From one of the founder of the world famous Pirate Bay comes a new venture, Flattr. What it does is literally making web clicks into a currency, were you click on the content you want to give money to. I have attached a video explaining the concept better.
I really think this can be something. Clicks are already a way to get paid today with system such as Google Adwords and other advertising tools. We like to “Like” things on Facebook and just pressing a button to join a group. The big question mark is the man behind it, Peter Sunde famous from operating and defending Pirate Bay. Debating heavily in Sweden that things on the web should be free, its a bit strange that he develops a system for paying content creators on the net. Just a bit contradicting.
Yesterday when I was searching through all the system and account preferences on my PS3 to see if I could somehow change my account name, I found some hidden Facebook settings. Just out of curiosity I inserted my Facebook account information and then left it. And to my surprise, when I earn a Trophy it gets posted on my Facebook page. Amazing! A feature I really like and hope to see more of. Have been searching today on the web if Xbox have anything similar, but it doesn’t seem they have.
I knew Facebook and Twitter had come to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 but didn’t find it to be that exciting. Just using the services on my console, with no extra or special features? But this PS3 Facebook connected thing was really neat!
Today it was time for me to receive the new Facebook interface design. Didn’t know it was coming until a few days ago when I recieved an invite to a Facebook group against the new design. That’s how my generation gets update on what happens in the world, Facebook groups invite.
Discussed it with some people at work today. They thought it was quite messy, but I don’t see it as that big of a deal. Facebook probably have a good reason behind the new design and they won’t change back now. Everytime they update their site, people complain, but then we don’t hear them anymore after a while. I don’t rememeber the old designs I lived through.
One of the first big games to be released this year is the crazy Bayonetta from SEGA and Platinum Games (creators of Okami, Devil May Cry and other great games). When they announced it and showed screentshot I wasn’t that interested in it. Seemed just like a Devil May Cry clone but with more focus on sexiness. And boy is it sexy!
Once reviews started coming in and a lot of buzz talk from people who had imported the Japanese version, my interested increased. And just days before the game released I booked a copy. I never regretted that.
Bayonetta is really hard to explain to others, its simply something you have to see and play to believe. Its complete madness, but good madness. The game doesn’t take it self to seriously and know where it stands. A story you simply have to laugh at, but hinters at something deeper.
The most important part of this game is the game-play and action. And that’s what it does best. The controls are tight and not to much a copy of God of War. One thing you have to rely on all the time is the “dodging” effect called Witch Bullet. If you time your dodge correct everything slows down except you. In contradiction to the blocking in God of War you only have the dodging in this game.
And dodging is required a lot! This games is actually quite hard. Not cause the enemy’s are that hard, but because the penalty you get from using items, taking damage, taking to long time and dying! After every encounter you get a score of your performance and at the end of every chapter, the scores are calculated together. And if you have played okey on many encounters, the end result can be very low. It will probably result in some frustration second round of playing it, since I want good scores.
A second play-through is definetly gonna happend. This game just came and blew me away. It was a long time since I had such a enjoyable experience. Short but action packed to the bone. It really kick started this year with all the great releases coming. And better, they are coming soon.
Its always nice when a great game come where the expectations are zero and turns out to be really good!
Okey now that the biggest hype about Apples new product have cooled down, here are my thoughts. It was hard to noticed or know anything about it if, like me, you had didn’t watch the key note and wanted to see if with your own eyes. It seems that for each new product Apple announces the crowd who follow it live over the web increase. The day after the unveiling of the iPad, even our Swedish tv news reported about it. Even a gaming site like Kotaku had what seems like 10-15 post in a row about the iPad directly after or during the announcement.
It seems the reaction wasn’t that positive as previous product announcements, like the iPhone. It feels like people still try to figure out if they really need an iPad if they already own an iPhone, iPod and probably an Mac. Those mixed reaction is understandable, as the bigger Apple gets, the pressure increases on each new innovation to top the previous one. I think many just don’t think this announcement really cut it.
