At Alienware, we’ve always been inspired by the artistry and craftsmanship exhibited by case painters, modders and do-it-yourselfers. We’re gamers at heart and appreciate the art and story-telling that goes into the creation of personal masterpieces.
“A home-built PC is sort of like a project car,” notes Digital Trends. “Once you’ve put every carefully-selected piece together, you get a huge sense of accomplishment.”
To help celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re launching our first-ever Alienware Case Mod-Off. Three teams of experienced modders have been asked to customize an Area-51 gaming desktop, transforming its iconic hexagonally designed chassis from a sleek mothership into a singular masterpiece. At stake: up to $2,500 in cash prizes.
Invited to participate are Modders-Inc (led by Dewayne Carel), V1 Tech (led by Hassan Alaw) and Mod Dudes (led by Bob Stewart), all highly experienced modders who have participated in numerous other competitions.
The contest runs for two months, from January 18, 2016 to March 20, 2016. Every week the teams will provide an update of their progress (through videos, messages and images). Four criteria will determine the winning team:
- Original design and how well it’s brought to life
- Creativity of the team, from first concept to solving challenges
- Quality of content uploaded weekly to the team’s Alienware Arena group page
- Relevance to the 20th anniversary of the Alienware brand
Alienware Arena is your home for everyone relating to this competition. I encourage you to join the dedicated group for each modding team and follow their weekly updates.
You can also play a role in the judging of these masterpieces, with 20 percent voting power coming from gamers and community members such as yourself. Beginning March 21st through April 10th, judging will be open on Alienware Arena. Vote by selecting “Like” for your preferred group based on the voting criteria. The Alienware judging team (40 percent of the vote) will consist of Area-51 designer Josh Probst, Frank Azor and myself, joined by 4 members of CPU Magazine (40 percent of the vote), the preeminent authority in modding events.
The winning team will be announced on April 14, 2016, live on the Alienware Twitch Channel, when the teams will learn the results. Want another great reason to join the stream? Well here you go! One lucky viewer will win one of the modded rigs. So even if you’re not punching metal and mixing airbrush colors yourself, here’s your chance to be part of the Mod Squad.