Update from 06. 07. 2008

Just a little one: Why is there no comfortable definition on how you are allowed to leave a game demo back to XBox live? Every demo seems to cook it's own dish in there. Most game developers there seem to believe the harder they make it for the customer to leave the demo, the higher the chance he will buy the game (maybe only for the sole purpose of being able to quit it). What crude logic is this? My favourite so far: The demo to (the purposedly long titled) "Wolf of the battlefield: Commando 3". You select "Return to XBox Live Arcade" to be questioned "Really exit the game? - Yes or No". After choosing "Yes", the present another screen (which they showed you at least 2 times already!) with three options: Buy the Game, Exit Game and Back. The standard controls for exiting something on xbox is the B-button, but on this screen it brings you back to the game... WTF?! Is Capcom really thinking i'd change my mind and buy the game if i accidently pushed the wrong button and end up in the main menu...? Well, news for you then: NO!

Update from 30. 06. 2008

Shacknews reportet Dutch police caught the notorious Valve hacker. He seems to have been quite a pain so far... if he's just hanging around on their servers, okay, but he stole credit card info and sorta blackmailed several companies. Now this is a No-no, Mr. MaddoxX.

Still, what i liked most about the article:

The criminal was eventually nabbed by a Dutch police unit called Team High Tech Crime. There is no word on whether members of Team High Tech Crime go by code-names or wear special uniforms.

Go Team High Tech Crime!

Update from 23. 06. 2008

2K Lead Programmer: 'BioShock Should've Failed

"Some people think that constantly messing up, and pushing dates isn't a good way to make a game, but as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to make a good game."

Interesting point. I'd second that with the little difference that it probably isn't the only way. It is just highly illusoric to expect that delays can be absolutely avoided. Sometimes they are necessary.

Still making the assumption the other way around is highly fishy. If i would apply this theory to our project here (and actually most project i worked so far) just because something is late doesn't mean it is really getting good. Hopefully it's getting better at least.

Milking on the milky way.

Hay there.

I wanted to talk to you about this trailer of "Star Wars: Force Unleashed" i saw on XBox live, which is... well... just another Star Wars game. The title says "Unleashing the force", and my nerd-knowledge teaching me jedis wouldn't unleash the force and sith would not appear in a george lucasarts advert, we are left for interpretation on what force is unleashed.

So we jump onto the "i gave you Han Solo, therefore i want money forever"-train and endure the lionkingonesque drumsolo to embrace... Peter Hirschmann talking about the summer of '69. No, sorry, 2004. And in an eighter royal or skitzophrenic plural he announces that "We knew we wanted to make another star wars game"Which hits me by surprise, with his track record of 13 (!) star wars games you'd think he might want a break? Trying not to judge the book by the cover i expect to see at least two other people to qualify for an honest "We".

First "We the people": Haden Blackman. And can you believe even though his name and his haircut, he was not invented by George Lucas! His title says project lead.

There is Hirschman again stating that they always had too many ideas... clearly he was hired long after they stopped making great adventure games...

Second "We the people": The president, Jim Ward! Obidient as a little puppy dog, he wants input from George. Seems like something went wrong with the too many ideas problem Peter Hirschman mentioned. Obviously, as they are teamteaching me, there was the idea of a wookie as superhero and my bet is on Hating Blackmail not getting over the traumata of loosing his bobtail to mange or something. Oh, there he is, telling us proudly about how George Lucas kicked his ass about the Wookie Idea, i bet that looks awesome on his resume. There is Hirschmann again telling us about problems with details. There is Jim telling us they didn't understand what Star Wars was about... waaait... Why are you making this game then in the first place?! Dear Lord, i can't continue watching that...

After the recent layoffs all i can see is: Lucasarts really goes down.

Jamie Oliver suffocates Chicks

Wow, i'm impressed. The guy has balls. If you'd do that in austria, animal rights activist would stab you to death on the streets...

Way to go, man!

Perfect self humiliation! I can do it!

Yes, i am guilty. Guilty of Karaoke. Here's the evidence:

Wild Karaoke Nights with Oli

I took a quiz!

Oh man... i am 51% wonder woman!

Your results:

You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern

95%

Spider-Man

80%

Hulk

70%

Supergirl

66%

Batman

65%

Catwoman

60%

The Flash

55%

Robin

53%

Wonder Woman

51%

Superman

45%

Iron Man

35%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

Oh, and this one:

Your results:You are Magneto

Magneto

66%

The Joker

62%

Apocalypse

61%

Mr. Freeze

56%

Venom

56%

Dr. Doom

55%

Dark Phoenix

54%

Green Goblin

54%

Juggernaut

50%

Two-Face

50%

Catwoman

45%

Riddler

44%

Lex Luthor

41%

Mystique

30%

Kingpin

26%

Poison Ivy

23%

You fear the persecution of those that are different or underprivileged so much that you are willing to fight and hurt others for your cause.

