tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29995772722690652822024-02-21T14:21:04.580+00:00Impersonal LifeIt's a life, but not as we know it.Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-87039764393609061402010-10-20T18:32:00.003+01:002010-10-20T18:33:44.680+01:00Movin' On UpI've decided I'll be moving to Tumblr, it's a lot more refined and useful. I'll leave this page up for while, but won't be posting anything new.<br />To keep up to date, head over to my new blog location at:<br /><a href="http://impersonal-life.tumblr.com/">http://impersonal-life.tumblr.com/</a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-3984537266912159722010-08-18T21:02:00.004+01:002010-08-18T21:24:11.661+01:00Student AdviceWhile at University last year I began writing a series of daily updates based on advice for students. This went on for just over a week, totalling nine updates. I thought the blog could use an update so I've uploaded them here for anybody that might enjoy them:<br /><br />#01<br />Mix energy drinks in your coffee, show your body clock who's boss!<br /><br />#02<br />Recycle! Collect your empty bottles, fill them with varying amount of water then learn to play the Mario themetune on them. Internet stardom awaits!<br /><br />#03<br />Week-old Pizza is still good, providing the mould is replaced with more cheese.<br /><br />#04<br />If it's light outside it's time to sleep.<br /><br />#05<br />Bins must never be taken out unless stacked at least 15 inches above the rim.<br /><br />#06<br />Deadlines don't exist until one day before they're due.<br /><br />#07<br />"My dog ate my work" is no longer a valid excuse, instead opt for "My roommate burnt it".<br /><br />#08<br />Fire alarms are 99% false, the one's that are real are due to late-night drunken cooking.<br /><br />#09<br />Wikipedia forms at least 90% of all research done by a first year student.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67_MFrSd1efKNOv5SDArjgWTjjoApFoum-AYQB-qO-EGFxD2HTNtwdQRr2lUAdrymNYSJcjDe2kWFGwP1mTvh1xajFQw9A7qs4gJRv8mYzkEOBT758AgbUlju-SN5w99PA1pK8peT8QA/s1600/Studies.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67_MFrSd1efKNOv5SDArjgWTjjoApFoum-AYQB-qO-EGFxD2HTNtwdQRr2lUAdrymNYSJcjDe2kWFGwP1mTvh1xajFQw9A7qs4gJRv8mYzkEOBT758AgbUlju-SN5w99PA1pK8peT8QA/s400/Studies.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506848158044329474" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-81808501137255447472010-06-29T13:28:00.009+01:002010-06-29T14:11:24.440+01:00On the horizon...I should start by thanking everybody who downloaded the STUBBS game I posted previously, there was such a demand for downloads that rapidshare's servers couldn't take the strain. It's been well over a month and we racked up a grand total of three downloads! *Cue fanfare*<br />Still, I'm slightly surprised anybody downloaded it at all as hardly anybody reads this blog and it was, let's face it, <span style="font-weight:bold;">awful</span>.<br /><br />You might be interested to know that I'm working on a few different games now, this time I won't be setting myself a 24 hour time limit, so hopefully the deformed creations that spew from my subconscious won't be bug-ridden and/or terrible (as STUBBS undoubtedly was).<br /><br />The first is an RPG in a similar style to the classic 2D Final Fantasy games, with a very familiar battle system. It's very early days though, so no screenshots yet just dozens of documents for planning and design.<br /><br />The latter is a 3D physics-based platformer built in the Unity engine. Expect flying ships, crates, see-saws and boulders galore. There is a working build of the game, but it's not ready for public release yet, I'll keep you posted. Until then, gasp dramatically at these screenshots of the game so far:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEEwze5XrEef3TN0wPJjfp9gMIlFR_jG8KkmnsOBKLQNAqJD-IuY7INjafxoQNOYQ7xUEwEewnf4yvRUV_3y_zRnw7Pxpcm5ZXNABDaOhUemP12xlPlo8_gtBhVaGZOCew6Ew4gl3Ss0/s1600/01.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEEwze5XrEef3TN0wPJjfp9gMIlFR_jG8KkmnsOBKLQNAqJD-IuY7INjafxoQNOYQ7xUEwEewnf4yvRUV_3y_zRnw7Pxpcm5ZXNABDaOhUemP12xlPlo8_gtBhVaGZOCew6Ew4gl3Ss0/s400/01.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488175958567216130" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG_6dqJap311go-UITCFhaFDAHpygkKnA94O55W9gIv7aEJF_-AxHj4v6pVBNRRBQ95s7TW9azqdMukr6-XQAppiskUKI-nze6sZ1Kv2Sl4GIREaa9oKuZfDJllyyjW2NtsdkD3lwtUw/s1600/02.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG_6dqJap311go-UITCFhaFDAHpygkKnA94O55W9gIv7aEJF_-AxHj4v6pVBNRRBQ95s7TW9azqdMukr6-XQAppiskUKI-nze6sZ1Kv2Sl4GIREaa9oKuZfDJllyyjW2NtsdkD3lwtUw/s400/02.