In general terms, nothing is new. If you fine-tune a bit my recent birthday comes into focus. Not that it held any big events or surprises. Thor got sick for the first time in his life...and did some impressive wailing. When he does that you really stop and listen 'cause he never does that. So, naturally we had to see the doctor who gave us some painkillers to stuff up his butt. Worked a charm.
Presents were nice - I got a cool headset with 5.1 surround sound and built-in vibrators (!). I have not got the first clue on how 5.1 sound works, so right now I am trying to determine whether this gear can actually run from the on-board sound card or I need to get an entirely new sound card. It's a jungle...filled with terms I only understand to some extent. I've always hated the domain of electronic and digital sound, not because I HATE it per se but because it's filled with weird terms the presuppose the understanding of 15 other weird terms. I'm the sort that needs 90% of the whole setup explained through diagrammes and sketches before I can grasp abstract concepts and connections - so naturally it's hard for me to get enthusiastic about this work. So far I'm treating it all as a learning experience. I'll probably have a fit and smash the headset before long, though.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Embarrassing?
Hm...this blog is becoming a parody...because I'm not updating it regularly as weblogs should be. In usual style I've analyzed why this is - and of course found no obvious answers. I'm not involved in academics for nothing, you know.
I guess the initial thrill is gone...the harsh realities have come tumbling down. Doing this stuff every day actually consumes a fair deal of time. Currently, my time is split between work, enjoying my humorous and lively baby son, and playing World of Warcraft whenever the girlfriend isn't toting the evil eye. Which is rarely, considering her opinion of WoW :D
Anyway, the little news there is has to do with my attending the annual SIGGRAPH this year in Los Angeles, which I am madly excited about. The world's biggest computer graphics conference - and we get the expenses covered by a relevant project here at the University.
The 4 days of conference will be followed by, in my case, 9 days of family touring in California. We haven't decided whether to stay around L.A. or go north to San Francisco, since my girlfriend visited the west coast a few years back and knows most of L.A.
To my boyish delight, we will be flying on a 747-400, which is just about as huge as airplanes come. Been some years since I tried those...not since I was 5 or 6, to be specific. Wonder how little Thor will react. Judging by his emerging levels of energy and entusiasme he will likely be deemed a terrorist threat by the British Airways authorities. I'll have to think about alternative means of travel, I guess.
I guess the initial thrill is gone...the harsh realities have come tumbling down. Doing this stuff every day actually consumes a fair deal of time. Currently, my time is split between work, enjoying my humorous and lively baby son, and playing World of Warcraft whenever the girlfriend isn't toting the evil eye. Which is rarely, considering her opinion of WoW :D
Anyway, the little news there is has to do with my attending the annual SIGGRAPH this year in Los Angeles, which I am madly excited about. The world's biggest computer graphics conference - and we get the expenses covered by a relevant project here at the University.
The 4 days of conference will be followed by, in my case, 9 days of family touring in California. We haven't decided whether to stay around L.A. or go north to San Francisco, since my girlfriend visited the west coast a few years back and knows most of L.A.
To my boyish delight, we will be flying on a 747-400, which is just about as huge as airplanes come. Been some years since I tried those...not since I was 5 or 6, to be specific. Wonder how little Thor will react. Judging by his emerging levels of energy and entusiasme he will likely be deemed a terrorist threat by the British Airways authorities. I'll have to think about alternative means of travel, I guess.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Activities stacking up
Not much happening the past month or so that has been worth any mention. Then all of a sudden things start stacking up.
My son, Thor, is now 5 months old and getting very active and lively. Great fun. Yesterday he got angry because he couldn't reach the pink paper pig next to his crib. Basically, he levelled right there and then. Up til now he only got annoyed when he was 1) hungry, 2) hurting or 3) soiled. Now he's actually getting pissed off on a mental level - which I guess is nice..!
Apart from this very time-consuming business, I am preparing for a 3-day trip to Valencia, Spain on Thursday. A project meeting in the GameTools project which we are involved in. We need to get kicking soon because our work load in the project time schedule is drawing nigh. We still need a durable concept to add to the project but I think it will all come together. I can't be bothered to explain it all here, but basically we need to test some plug-ins for a public game engine and this, of course, requires that you have some general context in which to make use of these plug-ins.
Anyway, I look forward to getting away from Aarhus a bit and seeing something different. It's very likely that I won't get to go skiing this season so I think I'll enjoy the food, wine, and warmer temperatures in Valencia...=)
Another big event, the European "World of Warcraft" started nearly two weeks ago. I was geared for the event and placed myself with two friends on the release day. We gamed through the night, although there were some difficulties activating the accounts. What a game! I used to play "Dark Age of Camelot" - and WoW doesn't really bring much to the genre, structurally, but my, what a sense of style and detail. When you're running up the same road for the 8th time there is still something to notice and think about - some detail like a broken wagon or a pair of well-ironed gnome pants on a table inside a cozy (but deadly) lair. It is quite amazing. I think all art students should have a look at the different territories in this game. They're all a different style and have different stories and bestiary associated with them. Yesterday I went to Duskwood which is sinister, dark, and foggy. Completely like "Sleepy Hollow" or the mirky moor environs of "Hound of the Baskervilles".
Went on a stag night this Saturday in favor of my good friend Christian. Great night, albeit very exhausting. We had arranged to try out fencing as the experimental peak of the day. Everyone got broken by some pretty rough physical training before we were actually allowed to touch the equipment. Classic fun, but everyone is still aching all over....pathetic. I have some nice imagery I might upload one of these days.
