A New Game

I have come up with a new game. This game is similar to the Circle Game. The Circle Game engages the willing or most oft unwilling player's sense of sight and peripheral vision. The game I've created tests the sense of sound and centers on trickery of the mind.

I call it Sing n Lose. Well, at least that's what I've got to work with for now. The idea behind this game is to either sing, hum, or just play a song directly for people in earshot to hear and just see if they end up tapping the beat, singing, humming or whistling any bit of it after the song is over.

Now I've been playing this game for years without people knowing about it because I like to think that I've entered their minds and meddled with it, and therefore have the upper hand.

Like Ass Pennies only less gross.

Ass Pennies - watch more funny videos

I admit that the game gets more fun when introducing it to others. I don't personally play in order to hit someone on the arm as one does with the 'Circle Game' or 'Punch Dub', formerly named 'Punch Bug' but one could integrate that in the game if they wish. Some of my co-workers refer to this game as getting 'Gooched' because once a person has fallen victim to another person's attempt at getting them to sing a particular song, the winner owes the loser one uppercut to the Perineum.

Luckily no one capitalizes on the opportunity to do so.

The key to this game is that players must adhere the honor system like in The Contest since getting someone could take several hours for the person to react to the song. If you end up singing the song that someone sang near you a couple days before and it can be directly attributed to that moment. Count yourself gooched.

Game Cube Wave Bird.

As I have stated before the Wii has its faults. I'm not here to trash it this time though, I'm here to address that Nintendo really needs to consider putting out another run of Game Cube Wave Bird controllers. True, there is still a third party wireless controller on the market but from my experience one should never buy a third party controller. Few people would use the Wiimote and nunchuk for certain games if they had a GCWB. One significant example is Super Smash Bros Brawl. The Wave Bird just works best for SSBB. The GCWB is wireless which is how controllers for the Wii should be and I just refuse to buy the "Classic Controller" they made for the wii.



This controller plugs into the wiimote and is powered by it. The way they made the cord come out of the bottom of this controller suggests to me that they want players to sit on the wiimote for a more enjoyable playing experience.

The idea of having to plug the classic controller into the wiimote just seems so inefficient to me. Perhaps since it does plug into the wiimote there would be a plus to hearing the sounds that are made to play through the wiimote's speaker, but this is a minor feature that wouldn't be missed. Why doesn't Nintendo just make a new version of the Wave Bird and make it so that the receiver fits flush on top of the Wii, and instead of gray it's white and shiny, heck even put rumble and a speaker in it too! This post may not have came to fruition if the GCWB is easy to find in used games stores but they're a rarity now.

The reason for this is because people are still using them! I went to a LAN party not too long ago and a lot of people were playing Smash Bros Melee on their Wii consoles (before Brawl came out) and everyone was using GCWBs!

Think about it Nintendo.

The Patapon Pace.

I recently got a PSP. I used it during GDC to show people my demo reel. I only used it three times, but one of the companies I showed it to was Valve, and that was a great experience. But, since I bought it, of course I had to go out and buy a ridiculous amount of games. One of the ones I bought recently was Patapon.

Just to inform those of you who haven't played it, there are a few things you should know. Patapon is a rhythm game, but nothing like DDR or Guitar Hero which have the scrolling indicators that let you know when to hit a button once the indicator reaches a designated point on the screen. In Patapon, you are essentially the god of a tribe. This tribe will react to the music depending on the combination of beats you use. There are three main types of commands, Guard, Attack and Advance.

The driving force that helps you keep the rhythm is the constant 1-2-3-4 of the tambourine. If you do well and hit exactly on beat with the tambourine you can tell by the sound of the drumbeat, if you're a little off, so is the sound of the drum. But if you do well enough you can send your tribesmen into a fever where they start jumping up and down and flinging enough arrows and spears to fill the sky. While playing you help the tribesmen hunt for food, defeat all kinds of large creatures, and fight other tribes. It's a good game!

Today, I decided to try taking a walk while playing Patapon, taking a step to each beat and it turned out to be a good walk! The persistent beat of the tambourine beckoned me to take each step at a faster pace than what I normally go. I actually worked up a sweat while walking today because of Patapon. It was very difficult to keep the rhythm with my thumbs without keeping rhythm with my feet, so there was a sort of synergy between my body and the game because of it.

Despite the fact that it was an enjoyable experience, there was a downside to playing the game. For one, I was horrible at the game while walking. I only came away with a handful of meals for my tribesmen after playing about 6 times (about a game per lap around my property). I lost the movement of my arms since I had to hold the PSP. Finally, it wasn't easy to see the screen because of the sunlight. But, I may do it again so that I can see if I can both keep walking with the beat and get my tribesmen into a fervor, because that would feel more like true synergy.

Why the Wii sucks. *Now with more video!

There are several good points to the Wii. The motion sensing, the wifi, the virtual console... sorta. But I gotta throw off on the Wii a little. Here's a list:

1 Shovelware.
2 Lack of non crappy games.
3 Virtual Console.
4 I had to pay for the internet browser.
5 What? No Flash?
6 Lack of online play.
7 Making friends is a painful process.
8 You can fill up your memory easily.

Here's the Details:

1. Chicken Shoot, Pool Party, Carnival Games, Anubis, etc... Don't buy em, they're crap.



2. This one holds less water, there are several good games, but I feel like I'm being let down since the 360 has a ton of great games and most of them have multiplayer capabilities. I don't have a 360.

3. They seem to be neglecting the VC. Where's Battletoads? Earthworm Jim? Final Fantasy IV (then called FFII in America)? A Nintendo 64 game is 10 dollars. 10 Dollars! I can find Perfect Dark for $5 in a used game store, and yes, I still have my Nintendo 64.

