Nielo

It's time to vote for your favourite entries again!

Important note: Voting for yourself is NOT allowed. Doing so will result in disqualification. Please double check your votes before submitting them, to avoid mistakes, because they can't be changed afterwards.

Current theme: Video Games
Description: Take your inspiration for this entry from video games. Old or new; Neopets-related or not; based on a specific game, or just something that reminds you of a certain game genre. Pretty much anything goes.
Entering period: Monday, August 16 - Sunday, August 22
Voting period: Monday, August 23 - Sunday, August 29

Be sure to check out the links to the animated entries, although with Flash gone (and pre-HTML5 conversion) you'll only be able to see the still image. (Still worth checking out, as it'll be bigger than the one in the thread, so you'll be able to see more details on it.)

Note: DTI appears to be having some issues displaying the animation links; most of them seem to be broken, at least for me.
DTI also has an HTML5 beta version you can use, which might be more future-proof. I haven't tried it out myself yet, but you can check out the link for entry #5 to see what it looks like.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting is now officially closed! And the winners are...

1st Place

TayAllen
The Death of Flash

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2399707
"This poor Grundo has not slept since January 12, 2021. The day all Neopians' lives changed forever. The day Flash died. Ever since then, he has been working tirelessly to recreate all of the games in the Games Room hoping someday Neopians will be able to play more than 8 games."

 

2nd Place

aleu1986
The Sims

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2401890
"When a Sim with no cooking skill tries to make cereal."

 

3rd Place                                                               3rd Place

                                                                                  

Aimee                                                            GlitchtaleLover
 Sly Cooper and the Thievius Kyriius                                      The Literature Club!

        

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2399117      Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2401844

"Join Sly Cooper on an adventure throughout Neopia to recollect stolen pages of the Thievius Kyriius! Of course he's joined by the other two members of the Cooper gang: Bentley, the tech genius shoyru, and Murray, the brawler tonu. Just keep a careful eye out for Carmelita Lupe, before the adventure ends in handcuffs!"

"'Hi there! Monika here, welcome to the Literature Club! This club has been a dream of mine, and I'm excited to share my love of literature with you! You can discuss books and write poems with the members of the club: S̴̿͜ä̶̫̝ỷ̸̼̩o̸̙̚r̴̢̲͑̋i̶̜̦̚, Natsuki, Yuri, and of course, Me! I can tell you're already excited about this perfectly fine group as much as I am- will you promise to spend the most time with me?~'"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1
Aimee
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Kyriius

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2399117
"Join Sly Cooper on an adventure throughout Neopia to recollect stolen pages of the Thievius Kyriius! Of course he's joined by the other two members of the Cooper gang: Bentley, the tech genius shoyru, and Murray, the brawler tonu. Just keep a careful eye out for Carmelita Lupe, before the adventure ends in handcuffs!"

 

#2
jellysundae
Taking Neoquest to the next level

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2402572
"Rohane excitedly does a live presentation for his ideas for NQIII, and how to make it more dynamic. Here we have his concept for an intense Easter egg game: Extreme Kass Basher. A fierce and highly time-sensitive game, where you have mere seconds before your bat is destroyed; either by the waves soaking it, or your burning gloves igniting it, or your arms! All whilst staying upright on a surfboard for added complication.

You can trigger the game by... but we're not telling you that! You must find out yourself by playing! "

 

#3
TayAllen
The Death of Flash

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2399707
"This poor Grundo has not slept since January 12, 2021. The day all Neopians' lives changed forever. The day Flash died. Ever since then, he has been working tirelessly to recreate all of the games in the Games Room hoping someday Neopians will be able to play more than 8 games."

 

#4
memyselfandty_13
The Legend of Zafara

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2399696
"This young Draik has set out from his home forest, along with his faerie guardian, on a quest across Neopia to save Princess Zafara from the evil Grarrlandorf!"

