Stumbled again (i love stumbling!!) over this article about the basics of using actionscript to create a RTS/Strategy type of flash game.
I find it especially intriguing ’cause the actionscript source itself pretty much is commented about at every line, so i’ve managed to pick up and apply my own needs with various areas of that chunk of code.
It’s great reference and/or base source material for anyone that’s also into Flash game development.
I have to say, first up, the dell 2408WFP is around 2 or 3 years old now, with a couple Revisions done to it, they are currently at “Rev A02″ shipped. Rev 02 knocks out all the kinks in the older revisions, making the Dell 2408WFP a King of all 24” Monitors.
or is that been bumped now?
Dell has introduced its new model into the 24inch monitor range, and it’s a killer buy too. The new Dell U2410 monitor uses a H-IPS panel from LG. The 2408WFP only uses a Samsung PVA panel…
I recently had the 2408WFP, after trying to use it for 3 weeks, i’ve decided to return it to Dell, despite all the rave reviews about it. Yes i must say it’s truly a magnificent 24incher (2408wfp), but being a PVA panel, and having had moved up to this from an older Dell 2005WFP monitor (which, is an S-IPS panel), i could not get myself accustomed to the PVA technology.. the Viewing Angle felt dramtically smaller in comparison with even the old 20inch IPS panel monitor i had prior.
It resulted in intense Color Shifting for me, making it hard and very uncomfortable to read Email or Text documents (black font against a white/bright color background..high contrast documents). It caused eyestrain on me and headaches. Color Shifting is not the same as Viewing Angle, many might think it is but they are two different things.
If i was able to rid/calibrate that 2408wfp the right way, i’m sure it would have fixed the color shifting problem. However, i couldn’t and thus my inability to make it a keeper. Aside from color shifting troubles i had, put that aside, and wow, i must say 24inches of such wide-gamut colors is breathtaking. Movies and videos looked fine, and immersive because of the size of the screen itself.
I for one love high resolutions, and that 2408wfp gave me just that, a 1920×1200 resolution (16:10 aspect).
So comparing the 2408wfp to the new U2410, i’m pretty confident to say i would, if anything, take the U2410 over the 2408wfp any time. The U2410 seems much closer to my experience with the 2005wfp model, both of these having IPS panels. With the newer U2410, it not only increases my physical screen size, it also increases resolution estate from 1680×1050 to 1920×1200! Also, the U2410 sports an even wider gamut/range of color, so in theory, the U2410 will be our new King of 24inchers.
Things to note about the Dell U2410, is that there are complaints about it from the people that already own this. The biggest complaint being an annoying “graininess” visible across the screen, and “bad dithering issues while using the sRGB modes” of the screen. These complaints however, are followed up by the same persons saying “i dont see the problems anymore after more usage”.
Another common complaint going around now too, is that there are “stuck-pixels” on the U2410 that people recieve. The pixels are not dead, they work, they light up. They just dont change colors.
With all these problems and some other less common complaints though, Dell has willingly done all exchanges/refunds where requested for this monitor.
Prices between the U2410 and 2408wfp aren’t much different, but both are pricey. In an average shopper’s terms, you could easily buy 2 or 3 other 24inch monitors with the money you spend buying a single U2410/2408wfp.
But. For the price you willingly put down, every, single, buck, is totally worth the while. These 2 monitors have an entire range of input connections, unlike other standard consumer monitors (your 150buck 24inch monitors). With HDMI, 2 x DVI, VGA, Component, Composite, USB ports, Card Readers, and even HDMI Audio Output, your money spent here will cover your every need (PC, Mac, PS3, Xbox, Wii all-in-one).
On top of the full range of connections, you get a quality “pro-technology” panel, PVA with the 2408wfp, and H-IPS for the U2410. Both technologies far superior over TN panels (which is the mass monitor market).
All in all, from where i stand, i’d give the Dell U2410 the crown over the 2408wfp.
If you are ready to bite the bullet and get your hands on this beauty, wait for Dell discounts on the U2410. It will be very worth the wait ’cause their deals are killer.
Article i found showing just how much people are getting involved and believing in the iPhone Game Application market.
Apple, company responsible for the infamous iPhone/ipodTouch, “revealed that 21,178 titles are currently available for download from the iTunes App Store.”
