Ok,

as I was away for quite some time, I only present my vision of it ... feel free to disagree, I probably will myself after a short while.

I think the weekly challenge is kind of too much involved in OGA, while it is part of OGA and also should be, I think you can get much more potential out of it. To take part in the challenge you pretty much must follow the OGA forums, as well as actually be on OGA.

I think there should be an easy way to to look at the current challenge, as well as seeing older ones. I guess a blog announcing new themes, as well as showcasing the winner and participants of the last one, would be pretty cool, while the actual contest still stays at OpenGameArt. That way you could also add a feed to some planets.

Also some prices would be cool. It really doesn't have to be every week and actual money. Some merchandise (unfortunately I only know of Wesnoth selling some) would be quite cool ... maybe even printing a shirt with your own entry on it.

So you see, I don't really have any quality ideas, but hope this could help you for inspiration at least.

I think we should involve sister communities in the challenges if possible, e.g. freegamedev, blendswap. Talk to the admins of those places and see if a shared weekly challenge would be welcome. Cross-promote the challenges on all participating sites (again, only if there's real buy-in from the heads of those communities, otherwise it's just spam). In turn, what recurring events do they have that we can be a part of? This cross-promotion could bring in more participants and excitement, and maybe even friendly rivalries between communities.

Do more art sprints as weekly challenges. Communicate with game projects to schedule art sprints. Get feedback from the projects to find out what helped and what didn't, e.g. "we got too many untextured models". Use that info to improve future sprints. Don't be afraid to do a follow-up sprint to finish what was started (e.g. "sprint part 2, add textures to these models, this other one needs animations").

Do a weekly challenge that encourages site-wide collaboration. E.g: this week we'll make all the art necessary for an 8-bit rogue-like, all in a unified style. Work with an artist before-hand to set up the standards for this set, e.g. choose the pixel art color palette, make a couple example sprites/tiles, make a list of all the art needed to complete the set. Decide ahead-of-time on a unified license e.g. this will all be CC-BY. At the end we collect all the individual pieces and upload a unified set, ready to build an entire game. (or several sets... e.g. "OGA roguelike tile set", "OGA roguelike enemy set", "OGA roguelike items", "OGA roguelike sound effects", "OGA roguelike music"). Experienced artists should actively help critique entries during the week so that they all reach the unified style by the end.

Bend the "Week" part when needed. Do double, triple, quad-week challenges when the goal is worth it.

I fully support the idea of doing challenges targeted at specific games.  This makes it much more likely that our content will be useful.  I also agree with getting other communities involved, like blendswap.  I can think of a couple games just off the top of my head that could use some help (and that I like enough to work for).

I like the idea of "game oriented challenges"... But, for more people be part of it - and more challenge content be available (most challenges only got 2 or 3 "challengers") - it should have more time... Let's say, something like a "game-of-the-month" to create/modify content for a month or something like that for an specific game, with a quick icon on the main OGA page, etc...

That sounds a lot like the happy penguin approach, but I like it, as long as it very well organized and is no replacement of the weekly challenge.

It's very similar, because I've based that on the now defuncted happypenguin's one. But focused on content creation (instead of content and programming) and with a fixed timeline (instead of "until we're done")... The main problem with the HP`s GoTM, for me, is envolving people for undefined time (allocing people to a game and, somewhat, "never releasing" them for other projects latter)... another big problem is the lack of somewhat clear - and simple - goals (we won't be in there, as the goal is already clear: create art for a month for project X; or even more specific: create art for a month for phase Y on project X; and simple: just create few assets, isn't something that depends directly of other people's work) and of available people (most people already have their own projects and very low time... I think it isn't a big problem here, as one can just upload one or two simple assets or only contribute to projects similar to its own one, avoiding overwork)...

I don't know if I am clear enough (or if my "english" is understandable)...

Sounds like a very good summary to me. I just like to add to "What might be issues keeping the challenges from succeeding?" that the WCs are almost invisible to people who are only rarely on OGA.

Perhaps you can encourage two people with different art abilities to work on different aspects of a similar project (eg. 3d character modeling + portrait painting).

Or two people with similar art skills to work on mass producing one type (eg. 4 pixel art NPCs).

They are on hold - look here.

I would go with the monthly chalange and some kind of specific rules like 8-bit only etc. , since its kinda hard to vote the best art if all submitions are different.

Without dought the challange should have some kind of continuity so that when the contest is over all the submited art can be used in a game ex. :fish,boats,water etc. = Fishing or Boat racing game. Perhaps even "Craft a game" as the final chalange : )

There sould be a badge saing you submited on all the chalanges , and perhaps one for wining in a row (3,6,12) , you know stuff like that.

I would like another challenge. How about we combine this with online game jams like ludum dare and pyweek and simply provide a space where art can be submitted that is created during the jam time, for people who only create art but no game or people who want to share the art they made for their game?

It would be nice to have new challenges. How about an educational challenge?

"educational"? how do you mean?

I have started this weekly challenge for myself to make a game each week with art from the site.

http://opengameart.org/forumtopic/my-self-weekly-challenge

Aducational as in educating a group of people. It can be kids and the topic could be numbers, objects or it can target adults and educate people about free software, parenting, etc... We can select a specific target or just an audiance for a challenge.

I do plan to create new art challenges after the lpc is over.

agreed @anon about sidebar thing.

Ideally with a little banner that is new for each challenge and draws some attention.

@cruzr: cool!

@b-side: I'm a bit confused. it doesn't seem to be clear how to join or it seems to be a game+art or switching game/art challenge..

@cemkalyoncu this sounds a bit too broad a topic.. I'd focus on the theme, rather than the intent. unless you mean "stuff in a classroom"?

@qubodup: yes you are right about being broad, but we can decide on something specific. Something like benefits of coffee ;)... just kidding. Bu we can decide on something.

@qubodup Sorry for the confusion... I was saying that if this Challenge started up again I would like to sync my own personal challenge to it. Use the art to make the new games every week.