I watched the key note presentation, haven’t read that much about it (didn’t need to thanks to the web were everyone talks about it) and tried to feel inside what I think. And in the end… I probably want one! I am not completely clear on why I want one, or if I have a need for it. I would probably use it as a portable computer were I can do some basic work with as well as what movies and have all my contacts in. And I can accually see myself playing games on this one.
One of the big thing that people have been discussing is if this will be a real competitor for Nintendo DS and Sony PSP regarding the hand held game machine market. I think Apple have an advantage regarding their brand. Regular people know Apple better than Sony and Nintendo. On the other hand, the iPad isn’t that cheap. So the installbase will probably not be that big, to begin with at least. One of the best moves they made is that all iPhone / iPod Touch games works on the iPad.
Not as innovative or revolutionary as previous Apple products, but I still want one
Today’s nice surprise! Since I have pre-ordered God of War 3 (but not just any version, the God of War 3 Ultimate Trilogy Edition!), today i recieved a redeem code to download the demo. This as a part of me pre-order a special edition of the game. So this evening I downloaded and played the demo.
If I was to name one game I look forward to more than other (see my previous post about games 2010 I wait for), God of War 3 would be at the top. And now I have finally tried it. And I am really excited now! Recently I replayed the first and second instalment of the series on the PS3 remake. The graphic in GoW3 is really something special. The style and feel of the first games is there, same goes for controls. Exactly the same as before. The core seems to be even more crazy from the older titles, but that’s most due to the more realistic graphics. All in all it was God of War, but more and better! The only thing that bugged me was the annoying chain sound when he uses his blades, and knowing God of War, it will be played alot!
Tomorrow I will pick up my copy if Dantes Inferno. In my opinion EAs answer to God of War and also available for Xbox 360 users. After playing the demo and following the stories and new screenshots, I think it will have a very hard time against God of War. The control are exactly the same as GoW, but they were still not the same. Something I can’t touch wasn’t there. As a game journalist friend said after playing it “Its okey, but its not God of War”. That sums up my expectation on Dantes Inferno quite good. Hope I still will enjoy it. Its from the makers of Dead Space and I really enjoyed that one. But the God of War team have had 2 games before really perfecting everything. It kinda feels more like the biggest competitor with Dantes Inferno right now is Bioshock 2! And thats only cause they will be released at the same day in North America. For us Bioshock 2 comes out next week and have asked 2K Games for a 360 copy.
God of War 3 is due to come out in March so I have some time to play through many games I have in the pipe to play before that. Just a two weeks before GoW3 Final Fantasy XIII comes out. Don’t know what to expect from the thirteen instalment.
Now that 2010 have started and I have done a list of what I found was best in 2009, I have a new list of what I look forward to this year. As for movies and music its hard to say. Games on the other hand I have a few favourites that I look forward to play. Here are some of the titles I wait for:
God of War 3
Bioshock 2
Mafia 2
Final Fantasy XIII
The Last Guardian
Also what I really hope for in 2010 even if its only an announcement it would be Warhawk 2.
And this list is only of the titles that I know of.
As for music I don’t know what albums will be coming out this year, I can only wish for new albums and great music from:
Equilibrium
Heaven Shall Burn
Neaera
Anterior
Children of Bodom
Movie is even harder to predict. Don’t know many movies that will come out soon. I would like to see a new Harry Potter movie this year, but don’t think this will happen. One I know I look forward to is Iron Man 2, after viewing the trailer I had to watch the first movie and really liked it. Other than this not many movies I am excited about.
Now 2009 have come to an end. And its been a good year, I thinks so at least. Much have happened, and can’t remember everything. When looking back on it, many memories comes to mind. Travelling, holidays, parties, games, festivals and many more things. As with every year I like to do list of what was the best from the year that was in certain categories. I can’t talk about everything from 2009, here is my favourite Games, Music albums and Movies from 2009:
Games:
Batman Arkham Asylum
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Assassins Creed 2
Machinarium
Resident Evil 5
Comment: It was a good year regarding games. My only problem was finding time to play them all. Still haven’t finished or started some that I am interested in. Some games lived up to expectations, some didn’t while other just surprised me. After much thought I must say that Batman Arkham Asylum was the best game of 2009 for me, due to the awesome game it was, and that it just came and blew me away!