Comparing with other Portable Gaming Devices suchs as Playstation Portable, Nintendo DS (modern age Gameboy)…the iPhone has at a minimum, 5x more games available than those 2 platforms combined.
Playstation Portable “has 607 titles”(games) available, and the Nintendo DS “has 3680 titles” for consumers.
Awesome eh? Apple also notes the newer models of iPhones will boast stronger hardware, allowing games to run and look better on it..meaning the games are just gonna keep coming. more, more and more.
These numbers reflects our average society today. Shows us how much we’ve accepted Gaming into our lifestyles today…and shows us that Gaming, is here to stay. Gaming has become so much a part of our lives now, be it casual or hardcore-intense gaming…we all love games.
It also shows me just how much competition there is now…i’ve “missed the boat”, and piercing into this now-humongous mobile game market is gonna be dreadful tough.
been a good year at least, since the hype for Crytek’s “Crysis” game was fed & satisfied. With just one expansion so far that’s fully built on the CryEngine2 “Crysis: Warhead”….there’s still plenty more to see just what the engine can do.
or can we.
Crytek’s already demonstrated a newer CryEngine3, but bringing only a few “wows” and “ooohs”. Reason being it’s really nothing too new, CryEngine3 is just a tweaked up version of its predecessor so consoles, like the Xbox & Playstation, can too, have their version of this mouth-watering game engine. Does it hold up? Nah. The original CryEngine2 for the PC is still just as strong, if not, still the King of CryEngines. I still haven’t seen any studio push as hard as Crytek does to put art & visuals as high a priority as say gameplay, game design, or story. Sure, sounds like they decided not to skimp on any aspect of the game, but they do lose out on market size..and, that, does, not, matter. ;D
Enjoy the video. This is what makes me proud to be a Game artist. Unreal Engine 3 still needs work, if i have to decide anything.
news around about Disney, Walt Disney, yes yes, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Disney, buying out Marvel! Marvel is the group with the famous Spiderman & X-Men series..including Fantastic Four and the Hulk and other classic child Superhero favorites.
Disney is said to be buying over Marvel in a $4billion(USD) deal..and there’s alotta comments already regarding the future of what a Disneyland-Marvelled will be. It’s a really significant and interesting “merger”. Marvel is more targeted to grown-ups, while Disney seems to be targeted to lil’ kids. So yes, the combinations of a “SuperHero Team” in the future appears to be confuzzling. “Mickey Mouse tag-teams with The Hulk to rescue Daisy Duck from the evil clutches of Venom!”
Fat Princess, a multiplayer game developed by Titan Studios, finally launched. I’ve personally been keeping an eye out for this title, and wow, it’s definitely held up to my expectations. Take a look at the video comments of this on gametrailers.com, pretty much the highest number of “i want to buy this game” comments i’ve ever seen.
This game is targeted for both casual & hardcore gamers. It’s built to be very “user friendly” so anyone can just pick up the game/controller and jump straight into the mayhem. The concept of the game is as simple as you can get, rescue your princess. You play as Red or Blue team, and battle the opposing team to get your princess.
However, the depth of the game stretches with the introduction of 5 different playable classes. It’s the standard roles you will find in any and every multiplayer game around. You have the warrior class(melee attacks), archer class(ranged attacks), mage class(magic spell attacks), priest class(healing/supportive role), and lastly the worker class(collect resources to aid your team’s overall strength). Upon choosing what role you wish to play, you’re dropped straight into battle royale…and depending on the level, it could be anything from the typical “team deathmatch” (kill all opponents), “capture the flag” (in this case your flag’s your princess), “point-control” (sieze and hold various strategic points around the level for the longest possible time). The battles can get up to 32-player huge, meaning 31(+1 you) other people around the world will be able to play together with you online..giant battles! (not to mention long battles too hehe)
What’s cool is that you can even switch roles out on the battle field. Say you’re a warrior(melee) and you’re having a hard time “doing your thing”, if you see an archer(ranged) [Hat] on the ground, pick it up at will and you’ve switched to that class. This will have significant impacts on strategies teams employ…what may be working right now might just flip for the worse! So be prepared, think and act fast
The other twist to this “simple” game design is the fact that you can feeeeeed yourrr princesss Cake! More cake, she gets heavier! Heavier, your opponents will have a harder time rescuing her! They will move slower back to their fort the bigger the princess is..