 

#5
planlysastrata
Gamer Geek

Animation link: View the outfit on DTI's HTML5 beta page
"He had mastered every game out there. He had every award. Every high score. Still he wanted more. He devised a plot. He would create a way for himself to go into the games he only ever played from the outside. No one would get in the way of him becoming not only the Master Gamer but also the Master Game."

 

#6
GlitchtaleLover
The Literature Club!

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2401844
"'Hi there! Monika here, welcome to the Literature Club! This club has been a dream of mine, and I'm excited to share my love of literature with you! You can discuss books and write poems with the members of the club: S̴̿͜ä̶̫̝ỷ̸̼̩o̸̙̚r̴̢̲͑̋i̶̜̦̚, Natsuki, Yuri, and of course, Me! I can tell you're already excited about this perfectly fine group as much as I am- will you promise to spend the most time with me?~'"

 

#7
aleu1986
The Sims

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2401890
"When a Sim with no cooking skill tries to make cereal."

Another great round! Thank you all for entering, and congrats to our winners!

For information on next round's theme, you can click here.

I finally found my way back to this thread. XD

Anyway, I did some googling, and I'm pretty sure it's related to member permissions. So I think specific members - or member groups - are allowed to change it, depending on how this is configured in the admin panel. (Not sure if I have full moderator powers, so perhaps @Duma and I are in different member groups, if that's what it's based on.)

It's time to vote for your favourite entries again!

Important note: Voting for yourself is NOT allowed. Doing so will result in disqualification. Please double check your votes before submitting them, to avoid mistakes, because they can't be changed afterwards.

Current theme: Water Wonderland
Description: Customise a Water or Maraquan pet whichever way you like.
Entering period: Monday, August 2 - Sunday, August 8
Voting period: Monday, August 9 - Sunday, August 15

Be sure to check out the links to the animated entries, although with Flash gone (and pre-HTML5 conversion) you'll only be able to see the still image. (Still worth checking out, as it'll be bigger than the one in the thread, so you'll be able to see more details on it.)

Note: I've noticed that the outfit links for both #2 and #5 sometimes show the pet looking weird (but... not all the time, apparently).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting is now officially closed! And the winners are...

1st Place

memyselfandty_13
The Siren's Song

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2389374
"Sailors of Neopia tell stories of beautiful singing out at sea; that it's near impossible to leave the sweet melody. But sail away they must, for if they do not stray; down in the deep with the sirens, forever they will stay."

 

2nd Place

TayAllen
Guardian of the Fountain of Youth

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2391175
"Deep in the jungles of Mystery Island is said to be a place called the Fountain of Youth. Getting there is a perilous journey, but the pets who make it find themselves at a large gate and greeted by the Guardian of the Fountain who let all pets deemed worthy drink from its waters and gain eternal life."

 

3rd Place

Aimee
In An Octopus's Garden

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2389706 
"Would you like to be down by the sea, in an octopus's garden in the shade? Come grab your cup and enjoy a dip in this underwater glade!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#1
memyselfandty_13
The Siren's Song

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2389374
"Sailors of Neopia tell stories of beautiful singing out at sea; that it's near impossible to leave the sweet melody. But sail away they must, for if they do not stray; down in the deep with the sirens, forever they will stay."

 

#2
jellysundae
I feel exploited!

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2389824
"It became very clear why the Garden Center had been so keen to employ a Water pet...
I could end up severely dehydrated you know! Do I get hazard pay for this??"

 

#3
Aimee
In An Octopus's Garden

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2389706 
"Would you like to be down by the sea, in an octopus's garden in the shade? Come grab your cup and enjoy a dip in this underwater glade!"

 

#4
aleu1986
Marvelous Maraquan Maiden

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2390498

 

#5
Secre
Under the Sea

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2393401

"Each little clam here
Know how to jam here
Under the sea"

 

#6
TayAllen
Guardian of the Fountain of Youth

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2391175
"Deep in the jungles of Mystery Island is said to be a place called the Fountain of Youth. Getting there is a perilous journey, but the pets who make it find themselves at a large gate and greeted by the Guardian of the Fountain who let all pets deemed worthy drink from its waters and gain eternal life."

