Helge's Music!

Helge has made the extraordinary discovery of so many classic hits. One of my personal favourites include, of course, "Beautiful Ovenmitts" and "I am Not a Roadblock" .

The song "I'm in a House Made of Bacon" actually inspired my game "House of Bacon" back in spring.

What can I say? I am just so glad he's in my life!

Ironically you were of course not allowed to eat the bacon. Only shrimp, lollipops, sushi and icecream. Oh the torment!

Chickens abroad

Now that I'm "done" with school, I feel relieved and weird at the same time. I am really going to miss it. Really miss it. I'm going to miss the airy spaces, the smell of sweat, being at school until late at night, working at projects. The inspiring (though tiny) library. The strange decor of the canteen, the smell of food. All the laptops humming, people playing Magic: The Gathering. I'm going to miss having classes early in the morning in the winter, when it's still dark. As will I miss having classes late in the day, also when it's dark. It's going to be so weird not being a part of that school. It's going to be weird telling people what I do, and I can't say "study game design!"

I'm going to miss having exams when the assignment allows me to write about "Pikmin" and "The Emperors New Groove". I'm going to miss all the people, even the ones I don't really know. But especially the ones I do know. I know we'll keep in touch, but it will be strange not to see you all the time.

The rain outside is sort of melancholic. Helge is playing L.A. NOIRE with me, and I love it. It's repeating itself, and it's really hard (especially the interviews! Phew!), but the story is getting increasingly interesting.

We have been watching too much Criminal Minds, I wake up at night from dreams of severed heads in plastic bags, and terrorist groups eradicating innocents. It's hard. I'm painting my brother and his lovely girlfriend a painting for their new apartment! Very exciting. The apartment, not the painting. Haha!

I had some nectarines for breakfast. They were juicy, but one had some mould on it, and I didn't notice until it was too late. Haha! *cough* sorry. My missing pages are being retrieved for me, I am so delighted.

Oh! Oh! And I had a looovely weekend in London with my beau, and it was exciting and calm at the same time. We walked around a lot, and went to the British Museum and saw Big Ben and stuff, because Helge had never been there before. So now the essentials are covered, when we return we can do other stuff! Yay! Not that I don't love British Museum! It is just a tiny bit overwhelming, no way to take it all in. Even after visiting several times. Wow! I insisted on taking some touristy pictures, even though they are lame, they are nice to show family and stuff.

That's me, in a telephone box. It smelled so much of wee... 

This is the view from our hotel!

This is my favourite. Big Ben AND Double Decker. PERFECT!

That's me again!

Here is Pimm's Lemonade and Crabbies. Haha! Crabbies. They were... Interesting.

Today I am cleaning the apartment! We were meant to do it yesterday, but because I have nothing better to do, I volunteered to do it alone so we could have a full day off together yesterday. Yay!

I sure am paying for my generosity right now.

Missing!

49 pages of my book!

Oh I am so distressed. My precious new book is missing several pages, and just when things were getting extra exciting! I can't well read on after missing almost fifty pages! What am I supposed to do?

Of course I sent a mail to the publisher! But that doesn't resolve things at this instant! Maybe I should be getting a kindle after all. Sniff. And Helge wont play any more L.A. NOIRE with me tonight, so I have to think of something else to do. Oh goodness I never thought this would happen!

If you find the pages, please let me know.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - can't wait!

I can't wait! How can I wait? Look at this, what can I do? What is the meaning of life when I can't know everything there is to know about this game? Please announce a release date so I know when to wake up! Would be nice to just sleep until the moment I have it in my hands, so I could watch the intro and I can cry tears of joy and relief. Oh! How can I wait? I can't wait! I seriously can't wait!

MAKE ME THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE!

Not like THAT! It's not helping! Who is standing back to back with him?! Who are you?! What does this meeeaaan?! WHAT?! Please! I can't waaaaaaait!

Games for Wii - and stalking

As you all know I bought a Wii! And I finally got to give it a spin last night - I do have a lot of experience with Wii previously - but not with the games that I've dutifully played the last few days!

I tried "Eledees" first, which had me at hello with its adorable packaging and delicious colours. The game in itself however lacks charm in every way. The Eledees are electric creatures that you search for, find and collect using a "gun" of sorts - pointing at the screen with the Wii-remote. You can use the power (in Watts) from the Eledees to turn on lights and electrical appliances. And this is about as interesting as it gets. The house has zero personality, like the characters - and it has about as much depth as the vague, slapped-on story that is so extremely lame I wont even bother retell it.

