Namco asks fans to get creative for Dark Souls and design shields for the game
Namco Bandai are giving fans of their upcoming title, Dark Souls, a chance to get creative and get their work featured in the final version of the game.
The developer is running a competition, which is asking fans to design their own shields which the protagonist can use in the game.
Namco Bandai put up the following rules for anyone who wishes to participate and they seem straightforward enough.
The first step would be to go to the game’s Facebook page and become a fan of Dark Souls, after which participants will be given access to the “blank shield templates” where they can work their artistic magic.
The next step would require players to create three, or fewer, designs on the shields based on anything they fancy, as long as it conforms to the heraldic theme of the game. No motor bikes or F-16 fighter jets will be accepted and for once, that is a good
thing.
Participants can submit their entries up until the 13th of July, which is the date the competition officially closes.
Namco also released an official statement regarding the competition, “Taking part couldn’t be easier. Give it your medieval best to create up to three original shield designs using any of the three blank templates provided. Next, submit your heraldic works
of art, then sit back and watch the votes stack up as fans in every corner of the globe admire your handiwork and choose their favourites. The final winners will be hand-picked by the*Dark Souls*development team at FromSoftware in Japan.”
The top ten designs will be picked for each template via voting on Facebook, in all that is a total of 30 designs, which will be judged by the game’s developer, FromSoftware.
The studio will eventually decide which design will make its way into the final version of the game as loot. Not only that, but the artists behind the top ten designs will bag themselves a copy of the game, complete with a signature of Hidetaka Miyazaki,
the game director.
There is a special treat for the winners as well, as they will not only get to see their shields in the game but will also have their names in the credits at the end of the game.
The competition is a shrewd move by Namco Bandai, as it looks to grow its fan base. The original game was praised for its uniqueness in both difficulty in gameplay and its iconic art style.
Involving fans in the development of the second game will not only help market the game to a wider audience, but will also attract some fine artistic talent that may not have anything to do with videogames.
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