The 5th Annual E3 Banner Contest Challenge

Alright, duders. E3 2013 is ten days away. I know! Crazy, right? Well, if you've been around Giant Bomb for a while, you know that each of the last few years, the moderators have held a contest for users to create the banners that will be placed at the top of each press conference's discussion thread. Whether you're a Photoshop master or a can't find the color red in MS Paint, you could win! So, read the rules carefully and start making pretty and/or funny stuff!

UPDATE: Thanks to @rorie, each of the six winners will also get a free month of premium membership. If you already are a premium member, an extra month will be added to your current subscription.

The Rules

• You each can submit up to THREE banners for EACH press conference. So, if you've got multiple genius ideas for Konami's insanity. Have at it!
• Although you can submit many banners, you can only win ONCE. So, for example, if you win Microsoft, you can't win Sony. We gotta spread the love.
• All banners must be 650 x 150.
• No animated GIFs. Hard G or otherwise.
• General forum rules apply. (i.e. no nudity or otherwise NSFW stuff)
• Deadline for Konami is Wednesday night (June 5).
• Deadline for Microsoft/EA/Ubisoft/Sony/Nintendo is next Sunday night (June 9).
• While everyone is encouraged to pick their favorites, winners are chosen by the moderators.

The Info

Here are the details about when each conference is being held. Use these as you wish. Or don't. Or use incorrect information if you want!

• Konami - Thursday, June 6 @ 10:00 AM PDT / 1:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM GMT
• Microsoft - Monday, June 10 @ 9:30 AM PDT / 12:30 PM EDT / 4:30 PM GMT
• Electronic Arts - Monday, June 10 @ 1:00 PM PDT / 4:00 PM EDT / 8:00 PM GMT
• Ubisoft - Monday, June 10 @ 3:00 PM PDT / 6:00 PM EDT / 10:00 PM GMT
• Sony - Monday, June 10 @ 6:00 PM PDT / 9:00 PM EDT / 1:00 AM GMT
• Nintendo - Tuesday, June 11 @ 7:00 AM PDT / 10:00 AM EDT / 2:00 PM GMT

As you can see, we've decided to go ahead and include Nintendo even though they won't be doing a live stage presentation. Nintendo will be releasing a Nintendo Direct on Tuesday morning before E3 officially starts, so I'm sure we'll have a discussion thread about that too.

Now you know the rules and the basic info you should probably include. So, get to photoshopping, drawing, or even photographing! Here's a template if you need a visual aid. And, if you need some inspiration, just check out all of the past winners below.

Gallery

You know how Ludwig Mies van der Rohe used to say "Less is more"?

Fuck that guy.

Aha! Is this my chance?

@gnomeonfire: The Sony one is actually really good, I like it.

If only I had any kind of Photo Editing skills. :(

Remember folks - claymation.

Also? Finger paints. Not even just for the banners. Just... you know. Finger painting!

@gnomeonfire: You need to photoshop a fourth finger onto Kaz's hand.

Lol, that actually did cross my mind. Though I think I would fuck it up.

TIME TO INSTALL FIREWORKS

Cannot wait to see these.

Probably not the best but ehhhhhh.

Two similar designs. Might as well add them both. I'm pretty proud of my Mattrick if I'm honest but strangely nervous posting this. I haven't done this sort thing for ages, it was fun. Be kind and constructive!

I'll update this post as I make 'em.

@boocreepyfootdoctor said:

I'll update this post as I make 'em.

I'm a big fan of Hacksaw Jim Duggan. You are using his likeness correctly.

Oh Microsoft, you've made yourself such an easy target this year.

My two tries for the Microsoft press conference. Does anyone have any idea how to make the edges of the X look less jaggy.

@theht: I love that middle Microsoft one, and the Konami one.

@benspyda said:

Oh Microsoft, you've made yourself such an easy target this year.

HOLY FUCK!!!! J. ALLARD NEVER LEFT MICROSOFT-HE BECAME DON MATTRICK.

@theht: I love the Konami banner.

@theht: That Konami one is fucking rad.

@theht: That's pretty BA. Love the MG2/MSX art/style.

THE MICROSOFT PRESS CONFERENCE IS ALWAYS ON.

Just knocked up these two. Text could do with some rearranging maybe.

I'm never satisfied with text layout.

My first banner entry ever...:)

Just a heads up to first timers out there... Save your images as PNG instead of JPG to avoid blurriness from compression.

We've got some pretty good entries so far. Keep it up.

One piece of advice: use PNG format on these. You'll avoid the compression artifacts that JPEG can introduce.

second banner :)

@prestige said:

i hope this wins so badly.

3:rd banner :)

I couldn't really think of anything "clever" so I just graphic designed the shit out of mine. I'll probably make another set this weekend? Probably? If I have time? And stuff? Question marks?

@prestige said:

So much this.

@i_smell said:

THE MICROSOFT PRESS CONFERENCE IS ALWAYS ON.

Dark horse pic.

@aurahack: These are the best, but will have no chance at winning.

I'm contributing:

@zombiepie: I have no idea what your contribution means but it scares me shitless none the less.

@zombiepie: Someone's green... Are you feeling a little green ZombiePie? ;)

@sgtpierceface: What happens happens, haha. I just did those to flex my design fingers. I'll probably make something more... special... by the end of the weekend.

eh, decided to try something.....

Don't listen to this old coot! Artifacts add character. Just look at Turtle J Allard for example:

I think I learned how to edit photos everyone! I think I finally get it!

@zombiepie:

@chaser324: Doom on you:

@aurahack said:

I couldn't really think of anything "clever" so I just graphic designed the shit out of mine. I'll probably make another set this weekend? Probably? If I have time? And stuff? Question marks?

These banners are really clean and crisp. Out the ones i like, the Microsoft, EA and Sony ones are my top favorite out of the incoming banners as of 5/31. Good job, Duder.

@aurahack: Love the clean minimalistic style. Very cool.

@theht said:

Bring the whole left side down and the the duder line down then this is gold.

For the Microsoft Conference! Seeing as everyone is paranoise about the Kinect watching them, I figured this'd be appropriate.

And here's a quick gif I made of it to make it a bit creepier. I know the contest says no animated gifs, so this one is just for fun. First time I've actually figured out the trick to saving a gif properly so hopefully it works.

Hrm... It animates fine when you click on it. I could have sworn I'd seen animated gifs on the forums, is there some trick to posting them?

hi guiz, mai name is don. enjoy! hha

@i_smell: Is this finally the year that sees the return of James Pond?