Yesterday I got an unexpected e-mail from Sony inviting me to the Resistance 2 Beta that will be happening for the next several weeks. It was unexpected because news stories had been popping up about the hoops players would have to jump through in order to get a chance to enter the beta. Yet that wasn't suppose to happen until next week.
For those who may not know, the purpose of a beta is to test the game outside of the development studio. When invited, you download the current build of the game, which isn't the final version. After playing the game during the allowed time frame, you fill out a survey representing your experience with the game. This is so the developer knows if there's any issues with bugs, internet connections, gameplay balance, playability, and whether or not its just fun to play.
It looks like this beta will only test the online multiplayer which includes: competative matches up to 60 players, and an 8 player co-op campaign. None of the single player elements are included, which stars the game's main character Nathan Hale (seen on the right, showing his "O" face).
Upon receiving my invitation, I started downloading last night. Yet since it's roughly a 1.7 Gigabyte download, it didn't finish until 4am this morning. I have yet to play any of it, and probably won't get a chance to really sink my teeth in until next week. Any more info on the beta will be posted at my 1up blog.
Its official. Joe and I are going. End of the month/beginning of next. Who’s commin with?
Making Time to Make: Bad Correspondence | 43 Folders
Merlin Mann of 43 folders and You Look Nice Today fame is writing a series of articles about this. Interesting reading for all of us who consider ourselves creative people whose life passion is communicating ideas to others.
Besides the oops! post earlier, the app seems to do an OK job. However, it has the same problem most of these apps have; they don’t handle rotated mode for easier typing.
I for one would like for apps that require typing to allow rotation so that we have access to the larger keyboard. My six year old daughter, with her slim delicate fingers might do fine. Her ten year old brother, or her 39 year old dad, would have a much easier time in the other orientation.
I recently read Jan Ozer’s test drive of the Panasonic AG-HMC70 in Digital Content Producer. Lots of good info and images shot with the camera. I must say it sold me.
This is, essentially, a shoulder mount version of the Panasonic AG-HSC1U. It records everything to SD or SDHC cards in AVCHD at 1920×1080 60i. This makes for nice tight files but obviously will degrade the image due to compression artifacts and sensor size.
In still tests this can be seen but is nigh invisible when watching actual footage in motion. Down-converted to 1280×720 it’s even less noticeable. The camera has a number of features that the beginning pro will love such as built in XLR for audio, a real viewfinder and zoom rocker and, of course, the shoulder mount design.
Panasonic also has an AVCHD to DVCPROHD transcoder software so that you can integrate these two types of footage together.
The camera runs $1999 from B&H which is only $150 more than the AG-HSC1U. Keep in mind you would need a BeackTek adapter or similar to get the XLR microphone input on the HSC1U. That would run around another $200.
Bottom line, if you need the pro camera look and feel this is the camera for you, and me!
Wow. It’s been interesting dealing with the workflow issues involved in shooting entirely P2. Overall, it is not much more demanding than tape and has a number of distinct advantages.
Except for manning the boom microphone for two interviews and some grip work, most of my time was spent wrangling P2 data. It takes about 50% of the time needed to capture from tape to transfer the P2 files. The process can be done in the field and saves back-end time when returning to the office.
We shot footage for four different projects, two of which needed to have burned in time-code (BITC or WindowDub). In a tape based workflow, we would shoot, return to the office, and then prepare DVDs with BITC for the client to review and make shot selections. With P2, I was able to drop footage on an FCP timeline, apply the time-code reader filter, export to Compressor and create the DVD . All of the DVDs were created before we returned home which meant I didn’t have to mess with them here at home. A great time saver and better use of travel and “slack time” then sitting around waiting for things to happen.
I can’t speak for the other videographers but I’m embracing tapeless workflow completely. I feel no need to mess with tape ever again.
Sorry about that last post (Which I deleted). A slight glitch testing out the WordPress iPod Touch app.
One added appendage to this current generation of console games that I have found most welcoming is downloadable titles from smaller development teams. While Nintendo's Virtual Console has been scratching my niche itch, it's the newly developed games that have been catching the most attention.
For instance, PixelJunk Eden is a game that came out this week on Playstation Network that is truly unique in all the right ways. The concept is rather simple, yet its explanation is difficult. The main character can navigate through a 2D space by jumping, gripping, and web-swinging on plants. You collect pollen to sprout new plants, so you can reach the treasured goal called "Spectre".
One thing that PJ: Eden gets right is it's difficulty curve. It seems with other downloadable games, even previous entries from PixelJunk, their method of increasing difficulty is statistical (i.e. more enemies, or repeated enemies with harder stats). Yet with PJ: Eden the difficulty curve is mastering the platforming physics, as future environmental arrangements challenge those developed skills. This method of progression, I feel, is much more rewarding.
Since I have had a little bit of free time in the last few months, somewhere between work and the courses I am taking on FXPHD (www.fxphd.com), I have finally started playing games again.
First off is GTA4, which I have not completed because of time. So far its been great, and many of the issues I had with previous titles, (missions too complicated to be fun, stupid PS2 motion blur, feeling too confined within the world, etc.) have been taken care of, and I actually find myself being immersed in the somewhat disjointed plot. We will have to see how it continues in the future.
Second, Mount and Blade. I cannot say enough about this game. It is an open ended game based around medieval themes. Think of it as Sid Meyers Pirates! but with horses and castles and stuff. It is still in beta but every update has been a great improvement to gameplay and I cannot wait to see the first release. You an find it here http://www.taleworlds.com/
Third, Toribash. This one is a bit weird, because it is a turn based fighting game with rag dolls. You control their muscles and joints to make them do different moves. It’s extremely tough to grasp but makes for some really funny moves, and in the end mine always end up flailing against one another. This has been a big time waster for me because its causal and amusing. Eventually if you play online you an level up and get new belt colors, like a martial art, and other add ons. I’m just not good enough for that yet :( Free download here http://www.toribash.com/
Looks like I will be hitting 3k plays here very soon!
http://wiicade.com/playGame.aspx?gameID=1039&gameName=Avoidance