[PRIME] Challenge Coins 2011 - for real now

TOGSolid

Coldbrew wrote: »

I believe the words "Welcome Home" should have a place on every coin, in some form or another. As for a design that captures PAX, it's going to be hard to top the DS-in-hand from last year.

How about a guy carting a way too heavy tower to the BYOC room?

Or hell, a bunch of people in the free play room all gathered around one console playing MAHVEL BAYBEE?

punzie

Coldbrew wrote: »

I believe the words "Welcome Home" should have a place on every coin, in some form or another.

Yes. Absolutely.

Heleor

Definitely interested in this!

I second the convention center arch for the Seattle side of the coin. The Paramount logo would look great as well, but I'm not sure if there's any copyright concerns there.

I also would definitely prefer the ridged edge and bronze finish of the coin rather than the smooth silvery coin that we got at East.

Serenity

Aw this looks really cool! I was lurking the PAX east thread on this...

So what's the dealio? Are we still discussing possible designs?
If so, I would like to make a suggestion...
How about we have a figure head like many coins have? Except PAX style like Gabe or Tycho? If not, I would suggest the Seattle needle. Not PAX related but iconic to Seattle.

Naile

Have you considered the... I think it's called the Fremont Bridge Troll? It's a statue of a giant hairy troll under a bridge. I see it mentioned on the Seattle Reddit more than the space needle.

Coldbrew

The bridge troll is definitely a Seattle icon, much like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, I wouldn't be against using either of those. Remember we have two sides to this coin; what we've done before is represent PAX on one side, and the host city on the other. So whatever we use to represent Seattle doesn't have to have anything to do with PAX. If we used an image of the Paramount theater it might be considered PAX related, as it seems to be the location of the main theater this year.

Either way, the troll isn't a bad idea. Neither is the market or the Paramount, if we could make them happen. I'd be satisfied with any of those.

Kilo147

Well. Lets try this again. For the third time.

Laptop sucks, cables for camera are in the wrong town, my idea is the Paramount with the Convention Center visible behind it, with the Hotel District filling out the back of the coin, with the marquee at the Paramount saying something like PAX 2011 Main Stage: Welcome Home, and a line forming at the front doors leading out to the bottom of the coin.

Anyone in Kirkland want to meet up so I can transfer these damn pictures without this piece of crap laptop finding another excuse to crash?

Slipstream0

ok, tossing my design idea in the ring. Just a rough idea, trying to tie together video games, board games, card games, and the community, just as PAX does

Spoiler:

the ring around the outside would be the usual pacman design.

Lets keep the ideas flowing, coming up on the deadline fast!

Cadyn

Loving the Power icon in the middle of the D-pad. The cards on the bottom, too. Maybe a DM/GM screen to replace the D20? It's iconic to many RPG systems other than D20/D&D, as well as being a familiar fixture on at the D&D table.

Slipstream0

revised with a DM/GM screen and dice/markers

Spoiler:

Arco

We had cards and dice on the East coin and a DS on the Prime coin. So really, only the D-Pad and Space Invader are original to this year. I'm not a big fan of duplicating elements from the previous designs.

D-Pad is imagery closely associated to PAX (because of the logo), so working with the D-Pad could be a promising premise. The Space Invader is good and recognizable, too, although I'm not entirely sure a single 1980s video game really represents PAX that much. Aside from Classic Console, there's a LOT of other, more prevalent interests at PAX.

Still, a very recognizable visual, and this is all coming from a guy who wears a Space Invaders hoodie everywhere he goes.

So I think the D-Pad is a promising visual, and the Space Invaders has some (but less) potential. 'Nix the other stuff, it's already been done.

Slipstream0

I dont know what else to use for card games other than cards. I was going for capturing all of pax. I know the DS and cards have been done, but it doesnt mean their still not part of PAX

Agree with you on the space invader. I went with it because its iconic as 'video game' and dont know what else we could put thats simple enough to put on a coin. open to suggestions on all of it, or an entirely new idea even. I just want to keep ideas flowing so we can make deadline

papaprinny

I tend to oppose using multiple things on the obverse of the coin to represent PAX. We need to leave stuff available for our use in the future. Minimalism (simple, elegant, not overcrowded) works best here. Let's also try to shy away from simple gaming icons, and work more toward stuff that is invokative of the PAX experience. Unique imagery is a hallmark of good design.

Sgt Superman

I like the idea of the D-pad just by itself. Its simple and elegant. Then have the standard welcome home / Pac man around the edge.

Jessper

The D-Pad with the power symbol is pretty slick, I agree with the others, going with just that design could make for a nice concise coin back. It appeals to me more than the zappers.

