MSXdev’ : The End

All good things have an end for different reasons. A total of 110 new MSX1 games and some of them are real pearls ! Launched in 2003 by Eduardo A. Robsy Petrus, the MSXdev’ contest has known his golden age in 2005 and 2006 with respectively 21 and 19 games released. Next editions have provided less entries, although the quality level of some entries is very high.

Since 2006, the MSXdev’ contest was organized by a team. In the beginning there was much enthousiasm, but it was no more the same in the more recent editions. I will not here reveal the little secrets of the team, but let’s say simply that people change, interests change and everybody wants also to use his time in the best way to reach his own goals.

It’s just life and you must not see here regrets or complaints : the MSXdev experience was full with good moments, surprises, joy and fun with especially Jon Cortazar and Sjoerd Lammertsma, but also with all the other people who contributed to the MSXdev’ success : the judges and the developers. We must here say them a big thank you !

Starting a new team after the departure of Jon Cortazar after MSXdev’09 and Sjoerd Lammertsma at the end of MSXdev’11 is probably not an impossible mission, but there’s no any guarantee that the same high enthousiasm can be reached as in 2006.

Obviously, interest and free time for the MSX system decrease, even if there are still some hopes of amazing new developments : we have received clearly less donations for the 2011 edition and many announced projects were abandoned, without any explanation from most concerned coders.

So, I think it’s better to stop here the adventure. However, the website will remain online and I’ll update it mainly with data from other contests. Maybe the idea of a new pure MSX1 contest will see the light in the minds of other people, but it will be without me (mars2000). In the meantime, developers can submit their new games to the #msxdev Compo 2012 hosted on the MSX Banzai website.

An end is always a new beginning ! MSX Forever and again many thanks to all the people who have contributed during 9 passionate years to the MSXdev’ adventure !

#msxdev Compo 2012