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DS

PGC Announces DS Lite Contest

by Karl Castaneda - May 14, 2006, 9:00 am EDT
Total comments: 72

Use your head, win a handheld. UPDATE: The contest is now over.

We've all seen the DS Lite. It's sexy, and according to Jonny's review, it's

an awesome piece

of hardware, too. Thanks to our partners at

href=http://www.lik-sang.com/list.php?category=273&lsaid=262405&>Lik-Sang,

we'll be able to give one lucky reader out there one of these super-sleek

wonder-units. The premise is simple: all you've got to do is write an

explanation (100 words or less) of an alternative use for the DS Lite. The

flashlight for a miner's hat; a really expensive paperweight; even using its

ultra-thin shell for cutting fruit in half, samurai-style! We're looking for

the most creative ideas, not the best writing (thus the word limit), though

being clear, concise, and funny can't hurt. You may want to check our DS

Lite hardware profile to look at the system and read about its features, to

help you find ideas for your entry. The rules are as follows:

  • Must be 100 words or less.

  • One entry per person.

  • Idea must be family-friendly.

  • Include your real name, plus a screenname if desired (in case you win),

    and make sure you email us from an address we can reach you at in the next

    couple of weeks.

  • This contest is open to our readers worldwide.

  • Employees of Planet GameCube and Lik-Sang are ineligible. Winners of

    the PGC 7th Birthday Bash contest are also ineligible.

  • By entering the contest, you grant Planet GameCube permission to post

    your entry and name (or screenname) online.

As long as you meet those minimal standards, you're in! The contest starts

today, April 29th, 2006, and ends Sunday, May 14th, at 12 Noon, Eastern

Time. The contest is open to readers worldwide. Simply send your ideas in to

contest@planetgamecube.com.

One winner will be chosen by the Planet GameCube staff to win a DS Lite in

the color of your choice.

On behalf of the entire PGC staff and the future winner of this awesome

contest, we'd like to thank Lik-Sang for donating such a fantastic prize.

They have all three colors of the Lite in stock, in case you don't win the

contest. They have also provide a discount code for PGC readers:

LS-7DA093455B gets you $5 off most orders (except systems) of at least $40.

Can be used once per account unti the end of May. Now get to writing!

Talkback

Hostile CreationApril 29, 2006

Hahaha, cool idea for a contest.
No second place? Hmm.

I already have an idea that I really like. I doubt I'll think of something better, but I'm going to mull over it a little longer just in case.

CalibanApril 29, 2006

I would enter the contest if Lik-Sang had black DSl's.

IceColdApril 29, 2006

I want black too face-icon-small-frown.gif

JonLeungApril 29, 2006

"Family-friendly"?

Despite the innuendo-laden "Touching Is Good" slogan, I fail to see how anyone could come up with something NOT family-friendly.

NotRimmerApril 29, 2006

Can we write about multiple alternative uses, provided they're all related and within the same framework?

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 01, 2006

One question: Can we submit pictures as optional content?

I the focus is on the writing, but what I mean is if to further enhance the idea we could include a small pic.

NotRimmerMay 03, 2006

Sure is nice of PGC to ignore questions about its contest

Athrun ZalaMay 03, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: NotRimmer
Can we write about multiple alternative uses, provided they're all related and within the same framework?


I want to know as well, although it does say "an alternative", so I believe it must be only one....

Karl Castaneda #2May 03, 2006

Yes to NotRimmer, no to Pap.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 03, 2006

One question. I am having a bit of trouble with the 100 word limit. Can I shorten the DS Lite name to DSL?

See what I did is that I wrote DS Lite at the beginning of the summary, then used DSL aftewards. Can I do that?

Karl Castaneda #2May 04, 2006

DSL is fine.

If you're hitting the word limit, you're probably writing too much. Does your idea really take that many words to explain?

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 05, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Jonnyboy117
If you're hitting the word limit, you're probably writing too much. Does your idea really take that many words to explain?


Believe me, I've been working on this all week long. The reason I need to write this much is because I want the idea to be ambitious and funny. I feel a little more detail adds punch to the overall idea.

One last question, does the title of the idea count as part of the 100 word limit?

Like...

The DS Lite: Kitchen knife
Etc. etc. etc.

I think the 100 word limit only counts in the paragraph itself, but does the limit also apply to the title?

I already gave a title to my idea, but I don't want it to exceed the 100 word limit.

Karl Castaneda #2May 05, 2006

Doesn't apply to the title. It's all good. Heh, if it goes a couple words over 100, I won't discount it.

mantidorMay 05, 2006

How did I miss this? I have to give it a try.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 06, 2006

I plan on submitting an entry, and while discussing it with my wife, after expressing my disapointment with not winning the First to Play contest, she came up with an idea that she says she wants to enter. Now, while her idea is amusing, I don't think it will win, thus I still want to enter my idea as well... So, can there be multiple entries from the same household?

Karl Castaneda #2May 06, 2006

UncleBob, you're a respectable member of the forums and if you can trust the community member enough to showcase your phone number, I trust you enough to believe that your wife wants to send in an entry. Have her send it through her own email address, though.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 06, 2006

Cool. She probably won't now. When we first discussed it, I didn't really mention my idea. After she read mine, she really liked it (espically the first step) and ackowledged that mine was better. face-icon-small-wink.gif

But I might have her submit her's anyway. It's short, sweet, to the point and would be amusing to see. face-icon-small-wink.gif

Thanks for the kind words, btw.

MysticGohanMay 06, 2006

You got mine already, hope you'd liked it face-icon-small-wink.gif

decoymanMay 08, 2006

You got mine too... Regardless of whether I win or not, I had fun writing it upface-icon-small-smile.gif

I was just wondering: Will you post an assortment of the best ones? I'd be curious to see what other people came up with.

Karl Castaneda #2May 08, 2006

The entries right now number in the hundreds. @_@

Heh, I'll see what I can do once the contest has been over and E3 settles down, but at the moment, I'm more focused on just finding a winner.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 08, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: ViewtifulGamer
The entries right now number in the hundreds. @_@

Heh, I'll see what I can do once the contest has been over and E3 settles down, but at the moment, I'm more focused on just finding a winner.


Crap! This seriously kills my potential...I really, really like my idea and I think it will make a lot of people smile, but might not be crazy enough to be a winner... :_(

I already sent mine, BTW. I REALLY hope you like it face-icon-small-wink.gif .

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 12, 2006

While I'm likely not going to win, I'm wondering... about how many entries have you gotten?

This contest set a record yet?

decoymanMay 12, 2006

Yeah... I, um, kinda wish they'd stop reminding people about it :P

miedoMay 13, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: pap64
Quote

Originally posted by: ViewtifulGamer
The entries right now number in the hundreds. @_@

Heh, I'll see what I can do once the contest has been over and E3 settles down, but at the moment, I'm more focused on just finding a winner.


Crap! This seriously kills my potential...I really, really like my idea and I think it will make a lot of people smile, but might not be crazy enough to be a winner... :_(

I already sent mine, BTW. I REALLY hope you like it face-icon-small-wink.gif .


You just need to make yours stand out. I'm sure Karl has at least 25 entries that say "flashlight". If yours is original, then it Karl will probably remember it and be more inclined to like it the most.

Hostile CreationMay 13, 2006

I'm going to assume my entry made it in. face-icon-small-smile.gif

Hundreds, eh? A worthy challenge.

Karl Castaneda #2May 13, 2006

How many entries? Enough to make your eyes bleed. The good news, though, is that this contest should have a conclusion faster than previous contests. Expect to see the winning entry early next week. And Brian's right; just make it stand out. I've gotten a dozen or more of just about every obvious idea (flashlight, easy-bake oven, etc).

