This contest ran from 10/3/05 to 10/31/05.

The winner of the contest is awarded a free six-month subscription to RinkWorks.
The first runner up is awarded a free three-month subscription to RinkWorks.
The second runner up is awarded a free one-month subscription to RinkWorks.

Note: To claim and make use of your prize, you must (1) supply a valid email address, (2) sign up for a Bitpass account (no money need be deposited into it, so all you really need to do this is supply an email address), and (3) have a system and browser supported by Bitpass (see the relevant questions on system requirements and supported browsers on Bitpass's Buyer FAQ).

Note: To claim and make use of your prize, you must (1) supply a Another Note: If you are already a RinkWorks subscriber, you will be able to wait until your existing subscription runs out before redeeming your free subscription.

Contest Objective

Create an advertising image for RinkWorks or any of its individual features. The objective of the content is to create the best one, in terms of creativity, aesthetic appeal, and/or advertising value. Entries, even those that do not win or place in the competition, may be used on RinkWorks as part of advertising campaigns.

Image Specifications

All advertising images must PNG or BMP files. JPG files are allowed for non-text. GIF files are allowed for text or animated images. Additionally, each image must be one of the following dimensions: 468x60, 728x90, 120x600, 160x600, or 300x250.

This was a tough contest to judge, in part because of the strength of the entries and in part because of the triple criteria: creativity, aesthetic appeal, and advertising value. How do you rank three different entries, each of which is strong in two of the categories and weak in one? Is a creative, well-executed idea with slim potential as advertising better or worse than a less entertaining image with stronger advertising qualities? There's no answer for that, of course, but the rules of this contest force me to rank at least the top three. I found myself making some surprising choices in certain cases, going back on my first impressions in some cases.

Judging aside, my own goal in holding this contest was fulfilled in spades, which was to obtain some fresh advertising images for the site. I don't have an advertising budget, but I do like to spread RinkWorks ads around the site for people that stumble upon an individual feature and don't think to explore the rest of what RinkWorks has to offer. I'll be quite happily using almost all of the entries (excluding only a couple of Ciaran's for reasons too trifling to go into here) for advertising purposes.

So thank you very much, all who participated. Your contributions to the site are greatly appreciated.

By Djinn Winner For me, this one has it all: a great idea, beautiful execution, and something I think will be compelling to people interested in fantasy games. My only concern is that it could be too dark on certain monitors, but I think it's evocative enough to draw the eye and entice viewers to peer closer to make out the detail, which seems to be the intent even on bright monitors.

By Ciaran First Runner Up Ok, I admit it. I must be honest. I actually laughed at this joke. This was a case where I had to figure out a way to lean toward one criterion or another. This isn't as visually impressive as the other finalists (although it's fine from an aesthetic standpoint), but it's great as an ad: it evokes an immediate response from the viewer that could very well translate into a click and does so simply by flawlessly representing the content of Really Bad Jokes.

By Gahalyn and peroty Second Runner Up That is a big axe. Great image, great slogan. It should not be surprising, I suppose, that the game features are covered by two of the top three -- there's just so much room for imaginative imagery. My only concern on this one is, are people going to know what The Role-Player's Vault is by seeing this image? Is it an anthology of games or an online store for fantasy figurines or role-playing accessories? I don't know, but I think the target audience will be intrigued enough to find out.

By Djinn Honorable Mention Beautiful. The art is a little uneasy in the image's dimensions, but what a great idea and attractive execution.

By Stephen Honorable Mention Quintessentially Stephen. Gotta love the drawing of the bag and the fire in there.

By Ciaran Honorable Mention Another instance where the content of a feature is accurately, succinctly, and enticingly presented to the viewer.

By Ticia Honorable Mention Attractive and elegant.

By TalkingDog Honorable Mention It's possibly the only thing better than candy.

By Ciaran

By Ciaran

By Ciaran

By Ciaran

By Ciaran

By Ciaran

By Djinn

By Eric

By Estelendur

By Gahalyn and peroty

By Gahalyn and peroty

By Ticia