Oh, by the way, Little Barrie finally released their debut album which I had shipped from the UK. It's very good and certainly easy for most people to like. It could have benefited from an extra pinch of experimentation to top things off...but all in all, clearly recommendable. I also got hold of the 3-box LOTR Extended versions package, which cost me something like 550 Danish crowns. The same thing costs nearly 1000 in Denmark....THAT SUCKS!
My son, Thor, is now 5 months old and getting very active and lively. Great fun. Yesterday he got angry because he couldn't reach the pink paper pig next to his crib. Basically, he levelled right there and then. Up til now he only got annoyed when he was 1) hungry, 2) hurting or 3) soiled. Now he's actually getting pissed off on a mental level - which I guess is nice..!
Apart from this very time-consuming business, I am preparing for a 3-day trip to Valencia, Spain on Thursday. A project meeting in the GameTools project which we are involved in. We need to get kicking soon because our work load in the project time schedule is drawing nigh. We still need a durable concept to add to the project but I think it will all come together. I can't be bothered to explain it all here, but basically we need to test some plug-ins for a public game engine and this, of course, requires that you have some general context in which to make use of these plug-ins.
Anyway, I look forward to getting away from Aarhus a bit and seeing something different. It's very likely that I won't get to go skiing this season so I think I'll enjoy the food, wine, and warmer temperatures in Valencia...=)
Another big event, the European "World of Warcraft" started nearly two weeks ago. I was geared for the event and placed myself with two friends on the release day. We gamed through the night, although there were some difficulties activating the accounts. What a game! I used to play "Dark Age of Camelot" - and WoW doesn't really bring much to the genre, structurally, but my, what a sense of style and detail. When you're running up the same road for the 8th time there is still something to notice and think about - some detail like a broken wagon or a pair of well-ironed gnome pants on a table inside a cozy (but deadly) lair. It is quite amazing. I think all art students should have a look at the different territories in this game. They're all a different style and have different stories and bestiary associated with them. Yesterday I went to Duskwood which is sinister, dark, and foggy. Completely like "Sleepy Hollow" or the mirky moor environs of "Hound of the Baskervilles".
Went on a stag night this Saturday in favor of my good friend Christian. Great night, albeit very exhausting. We had arranged to try out fencing as the experimental peak of the day. Everyone got broken by some pretty rough physical training before we were actually allowed to touch the equipment. Classic fun, but everyone is still aching all over....pathetic. I have some nice imagery I might upload one of these days.
Oh, by the way, Little Barrie finally released their debut album which I had shipped from the UK. It's very good and certainly easy for most people to like. It could have benefited from an extra pinch of experimentation to top things off...but all in all, clearly recommendable. I also got hold of the 3-box LOTR Extended versions package, which cost me something like 550 Danish crowns. The same thing costs nearly 1000 in Denmark....THAT SUCKS!
Monday, January 17, 2005
The Geek shall inherit the Earth
I found a gamer's sweatshop two blogposts ago. My random surfs on the net through the StumbleUpon Firefox extension led me to this gem of a site. This week's special is a one time limited offer....buy 100 gold on a World of Warcraft server (beta, I might add!) for a measly $27.99! Don't you just HAVE to add this to your cart?
Now, I'm not particularly philanthropic or even heavily socialist, but it seems that in a world in which thousands of babies are starving in Africa, that is just plain sad.
Now, I'm not particularly philanthropic or even heavily socialist, but it seems that in a world in which thousands of babies are starving in Africa, that is just plain sad.
Fire it up
Very impressed with the Mozilla Firefox browser. Unless Microsoft comes up with something extraordinary, this browser is going to hog the market soon.
It's easy to install - just needs exposure.
The greatest thing is the extensions property, that effectively gives the community the chance of customizing their browser purposefully. And sharing that customization. I don't see Microsoft offering this flexibility in the future, unless they have realized that modders are infinitely more ressourceful than internal development departments. Creatively, that is - not economically.
Right now I'm sporting the ForecastFox extension, that gives my statusbar real time indications of the local weather. It also lets me know what the weather's going to be tomorrow. Information that you only need rarely, but when you do it's really neat not to have to spend time acquiring it.
I also installed the StumbleUpon extension which is really just a variant of Google's "I feel lucky" push button. It does, however, ensure quality hits, because of an integrated rating and preference system that seems to work well. Whenever I feel bored, I hit the "Stumble" and suddenly I've found a new part of the Internet to potentially interest me. So far, I've already known about 50% of the hits - guess that indicates my sense of quality isn't too bad..! Of course, I set that up a bit by defining my interests in the first place. Guess the challenge is to have people ask for information they didn't know they wanted.
Firefox extensions also include real-time GMail hacks that notify you of incoming mail, tons of developer tools that e.g. let you evaluate JavaScript, decode color values of specific websites, and generally extend the usefullness of the browser. I tried out some of the gesture tools, but I cannot get into the habit. My wrists are sore as it is with all my graphic work and gaming (some might call these bad excuses hiding a far more deviant pastime).
In short, go get this browser. It won't make you a better person, but it will probably make you time on the web more enjoyable.
Oh, by the way - if you feel the urge to customize the internal workings of Firefox, just type "about:config" in the address field. Access to all the cogs and springs. You almost certainly won't get this level of control in any future Explorer.
I should urge you to see the Mozilla forums to get proper advice on those settings...;)
It's easy to install - just needs exposure.
The greatest thing is the extensions property, that effectively gives the community the chance of customizing their browser purposefully. And sharing that customization. I don't see Microsoft offering this flexibility in the future, unless they have realized that modders are infinitely more ressourceful than internal development departments. Creatively, that is - not economically.
