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The
Crusade Is On…
LIVERPOOL’S FAB
Cafe played host, on Wednesday 21 February 2007, to the launch of an
international competition on to find the next generation of retro
style arcade machine programmers, called the JT Voyager Crusade. At
stake, over £2000.00 worth of equipment and a massive open door into
the highly competitive and lucrative computer games industry. TV
presenter and owner of the Voyager arcade brand, Jonathan Thompson,
together with pop star and TV personality Clint Boon, both hosted
the night which was filmed by TV and covered by local, national and
international press. Also keeping the crowds entertained was
magician Kieron.
Liverpool has been chosen to be the location of the competition, as
not only will it be Capital of Culture in 2008 but also if this
competition goes well, it could be home ground, by the end of 2008
to mid 2009, to an international tourist attraction. This attraction
will take the form of a fully interactive computer and game machine
museum, charting the history of the industry.
The competition is open to students and amateur programmers over the
age of 18, from all over the world! Their task is to recreate the
art of simple computer game play and fun.
“Simple games are no longer of interest to large games companies,
yet they are some of the most played and bought games ever made,
just look at your mobile phone. The competition is not looking for
copycat programs or remakes of classic games. We are after new
ideas, with the simple games like Tetras, Pac Man and Space Invaders
as glowing examples. We are looking for novel and imaginative ideas
that appeal to all ages. It is a very hard concept to take in and
will test the programmers’ skills to their limits and we hope will
give them an edge in the industry.” said Jonathan Thompson.
Patrick Trollope who is handling the
media for the competition said:- "With the competition being
based here on Merseyside, it is a real credit to the area. The
competition is also a good way to help programmers from all over the
world to get that extra help into what is a very hard market to
brake into. It is a fantastic opportunity for the people
on Merseyside to show what we have to offer the computer
industry.
Not only that, but if we get the
museum built on Merseyside, it will put this area well on the world
map for technology."
As it is the 30th anniversary of Starwars, this year, and as the
film is seen as one of the biggest spring boards for retro computer
games it is fitting to note that Darth Vader himself... Dave Prowse
will be signing the wining game designers cabinet as one of the many
celebrates who will autograph it as the crusade goes on! This is due
also in part to Jonathan Thompson being the biggest collector of
Starwars Machines in Europe, possibly the world.
As well as all that Joystick Junkies, who are one of the leading
retro style designer companies in the world, will be giving donating
special T-shirts for the event to the winners. So their will be far
more for winners than they think!
For more information or to enter you can log onto
www.jt-voyagercrusade.com. The
event will finish on 1 August 2007 and a short list issued on 15
August 2007. The final results being announced on the 25 August
2007. But that will not be the end of the event… as on the 3 October
2007, the winners will have a massive party to reveal their games to
the arcade and computer industry, press and celebrities.
Good luck to all who enter… |
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Photography by Patrick
Trollope. |