4. My friend Josh got a Wii before I did. He got the Opera Browzer for free. I had to use 5 dollars worth of wii points. What the Crap!?

5. I want to watch a lot of video through my internet browser, especially Alluc.org but I can't because the internet browser doesn't have the latest version of flash equipped.

6. This is as much the fault of the developers. Medal of Honor 2 has online play, Smash Bros Brawl has online play, So does GH3. But I know you couldn't count all the games with online play on your fingers for the 360.

7. In order to make friends on the Wii you have to input their 16 digit code. They also have to input your code. Once you have done this you have to spin around without pausing 18 times with the wiimote in your hand. On the 360, it's just a matter of knowing the person's screen name.

8. I don't know what happens when you use all the memory available on the Wii, but I'd hate to think you would have to delete a game to get another one. After all you paid for it.

I suppose that's why it costs less. I suppose if I wanted all those things I would just have to buy a 360. But I'm trying to hold off because I need to learn some software for my job, else I would have one now and it would rule my life. But alas, if I actually bought more games for the Wii, I'd probably have a better experience on it. I've mainly been using it to play Game Cube games right now so I'll keep my Wii for a long time. Because I sold my Game Cube.

GDC Photos.

Live Katamari.



Bioshock's Big Daddy.



Super Smash Brothers Brawl



Morgan Webb playing the Wii Fit.



Recoil Steam Punks.



Man I need a flash for my camera, but I assure you I was packing around enough equipment already, so that's why some of the photos.. well... all the photos blow.

Game Developers. A Conference. A Peeved Job Seeker.

At some point in the recent past my girlfriend and I drove nearly an hour to our Alma Mater to see if we could get any help with searching for jobs. Once we got there, we were basically told that everything is done online now and that we should do it all on there. Even though we were told on an earlier trip to the same office that the lady who helped us on the later occasion was great and that she could do a lot for us. If everything is done online, then what exactly is her purpose then? Why are they paying her a salary?

Tantamount to that story, I had a great time at the conference this year but one thing about it really irked me. I traveled all the way from Virginia to San Francisco, California to present my demo reel to the game companies at the career fair only to be told by some of them that I should submit it online because they're not taking them there.

Not accepting them there? At a career fair? I was insulted. I felt that it was rather rude of them not to accept reels. I will submit my reel online, and understand that it is a more tidy method of receiving them for the companies, but for someone to have to travel such a long distance only to be told that they don't accept demo reels there is just unacceptable.

I had heard though, that some companies had booths set up nevertheless because they did on site interviews to the ones who had submitted their reels prior to the event. Also, I think there was also purpose for them being there to talk to investors. and finally, I heard that another reason they wouldn't accept them is because they would have to fly them back, adding an expense to their trip. But I hardly think those are excuse enough to shrug off those who were seeking jobs.

I thought driving 50 minutes to my college was bad.

(This blog written in part on a PSP, which I think is kinda cool.)

3D? Closer to VR.

I have to make a game using this. HAVE TO!



Johnny Lee is the MAN!

This Place is a Mess!

I think I know why Walmart does so well. Yes, they have stores all over the world and that surely helps, but for the most part their stores are clean. I've seen the store contradict me on that statement but I would say that 75% of the time they're clutter free (restocking time doesn't count). The reason I bring this up is because 3 stores come that just made me very uncomfortable because of their problems.

K-Mart - The one in my home town seems to be the only one that's just completely unkempt and they surely know how to do that right. The toy isle is the worst of all. They had plastic shelves that stood about hip high up in the middle of the isle with an abundance of unsorted toys strewn about all over the top of them. Then in the food section where the drinks are there was a big puddle of soda pop being blocked off with over turned empty boxes. Let me tell you, the entire store has similar problems as well.

The another thing that truly irks me about K-mart is that friggin alarm that sounds when you walk into the claustrophobic electronics section. Why can't they just expand that section or maybe make it so that the employees that are in charge of the section can see the customers that are looking at the electronics.

Another funny thing about the K-Mart here is that they still have an N64 and Xbox display up that no longer functions. Furthermore, the Xbox part of the display still dawns the bear controller that Penny Arcade famously made fun of. In fact if I ever get a chance, next week I may photograph the display and show you. Keep an eye out for an update.

Random Consignment Shop: This shop is stacked from floor to ceiling with Everything! That's how thrift/consignment shops work of course. This one mainly focused on media like books, movies, and music but the problem with this store is not that it was cluttered exactly. They have things pretty well in order. It's just that they have decided to pack the store with SO MUCH. It's so claustrophobic in there, you barely have shoulder room to walk through it all. I guarantee that if a Fire Marshall stopped by they'd have a problem with the place. Plus it seemed so packed that it might even be dangerous in that something may fall on someone. Just thinking about the place makes me feel uneasy.

Old Retail Store:
I recently watched Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices and they showed how a local retail store was going under because Walmart moved into their town. It had thrived and did quite well for many many years. They showed footage of the inside of the store and it just seemed so barren. I don't know if it was because they didn't have the money to pay for any more merchandise or if it had always been that way, but to me having very little merchandise is a big turn off. I just find it so depressing and because of that I won't go back to a store like that. A big reason for having a store is so people can go there, look around, and to buy things, but if there's nothing to look at it kind of defeats the purpose.

So if you decide to get into the retail business, walk around in a few others first so that you can know what works, and what doesn't work. Now, off to contact someone at K-Mart HQ to tell them that something needs to change. It won't be the first time I've contacted companies about their products. More on that subject later.