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I blogged about this before. It’s standard practice for games developers to pay arms manufacturers for their gun likenesses in games. Latest headline? From eurogamer: EA refuses to licence guns and war paraphernalia its action games this year I wonder how this will turn out? Related posts: cultureTECH: What I did… Guns Guns Guns Guns … Continue reading “EA refuses to licence guns and war paraphernalia its action games this year”
I blogged about this before. It’s standard practice for games developers to pay arms manufacturers for their gun likenesses in games.
Latest headline?
EA refuses to licence guns and war paraphernalia its action games this year
I wonder how this will turn out?
Brady Cline: Most adults can’t imagine typing anything more than a few words at a time on a virtual keyboard, but with practice, is it really any worse than a traditional keyboard? After getting several requests from teachers to buy keyboards for our iPad 1:1 program, I decided to do a little research project with … Continue reading “Brady Cline on Typing: iPad versus Computer”
Most adults can’t imagine typing anything more than a few words at a time on a virtual keyboard, but with practice, is it really any worse than a traditional keyboard? After getting several requests from teachers to buy keyboards for our iPad 1:1 program, I decided to do a little research project with our elementary students. It’s a simple study with some limitations, but maybe it’s a good place to start when discussing the efficacy of virtual keyboards:
He has a study, statistics, pictures and a video. And I was surprised by the outcome.
Graham Scobie produced the results of a survey. actual survey: http://t.co/3hNEwGD5wY Youth survey also worth a look: http://t.co/5yXdqbyOQD 45% of people in Northern Ireland do not identify as ‘unionist’ or ‘nationalist’. And of those who do, I wonder how many are ‘staunch’ in their position when presented with an option not rooted in fear, uncertainty … Continue reading “45% of people in Northern Ireland are “other””
Graham Scobie produced the results of a survey.
actual survey: http://t.co/3hNEwGD5wY Youth survey also worth a look: http://t.co/5yXdqbyOQD
45% of people in Northern Ireland do not identify as ‘unionist’ or ‘nationalist’. And of those who do, I wonder how many are ‘staunch’ in their position when presented with an option not rooted in fear, uncertainty and doubt.
For the last couple of years I’ve been listening to Denis Stewart talk about Civic Conversations. Last summer I got to take part in one (in Riddell Hall) and again earlier this year (in the Crescent Arts Centre). This time, it’s in the MAC. A further gathering of citizens in this place to continue with … Continue reading “More on Civic Conversations”
For the last couple of years I’ve been listening to Denis Stewart talk about Civic Conversations. Last summer I got to take part in one (in Riddell Hall) and again earlier this year (in the Crescent Arts Centre). This time, it’s in the MAC.
A further gathering of citizens in this place to continue with ‘civic conversation’ – conversation that is both aspirational and grounded, visionary and pragmatic.
This gathering will provide opportunity for open conversation. And there will also be time for more focused talking together about themes that emerged in from the civic conversation that took place in February. What should the next chapter in Northern Ireland’s story say? What can be done to help shape and write that ‘next story’?
To find out, you will have to come along but I’ll give you my perspectives.
These events are driven by the people who need to be there. People for whom being part of the architecture of the future of Northern Ireland is without question. People who know we must move forwards. If that describes you, I’m sure you’ll be there.
This isn’t a proper review at all. I’ve been really enjoying this game for the last few hours. I’ve built up my starter ship, upgraded nearly every component and maxed out the crew. I’m working my way through the scenarios to follow the plot, to arm up with upgrade tokens and to try and level … Continue reading “Star Command”
This isn’t a proper review at all. I’ve been really enjoying this game for the last few hours. I’ve built up my starter ship, upgraded nearly every component and maxed out the crew. I’m working my way through the scenarios to follow the plot, to arm up with upgrade tokens and to try and level up my skilled crew. So far I’ve fought brains in jars, insectoids, traitors and cold-war era Soviet zombies. I’ve lost a few crew to alien incursion, fires in my bulkheads and the icy void of space.
