[Kevin Birtcher]

http://entervoid.com/news.php

That Time Once Again
by Toast on January 7th, 2009

With 2008 now firmly behind us and 2009 groggily rolling out of bed, it’s time again for a look and where we’re going and one last look at where we’ve been.

2008 saw several successful events and tournaments, the return of podcasts, the sting of server updates, and the release of a long-awaited upgrade – VOID version 4.0. A big goal of ours for the release was to simplify use of the site, and make the overall experience easier. Based on feedback we’ve received, I think we made a marked improvement, though there’s certainly still more to done.

Another major initiative was to bring increased attention to the site’s artists, while moving away from the characters somewhat. I believe this has been a subtle and gradual change, though the change is taking place and we will continue to emphasize the artists behind their creations. We soon realized another aspect of this shift and began planning to grant artists the opportunity to create comics not attached to a specific character. By allowing matches between artists directly, and the creation of stand-alone comics in a Pulpo-like style, artists will be free from several restrictions VOID currently places on them.

With one Artist Match in the books, and the deadline for another quickly approaching, the full impact of this change has not yet been shown. Unfortunately, there are still a few pieces that are not yet ready for a full release, but these will be lifted soon. Our hope is for VOID to become a place for hosting comics of all kinds, while maintaining the competitive and communal foundation we were founded on.

Nearly immediately after the launch of 4.0, work began on the next update. A sampling of scripts was released over the New Year’s weekend, but many more are still in the works. I’m not generally one to offer timeframes, but my plan is to quickly finish the necessary scripts for Artist Matches, and release the rest of the update in the coming months as those scripts are completed.

Talks are already underway for events and tournaments to be held this year, some new, some old, with surprises in store participants. Stay tuned for details.

2008 was a big year for VOID in many respects, but 2009 is poised to be even larger in several ways. We thank you for your continued support and hope you stay with us as we continue to grow and transform into a site Galvo and I scarcely though possible just six short years ago.

See also the Sentai Tournament beginning in just a few short weeks: http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=10514.0