The team have managed to pull themselves away from Minecraft long enough to produce a new podcast! The aim of this show to cover the big topics of 2010, including: HTML5 video, the rise of Android, more tablets than you can shake a stick at, handheld gaming biting at Nintendo's heels, companies suing companies and consumer rights degradation, web apps taking over the world, Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series and capping off with our feelings on the lay of the land in 2011 before we invariably end up back at the crafting of mines.
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2007-09-22
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I do almost no "editing" in the artistic sense. All I did was cut off two minutes of twiddling thumbs whilst Thom was away and then put in the music parts. It's a straight, unplanned record.
The show takes 2 hours to record, 3-4 hours to edit and 1 hour to render / upload and publish. This is an inescapably large amount of time on my day off. I will try looking at arranging something smaller and simpler to make the show more regular in the future.
Member since:2007-09-22
Member since:2005-11-10
HTML5 became a buzzword as soon as Apple and Google started a slinging match over openness. It’s unavoidable, and whilst I shouldn’t join in, it would be even more pathetic if I held my little corner and insisted on it being said properly like those who correct every use of "Linux" with "GNU/Linux".
Adobe have said that WebM will be in Flash 11, which is marketing speak for "when it suits us".
Member since:
2008-07-07
As the year draws to an end, I would have liked to come back to predictions for 2010. The ARM powered Linux running Netbooks were hyped up a lot. But none of those actually appeared. There was quite a buzz about this at the beginning of the year.
What happened here? Another Linux on the desktop hype and fail?
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True though I would love something like a bigger netwalker ( http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/29/sharps-pc-z1-netwalker-takes-the... ), android and iOS are still young in their eco-system.
These 2 OS have almost made mainstream developper aware of alternative to x86. But the momentum is still not there.
On another note, I love the kindle 3 ( despite having recently drowning it), and it is another nice ARM device running linux and Java on top of it.
Member since:2005-11-10
Blame Adobe: http://www.osnews.com/story/23256/Where_Are_the_SmartBooks_Blame_Ad...
I was massively looking forward to this category and it never arrived, instead the OEMs dropped what they were doing and immediately starting making tablets.
I would have much preferred Ubuntu over Android any day.
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Member since:2007-09-22
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2007-09-22
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2007-09-22
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I tried, but it doesn't work. It's an entirely mouse-driven interface with lots of minuscule things that need to be placed in a particular order in minuscule holes. I managed to map everything to an Xbox 360 controller, but the interface of Minecraft needs an overhaul before it can be used on a controller.
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2010-05-14
It's not a surprise to me that techies have failed to understand the cause of the Wii's rising and declining popularity. This is somewhat out of their expertise.
Video Games are entertainment. So video game systems are mainly sold based on entertainment values with technical features/capability largely going unnoticed. The Wii's value wasn't just it's motion controller but the kind of games it had. The Wii's currently decline is more related to the lack of system selling Games coming from Nintendo.
Lately Nintendo's been letting developers make games they feel like making (Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M and the upcoming Zelda: Skyward Sword.) With all sorts of puzzles, cut-scenes and other boring non-game related elements. While good games with arcade style game play (Wii Sports, Super Mario Bros. 5 etc.) is mostly being left for third parties now. (Donkey Kong Country 4)
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2005-07-31
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2010-12-20
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2010-01-11
I was very surprised by your comments about Nintendo.
In regards to re-releasing old games, Nintendo, of course, does that because they make money from it.
You tried to make a point about Super Mario Galaxy 2 being exactly the same as Super Mario Galaxy 1. How is that a different situation when comparing Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 1?
Also, both Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 are two of the highest rated games for any system. Even if they are similar games, is Super Mario Galaxy 2 not fun because it's similar to its prequel?
Your comment that "Nintendo is afraid of new things" doesn't make sense to me. In regards to hardware, I believe Nintendo is the video game company that is the LEAST afraid to try new things. Do you disagree?
In regards to software, it's true that Nintendo reuses many characters and franchises, but they often do so with new gameplay ideas.
In regards to "what do they have?", next year Nintendo will release the first portable system with a 3D display. As for beyond that, Nintendo has a history of keeping development quiet, releasing a new product that is different from products in the past, making lots of money from it, and then having other companies copy them.
I'm grateful that Tess spoke up at the end with a good comment summing up Nintendo.
Nintendo has been "dying" for decades, yet every year they make a whole lot of money.
Member since:2005-11-10
The threat Nintendo are facing is that they are out of touch with digital distribution. They appear afraid of it supplanting their normal brick-n-mortar sales, so the Wii Shop remains stuck in 2006 with barely a change since. No videos, little to no information on what you are purchasing, no marketing at all, no DLC and too high prices (1500pts—£10.50—for one episode of Sonic 4!)
Member since:2010-05-14
It's not about technology or business models. Nintendo just has a problem managing their creative force. The Nintendo developers are used to making games they feel like making, and hate making the kind of games that people want to play (because that's would be boring for them).
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2010-03-30
Just wanted to mention that I have been surprised hearing you mention ease of use as a possible argument or reason for the success of tablets... Seems like I've even heard someone say it could/would be easier for the average people because the tablet made things simpler and avoided the complexity inherent to the desktop PC.
Although that may be true (I've never used, touched or seen a tablet) the whole discussion was about the iPad... And no, the iPad as-is in this first generation, is unable to totally avoid that complexity as was implied: AFAIK, no one can only have an iPad the same way that so many people only have a notebook. It might lessen the times users experience that complexity but it doesn't remove it. Maybe that in the two-year time frame you mentioned this will be true. For now, unless I'm mistaken, all iPad owners have a "normal" computer.
Member since:2005-11-10
The single biggest flaw with the iPad is that it requires another computer.
I had to set one up for a customer; he said there was no way he could have ever have done it. I had to go through so many insane steps to download & install iTunes, register the iPad, set up an iTunes account, enter that into the iPad… it was really too much just to start using the thing.
Actually using it? Not too much of a problem. Browsing the web is great.
I wonder if Apple will ever wake up and realise that their bloated iTunes monster is really crippling the Apple experience.