Gaming giant Sony announce contest for budding computer animators

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Sony Online Entertainment have announced a new contest for one of their highest profile games of 2010, DC Universe Online.

The company has asked entrants to come up with body language animations for big-name superheroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and The Joker. Winners will have their work featured in a trailer for the game and stand a good chance of making it into the game itself.

The contest, which launches on December 7, will provide contestants with all the tools they need - bar a computer itself - and Sony off-shoot Mass Animation is helping mastermind the event. A special cut-down version of animation software package Autodesk Maya 3D will be made available at the time, together with the character models and assets needed to come up with the goods.

The game itself is set to be a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game for PC and PlayStation 3, and not only does it feature famous characters from DC Comics' extensive archives, but Sony has also had a hand in the development of previous MMO staples such as EverQuest and PlanetSide, so its May 12 release date is highly anticipated.

DC Universe Online's official Facebook page: facebook.com/DCUniverseOnline
DC Universe Online website: dcuo.station.sony.com