I did find pleasure in wrecking the place completely in my desperate search for more Eledees. This meagre pleasure was ruined though - when the game then for no reason required me to be quiet and handle anything breakable with care. If I exceeded the noise limit or broke six things - the game ended. Thanks a lot. How to make a slightly fun game, a completely lame one. The wonderfullness of the packaging was clearly outsourced as the game reflected only some kind of nine-to-five teal-coloured retirement home.

But then I played "De Blob" and I was excited beyond reason. As the lead of a colourful revolution against the reign of the black and white, evil "INKT" - De Blob (a blob taking on any colour) bounces around the pale world and brings colour, charm and happiness with him by colouring everything -- buildings, trees and citizens. His likewise oppressive crew "Color Underground" helps him along and gives plenty of challenges along the way.

This is easy, straightforward, nothing amazing - with excellent little clips in-between levels that convey a simple story in a slapstick-charming way. This is a wonderful game for children, needless to say - a perfect game for me too! This totally sucked me in and I'm enjoying it a lot. Progress is clearly visible and you get special achievements for having coloured all the trees, all the landmarks or completing all the challenges etc. The controls in combination with the occaisonally straying camera can be a little disheartening and unprecise at times, but that usually is the fate of most Wii games - and when something doesn't work as intended - it's usually my own fault.

I kept waiting for the Achievement screen to pop up, but then I remembered I wasn't playing on the Xbox! Silly me.

So yes, there you go - one definite "stay away!" and one "warmly recommended!"

And when it comes to stalking, I was only going to say that I find myself stalking Helge almost every day. I put his clothes on so I smell like him and then I feel all warm and fuzzy walking around the apartment. Pretty scary you think? I'd be scared of me, too. Trust me. I actually am, a little bit.

Violence in games

I am going to discuss some aspects on game design that I have some opinions about that I need to air. It will be about violence first, then games made for children and then about game universes. I would warn you on some strong imagery, but I rarely see people react to them anymore.

From Manhunt

All human entertainment has at some point contained a large portion of violence and brutality. The circus of the Romans was the bloody massacres of gladiator fights, and other old forms of entertainment like public executions are actually still alive some places today. Like in Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia (where a 13 year old girl that had been raped was buried to the neck in the middle of a football stadium and stoned to death in front of 1000 people for adultery. Her name was Aisho Ibrahim Dhuhulow.) And in some manner or other, whether or not as horrific as the execution of a child in public --violence has always attracted a crowd. Like dog-fights, rooster-fights, bull-fights, even fist-fights - and I could go on.

And when we humans feel sophisticated enough to rise above these primal activities, we find other ways to depict our carnal, violent desires, as such in poems, paintings, books, cartoons, songs, films or, more "recently" in games. And most violent entertainment is often a sort of game, or at least "a competition" to the death, or to the first blood. But on the other hand the most peaceful, unifying activities are also games (though I would argue not all people take peacefully to losing a round of Yatzi). And that is what I am trying to bring across here, in my own, digressing ways.

Though we have a long tradition of worshipping heinous acts as entertainment this is not at all synonymous with saying that all games have to be this way. Though I am personally still surprised to this day on creativity brought into "action"-games (that usually means you are meant to kill things in it) - like a complex and well composed story (Like in the first-person shooter Max Payne!)

From Postal 2

Violence is often brought into games if they lack interesting gameplay, or lack meaning altogether - a lot of gamers appear content smashing things (I think I've played so much Soul Calibur II it might have had permanent effects on me). But there is a difference here, I think designers need to have more respect towards their audience, and most of all - themselves. If you are sitting in a meeting when collaborating on the game concept and idea and decide that it's going to be a shooter game with zombies because you don't have any other interesting ideas that contain any sort of substance. I hope you will have the integrity to reconsider.

And I am not saying it necessarily is a bad thing with violence in games. It can be a very powerful tool for creating an immersion for your audience. But I am definitely not saying it is a good thing either. I know 14 and 11 year old kids that play Modern Warfare 2, and more surprisingly - with their parents blessing. "Because it is less violent than a lot of other games". And I partly agree to this of course, MW2 happens to be a very well-composed game, I admit. And though it really is a lot less violent than a lot of other games... It is still a lot more violent than say - at least a quarter of all the other games on the market.

So what we need to recognise is the essence and the message of what we are trying to convey with our game. I really do hate when people try to give meaning to things that are not meant to have a meaning. Like paintings. It really gets to me sometimes. But if your game is meant to be "a mindless shooter" then I will have respect for that, it is all the mind that is being put into it eventually that scares me. You can't deny that any game will contain some kind of message, whether intended to or not. Tetris, Bejeweled and Pacman not included. So when creating a simple-minded game it is important to remember the complexity it eventually will hold when it is being played by your audience.