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488176216930715442" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90c6aZh8Q6MJX7zHrXNUuaiUK5E9BxYLpxFC49OWQvXJ6-W2t4uDW2HvgMejdGvbQe_myqdNtt-mOXZmz1sa-66_ZMW4RLCZ7kPT8q02lOnPKD3md3S4Mg-nG5FkYFVBDd6QTSRpmF0w/s1600/03.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90c6aZh8Q6MJX7zHrXNUuaiUK5E9BxYLpxFC49OWQvXJ6-W2t4uDW2HvgMejdGvbQe_myqdNtt-mOXZmz1sa-66_ZMW4RLCZ7kPT8q02lOnPKD3md3S4Mg-nG5FkYFVBDd6QTSRpmF0w/s400/03.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488176433967796914" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZ4f8Q4GI2pwCU1eakuyrcL2zcJ2lB7NRtQz-V0MS35gNhnVziSHJbgPm5CeF0eySEBmg1Gw7iJnvU430txY0ddiRTjHMk9MFcwaVUS1CZH2foTabSbTpBAOgvOi8m0FFlpQ8ckaWvv4/s1600/04.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZ4f8Q4GI2pwCU1eakuyrcL2zcJ2lB7NRtQz-V0MS35gNhnVziSHJbgPm5CeF0eySEBmg1Gw7iJnvU430txY0ddiRTjHMk9MFcwaVUS1CZH2foTabSbTpBAOgvOi8m0FFlpQ8ckaWvv4/s400/04.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488176602792203394" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6LOLeBSr2_8dSGFDZ4fRD1dvsM1iLtF3iprSCbNY3bR46aH76Tc0GW3SiO8hzOispr8aSRjhFWoWjn4I_efYudBWQ_TQL2oLjrRaOr3sVmSO3JAiaRVDpiDjSw_yzJgocLzePqD8pnE/s1600/05.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6LOLeBSr2_8dSGFDZ4fRD1dvsM1iLtF3iprSCbNY3bR46aH76Tc0GW3SiO8hzOispr8aSRjhFWoWjn4I_efYudBWQ_TQL2oLjrRaOr3sVmSO3JAiaRVDpiDjSw_yzJgocLzePqD8pnE/s400/05.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488176903845801842" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDVZ20jNvCBj8VTa0f9O981JGcXl8AGM1iNUoUrCY9ZPq9VQpb95JXHCXvSz8kfEnE_LnXGaxSTc2NWMI5JxKW8zqrB0XQ1Zu9VTiOOKh9sf6nE7HCLw9VmXo-buhV_lpL_rbsIrXPAM/s1600/06.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDVZ20jNvCBj8VTa0f9O981JGcXl8AGM1iNUoUrCY9ZPq9VQpb95JXHCXvSz8kfEnE_LnXGaxSTc2NWMI5JxKW8zqrB0XQ1Zu9VTiOOKh9sf6nE7HCLw9VmXo-buhV_lpL_rbsIrXPAM/s400/06.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488177125139866754" /></a><br /><br />And as usual, I've included a comic:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuSxIfkkYUdJJL-JVV3rfuQ8GJLGtdW-UgR3zF6jK3I6-rKHkQDTYQDF4IFUmO2kGdYHYYuz_QALfp2ULWpsSURlWopjGHr8yTuC_JF70oSGuTcZEjUuDE-I3oeye1dmzKZN8e7nl0tk/s1600/Ninja+Turtles.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuSxIfkkYUdJJL-JVV3rfuQ8GJLGtdW-UgR3zF6jK3I6-rKHkQDTYQDF4IFUmO2kGdYHYYuz_QALfp2ULWpsSURlWopjGHr8yTuC_JF70oSGuTcZEjUuDE-I3oeye1dmzKZN8e7nl0tk/s400/Ninja+Turtles.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488182249453625394" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-59753434056590762362010-05-24T05:01:00.008+01:002010-05-24T05:46:37.097+01:00It's Alive! IT'S ALIVE!!!Yesterday I decided to set myself a challenge.<br />I decided I would try and learn a whole new development program and create a game... In 24 hours.<br />This was chaos, but eventually I provailed and "STUBBS: Super Tremendous Ultra Ball Blaster Supreme" (I know, catchy title) was born.<br /><br />STUBBS is a tribute to Pong, with two paddles rebounding a ball between each other. The difference is that it has been recreated in 3D with a complete visual overhaul. Expect sun flares, particle emitters and motion physics galore.<br /><br />STUBBS began life as a couple of 3D blocks sitting happily their axis...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMDF1ejWRCRH-M55MXx78AOUZ30_mZ-Q93oOYY8Y1lD79AZuSIGArRCwGJUVwY9MYXreYpn_Th1E0Dbm4NxDeBiJxvNMUcHUHjW3I7LHWCpBnBx_wyrbDw_KBQ51UF0qYMt6PTBg1Rz0/s1600/01+Skeleton.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMDF1ejWRCRH-M55MXx78AOUZ30_mZ-Q93oOYY8Y1lD79AZuSIGArRCwGJUVwY9MYXreYpn_Th1E0Dbm4NxDeBiJxvNMUcHUHjW3I7LHWCpBnBx_wyrbDw_KBQ51UF0qYMt6PTBg1Rz0/s400/01+Skeleton.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474683547929447250" /></a><br /><br />And then came the lighting and particle effects.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4N7ODaPbFS8QKGOYo5C6FFT1_7xA4wRKtsqOljfK0hMSCV636G3gG-GQTHaCuQ0lJwySChr4JmAZTwF27eTOXtAgADHSdmq_ySHznTy7PpQoCd14czVIxpmiLbb06QiauHEcXIX5PmQ/s1600/02+Effects.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4N7ODaPbFS8QKGOYo5C6FFT1_7xA4wRKtsqOljfK0hMSCV636G3gG-GQTHaCuQ0lJwySChr4JmAZTwF27eTOXtAgADHSdmq_ySHznTy7PpQoCd14czVIxpmiLbb06QiauHEcXIX5PmQ/s400/02+Effects.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474683839776588690" /></a><br /><br />Eventually, the effects became more and more advanced. Texture maps, a lighting halo, an ocean and a skybox were added:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLPzQfkP6PyjdwHXFXYdmHWdCNJsniZdsSxB8A7E8sDnfAVpIz85NLd6c-qR4vv6FK_3-xsW9OoDnM1gtlwdQ3dZrcohjmJ7yDQzwaFbX0GrA4GomrDUkTjGfxRRfCc740WySyTIuKVA/s1600/03+Advanced+Effects.