 

#7
planlysastrata
chillaxing

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2390792
"Imagine sitting in a hot tub with a nice drink."

 

#8
GlitchtaleLover
Underwater Party

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2392262
"Miss Waves is setting up an underwater party for all her sea creature friends! Everyone is welcome, just be sure to bring water-proof clothes!"

Loved to see all these different holidays! Thank you all for entering, and congrats to our winners!

Click here to see next round's theme.

I assumed that 'cover photo' meant the beige-like banner at the top of your profile page (where the 'edit profile' and 'cover photo' buttons are in the screenshot above)...
@Duma does clicking 'cover photo' also change your profile pic? Seems odd to have two buttons for that... Then again, much like @Granny63020, I don't actually have the 'cover photo' button at all, just the 'edit profile' one.

I never actually felt the need to edit my cover photo before, but now I'm invested in getting this missing button to appear.

9 hours ago, jellysundae said:

Didn't manage to enter this one, inspiration just wasn't having any of it. So there'll be much from me when I see the entries and realise what I could have done!

I totally get that, this is definitely one those themes that requires inspiration. (Back when I still entered, my usual M.O. was just trying random things until I found something that worked; don't think I could've managed that with this theme. )

It's time to vote for your favourite entries again!

Important note: Voting for yourself is NOT allowed. Doing so will result in disqualification. Please double check your votes before submitting them, to avoid mistakes, because they can't be changed afterwards.

Current theme: Holiday Happiness
Description: Dress up any pet you'd like in a way which celebrates your favourite (or not, I can't check that) holiday. Local to where you live, or international; "official", or more of a tradition for a (small) group of people, anything goes. (Although, maybe steer clear of any potentially offensive parts that some holidays haven't quite gotten rid of. I say this as a person from a country with a particular holiday that somehow still involves blackface.)
Entering period: Monday, July 19 - Sunday, July 25
Voting period: Monday, July 26 - Sunday, August 1st

Be sure to check out the links to the animated entries, although with Flash gone (and pre-HTML5 conversion) you'll only be able to see the still image. (Still worth checking out, as it'll be bigger than the one in the thread, so you'll be able to see more details on it.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting is now officially closed! And the winners are...

1st Place

Singledwish123
Pride Parade

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2380820

 

2nd Place

memyselfandty_13
Gaia Celebrates Arbor Day

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2382067
"Deep in the forests of Neopia, Gaia continues her long slumber. But once a year, on Arbor Day, she awakens and travels to the edges of the forests to create more trees and nature to add more greenery to the lives of Neopets everywhere."

 

3rd Place

aleu1986
17th of May

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2384199
"On the 17th of May, Norway celebrates their National Day, marking the occasion of their freedom from Danish rule and the signing of their own constitution. The day is celebrated with traditional foods and large parades with people proudly waving Norwegian flags and dressing in `bunads`, traditional folk dress. Along with national pride, fun and games are keywords, and on this day it`s a given that you`ll be eating as much ice cream as you possibly can!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#1
Singledwish123
Pride Parade

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2380820

 

#2
Lgator
2021 Chinese New Year of the Kau (ok, Ox)

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2380924
"2021 celebrates a year of the Ox, starting from February 12th, 2021 (Chinese lunar New Year Day) and lasting until January 31st, 2022.
It's a Metal Ox year, so here's our trusty Kau decked out in armour.
Oxen are hard workers in the background, intelligent and reliable, but never demanding praise, so if I win, silent admiration will do."

 

#3
wackadoodle
Haunted Housing

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2380812
"Halloween is the time to dress up and do some spooky, spooky stuff... What better way to celebrate than to explore the most haunted places of Neopia!"

 

#4
Aussiechick
Zafareene at the Easter Show

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2382064

 

#5
memyselfandty_13
Gaia Celebrates Arbor Day

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2382067
"Deep in the forests of Neopia, Gaia continues her long slumber. But once a year, on Arbor Day, she awakens and travels to the edges of the forests to create more trees and nature to add more greenery to the lives of Neopets everywhere."