You have to weigh every battle and every drop of blood on your conscience and think just how mindless this will appear to the 11 year old child of some "open-minded" parents* and just how much meaning it is going to give to the seasoned 33 year old gamer. Your message is going to be given out to all of those who are up to the challenge, and it can be ever as subtly glorifying violent behaviour or condone acts that in society are unforgivable. The shock-value of extreme, gory violence is down to a nil. Throwing intestines, brains, unborn children and still-beating hearts above your head by a chainsaw will give about as strong a reaction from today's audience as a crab taking a shit on another crab, on a beach. It is worth absolutely nothing. So we got to ask ourselves, when violence only work as some sort of "filler", is it really necessary?

From Postal 2

I applaud the minds that find new ways of making videogames interesting and still not include any violence whatsoever when running out of ideas for what the game should contain. Games are to me one of the most incredibly versatile and powerful mediums we have today - you don't deserve to create them if all you do is to slip into a pattern as old as mankind - that the best entertainment is served hot, with a lot of sticks and stones.

* I will clarify here that developers can't be responsible for their content when it's not viewed by the appropriate audience as stated by age-limits and approvals. What a child brings into a household is completely the parent's responsibility.

My Fable II Adventure

I never thought I was going to be one of those puny nerds that sat drooling over Fable for long, intense hours. It's the roleplayinggames I have ever played - but on steroids. And I am completely obsessed with remaining pure and good. At least as much as I can. And I wouldn't have thought - either - that I was going to get married four times, of which twice to other women, become an artisan blacksmith (which took hours of mindless grinding) - or a parent. Twice.

But there you go. I married a villager that I bought a pleasant house for, and we had a son together. I then went off and married a thug in a dress with a club. I gave her her own house, but I was an idiot and didn't pay enough attention to detail. I'd put them in the same city district. so of course they found out about my bigami, took it very personal and divorced me. AND took the child, too, which I haven't seen since, and that I am still slightly sore about.

Then I married another thug with a coarse voice. She had big earrings and dark, soft hair - and a sword. Built like a carpenter. But it was love. And I gave her a ring, and my lush summerhouse. I paid her an outrrrrageous upkeep of 30 gold a day, and gave her a life way beyond her dreams. I gave her some new clothes, but she wouldn't wear them. She wanted to be my sturdy, slightly greasy and damp monsterwife.

I went away for ten years on a mission to save the kingdom, and my precious thug waited for me! I came back and she was there in our home! With a present! I could cry. The brute just loved me.

But I was hungry for more, I wanted kids, again - though having one womb each didn't make things easier it appeared. And so I married the noble Andrew. Funny and romantic. Gave me books for presents, wore a top hat, even on mondays. I'd just bought a new place - and I was extremely excited. But nerves from the past had me in a jitter, I was terrified they would find out, and it would all end in divorce once more. But even when they met (as I by mistake took Andrew for a romantic weekend in our summerhouse) - he wasn't at all surprised, he didn't even say anything. But my thug, she was furious and unforgiving. She divorced me immediately and left the region. She, who had waited for me for TEN YEARS. I'm a bitch.

I learned my lesson and remained true. I worked hard and bought us a manor that I decorated with luxurious items. We then had a child together and all was well. At least so far. You never know. I want more kids, but Andrew is slightly afraid of me, because I keep hitting the "cast spell" button when I am only trying to find out what his favourite present is again. But there you go. And that just about sums up my summer outside work. Well, with the exception of a few trips to the movies, some pints a concert and some dinners out.

What about you? How was/is your summer?

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Oh delight! Oh Joy!

There is definitely a lot of The Wind Waker in this one, the cell-shading, the bright colours and something about the lightness of atmosphere. But still all we can see here is gameplay related and there's nothing on the story yet! The puzzles in Zelda have always been the best bit, but solving them wouldn't have felt so important if the story hadn't been so immersive. So I am very excited about that, the story in Twilight Princess was stunning and beautiful and I cried at the end :(

I am so happy they are going along with the cartoonish cell shading, I loved the theme and the freedom of The Wind Waker, I spent hours just roaming around in the boat on the massive seas - feeling the wind in my ears. And I totally fell in love with the look - it was a very daring move at the time - as far as I recall it wasn't very popular, even with the fans, but most were able to set the graphical appearance aside and still appreciate it for the excellent game it was.