The game is real-time tactics (a subset of real-time strategy) mixed with roving adventure and humorous narrative. You get to name your own ship and your captain. You can also name each crew member as you recruit them (but, ye gods, who has time for that). And while the system seems easy to control, try this when you’re trying to direct a team of Security and Command down a hall, flanked by Science/Medical staff, repelling brain-in-jar robot invaders while also trying to evade missiles and direct engineers to repair vital systems.
My problems with Star Command:
You really need the sound on. The sound for incoming missiles and lasers is quite quiet and there doesn’t seem to be a visual telltale for it. As you only have a few seconds before a shield breach becomes a gaping, sucking hole in your hull, being able to hear when someone is shooting at you is vital.
The movement and shooting AI isn’t the best. But then if you manage it right, it doesn’t need to be the best. It just gets difficult when you’re involved in a firefight in a crowded room (filled with your precious upgrades).
It’s all about fighting so far. I know this is version 1.0 and there’s more content coming (including Contraband). I’m not fussed on trading but I would like to see more plot development.
For a couple of quid, it’s a no brainer. A universal app on iPhone and iPad and coming to Android soon.
I picked this up from Daring Fireball re Marc Andreessen: Let’s say we all grew up in tech world where we only used tablets and smartphones. Then one day, someone comes up to you with a 27-inch display hooked up to a notebook. You could have everything you have on your tablets and smartphones, and … Continue reading “The Web isn’t the Internet”
I picked this up from Daring Fireball re Marc Andreessen:
Let’s say we all grew up in tech world where we only used tablets and smartphones. Then one day, someone comes up to you with a 27-inch display hooked up to a notebook. You could have everything you have on your tablets and smartphones, and then some. Except you don’t have to download anything or update it. Everything is the latest and greatest, and just one click away. If you are a software developer, there are no gatekeepers telling you if your latest creation is approved, or when you can add the latest flourish.
See, this is a problem because what you’re talking about there is not the Web, but native software. If you don’t need to download anything then you don’t need an Internet connection. And a web browser without an Internet connection is possibly the dumbest app ever. So, the ‘don’t have to download anything’ bit isn’t really the truth. It’s a carefully edited version of the truth.
And it illustrates the disingenuous thought here. Andreessen, via Copeland, is describing the status quo before the App Stores, before we had broadband. We had software on our desktop devices that we never updated. We never needed to.
This isn’t about the web versus native, it’s not even about mobile versus portable versus desktop; this is politics. Andreessen likes the web more than he likes native. And it’s a shame because (as I tweeted this morning), I can’t think of a single web app that isn’t bettered by going native.
Some apps are, like the browser, useless without an internet connection. Some multiplayer games, some particularly gruesome DRM, half of the Adobe collection and apparently the next Xbox. But they all use the Internet.
The web isn’t even the Internet. The web is post-1993. Even I was on the Internet before then. And if we restrict the web to being HTML and browsers, then we’re doing everyone a disservice.
Are desktops going away? No. I really don’t think so. Not until the things we create on desktop (like apps) are 100% possible on mobile platforms. Could this happen? Yes. Will it happen? I’m not so sure. I think desktops are here to stay. I think that the laptop might be dead, but that’s a different debate.
This is how I feel about digital. A picture is a picture. It doesn’t matter if you used a paintbrush or a computer to make it, it’s still a picture. Digital Media is just media and often uses as a synonym for new media. But what is it about computers that enables new media. This … Continue reading “What is possible if the art and the artist are both alive?”
This is how I feel about digital.
A picture is a picture. It doesn’t matter if you used a paintbrush or a computer to make it, it’s still a picture.
Digital Media is just media and often uses as a synonym for new media. But what is it about computers that enables new media. This video is an hour long but worth the view.
Stop Drawing Dead Fish from Bret Victor on Vimeo.
“This talk is not about games but about what sort of art is possible if the art and the artist are both alive”
Around 11 minutes in, he describes exactly why I like multiplayer games. It’s the combination of programmed behaviours and the actions of a living performer.