The art style for the game is my perfect cup of tea too! I digg the cartoony look, vibrant colors, stumpy characters. The level design too is amazing…clearly there’s many heavy choke points, bringing out the biggest clashes between the teams Everything comes together beautifully.
If i ever had the chance, this would have absolutely been one title i would be thrilled to work on. Every aspect of the game appeals to the type and style of work i’ve grown to love.
Check out the Developer Diary videos too! They’re a great peek into what kind of minds we need to bring forth a game like this one
Oh yes, this game is available for only the Playstation 3, on PSN..unfortunately.
one, sexy, super stylish, wireless, keyboard…the diNovo keyboard from Logitech, is currently on offer for just 20bucks. The street/original price is a more supreme 100bucks… now for 20bucks, thats 80% sale.
you, simply, can’t, miss out, on this. period. there’s not even a basic, wired keyboard, for less than 20bucks anywhere else.
Dell’s finally released another IPS monitor, the new 24 inch U2410 monitor. Granted it only just launched in Japan & i believe UK now, the USA launch is still not here yet.
i’m a little disappointed this “new” monitor does not give us LED backlighting technology, but instead still continues with the CCFL backlight technology (well though Dell says it’s an enhanced-version of CCFL backlights..still not LED!)
There’s still no good in-depth analysis of this new Dell U2410 IPS-based monitor, but i do think it will become the next new champ of monitors at the price range (of around 600-750 bucks before tax, so i heard). Do take note, this is one of the very few, if not the only, 24inch IPS monitor to have a full range of inputs..including HDMI, Display Port, Component, Composite, not 1 but 2 x DVI ports, and VGA port, and also Card Reader and USB Ports. That means you can use this 700bucks monitor for not just your computer, but hook it up to a PS3 and/or Xbox and/or Wii, and DVR/Dvd player, and TV, all simultaneously. Saves you the money of buying a screen for each individual purpose!
And, naturally, with a newer (and im betting superior as well) high-end product out now, Dell currently has the other 24 inch king of monitors, the Dell 2408wfp, on sale! The price has been tagged all the way down to 395bucks before tax, and it has free shipping! This is the cheapest and best best deal anyon can ever get for such a beauty monitor as this one.The offer expires on the 20th of August 2009 i believe, which is less than 4 days remaining if you’ve got any interest at all.
However, the 2408 is PVA, while the 2410 is IPS…would you jump the gun to get this PVA unbeatable-price, or wait an extra 5-8 months with high chances that the superior IPS panel U2410 will also be tagged with discount coupons.. choices!
but at the end of the day, it’s up to your eyes, and wallet.
Yash. I spend too much time reading, aka “researching”, products that i wish to buy.. (electronics/gadgets/geek boy stuff)
not really sure it’s a good thing, because i always discover another similar product with “better pros” than the original product i was researching about…then at the end of this extensive period of reading/web browsing, i end up stuck and torn between usually 2 products, and i get all frustrated about “which one do i buy now?!”
anyways, i’m sure alot others and i guess everyone else does do their own kind of “research” on a product they wish to buy… especially if it’s something pricey. Everyone wants that “BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK”…i’ve picked up this habit since early 2000s, i typically spend literally, hours n hours, amounting to weeks, reading up on specifics and up to minute details on something Sam wishes to buy!
I don’t read much..like on a normal day… i’m not much a reader as a person, i don’t like books. It’s strange how much i can spend just reading internet reviews, consumer feedback, technical details, theoretical information regarding the technology behind the product i’m buying (ie what is sound? when im buying speakers…or what is a monitor? for when i’m looking for a new monitor screen.. or what makes a digital slr camera? for when i’m looking at getting a new camera).
Pretty much each page i end up reading, will link me to yet another whole page with even more feedback, details, etc…the knowledge keeps coming!
Anyhows, point is, i believe everyone owes it to themselves to do their own version of ‘researching’ a product they plan to buy. It’s simply like buying a house or car, you explore your options, you spend weeks walking through showrooms, test driving cars from different manufacturers.