Right now I'm sporting the ForecastFox extension, that gives my statusbar real time indications of the local weather. It also lets me know what the weather's going to be tomorrow. Information that you only need rarely, but when you do it's really neat not to have to spend time acquiring it.
I also installed the StumbleUpon extension which is really just a variant of Google's "I feel lucky" push button. It does, however, ensure quality hits, because of an integrated rating and preference system that seems to work well. Whenever I feel bored, I hit the "Stumble" and suddenly I've found a new part of the Internet to potentially interest me. So far, I've already known about 50% of the hits - guess that indicates my sense of quality isn't too bad..! Of course, I set that up a bit by defining my interests in the first place. Guess the challenge is to have people ask for information they didn't know they wanted.
Firefox extensions also include real-time GMail hacks that notify you of incoming mail, tons of developer tools that e.g. let you evaluate JavaScript, decode color values of specific websites, and generally extend the usefullness of the browser. I tried out some of the gesture tools, but I cannot get into the habit. My wrists are sore as it is with all my graphic work and gaming (some might call these bad excuses hiding a far more deviant pastime).
In short, go get this browser. It won't make you a better person, but it will probably make you time on the web more enjoyable.
Oh, by the way - if you feel the urge to customize the internal workings of Firefox, just type "about:config" in the address field. Access to all the cogs and springs. You almost certainly won't get this level of control in any future Explorer.
I should urge you to see the Mozilla forums to get proper advice on those settings...;)
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Inherently pointless
Still laughing.
You can actually get little chinese people to play your online games for you while you are at work. A chieve it!
I'm not sure why I find this so ridiculously funny - maybe it has to do with the extremely spin-off'ish nature of such an enterprise. I mean, this company serves no societal purpose whatsoever. They only feed off laziness and some obscure game-induced hunt for status. We're really down to scavenging for nickels here. I'm sure they earn a healthy buck, however.
I wonder what an advanced alien race would think of a civilisation that has spawned such a concept. My guess is, they'll carefully ignore the "Earth" road sign and endure that extra half hour before pulling up for a whizz...
You can actually get little chinese people to play your online games for you while you are at work. A chieve it!
I'm not sure why I find this so ridiculously funny - maybe it has to do with the extremely spin-off'ish nature of such an enterprise. I mean, this company serves no societal purpose whatsoever. They only feed off laziness and some obscure game-induced hunt for status. We're really down to scavenging for nickels here. I'm sure they earn a healthy buck, however.
I wonder what an advanced alien race would think of a civilisation that has spawned such a concept. My guess is, they'll carefully ignore the "Earth" road sign and endure that extra half hour before pulling up for a whizz...
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Future plans
I have a sinister plot to take my little brother to see the UEFA Champion's Leugue final in Istanbul, Turkey, this year. Never been to such a huge event, so it is really tempting. I searched the Internet for tickets but the market value outside Turkey is $700-1000 - can you believe that?
Luckily we have good friends in Istanbul, so my dad has arranged for a couple of tickets to be picked up. I also found the Turkish Football Federation homepage where there is a Turkish interface for purchasing tickets. Those pricings are completely different. Most expensive seats are 150 euros. More up our ally.
Of course, we have no clue which teams will be in the final but regardless I think the venue at Atatürk stadium will be spectacular. 80,000 seats and the Turkish soccer spirit will surely make things interesting..! I almost hope that Galatasaray doesn't reach the final because that might compromise security! Some years ago they celebrated a victory and I think 8 or 9 people were killed after the game because of dropping bullets.
Luckily we have good friends in Istanbul, so my dad has arranged for a couple of tickets to be picked up. I also found the Turkish Football Federation homepage where there is a Turkish interface for purchasing tickets. Those pricings are completely different. Most expensive seats are 150 euros. More up our ally.
Of course, we have no clue which teams will be in the final but regardless I think the venue at Atatürk stadium will be spectacular. 80,000 seats and the Turkish soccer spirit will surely make things interesting..! I almost hope that Galatasaray doesn't reach the final because that might compromise security! Some years ago they celebrated a victory and I think 8 or 9 people were killed after the game because of dropping bullets.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Wave of celebration turned mutilation
Phew...finally back from a weeks worth of Christmas celebrations. A wonderful trip but so packed with social activity and "guest appearances", that my girlfriend and I (and Thor, our 3½ month old son) drew a huge sigh of relief when we eventually shouldered the front door of our apartment open late this afternoon. Apparently, advertisers and automated billing services never take a break during late December. The amount of mail and commercial junk waiting inside was above usual standards, to say the least. To top the usual January bills, I now also have to pay back my public student loan which bodes ill for a festive 2005...!
Christmas brought some nice gifts. To name a few, I got a very nice Helly Hansen waterproof jacket, a 256 Mb keyring flash drive which is useful since I have so far refused to acquire a laptop computer, "The Confusion" by Neal Stephenson which is the second book in the aforementioned trilogy, and a very flashy Glendronach single malt whisky. I am glad to see my whisky collection recovering once more.
Highlight of our trip was going for a surprise visit to my granddad's in Copenhagen. He's 84 and I hadn't seen him for 2-3 years because of a more or less disinterested relationship (on his part). However, we had him bouncing with joy (imagine that whilst toting one of these) as we proudly presented little smiling Thor to him. The old bugger, like my Dad, instantly metamorphosed into this strangely sentimental babbling creature, constantly seeking some sort of approval or acknowledgement from his great grandchild. If Thor only knew the power he wields.