Skyward Sword has already received a lot of praise for its graphics, especially from Vooks.net that seems pretty in love after giving it a go hands on at E3. Crystal clear, sharp cell shading, with divine colouring. I'm excited about the music as well, nothing makes the cockles of my heart jiggle like the intro to Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The psycho theme of Major Mask can really make me shiver. And so many of the tracks for Twilight Princess were breathtaking too. Zelda is always a full package for me. Interesting level design, great puzzles, weird characters, polished gameplay, wonderful music and a delightful atmosphere.

Now we just have to think of a way to make the time pass while we're waiting....

Zomg! Brink and Distant Worlds... and Deathspank!!!

Goodness me, does the gaming world offer a lot of goodies indeed. Even I am slightly excited about the single-multiplayer combo "Brink" - which has an incredible trailer (please go enjoy here). And what can I say? It's a highly customizable shooter, a shooter! I can't explain why, but this just looks very very good. And if I'll ever work up the nerve - I'd gladly give it a go! So smooth! And I love the graphical style a lot, it's got a little "Team Fortress" - maybe a splash of "Borderlands" I figure it even catches some "Mirrors Edge" - because of the consistent theme of the scenery.

There'll be character appearance customization, weapon, class, skills customization - there'll be factions and lots of level-based tasks to perform. It just seems to me they are really on to something when combining classical shooting with more mobility ("Mirror's Edge" kicks in here too!), strategy, class and faction specific tasks - more interaction with the actual levels (opening up new paths, hacking computers etc.) and of course its futuristic, catastrophic setting. And back to that bit on character appearance - the size of your character will mean something to the game, if you're small you can traverse more difficult terrain, climbing and jumping. While if you're a big guy, well, you get to play with the bigger guns. Finally, a touch of sensible logic (not harming gameplay (hopefully)) might kiss this genre. Mmm! *rubs hands* I hope they nail it!

And good news for all Wookies: There's yet another Star Wars MMO coming out, this fall. It'll be closely related to the animated "The Clone Wars" and will be free to play. I don't know what to say to that. Something along the lines of: Good for you - I'll be over here.

Splendid weather today! I bought a porcelain cupcake that I can put things in. I really needed it, so don't come here and tell me anything else. Such a practical household item, you wont do without it, sir!

Also for being the only creature on our planet (I am sure) that loved the space-exploration part of "Spore"! I might dabble in "Distant Worlds" an immensely complicated space-based real-time strategy game (actually graphically described by gamer.no as "a science fiction-version of Microsoft Excel and a reasonably unstructured collection of marbles") But I am not put off by that at all - I must say, honestly, it intrigued me! It is known to be vastly complex and refreshingly dynamic - and though it looks really ugly (really) I wont judge this book by its cover. No sir. "Distant Worlds" here I come!

And then there's "Deathspank".

Now I'm really sorry, but I don't even know where to begin with this one. I am so excited I might cry. I really could cry right now. *Gasp* Cry. Really. But... Well, here goes, I will try and keep it nice and short for you, so we don't get any inappropriate dribble on your desk.

"Deathspank" is the odd cousin of all the games we've ever loved - "Psychonauts", "Grim Fandango", "Curse of Monkey Island" and "Secret of Monkey Island", even - all the LucasArts gems. Brilliant, intelligent, stunningly funny, random, captivating. I might need a pause to breathe. And "Deathspank", ladies and gentlemen is an action-adventure of massive proportions - told to be about 15 hours of insane gameplay. Lots of hack n' slash - strange enemies hitting you with fish, even more strange quests given to you by locals - a witch, an artefact - and a humour that has been told (as well) to be closely related to that of our beloved Terry Pratchett.

The hero, "Deathspank" himself - wears a purple thong beneath all his armour and is described as such: "Charming. Intelligent. Enigmatic. These are just a few words that nobody ever uses when describing DeathSpank. He doesn't shoot first and ask questions later. He doesn't even realize there are questions". This is not a game that takes itself seriously - and not because it is trying to excuse why it sucks - but because it is just too flippin' awesome to be pompous. Even their newsletter is called "Deathspam" - I mean, how is that not funny? There are tons of different weapons and armours to use, a gigantic map with bright pop-up book scenery with lots of purple in it and hopefully - the game story of the year. Do enjoy yourself with some madness on their website - Deathspank.com while you're waiting, but I can't wait. I really can't wait. And all I know is that "it is coming soon". GAAaah!

I just have to stop there, and I'll go shake a pigeon out the window until the abstinences pass for a bit. Because this will be so much fun! Too much fun, really. I might die, that's how fun it's going to be.

"So why do you need orphans anyway? Build a house?"

Luxurious poverty

There is just so much that has to be safely acquired and stored within the four walls of our apartment right now.

