Let’s Kickstart! Is Making A Return on GamerPowered

Apr. 04 Article, Featured, Site News no comments

Evenin’ folks!

This is just going to be a quick and dirty announcement that my Let’s Kickstart! series previously featured on GamerPowered some time ago, will officially make a come back! Those of you who are familiar with the series will agree that it has been far too long since the last episode, however, this will now finally change. This coming weekend I am starting work on a new Let’s Kickstart! article with the aim to release a new episode every week.

What The F$%k Is Let’s Kickstart!?

Let's Kickstart! Carmageddon: ReincarnationIn a nutshell, Let’s Kickstart! is all about, well, Kickstarter - you know… that crowd funding platform that became sort of popular because it defied the odds and gave certain publishers a bit of a wake up call? Yeah, you know the one. Let’s Kickstart! takes certain projects from Kickstarter and brings them into the public domain. In the episodes I discuss the project, sometimes talk to the brainy heads behind the project itself and sometimes also deliver some exclusive scoops.

Some guidelines and rules apply though. The Kickstarter projects I cover in the series must be recently launched, have legitimate potential and most importantly, they have to be video game related.

If you want to read up on some old Let’s Kickstart! episodes and extra scoops that resulted from the original episodes, you can have a read through these:

Carmageddon

Dead State

Interview with Brian Mitsoda

Unless something comes up, I anticipate to have the first new episode ready for you next weekend. You better strap in and get ready for some Kickstartin’ goodness!

Half Life 3 Gameplay Reveal!

Apr. 01 Featured, Site News no comments

It’s official! Half Life 3 has been revealed and its in the form of a 3 and a half minute game-play video! Sit back, try to relax and enjoy embed below. Expect a follow up write up later on today with full coverage.

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Formula 1 Is Back In Action!

Mar. 15 Featured, Formula 1 no comments

Formula 1 - Mercedes GPFormula 1. Well, if you – like me – are a massive fan of the real premiership of Motorsport, you will have also been up at Stupid O’ Clock this morning, ready to watch the first free practice of the 2013 Formula 1 season. Clearly, I would have preferred to be there in person but for obvious reasons, I had to get comfortable on the sofa and get my Formula 1 fix in front of the TV. The first battle of what is likely going to be another epic, edge of your seat season takes place in Melbourne, Australia.

Following the first two practice sessions today it became evident that the “usual suspects” are up in the top rows. That said, it was quite surprising to see the McLarens struggle through the sessions, barely looking competitive. They finished the day with Button in 11th and McLaren newcomer Sergio Perez finished 13th. Even Force India, who have played a midfield role in Formula 1 the past couple of seasons have outperformed the Chrome racers. In a brief discussion with McLaren team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, during the second Practice Session, it became evident that they are facing an uphill battle and are not entirely certain what is causing their severe drop in performance.

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Warcraft Movie Delays: Sam Raimi Says Blizzard To Blame

Mar. 07 Featured no comments

World of Warcraft - Sam RaimiThe World of Warcraft Movie – possibly one of the most anticipated game-to-movie film adaptations –  has hit massive delays. Through some strange circumstances, Hollywood director Sam Raimi is off the case and will no longer continue work on the movie. Instead, Duncan Jones – the rather brilliant mind behind the movie Moon – will take over all responsibilities on the Warcraft film adaptation. In an interview with Vulture, Sam Raimi criticized Blizzard’s management and argues that he and script writer Robert Rodat spent over nine months writing the screen-play for Blizzard, only to eventually be told that Blizzard had already vetoed their involvement but failed to inform them sooner.

Warcraft Miscommunication?

It is understandable that Raimi and Rodat would be frustrated about this, but one would have to ask whether there was any two-way communication going on between them and Blizzard during those nine months in the first place. They were clearly communicating well enough in the beginning, as Raimi got to read the original draft of the screenplay written by the World of Warcraft developers. As he wasn’t particularly awed by the script, he told them “I wanted to make my own original story with Robert, so we pitched it to Legendary and they accepted it, and then we pitched it to Blizzard, and they had reservations, but they accepted it.”

Apparently, it was only when Rodat finished the screenplay that Blizzard came out and declared their veto, stating that “[They] don’t approve this story, and [they] want to go a different way”.

We basically had to start over. And Robert did start over, but it was taking too long for the people at Blizzard, and their patience ran out. Honestly, I think it was mismanagement on their behalf, not to explain to us that the first story was vetoed long ago. Why did they let us keep working on it? Were they afraid to tell me?