Of course, the sad events in Asia have overshadowed Christmas a lot. They're counting 123.000 dead now and it is steadily rising. Unbelievable. I've been scavenging the Internet a bit to find pictures, especially from Thailand where I spent 2 months back in 2000. Both Krabi (Rai Leh beach) and Koh Phi Phi are places I stayed for some time. The images from Phi Phi are horrible. I can remember the fragile nature of the island's small township. It was nothing more than simple (mostly wooden) shanties put up on the narrow flat part between two huge cliffs - like the middle of an hour-glass. No major construction work, although some of the rockier parts featured actual masonry. I can picture the impact a 6-10 metre wave must have on such a place, since the civilized part of Phi Phi is completely flat. I found myself imagining what I'd do, if I saw that wave from afar. The only place I can think of was a place called "Reggae Bar" where the backmost parts of the pub rise up against the cliffs. It'd be the only place to seek cover.
Two pages showing amateur video shots of the disaster here and here. Some of this shit scares the hell out of me.
Also, 122 have been killed by the tsunami in Africa...it took the wave 8 hours to reach them and still it kills. It's just too insane...yikes, we're puny and powerless. I want my mommy.
Apart from that...Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year's Eve. Talk about split personality blogging...
Christmas brought some nice gifts. To name a few, I got a very nice Helly Hansen waterproof jacket, a 256 Mb keyring flash drive which is useful since I have so far refused to acquire a laptop computer, "The Confusion" by Neal Stephenson which is the second book in the aforementioned trilogy, and a very flashy Glendronach single malt whisky. I am glad to see my whisky collection recovering once more.
Highlight of our trip was going for a surprise visit to my granddad's in Copenhagen. He's 84 and I hadn't seen him for 2-3 years because of a more or less disinterested relationship (on his part). However, we had him bouncing with joy (imagine that whilst toting one of these) as we proudly presented little smiling Thor to him. The old bugger, like my Dad, instantly metamorphosed into this strangely sentimental babbling creature, constantly seeking some sort of approval or acknowledgement from his great grandchild. If Thor only knew the power he wields.
Of course, the sad events in Asia have overshadowed Christmas a lot. They're counting 123.000 dead now and it is steadily rising. Unbelievable. I've been scavenging the Internet a bit to find pictures, especially from Thailand where I spent 2 months back in 2000. Both Krabi (Rai Leh beach) and Koh Phi Phi are places I stayed for some time. The images from Phi Phi are horrible. I can remember the fragile nature of the island's small township. It was nothing more than simple (mostly wooden) shanties put up on the narrow flat part between two huge cliffs - like the middle of an hour-glass. No major construction work, although some of the rockier parts featured actual masonry. I can picture the impact a 6-10 metre wave must have on such a place, since the civilized part of Phi Phi is completely flat. I found myself imagining what I'd do, if I saw that wave from afar. The only place I can think of was a place called "Reggae Bar" where the backmost parts of the pub rise up against the cliffs. It'd be the only place to seek cover.
Two pages showing amateur video shots of the disaster here and here. Some of this shit scares the hell out of me.
Also, 122 have been killed by the tsunami in Africa...it took the wave 8 hours to reach them and still it kills. It's just too insane...yikes, we're puny and powerless. I want my mommy.
Apart from that...Merry Christmas everyone and have a happy New Year's Eve. Talk about split personality blogging...
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Spime, spime, spime and eggs!!!
I need to highlight this awesome video stream of Bruce Sterling doing a talk on technology and future design. A very good storytelling - to begin with you think "this guy is too weird", but later on he gets under your skin, and I ended up staring at the screen thinking about the endless scenarios awaiting mankind. Lasts about an hour and twenty minutes.
Big thanks to Boingboing.net
Big thanks to Boingboing.net
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Just stuff
Had a great weekend in Copenhagen where I attended a party and met up with 4-5 of my very old friends from Uni. Everyone more or less looked the same, so it was a great trip down memory lane, although we were mostly busy updating each other with our latest personal and career developments.
The next day wasn't worth any ink at all.
Sunday I met up with my brother, uncle and cousin. The latter is off to Uruguay for a month, which is precisely where I would like to be right now. Stressful deadlines and heavy workloads aren't exactly well countered by shitty, cold weather and a moisture that permeates everything. Almost can't wait till it starts to freeze properly....all this wetness is getting on my nerves.
No new links of interest this time. I'm well into Stephenson's Quicksilver, and it's a damned pleasure. Never thought 16th century England could be so well presented without becoming painfully dull. Even though descriptions are heavy, he always returns to the plot(s) in the nick of time. Also, there's a nice measure of humor mixed in - of noteworthy mention is the characterization of a fashion-manical English lord and the way prancing about is the main pastime for most nobles of the time.
The next day wasn't worth any ink at all.
Sunday I met up with my brother, uncle and cousin. The latter is off to Uruguay for a month, which is precisely where I would like to be right now. Stressful deadlines and heavy workloads aren't exactly well countered by shitty, cold weather and a moisture that permeates everything. Almost can't wait till it starts to freeze properly....all this wetness is getting on my nerves.
No new links of interest this time. I'm well into Stephenson's Quicksilver, and it's a damned pleasure. Never thought 16th century England could be so well presented without becoming painfully dull. Even though descriptions are heavy, he always returns to the plot(s) in the nick of time. Also, there's a nice measure of humor mixed in - of noteworthy mention is the characterization of a fashion-manical English lord and the way prancing about is the main pastime for most nobles of the time.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
C'est incredible..?
