So I don't know if this has been discussed else where, but I've seen it talked about a few times in steam chat. What are the organizer's thoughts on an extension?
3 months has felt very short, and as people mentioned way back when the contest was announced there is a lot going on for most people, between school work or spending time with people/family during the holidays. On top of that Halloween and now Holiday themed maps have taken over most people's priorities. There are only 4 entries in the contest subforum, maybe 3 or 4 elsewhere, but only 1 has reached beta with less than a month left to go.
An extension would possibly help turn out, though not that many people can start something with only 2/3rds of a month + extension left. And with the decision to move the 72hr to the non-contest zone we don't really have a collision between the two. In fact, some people could use the 72hr to get concentrated testing or detail their work with other people around to keep them sane (though the time slot for the 72hr jam may not match up with whatever extension you hand down).
Anyway, those are my thoughts, other people can comment/discuss.