Why we dont have GAME development contests

[ami_junki]

I think if there was a real competition with maybe some kind of prize people would join in, there maybe the difficultly of making a game for an OCS, AGA or OS4 machine but you could always just create 3 different competitions within the same competition.  If somebody could really organise an event like this each year perhaps with help from companies like AmigaKit I am sure people would entry.  Just need to get organised.

[ami_junki]

I think CountZero is onto something there, sometimes to get individuals going there needs to be an incentive and I for one would give it a go for an Indivision, even though I don`t have the experience.  A bit of friendly competition would probably be a boost to the Amiga community, it wouldn`t have to be limited to individuals, how about like the demoscene where you have groups, get groups together to make a game and have it submitted,  BUT it would need to be advertised properly on the right websites and publications.  Anyone game?

[ami_junki]

I think at the end of the day the Amiga is a dead platform, it is only hobbyist machine now, and if people are looking to make any decent money out of it they are not on the same page as the rest of the world.  A competition with a decent prize would probably offer more than could be made for a developer than if they sold it, also take into consideration that most people would probably just copy it anyways.   If people are looking to make decent money making software then create software for the pc or iphone, but just as in the 8 bit community people have competitions because they love the hardware and can accept it as a hobby, there is the element of fun in partaking in a competition.  At the end of the day, people who worry that the game won`t make enough money are seriously not taking a realistic look at the situation of Amiga.

[ami_junki]

I think going down the route of limiting the hardware to the Amiga OCS or ECS would be fine, you could even just have a segment for OCS, ECS, AGA, for me the real Amigas are the ones that were made by Commodore and I for one would be well up for making a game on the Amiga.  Anyone want to team up?  I think that the problem is that people still feel that the Amiga should be viewed as a viable platform for selling games ... not any more, we are now in the same boat as MSX, C64 and Spectrum users so lets enjoy that status and start making cool games that run on old hardware which everyone has.  Even better limit the competition to using only certain tools.  Give people contraints and they start to think around the box.  So come on you old farts!  Lets get the Amiga gaming competition going and stop sitting on our arses complaining that there is no real value to it.  I am busy working but I will still find time to do my music which brings in no money to myself but I enjoy it and I can give something to the Amiga community.

[ami_junki]

Definitely, I got Backbone now so I will have a mess around and think of a xmas game, anyone in the Tokyo area want to work together?