5th Annual Atari Homebrew Awards: Voting Information & Discussion

[+Nathan Strum]

Could always give out a special "hardware innovation" award (selected by the committee). There was something similar in the first year of the awards in the "Technical Achievement" category, although I think that was difficult to get people to vote on since not everyone is technically inclined and some of details were a bit too obscure for most non-programmers. Hence, making something like this a committee award. It also wouldn't have to be tied into a current year - just be a recognition of something that has contributed to the hobby in a positive way. That also gives the technology a chance to mature (or be weeded out).

[Caleb Garner]

On 5/15/2023 at 1:45 AM, Thomas Jentzsch said:

Or we wait, until there a at least 6 candidates (since the last awards given).

I don't think that many new hardware innovations come out each year..  be waiting a long time  

[Caleb Garner]

On 5/15/2023 at 1:25 PM, Nathan Strum said:

There was something similar in the first year of the awards in the "Technical Achievement" category

I would think it would be more about the impact that achievement impacted the community..  not about circuits and measurements..  but that it opened up some new possibilities..  like in the coleco market a guy is working on a new NES style coleco controller that has the number pad and even the dial from the super controller..  but it's not about just the technical stuff as that is niche.. but the fact that it opens up a new way for all coleco gamers to play their games..  or the backbit expanding its reach to more devices..  lots of different innovations that any gamer could appreciate..  but unlike games..  vary and are more far and few between..   sure the games vary in what they are but they share more things in common than hardware.  

[Thomas Jentzsch]

6 hours ago, Caleb Garner said:

I don't think that many new hardware innovations come out each year..  be waiting a long time  

The demoscene often has a "wild" category. Anything which doesn't fit into the given other categories goes in there. Maybe this could be used for the awards too.

[Caleb Garner]

2 hours ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

The demoscene often has a "wild" category. Anything which doesn't fit into the given other categories goes in there.

I think that if someone wrote software that was in the wild category and lost to some hardware they would feel it wasn't fair either.  A line between hardware and software would really have to exist or it wouldn't work. 

 

Maybe they simply wave the "we like to have at least 6 things to vote" guideline for hardware due to a lack of choices from year to year.  

 

People could perhaps vote on hardware on a 1-10 scale rather than a "this or that" style..  then the weighted impact / impression of each candidate could then be compared..   so if you had 3 2600 products anyone could vote and someone could still come out getting recognized as having made "best hardware contribution for 202x..." 

Edited May 17 by Caleb Garner