There is "Alan Wake" and "Red Dead Redemption", we do have our precious toaster now - but what about all the films we need? We need "Avatar" for some safe get-away, there's both series and the special episode of "Green Wing", and I haven't actually BOUGHT Keane's "Night Train" either. So this'll be crazy! And I need a phone, because I am currently exploiting the kindness of my younger brother by borrowing his old one. And I should get some new summer shoes... And a shelf for the DVD's and a dresser in the hall, and snowboard goggles and boots for next season. That alone could shake you thin!

But then when I have all these things. Who needs money? :D I will be very busy, and very very happy for a very very long time. Exactly the way I am now.

Games I've played

Mum was notorious about getting involved with what games we played when we were kids (to some extent, she is still very involved actually). Which meant we didn't play the same ones as the other kids in the neighbourhood. Nor the violent or the lame. The only reason we ever got our sticky fingers on GoldenEye for the N64 eventually, was because of peer-pressure from all the other kids - and it was never something Mama willingly allowed.

So when I was little I played games like "Peke og Klikke" ("Point and Click"), "Dr. Seuss' ABC", "Harry and The Haunted House", "Bub & Bob" and the demo version of "The Tortoise and The Hare" (the latter, probably a gazillion times). And as I grew up a little, I played "SimCity", "Diddy Kong Racing", "The Settlers (II, III and IV)", "Super Mario 64", "Donky Kong 64", "Banjo Kazooie", "The Legend of Zelda: "Ocarina of Time"/"Majora's Mask"/"The Wind Waker"/"Twilight Princess". And not to forget "Banjo Tooie", "Theme Park World", "Wave Race", "Jet Force Gemini", "Star Fox 64", "Theme Hospital", and several more, but I can't remember them all.

Of course I also played "Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance", "Black & White", "Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life", "Rayman: Raving Rabbids (and the following titles)", "Pikmin" and "Pikmin 2" Tink and I really rock at this, "Rollercoaster Tycoon 2" and "3", "World of Warcraft", "Spore", "Sim: Civilization", "Theme Park Inc", "Zoo Tycoon", "Age of Empires II", "1080 Avalanche", "Luigi's Mansion", "Soul Calibur II" and "Soul Calibur IV". Of course I wouldn't go without admitting to have enjoyed countless hours of "The Sims" and "The Sims 2" and "The Sims 3" as well. Of course most of my gaming career has been spent as a spectator, watching my superior big brother break all the scores or simply fly around with Mario's flying hat in Super Mario 64 for hours on end.

For some time I was the smallest of my siblings, so no wonder there was no patience to watch me struggle past the bosses or attempt foolishly to get from platform to platform when my siblings were committing harakiri by my side. And I really enjoyed being on the side-line and just immerse without the actual danger of holding the controller. So it was great. And they needed someone to help solve the puzzles through the Zelda games, or keep them company while ploughing through blue ant-like aliens in "Jet Force Gemini". I was usually lying half beneath the big basement sofa, for what reason I can't recall at all. I hate spiders!

But gaming has always been a very social thing in our household. Whenever we bought a new game we would gather up and wait for everyone to be settled in front of the television set and watch the intro together. And mum would do the ironing and  we'd invite Sigrid's friends over to help with collecting all 121 stars in Super Mario 64, tempting them here with waffles. And that is the most important part of playing games for me. I have enjoyed those hours in solitude - just building "The Most Beautiful Park in The Country" in "Theme Park World" or gathered treasure in "Pikmin" by myself.

So I think there is a reason why people bunch up to watch films together - which is for the same reason people bunch up together at a LAN party. Because everything is worth so much more when enjoyed with someone else. We are pack animals, and we like to share special experiences with our own kin. I hope this is something that will remain in the future of game developing and gaming. And I don't mean in the sense that all games from now on should be MMO's or only playable in coop, not at all. Just that we as people shouldn't think that gaming means to be sitting in a dark room alone, drinking red bull and shooting zombies.

Modern Warfare 2 Review

I thought for a change that I could write something out of the ordinary, like a girl's opinion on a war-themed FPS (First Person Shooter). Modern Warfare II is Infinity Ward's long expected sequel of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This means that this game is actually called Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2, or even Call of Duty 5: Modern Warfare 2, if you want to make it precise. Just to make it less confusing. Got to love the gaming industry.

Anyway, this means that MW2 is the result of six intense years of producing war games since the release of the first Call of Duty in 2003. Well, with the exception of Call of Duty 3 that was developed by Treyarch utilizing modified versions of Infinity Ward's engine. MEH. But the point IS, honeysuckle - there is no wonder the expectations to this game were unnaturally high. 4.7 million copies were sold throughout the UK and US just during the first 24 hours following release. That's a worth of 3 billion Norwegian kroners during the first five days.

