As we move deeper and deeper into this competition, the burden of eliminating qualified and talented contestants becomes more and more unpleasant. But it is a necessary evil in competitions such as this, and all the judges can do is hope that as we say goodbye to contestants, they leave with more knowledge that they had when the started this game. It's our hope that all of the contestants - no matter when they go, will continue to learn, practice and develop their talents on their own.
The Federation Team
Darren Lacoste (dlacoste) and Matthew Hayes (karonofborg13) were up for elimination from the Federation Team.
Darren has demonstrated creativity, determination and leadership in all of the previous challenges. However, the judges strongly caution Darren that it's possible to be too organized, and the desire for order can often lead to unintended chaos. Card design is a chaotic and creative process - sometimes, a designer just has to sit back and remember this is all supposed to be fun!
Matthew is one of the most prolific designers we've ever run into, but his output in Make it So seems to be less than it could be. Additionally, while he has offered comments on his teammates cards, there is often a bit too much attachment to his own ideas.
As unfortunate as it is to let anyone go, the judges have decided that with a vote of 3-1, they must "cut" Matthew (karonofborg13) from the competition, knowing that he'll be missed but that he'll bounce back and continue to learn and grow as a designer.
From Brad: "Matthew, you've demonstrated a lot of creativity and a lot of drive and your presence will be missed. Please do re-apply in the future, but remember: sometimes it's better to make five (5) great cards than twenty (20) good ones."
Matthew will be moved out of his team forum and into a different group, where he can still see the general goings on of the competition, but not the inner workings of their former teams.
For the eleven remaining contestants, the game continues. The teams have completed one of the five challenges they must face and overcome before they can prepare their final, forty-five (45) card virtual expansions. Challenge #6 will introduce the contestants to the Art Team, and give them a chance to prove that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Challenge #6, "Imagine," gives the teams a different point of view for top-down design. Our 2E Art Director, Mr. Johnny Holeva, has selected nine (9) images from a variety of series and situations. The two teams must create cards that inspire the hearts and minds of the community based on these images.
Teams have until Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at 8 AM EST (GMT-5) to submit their entries. Judging will be opened shortly after the submissions are received and posted.
Episode X of the Make it So podcast is also available, featuring an interview with Johnny about the art-design interactions as well as more details on Challenge #6.
Stay tuned to the Official Forum for all the latest news and happenings on Make it So!