Slipstream0

revised with just D-Pad, and the traditional 'welcome home' edging. Also went ahead and gave one a coin look just to help visualize.

B/W version

Spoiler:

Coin-Look

Spoiler:

Didnt think I would, but I too like just the D-Pad

Kwisatz Haderach

Simple, yet elegant - I like!

Little bummed about the loss of the crossed zappers, but maybe we can fit those in next year.

papaprinny

When I first came on to the Unofficial PAX Community DVD, the imagery was already there. The d-pad in our logo pre-dates my involvement with the project. I honestly have never liked it, but who was I to gut an institution?
Additionally, slipstream, your technical skills likely dwarf mine. Your draft-fu be strong.

That being said...




. . .

I can't really say that I'm on board with this one.

Slipstream0

any ideas for it prinny? its all good and fine to voice opinions, its how we will end up with a great design, but we need to get an idea finalized soon. Dont take this as a defensive statement for my design, I want to make whatever the majority wants, but we need it soon. Were cutting it closer and closer every day.

Coldbrew

papaprinny wrote: »

I honestly have never liked it

D:

gigabrain

I gotta be honest, even though I wont be attending Prime (insert crying anime face here), I do have to say that the plain D-pad holds a certain appeal to me, namely the aspect that its simplicity itself. Easily identifiable as gaming related.

BTW...still buying a coin anyways

S2000Gan

i think tis kinda cool!

Slipstream0

trying to keep the ball rolling - does anyone have any other ideas they would like to see done? I can work up a sample pretty quick.

palmer

It seems the4 main conflict here is between Generic gaming imagery and PAX-Unique imagery.
The DS in hand is PAX-specific... but the dice and cards from East is generic.

The d-pad seems like it's trying to split the difference, and that's why it's not grabbing people.

Part of the problem is that much of PAX is an experience, and experiences are hard to depict.

That being said... does anyone have a distinctive photo of a CONCERT that could be used?

Arithon32

I like the D-Pad design a lot

Slipstream0

Playing with another idea. Somehow combining iconic game weapons/icons that regularly show at pax (im thinking big daddy drill, and assassin blade) alongside a cardboard tube. Thoughts?

61Ranchero

Slipstream0 wrote: »

Playing with another idea. Somehow combining iconic game weapons/icons that regularly show at pax (im thinking big daddy drill, and assassin blade) alongside a cardboard tube. Thoughts?

Speaking strictly for myself, I prefer the simple dpad design.

Slipstream0

61Ranchero wrote: »

Slipstream0 wrote: »

Playing with another idea. Somehow combining iconic game weapons/icons that regularly show at pax (im thinking big daddy drill, and assassin blade) alongside a cardboard tube. Thoughts?

Speaking strictly for myself, I prefer the simple dpad design.

How does everyone else feel? Do we need more ideas, or do we have it with the D-Pad?

Should I make a poll?

Kilo147

D-Pad is just one side. I like the idea, and I think the obverse should always be something iconic from handhelds or controllers, at least at PRIME. Maybe a red ring of death, but controllers work better. What do we do for the Seattle side? I would say the Gum Wall just for coin with metal gum covering one side, but really, any ideas?

Also, I got my camera fixed a bit. Anyways, my Photobucket link for the pics is below. It's everything that I find iconic in Seattle, as related to PAX. Mainly the skyline, a sculpture or two, a few views from the Convention Center, and some stuff just outside. I lost a good number of photos in an unfortunate accident, this is what was left.
http://s1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa403/Kilo147/PAX%20Challenge%20Coin%20ideas/

Slipstream0

i cast my vote for the escelators. The seattle skyline from the last coin is nice, and I really liked the shot someone else posted of the archway for the convention center, but the escelators are pure PAX to me

Thanks for the pics btw, glad to have someone who can get shots like this

Kilo147

Slipstream0 wrote: »

i cast my vote for the escelators. The seattle skyline from the last coin is nice, and I really liked the shot someone else posted of the archway for the convention center, but the escelators are pure PAX to me

Thanks for the pics btw, glad to have someone who can get shots like this

Here's my thoughts. We need to make it busy. Not super busy, but busy. Cause PAX is busy as hell.

So some poor SOB is gonna have to make a proof-of-concept of this. God have mercy on you.


near the top of the coin is the skyline. Not a real skyline, but a skyline of all things PAX. The hotels, the theatre, and part of the center. Like, just the top, with all that badass hanging ivy. fading into the skyline are the escalators. Bold at the bottom, going into a fade, just as the picture is dark at the bottom going into the blinding light of the giant Line Room.

