German video entertainment startup Hobnox is going on a big marketing drive, offering $200,000 worth of prizes and giveaways for artists that take part in its Evolution2 contest where participants win support and development budgets worth $30,000 each. Running out of offices in Cologne and Berlin, the site launched in spring 2008, combining community, production and publishing functions with web TV channels into one site.
Hobnox is reminiscent of another European startup, WorldTV (Irish/UK based), but with a slightly slicker interface and some interesting online production tools. However the former does not look likely to break out of Germany any time soon – all of the content on the site appears to be German so far. No bad thing, but that does lock it in somewhat.