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLPzQfkP6PyjdwHXFXYdmHWdCNJsniZdsSxB8A7E8sDnfAVpIz85NLd6c-qR4vv6FK_3-xsW9OoDnM1gtlwdQ3dZrcohjmJ7yDQzwaFbX0GrA4GomrDUkTjGfxRRfCc740WySyTIuKVA/s400/03+Advanced+Effects.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474684223698058994" /></a><br /><br />Then game ironing out the bugs and making general improvements. The paddles became more capsule-shaped and the ball bounced much more realistically. At this point I also toyed with adding physics objects to the mix, adding five small towers that could be knocked down by the ball. However this had to be removed because the fallen debris altered the bounce of the ball too drastically. The example below shows the towers falling after being hit:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnMHUwFDg9tAqrWdDRJgrnWdnjGCDq_UNUpT9PVROMsyzqQ6udpVdqCgcH1fLMeFPp0-1_Qfx0KZmsZqkp8VPkTUEfF0tECwhMDuDol19w0Oj5tuMRlrekP82uqdKQQL5DHhPA5Y8ep0/s1600/04+Physics.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnMHUwFDg9tAqrWdDRJgrnWdnjGCDq_UNUpT9PVROMsyzqQ6udpVdqCgcH1fLMeFPp0-1_Qfx0KZmsZqkp8VPkTUEfF0tECwhMDuDol19w0Oj5tuMRlrekP82uqdKQQL5DHhPA5Y8ep0/s400/04+Physics.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474685157523014962" /></a><br /><br />Eventually I settled with a simple 3D pong game I'm happy to say I made in under 24 hours. I have approximately 6 hours left as I write this; <span style="font-weight:bold;">MISSION SUCCESSFUL</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">If you want to download STUBBS, you can find it here:<br /><a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/390908689/STUBBS.zip">http://rapidshare.com/files/390908689/STUBBS.zip</a><br /><br />Just unzip STUBBS.zip and run STUBBS.exe<br />Enjoy!</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6zIlkWXTwEthD26rXFzhF_frFHTXTSKeZ86W0mwKABCF7SdMYZhK5UshHMALpsk8hii3AYZQ61bB59EQYDtxjw3c9TFh5aolfBEXMGnlohtqMeuSTHOSTIFcrpJjK8pEeQH7ZoLnW1s/s1600/Command+Unknown.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6zIlkWXTwEthD26rXFzhF_frFHTXTSKeZ86W0mwKABCF7SdMYZhK5UshHMALpsk8hii3AYZQ61bB59EQYDtxjw3c9TFh5aolfBEXMGnlohtqMeuSTHOSTIFcrpJjK8pEeQH7ZoLnW1s/s400/Command+Unknown.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474692914354372594" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Ever notice how freeform sandbox games never quite deliver everything they promise...?"</span>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-79016095211286342432010-05-18T11:31:00.003+01:002010-05-18T11:47:53.032+01:00ExamsI've just finished my final exam, where's the confetti?!<br />Not much is happening at the moment that's noteworthy, so I haven't updated the blog too recently. Looks like I really need a few more interesting things to happen!<br />That being said, we're currently planning a video here in J2 with all of us in it. That should be great to film and will be a brilliant way to remember our time here before we all part ways. It also gave me an excuse to buy a T-Shirt to use in a few of the skits:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hn939rmnlSUgxSVgnkScoeCMx_ZWpoapfLSWvxd9Dv1_fn97VwTnBX2HTf7F2rvoPTr0tgNCPAb95D8ylnoj6MURMjCuNBFD8Vwh_HmH8Ek1aI6xgIkNKDeMcEPvI84EtU43-bDSIK4/s1600/Game+T-Shirt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hn939rmnlSUgxSVgnkScoeCMx_ZWpoapfLSWvxd9Dv1_fn97VwTnBX2HTf7F2rvoPTr0tgNCPAb95D8ylnoj6MURMjCuNBFD8Vwh_HmH8Ek1aI6xgIkNKDeMcEPvI84EtU43-bDSIK4/s400/Game+T-Shirt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472559337466337234" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Yes, that's braille on the back. Not even the blind are safe.</span><br /><br />And of course, there's the mandatory comic strip. I think it pretty much speaks for itself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbNQs72430syg5oKKW0iDrbTpmNtC9f0ZLVmC27FAN3STrm3GWIBqinwLQWaF-dtijc7Lz47sY7I_8xxc_Kog9YdIaveh_iJZH5i1nUzlVelZnE1LWC0f2vCB-aizWkIuzWtW6WmxFjg/s1600/Exams.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbNQs72430syg5oKKW0iDrbTpmNtC9f0ZLVmC27FAN3STrm3GWIBqinwLQWaF-dtijc7Lz47sY7I_8xxc_Kog9YdIaveh_iJZH5i1nUzlVelZnE1LWC0f2vCB-aizWkIuzWtW6WmxFjg/s400/Exams.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472559610081989730" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-46605626586757639842010-04-30T19:44:00.006+01:002010-04-30T20:42:04.941+01:00It's official, I'm finished for the year!