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Steampunk Cylon: Design your own and win!
The Cylons are back! Yep, not only are they threatening (and sometimes allying with) humanity in the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica (shown Fridays in the U.S. on our parent, the SCI FI Channel), but they've invaded DVICE, too. This time their goal is even more creative: Challenge our readers (that would be you) to design what a Steampunk Cylon would look like.
Imagine a Cylon Heavy Raider crashes in the 1800s somewhere on Earth. Only a single Centurion survives, and it's heavily damaged. Realizing its only chance at survival is to use the tools available, it repairs itself with the materials of the era.
Or just imagine yourself designing a Steampunk Cylon because it's frakkin' cool.
We created the Steampunk Cylon above to give you guys an idea of what we're looking for. Think you can do better? Show us! Photoshop an image or make a model and snap a picture, then send it in to editor@dvice.com. We'll pick the winner before the season finale and announce it on March 20. (Really! No delays this time.)
Read the full rules by clicking Continue.
"STEAMPUNK CYLON" CONTEST
Cylon Background: The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. Intelligent robots, they were used as slaves and soldiers to fight humanity's wars. But the Cylons became sentient and they rebelled. Man and machine fought to a bloody stalemate, then the Cylons withdrew to a remote region of space. A truce between the Twelve Colonies and the Cylons lasted for 40 tense and silent years. Then, on the 40th anniversary, a stunning blonde — a Cylon in human form — met the human envoy… moments before the Cylons vaporized the station and launched a genocidal attack on the Twelve Colonies.
Now DVICE gives you the opportunity to create Steampunk Cylons to win prizes. There are many examples of steampunk design — contemporary objects re-imagined as if they were built in the Victorian era — on DVICE, including this keyboard, this clock and this mouse.
HOW TO ENTER
Design a Steampunk Cylon: Entrants must create an image of what a Cylon from the "steampunk" era would look like. You can use graphical software (such as Photoshop), draw or paint your Cylon, or you can physically build the Cylon and photograph it. You then submit the image(s) of your design to editor@dvice.com. Please do not exceed 1 megabyte per image! Your entry should also include your full name, date of birth, phone number, physical address and a valid e-mail address.
We'll also accept entries for creations in the general Battlestar universe (steampunk ships, steampunk devices, etc.), although our preference is for Cylons.
PRIZES
The best entry or entries will be featured on DVICE, and the creator will win Battlestar-related merchandise. Prizes are limited by supply.
JUDGING
The DVICE staff will select the winners.
Each week, DVICE will post updates, sometimes with samples of the entries received so far. We welcome your commentary to help guide us select the winners.
WHO CAN ENTER
Open only to entrants who are permanent, legal residents of and physically residing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands and all other US territories), who are 13 years of age or older at time of entry. To be considered, all entries must include the Entrant's full name, date of birth and a valid e-mail address.
That said, anyone can send in a Steampunk Cylon design. People who don't meet the requirements of the above rules can't win the contest, but we may still feature the design on DVICE (especially if it's good!).
END DATE
The contest will end at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 16. Results will be posted later that week.
CONTEST CLOSED
We passed our deadline and the contest is now closed. Big thanks to everyone who entered! We'll be posting the results very soon — stay tuned.
By Nathan at 1:28 PM ON 01/23/09
Someone at DVICE must have seen the 2008 Doctor Who Christmas episode. They had a steam powered Cyberman that was built by other Cybermen in the 1800's. Small world, huh?
By Rob Wampum at 1:34 PM ON 01/23/09
This Cylon has been augmented with Dalek bumps! Fascinating!
By Guarie at 5:13 PM ON 01/23/09
Oh great. Another Scifi event restricted to just US users. Thanks a lot guys. One day maybe you'll realize the web is open to the whole world and not everyone lives in the US.
By MrUbiq at 6:24 PM ON 01/23/09
It's not SCIFI's fault they can't run most contests outside the US. Most other countries have a lot more laws/regulations that much be followed or abided by that simply renders it unfeasible to allow contestants from outside the US.
By CaptBogBot at 7:28 PM ON 01/23/09
Overseas websites are the same way. I've tried to watch videos on the BBC's website with no sucess (and not for technical reasons).
By Pagrin at 8:04 PM ON 01/23/09
I see Guarie's point. It such when things like this are limited because of geology. So maybe instead of saying Oh well they just can't, enough of us should comment and say, we'd like Dvice to try and change that.
Find out what it would take to expand the contest to other countries. Even if you only added one more it would be a start.
After all if you got interest from the whole world, why not cater them?
By CptComustable at 4:06 AM ON 01/24/09
Hmmm...no Brits again, eh? Oh, well. Obama has his work cut out.