At the base of the escalators, right below the fountain are people. They are generic, and they form a line following down the coin, past the sculpture thing, with the Pine St sign at the end.



Yes that is completely insane, and impossible. But now you have a dozen ideas to work from and more than enough to make a kickin' rad design.

Slipstream0

Lol, yah, that's less coin and more movie-size poster:D

Cuddly Aardvark

I'm gonna agree, that sounds like a poster or a t-shirt. (I would however without a doubt buy it though.) By the time you put all of that on a coin it would be impossibly hard, if not impossible, to decipher what's going on.

My vote goes for the D-Pad and "welcome home" on one side, and then the picture of the escalators with the fountain in the middle. Possibly just the escalators if the fountain doesn't blend well on a colorless coin.

Just my 0.2¢

Kwisatz Haderach

Slipstream0 wrote: »

Lol, yah, that's less coin and more movie-size poster:D

Vote on moving from Challenge Coins to Challenge Movie Posters? All in favor, say aye...(kidding, kidding, try slapping down massive posters all at once in a bar, that'll end well )

As stated, I'm a fan of the simple D-Pad and "Welcome Home," but if we're looking for alternative options: what if the power symbol replaced the inner ring? Something like this:

Spoiler:

with smaller icons placed around inside it. Probably shouldn't be so thick - if someone wants to toy with that, be my guest.


Drew these up for kicks too:

Spoiler:

Like 'em, hate 'em, they're here for inspiration.

Slipstream0

Cuddly Aardvark wrote: »

and then the picture of the escalators with the fountain in the middle. Possibly just the escalators if the fountain doesn't blend well on a colorless coin.

which raises a question for me - @PappaPrinny, what have you been sending them for the skyline stuff? Just a snapshot, or did you have to convert it to anything?

Kilo147

I would feel bad if the coin had just the escalators. We gotta somehow work a few other things into it. And I still stand by my crossed Zappers.

Arco

One of the issues is that the coin can only have so much detail. I think we pitched the glass half-dome skybridge thing the first year, and it ended up getting rejected because it was just too detailed to look good on the coin. I could be wrong and times could have changed, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was still the case.

The formula of PAX on one side and the city on the other side is a good formula, and I think we should continue to stick with it. There are still plenty of ways to capture Seattle besides the Space Needle.

I honestly do love the D-Pad, and I really don't think PA would have a problem with us using it. Most of the community events use the D-Pad in one way or another, because it's become synonymous with the PAX imagery. I have three PAXTrain shirts in my dresser that all have it. You should absolutely run it by Khoo first, but I don't think it falls under the realm of protected, official, specific PAX imagery that we need to stay away from, like Gabe, Tycho, or the Fruit Fucker.

I'd be more comfortable using the D-Pad than I would be using the cardboard tube. Besides, the cardboard tube is a PA thing, not a PAX thing, and as we've discussed in years past, these coins are PAX coins and not PA coins.

The crossed Zappers is a cool design, but I don't really feel like it has anything to do with PAX. In relation to the other things at PAX, classic console has little presence. The DS in hand is a great example of what I would like to see on the obverse: it's not just a random piece of gaming paraphernalia, or a thing from gamer culture, but rather a unique part of PAX culture. Granted other examples of PAX culture might not be so easily captured in simple graphic format, but my point remains. I don't want these coins to just be "random assortment of gamery stuff." I want each of them to be PAX-specific.

Re: escalators. The subway station has escalators. Escalators are not special.

So:

I'd be okay with the D-Pad/power logo. I think it's clean, strong, and PAXey.

For the reverse, how about Pike's Place market? Lots of the community events include that place and it's become something of a tradition among a lot of us:



Alternate suggestion: Have we considered a Google Earth style map picture depicting Seattle? The level of zoom could really vary, but we could do a shot of the west coast of the US with a star, D-Pad, or something else nerdy as the "you are here" symbol. Something like this:



That's a very fast throw-together in Photoshop, but something like that. Obviously we'd want a cleaner map without all the little cities, etc. The zoom might not be the coolest level, either, but I think it's a basic proof of concept.

61Ranchero

I really like that image of the market

61Ranchero

The image of the escalators and fountain was also good. One of those would be my vote for the observe.

Note: I'm buying at least 4 one way or the other. Maybe extras depending on funds and some contribution for those who can't afford one.

Kilo147

I got it. I finally got it. I am a golden god.

Escalators, the fountain, and those rock formations. Put em together like it's a state quarter. And Welcome Home would need to be on that side, cause that is home.