<br />Lectures are over and the only dark cloud looming over my near future is the final exam on the 18th of May. Still, I have approximately 432 hours until then so everything's looking good.<br /><br />I had a great time over Easter Break, spent with my family and friends. My personal highlights were the Easter Party and a week spent Skiing in Andorra.<br /><br />Skiing again was brilliant, managed to pick it up again within just a few hours. The first run's always a little daunting, but within minutes you'll be hurtling down the mountain with carefree abandon with a compulsory "Wheeeeeeeeeee!" sound.<br /><br />As you can see below, there was plenty of snow which lasted throughout the week.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_lwzH7RqkqhkABl5KgdwrKlNzOIFB7Sv3WeaC5Hy0sGnfps9qfxC4R3-QKLwRTQMbb_bD64evKt8hicb4_IMNm_0mQcyDtBrVc_Ilaeur-jexKTMiW6s5KTQTwryUOsbYEUw_drBrfE/s1600/DSC01741.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_lwzH7RqkqhkABl5KgdwrKlNzOIFB7Sv3WeaC5Hy0sGnfps9qfxC4R3-QKLwRTQMbb_bD64evKt8hicb4_IMNm_0mQcyDtBrVc_Ilaeur-jexKTMiW6s5KTQTwryUOsbYEUw_drBrfE/s400/DSC01741.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466006985288649282" /></a><br /><br />The apartment was much better than we all expected, with a massive amount of living space and a great view of the mountains:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuf6eCnFIq4CYwA6UIdVkZm6EFIAZr-g3ZjbmOefg1R52-BYtWtCTFW66nohB9ANxrfQXXKxu4xfu0TSHoQsY5eMkLDFOZ-tP2WtLcO6BnjkN6QCUntkw0C85wU1SiM43HxBIUzygkog/s1600/DSC01731.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuf6eCnFIq4CYwA6UIdVkZm6EFIAZr-g3ZjbmOefg1R52-BYtWtCTFW66nohB9ANxrfQXXKxu4xfu0TSHoQsY5eMkLDFOZ-tP2WtLcO6BnjkN6QCUntkw0C85wU1SiM43HxBIUzygkog/s400/DSC01731.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466007537664993234" /></a><br /><br />And to top it off, bottles of wine for under £1!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ksiIi-Z1y8kk9YyWCF53vwm245-9HU1ww5GXTsy6SLg94IAF-qDU1nYzRzXCrdhr6hmvgTPlwcFA4xXtPYlH8wOO2CwTltzjWEa_h5-pmyrH7El7zARDn1Oe04orkaczKmO7G-XLGA4/s1600/DSC01765.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ksiIi-Z1y8kk9YyWCF53vwm245-9HU1ww5GXTsy6SLg94IAF-qDU1nYzRzXCrdhr6hmvgTPlwcFA4xXtPYlH8wOO2CwTltzjWEa_h5-pmyrH7El7zARDn1Oe04orkaczKmO7G-XLGA4/s400/DSC01765.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466008046540834130" /></a><br /><br />While skiing I decided to do a bit of filming for the blog, so I grabbed the camera and recorded a full run from a first-person perspective. Unfortunately there's littl sense of speed because of the lack of detail in the snow as it moves past, but at some points the camera is moving *pretty* fast.<br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j4u4i2JdHm0&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j4u4i2JdHm0&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />After getting back from Andorra I had plenty of animation work to do with Redders and Rachel. We headed back a bit early to work through the weekend on it, tirelessly animating our project. A few days (and sleepless nights) later we presented our work to the world, which went pretty well almost grabbing the elusive first.<br /><br />The next panic after that deadline was the Technology exam the following week. I don't yet have the marks back, but I have a good feeling I've passed. *Crosses fingers*<br /><br />To close the academic year, we had a rather interesting lecture. It was comprised of German Television, Prog Rock and our very own "TECHS-Factor" (which was as wonderfully cheesey as it sounds). It involved getting up in front of the lecture theater, logging into your chosen online instrument (eg: <a href="http://www.inudge.net/">iNudge</a> or <a href="http://www.pianographique.com/">Pianographique</a>) and pumping out some "kickin' chunes" in a bid to win some booze. It was all worth it to watch our tutor Andrew Clay bob his have and have a mini-rave to the techno music on offer.<br /><br />I had hoped by this point to have had my Music Video ("Watch Over You" by "Alter Bridge") and Creative Video ("How To Film Your Creative Video") uploaded to share, but it's been a nightmare. Google Videos is no longer taking uploads, YouTube flashes up errors with every attempt, Facebook gives up half way through each try and they're too big to upload to Vimeo. I really am stuck for ideas, so if you know an alternative please let me know!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHnrblS4auyEp86lRT5V1O7RHHauDIB89RHhQau58viMK2ZSmq0-ZajQPYHumA1m75ZHdcPzICztL3GyZU2-wlUKfziI3Tk4sn45jDLK2P7ulo-Zv3LKdgN6XN6HZ43JXrkiQGMmJznI/s1600/Skiing.