The official press release for our first Minecraft contest finally went out today (though our blog readers got an early start from a mention last week). Here’s the press release:
Beanstalk Search Engine Optimization Inc., the company that guarantees improved search rankings through the use of time-tested and ethical SEO services, is excited to announce a new Minecraft contest. For those not familiar with Minecraft, it is an online block building game that’s only limit is your imagination. With over 25 million registered users, there are some serious bragging rights to be had by competing in Beanstalk’s Minecraft contest.
Beanstalk is looking for the best Minecraft builders out there, whether solo, or in teams, to build the most nerdtacular beanstalk map possible. Something preferably hollow, twisting and tapering near the top (like a real beanstalk) that can be accended to its summit.
In our minds, no beanstalk map would be complete without a castle full of surprises to pillage at the top. Thanks to the Minecraft 1.2x update this month, it’s finally possible to fit a giant size castle floating in the clouds at the top of a giant size beanstalk. In fact a large part of the judging criteria of this contest will be to build a palace in the sky that will be the ransacking envy of your peers.
Map makers are free to add other relevant content or characters related to the many beanstalk fables.
A good example would be the recent “Puss n Boots” film which mashes together some child-hood tales.
Off-topic content will be judged the opposite. For example, replacing the castle with a model of the Millennium Falcon might be funny, but we can’t give out points for unrelated efforts. Please keep in mind that Beanstalk is looking for original content, so if existing designs are submitted, they will not be considered for judging, but rather fed to our pet Endermen for dismantling.
The rules for the contest are simple:
- You must include an actual map file that Beanstalk will keep in it’s secret stronghold to load up and test in-game. (no videos, pics, or links to a server please)
- Maps should take full advantage of the new Anvil map height limit available with Minecraft 1.2x.
- Game mode isn’t important, and maps may be submitted from either ‘survival’ or ‘creative’, and they can be single or multi-player.
- Maps with inappropriate Easter eggs, other than maybe some golden ones for the judges to mine, will also become fodder for our Enderbros.
- Rumor has it that there is a very good chance that incorporating the Beanstalk logo into your design will gain favor with the judges, but this sort of butt-smooching should be secondary to brilliant design.
- Designs should be made with Minecraft’s default textures in mind, so if you are using texture packs or mods, be aware that they cannot be ‘required’ and will not be considered in the judging criteria. If we get additional content with the maps we’ll consider using it for videos/screen shots after a winner has been picked.
To avoid a popularity contest, and keep some control, Beanstalk will select what they feel are the top 5 maps. The winner from the top five will be selected by the Minecraft community to keep the results impartial. So if your map makes the top 5, make sure to tell all your diamond hunting friends to vote.
First Prize
– For the best beanstalk map is an Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) tablet. We will purchase a brand new Acer Iconia Tab A100 (NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual-Core 1.0GHz, 1GB DDR2, 8GB Storage, 7″ Multi-Touch Display, and Dual Webcams) that we will install Minecraft Pocket Edition on before shipping it to the winner.
Beanstalk is also working on prizes for those who finish in the top five and we might even add in a few Easter Egg prizes throughout. At a minimum, the names and mapping skills of the best entries will be featured on Beanstalk’s site. Enter today and you could have your friends making creeper faces when you win this sweet tablet.
The Beanstalk Minecraft contest runs until April 15, 2012. Entries will be accepted at any time, but if you are updating a map already submitted previously please be very clear about it so we do not disqualify a map for multiple entries.
A demo server is running right here: mcbean.dyndns.org
.. and it has the Dynmap plugin, so you can take a look with your browser by clicking here.
The idea of this map is to show what we mean about ‘giant’ scale structures, and we also tried to demonstrate all the new features of the Minecraft 1.2 update as well. Hopefully the style of the building is unique enough that we aren’t ruining anyone’s submissions. 
Contest details and updates will be posted to the Beanstalk website @ http://www.beanstalk-inc.com/blog/tag/minecraft/.
About Beanstalk Search Engine Optimization Inc.
Since October, 2004, Beanstalk has provided ethical and effective SEO services. They pride themselves on being there for the long haul, as “black-hat” tactics may give short-term benefits, but will not help you to rank in the long run.
Luck and chance are also not factored in to Beanstalk’s methodology. Search engines use complex algorithms and Beanstalk makes sure to stay within these rules to provide you with the greatest benefit. Even though search engine rules will change over time, the quest for quality content doesn’t. The journey towards a better, more usable, internet is something beneficial to us all.
In essence, Beanstalk wants to build great websites and great community, that keep client pages ranking high. Beanstalk works hard for their clients, proudly stand behind their work and guarantee a solid ROI. The internet will continue to change, so make sure that you change with it.
SEO news blog post by Dave Davies, CEO @ 8:45 am
