D&D 5E D&D Beyond Cancels Competition

D&D Beyond has been running an art contest which asked creators to enter D&D-themed portrait frame. DDB got to use any or all of the entries, while the winner and some runners up received some digital content as a prize.

There was a backlash -- and DDB has cancelled the contest.

Thank you to all of our community for sharing your comments and concerns regarding our anniversary Frame Design Contest.

While we wanted to celebrate fan art as a part of our upcoming anniversary, it's clear that our community disagrees with the way we approached it. We've heard your feedback, and will be pulling the contest.

We will also strive to do better as we continue to look for ways to showcase the passion and creativity of our fellow D&D players and fans in the future. Our team will be taking this as a learning moment, and as encouragement to further educate ourselves in this pursuit.

Your feedback is absolutely instrumental to us, and we are always happy to listen and grow in response to our community's needs and concerns. Thank you all again for giving us the opportunity to review this event, and take the appropriate action.

The company went on to say:

Members of our community raised concerns about the contest’s impact on artists and designers, and the implications of running a contest to create art where only some entrants would receive a prize, and that the prize was exclusively digital material on D&D Beyond. Issues were similarly raised with regards to the contest terms and conditions. Though the entrants would all retain ownership of their design to use in any way they saw fit, including selling, printing, or reproducing, it also granted D&D Beyond rights to use submitted designs in the future. We have listened to these concerns, and in response closed the competition. We’ll be looking at ways we can better uplift our community, while also doing fun community events, in the future.

Competitions where the company in question acquires rights to all entries are generally frowned upon (unless you're WotC).

 

[TheSword]

Right after you tell children that they should be exploited for labor.

Ha ha, and that sums up my issue with this backlash. This kind of paternalistic attitude.

I was a kid, I enjoyed the experiences, the company benefited, the entrants benefited. It was a win win. Plus you know what? The experience of entering was fun too!

Let’s expand that to D&D’s DM competition. The majority of the 10 finalists (all but one from their bios) are amateur DMs and not game designers. I think we need to seriously take a step back and clarify who are we protecting from what here, because at the moment a serious issue about RPG creative’s pay is being used to justify preventing amateur creative competitions… that sucks.

 

[J.Quondam]

I would flip it and ask if people are aware of competitions of this type where companies have taken losing submissions and profited from them? Is this a real problem or a made up one?

raises hand

Happened to me. I entered a contest several years ago, with terms similar to the ones used in this contest. It was a pretty small contest with few entries, and mine did not win. (There was some sort of ranking involved, iirc, and I think mine came in next to last, lol!)

A few years later, I was flipping through a popular book by a well known publisher, and whoa! There was my (slightly edited) entry from that contest! Pretty cool... although i was never paid for the work, nor even notified that it would be published. The one upshot is that I did get an acknowledgement as a "designer" in the credits.

I was more tickled than anything at the time, but in retrospect it is disappointing, not least because since then I've got a lot more freelance experience now, across many fields/industries, and so I much more acutely appreciate the issue and how things like this depress the value of work by people trying to make a living.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

A conest that requires artists signing off the rights to their work without being compensated = exploitation.

A one time piece of art from an adult is not comparable to child labor…I will respect your opinion to the contrary and leave it alone.

 

[Azzy]

Ha ha, and that sums up my issue with this backlash. This kind of paternalistic attitude.

I was a kid, I enjoyed the experiences, they benefited, entrants benefited. It was a win win. Plus you know what? The experience of entering was fun too!

Let’s expand that to D&D’s DM competition. The majority of the 10 finalists (all but one from their bios) are amateur DMs and not game designers. I think we need to seriously take a step back and clarify who are we protecting from what here, because at the moment a serious issue about RPG creative’s pay is being used to justify preventing amateur creative competitions… that sucks.

Amateur artists are still artists and should still be aforded the same respects as a professional artist when it comes to the rights to their work and the compensation thereof.

 

[Vaalingrade]

How do you know it was a vocal minority?

A vocal minority is a clear majority that doesn't agree with you.

 

[Azzy]

A one time piece of art from an adult is not comparable to child labor…I will respect your opinion to the contrary and leave it alone.

Exploitation is still exploitation.

 

[R_J_K75]

OK if you're an entrant, you agree to the terms or don't enter the contest. Where's the problem? I give WotC props for admitting their "mistake" and trying to rectify it but the language in their statement made me disgusted in the society we live in today.

 

[TheSword]

raises hand

Happened to me. I entered a contest several years ago, with terms similar to the ones used in this contest. It was a pretty small contest with few entries, and mine did not win. (There was some sort of ranking involved, iirc, and I think mine came in next to last, lol!)

A few years later, I was flipping through a popular book by a well known publisher, and whoa! There was my (slightly edited) entry from that contest! Pretty cool... although i was never paid for the work, nor even notified that it would be published. The one upshot is that I did get an acknowledgement as a "designer" in the credits.

I was more tickled than anything at the time, but in retrospect it is disappointing, not least because since then I've got a lot more freelance experience now, across many fields/industries, and so I much more acutely appreciate the issue and how things like this depress the value of work by people trying to make a living.

Sounds like they exploited a competition and should be called out by name for it.

Not sure it means competitions that aren’t exploitative should be called out. Though according to a few poster competitions are by nature exploitative. Even my year 5 poetry competition.

 

[Vaalingrade]

OK if you're an entrant, you agree to the terms or don't enter the contest.

This logic does not justify bad faith or predatory terms such as ones that take IP rights.

 

[R_J_K75]

This logic does not justify bad faith or predatory terms such as ones that take IP rights.

How so?