Zombies, Run! Fan Competition

The Zombies, Run! community has produced some incredible content over the past year. We’ve seen artwork, fan-made missions, stories set within the Zombies, Run! universe, cosplay and even a short film. All born of nothing else than a love for Zombies, Run!

Well, we wanted to give something back to the fans. So we’re offering you the chance to win real life cash money, plus a bunch of other prizes (including possible inclusion in future episodes of the game) simply by making something for us; we’ve got categories to cover everyone, whatever your favourite medium.

Please note that all submissions should be kept to a PG-13 rating. Any nudity/swearing will be first ogled, then discarded.

Send your entries to fancompetition@zombiesrungame.com. Where possible, do not include any file attachments above 2MB in size – instead, share a link to the file on Dropbox, Google Drive, or your file store of choice. You get extra imaginary points if you do this!

The deadline for submissions is Monday the 4th of March. Anything sent in after that date will be immediately disqualified. We will announce the winners in March here on the Zombies, Run! Blog.

Click here for the full terms and conditions.

Category 1: Art (General)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your artwork will be featured on the Zombies, Run! website

2nd Prize:

A signed Zombies, Run! poster, plus we’ll send you some Zombies, Run! merchandise

What is art? That’s not for us to say. Use whatever methods you deem necessary to create something artistic that is based on Zombies, Run! We’re not art critics, so we’ll be judging this based on what jumps out at us the most. Our favourite pieces. Go nuts and show us what you can do!

Please submit your artwork as a JPG or PNG under 2MB in size, though please also retain your raw files as well.

Category 2: Art (Poster)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your poster will be created and may become a piece of official Zombies, Run! merchandise

2nd Prize:

A signed Zombies, Run! poster, plus we’ll send you some Zombies, Run! merchandise

Here we’re looking for something a little more specific. Your poster should be suitable for printing on A2 sized paper (594 x 420 mm). It can be portrait or landscape, and we don’t mind if it’s black and white or colour.

Please submit your artwork as a JPG or PNG under 2MB in size, though please also retain your raw files as well. If we do create your poster, we will need it at 300dpi.

Category 3: Audio (Missions)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your mission may be used in the game (at our discretion)

2nd Prize:

Your mission will be published on the Zombies, Run! website, plus we’ll send you some Zombies, Run! merchandise

Create your own side mission for Zombies, Run! 2. In order to be used in the game, your mission will need to be very high quality – this includes the audio quality, voice acting and the script.

Please invent your own characters. Do not try to impersonate our actors; we’ve tried it ourselves and it doesn’t work. Your mission should have six or seven scenes, each ranging from one to two minutes in length. The story can take place at any time after Runner 5’s arrival in Abel Township. This includes after the final episode of Season One. Your mission should be a self contained episode with no cliffhangers.

Please submit your missions in 128kbps .mp3 format, though please also retain your raw uncompressed .wav files in case you win.

Category 4: Audio (Radio)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your mission may be used in the game (at our discretion)

2nd Prize:

Your mission will be published on the Zombies, Run! website, plus we’ll send you some Zombies, Run! merchandise

Create your own radio section for Zombies, Run! 2. In order to be used in the game, your work will need to be very high quality – this includes the audio quality, voice acting and the script. Please invent your own characters. Do not try to impersonate our actors; we keep on trying it, but the actors just look at us with pity in their eyes. Your radio clips can take place at any time after Runner 5’s arrival in Abel Township. This includes after the final episode of Season One. Your submission should include a three-clip episode, with each clip ranging from one to two minutes, and three standalone clips, each no longer than one minute.

Please submit your missions in 128kbps .mp3 format, though please also retain your raw uncompressed .wav files in case you win.