The last thing we all want is to say “i wish i didn’t buy this.”
ok this is a rant … thoughts going through my head as i was working on my painting homework all day.
earlier yesterday was spending time on another of those MMORPGs (massive-multiplayer-online role-playing-games)..yes i could rant another whole post just about my take on MMOs.. but yesterday, i happen to be chatting to one of the players (usually target audience for these game developers are teenagers if not younger), who happens to be just 13 years of age.
what really started me thinking is just how much our society now has changed, we are in the age of “the computer”. My parents and your parents didn’t have the privilege of being able to “send mails electronically at the clik of a button”, they never had the opportunity to “google it”. They were, as i quote from my other literature i’ve read regarding Video Games & our modern society, the Baby Boomers, and we’re Generation X!
alright so back to my chat with this kid..this game has an “Upgrade system”, which is pretty much what all MMORPGs thrive on and are designed around. The player has the opportunity, not forced upon, to further enhance his character/avatar of himself, making his/her virtual self stronger, more respected, etc. A “sword+1″ is not as impressive as a “sword+3″. And upgrading it to a “3″ is, a simple feat within the game. You are allowed to enhance your item up to a “10″, which will be the maximum power your character can attain. However, as logic shows it, the further you upgrade, the tougher it will get to achieve that level of power. Getting a “5″ to a “6″ might take you only a few attempts, and going from “6″ to “7″ will more than likely double that number of attempts to achieve.
Majority of the players in the game boast anywhere from a “sword+5″ to a “sword+8″. This kid had a fully upgraded item “sword+10″, he had “beaten” the game system in a sense, achieving the highest goal within the game(well there are plenty other goals to achieve within any given game, this was just one). The game designers dont wish for players to be able to reach the max. They want you to keep “trying”, buying upgrade-recipes over and over again, giving the developers your money & time.
I talked to him, asking how many times he had to try, to upgrade his “sword+10″. He replied “hundreds”. I asked him “why did you decide to spend your money (virtual game currency) buying upgrade-items to attempt that? You could have just spent your money else where, for example buy a new pair of boots for your character..afterall, everyone in the game knows it’s ground breaking hard to achieve a “+10″ item…you would be left with nothing if you did not get the 10, since you’re spending everything you have to get this 10.”
He replied confidently “yes i know, i heard it was a 0.1% chance of success going from 9 to 10 alone…”
“…but there [is] that chance right? so it’s not impossible. it’s not a 0% i wanted to take that chance.”
that’s it right there. that’s what sets children these days apart from “us”.
He’s a risk taker. He’s 13, a very young age, and he’s already developed a mindful for taking risks. Yah sure, to him its all just fun and games, but subconsciously, he’s already grasping important life skills that will take him beyond his “friend in the next cubicle”. He did not know how many times he would have to attempt to achieve that “item+10″, he simply went for it, disregarding other temptations or distractions (like a new pair of boots) or that chance that he might come up empty and fail it all.
Now compare that to a real life scenario. A good example will be that movie “Pursuit of Happiness” with Will Smith.
He struggled at the beginning. He failed some times. It was all not easy.
But he had it in him. He was one of the very few at the time to be able to solve a Rubix cube puzzle. Everyone else gave up on the puzzle. Everyone else gave up on life when they ran into troubles. Everyone else gave up on “upgrading that sword further” to get to the top.
But.
He made it. He didnt give up, he promised himself and his son to be successful. The other candidates trying for the job were white men, he was black.
He saw that “small chance”. This 13 yr old kid saw that “0.1%” chance. There is a chance. Now are you bothered enough to pursue it? How far you going to go.. how much you willing to risk..how many times are you willing to fail..? There’s a chance in life that me, Sam, will achieve my personal goals for life. I’m willing to go all out for it. There. is. a. chance.
While the normal-day-average person will settle for a comfortable job, earning in just about good to support his family comfortably, there is that minority that is willing to take risks and push it further. While the average MMORPG player may simply settle for a “sword+8″, there is that minority that will choose to go for the “10″ and risk it all.
Many “Life Lessons” in my terms, can be learnt, from playing video games. You just have to Game Responsibly. When i have kids next time, i already know, i’m not gonna be that parent that says “GET OFF THE XBOX & DO YOUR HOMEWORK”.
There’s a good book i read a couple years ago now, Got Game, a study about this growing Gamer Generation and how it has changed our society significantly. We can’t hide and lie to ourselves anymore. Video games are, part of our lives now just as much as television and radio is. Embrace it. Everybody wants to win..no one wants to lose. If you want to win today, it’s no harm to pick up 1 game quietly and sit down one evening, give yourself a chance to experience the fun.