Pardon my french, but this CG film ("The Incredibles") is maximum entertainment for your hard earned bucks. Saw it the other night with the lads from work. Pixar are so cool and this flick is right up there with their greatest. Funny as hell and with the ever-cool theme of superheroism.
As a friend noted, it has some of the same charm and stylings as "The Iron Giant", Brad Bird being the director. Its topic is less contemplated and serious, though. Holly Hunter does the voice of ElastiGirl - she must have one of the sexiest voices out there. Gotta love that subtle lisp...yummy ;)
Pixar recently reinvented the short pre-featured musical appetizer flicks of the 40's and 50's - this one stars a sheep that loses and eventually rediscovers its self-confidence. Loved it.
I give "The Incredibles" 4½ out of 5. Only thing that subtracts is a very mild annoyance at the underlying political correctness that isn't exactly in-your-face, but still seeps through a bit, I think. Maybe the coming split with Disney will provide that extra pinch of topical edge and experimentation. Let's hope so.
As a friend noted, it has some of the same charm and stylings as "The Iron Giant", Brad Bird being the director. Its topic is less contemplated and serious, though. Holly Hunter does the voice of ElastiGirl - she must have one of the sexiest voices out there. Gotta love that subtle lisp...yummy ;)
Pixar recently reinvented the short pre-featured musical appetizer flicks of the 40's and 50's - this one stars a sheep that loses and eventually rediscovers its self-confidence. Loved it.
I give "The Incredibles" 4½ out of 5. Only thing that subtracts is a very mild annoyance at the underlying political correctness that isn't exactly in-your-face, but still seeps through a bit, I think. Maybe the coming split with Disney will provide that extra pinch of topical edge and experimentation. Let's hope so.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Gibson goes native
I have to point out William Gibson's weblog (yes, the sci-fi author) which is really both enlightening and at times entertaining.
He's had a lot of nice posts concerning the American administration and the war on Iraq - nice to see him partake in the choir of critics.
If you check out the most recent archive there is a nice quote of Martin Luther King - and not least an article on the apparent emergence of the Virgin Mary in a slice of pizza :D
He's had a lot of nice posts concerning the American administration and the war on Iraq - nice to see him partake in the choir of critics.
If you check out the most recent archive there is a nice quote of Martin Luther King - and not least an article on the apparent emergence of the Virgin Mary in a slice of pizza :D
Thursday, November 18, 2004
3 cheers for Runestone..!
I recently posted some info on the guest lecture, that Aarhus-based game developer Runestone was to hold at Uni today. The venue went really well, although one of the guests had taken ill yesterday.
Lars Kroll, the main man, held a very inspiring talk on game design, game project management, engine programming - and not least their all-consuming project, Seed.
The lecture was very interesting and relevant, especially because Runestone themselves are not very big (8 full time employees) and as such are in the very process of starting up. This perspective on building an enterprise had me and many others captivated, since it's really becoming a strong focus in Denmark - or at least here at this part of Aarhus University. Kroll had a lot of tips and hints, and great examples to back them up. Even though he has not really been in the business all that long, he certainly spoke with conviction and the voice of a hardened professional.
I had some prejudgemental thoughts on their game, Seed, before I actually knew what it was all about. Tens or hundreds of MMOG's are being hastily built or have already failed, so the natural position towards such initiatives has to be skeptic, since the competition and financing environment is fierce, if not downright hostile.
With Seed, however, I really must say Runestone have a convincing case. Not as a mainstream game, quite the contrary. The game is entirely without combat and relies on an intricate story-system, which treats knowledge, in the form of semantic structures, as the loot of the game world. So, you're essentially faced with the task of "smartening up" your avatar through different tasks and storylines. And these semantic structures can be combined and exchanged with PCs and NPCs thus giving you access to more and more specialized knowledge. Knowledge is, in fact, the weaponry and armor - negotiation and narrative plots are the combat system. Also, they give way for democratic proceedings that elect officials to different offices, hereby providing control over certain ressources. I can only explain it so far - but I suggest people look more into this game, if not but to broaden their horisons of what games might contain.
This fairly innovative way of laying out a MMOG is probably also why Runestone has actually succeeded so far in securing assets and financing. Currently they have an innovation fund paying their bills - although, as Kroll said, they need further investments by March to continue development.
Their target group was a story unto itself, since they are aiming for "the experienced online roleplaying 29-year-old's girlfriend". Well, probably not as sharply defined as this, but he has a point about hitting niche targets. Just like the movie industry has become segmented along the way, this might secure a place for narrow game concepts such as Runestone's. By now, you're getting a more mature audience interested in games, anyway. Kroll offered a piece of statistic telling that each year the average gamer grows one year older. So at some point Counterstrike simply HAS to die - hopefully.
Please go and take a look at the game and company - and perhaps do them a favor by commenting on the game here. Refreshing, certainly.
Lars Kroll, the main man, held a very inspiring talk on game design, game project management, engine programming - and not least their all-consuming project, Seed.
The lecture was very interesting and relevant, especially because Runestone themselves are not very big (8 full time employees) and as such are in the very process of starting up. This perspective on building an enterprise had me and many others captivated, since it's really becoming a strong focus in Denmark - or at least here at this part of Aarhus University. Kroll had a lot of tips and hints, and great examples to back them up. Even though he has not really been in the business all that long, he certainly spoke with conviction and the voice of a hardened professional.
I had some prejudgemental thoughts on their game, Seed, before I actually knew what it was all about. Tens or hundreds of MMOG's are being hastily built or have already failed, so the natural position towards such initiatives has to be skeptic, since the competition and financing environment is fierce, if not downright hostile.
