Do you have what it takes to land a gig with a legendary game designer? Show us your 3D art skills in Will Wright’s Proxi Art Challenge!
Welcome to Will Wright’s Proxi Art Challenge, sponsored by Gallium Artistic Services Corporation and presented by Unity! To get started, you just need to log in using your Unity ID (or create one), then click "Start a Submission" to start your submission – you’ll have the full duration of the contest to edit it, and no one else will be able to see your submission in progress. By submitting, you’ll be agreeing to the Proxi Art Challenge Official Rules.
Will Wright’s Proxi Art Challenge
Will Wright, world-renowned game designer and creator of The Sims, SimCity, and Spore, has announced that his game dev studio, Gallium Artists, which was co-founded by Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego creator Lauren Elliott, is working on its newest mobile game, Proxi. Proxi is a simulation game built in Unity software that allows players to build entire worlds from their personal memories.
In order to bring this vision to life, Will Wright and Gallium Artists are launching the Proxi Art Challenge, a 3D game art challenge hosted on Unity Connect. They have partnered with Unity to leverage the extensive talent pool of the Unity community to find a 3D artist to help them create their next big game!
Challenge Brief
To enter, you need to create three (3) personal memories represented by three environment scenes. Pick any three memories from your past that have a lot of meaning for you. All models created during the contest must be created by you during the span of the contest – you cannot use any models you have created previously. As well, your project cannot contain any models purchased from the Asset Store or any external marketplaces. All of the scenes must be rendered in Unity.
You will also need to submit one (1) final video showing all the scenes rendered in Unity and labeled with the personal memory (e.g. family, pet, travel) they represent. Feel free to incorporate animations or sounds within your submission which you have the proper rights to use. You’ll also need to submit one (1) article explaining your modeling process – how you set up each scene in Unity, including use of cameras, lighting, rigging, animation, sound, and post-processing. Make sure to add work-in-progress images, videos, and GIFs showing your creative process.
Deliverables
One (1) final submission video showcasing your three memories
A reel of three final scenes, each labeled with the memory it represents
One (1) “making of” article, which must include:
Your final submission video showcasing your three memories
A list of tools you used to build the scenes
Your creative process on how you modeled and rendered your scenes
Work-in-progress images showing your creative process
Theme: Memories
In Proxi, memories are the building blocks of the world. They’re represented by piecing together 3D models to create different environments. For the Proxi Art Challenge, we’re challenging artists to turn their own personal memories into 3D game art. What memories you choose to create are up to you.
We’ve provided a few examples of memory scenes from Sketchfab for you to reference:
We want you to express your creativity and personal experiences in your submission. The two grand-prize winners will travel to California to interview with Will Wright for a chance to work on his project! The contest will run live from March 19 to May 14, 2018.
Judging Criteria
The submissions will be evaluated on imagination and creativity, thematic and stylistic cohesion, quality, and success at evoking a memory.
Contest Judges
Will Wright: Co-Founder Maxis – The Sims, Spore, SimCity
Ocean Quigley: Creative Director, Facebook, EA
Bill Robinson: Disney Illustrator and Character Design – Frozen
Matt Jones: Story Artist, Pixar – Inside Out, Finding Dory
Jenna Chalmers: Game Designer, Tech Lead
Robin Hunicke: Game Designer – Journey, Professor of Game Design
Lauren Elliott: Game Designer – Carmen Sandiego, CEO Gallium
Nick Klingensmith: Unity Asset creator, Unity Developer Certification contributor
Oskar Stalberg: Game Developer – Planet Tile Experiment
Mark Schoennagel: Lead Evangelist, Americas, Unity
Awards and Prizes
The grand prize and honorable-mention categories are selected by a group of judges. The value of the total prize package is $6,400.
Two (2) grand prizes selected by judges (each prize with an estimated value between $1,500 USD and $2,500 USD)
Round-trip flights to SF Bay Area (estimated retail value of $500 if domestic, and $1,500 if international, per person)
2 night stay in hotel (estimated retail value of $500 per person)
Private dinner with Will Wright and contest judges (estimated retail value of $100 per person)
Interview with Will Wright and Gallium Artists team (estimated retail value of $0)
Swag bundle: The Sims, Spores, Proxi T-shirts/games/stickers (estimated retail value of $100 per person)
Licenses (Allegorithmic, Marmoset) (estimated retail value of $300 per person)
Six (6) honorable mentions selected by community and judges (estimated retail value of $400 USD per prize). Community winners will be selected based on the number of likes on their submission in addition to the judging criteria.