TrueNerdMay 13, 2006

While my idea is not an obvious one (I don't think it is anyways) my chances that no one else thought of it are kinda slim, I think. Oh well. Buying one isn't a terrible alternative.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 13, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: miedo
Quote

Originally posted by: pap64
Quote

Originally posted by: ViewtifulGamer
The entries right now number in the hundreds. @_@

Heh, I'll see what I can do once the contest has been over and E3 settles down, but at the moment, I'm more focused on just finding a winner.


Crap! This seriously kills my potential...I really, really like my idea and I think it will make a lot of people smile, but might not be crazy enough to be a winner... :_(

I already sent mine, BTW. I REALLY hope you like it face-icon-small-wink.gif .


You just need to make yours stand out. I'm sure Karl has at least 25 entries that say "flashlight". If yours is original, then it Karl will probably remember it and be more inclined to like it the most.


Well, my entry certainly didn't touch on the obvious qualities of the handheld. What I did was say that the overall system was so, so great it could something any Nintendo fan would love to do in their lifetime.

ZachMay 13, 2006

How is the contest over? its not noon eastern time yet, so Im gonna put in my entry anyway.

There: I put it in, hope you like it!

Karl Castaneda #2May 14, 2006

The announcement will go live on-site at 12 Noon EST. On the forums, I guess it doesn't have the same effect. Your entry is still legit; no worries.

Karl Castaneda #2May 14, 2006

Use your head, win a handheld. UPDATE: The contest is now over.

We've all seen the DS Lite. It's sexy, and according to Jonny's review, it's an awesome piece of hardware, too. Thanks to our partners at Lik-Sang, we'll be able to give one lucky reader out there one of these super-sleek wonder-units. The premise is simple: all you've got to do is write an explanation (100 words or less) of an alternative use for the DS Lite. The flashlight for a miner's hat; a really expensive paperweight; even using its ultra-thin shell for cutting fruit in half, samurai-style! We're looking for the most creative ideas, not the best writing (thus the word limit), though being clear, concise, and funny can't hurt. You may want to check our DS Lite hardware profile to look at the system and read about its features, to help you find ideas for your entry. The rules are as follows:


  • Must be 100 words or less.
  • One entry per person.
  • Idea must be family-friendly.
  • Include your real name, plus a screenname if desired (in case you win), and make sure you email us from an address we can reach you at in the next couple of weeks.
  • This contest is open to our readers worldwide.
  • Employees of Planet GameCube and Lik-Sang are ineligible. Winners of the PGC 7th Birthday Bash contest are also ineligible.
  • By entering the contest, you grant Planet GameCube permission to post your entry and name (or screenname) online.


As long as you meet those minimal standards, you're in! The contest starts today, April 29th, 2006, and ends Sunday, May 14th, at 12 Noon, Eastern Time. The contest is open to readers worldwide. Simply send your ideas in to contest@planetgamecube.com. One winner will be chosen by the Planet GameCube staff to win a DS Lite in the color of your choice.


On behalf of the entire PGC staff and the future winner of this awesome contest, we'd like to thank Lik-Sang for donating such a fantastic prize. They have all three colors of the Lite in stock, in case you don't win the contest. They have also provide a discount code for PGC readers: LS-7DA093455B gets you $5 off most orders (except systems) of at least $40. Can be used once per account unti the end of May. Now get to writing!

Terranigma FreakMay 14, 2006

Whew, you guys scared the hell out of me with that one. I thought I didn't make it.

Athrun ZalaMay 14, 2006

heh, i sent mine last night

between E3 and finals I had completely forgotten ^^Uu

hope you liked it though >>

MysticGohanMay 14, 2006

Mine too face-icon-small-smile.gif you know you like it lol

Smash_BrotherMay 14, 2006

For the sake of curiosity, how many entries were there for the birthday contest?

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 14, 2006

One question: Will the winner be notified ahead of time or will he or she find out when PGC officially announces it on the front page?

Not to be extremely negative, but my chances or winning are very slim face-icon-small-frown.gif . I just KNOW someone must have submitted a freaking amazing entry...

Smash_BrotherMay 14, 2006

They send them before they're announced.