Campaign mode (single player, story mode) offers an intricate storyline that follows up on the story of the first Modern Warfare. The game has received criticism on the campaign being too short, but honestly I was very impressed with the tight scripting and the variation of action that I'm not surprised they cut it short. Better that than having a long campaign full of repetitive encounters. Personally I would say that the replay value is relative. If you master the controls early and play through on a high difficulty the first time, the campaign has little to offer to you after the first play through unless you feel you need to perfect your technique further. Though in our case - playing through on the lowest difficulty setting the first time, the game can still be "enjoyed" a few more rounds. If you find it enjoyable to die a lot.

The voice-acting is absolutely amazing, and the action-scripting is seamless, you never hear the same things over and over unless you are doing it wrong and playing the game like an idiot. Though obviously, what struck me as extremely life-like and natural was the dialogue. but what makes it work so well is the tightness and the timing. So when playing through a second, or especially a third time, it becomes very predictable. So this definitely dabs off, because it will be a re-run of what you've seen before. But then, the strength of the game is in the multiplayer option and that's definitely where the developers have applied most of the weight.

I can't believe I haven't mentioned the graphics in-depth yet, they are insane, even on our second-hand tv most things look too real. Every movement is smooth and looks natural, only civilians move a little jerkily, but then you never have to watch them for long as they're usually running for cover.

The multiplayer option is extremely high standard and allows gamers to compete or cooperate online. Even on our poor internet connection, the servers run smooth and when you're unavoidably smeared out over your screen, it's never because of lag. Again, the graphics and the smoothness of the animation is at this juncture unparalleled to anything I've ever seen.

A small note on the level design before I wrap up - on all the different multiplayer levels there's not ONE safe hideout. You continously have to keep watch at least two directions and you're not safe anywhere. This is so thought out and so brilliant and there's millions of ways to play. On the campaign levels this is mostly also true, you're never really safe at one spot for long, you might be able to seek cover, but it is usually vital that you keep moving. The gameplay here can at some junctures be a little linear, there are sometimes only one way about a place. But then I wouldn't have it any other way as it is undoubtfully necessary so that you can understand at what direction you're supposed to be heading. The level of detail is extraordinary and almost a waste to the speed at which you have to blur past it.

Besides the fact that this is a FPS, and so not generally a genre to be enjoyed by just any audience, I would be careful of saying you HAVE to buy this. It is brutal, messy and violent. It also contains an incredibly provoking encounter when you're undercover in a Russian liga and have to mow down hundreds of civilians in a Russian airport. While this is incredibly uncomfortable, the game allows you to skip this scene whenever you like. Thankfully. I'm not a complete pacifist, I'm not writing it off for being too violent, but while as this scene was necessary for the shock value of the storyline, I still wouldn't condone with enjoying to play it through. Game or not, it is important that we continue to set certain boundaries because, apparently, people have a difficulty seperating right from wrong if they've played it in a game. Games, books and films can still be great and entertaining even though they're not excessively violent. Really!

If you are a fan of FPS war games and for some obscene reason haven't bought it yet (I wrote this post on November 14th you see, then never quite finished!) RUN and FETCH. Even I thought it was flippin fantastic.

Hello world!

I am not so sure you are still here, but - I thought I'd stop by anyway because I haven't been here in such a long time!

You may already have figured that I totally failed NaNoWriMo this year, as so many times before. Admittedly, it was a little worse this time around. I only got about 1/5 of the way. But you know, I think if I could choose the most hopeless month to decide to write a novel it would probably be November - or December, obviously. Because of all the Christmas-business. November pretty much wraps up the semester, and we just got one thing on top of the other and then I happened to have three concert tickets (to Phoenix, Prodigy and Kings of Convenience, respectively) and family birthdays and father's day and long hours of sale at work. It's all excuses. It's different to have the time and take the time - we all know that. But I have to admit that NaNoWriMo didn't catch me as much this year, I was to busy to give my brain room to think of any good plots. What I managed to get down was mostly random situations and dialogues that lacked much sense.

I've been real occupied with all the deliverables, especially writing that damn script, oh, and sculpting a level using the Gears of War editor. What a software nightmare! Well, right now I am stuck with writing a fictional DLC (DownLoadable Content) for Fallout 3. And because I haven't played any of the Fallout games, it is proving real hard. I dream of this assignment in the night, it's awful.

It would've been better if we had more time, but unfortunately, we don't! But it's coming along, if I wasn't working Friday through Tuesday I would have three more days (like everyone else) but I only have today to make sure everything is done. Really it is quite alright, I could think of more dreadful ways to spend my Thursday. And I'm pleased to confront a challenge!