With Seed, however, I really must say Runestone have a convincing case. Not as a mainstream game, quite the contrary. The game is entirely without combat and relies on an intricate story-system, which treats knowledge, in the form of semantic structures, as the loot of the game world. So, you're essentially faced with the task of "smartening up" your avatar through different tasks and storylines. And these semantic structures can be combined and exchanged with PCs and NPCs thus giving you access to more and more specialized knowledge. Knowledge is, in fact, the weaponry and armor - negotiation and narrative plots are the combat system. Also, they give way for democratic proceedings that elect officials to different offices, hereby providing control over certain ressources. I can only explain it so far - but I suggest people look more into this game, if not but to broaden their horisons of what games might contain.
This fairly innovative way of laying out a MMOG is probably also why Runestone has actually succeeded so far in securing assets and financing. Currently they have an innovation fund paying their bills - although, as Kroll said, they need further investments by March to continue development.
Their target group was a story unto itself, since they are aiming for "the experienced online roleplaying 29-year-old's girlfriend". Well, probably not as sharply defined as this, but he has a point about hitting niche targets. Just like the movie industry has become segmented along the way, this might secure a place for narrow game concepts such as Runestone's. By now, you're getting a more mature audience interested in games, anyway. Kroll offered a piece of statistic telling that each year the average gamer grows one year older. So at some point Counterstrike simply HAS to die - hopefully.
Please go and take a look at the game and company - and perhaps do them a favor by commenting on the game here. Refreshing, certainly.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
One had a suspicion...
Hehe, I'm actually sniggering to myself. A couple of posts ago I ranted about the empty rhetorics of especially American politics - and lo and behold, up steps John Humphreys to prove my point. Apparently, he's an English journalist devoted to salvaging whatever is left of the English language.
He puts out a general rant on the state of affairs here. He highlights Stephen Fry as one of the great English orators - I couldn't agree more, although Fry is almost so English that it gets annoying. Think Jeeves is still shining through. :)
However, the really funny part that has to do with dynamic duo Bush & Blair can be read here. And I follow his arguments all the way - nice point about business spin being the origin of all this nonsense. Now, if only journalists and editors would devote themselves to exposing the fraud...
He puts out a general rant on the state of affairs here. He highlights Stephen Fry as one of the great English orators - I couldn't agree more, although Fry is almost so English that it gets annoying. Think Jeeves is still shining through. :)
However, the really funny part that has to do with dynamic duo Bush & Blair can be read here. And I follow his arguments all the way - nice point about business spin being the origin of all this nonsense. Now, if only journalists and editors would devote themselves to exposing the fraud...
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
The Baroque Cycle
Invested in Neal Stephenson's "Quicksilver" the other day. The first in a trilogy named "The Baroque Cycle" - and apparently a prequel-ish follow-up (!) to his awesome novel "Cryptonomicon". One of my favorite books ever, I guess.
I recommend him very much. He's what I would deem a holistic sci-fi writer, meaning that his books have more to do with the circumstances of change than with the actual technological settings of future societies. Not that he doesn't stuff his work with creative gadgets and weird inventions. They are just very well integrated and never take up too much space. He's easy to compare to Gibson, but I find Gibson much more abstract and poetic - a style that both attracts and confuses, I think. Stephenson hits right in the middle of my educational background, Information Sciences. A wider approach to technology, business, society, and intellectual genesis as a whole.
Anyway, looking forward to letting myself submerge in his world of wonders. Compared to his earlier works, this is definitly heavier reading - stuffed with subtle metaphors and eloquent phrasings, but it's good to be challenged once in a while. And you actually feel that everything you read is relevant on some deeper level. Especially if you think yourself a techno-savvy young adult wanting to justify geekish interests.
I recommend him very much. He's what I would deem a holistic sci-fi writer, meaning that his books have more to do with the circumstances of change than with the actual technological settings of future societies. Not that he doesn't stuff his work with creative gadgets and weird inventions. They are just very well integrated and never take up too much space. He's easy to compare to Gibson, but I find Gibson much more abstract and poetic - a style that both attracts and confuses, I think. Stephenson hits right in the middle of my educational background, Information Sciences. A wider approach to technology, business, society, and intellectual genesis as a whole.
Anyway, looking forward to letting myself submerge in his world of wonders. Compared to his earlier works, this is definitly heavier reading - stuffed with subtle metaphors and eloquent phrasings, but it's good to be challenged once in a while. And you actually feel that everything you read is relevant on some deeper level. Especially if you think yourself a techno-savvy young adult wanting to justify geekish interests.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Internal affairs dictating
Well, seems that the American public have once again done themselves a great disservice in the eyes of the rest of the world. Four more years of dogmatism, shallowness and disastrous environmental, social and geopolitical policies. I really don't get it. You'd think that Americans would see through all the deceit and spin - after all they should be used to it by now, right?
But, as a blog somewhere stated, how are you going to contest the right wing of America, when 70 million Americans do not believe in evolution. I regret to admit it but I think America is becoming a parody. If not for the egocentric and unbalanced judgements of half its people, then more so for the electoral system which is obviously heinous in its design. If a vote so seemingly clear cut (morally and ethically, that is) cannot even be properly called then there is something fundamentally wrong with the system (both electoral and societal). Problem is, American politics are so full of empty rethoric and commercial spin that noone is ever going to do anything about it - unless states act on their own.