SLSSNAKE625May 14, 2006

Oh man, I'm pumped... I feel my entry was quite good, but I'm not sure if it sticks out enough to really be noticed. I certainly hope I have at least a somewhat decent chance...

Karl Castaneda #2May 14, 2006

Smash_Brother's right. If you won, you'll know before it goes on the front page. As for the number of submissions compared to the Birthday Contest, I couldn't tell you, since Stan admin'd that one. If I had to guess, I'd say this one got more, though, because it's easier to write 100 words than it is to take a photo.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 14, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: ViewtifulGamer
Smash_Brother's right. If you won, you'll know before it goes on the front page. As for the number of submissions compared to the Birthday Contest, I couldn't tell you, since Stan admin'd that one. If I had to guess, I'd say this one got more, though, because it's easier to write 100 words than it is to take a photo.


So when can we expect an announcement?

I know you guys have to go through a lot of entries, I'm just curious as to when to expect the results of the contest.

KnowsNothingMay 14, 2006

I can't remember which email address I used to submit my contest entry, and I can't figure it out =s

Smash_BrotherMay 14, 2006

I'd say be patient. :P

No sense in making them say, "Wow, these two entries are both great. I can't decide which one, but this guy pestered us on the forums and this one didn't...hmm..."

Karl Castaneda #2May 14, 2006

Tuesday-ish, Pap. That's a good estimate.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 14, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
I'd say be patient. :P

No sense in making them say, "Wow, these two entries are both great. I can't decide which one, but this guy pestered us on the forums and this one didn't...hmm..."


*Kicks S_B in the balls

DON'T GIVE THEM IDEAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And thanks, Karl. Sorry to bug ya, just anxious that's all... face-icon-small-frown.gif

johnhummelMay 14, 2006

Just be patient, peeps - I'm sure they're looking at all of the entries. If nothing else, my wife liked my idea, so maybe I can use it to convince her that I need a DS Lite since she's always stealing my old DS to play "Brain Age" (mainly Soduku).

decoymanMay 14, 2006

LOL, johnhummel, I feel your pain. My wife is hooked too.

She not only plays it, but she gives me crap every time she beats one of my times, too.

Smash_BrotherMay 14, 2006

After I won the birthday contest and gave the DS to a friend, he made the mistake of making an Animal Crossing reference in front of his mother. Then he showed her the game and she promptly took his DS and moved to out of state with it.

Poor bastard...

Karl Castaneda #2May 14, 2006

Holy crap, is that true?

That's some messed up stuff, dude.

Smash_BrotherMay 14, 2006

Yeah, she pulled the "I raised you and that costs thousands upon thousands of dollars." card on him. Nintendo's blue ocean strategy works a bit too well sometimes. He might get it back if/when she gets bored with it.

The rest of the prizes worked out fine, though, and have yet to be stolen by any relatives.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 14, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
Yeah, she pulled the "I raised you and that costs thousands upon thousands of dollars." card on him. Nintendo's blue ocean strategy works a bit too well sometimes. He might get it back if/when she gets bored with it.

The rest of the prizes worked out fine, though, and have yet to be stolen by any relatives.


*Sniff

Poor guy...

If I win this contest, I promise that I will give my old DS to that guy!

With all the upcoming multiplayer DS titles coming soon he will need one...

Smash_BrotherMay 14, 2006

I still have my old one which I tried to offer to my father but he never got into it.

I'll probably give him that one if he never gets his back, or maybe he can guilt $130 out of his mother and buy a DSL when it comes stateside.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 14, 2006

Quote

Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
I still have my old one which I tried to offer to my father but he never got into it.

I'll probably give him that one if he never gets his back, or maybe he can guilt $130 out of his mother and buy a DSL when it comes stateside.


I was thinking of giving my old one to my nephew so he can play with his sis and her DS, but he's a hardcore Sony PS2 player. So big, in fact, that he was actually thinking of asking for a PSP... face-icon-small-blush.gif . I told him that if he wanted to send his family to the poor house and a subpar movie player then he should go ahead and ask for one face-icon-small-smile.gif .

