Bust out the arts and crafts -- it's time to get kreative for the holiday season! We're finishing the year big with our very own beloved tradition: the 7th Annual Mortal Kombat Online Kreate-a-Kharacter Kontest!
Twenty years of Mortal Kombat has inspired a lot of people to create a lot of great things! In the last decade and a half; Mortal Kombat Online has had the pleasure of hosting some of the Kommunity's finest contributions from around the world! From loving tributes, to fanciful reinventions, our Fan Submission forum & gallery has seen thousands of works based on the hit video game series. Now it's time to go off-script -- for you to kreate something completely new with a chance to win exciting highly collectibles prizes!
The name of the game is pretty self-explanatory, but there are some important ground rules to go over. Please ensure you have read kontest guidelines [below] and fully understood them before entering the kontest. Anyone found in violation of guideline rules will be immediately disqualified.
To be eligible to enter the kontest, you must ensure you have a registered user account and a functioning e-mail address that you can be contacted at. Kontest entry is as simple as copying the details below and sending your submission in an e-mail to the address in the link. Kontest entries must be received before the end of December, 2012! [Additional: Please remember to make the subject in your e-mail clear and relevant.]
Check out the 2011 Kreate-a-Kharacter Kontest entries for an example of how easy it is to enter! All of the entrants e-mailed their details in to win! Please ensure you do not reveal your kreation publicly on the forums. Like last year, we intend to keep the vote blind for as long as possible, to avoid favortism.
Kreate-a-Kharacter Entry Info:
Your MKO Username: (So we know it's you!)
Character Name: (Your character's handle and/or "real" name)
Gender: (Your character's gender)
Age: (Age of your character)
Height: (Height of your character)
Weight: (Weight of your character)
Origin: (Home realm of your character)
Alignment: (Moral/ethical stance of your character: Good/Neutral/Evil)
Character Appearance [1-2]: (A physical description of your character and their attire. This is a vital component of the creation of your character. You may attach a visual aid of your own creation to display your character. Drawings are recommended, but you may also submit other mediums, or designs created using license-free third-party generators [ie; Hero Generator] as long as they are in PNG or JPEG formats. A visual aid is not required for entry. You may submit an alternate costume for your character, if you wish.)
Bio: (Your character's story and connection to the Mortal Kombat universe. Be as original or referencial to series canon as you please. In many ways, this is the most important summary of your character. Exercise judgment about what we need to know and what can be explained in other categories. Be concisde, clear and creative.)
Character Ending: (Your character's arcade ending. Refer to the games themselves for examples of how to craft your character's ending. The content of your ending is completely up to you. You may wish to offer a surprise revelation, a possible outcome for defeating an opponent, a wish fulfillment, or more details that add to your character's relationships or bio.)
Fighting Style: (A description of your character's fighting style is important. Existing martial arts disciplines are a welcome short-hand, with relevant descriptions of style, approach, or detail useful. You can approach this from a character-driven perspective, or also attempt to envision in-game mechanic style for your character.)
Special Moves [2-7]: (What would a kombatant be without their trademark special attacks? Please ensure you submit a minimum of two special moves, and an absolute maximum of seven. Describe moves in creative and/or in-game terms.)
X-ray Attack: (In keeping with the current game, you may wish to create a brutal X-Ray attack. Please submit only one. Describe actions and/or in-game mechanic.)
Finishing Moves [2]: (A description of your characters finishing move. We recommend that you describe two fatalities for your character -- but you may choose to opt for alternate finishing moves, where appropriate. Specify the type of finishing move and describe them both in detail.)
Entrance Taunt: (A great way to embue a sense of attitude in your character. Describe actions and phrases, but remember -- keep it brief or we'll just skip to the fight!)
Victory Pose: (Your character's action or phrase when they win a fight.)
As in previous years, entries will be whittled down in an elimination tournament format [to be decided upon entry close]. A kontest winner will be selected by a panel of expert judges and the Mortal Kombat Online kommunity in January -- so don't delay!
Update (7/2): With questions left unanswered we finally end a lengthy delay -- ushering in the long awaited Kreate-a-Kharacter VII Finals tournament! This single elimination bracket pits the top two "kharacters" from each Round Robin group against one another in Mortal Kombat! To help reach the ultimate verdict we welcome three esteemed guest judges to the Championship end of the kontest! Together with MKO staff and community they will help us crown the greatest creation of the KAKVII contest!
- Kreate-a-Kharacter VII Finals Guest Judges
- Pete Thompson (Atomhawk Design Lead Artist)
- Mike Cruz (EGM/1UP Designer)
- Emmanuel "CD Jr" Brito (Tournament Champion)
Pete is a founding member of Atomhawk Design and as Lead Concept Artist, he has all the skills needed to fully visualize any AAA production. He has now worked on more than 20 different projects, including playing a key part in the concept art of Mortal Kombat 2011; for which he created designs for environments and characters including Scorpion and Sub-Zero!
A designer at EGM and then 1UP, Mike Cruz not only contributed his graphic design talent, but was also able to inject his brand of humor into articles and podcasts. Even though his 1UP days are long past, Mike continues to podcast with his former at1UP cast members, Jade Kraus and Travis Williams, on their new show, The Duck of Death.
With the launch of Mortal Kombat (2011), CD Jr quickly established himself as one of the top players on the competitive tournament circuit. In 2012 he had a stellar season, claiming victory at MLG's Spring Fighter Arena & Winter Championship, and at Winter Brawl 6. CD Jr was the 2012 Evo World Champion Runner-Up, losing a controversial final bout to the defending champion.
Representing Mortal Kombat Online throughout the Round Robin stages were staff judges:
Update (7/12): Congratulations to
Kontest Prizes:
- Kontest Guidelines:
- Only one character entry may be submitted by an individual.
- Characters must be original creations. Submissions based on existing or known character concepts will be disqualified. [Note: Users may refer to in-fiction elements, such as species, realms, or organizations.]
- Returning participants may resubmit characters from previous kontests, providing they are the original creators.
- Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Anyone found copying or stealing other peoples works will be disqualified and face a ban from the site.
- By entering the kontest, you acknowledge Mortal Kombat Online's indefinite right to recreate your character in digital and carbon mediums.
- Users should observe all standard kommunity rules for Mortal Kombat Online. Violation of site rules will resut in disqualification at staff discretion.
- Members or relatives of Mortal Kombat Online staff and admin are not eligible for kontest entry.
- This contest is not affiliated with Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment or NetherRealm Studios. Mortal Kombat Online cannot be held liable for the similiarity between entries and future trademarks from the Mortal Kombat franchise.
You're now armed with all the available information. Time to hit the drawing board and start brainstorming your character! Be inventive, be creative, tap into the key elements that make Mortal Kombat what it is, and aim to delight and inspire with your new hero or villain! You've got all of December to submit - lay off the eggnog and make it count!
Feel free to get the juices flowing by visiting the Fan Submission arena, and by discussing the kontest on the forums. REMEMBER -- do not reveal the intimate details of your kreation! See you soon!
art by fear-sAs
