Contest - Spread the Word

I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm going to say it again for the cheap seats - I'm a total attention whore. I write this thing so people will read it. Not to mention I need readers to get free games. It doesn't do me much good to say to publishers, 'yes, I'll review your games, and both of my readers will really enjoy them.'

I chat up the site when I can, of course. I tell people. But I'm only one man, and I don't actually have a budget here. If I did have a budget, I could probably just buy the games I want and not have to write about them. Instead I have to save my money for more important things, like whiskey and hookers.

So this is where you come in. I want you to tell people about Drake's Flames. Word of mouth is great, but you gotta really get the word out. I need my current readers to turn into my loyal cadre of viral marketers. And to help you, I've worked up a little flyer for you to show off.

Post it at the game store. Post it in bars. Slap it on the side of your car. Glue it to your apartment windows. And then, because this is a contest, take a picture.

Here's how the contest is going to work.

1) Download the flyer. It's right here:

http://www.drake-studios.com/drakesflames-flyers.pdf

2) Print it out. The first page is color, the second is black and white, for all you luddites without color printers.

3) Cut each page in half on the dotted line, and then go put the little flyer wherever you can get away with it. Make damned sure you have permission, though - the last thing I need is a game store sending me hate mail.

4) Take a picture and email it to me. I don't need anything huge, so don't send me something I could turn into a billboard. I just need to see where you're spreading the word. Send your entries (along with your address) to:

matt@vixentorgames.com

I'll be the sole judge of how creative, persistent, or hilarious you are. I get to do that. It's my column. I'll be picking winners based on quantity (so feel free to send lots of pictures of lots of different places), quality (the men's room floor is not as good as the register at a game store), and general awesomeness (which I will be deciding entirely based on my own personal taste). Get wacky. Get creative. But most of all, get me more readers.

Just to clarify one point - I'm not looking for professional photography. Feel free to take the shots with your camera phone. I don't need resolution, and I'm not going to be using the pictures in future marketing campaigns. I'm looking for creativity, not professionalism.

I'll give this whole thing two weeks. On March 28, this column will show off the winners. I'll choose the number of winners based on how many people enter - up to 10 entries means there will be a first, second and third place, and for every 10 after that, I'll add one more prize, up to ten prizes. Here's what you can win:

* Key Harvest (still in the shrinkwrap)
* Elfball (with one team fully painted, and another awfully damned close)
* Herocard: Nightmare (played, but it's all there, and I'll throw in some promo glow-in-the-dark figures)
* Mr. Jack (played, but it's also all there)
* Conquest of the Fallen Lands (played just once, and yeah, all there)
* The Conan RPG
* The D&D 3.5 Edition Deluxe Dungeon Master Guide (it's got a black padded cover)
* A VixenTor Games deluxe dice tower
* A VixenTor Games adventure bag (whichever size and design you want)
* Cineplexity (I had to have at least one gag prize)

With the exception of the gag gift, these are all actually pretty decent prizes, unlike last time when I gave away games I hated and dice I can't sell. This time, there are some real pearls. Key Harvest, for instance - great game. I spent a week painting those Elfball figures. And I'll swear by those dice towers (because I make them).

So get busy! Get out there and get me some readers!