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHnrblS4auyEp86lRT5V1O7RHHauDIB89RHhQau58viMK2ZSmq0-ZajQPYHumA1m75ZHdcPzICztL3GyZU2-wlUKfziI3Tk4sn45jDLK2P7ulo-Zv3LKdgN6XN6HZ43JXrkiQGMmJznI/s400/Skiing.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466017819917548914" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-81907780609046175902010-02-26T13:37:00.003+00:002010-02-26T14:38:21.586+00:00TLDR: I'm Back!I have returned! *Cue celebratory music*<br />It's been a while, I've been a little pre-occiped setting up the new PC (which incidently is so big it could eat my old one).<br /><br />Back at University I've been keeping busy. Yesterday I walked into Uni wearing a full suit. This wasn't a random (and very nearly brilliant) decision though, I was becoming a fake news anchor for the afteroon as part of our News Report spoof. It went pretty well, I had my fair share of inability to read lines and there was a good dose of corpsing too. Themes of the afternoon included carnivorous lobsters, escaped lunatics and horse love. So a usual day at University it seems.<br /><br />In animation we've been writing a storyboard and script for our mock fairytale trailer: "Lil' Red Riding Hoodie". It's planned out now, so all that remains is recording the lines, drawing the scenes/characters and then animating it together. Is this a good time to mention that I've been cast as the voice of Wolf from Gladiators? Yep, that'll be interesting...<br /><br />I spent last Sunday at a heavy metal concert with some friends, which was a really enjoyable experience. The line-up was "Man must Die", "Bleeding Through" and "Hatebreed" with "Machine Head" headlining. While I don't typically listen to much heavy music (I'm more into Rock) I quite liked the first two acts. The third act; Hatebreed were awful though (despite getting the "best" crowd reaction of the three). One of the reasons I went was to hear Halo performed live by Machine Head, it being my favourite reasonably heavy track. Unfortunately I missed it as we had to catch the last train home. Maybe next time, eh?<br />You can find the pictures <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlharker/sets/72157623361160533/">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvLVXqeQe5FIxgth0uB0Nyaa51UmY9y21a3yclt1cW5JRySmiG6TnHB1rsNDCsOyDAMmlZ00z_J_fWA4e6ONbwgOfRcAvoJwQPWurH45Mwo6BQzEdB4IPmq8yf-VXMEEXQZefLkTSrXU/s1600-h/Rocking+Out.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvLVXqeQe5FIxgth0uB0Nyaa51UmY9y21a3yclt1cW5JRySmiG6TnHB1rsNDCsOyDAMmlZ00z_J_fWA4e6ONbwgOfRcAvoJwQPWurH45Mwo6BQzEdB4IPmq8yf-VXMEEXQZefLkTSrXU/s400/Rocking+Out.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442560906205577202" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-66031385984044817712010-02-17T00:47:00.004+00:002010-02-17T00:59:37.222+00:00MeltdownI'm having a few problems with my PC. By "a few", I mean *it-literally-melts-if-I-even-try-to-run-a-flash-game*. Which means I've had to order a new computer. I'll probably be unable to update this for a couple of days, but rest assured you'll be able to hear me grumble and rant shortly. The only difference will be that I'll have a loud quad-core PC to drown out the noise.<br /><br />The computer should arrive late this week and I'm going to a concert on Sunday, which means the next update is likely to be around Monday/Tuesday next week.<br /><br />Until then, I'll cross my fingers and hope this PC doesn't explode!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3p94sPUHmbUMyuUOUgaqLGqBh8dpzyc6N9tFUkphZkihMMho0jRdV3EqkuGMdZxymzTHBHgjerFtV_rDfaHvX3CJSFYp4uYmCyLA0RhpEDUxUJZJges4OP5B1uFrddB934jhZylcNatU/s1600-h/Modded+PCs.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3p94sPUHmbUMyuUOUgaqLGqBh8dpzyc6N9tFUkphZkihMMho0jRdV3EqkuGMdZxymzTHBHgjerFtV_rDfaHvX3CJSFYp4uYmCyLA0RhpEDUxUJZJges4OP5B1uFrddB934jhZylcNatU/s400/Modded+PCs.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439009355077169218" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-7645214229820450232010-02-11T12:56:00.005+00:002010-02-11T13:55:26.093+00:00Where am I?I thought I'd post an update to let you guys know where you can find me on the <a href="http://xkcd.com/181/">interblag</a>. I check most of these often, so feel free to get in touch!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/karlharker">Facebook</a> - Where I get my (perhaps too regular) dose of social networking.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlharker/">Flickr</a> - Where I keep a few of my photos.<br /><br /><a href="http://thestripper.stripgenerator.com/">Strip Generator</a> - Where I make the comic strips for this blog.