'Project Hoshimi' Student Gaming Deadlines Announced

The Project Hoshimi website has announced the final deadlines for the Microsoft Imagine Cup, a programming challenge designed for students. The top prize for teams of 2 entrants is $8,000, and six finalist teams will receive a trip to Japan. The core of the competition is not unlike Artdink's Carnage Heart for the PlayStation: competitors download the Visual Gaming SDK, which contains a game engine, 3D engine, and tools to use for your entry. Entrants don't design the game itself, but instead program instructions for the AI robots in the game to carry out their task of collecting pellets while blasting foes. The main language of the game is Microsoft's Visual Basic, and players who make it past the first tutorial stage will be bound by guidelines set out on the main rules page of the project's website. Those interested in applying to the Imagine Cup should hurry, since round 1 entries are due on February 1st for college applicants and March 1st for the high-school division.