Wooo … yes, again a console development, this one for the Xbox systems..
This is Bennu, for the Xbox Live Arcade. (i think hehe)
but it looks like an interesting game design. Casual, yet still seeming to offer a good depth of gameplay..it says it’s unreleased yet, but it looks great so far for a ‘work in progress’ …
check out the gameplay videos, its really cool. I digg!
2 months since i wrote anything… shows just how much of a vacation i’ve been on … well kinda.. been very tied up with my project development with the Torque engine, and most recently the start of my Summer Class, painting my heart out.. it’s a very tough and tedious class. It grades particularly on how perfect you can get..gosh.
anyways, gearing up for the upcoming 4th of July celebrations…enjoy the weekend everyone (: Have a safe & fun July 4th!
i was doing a little research on the Torque game engine, and i stumbled(again..i love stumbling!) on this really great write up about starting a MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) game. It’s not as easy as just “getting a team” and “producing the game”! There’s sooo much more to the ‘behind the scenes’ of running a successful MMO. But, is the effort and hard work worth it? In my perspective, heck yes. $$
For those interested in starting your own MMO in the near future (or working for)…i recommend reading this writeup
After reading that, and was reflecting and digesting the information, i’m actually proud to say i do, in some sense, already have the experience of running an MMO (is it “a MMO” or “an MMO”? lol)….having hosted, maintaining, troubleshooting, upgrading, and running my own game servers for Counter-Strike back in 2003-2006. Not to mention also having run forums & managing the forums for those game communities. So this beats having no clue about “the business”, and it’s a great starter boost for me wee!
———sidenote for today————
omgosh i got an email from an olldd friend. He’s started his own studio with his girlfriend (jeff has a girl haha!) and is going to be developing a new MMO, and he requested me to be Assistant Producer/Manager! He said he tracked me down via Google and found this site, and he claims that i have potential to fit the role he envisions, based on all the writeups i’ve done on my site (haha) and his past experience working along side me. I previously worked with him to develop a modification (Game Mod for Counter-Strike, back in 2002ish), and consequently helped manage that small community, providing technical support, game support, game server adminstration work, etc. He says the position unfortunately, has to be full time, and it’s in So-Cal…so i had to unwillingly turn it down for now.
Demigod finally released, for the PC, last week. Developed by the same people that brought us Supreme Commander, Gas Powered Games, and i guess published, by Stardock (same people that created WindowsBlinds? o-o).
Word about the game been around for over 2 years now, and this was one I had my hopes for. The creature designs and visuals are simply captivating. The towering oversized Rook character is so iconic for this game, i simply love it.
I’ve managed a demo version of the game, it’s really quite cool…but, like other ‘pro’ review sites have said, this game has something lacking that does not justify it to be a commercial title, found on the store shelves. The art and environments and presentation is spot on beautiful. The audio just amplifies the experience so much more. But as i’ve said in my other posts, good art does not make good games.
If you’ve played or heard of the superbly popular “Defence of the Ancients” (DoTA) from Warcraft III, then you pretty much already have the full concept of Demigod. In this game, you pick a demigod character, and you duke it out with other demigods in a Capture The Flag or Destroy your opponent’s HeadQuarters (Citadel). Your character levels up like a standard RPG format, increasing it’s stats and unlocking new skills at each level. The maximum level your demigod gets is to 20, and along with that a whole shelf of items you can purchase to further enhance your character for that battle. And on top of having your character’s growth, your HQ also gains experience points that the Team, can use to gain enhancements for the entire team’s strength/performance..like a giant blanket.
This game has been flooded with comments like “Dota rip-off” etc…and i agree. It’s pretty much a spruced up version of DoTA. My opinion is that the developers of Demigod saw the market potential for a game like Dota, and hence decided to create their version of Dota to make a buck of it. Not sure if that’s true, but it’s just too similar to Dota to think otherwise.
Demigod is alright…just not worthy enough to justify the pricetag put on it. If you do get your hands on it, it will nevertheless be addicting the moment you sit down and start a battle. The action and adrenaline flows instantly..and remains or maybe grows, even more as the battle goes on.
Great game concept & design (though it’s not very original), feels nicely balanced and polished. Visuals and art design is oh so stunning, audio is mesmerizing. I’d still say go check this title out.
