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All of us love computer games - and that is the reason why we from the 4FO AG not only have provided the Game Feature Platform for private game creators, but also arrange a socalled Games Contest every year. So, in the end of may, this year’s best participants were announced, with the presentation ceremony beeing a part of the Virtual Goods Workshop in Ilmenau, home of 4FO AG. All of them received some interesting hardware, combinded with the possibility to promote their creations at our Game Feature Platform. Some special surprise was one of the competition’s application was the advanced version of a well known game already featured in last year’s contest –patience is paying best. And because not only the winner’s game but all participants could satisfy the jurors, here’s a short list of all application games.

First place was given to, as already mentionend, Out of this World: Advanced Preview Edition (Matthias Klocke / Elite Software), a yet unpublished demo-version of last year’s place 10. Elite Software is a team of gamecreators already existing for 7 years who started with simple shooting games followed by the more complex roleplay game „Out of this World“. Since 2001 they are working on an advanced version, which was sent in for our contest. In this one-person-game the player has to defend his world with arrow, sword and magic against evil creatures from another dimension - some pure fighting joy accompanied by puzzles, riddles magical spells and the evil’s pitfalls. Especially the detailed background, the story development and the charakters are highlights of the game and are in any case worth first prize, a Compaq iPAQ H3970. The game is available for download either on the team’s homepage, www.elitesoft.de, and as soon as possible also at our Game Feature Platform.

Second prize, the Acer n10, was won by two students of computer-science, Lars Kranebitter and Manuel Rülke from Zwickau, who are working together in the games creation scene since 2001. Programming not only puzzles and panel games, they love to create new versions of classical C64-games accomodating with the new technical standards. One of these games called Paska – the black gold they sent in for the contest. In this game, you’re riding a special vehicle through a sewer system, and mustn’t be stopped by the socalled „Paskas“ living down there. By much patience, skillfullness and good reflexes you can run even to the tenth level (all of which are as well as design und sounds completely new as compared to the C64-version), and become a member of the high score list on the homepage www.dalama.de (where you can also download the game).

Third prize, which is an USB Music Drive MP3Player from MamboX, won Christian Rösch, co-founder of the games workshop TNG-Soft existing already since 1996. His application, OSR from august 2002, is an original racing game - with the special option to be played completely on the water. OSR simulates a race with a speed boat through a marked course on the open seas, which are all seas of the globe as optional. The course is to be finished in best time, then you can get on the highscore list. The game has ten levels, a realistic-like driving feeling, 3D-graphics und joystick support.

All other entries, like the computer version of the boardgame Halali (4th place) by Michael Höhne or Vexator Battlefield (5th place), a 3D-Action-Shooter by Matthias Ferch, were very convincing and received, since we only have three winners, at least a document of participation and made some new experiences to influence their coming projects.

We hope, that some of this years’ participants as well as new candidates will join our next contest, too. Applications will be accepted after the Games Convention in august, while scoring and price-giving will take place in may again joined with the Virtual Goods Workshop – more informationen about that as well as about our Game Feature Platform and other of 4FO’s products will be found at our homepage soon.