Shock the dev! - free ROM cartridge for MSXdev contestants

Karoshi and Matra have teamed up and come up with a great action to promote the MSXdev'06 game development competition and Shockware - an affordable service for the production of new MSX cartridges.

To boost developers to create (and/or finish) their entries, and to show the quality of shockware cartridges every contestant to enter the competition with a (serious) 32kB ROM game will receive a free Shockware version of Griel's Quest for the Sangraal EX, an extended version of Griel's Quest for the Sangraal, which means each contestant will get a ROM cartrige with this game in a brand-new casing, with a full-color manual and cartridge label.

The prize will be sent only to finished 32kB ROM entries, and it will be shipped when the contest finishes. There are still more than 2 months left to create a cool MSXdev'06 entry, so all the reasons to start coding and get those great MSX games out there!

Relevant links: MSXdev website

Comments (6)

By snout

Ascended (15187)

19-10-2006, 13:56

just in case: this great initiative and service only applies to people who enter with a 32kB (not smaller, not larger) ROM game?

By jltursan

Prophet (2619)

19-10-2006, 14:50

I guess that it must be related to physical cartridge limitations (the one produced by Matra), not some kind of restricting or arbitrary rule...
Receive such cartridge is enough prize for anyone, really!!

By viejo_archivero

Paragon (1395)

19-10-2006, 15:00

snout: that's it!. Note that this sponsorship has been possible due to both Matra and Karoshi efforts, including all costs. This sponsorship is supposed to have two effects: to boost the MSXdev'06 with more entries and to promote Matra's SHOCKWARE service. That's why the games should be 32KB to earn the prize, because the authors of those games are the ones having more possibilities to like the SHOCKWARE service and perhaps decide to put their game on cart. Why?. Just because the games lower than 32KB are usually simpler games with which their author/s probably won't be much interested on put them in cart; and, for games higer than 32KB, both Matra and Karoshi constider that now is time to use SHOCKWARE to games with that size, as when MegaROM is supported there will be less 32KB-ers wanting to join the service.
So we can obtain those two results with just one play: 1. Promote MSXdev'06 as more entries can come due to the free-cartidge-for-you sponsorship and 2. Promote the creation of 'small' sized cartridges by giving potential SHOCKWARE users a brand new cartridge for them to check its quality themselves.