 

#6
drtooth92
Campfire Fun

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2381525
"This is based on the brazilian holiday of são joão (st. john) or the festas juninas."

 

#7
aleu1986
17th of May

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2384199
"On the 17th of May, Norway celebrates their National Day, marking the occasion of their freedom from Danish rule and the signing of their own constitution. The day is celebrated with traditional foods and large parades with people proudly waving Norwegian flags and dressing in `bunads`, traditional folk dress. Along with national pride, fun and games are keywords, and on this day it`s a given that you`ll be eating as much ice cream as you possibly can!"

1 hour ago, Aussiechick said:

Here is Zafareene at our Easter show. A fun fair based celebration of the Easter festival in Australia.

Hi, thanks for your entry! But could you please send it as a personal message to me? For more info, check the rules page.  

1 hour ago, jellysundae said:

Of course completely intrigued by this now! @__@ Will you educate us?

 

1 hour ago, Singledwish123 said:

I think Nielo means Sinterklaas, a children's holiday in the Netherlands. Google "Black Pete" or "Zwarte Piet."

That's correct. I'll add context below, but I'll put it in spoiler tags, so people can choose whether or not they want to read about this, and also because - even though I assume there will be no young Dutch kids here (who can read English at this level) - there are things about this children's holiday that I'd usually not discuss with actual kids present. XD
 

 

Awesome entries, everyone!   Congratulations to our winners, and thank you all for entering!

Information on next round's theme can be found in this thread.

It's time to vote for your favourite entries again!

Important note: Voting for yourself is NOT allowed. Doing so will result in disqualification. Please double check your votes before submitting them, to avoid mistakes, because they can't be changed afterwards.

Current theme: Mynci Mayhem
Description: Customise a Mynci whichever way you want.
Entering period: Monday, July 5 - Sunday, July 11
Voting period: Monday, July 12 - Sunday, July 18

Be sure to check out the links to the animated entries, although with Flash gone (and pre-HTML5 conversion) you'll only be able to see the still image. (Still worth checking out, as it'll be bigger than the one in the thread, so you'll be able to see more details on it.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting is now officially closed! And the winners are...

1st Place

aleu1986
Aladdin

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2374497
"I can show you the world, take you wonder by wonder on a magic carpet ride."

 

2nd Place

Lgator
Mynci* Business Tax Accountants

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2370949
"We'll prepare and file your taxes with no money up front!**
Everything above board!
(*Monkey)
(**90% contingency fee on refund.)"

 

3rd Place

jellysundae
Tantrums in the dressing room

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2373584
"NOTHING FITS ME!
*ugly cries*
Life is tough when you're 8-bit..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#1
Lgator
Mynci* Business Tax Accountants

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2370949
"We'll prepare and file your taxes with no money up front!**
Everything above board!
(*Monkey)
(**90% contingency fee on refund.)"

 

#2
gnuhov
Sun WuKong

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2372295
"Sun WuKong, also known as The Monkey King, defender of Heaven and Earth. "

 

#3
GlitchtaleLover
Entering The Game

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2372568
"A futuristic invention made by an intelligent Mynci: A video game that you can be transported in! Don't worry, you won't really lose any health while fighting enemies, we're sure! This amazing experience can be yours for only 90,000,000 Neopoints! Call now!"

 

#4
jellysundae
Tantrums in the dressing room

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2373584
"NOTHING FITS ME!
*ugly cries*
Life is tough when you're 8-bit..."

 

#5
aleu1986
Aladdin

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2374497
"I can show you the world, take you wonder by wonder on a magic carpet ride."

 

Very creative entries this round!   Thank you all for entering, and congrats to the winners!

Click here to find the information on next round's theme.

Be sure to check out the rules if you're new to this contest (or if you simply want to refresh your knowledge of them). They can be found right here.
If you want to send me a screenshot of your entry (instead of the image DTI provides), but don't know how, check out this guide.