<br /><br /><a href="http://raptr.com/karl">Raptr</a> - Where I track the games I play.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.karlharker.deviantart.com/">Deviant Art</a> - Where I upload some of my artwork.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kongregate.com/accounts/karlharker">Kongregate</a> - Where I go to play a few Flash games when I'm bored.<br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/karlharker">Twitter</a> - I don't use this much anymore. But I might start it again soon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.formspring.me/karlharker">Form Spring</a> - Where you can ask me anything you want.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQlgICRabqrvgnBrJyhF8MdkZdR4E0nbtmt_Mezehu7V2FK5Ab6J1ahbHx3R7RXJg3gfIdYOETAK3hbfxe6y35WeQRapmfNNRGiIuX7YAYOxrQ4pp8pXxDrjNUpmvPBFpx-hxCAPUZ40/s1600-h/Facebook+Addiction.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQlgICRabqrvgnBrJyhF8MdkZdR4E0nbtmt_Mezehu7V2FK5Ab6J1ahbHx3R7RXJg3gfIdYOETAK3hbfxe6y35WeQRapmfNNRGiIuX7YAYOxrQ4pp8pXxDrjNUpmvPBFpx-hxCAPUZ40/s400/Facebook+Addiction.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436983585461338642" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-3557181544255219812010-02-09T11:21:00.006+00:002010-02-09T12:36:28.570+00:00Generation GamesHello world.<br />I came across an interesting article by Gus Mastrapa, headed: "21st-Century Shooters Are No Country for Old Men" today. It got me thinking (breaking the trend) about the advancement of "skill" through generations.<br />The argument the article poses is that the younger generation are becoming so adept at playing video games that they have already overtaken the progress of older gamers (even those with many more years of experience).<br />It's a fascinating concept to be able to see changes so rapid, but also because a high amount of skill in such games (typically shooters) requires faster reactions, sharper visual perception and precise control of the input device (such as a mouse, keyboard, gamepad etc). If these skills are developing and even out-performing the skill level of an older, more experienced player, then at what point will the improvements peak? Have we yet reached that point? Will everybody see the day where they get beaten by a squeaky-voiced, obnoxious 10 year old?<br /><br />Is it only shooters that the theory applies to? They would appear the require the highest amount of technical skill, with puzzle or strategy games often claiming the prize for working the brain the most. Is it the skills used in this Genre that are able to develop earlier perhaps? Or, as I may suggest, is it down to practice? The "younger generation" undoubtedly have more time to spend playing the games than the typical older gamer.<br />Another interesting idea is the inclusion of new concepts. When a genuinely game-changing concept is introduced (vastly altering how a game is played), is the skill difference between generations reset? I would say that while the idea is new and unfamiliar, the ground is level. This would eventually change however, as the younger generation has more time to practice and experiment with the concept. And soon the kids will be annoying the adults once more, thus is the circle of life.<br /><br />Kids: Enjoy it while it lasts, it won't be long until you get beaten by somebody a decade younger than you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2xRTO2bsQMobdFSemP7iLhEg2rLwofLfs1yaDuGx09-DV5Qk_gyBL95XPcNo0I7VZKYn2f1lmlRHVb-Ghmz8DVFv-WB6roO-ObWon5LheegEvXGO3-FS5-vRTsluPL_4RGgqu8FfnQQ/s1600-h/Generation+Games.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2xRTO2bsQMobdFSemP7iLhEg2rLwofLfs1yaDuGx09-DV5Qk_gyBL95XPcNo0I7VZKYn2f1lmlRHVb-Ghmz8DVFv-WB6roO-ObWon5LheegEvXGO3-FS5-vRTsluPL_4RGgqu8FfnQQ/s320/Generation+Games.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436221032606446530" /></a><br /><br />Reference:<br /><a href="http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/02/no-country-for-old-men?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher">Gus Mastrapa's Article</a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-83416752353760154732010-02-04T17:06:00.005+00:002010-02-04T17:57:23.331+00:00Student LifeThought I'd write something about my time here at University. For those of you that don't know, I'm studying at DeMontfort on a (BSc) Media Production course (yes, it does exist). I'm 19 weeks in now and everything's going pretty well.<br />During this time I have:<br /><br />-Created a website in html using JPad Pro.<br />(It's basic, but it worked well enough.)