Music:
Threat Signal – Vigilance
Killswitch Engage – Killswitch Engage
Nightrage – Wearing a Martyrs Crown
Five Finger Death Punch – War is the Answer
Comment: Here I really had to think hard. New music and albums this year was kinda weak and no album that really stood out. Many okey albums. Hope 2010 holds many nice surprises!
Movies:
Transformers Revenge of the Fallen
District 9
James Cameron’s Avatar
Zombieland
Comment: As with music I had to think about this one. One movie was already in my mind, Transformers 2 that I really enjoyed and nominated to movie of the year for me. It isn’t the best movie in terms of story or so, but damn entertaining and COOL!
Other than this 2009 was a lot of work, were I really got into everything on GamersGate, and have felt how I have developed. I still have much more to learn (no we can never stop learning). Its been some frustrations, suprises and laughter. As life should be, a roller coaster.
As for the personal stuff, things have been really good, when I have had time for it. Maybe haven’t taken the time for myself or my friends as I would have liked. And definitely to little blogging… really feel that I haven’t had time or energy to work with this blog. Hope that I can find more time and energy next year. But that can be improved in 2010!
Now finally Facebook and Twitter on Xbox 360 have gone live. Downloaded them today and just briefly tried them out, and I don’t feel that blown away. How I understood it you have to enter the both services separately, and you can’t do anything else when you use them. Thats okey I guess, but it would be much more powerful it they accessable also when playing games. We don’t want to exit the game to access social services. For example wouldn’t it be great to be able between matches in Modern Warfare 2, to tweet the result, or tell everyone on Facebook the score? I haven’t explored the Xbox version completely and to connect with Xbox Live friends, it seems they have to “activate” the applications.
Its interesting to see how the social sites like Facebook, Twitter and even Last.fm is expanding to new territories such as the video game consoles. Companies start (or already have) understood the power of working with the social sites. For example at GamersGate I created our Facebook group and our Twitter feed (@Gamersgate). Its a great tool to communicate with our fans and followers. And its wonderful how we can connect all the services together. For example how every time I write a Tweet (which doesn’t happen often) it automatically generate a Facebook “what am I doing?”. And I am just learning more about Facebook Connect and the possibilities it offers. I look forward for the time when we only need one account that’s connected to all different services.
Today Ubisoft launched its new digital service Uplay. Going out in a press release (I created an account earlier today) that the first game using this will be Assassins Creed 2, released today in North America. Before the press releases I was in and watched the video describing uPlays features. In a nutshell its Ubisofts own centralised digital platform, connecting their games and the players.
To begin with it will be focused on four services:
Uplay Win
Uplay Help
Uplay Share
Uplay Shop
And the services isn’t dependent on platform, but will span through the three important ones, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. It will offer players community features, achievements and possibilities to shop (I would view as DLC ). I kind a like it. I mean, the platform owners already have this in place. But this gives Ubisoft more control, and if they can break this to create a huge community it can really be something big. I think this is the first step for the big publishers to do their own thing and not give away control to Microsoft, Sony or say Steam.
The Press Release details:
Ubisoft announced today that players of Assassin’s Creed II on PlayStation® 3 and Xbox 360® will be able to use the in-game interface to connect directly to the Uplay beta.
Uplay is Ubisoft’s online destination where gamers are at the center of a connected gaming universe that will be developed around four primary services: Uplay Win, Uplay Help, Uplay Share and Uplay Shop. The Uplay Beta is only launching with Uplay Win so far.
Uplay Winenables players to collect units based on their actions in the games and exchange them for rewards such as exclusive in-game content or goodies. Uplay Win’s Units can also be gathered cross platform: PC,360, PS3.
In Assassin’s Creed II, a real Altaïr costume and exclusive in-game content such as access to the Auditore Family Crypt are among the rewards offered through Uplay Win. For those who don’t want to redeem their units right away, they can save them to use on other games such as the upcoming Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction and many more to come.
Players will also be able to access Uplay Share, Uplay Shop and Uplay Help fromwww.uplay.com.
And first out is Assassins Creed 2, so its gonna be very exciting to see how it works! Got news that Ubisoft sent me a PS3 copy today