By S.A. expat at 8:30 AM ON 01/24/09
Too true about the U.S. only problem for entries. Want to sell your products worldwide ( I am in Oman ) but that is as far as U.S. interaction goes ? Come on, I paid for the first 4 seasons on DVD, I want a shot at the swag.
By Promus-Kaa at 6:02 PM ON 01/24/09
Silly Dvice, the Cylons weren't made by humans. They were created by a reptilian alien race and rebelled against their creators eons ago, destroying them completely...THEN they waged war against the Twelve Colonies. :D
By 3 at 10:52 PM ON 01/25/09
Heh, looks like somebody's stuck in the 70s.
By CGGuy at 1:20 PM ON 01/28/09
You say "graphical software (such as Photoshop)" may be used. Does this include 3D software such as 3D Studio Max, Softimage, Maya, Carrara, C4D, etc? Wouldn't want to put a lot of time in on a 3D CGI model and get disqualified because it wasn't the right kind of software....
By Edward at 9:39 AM ON 01/29/09
@ By Guarie "Oh great. Another Scifi event restricted to just US users. "
Imagine how I feel when visiting the BBC website from New Orleans. Some of the content that I want is limited to the UK only.
By Raymondjram at 3:29 PM ON 01/29/09
That steam-powered Cylon reminded me of the giant mechanical spider in the film "Wild Wild West" (1999 version with Will Smith), and the ice-making machine that Doc Brown built in "Back to the Future - part 3". But I don't believ a steam-powered Cylon would be much of a menace, except if it crashed on top of you!
By eclectro at 4:52 PM ON 01/29/09
This "demo" Cylon does not look fearsome at all. Rather, it almost seems laughable. I feel the same way about the Dr. Who Daleks - all I would need to do to get away from them is find some stairs. Hint monster robot makers - your machine should not need ADA compliant facilities. Oh yeh, I never bought that whole "Dalek floating" nonsense either.
By Ric Locke at 5:55 PM ON 01/29/09
The Professors Foglio have that one covered, guys.
By Robert Britt at 8:44 PM ON 01/29/09
That looks mighty cool. I had to pass those on to my techie geek buddies
By reggiemacy2k at 2:39 PM ON 01/31/09
Hey 3 you are a moron because Promus-KAA Cylon Background info is correct & I am a 70's child and proud of it!
By Adrian McNair at 8:00 AM ON 02/01/09
You "children of the Seventies" should do us all a favour and keep your mouths shut. Talk about the useless vocal minority getting uppity.
By gotwhatchuneed at 4:08 PM ON 02/02/09
It's nothing more than a glorified finger-puller.
At least it runs on natural gas!
By afterburner909 at 7:26 PM ON 02/02/09
//By CptComustable at 4:06 AM ON 01/24/09
Hmmm...no Brits again, eh? Oh, well. Obama has his work cut out.//
---Foreigners not being able to win BSG contests?
Sure, I bet he'll be right on top of that issue.
By fatal_error at 5:34 AM ON 02/04/09
since this is only america there is no insentive to submit a entry if you live outside the US, I may submit a raytraced entry. but I wonder why your doing this, your other article "ST vs BSG" was utter crap and seems your only promoting BSG because you own it.
By X-rayed at 5:23 AM ON 02/12/09
"Open only to entrants who are permanent, legal residents of and physically residing in the 50 United States" Hooouuuu that's lame...
By ganesha at 6:54 AM ON 02/12/09
I'm from indonesia, can I join..? I guess no..
By Old Man Dotes at 1:58 PM ON 02/13/09
"You can use graphical software (such as Photoshop), draw or paint your Cylon, or you can physically build the Cylon and photograph it. You then submit the image(s) of your design to editor@dvice.com."
Can't I just do as I usually do? Build the Cylon, and then order it to report to your offices to pick up the trophy?
By mcborge at 1:16 PM ON 02/25/09
I'm working on a steampunk cylon in bryce, it'll look good on my deviant art page even if i can't enter the compo from the uk.
Also Just a little corection from a dr who fan to electro's comment, Daleks can levitate ya no!
By K'Rik at 9:38 AM ON 03/16/09
Ugh! Enough with the Steam Punk already. Sheesh.
By MRA at 6:42 PM ON 06/10/09
"We'll pick the winner before the season finale and announce it on March 20. (Really! No delays this time.)"
Frakin' liers. Where are the results then???
By McNair Bear at 6:08 AM ON 07/26/09
Hey McNair you suck the 70's were the best times. Talk about the snobby lameo like you getting all angry got nothing better to do
on your cellphone!
Text DVICE to 72434
editor@dvice.com
McNair Bear:
Hey McNair you suck the 70's were the best times. Talk about the snobby lameo like you getting all angry got nothin...More »