DarkStar Communications

Christmas season is here! So don’t forget when you ask for your new games this Christmas also to ask for a game server from Darkstar. You’ll get instant setup, low pings, and lots of frags when you sign up today.

I’m feeling the Christmas spirit. I’ll give away a free year of a 25 slot Ventrilo server (an $83.45 value!) to the best 100-150 word essay about why you like DarkStar. Just reply to this article with your essay (be sure to use your email address, it won’t be visible after you submit it but it will let me contact you.) All submissions must be turned in by Christmas morning. Then I’ll take a few days to decide and we’ll make sure your vent server is up for the full calendar year 2008. DarkStar reserves the right to use your submission for advertising (or we might hang it up in the break room or show it to our moms or something. Gotta make mom proud.) I should mention that if you already have a server I’ll credit the $83.45 towards future service.) What have you got to lose? Submit it now before you forget! There are no strings attached, the deal is exactly how it sounds. If you’re on the main page, you won’t get a comment form, you’ll need to be on this page to see it.

I’ll leave all the replies invisible until Christmas day so you don’t need to worry about someone else seeing yours and copying.

In the mean time, you can go to these links for game servers, Vent servers, and TeamSpeak Servers.

UPDATE: A special thanks to everyone who submitted. We’ll judge our favorite in the next 24 hours. A few went over the word limit, and while we’re flattered, we think the most fair solution to this is to judge only the first 150 words.

I see a lot of tickets and emails come through asking for a sponsorship from DarkStar. I want as many of you as possible to get sponsorships, so I just thought I’d write up a few tips. These tips don’t guarantee sponsorships, but it might help you get a better idea of the middle ground sponsorships seek to reach.

1. Be honest in your application. I cannot stress this enough; lying on the application always means no sponsorship. If you claim you won CAL-I, we’ll be very impressed and go look to see your name at the top of the list. If it’s not there, “Lucy’s god some splainin’ to do.”
2. Having a website is worth tons of points. You need to show that you’re organized. Guilds come and go, and we want to know you’re not fly-by-night.
3. Win some tournaments first. Remember, if we want our ad shown at the World series, we’re going to sponsor the Yankees before we sponsor the Cubs. I love the Cubbies, but let’s face it, winning speaks louder than losing. A couple wins really bolsters the application.

We’re looking for people who will get our name out there. Be prepared to tell us what sets your guild apart from every other guild out there. Odds are, if you’re getting a sponsorship, you are also an ideal customer. We need a reason why both parties are better off sponsored than as a customer/provider relationship.

Mailing a case of imported beer is a great way to put us in a mood to accept your sponsorship. Inquiring for the sponsorship, and then including at the bottom, “Oh by the way, I was hoping I could send you a case of imported beer, what’s your address?” will win points, assuming you follow through.

Of course I need to note that following these tips doesn’t guarantee you a sponsorship, but should put you a step ahead of whoever didn’t read this.