Category 5: Writing (Script)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your mission will be recorded and may be used in the game (at our discretion)

2nd Prize:

Your mission will be recorded by the Zombies, Run! cast

Write us a side mission for Zombies, Run! 2. Your script should be written in Final Draft (free demo here) and should be seven to nine pages long and include six to seven scenes in total. A sample script can be found here and a script template here. You may use the following characters, as well as up to two characters of your own creation: Sam, the Doctor, Janine, Runner 4, Jack, Eugene, Ed, Molly. Your mission should be a self contained episode, with no cliffhangers. It can take place at any time after Runner 5’s arrival in Abel Township. This includes after the final episode of Season One.

Category 6: Writing (Prose)

1st Prize:

$250 plus your writing will be read aloud by a member of the Zombies, Run! cast and published on the official website

2nd Prize:

Your writing will be read aloud by a member of the Zombies, Run! cast and published on the official website

Write a story set in the Zombies, Run! universe. There are no limits in terms of format (graphic novel/comic scripts are as welcome as full prose – though try to keep poetry to a minimum) or length, though we will have a hard time judging your 50,000 word novel about Jack and Eugene’s mountain adventures. As much as we would love to read it. It’s worth reiterating that entries should be kept to a PG-13 rating, or they will be immediately stolen and read by Naomi, our lead writer, before being disqualified.

Please send your prose in plain text in the email itself, or as a PDF. We don’t like Word documents.

A look behind the scenes…

With development of Zombies, Run! 2 speeding along, we thought we’d give you a little insight into how the game gets made. We’ve been in the new office for a few months now and we wanted to share some photos and videos with you guys.

Do you remember that incredible piece of Zombies, Run! fan art by TheWonderSmith? We liked it so much we got it enlarged for the office. Here it is being modelled by our Office Manager, Sophie, and our junior producer, Georgina.

As you can see from the next picture, it has pride of place above the desk of Adrian, CEO at Six to Start. We’ve got a lot of wall space still to fill, so if you have been busy making Zombies, Run! fan art recently, shoot it our way in an email to Jem [at] sixtostart.com.

Speaking of empty wall space, we recently set up the Screen to Start. Or the Six to Screen. We’re not sure what to call it. Anyway, the important part is that we have a large, wall mounted display. For important things, like looping videos of a pug licking a window.

We also use the screen for silly stuff, like alerting people to the fact that recording is going on. We spent a few weeks before Christmas recording the audio for Zombies, Run! Season 2, so it was pretty handy for letting people know that people are in the sound booth and to keep the noise to a minimum.

And we have a sound booth now! It’s definitely an improvement on the ‘bedroom and duvets’ approach used for some early missions!

There’s more for us to show you, so we’ll be back in a week or two with more. Next time we’ll be taking a look inside the sound booth, with the incredible voice actors of Zombies, Run!

To whet your appetite, here’s a picture of Sam Yao (Phil Nightingale) using our new treadmill between takes.

And here are Sam Yao, Archie (Olga Leon) and Runner 3, Simon Lauchlan (Thom Nelstrop) chilling out in the “Actors’ Area”. Located near the kitchen, to better expedite tea delivery.

Finally, a few more of our wonderful actors – Runner 4 (Jennifer Tan) top left, Janine (Eleanor Rushton) top right, and Sam Yao, again, at the bottom.

Our look inside the sound booth will include video footage of actual recordings that you’ll be hearing in Zombies, Run! 2 when it releases in the Spring, so make sure you come back and check it out!

Zombies, Run! 2 mission structure

Welcome to a brand new year – one we’re pretty sure is going to contain the long-heralded zombie apocalypse (don’t say we didn’t warn you).

And to help you get in training for the upcoming final apocalypse and rout of mankind – Zombies, Run! 2 is on its way. We’ll have announcements and new things to show you every week between now and the launch in the spring and we’re starting with a big one.

Zombies, Run! 2 is going to be big – a lot bigger than the original game, with over 60 new missions – and we’re going to be delivering them in a new way. Instead of throwing all that content at you in one – admittedly amazing – lump, our plan is to release three new missions every week, split between main story-arc missions and side quests.