<br /><br />-Created a photomontage with Adobe Photoshop.<br />(Always been more of a Paint Shop Pro person, to be honest.)<br /><br />-Learned Animation using Adobe Director.<br />(Still need to create a final though.)<br /><br />-Learned to use Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing.<br />(Sensing an Adobe theme here...)<br /><br />-Built a Radio<br />(What a useful skill, eh?)<br /><br />-Learned that calculators have buttons on them.<br />(Thanks Captain Obvious... Erm... "Mike Howkins"...)<br /><br />Some of the lectures are dire (here's looking at you, Tech Fundamentals) but others aren't so bad, and the lab sessions are always useful. Most of the work is done in my room, which has to fight for my attention between the Xbox, Parties and Clubs. It always gets done, though I have no idea how.<br />Out of tuition life couldn't get much better; cheap drinks, plenty to do and extreme chairing!<br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wDrPNgUNDZU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wDrPNgUNDZU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object><br /><br />Anyway, I should bring this entry to a close. So, without further ado I present the second comic strip. Sorry it's a bit small, you can view it in full by clicking it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwAQ2A2kldZ-7IE-itiU5mYz_jvpxFmG7Bc_Pk6K-TSPzjSJbPHxp3FeWrsqVrhHlIlYjFdzzxPUtg6LfIEac_bdn4FuoCdEln3RP8geAW1CC22EtcyqPW-7bcms-k8CZDnbB3wYZyiE/s1600-h/Tips+for+Uni.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwAQ2A2kldZ-7IE-itiU5mYz_jvpxFmG7Bc_Pk6K-TSPzjSJbPHxp3FeWrsqVrhHlIlYjFdzzxPUtg6LfIEac_bdn4FuoCdEln3RP8geAW1CC22EtcyqPW-7bcms-k8CZDnbB3wYZyiE/s400/Tips+for+Uni.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434447868535722610" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-44132095431370890372010-02-03T12:05:00.005+00:002010-02-09T11:20:22.068+00:00Stripping: A different wayYou heard it here first; I'm going to start stripping. Comic stripping that is. From this post onwards I'll be creating a comic strip to accompany my entries on here. I'll try to make the theme tie-in with the topic of the post, but I can't make any promises. It's easy to get distracted from the main subject and wander off a little... So, before I end the post I'd like to- Oh look! A squirrel!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLC-gizJMp6h2M3_ftLEa1tq_LdD6UHAxY9xKMlgodWgyf1765sG9BAJXRSO9C8r-rjTk4mOTvol0ASLokFciwCGPZXMy31J2z13UPFArDh6frUFiFTfTihPE1K604VtbFVJJrB_0TPQ/s1600-h/Help+me.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZLC-gizJMp6h2M3_ftLEa1tq_LdD6UHAxY9xKMlgodWgyf1765sG9BAJXRSO9C8r-rjTk4mOTvol0ASLokFciwCGPZXMy31J2z13UPFArDh6frUFiFTfTihPE1K604VtbFVJJrB_0TPQ/s320/Help+me.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433987240013200850" /></a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-46034148036361397842010-01-28T09:22:00.009+00:002010-02-09T11:19:35.844+00:00Scapegoats and TanksI was stumbling through the internet this morning (anything to distract myself from giving a presentation...) and came across a couple of articles that caught my attention.<br /><br />The first, "Tanks, but no tanks" details how an iPod game ("Tank Battles in Suburbia"), a game that features New Jersey towns in it's level design, was received in New Jersey. To say the least, it had mixed reactions. The Mayor of Edison "Antonia Ricigliano" claims:<br /><blockquote>"Some of these video games are — my goodness — why are they so bent on destruction?"</blockquote><br />An interesting question, Mr Ricigliano. May I retort? Have you ever played the game? Does your opinion on the subject extend any further than the title of the game? Are you, for lack of a better term, reading a book by it's cover? It would seem that Antonia hasn't done his research. So, I did it for him; TBiS (Tank Battles in Suburbia) is a top-down, low budget arcade shooter. It features a small tank sprite that fires small pellets (shells) to eliminate other tank sprites. Add to that buildings that are destroyed in ~2 hits and you have yourself an iPod game. (To see the game for yourself check the links at the end of this post.) It's about as destructive and dangerous as a cotton bud wrapped in bubble-wrap.<br />In a somewhat redeeming conclusion "Kathryn Weller-Demming" (a Councilwoman-at-large for Montclair) stated:<br /><blockquote>"I don’t think there’s anything a fictional video game can take away from what’s great about Montclair. Certainly no one should be encouraged to perpetuate violence, but video games don’t raise people. Parents raise people."