Swag bundle: The Sims, Spores, Proxi T-shirts/games/stickers (estimated retail value of $100 per person)
Licenses (Allegorithmic, Marmoset) (estimated retail value of $300 per person)
Challenge Rules
In order to be eligible to win, you must submit three scenes in your final reel video.
For your submission to be valid it must be submitted by 23:59 PT on May 14, 2018.
You agree that your entry will be viewed by the panel of judges.
This contest is limited to individuals. Groups, teams or companies are not eligible to participate.
All submitted content must be created by you specifically for this contest. Models cannot be repurposed from previous projects.
Participants may not use any models from the Asset Store or any external marketplace.
Any submission that contains vulgar, explicit, borrowed or stolen content will be ineligible and will be removed.
You must use Unity 2017 or Unity 2018 to render your scene.
You must have access to Unity Connect and a Unity Connect profile.
Deadline
The scene must be produced and submitted between 00:01 PT March 19 and 23:59 PT May 14, 2018 on the Proxi Art Challenge submission page on Unity Connect.
Winner Announcements
All winners will be announced during Unite Berlin 2018 (June 19-21).
Guide to Entry
Getting Started
Pick three memories to create as separate environment scenes.
Use your preferred modeling software (i.e. Blender, Maya, etc.) to create models for your scenes.
Download Unity here and import your models.
Start building your scene!
Once finished, download and use Unity Recorder (recommended) to record your final scene or use any in-editor video-capture tools available on the Unity Asset Store.
Edit your video and upload it to a public video platform (i.e. YouTube, Vimeo).
Login Instructions
Go to connect.unity.com
Log in using your Unity ID credentials.
If you don’t have a Unity ID, please create one. If you have to create a Unity ID, you will have to fill out a form and verify your email.
Once finished, you’ll be ready to use Unity Connect.
Please fill your profile as completely as possible (profile photo, cover photo, etc.).
Remember that you need a nearly complete profile (at least 80%) in order to be eligible!
Final Submission: Submitting Your Project
Go to connect.unity.com/challenges/proxi.
Click Submit, then add Project Name.
Embed a public video of your final scene at the start of your submission.
Add details of your entire production process from concept to final production, including information about your modeling and rendering process (cameras, lighting, rigging, animation, and post-processing).
Add work-in-progress images, GIFs, and video to your submission.
Add tags, and tag all uploaded content with #ProxiArtChallenge
Publish!
Remember to share your submission on social media, as community winners will also be judged by the number of likes they receive.
Resources
Key Unity Tech Downloads
Unity: The most recent version of Unity.Download
Cinemachine: A powerful, easy-to-use procedural camera system. Download
Post Processing Stack: An all-in-one, post-process effects pipeline. Download
Timeline: Included in the Unity Editor, it’s a tool for creating cinematic content and gameplay sequences. Read more
Unity Recorder: Capture video and images during gameplay and record to various media formats. Download
ProBuilder: Build basic or advanced geometry right in Unity. Download
Unity Documentation
Unity User Manual: Documentation
Importing models from 3D software: Documentation
Resource Pages
Unity Learn: Core resources for learning Unity, including documentation, tutorials, and webinar courses
Unity for Artists and Animators: A collection of resources and learning material
FAQ
I want to submit but my project isn’t final – what should I do?
Feel free to upload your project at any time, in any state. You’ll have the entire duration of the challenge to update it to its final status, and your progress will not be visible to visitors of the site.
Who is eligible to participate?
This contest is open to individuals worldwide, excluding residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria due to U.S. Export regulations; and excluding residents of Quebec (Canada), Brazil and Italy.
Does it matter what version of Unity I use?
You must use either Unity 2017 or Unity 2018.
Can I submit multiple entries for the challenge?
No, you can only submit one entry to the contest.
Can I work with a team of people on my submission?
No, you cannot work with a team. The contest is limited to individuals only.
How do I import models from my 3D software?
Visit this page to learn how to import your models into Unity.
Where can I go if I have questions about the contest?
Please visit the Proxi Art Challenge channelfor any questions you have regarding the contest, or reach out to connect@unity3d.com.
What do I need to include in my final submission?
As part of your submission, you need to submit one (1) final video showing all the scenes rendered in Unity and labeled with the personal memory they represent (e.g. family, pet, travel). Feel free to incorporate animations or sounds within your submission which you have the proper rights to use.
You also need to submit one (1) article explaining your modeling process, how you set up each scene in Unity, including use of cameras, lighting, rigging, animation, and post-processing. Make sure to add work-in-progress images, videos, and GIFs showing your creative process.