Times like these make me wonder whether democracy is really the answer for nations so big and yet poorly educated as the US. I'd maybe give it a technocratic twist and prevent halfwits from entering Washington. Or better yet have the West coast, the Midwest, and the East coast split up and fight amongst themselves. At least that would leave the rest of the world in peace to pursue their own version of happiness.
Funny thing is, I'm actually not state-of-the-art left wing myself. So the fact that I am surely biased must come from some other fact. Could it be that I am very weary of American political catch phrases that do aboslutely nothing to dissect or evaluate arguments and problem settings? I heard someone mention that Bush had actually truly said: "Senator Kerry is trying to complicate the War on Terror. It's not complex, it's very simple."
That is like a red rag in front of me. Jeez, I wish I had a man of Dubya's intellect leading me. If nothing else it would teach me how to deftly manipulate serious matters into glittery distortions of the truth.
Although I can see John Kerry's shortcomings, I also saw a younger version of him speak on Vietnam - at which point he was very well-formulated and to the point. My guess is, he's not comfortable practising demagogics which is direly needed to shine through on the American media front. So, as Marilyn Manson said in "Bowling for Columbine" Americans ought to look at the media circus of their own society. And get rid of the fear projected from it.
America, you're headed towards some kind of abyss...isn't it time you started realizing that?
But, as a blog somewhere stated, how are you going to contest the right wing of America, when 70 million Americans do not believe in evolution. I regret to admit it but I think America is becoming a parody. If not for the egocentric and unbalanced judgements of half its people, then more so for the electoral system which is obviously heinous in its design. If a vote so seemingly clear cut (morally and ethically, that is) cannot even be properly called then there is something fundamentally wrong with the system (both electoral and societal). Problem is, American politics are so full of empty rethoric and commercial spin that noone is ever going to do anything about it - unless states act on their own.
Times like these make me wonder whether democracy is really the answer for nations so big and yet poorly educated as the US. I'd maybe give it a technocratic twist and prevent halfwits from entering Washington. Or better yet have the West coast, the Midwest, and the East coast split up and fight amongst themselves. At least that would leave the rest of the world in peace to pursue their own version of happiness.
Funny thing is, I'm actually not state-of-the-art left wing myself. So the fact that I am surely biased must come from some other fact. Could it be that I am very weary of American political catch phrases that do aboslutely nothing to dissect or evaluate arguments and problem settings? I heard someone mention that Bush had actually truly said: "Senator Kerry is trying to complicate the War on Terror. It's not complex, it's very simple."
That is like a red rag in front of me. Jeez, I wish I had a man of Dubya's intellect leading me. If nothing else it would teach me how to deftly manipulate serious matters into glittery distortions of the truth.
Although I can see John Kerry's shortcomings, I also saw a younger version of him speak on Vietnam - at which point he was very well-formulated and to the point. My guess is, he's not comfortable practising demagogics which is direly needed to shine through on the American media front. So, as Marilyn Manson said in "Bowling for Columbine" Americans ought to look at the media circus of their own society. And get rid of the fear projected from it.
America, you're headed towards some kind of abyss...isn't it time you started realizing that?
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Beats of excellence
Yesterday night was great fun when I went with a couple of friends to see Nobody Beats the Beats at Train here in Århus. We got there a bit late, meeting a huge queue outside. For some reason the place had chosen not to open more than one gate to let guests through. That kind of idiocy threatened to ruin our night, but we slipped through the back café using two parts charm and one part agitated criticism. We got inside 20 minutes before the show started - so I hate to think what happened for the other guests outside.
The show was awesome. NBTB is a whole band, I found out, consisting of 10-12 members including the two DJs and the two front rappers. The whole live setup was really well done and gave the hip hop vibe a much deeper level and quality than most other rap shows provide. Context, the main MC, was really on point and bustling with energy which had most of the crowd moving.
Other vocals included the soul singer Linn and at one point Clemens came to the party, adding some Danish anthems. Actually, Aarhus anthems, since he freestyled a lot about things in town - good fun. I usually don't really like him that much - pretentious moron - but yesterday his bad boy attitude actually worked well and was underlined expertly by the musicians. They provided a harder edge when he came on stage.
My only regret during the show was the presence of a couple of very young and very incapacitated fools near us. They saw maybe half of the show and kept messing around so people spilled their drinks and got generally annoyed. Think they saw murder in my eyes, because they moved away a bit after a while. :D
I hadn't been paying much attention to Train itself - but if I had I would have noticed the posters proclaiming the cancellation of Blackalicious. Bad luck. Apparently, a death in the family prevented them from showing. I'm not too buggered, though - since NBTB was in a class of its own last night.
The show was awesome. NBTB is a whole band, I found out, consisting of 10-12 members including the two DJs and the two front rappers. The whole live setup was really well done and gave the hip hop vibe a much deeper level and quality than most other rap shows provide. Context, the main MC, was really on point and bustling with energy which had most of the crowd moving.
Other vocals included the soul singer Linn and at one point Clemens came to the party, adding some Danish anthems. Actually, Aarhus anthems, since he freestyled a lot about things in town - good fun. I usually don't really like him that much - pretentious moron - but yesterday his bad boy attitude actually worked well and was underlined expertly by the musicians. They provided a harder edge when he came on stage.
My only regret during the show was the presence of a couple of very young and very incapacitated fools near us. They saw maybe half of the show and kept messing around so people spilled their drinks and got generally annoyed. Think they saw murder in my eyes, because they moved away a bit after a while. :D
I hadn't been paying much attention to Train itself - but if I had I would have noticed the posters proclaiming the cancellation of Blackalicious. Bad luck. Apparently, a death in the family prevented them from showing. I'm not too buggered, though - since NBTB was in a class of its own last night.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
More on game design
Today I finalized the arrangements surrounding a guest lecture taking place at Katrinebjerg here in Aarhus. The speakers are Lars Kroll and Jan Roed from the small Aarhus-based game design company Runestone.