You might (like me) be quite unfamiliar with the setting of the Fallout games, but the little I have discovered wasn't that impressive, to be honest. Oh, except the soundtrack! Man! Packed with calm, jazzy classics of the 1940's. Awesome! Well, right, as a helper along the way, and to get into the mood of the setting - I've been listening a lot to Billie Holiday! God bless she's available on Spotify. It's centering my chi alright, really warm and soothing - just what we need this time of year! I need to like SOME part of Fallout, as the post-apocalyptic, nuclear holocaust is the opposite of appealing to me.

Typical of me to decide to come back and dump another load of garbage into the blogosphere when I definitely don't have the time to. Haha! Yeah, and I need to learn to do things even though I don't want to. It's a hopeless attribute.

Oh, and here's my map of my DLC! Quite plain, but all the action happens in that underwater dome in the middle of the bay. It's a fallout shelter containing an entire city!

Delightful game

I have spent the last couple of days playing SimCity Civilization which I bought for a shameless price at Game. It looked rather poor to be honest, but I was very nostalgic about the entire SimCity concept, and seeing it was so cheap - I could just try ut out to see if it was any good.

Now, the game isn't very balanced at all. To progress you can't really build the city of your dreams. There will always be elements that destroy the image of your creative spree, in fact I'm almost insulted at how "restricted" it feels when not playing in "free play" mode. Most claims are reasonable, like the city needs electricity and prosperity, but that creativity, authority and spirituality are all equally mandatory is annoying. Because all these different "needs" work as a currency system. Some buildings cost a certain amount of authority, but gains you prosperity - for example.

The general happiness of your SimCitizens is also very important to keep a healthy city, so if you allow one of the "currencies" to grow too far, you will obviously drop down on other, and such cause unhappiness.

Not that it's a problem, the game isn't very difficult, and the different themes for venues, workplaces and homes are awesome. The skyscrapers look beautiful at night time, and you are able to create at least moderately stylish cities without "being unbalanced". *SnorT*

I like it. If I'd bought it full price it might've been different. But in essence it's nice, and I want to keep playing all the time, completely immerse and forget about space and time around me. Which is a quality this game still have, despite of not being the ancient original game.

And I just saw the Zelda: Twilight Princess trailer again, and now I just want to run downstairs and plug my Wii in. Iiih!!

Life!

I recently got a long awaited e-mail from Smy, the brilliant author of Fascinating Fishtank. And it is a delight to tell you that he is in fact still alive.

And that is a hazard with most of these internet-people, because if one suddenly die - their blog will just stop being updated, and you wont ever know what happened, do you?

So, technically, we should all leave a document in our will that contains all our internet identities - so everyone out there will know that game's over, or that you have just migrated to Spain, and not likely to return very soon. That is similar to death, just a bit saltier.

It is getting increasingly colder, and all the leaves are tumbling around in their Euro-pride colours - except purple though (a weakness with this comparison, as I assume purple and pink are likely to be the most proud colours, right?). At least that is how they spotted them in the old days, Apothecary Peter Urpal, Doctor Pollywoth Ink, Gareth A. Yew and such. It is said that they were born more prominently "askew" - so they could immediately name them befitting their preferences.

Also I'm all out of tea, and I am hungry. And yesterday Cleo almost went for a swim when I threw a stick into the river, but to be fair she just waded out, got the stick, and then pounced out of the water as quick as she could. In other news - I played Age of Conan on Saturday, I'll tell you all about it later, if you want.

Javajava

You better like the Java! Because I'm stuck with it!

It actually makes me shiver a little. It is confusing and logical at the same time. And at the moment it's hard to understand anything at all - so hopefully I'll be able to start understanding Java, instead of just accepting it for being what it is.

Nonetheless, it's nice to learn new things. Also received an uplifting email from my sister, Sigrid - who is currently studying in Lisbon. I am so glad she is well, even though I envy her loads.

If you have any idea on what I should be writing for this years' NaNoWriMo I'd be very grateful. Because I'm going to have to do some brainstorming for a headstart because of all my exams and the hand-ins during November.

Oh! And this is my SPORE made shrimp!

Psychonauts

Have you ever played Psychonauts? It is an incredibly awesome game. If you liked Curse of Monkey Island and Grim Fandago or perhaps even more active adventuregames like Banjo Kazooie - you'll love this. It is based on an idea by Tim Schafer (yes, the same brainface that did both Grim Fandango and the Monkey Island Curse game). The atmosphere and humour of this wonderful ditty is captivating. It's dark and gloomy, but at the same time brilliantly colourful and witty. Gogo! Go buy it now.

