from it...

[napalm_death8]

"...who are at least 18 years old and who are lawful residents of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia or Canada (excluding Quebec) ..."

This may sound noobish, but does that mean I really can't participate to the contest anyhow? I intented to do a map really soon, knowing that the contest is up, but it seems like it's not worth doing any :( I'm living in Quebec...

[spl0k]

Same problem here. I got the "Successful Entry!" message, the confirmation mail with the same message, but no green bold message in the FilePlanet description.
http://www.fileplanet.com/188538/180000/fileinfo/Domination-Reloaded

btw, I couldn't upload the mod with all maps due to connection problems (my ISP doesn't seem to like file transfers longer than two hours :/) so I uploaded the mod with only two maps.
The mod with the seven maps can be downloaded here (http://spl0k.unreal-design.com/ut3/dr/downloads/DominationReloaded_v0.23.zip) (272 Mb)

[DGUnreal]

Here's what happens:
- Do the submission upload on the makesomethingunreal web site.
- You should get a confirmation email from feedback[at]fileplanet with a subject "Entry Received" usually within an hour or two.
- Up to a day later you should get another email from feedback[at]fileplanet with a subject "Your FilePlanet Submission". This email will also give you your link to the file.
- Up to a day or two later, your entry should show up on the makesomethingunreal web site listing of entries.

So give it some time to get through the system.

[Blade[UG]]

Alright, so stop freaking out until after the weekend? lol

[SmokeRingHalo]

Here's what happens:
- Do the submission upload on the makesomethingunreal web site.
- You should get a confirmation email from feedback[at]fileplanet with a subject "Entry Received" usually within an hour or two.
- Up to a day later you should get another email from feedback[at]fileplanet with a subject "Your FilePlanet Submission". This email will also give you your link to the file.
- Up to a day or two later, your entry should show up on the makesomethingunreal web site listing of entries.

So give it some time to get through the system.

It takes that long???
I should have put a postage stamp on it.
The entries are probably tied up somewhere in fileplanets horrendous queue system, lol.

[DGUnreal]

"up to"... :p
I had multiple entries, some were faster, some were slower, some only took half an hour, others took half a day.

[Wormbo]

Short question: Wouldn't the submitted mods get more attention if there was an alternative non-FilePlanet download link? For some people in this community, FilePlanet is just unacceptable with its login requirements, etc.

Want people to play the mods? Well, make them easily available to them.

[Kangus]

My Phase 1 entry is also not showing up on the list... I'm a tad frightened.... :(

I submitted it, and it showed up on Fileplanet (http://www.fileplanet.com/188616/180000/fileinfo/Sentient-Nefarious-Organic-Tarydium-Launcher) and everything... but I'm not on the page!

[Mandinga]

When are the results for phase 1 announced?

[UnrealGrrl]

I noticed that too. I wanted to submit the music I wrote, but there is no suitable category.


there were actually some ommisions and additions last contest, so i am hoping this was left out by accident or will be added next rounds...


There's probably no sound category as UT3 PS3 doesn't support custom sounds. Why bother putting effort into something that most players won't be able to experience?

well then you might as well count out all TC Mods and anything that uses any sounds as most mods, mutators and TCs do since the PS3 cant use them? PS3 cant do alot of things a PC can. i dont think Epic is judging on console compatability. This is a contest to find and showcase talent, not to sell anything or port it to a console...

that said, can Epic or a contest official please comment if the Sound/Audio category will be present in the later rounds? please tell us it was just an oversight this first round. its been in the previous MSUs and alot of us are hoping its here again. Some love for the SFX, music and voice talent :) Thanks!