The yearly MSXdev contests have their roots firmly positioned in MSX1 soil. While popular (especially in the years 2005 and 2006), there have always been people who want more creative freedom. Later on, the PassionMSX2 contests offered more freedom by aiming at MSX2, but these contests somehow never really blossomed.
Sooner or later, someone would've come up with a new contest. Coincidentally, 2012 marks the tenth year of the #msxdev chat channel and 15 years of MSX Banzai, which makes it a special opportunity to launch a brand new contest for all of us to join: the #msxdev Compo 2012. So, what are the specifications? The answer to that is rather easy: anything goes. MSX1, MSX2, turbo R, Graphics9000, games, utilities, any MSX model and expansion. Just think of something nice for MSX, and make it.
Is it fair to have an MSX1 entry compete with a fully blown turbo R game while also using a Graphics9000 and Moonsound? Well, practically speaking, all our MSX hardware is old, with only mere years between all these generations, and that's decades ago by now. Also, programming a game simply takes its time, but it would take a designer as much time to draw for screen 2 compared to screen 5. The bottleneck probably wouldn't be on media, and that's a strong argument to state that development doesn't differ much between all MSX generations.
In the other corner are people who state that some form of limitation is usually the primary drive to get somewhere, to prove the impossible and to have a level playing field with competitors.
So, it's a daring and interesting experiment for sure. Will it be successful? Everyone who couldn't join the previous MSXdev contests because the requirements have been too tough, may have a chance in this new #msxdev contest - in a way there are now two contests with the same name! Without doubt, more details will be revealed later, but for now everything important can be read in the rules section on MSX Banzai.
Relevant link: MSX Banzai - compo
Comments (10)
By anonymous
incognito ergo sum (116)
01-01-2012, 16:12
By Latok
msx guru (3908)
01-01-2012, 16:25
By Manuel
Ascended (19204)
01-01-2012, 16:29
By wolf_
Ambassador_ (10076)
01-01-2012, 16:48
By Lord_Zett
Paladin (807)
01-01-2012, 18:09
By ARTRAG
Enlighted (6912)
01-01-2012, 19:56
By Huey
Prophet (2693)
02-01-2012, 11:08
By anonymous
incognito ergo sum (116)
07-01-2012, 19:48
By wolf_
Ambassador_ (10076)
07-01-2012, 19:35
By mars2000you
Enlighted (6395)
07-01-2012, 20:19