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Subject: Re: List of participants for WCCC

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 11:38:34 05/19/04

Go up one level in this thread


On May 19, 2004 at 09:33:22, Amir Ban wrote:

>On May 19, 2004 at 02:02:37, Gerd Isenberg wrote:
>
>>On May 18, 2004 at 20:04:28, Sune Fischer wrote:
>>
>>>On May 18, 2004 at 15:14:13, Gerd Isenberg wrote:
>>>
>>>>Cheers,
>>>>Gerd
>>>
>>>Okay, I see you are hooked :)
>>>
>>>I guess in a way it is better for 10 people to have a really great time, than
>>>for 100 people to have a moderately good time.
>>
>>95-97 there were more than 30 paticipants iirc.
>>
>>>
>>>I just wonder if these 10 people couldn't get together for some other tournament
>>>some other day, and then let the 100 people play at the world championship.
>>>
>>>A world championship seems a bit "wasted" on so few people, it really ought to
>>>be a major event, something that was widely recognized with a solid support in
>>>community, something everyone looked forward too and not just a handful of the
>>>same usual suspects.
>>>
>>
>>yes, that was the common spirit until 97. For some reason, the number of
>>participants decreased from year to year. I guess ICGA's policy has something to
>>do with that, swapping between America and Europe, ICGA's focus on other
>>computer games and so on.
>>
>
>Paris 1997 had 34 participants, but there was a selection process. Another 10-20
>programs were refused.
>
>Hong Kong 1995 had 24, and there was a selection process, in which many were
>refused. At that time, IIRC, it was suggested that a WCCC should have no more
>than 24.
>
>What happened between then and now is a great decline in sponsorship and the
>readiness of authors to play.
>
>In Maastricht and Graz several strong programs right next door didn't bother to
>show up.
>
>The professionals Hiarcs, The King, Rebel and Tiger stopped participating.
>
>Sponsorship all over the world declined. In North America sponsors completely
>disappeared. There were strong US professionals in 1995. Now there are none.
>
>And now we get this attitude of "you want me to play WCCC, you have to bring it
>to my living room". This would be ridiculous in the mid-90's. You don't want to
>come ? 10 others will take your place.
>
>Amir


I understand the thought.  But fast-forward to 2003.  16 participants.
fast-forward to 2004.  10 participants so far.  The slope of that is negative.
Simple math says that in 3 more years the title will be awarded to the only
entrant if _something_ isn't done.

Yet CCT is thriving with 54 participants 2 months ago.

There is a lesson to be learned here, if the ICCA is willing to learn.
Unfortunately it looks like "learn or die" are the two choices...

Remember that I come from the days when we always had 20+ entrants and we did a
_real_ selection process to pick the best out of all that applied.  It has
dwindled to the point that anyone applying gets in, even with horrible bugs.



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