We hope this will make the experience even more awesome – not only will it encourage all our loyal Runner 5s to get out on the trail regularly, it also means that the entire Zombies, Run! community will be able to experience the leading edge of the story together. We have over 300,000 users now, so we’re looking forward to seeing all the discussion, analysis and speculation that this episodic delivery will make possible! (And we’re planning an official podcast to help it along.)

Zombies, Run! 2 will be a free update for existing players – and it’ll come with seven new missions for free at launch. If you’re eager for more Zombies, Run! episodes, you’ll be able to purchase a Season Pass, to get all new content as soon as it’s available.

We’ll be announcing more details about Season Passes before launch, but don’t worry – they won’t cost more than you paid for the original game, and you’ll still be able to purchase missions individually. Even better, some extra missions will be available for free for a limited time after they’re released! Of course, Season Pass holders will be able to grab and replay any previously released mission at any time, so don’t worry if you’re late to the party.

We’ve been hearing your requests for more content, and we’re committed to keeping you zombie-ready at all times, so we hope you’re prepared for new Zombies, Run! missions to run with every week.

Zombies, Run! 5k Training now available for Android

Android fans, we know you’re patiently (and some not so patiently…) awaiting news on Zombies, Run! 5k Training for Android. We’ve been working really hard to get this out to you before the end of the year. You’ll be happy to hear that that hard work has paid off, as the game is now available to download from the Google Play Store for just $1.99. That’s 50% off for launch!

In case you’re unaware, 5k Training is set between Mission 1 and 2 of Zombies, Run! and chronicles Runner 5’s early training as an Abel Township runner. In more practical terms, it’s the perfect app for beginner runners to train up to running a 5k race. This is achieved through a professionally designed eight week training program, mixed with Zombies, Run!’s unique blend of storytelling.

Zombies, Run! 5k Training makes a perfect last minute Christmas present and, with the New Year approaching, is the perfect excuse to add “start running” to your list of New Year Resolutions.

Welcome to ZombieLink 2.0

Zombies, Run! isn’t the only thing receiving a new look – we’ve also been working hard to improve and enhance our free ZombieLink service. Don’t worry, you won’t need to wait until the Spring to get your hands on ZombieLink 2.0 – it’s available right now!

ZombieLink 2.0 is a complete redesign and, we hope you agree, looks pretty stunning. We’ve laid out your run data in a much clearer format and the statisticians among you will be glad to see a dedicated stats page, which shows off your data in all sorts of varied graph forms.

Click for full size image

Run maps are clearer, look prettier and have improved timeline views and the monthly run log lists on your profile page allow you to see how you’re improving month-on-month. Not only that but you can now also delete (not just hide) individual run logs – perfect for those accidental 3-minute long runs which wreak havoc with your stats.

Click for full size image

We’re also happy to announce that we’re releasing another oft-requested feature for ZombieLink: You can now export your run data to your RunKeeper account, so users no longer need to have both apps running simultaneously! You can also export the data in GPX format, for plugging into other mapping software, like Google Earth. It’s your data, we want you to use it in whatever way you see fit!

Click for full size image

ZombieLink 2.0 runs a lot faster in your browser and we’ve also made efforts to make it completely compatible with mobile browsers. It looks great and works perfectly on most tablet browsers. We’ve also made some important behind the scenes improvements that mean we can update and enhance the website far faster in the future.

This isn’t the end of our updates to ZombieLink. We have lots more planned as we approach the release of Zombies, Run! 2 in the Spring. In the meantime, be sure to let us know what you think of the new design!

Zombies, Run! Windows Phone update – and some difficult news

We’ve just released a new maintenance update for the Windows Phone version of Zombies, Run! This will fix a lot of problems users have been having with the app and will make it much more stable longterm. Bug fixes include:

mission progression unblocked
base-building improved
ZombieLink syncing kinks ironed out
pause/resume functionality fixed
various other usability and stability enhancements

Sadly, we have some difficult news too. This update is going to be the final Zombies, Run! release for Windows Phone. We were delighted to be able to bring Zombies, Run! to Windows Phone and we really hoped that we’d be able to support continuing development.