Current theme: Mynci Mayhem
Description: Customise a Mynci whichever way you want.
Entering period: Monday, July 5 - Sunday, July 11
Voting period: Monday, July 12 - Sunday, July 18

If you have any questions about this round, or the Runway in general, just post them here, or send me a message*.  

*And if my inbox ever happens to be full (again), just tag me in a post here and I'll get right on that.

It's time to vote for your favourite entries again!

Important note: Voting for yourself is NOT allowed. Doing so will result in disqualification. Please double check your votes before submitting them, to avoid mistakes, because they can't be changed afterwards.

Current theme: Sports
Description: Dress up any pet with items related to real world sports. Not all of them appear to exist in Neopia though, as I couldn't find items for quite a few famous sports, but for some sports (like tennis, swimming, kung fu, and I'm sure there are more) you can find items to use. You could also go for sport-related things, like training, referees, or winning a competition. (Just not the Altador Cup, or other Neopian sporting events. )
Entering period: Monday, June 14- Sunday, June 20 27
Voting period: Monday, June 21 28 - Sunday, June 27 July 4

Be sure to check out the links to the animated entries, although with Flash gone (and pre-HTML5 conversion) you'll only be able to see the still image. (Still worth checking out, as it'll be bigger than the one in the thread, so you'll be able to see more details on it.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting is now officially closed! And the winners are...

1st Place

Lgator
The Great Novak Djokovic

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2363496
"What can I say? I lam really good at tennis - probably the best, my beard grows really fast and I like wearing red."

 

2nd Place

jellysundae
Grarrl power!

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2361168
"Rosie's friends are there to cheer her on as she reaches the final mile of the marathon."

 

3rd Place

coolmusic_girl
Figure Skating Champ

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2357813
"Being a figure skating champion can be tough but feeling the wind rush past as you complete a Triple Axel perfectly makes it worth all the hard work."

(Unfortunately, entry #2 had to be disqualified.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#1
coolmusic_girl
Figure Skating Champ

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2357813
"Being a figure skating champion can be tough but feeling the wind rush past as you complete a Triple Axel perfectly makes it worth all the hard work."

 

#2
lady_of_vegetasei
Marching into your heart

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2359063
"Watch out for Haiilys, or he'll might just march right into your heart. Most only see the Marching Band as just the halftime entertainment. But definition of a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another. Haiilys can tell you of the many hours of blood, sweat and tears that went into learning his roll in the moving pattern, memorizing the music, staying in step and many other things that go into a routine. Then spending Saturdays at competitions in hopes of getting a high enough score/placing to go to Regionals, then State, then to Nationals. If you dont think marching band has enough physical exertion, then try playing any other sport, but only be able to take in a breath 10% of the time. We can't stop playing the music for little thing like needing to breathe. Haiilys doesn't mean to lessen others hard work in their sports. He and his band mates just want to be recognize has more than just the entertainment. "

 

#3
aleu1986
Equestrian 

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2357738
"Every year, the Hobbyhorse Championship is held in Finland. The competition includes dressage and showjumping, and the hobbyhorses are all handmade by their owners. It's a popular sport, especially amongst young girls, and the competitions draw big crowds of spectators. The Equestrian Federation of Finland organizes the event."

 

#4
jellysundae
Grarrl power!

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2361168
"Rosie's friends are there to cheer her on as she reaches the final mile of the marathon."

 

#5
Secre
I'm a Wraith On The Court

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2362760
"Who needs to sunbathe when you can smash some balls instead?"

 

#6
Lgator
The Great Novak Djokovic

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2363496
"What can I say? I lam really good at tennis - probably the best, my beard grows really fast and I like wearing red."

I guess so, I have to admit that hadn't even crossed my mind. The games are soooooo slow, and I don't particularly enjoy them when they're working well, so I've been neglecting the AC this year. XD

I did! We now have 6 entries, and I love the creativity that went into them!   (The round will be up shortly.)

