You asked for it and now you got it. Last year my teammates Brian, Peter and Jim created an awesome coding game  for Azure called Rock Paper Azure Challenge. The idea is was not new but they modified it to work on Azure and it is pretty cool. Actually it can be a bit addicting.

This time around, we’ve made some more minor tweaks, and added some stellar prizes, including a trip to Cancun, Mexico! Yes you hear it right. So start working on your tan so you would not look out of place. Here is how to get started:

	Get Your Windows Azure Account Don't have one? Get your FREE trial here or activate your MSDN Subscription benefit that includes Azure access.
	Build and Test your Bot Download the bits and start building a killer bot. Your bot will battle the competition. Check out the Get Started page for walkthroughs and more info. You can enter a simple sample bot, or test your strategic coding skills by building a better bot.
	Play the Game Enter your bot in the Challenge for your chance to win in the sweepstakes. If you’re bot is one of the top 5 each Friday you’ll also receive a $50 Best Buy Gift Card!

Get Started with Rock Paper Azure

If you are on a Mac, you can follow the steps I outlined here back in July:

Enter The Rock Paper Azure Challenge On A Mac

If you are using Windows XP, you can follow the steps I outlined here back in July:

Enter The Rock Paper Azure Challenge from Windows XP

Good luck this time around! And if you have any questions, post them here or e-mail us at rockpaperazure AT microsoft.com.

YOU CAN WIN UP TO 5 PRIZES!

Four Sweepstakes winners will be chosen at random from all entries at 6:00 pm ET on December 16, 2011. The Grand Prize winner will take home $5,000 for that trip to Cancun (or other purchase(s) of your choice). First Prize is an Acer Aspire S3 Laptop, Second Prize is a Windows Phone, and Third Prize is an XBOX 360 + Kinect bundle. Your bot must be entered at that time to be eligible.

In addition, every Friday at 6:00 (beginning 11/25/11 and ending 12/16/11) the top 5 bots on the Leaderboard will win a $50 Best Buy Gift Card. Got a killer bot that remains in the top 5 slots every week? Then you keep winning! Everyone who participates and uploads a bot will receive the official Rock Paper Azure Challenge t-shirt.