Unfortunately, both financial and technical reasons mean that we can’t justify further time investment in the Windows Phone version at this point. It’s very disappointing for us, and was a tough decision because we don’t like to let our players down. Windows Phone users, we’re sorry, but for now it’s only viable for us to focus on iOS and Android.

Introducing Zombies, Run! 2

Zombies, Run! 2 is coming.

After the success of Zombies, Run! – the world’s bestselling smartphone fitness game – we couldn’t leave our fans without a reason to keep on running. We’ve been working hard on creating a brand new season of the game, and we’re ready to open the door just a crack to let some information out. We can’t open the door too wide just yet – after all, the dead are inside.

Wait, what? Is this Season Two?

Yes! Zombies, Run! 2 continues the adventure we began in Season One – and we’re adding some exciting new features to the experience, including:

The story’s even more tense, the risks even greater, and the rewards higher – if things go right you, Runner 5, might just save the world. But you’ll have to run a long way to get there: Season Two is more than twice as long as Season One, with over 60 missions in total. Not only that, some missions will change dynamically based on when you run, the state of your base, and some other super-secret variables.

We’re introducing additional gameplay to our base-builder, to make it more fun and much more sophisticated. You’ll be able to tailor Abel Township to your own design – but if you want to be zombie-ready you’ll have to keep everyone happy and well-defended!

We’re introducing location-based missions – one of our most-requested features ever – in a new airdrop mode.

We’ve redesigned the user interface so Zombies, Run! 2 will be much faster, easier, and more to use and navigate – not just on iOS but also Android!

Don’t worry, we’re not changing all the things you loved about Zombies, Run! As Runner 5, Abel Township still needs your help, though the stakes are now much higher, the drama more intense, and you might have to doubt the loyalty of people you’ve considered your friends. You’ll find out more about the mystery behind the zombie plague, and you’ll learn that the events of Zombies, Run! were just the precursor – Zombies, Run! 2 is where it gets serious.

Zombies, Run! 2 will be an update to the current app, and we have some bold plans for the way we will be delivering new content to you – which will include a mixture of free and paid missions – and we’ll be talking more about that in the New Year.

Zombies, Run! 2 will be coming to iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android in Spring 2013.

Keep checking the Zombies, Run! Blog over the coming months, as we have a huge amount of Zombies, Run! 2 information to share with you. Get ready, because in 2013, we’re going to take you on an epic adventure.

Psst… If you’re waiting on news about Zombies, Run! 5k Training on Android – don’t despair! We have some good news coming for you very shortly…

Zombies, Run! 2 Teaser trailer

More info coming tomorrow!

Long-sleeved wicking tees now available

We don’t know about where you are, but here at Six to Start Towers, the weather has taken a substantial turn for the cooler. Luckily, we’ve just started offering long-sleeved moisture wicking tees in the Zombies, Run! merchandise store!

Long-sleeved wicking tees are available in both navy blue and forest green for $39.95. The perfect Christmas gift for any Zombies, Run! fan braving the elements this winter. Head on over to the store and check them out!

Additionally, we’ve made the Runner’s Guide available directly from our site, so if you’ve been having trouble getting hold of it recently, you should now have no problems doing so. It’s available in both PDF format and iBook format (for iPad) and it’s completely free! So get downloading.

Sydney Zombies, Run! Meetup!

facingthenorthwind:

Hello, Sydney Runner Fives!

We’re having a meetup on the 16th of December at the Queen Victoria Building (in the city) at 12.30pm until whenever.

Dress up in your Runner Five swag! If you don’t have any, don’t worry, neither do I. Come ready to discuss Zombies, Run! (as if we don’t do that…

Calling all Sydney-based Zombies, Run! fans! Take part in the first ever unofficial Zombies, Run! fan meetup. (As far as we’re aware, at least!)

Sydney Zombies, Run! Meetup!