Sly Cooper contest puts player designs in next game

Sony has announced a new competition that gives players the chance to have their game designs included in the upcoming PS3-exclusive title Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.

Sly Cooper returns this year.

To be in the running, players must design their own in-game treasure using either hand-drawn animation or computer animation programs. The only stipulation is that all designs must be submitted with a short description of what the treasure is and what it represents.

Sony will send all competition entries to Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time developer Sanzaru Studios. The development team will then pick their eight favourite designs, which will be transformed into in-game objects.

All runners-up will receive a PlayStation Vita console as a prize.

The competition is open from April 20 to May 20, 2012, and can be entered by visiting the PlayStation Europe website. All entries must be submitted with a description of their design.

Announced during Sony's 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo briefing, Thieves in Time will be released later this year.

Though Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is the first entry in the franchise Sanzaru has designed, the studio is not entirely a stranger to the series. The developer--also behind PlayStation 2 title Secret Agent Clank--contributed to 2010's Sly Collection.