Tip of the Week: TOTS Trivia!

This week's tip is about GameSpot's Today On the Spot trivia sessions. To ensure that you aren't skipped as a potential winner, be sure to follow these guidelines.

1. WATCH THE SHOW: Trivia answers are only considered after the trivia question has been asked. It's like this: Say an episode goes live at 4:00 p.m., and the trivia question is asked 12 minutes into the show. We will start taking trivia submissions around 4:12 p.m. Anyone who fast forwards to the trivia section and submits an answer before 4:12 p.m. will not be considered.

2. LOG IN: If you are not logged in while watching the show, you reduce your chances of being considered. We definitely try to consider trivia answers from all of our viewers, but those of you who are logged in have your contact information with your real name and mailing address already filled in for us to consider. Anonymous users rarely send their real names or mailing addresses, giving all logged-in users a higher chance of being considered.

Update: As of January 2010 we added some fields in the trivia submission form to expedite the confirmation of email requests. You should enter this information so the admin can compare the two addresses. Plus, if you want grandma to get the package instead of you, just enter her name and mailing address. We do not keep these emails on file. They are strictly used for that trivia item you might end up winning.

3. UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO: You have heard it many times before, especially during the time when the infamous Rich Gallup was selecting the winners. TOTS contest prizes will go to your old mailing address you registered with and might never be forwarded to your new mailing address. We do our best to contact you about confirming your mailing address, but this may not always happen. Why allow someone at your old address to receive the nifty prize package?

4. ADD CONTACT INFO: The new registration system does not force you to add your real name and mailing address. When staff go through the selections of potential winners, your answer may be correct, but you never filled out your contact information, causing the staff member to find someone who did fill out this information while logged in. The same goes for e-mail addresses. If an e-mail bounces, the prize will likely be given to another user.

5. ONE WINNER PER TRIVIA PRIZE: We often see someone answer all of the trivia questions not knowing that you may not be considered if you have a huge blob paragraph sent to us. If you decide to answer all of them, post the name of the prize and then the answer. Also, if you win one prize, you are not eligible for any other prizes for that particular TOTS episode. We're just throwing that out there because some of you have asked why you didn't get all three prizes for the day.

6. T-SHIRT SIZE: When a T-shirt is up for grabs, be sure to include the size of your T-shirt along with the trivia answer. T-shirt sizes vary, and we may be able to send you the perfect size!

7. PRIZE MAIL-OUT TIMELINES: Prizes take 4 to 6 weeks to receive if you live in the United States. If you live outside the US, the prizes take about 6 to 8 weeks. Please wait this out before you get worried that your prize package has gotten lost in the mail.

8. WINNERS SELECTION: If you have your contact information filled in and submit your answers properly, you have a better chance of winning a prize. The types of winners we select vary depending on the kind of show we have. There are occasions when a winner of the prize will be selected on a first-to-answer basis, while other times it is based on the creativity of the user's answer. Being creative or thorough is in your best interest.

9. SUBMIT ANSWERS THE DAY OF SHOW: This is important, because those who submit their trivia answers on the day the show is published increase their chances of being selected. If you see the latest TOTS episode late at night, consider submitting your answer before 11:59 p.m. PT. The only time we consider answers for users the day after a show was published is when other users did not answer the question properly.

10. WINNERS LISTINGS: Just in case some of you do not check your e-mails after we notify you that you have won a prize, you should drop by the Producer's Note blog, because we plan to start posting the winners there for each TOTS trivia week.

Quick How-To Tips:

- ANSWERING TOTS TRIVIA: Use the Submit Trivia button located on the right side. Be sure to include the prize name and the answer. For an example: "For the Sora Figure, she lived on the planet NAME."

- CHANGING CONTACT INFO: To update or add your contact information, click on the Options tab located on the top of every GameSpot page. The About Me page should have your contact information filled in.

UPDATE 3/29/10: We have five more TOTS trivia tips for 2010.