One does not have to be a genius to realize that netbook sales have been slowing down. These tiny devices had all the momentum early last year. There are just too many other alternative devices on the market, which means it is inevitable that netbook manufacturers will lose some of their customers to shiny device makers such as Apple. Netbooks have gotten a bad name for sluggish performance and slow processors in the past. The new netbook models are much more powerful and more capable of handling complex tasks (e.g. gaming). Intel intends to prove just that by asking developers to join in and develop their own games for a chance to win $5,000 (and some publicity too).

The games will be judged based on graphic and also all around features. Here are some of the prizes developers can win (in addition to the $5,000 up for grabs for best all around game):

1st Prize:

First place winner will receive US $1,000, visibility
and recognition via a feature in the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program
Community and Campaign as well as the TGC community

2nd Prize:

Second place winner will receive an Intel® Atom™ processor
based netbook, visibility & recognition via a feature in the Intel
Atom Developer Program Community as well as the TGC
community

3rd Prize:

Third place winner will receive visibility & recongnition
via a feature in the Intel Atom Developer Program Community

Netbooks may not be the talk of town these days. But there are still millions of people who own at least one of these tiny devices. Can app developers afford to ignore netbooks?