They'll be talking about their upcoming game "Seed", which so far looks as an innovative take on the MMORPG genre. I attended their recent reception at their office in Filmbyen, a brand new media housing complex located by the harbour here i Aarhus.
Although I didn't get a formal presentation of Seed, it seems to be a MMORPG that doesn't depend on the combat system as its main feature, but takes up the atmos of older adventure-like games. Its cartoonish cellshaded look and feel had me reminded of the good old SCUMM-games of LucasArts - even if the contents are obviuosly geared towards multiplayer communication and exploration.
Look forward to hearing about the concept - it seems genuinely creative, unlike other MMORPG spinoffs. It takes place in the Benjamin building of Katrinebjerg on Thursday, November 18th at 09.30.
They'll be talking about their upcoming game "Seed", which so far looks as an innovative take on the MMORPG genre. I attended their recent reception at their office in Filmbyen, a brand new media housing complex located by the harbour here i Aarhus.
Although I didn't get a formal presentation of Seed, it seems to be a MMORPG that doesn't depend on the combat system as its main feature, but takes up the atmos of older adventure-like games. Its cartoonish cellshaded look and feel had me reminded of the good old SCUMM-games of LucasArts - even if the contents are obviuosly geared towards multiplayer communication and exploration.
Look forward to hearing about the concept - it seems genuinely creative, unlike other MMORPG spinoffs. It takes place in the Benjamin building of Katrinebjerg on Thursday, November 18th at 09.30.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Chattering on
I've just finished Terry Pratchett's latest Discworld novel "Monstrous Regiment". Well, actually it might not be his latest, since he's putting out titles aimed for kids now, too. Good call - I'd have been thrilled to read him as a youngster. Anyway, I came across a nice choice of wording, of which he is always in ample supply:
Stopping a battle is much harder than starting it. Starting it only requires you to shout 'Attack!' but when you want to stop it, everyone is busy.
Nice picture for the very Mad King George to think about, now that Iraq is trying to locate its own maimed corpse.
On a lighter note, the past weekend saw Arsenal lose to Manchester United in the Premier League. I didn't see the match but I'm a regular "customer" at Arseblog and the bitching and moaning was quite hilarious these past days! Of course, the referee is always centered as the culprit...although they've a convincing point on his suspicious statistical record as far at United penalties go.
The other night there was a nice October fog drifting in from the sea - so I decided to go outside and shoot some pictures with my new HP Photosmart R707 digital camera. It does some really nice long exposures that bring out the colours and actually make night shots fairly good, in spite of its casual appearance. Some of its settings are automatic, though. Probably better that way. Some of the shots below:
Stopping a battle is much harder than starting it. Starting it only requires you to shout 'Attack!' but when you want to stop it, everyone is busy.
Nice picture for the very Mad King George to think about, now that Iraq is trying to locate its own maimed corpse.
On a lighter note, the past weekend saw Arsenal lose to Manchester United in the Premier League. I didn't see the match but I'm a regular "customer" at Arseblog and the bitching and moaning was quite hilarious these past days! Of course, the referee is always centered as the culprit...although they've a convincing point on his suspicious statistical record as far at United penalties go.
The other night there was a nice October fog drifting in from the sea - so I decided to go outside and shoot some pictures with my new HP Photosmart R707 digital camera. It does some really nice long exposures that bring out the colours and actually make night shots fairly good, in spite of its casual appearance. Some of its settings are automatic, though. Probably better that way. Some of the shots below:
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Look out for the barries...
Sitting here on a miserable Sunday, weatherwise. Put on some tracks with a group called Little Barrie that I discovered by accident at Soulstrut. This shit is so cool, I can't understand we don't hear more of it. Don't youngsters of today appreciate the essential coolness of such vibes? Has the world gone mad?
I mean, everything from disco through 80's synth pop through garage has had a great revival during the nineties and up till now. Why is this soulish funk not more prominent? I think it has it all - dance quality, improvisation, edge, harmony, you name it.
I guess Tarantinos flicks actually did quite a lot to revive such tunes...it just blew over too soon, me thinks...
Highly anticipating the Little Barrie album which should drop any time now. They sound very authentic (although the drums are more eclectic, I think) and I guess they have a love for this kind of music that could carry them through without becoming a parody on times lost.
Hard to find any material on them, though. They seem to come out of Manchester - but I haven't been able to find a website that writes more than a couple of lines about them.
My son fell asleep almost instantly whilst head-nodding to LB, so I guess that's a quality mark in itself. At least for that age group =)
I mean, everything from disco through 80's synth pop through garage has had a great revival during the nineties and up till now. Why is this soulish funk not more prominent? I think it has it all - dance quality, improvisation, edge, harmony, you name it.
I guess Tarantinos flicks actually did quite a lot to revive such tunes...it just blew over too soon, me thinks...
Highly anticipating the Little Barrie album which should drop any time now. They sound very authentic (although the drums are more eclectic, I think) and I guess they have a love for this kind of music that could carry them through without becoming a parody on times lost.
Hard to find any material on them, though. They seem to come out of Manchester - but I haven't been able to find a website that writes more than a couple of lines about them.
My son fell asleep almost instantly whilst head-nodding to LB, so I guess that's a quality mark in itself. At least for that age group =)
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