Square Enix Giving Away $10,000 Scholarship for 'Everyday Heroes' Photo Contest [Details]
Square Enix is giving away $10,000 in scholarship, and all you have to do is submit some photos.
According to Destructoid, the company will be giving away a scholarship to one lucky photographer as part of its recently-launched "Life is Strange" Everyday Hero competition.
The idea is to submit a photo that shows "ordinary people doing extraordinary things." Some photos will be featured on the website, while three finalists will get a chance to win a framed copy of their own photos signed by the people from development company DONTNOD. The grand winner, meanwhile, will get the chance to win the $10,000 scholarship that has since been dubbed as the "Everyday Heroes Scholarship Fund," which will allow them to continue their career in photography.
For those interested in joining the competition, there are some entries on the Life is Strange website that can be checked out for inspiration. The website showcased a range of cool photos, both personal and artistic, and all with stories that tug at the heartstrings.
The photo contest is open to any US or Canadian citizen (save for Quebec). They have until February 16 to submit their photos. According to IGN, Square Enix just released their Life is Strange final episode in October. Since then, the company, hand in hand with DONTNOD Entertainment, have been using their game to promote a bit of goodness in the world -- the first being their Everyday Heroes anti-bullying campaign with the organization PACER. Polygon noted that back then, they solicited Life is Strange-themed tweets as a way to fundraise for an anti-bullying campaign.
PC Gamer noted that Square Enix looks determined to make "Life is Strange" a more social, charitable endeavor than just another Facebook connectivity type of connection. The outlet also noted that currently, the featured photos on the website's wall are full of selfies and people feeding their cats, which means that a good photo representing heroism will definitely stand out.
While likely a publicity stunt, this way of showcasing heroes is a way to inspire and reflect some good in the world. Kotaku noted that "Life is Strange" may be one of the most beautiful games in the last couple of years. With endeavors against bullying and celebration of everyday heroism, it is doing more than typical games ever have.
What do you think about this contest by Square Enix and DONTNOD? Do you think this is a good way of celebrating heroism and spreading postivism, or is this another publicity stunt that won't have longevity?