All entries for October 2008

Mirrors Edge (Xbox360 Demo)

Writing about web page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYYlfDvhSQw

Follow the link to gameplay video of a title that, for me as a casual gamer, came out of nowhere until I saw it being discussed on some forums this evening.

The game is a strange cross between the sport of Parkour and films such as Equilibrium - if you can imagine such a thing. You play a character (Faith) who is a sort of messenger for the underground in a police state type future - and the game basically involves getting about the impressive maps to reach key objectives, whilst acrobatically avoiding (or fighting) the police that get in your way.

The demo gives you a nice tutorial to get used to the initially baffling controls, and then throws you into a good opening level to give you a feel for the game. And it certainly does not dissappoint in any area. It looks, sounds, and plays excellently.

I got the demo on Xbox 360, but it comes out mid November on Xbox 360 and PS3, and sometime later on the PC. Definately worth a look.

James Taylor : 31 Oct 2008 22:37 |  Tags: Demo Edge Mirrors Xbox Xbox360 |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

McCain vs Obama Dance Off…

Writing about web page http://www.break.com/index/unbelievable-mccain-vs-obama-dance-off.html

I don't think anything else needs to be said. This has to be one of the coolest things i've ever seen! :)

James Taylor : 23 Oct 2008 22:53 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Windows 7 to be called… Windows 7

Writing about web page http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2008/10/13/introducing-windows-7.aspx

I've never been a fan of 'names' for software - the "big cat" naming schemes for MacOS X and the absolutely dreadful Ubuntu naming schemes have never really sat comfortably with me. I think "Vista" was the icing on that particularly bitter cake though.. never could a name so obviously have come from a marketing department. Even better was the marketing gumpf that came out at the time to accompany Vista. I'd like to quote one particularly memorable example from the press release that came out, shortly after Microsoft announcing that Halo 2 for the PC would be a Windows Vista exclusive:

"Why are you releasing Halo 2 for Windows Vista only?
As Bungie Studios and Microsoft are dedicated to delivering a top quality translation of Halo 2 for the PC, their efforts require the use of the best available technological platform for Windows games. Windows Vista will help bring clarity to our customers and help them get more out of their personal computing experience, allowing them to focus on what matters most to them."

Clarity to your customers? What does bringing clarity to your customers have to do with tying Halo 2 to Vista?

Anyway - I digress. The point of the blog post was to link to the announcement from Microsoft that the next version of Windows (codenamed Windows 7) will in fact be released as Windows 7. And I for one salute Microsoft - no marketing crap, just the version number. I suppose we'll still get about 23 different versions of Windows but I'm glad that progress has been made in at least one area!

James Taylor : 14 Oct 2008 09:05 |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Obama is a terrorist..

Writing about web page http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/09/mccain-palin-rally-attend_n_133240.html

Not my words I hasten to add but I couldn't think of any other title for the blog entry. I've been following the US elections with some interest, and even downloaded the full 2nd presidential debate a few nights ago as a podcast.

Saw this link this morning and - well I think it speaks for itself. It makes for scary watching to be honest.

James Taylor : 10 Oct 2008 08:05 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem