Portable-making contest again?

[XCVG]

WALL OF TEXT:

(Please read it!)

As of right now there are 27 people entering the contest. How about we take the voting idea from last year and extend it a bit? For example, rank your top 10 portables with number one being the best (in your opinion) compared to the other portables entered. Number one would get ten points, number two would get nine points, number three would get eight points, and so on. This way the voting would directly reflect people's opinions about the portables entered in direct comparison to the other portables entered, rather than pulling a rather subjective number out of the air. After all, what exactly determines a 5 versus a 6 when rating a portable on appearance or "awesomeness"? Ranking your favorite portables shifts the votes to directly comparing the entries to each other, rather than trying to apply numbers to your opinions of what makes a "good" portable. That's my thoughts on the matter, anyway. What do you guys think?

I will post a (locked) sticky in Forum 42 clearly stating "The Rules" for the contest tomorrow, so let's try to get any final opinions discussed here before tomorrow morning. If anything needs to be edited in The Rules sticky after it's written we can discuss it here in this discussion thread.

I do like the idea of the counter for submitted portables. Should we have people post their submissions right away with pictures and everything once they're done or should pictures and stuff be withheld until "entries submission" time rolls around? After all, we might have people finishing a full month and a half before others do. What's your opinion?

Prizes offered so far:

ShockSlayer: DS Key

bacteria: NES controller (official), two foam sanding blocks (great for sanding curved surfaces on cases - I use them a lot), 2 x GB game carts (Spiderman 2 and 17-in-1 sports cart), selecting 1 NTSC PSone game from a selection of 7 - winner chooses title (NTSC, original).

Any other offers?

I like the voting idea. And I think when you post your worklog should be up to you- so long as you have one. And post as soon as you are done, but you don't have to reveal your worklog until the end.

[ShockSlayer]

Video of the working N64 coming soon, gotta edit and upload.

Video

SS

[themadhacker]

I'll take it you really like America.

[eagle5953]

@ SS

I totally had a pair of those shoes! They did the same thing to me, what with the black in front giving out.

[eurddrue]

I've got $5 (sent by paypal) and a n64 controller (will probably need a new joystick or be third party). (I suppose I'll put them up as prizes)

[Rixer 1337]

I can put Pokemon Snap for Nintendo 64 up for a prize. I know its not much but it is better than nothing.

[ShockSlayer]

I can put Pokemon Snap for Nintendo 64 up for a prize. I know its not much but it is better than nothing.

I'll counter that by adding in a copy of PKStadium 1, if I can find it.

Oh, and America is awesome! XD

SS

[bacteria]

LOB - yes, vote for the top ten as you suggest is probably best. How about a counter set at say 30 - assuming everyone makes a system (we are at 27 entrants after all), some may make two or three for example, and some may drop out and not finish anyway? If this number (30) is too high, it can always be lowered if needed.

Any reason this compo can't start 1 June and end 31st August - the end date was what was mentioned anyway, just seems better to start the compo now as many will have already started anyway and know what they are entering - seems logical to start it now I think...

As you say, everyone needs to make a worklog, finish with pics and video(s). They may as well enter the system when people have finished making them, that way there is good chance to splash them over the net for publicity in stages rather than all at once and drown interest on other sites - drip feeding is better (and hopefully encourage others to portablize)! Also, this will reduce the counter and ensure your system is entered. I seriously doubt anyone will suddenly make a better system because someone else entered before them with a great system, everyone will hopefully make their system as best as they can anyway, so it doesn't matter therefore if their system is entered early or on time.

[eurddrue]

From what I understand there is no starting time

[neverused]

Do we have to post our work logs as we work on them or can we all at once, like the darth64?

[schmellyfart]

I dont think people should be forced to create worklogs. I honestly would not spend the time writing a work log. I would rather take a bunch of pictures throughout the building process and then post them online. They do kinda speak for themselves.

[thewizdawg]

I think there should be a separate forum called contest (or something) and you can post worklogs there if you like. I know I'm going to to create worklogs because it keeps me motivated.

[Life of Brian]

I dont think people should be forced to create worklogs. I honestly would not spend the time writing a work log. I would rather take a bunch of pictures throughout the building process and then post them online. They do kinda speak for themselves.

A worklog will be strongly suggested, but not required. Your plan for documentation is perfectly acceptable. For the official entry submissions, I will require one shot of the front, one of the back, and two "gameplay" shots and/or video.

Yes, let's make the "official" start date June 1 (although that really doesn't matter for many of you) and let's set the counter to 25 (assuming some folks drop out - hopefully not). The counter will go down each time a finished portable is submitted, and we'll make the target deadline August 31. If a lot of folks finish real fast then we'll be voting sooner than that. Otherwise, if too many people are not done then it can be extended a bit. Does that make sense? If 3 months is "too long" and enough people finish sooner than that, then the contest is finished and voting starts. Yes?

[bacteria]

Sounds great, LOB - one small addition, as well as the pictures you mentioned for a submission, we also need a picture of the sides of the portables submitted (top and bottom), as this is a very good indication of an overly thick system! Otherwise, someone could make a small GameCube (for example) that is small on front and back but several inches thick!

[XCVG]

Does a portable have to have batteries? I think it would be unfair to have that requirement, because it rules out high-consumption systems and some laptops. Also, some of us can't afford batteries.

Then again, you could just stick 6 dummy AAs that'll power the portable for 2 minutes in there.

Argh, stupid Eee keyboard (701 that my dad got for free)