TrueNerdMay 14, 2006

SUGGESTION: It'd be neat if PGC posted the best ideas. I'm sure that's been thought of/suggested already, but I think it would be neat...

decoymanMay 14, 2006

You know, i was curious about that as well... But what's been said before is that it would be a lot of work to go through the hundreds of entries and choose the best ones, then format them and post them...

But here's an idea... after the contest, anyone who wants to post theirs, can just do it on their own. That would take the load off the E3-weary staff (I bet it's been a long – if fun – week for those guys).

Smash_BrotherMay 15, 2006

I'm sure they'll post an "Honorable Mention" list.

It would pretty much defeat the purpose of the competition if they didn't.

"Here's the winner. He/she had no competition. Good day."

johnhummelMay 16, 2006

Glad I'm not the only one - she just unlocked advanced Sodoku mode and is complaining it's not challenging enough. Good thing that Brain Academy comes out soon - she's become a monster.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterMay 17, 2006

I am sorry for bugging you guys like this, I really am, but any word on the contest?

Karl Castaneda #2May 17, 2006

Soon! I promise!

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 17, 2006

So, without harassing you a lot, has the winner been notified so that I can stop checking my e-mail every two seconds? face-icon-small-wink.gif

Karl Castaneda #2May 18, 2006

As of about twenty minutes ago, the winner was sent notification.

RellikMay 18, 2006

Very helpful hint to those wondering who the winner is:

It isn't me.







(PGC, you misspelled my e-mail address face-icon-small-frown.gif face-icon-small-frown.gif face-icon-small-sad.gif )

SLSSNAKE625May 18, 2006

Man, now I need to check me e-mail to be disappointed.
:P

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 18, 2006

Well, I got no e-mail... Should us losers go ahead and post ours, or wait for the winner to be officially announced?

Karl Castaneda #2May 18, 2006

Well, we're still gonna post honorable mentions, and I haven't sent emails out to those people yet, so you might still get to see your idea on-site.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 18, 2006

Okay, I'll hold out... face-icon-small-smile.gif

Athrun ZalaMay 18, 2006

nop, no email here, but the honorable mention thing sound interesting, let's see if I get one of those face-icon-small-tongue.gif

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorMay 20, 2006

There is no winner! Karl is keeping the prize for himself!

Karl's Entry for Alternate Use for a DS Lite Contest:
"Run a contest on PlanetGameCube.com. Use the DS Lite as the prize. Rig the contest so I win."

Karl Castaneda #2May 21, 2006

Ack! I've been found out!

The reason we haven't launched the results on-site yet is because I'm still waiting on the winner to give me his contact info. If I don't get it by the end of the day, though, I'll have to contact the runner-up and give him the prize. I really don't want to have to do that, though, since I can't imagine how bitter I'd be to check my email late and see that I won the prize and then got it taken away. That's the breaks, though, so I haven't got much of a choice.

RellikMay 21, 2006

Wow - that would be terrible!

Why don't you post the winner's entry (and the runners-up), and then surely somebody will see it and let the winner know they've got an e-mail waiting!

I hate to suggest it... because I think it would work face-icon-small-tongue.gif so if I were the runner up then I would miss out on winning the contest, and I wouldn't get a DSLite, and I would be stuck with my old DS which hurts really badly to play due to my weird thumb joints... but then again, what are the chances that I would be the runner up anyway?

I really hope you'll take my idea rather than just going on to the runner-up before publishing the results - I can barely think of anything more frustrating than missing out on something like this just because of an e-mail address mixup or an extended absence!

Hostile CreationMay 21, 2006

That's a good idea. I probably didn't win, my idea was ridiculous, but I don't remember which email I gave you and I've forgotten the password to one of the three I would have used face-icon-small-shocked.gif (it usually downloads automatically onto my outlook, but my laptop is lacking internet access right now)

decoymanMay 21, 2006

Gah, no e-mail for me... I know I didn't have much of a chance, but I AM looking forward to seeing who did win face-icon-small-smile.gif

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