You play the ex-circus boy, now Psychonaut named Razputin (Raz). It all takes place at the Psychic Summer Camp for kids, but this is no ordinary summer camp, and it also turns out quite eventful when all the other psychic kids gets their brains taken from them. The plot may sound crazy (and it is!) - because it's up to you to retrieve them. So the game mostly happens inside people's minds, where you have to tag emotional luggage (crying suitcases), figments of their imagination and use your many abilities, like clairvoyance, telekinesis and levitation to solve complex puzzles and destroy freaky enemies. Like the mutated lungfish, the crazy bull El Odio, or the milkman.

I love this game, it is such a delight. Like a rainbow toffee in a bowl of pebbles. By that I mean that it is an intruiging game among all these mass-produced first player shooting, war, football, sing-a-long, or movieplot based games. Thumbs up!

Now:

Listen to: Keane - Something In Me Was Dying

Play: Psychonauts

Eat: Chocolate chunk muffins

Smile! SMILE!

I built a tower of coins!

This weekend's been blinking and great. I feel okay now, at least. We had tons of raclette on saturday, so during the night when I watched my cousin and brother play Super Mario Galaxy, I felt like a bloated taxidermy victim. At the most I walked around the kitchen in small, gentle, therepautic circles in an attempt to digest all that cheese. Gods.

At work on thursday my personal strategy was to be sure that every single customer I served left with a smile on their face. This because it's such a delight to make people smile and it seems everyone needs a bit cheering up these days. Whatever floats my boat, right? At least it makes the time pass - and we are not nice enough to each other in Norway, everyone is too busy looking at their own shoelaces to notice that there's other norwegians around. Horrible, it's like we totally failed on communication.

At least by the end of the day I was in such a great mood that it became irreversably contageous. It's a tough task trying to make people smile without being bothersome, you know. To safe it on the rougher ones, I talked about the weather. I love talking about the weather, didn't seem at all fake, no problem at all. One customer was in my shop for almost an hour just discussing cutlery with me, I don't think I've been that nice to a person in a very long time. She did buy cutlery for 3000,- kroners though, which wasn't my scheme really, just tried desperately to make her smile!

I made roasted chicken with pancetta and spring leek served with yorkshire pudding and a tomato/avodaco salad on friday. Best yorkshire pudding I've ever had, the only one I've ever had to be honest, so to be fair, not many to compare it with! It was Gordon Ramsay's recipe, delicious! Yeah, and I thought it was about time I made BBC Food a tag of its own. Mahaha!

Second Life

For some bizarre reason I found myself watching this video. It's a short machinima commercial about global public relation space in the virtual world. I mean, it's a revolutionary idea, companies are able to openly communicate with their clients and customers. You are able to extend the virtual environment to whatever facilities you need to provide an impressive showcase for conferences, events, training sessions or any kind of communication that works virtually. Complete with a powerpoint.

It's another collaboration idea, it's efficient, eco-friendly and fun. Those are my thoughts about it. Basically it will be about using a "gaming" environment to provide interesting connections between customers and producers - it's a second life enhancing the first.

This is already happening, and not just with the Text100 Island, think of the Apple Store in SL, and the like. What this is, is diversifying and virtually materializing the idea of Web2.0 (users collaborate and create the content on the web). Imagine this connected to a VR (Virtual Reality) engine, and with the already active video- and phone-conference plugins, it is possible to reinstate a pixelmade avatar as an actual representation of a lecturer, and create a dynamic and interesting learning environment.

There are already 20 million user accounts on Second Life (though not all of these are active players, obviously). But why stop there? It doesn't have to be Second Life. Any similar platform could serve with the same purpose, it is just that at the time being, SL serves as the most customizable MMO and is therefore more suited, this is obviously because it's a social platform on so many more levels than the usual game, it's more flexible in its real life connections. But to create something similar - more userfriendly, improved graphics, drives - could be interesting!

I think it would be ridiculous to think that this is anything less than interesting.

Comments plz

I read a game-review just a few minutes ago, going to make this quick - beacuse it IS my lunchbreak, and it is very nearly finished. Anyway it was a review of the game named Conan (not Age of Conan) and it was slaughtered. The article was full of lots of blood. Horrible thing.

And then in the comments, someone had written:

"Jeg har hatt det spillet og det er veldig bra kamp system noen filmer bra men spillmagasinet kan virkelig suge mye rart til helvete ja.."

Translation:
"I have had that game and it is very good fighting system some films good but spillmagasinet* can really suck lots of strange things to hell yes.."

Couldn't really make anything out of that.

You should read the review, and you can - here. (In Norwegian)

*game magazine