 

BUStop London – The Only London Travel iPhone App You Need

Mar. 04 Article, Featured no comments

BUStop London - The Countdown AppThe past few days I’ve been testing and playing around with the iPhone app BUStop London from telent Technology Services. This nifty little travel app provides you with real-time information on buses and nearby bus stops in – you guessed it – London. The app itself is powered by and takes its vast amounts of information from TfL’s  award-winning Countdown System, which delivers bus information in real-time for every bus stop and bus route in London. For those of you who like numbers, that’s a staggering 19,000 bus stops and 700 routes. Not only is it claimed to be the largest and most technically complex real-time passenger information system of its kind in the world but more importantly, in 2009 telent – the developer of the app – was awarded the contract by TfL to develop the Countdown software to deliver web and mobile content. That means they know what they are doing when it comes to BUStop London.

The app itself is very responsive and user-friendly. Upon launching the app a tidy menu screen welcomes you, giving you the options to search, view stops near you, select past favourites and go through you history (or records). I have been to London a few times but I’m not too familiar with the bus routes or where my  bus stops are located. This is where the app really comes in handy, as I could simply select where I was, look at the routes and pick my closest bus stop. Another neat little feature is the alert function, which kept me informed about how long it would take the next bus to get to my stop. This of course also works a charm when you’re on the bus and you want to know how far away you are from your destination. BUStop London also has a great little social media tie-in, so letting friends and family know when you arrive is literally only a tap away.

The only quibble would have to be the app’s profile description, which is slightly outdated and still refers to the Olympics. Although this obviously doesn’t impact the functionality of the app, I wouldn’t be surprised if it could put off potential users. If you live in London or are planning a trip there, why don’t you give this app a go. There are two version available of BUStop London, a free version with fairly non-intrusive adverts and a paid/pro version, which had its adverts removed. See the links below for further details.

Useful Links for BUStop London:

- BUStop London (Free)

- BUStop London Pro (Paid)

- BUStop London Info

Hi-Fun Gloves – Keep Warm and Carry On

Feb. 22 Featured no comments

Call Me Hand SignWe all know the universal “call-me” gesture. For those that don’t or can’t think of what I mean, you keep your thumb and pinky outstretched and the remaining digits tight against your palm. Hold your thumb to your ear and the little finger to your mouth as though they were a telephone receiver. Generally, this is understood as indicating you would call someone or are expecting a future call. Simple, right? Good old Obama to the left has got it.

Well, every now and then you just come across some really random stuff. Today, for example, I was going through the smartphone accessories over at Mobile Fun when I came across something so… so crazy it was almost genius. Crazy because you undoubtedly look like a bit of a prat using it. Genius because we are all doing it already and, coming back to the hand gesture above, have probably used said gesture in the past. Some of us might even be repeat offenders of the call-me-gesture. Possibly even while wearing a pair of gloves.

Gloves? What?

Hi-Fun Bluetooth GlovesDon’t worry, I’m not going mad. This is coming full circle. As I was saying, I was browsing the accessories at Mobile Fun, when all of a sudden I came across THIS. They are called Hi-Fun Bluetooth Gloves and, guess what, let you make and take calls by talking into your little finger and listening to your thumb. When I woke up this morning,  I never thought I would hear myself say that. This really puts a whole new spin on “Talk To The Hand”. In a weird kind of way, this really does seem like a product I would almost be tempted with. Gloves, that serve their intended purpose of keeping you warm but then also function as gloves that you can use for making phone calls. An added bonus is the fact that they are capacitive touch screen friendly gloves. That means you don’t have to take them off when trying to use your smartphone. This is why these gloves are a crazy kind of genius.

Head on over to Mobile Fun to see some more pictures. Do you already own a pair of these gloves? If so, do share in the comments. Do they actually work as intended?

Update – Virtual Dimensions Is Growing!

Feb. 22 Featured, Site News no comments

Hello Folks,

Just a quick and sweet update for now. Virtual Dimension’s community has just had its latest member addition, taking the total tally to 150 subscribers. Although it might not seem like a record-breaking number, this growth is a remarkable achievement for us. Especially, when you consider how small this blog actually is. Of course my aim is to grow Virtual Dimensions further. Maybe Virtual-Dimensions could also get a couple of additional authors and create a more steady flow of quality content. If you’re interested, why not drop me a line?

Virtual Dimensions - Source Level DesignSo, What’s Happening at Virtual-Dimensions?

In a word, lots. I plan on making 2013 Virtual Dimension’s biggest year yet. Our first anniversary, since relaunching the website is, coming up later this year and there will be plenty of new feature content available by then. Of course I also want to see member numbers continuing to grow. Here’s a quick and dirty round-up, to give you an idea of what’s planned over the coming weeks and months:

  • Level Design Series – Focus on Source and SC2 Editor
  • iOS App Dev Series – Going From Idea to Publishing
  • Skyrim Misadventures – Sorbitar’s Journey Continues
  • Marketing Series – Focus on SEO & PPC Best Practices
  • More Reviews, Previews and Featured Articles

Obviously this is not an exhaustive list. And as trends go, things are likely to get added on short notice. I look forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for Virtual Dimensions.