if ever a contest it should be playable on real hardware that is commonly available
id consider a Turbo R not commonly available and even a 2+ isn't that widespread
(ALONG GAMERS,you know the people that will actually PLAY the game)
so that would narrow it down to a MSX 2
then
memory mappers,most people have one but also, some dont, so either a 128 kb game or a cartridge
i think everybody has a usable SCC chip
but a FM-pac???
Is there a minimum number of entries (from independent teams) to assign the prize of the competition ?
I would fix this point at the very beginning in the rules in order to prevent problems (look e.g. at passion msx contest).
Ok, one tip: just do it! 
No endless discussion with so-called msx experts, many disagreements back and forth.
In order to have a valid competition, I suggest to set this rule:
The entries will be evaluated and the prize assigned to the winner only if minimum 3 independent teams/developers will join to the contest with at least 3 entries.
Differently the money prize collected with paypal will kept by the organizer for beneficence (to him/herself or his/her friends/relatives/etcetc)
PS
IMHO, Huey, if you start this competition you will earn some money 
Ok, one tip: just do it! 
No endless discussion with so-called msx experts, many disagreements back and forth.
ja man
Nah, MSX. And a turbo R is just that (except for the cassette port ^^).
Heh, thumbs up for wolfie's quote! For a moment I thought it was me abductin his body while typing!
And now, going serious: enough talk and bring us those MSX2 games and contests! I am pretty bored of those who complain about the lack of MSX2 games or contests... what in the world is forcing MSX developers not to develop for MSX2 or higher!!??
Pointing guilties such as the MSXdev contest is just useless. For those complaining: STOP CRYING AND JUST CREATE MSX2 GAMES/CONTESTS!
what in the world is forcing MSX developers not to develop for MSX2 or higher!!??
I think that it is just the trend.
In the 1990s the trend was to create complex MSX2 games that pushed the hardware capabilities to the maximum, distributed in disks.
In the 2000s the trend has been to create (more or less) simple MSX1 games, distributed in ROM format and even in physical cartridges.
What will the 2010s trend be? The fact is that altough it is great to have new MSX1 games, I miss some new good MSX2 games. But I can't complaint because I have never developed a single game.
And I'm still waiting your announced MSXdev entry (back in 2003?): ESQUIVATOR. Or was it spelled ESQUIVEITOR? ???
Still wondering what could it be... ???
I'm doing something for MSX2+ right now 
I don't know when it's going to be finished (first reason not to join contests), and it's a remake from another console (no, not a port, nor even from Coleco hehehe) - and that's the second reason not to join.
I understand contests wanting stuff made from scratch, but for me, part of the fun is 'porting' games to MSX 
MSX2 doesn't have to mean SD Snatcher, Space Manbow and Xak2. There can be small MSX2 games too, and that's where things get overlooked.
I totally agree with this remark. You don't need a megaproject to make it MSX2. Simple concepts do work fine and can be programmed even faster than in MSX(1) 'cause you don't have to set up strange data structures to overcome limitations. You can directly blit bitmaps, you have double number of sprites, palette tricks, more RAM.
I am not an MSX2 guy, but last year I coded my first (and only) MSX2 game in something like 3 days (lacking sound and menus, but ingame graphics, levels and engine working 100%). It was a simple concept, but anyway, it was a complete game for MSX2.
Keep it simple. Even for MSX2.