I've only received 4 entries so far, and I've realised that rounds are more fun with at least 5, so I'm going to extend the entering period by one week.

Thank you all for entering, and congrats to the winners!

(I do think I'm going to go back to only posting the round when I've got at least 5 entries though, to avoid this "only one person doesn't make the podium" thing.)

Check out this thread for info on next round's theme.

It's time to vote for your favourite entries again!

Important note: Voting for yourself is NOT allowed. Doing so will result in disqualification. Please double check your votes before submitting them, to avoid mistakes, because they can't be changed afterwards.

Current theme: Mosaic Madness
Description: Dress up a Mosaic pet however you like.
Entering period: Monday, May 31- Sunday, June 6
Voting period: Monday, June 7 - Sunday, June 13

Be sure to check out the links to the animated entries, although with Flash gone (and pre-HTML5 conversion) you'll only be able to see the still image. (Still worth checking out, as it'll be bigger than the one in the thread, so you'll be able to see more details on it.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting is now officially closed! And the winners are...

1st Place

jellysundae
The Yurble of Life

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2352735
"Ancient tales tell of this mythical creature: bringing rain to the desert, and making the barren landscape bloom."

 

2nd Place

Secre
Pretty as a Picture

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2350388
"The hills are alive with the sound of Weewo's."

 

3rd Place

GlitchtaleLover
Water Droplets

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2352461
"The beautiful colors that show on the grass, the rain slowly dripping down, the lush flowers... this is the perfect day for this Nimmo."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#1
Secre
Pretty as a Picture

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2350388
"The hills are alive with the sound of Weewo's."

 

#2
GlitchtaleLover
Water Droplets

Animation link: https://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2352461
"The beautiful colors that show on the grass, the rain slowly dripping down, the lush flowers... this is the perfect day for this Nimmo."

 

#3
jellysundae
The Yurble of Life

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2352735
"Ancient tales tell of this mythical creature: bringing rain to the desert, and making the barren landscape bloom."

 

#4
rakshumi
Floral Archer

Animation link: http://impress.openneo.net/outfits/2352829

4 hours ago, lalladalla said:

I won for the first time!! Thanks, guys!!! Now I just gotta learn how to make the trophy appear under my comments xD Sorry, I'm not very good with this forum thing

Thankfully, @deboratibi included tips on how to display your trophy in The Runway F.A.Q (question number 3)  

On 6/2/2021 at 11:05 AM, Secre said:

I mean... they only had an entire year to prepare for this event. Is it so impossible to actually test things and make them work prior to releasing the games??

Kinda, yeah. From what I gather, TNT is incredibly understaffed, the codebase is old (and big), and I think they're also working with a 3rd party development team (in another country). (I'm not a 100% certain about that last part, so correct me if I'm wrong.)

I sort of get how they're feeling, even though the company I work for isn't nearly as understaffed, and our product isn't used in nearly as many countries, but dealing with a lot of old code & developers who work overseas (in a different time zone)? Yup, been there, done that. All of those things separately can create difficulties in releasing software on time and without bugs, but together? That's a recipe for disaster. You've got a handful of people trying to do the work of (at least) twice as many, dealing with communication (and time zone) issues with the 3rd party developers, and working with code that's at best outdated, but, more likely, outdated and lacking proper annotation/documentation (so you only have a vague inkling of what it's supposed to do), and it's probably connected to parts of the system it has no business being connected to (meaning that you might fix one thing, only to inadvertently break another thing on a different part of the site).

(Note: I don't want to say this is any way good or acceptable, just that I get how stuff like this happens. Personally, I'm a big fan of postponing something if you know you can't deliver the quality you'd like to deliver, but in my experience, that's not necessarily the mindset of companies that want to please their customers. Not having the AC would've been a disappointment, sure, but I think I'd have preferred it over an AC with as many issues as this one, because now I still feel somewhat obligated to play and support my team, even though just having to read through the work-arounds is enough to make me want to throw in the towel this year. )