</blockquote><br />Somebody get that woman a cookie. It's uplifting to see somebody ready to say it how it is. After all, who's going to be driving tanks through New Jersey because they played it on their iPod? "<span style="font-style:italic;">Haha! I've come to the Suburbs to shoot at Tanks! What...? There aren't any here but me?... Hmmm... I didn't really think this through...</span>"<br /><br />The second article is considerably worse.<br />A nine year old boy from Stewart Creek Elementary School hung himself in the school restrooms. Stemming from this, a Clinical Psychologist Dr. Brenda Wade stepped in to offer her views.<br />She claims that tragedies such as this are due to two main factors:<br />-“<span style="font-style:italic;">More instability</span>” in families, because of external stresses and the economy.<br />-Violent video games.<br />Yes. That's right: Violent video games kill... Or do they?<br />Dr Wade claims:<br /><blockquote>"We just covered, a couple days ago, the story that children are watching as much as 52 hours a week of TV and sitting in front of a screen."</blockquote><br />Fair enough, a reasonable observation. But then she continues:<br /><blockquote>"A lot of that content is not uplifting and it’s not teaching our children how to handle problems and feelings."</blockquote><br />Woah. Hold on there a second. We went from research to opinion in seconds. Since when are games not uplifting? They are played because they are <span style="font-weight:bold;">enjoyed </span>by the player. Another interesting point is that at no point is it ever shown that this boy played video games, never-mind those that are restricted. It seems like blatant scapegoating of a tragedy to me.<br /><br />Perhaps the problem is elsewhere? Perhaps for example in family life?<br />Dr Wade seemed not too fond of this idea and stated that she doesn't "<span style="font-style:italic;">want to blame and cast dispersions</span>” at what role the boy’s family may have played in the tragedy. This is an unusual claim as she previously said:<br /><blockquote>"The other factor is that younger and younger children are exposed to very violent videogames with content that I would shudder to have an adult watch on a regular basis."</blockquote><br />So, to summarise; Children are playing adult rated games. Parents are buying their children adult rated games. The parent's are not at fault? Yeah, that makes perfect sense. Thank you Dr Wade.<br /><br />Well, rant over. There are links to everything I've mentioned below.<br />What do you think about the articles? Let me know.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sources</span>:<br /><br />TBiS Gameplay video:<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XzHm7F-3rQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XzHm7F-3rQ</a><br /><br />TBiS Sample Image:<br /><a href="http://iphone.iusethis.com/screenshot/iphone/tankbattlesinsuburbia.png">http://iphone.iusethis.com/screenshot/iphone/tankbattlesinsuburbia.png</a><br /><br />Game Poltics Article - Tanks but no Tanks:<br /><a href="http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/01/27/tanks-no-tanks-nj-civic-leaders-react-game">http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/01/27/tanks-no-tanks-nj-civic-leaders-react-game</a><br /><br />Game Politics Article - Dr Plays Violent Game Blame Card:<br /><a href="http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/01/26/after-tragedy-dr-plays-violent-game-blame-card">http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/01/26/after-tragedy-dr-plays-violent-game-blame-card</a>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999577272269065282.post-33157443172168476312010-01-27T18:07:00.001+00:002010-02-09T11:16:43.541+00:00A Warm WelcomeWell, I finally caved in and made a blog. Doubting anybody will ever actually read this gives a sense of freedom, so I can write pretty much anything. Though, as I've come to learn, just because you <span style="font-weight: bold;">can</span> doesn't mean you <span style="font-weight: bold;">should</span>.<br />Basically, this will be a place I'll <span style="font-style: italic;">try </span>to keep updated with random thoughts and ideas. A (hopefully not too scary) insight into my impersonal life.<br />It will undoubtedly be awful and ill-structured at first, but bare with me, I'll get there.<br /><br />Here's to the birth of something that probably won't last too long [insert politically incorrect joke here]: My Blog.Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12325147884313137281noreply@blogger.com0