Click here to take the Super Villain Personality Test

Ba..ba...bankrobbery!

I had to do it. I have to show the world what a funny country Austria is.

There was this bankrobbery last year, which turned into a hostage crysis. And with that it also turned into a total hillarious farce illustrating the way Austria works. There are country where such situations are handled professionally, to ensure the safety of each and everybody. There are countries, where these are handled to show the least of public attention. Other countries might handle it rather clumsy.

But i bet you, there is no country which handles such situations with such a comedic approach, disclosing the brutal stupidity and incompetence of the protagonists and portraying all people around here as the kind of stoic and naive crowd they are.

For this, i translated the recorded phone conversation between a journalist of an austrian boulevard newspaper, who boldly called the bank that was robbed (and surprisingly got through hinting a neglect by the austrian police force) and the far-from-being-aware-of-his-situation bank-robbber/hostage-taker. I want you to notice the bland journalism hitting boldly without any preparations. This is true craftsmanship! While reading you can listen to the original conversation. Let it roll:

(J = Journalist, E = Employee, H = Hostage taker)

J: Goodday, i wanted to talk with the gentleman, who... who... who's sitting in there with some people. Errr... With whom do i have the pleasure?

E: Employee of BAWAG.

J: I understand. That means, you are hostage?

E: Yes.

J: What's happening right now?

E: Who are you, please?

J: My Name is Hodjo from the Newspaper "Österreich".

E: No please, not now, thanks.

J: Could i please speak to the gentleman, who's hasseling you?

E: From whom are you?

J: "Österreich".

E (to the hostage taker): A gentleman from the Newspaper "Österreich".

T: Hand over!

E: I connect you.

J: Thank you.

(Waiting line loop of the bank institute)

J: Hadjo, hellohello?

H: Hello.

J: Greetings, my name is Hodjo from the Newspaper "Österreich".

H: How are you called?!

J: My name is Hodjo from the Newspaper "Österreich".

H: And? What countryman are you?

J: Austrian.

H: Haudesk is not a countryman!

J: Sure, sure,... sure, sure, believe me.

H: Okay, and what further?

J: Well, i wanted to ask, how are you now?

H: How are YOU?

J: I am marvellous.

H: There you go.

J: But, i mean, well, that's not the question right now, i heard, you got cigarettes delivered?

H: What did i get..?!

J: Did you get cigarettes delivered?

H: No, we don't have cigarettes.

J: You did not get cigarettes delivered?

H: No,.. that were... are you from the "Kronenzeitung"? ("Kronenzeitung" is the biggest competing Newspaper from "Österreich")

J: No, from "Österreich".

H: "Österreich", well, okay, listen closely, i'll tell you one thing, prince charming:

("Märchenprinz" - "prince charming" was a hit song by an austrian comedian band)

H: I didn't get neighter cigarettes nor anything else, right?

J: Yes, yes...

H: And now ... we gonna call, ... so we finally ... can go to the toilet, because the toilets are locked.

J: Really? And.. w.. why is it locked?

H: Because it's closed, i mean, what "why is it locked"...?

J: Is that normal there?

H: What... no, that's not normal. I'll gonna shoot at it and...

J: Yea, yea, yea...

H: Yea, yea, yea. Now listen, i don't know you, how are you called again? Hodi..? Hodi...?

J: Hodjo

H: Yea, ok.... yea, wait, do you wanna talk to a hostage?

J: No, no, no, i mean, i wanted to ask, how it's going to go on? What does it look like?

H: What do you mean with "how it's going to go on"?

J: I mean, ...

H: Where did you get the number from anyway?!

J: From the telephone book.

H: That's not possible...

J: Sure.

H: What's sure... how do you talk to me?! "Sure" ... thats "YES" for you!

J: YES.

H: Now that sounds better.

(click)

J: Hello?

The toilet situation was quite a critical one for the hostage taker, as instead of cigarettes he actually got pizza with coke delivered to the bank (!!) and due the nature of coke was forced to really adress his own natural desires. The situation was solved unbloody with the capitulation of the hostage taker, because he was embarrassed of having peed himself. And that's not even half of all the hillarious incidents that happened that day at this bank building... dear lord, bless our unworthy souls.

Try to imagine you get that story told by a friend... would you believe it?

World of hypocrazy

Stanford researchers developing 3-D camera with 12,616 lenses.

Sounds awesome. A little like a Pro-Version of the ZCam thing i posted down there. And? What are your first thoughts you could use that? Games? 3D-graphics? Fun? Yea, well... not quite what these people thought of first:

One obvious potential use of the technology: facial recognition for security purposes.

Yes. Security. Nowadays the same as surveillance. Whole world goes crazy because fear of terror. Seems like every inventions perceived value is the usability for this security purpose. What's wrong with this world?!

Update from 15. 03. 2008

I bought Gary's Mod, as i intend to create a vid to my song... News will soon revealed ;-)