Party Animals previously announced the Golden Paws Awards, an AI Video Contest for creating entertaining short films with the Party Animals IP through generative AI. The contest was designed for any fan to participate for a share of 75,000 in cash prizes, especially for the grand prize of $15,000 and the Golden Paw trophy. It only took a day for the company to halt the event after major backlash from the community.
Party Animals immediately apologized to its upset fans about the lack of communication for the event. The company appeared eager to welcome the convenient use of AI for upcoming creators. How the event was announced seemed to downplay hardworking artists who rely on human creativity.
The developers previously opened a community poll to figure out their next steps for the Golden Paw Awards, which involve fully cancelling it, changing it to a non-AI contest, or allowing non-AI work with the AI contest. The results ended with the majority wanting the AI contest cancelled outright, which the company followed. After apologizing, the company aims to improve its communication with its community and acknowledge player feedback.
