Finally! Some decent GTA IV machinimas are being produced and I must say, they aren’t half bad. The first (Flatliners) is a medical based comedy set in one of the hospitals around Liberty City. It’s a little rough in sections, some voice acting could do with some work, but it did make me giggle sometimes

The second one (Inside GTA IV or “IGTA” as they call it) isn’t a story based machinima as such, but is more of a “how to” or documentary of GTA 4 and how to machinimate using it. It does have it’s funny moments though

Now go forth and create your own Machinima using Grand Theft Auto!

We all know what Google is.  Since 1998 it’s been washing over us with billions of top notch searches and has even started going into the realms of other internety type things (Video, Languages, Maps etc.). But now it seems Google is getting worried over the environment in our ever constant struggle to reduce Carbon Emissions.

Que Blackle

Google’s design solution for saving megawatts. It’s a noble idea but unfortunately displaying an all dark screen is actually about the same as an all white screen on LCD screens, meaning this only really works on CRT screens which almost no average user uses these days.

Ah well. Another victory for Carbon Emissions.

Nintendo have released a very cool promo for their newest Wii game, Wario Shake. Despite the promo being cool though the game itself looks a little dull. Just another Wario treasure hunt through different worlds like every other Wario game. Plus it’s a sidscroller for Wii? Can’t say that’ll appeal to many of Nintendos more hardcore fans, but then again I could be completely wrong. Anyways, take a look at the promo:

http://ca.youtube.com/experiencewii

So FarCry 2 is just around the corner and one of the best features of it’s predecessors, in my opinion, was the games map editor. So of course, one of the things i’m looking forward to is FC2’s map maker, and I must say it’s looking lush. Take a look for yourself:

Dang, I really hope Ubisoft makes the Eiffel Tower level available for play.

Sorry to expose you to this but this kid and his mum have some serious problems:

So while surfing one of my usual forums I stumbled across a certain thread on a website that has been set up by a Christian woman against Will Wright and EA for their game Spore because she believes it targets children specifically so as to destroy the theory of creationism. Here’s some particular snippets:

“I even promise to pray for those that don’t agree with what the Bible teaches us.”

“I am not surprised by the treatment I have received at the hands of the non-believers”

“I understand that some people get pretty defensive when they know they are wrong.”

She also posted a video from YouTube:

“Listen to this poor misguided girl talk about evolution after playing Spore.

It really makes me sad… I hope that somehow I can prevent more damage from being done.”

Now, i’m all for people believing in what they want to believe but telling people they’re misguided? Promising to pray for non-believers? I’m afraid i’m strongly against that.

I realize that the whole “video games promote violence, racism and religion hating” thing is already widely disputed, but honestly. Maxis and EA have both assured people, worried about the games evolutionary themes, that the game is purely to give players something they haven’t experienced before, a game world where the player creates it’s inhabitants. Alot of devoted Christians have also claimed that they have no problem with the game, after playing it and seeing that there is no biased views towards evolution or creationism. She’s fairly hypocritical, though, in saying that Sim City was an amazing game that gave you God like powers.

Anyway though, if she wants to believe that I have nothing against it. At least I hope I don’t…

Take a look if you want: http://antispore.com/

Dang, this totally makes me want to take over the Earth,

So my copy of Spore arrived in the mail yesterday (Sept. 5th, UK release) and I must say, it was well worth the 6 year waiting period. I first heard about Spore back in 2002 when Will Wright unveiled to us his epic plans of a game filled with content created by players, inwhich there were over 4 million planets for your species, which you’ve taken through 5 different stages of evolution (cell, creature, tribal, civilisation and finally space), to visit, unify, colonise or just blow to smithereens!

Of course any planets you visit may or may not already be inhabited by another weird alien race. I myself have dicovered a planet inhabited by nothing but living sniper rifles, which I proceeded to ally with.

An image from the 2002 unveiling of Spore at E3

The range of customizable features is immense though. Not only do you have creator inwhich you make creatures but you have vehicle creators, building creators, flora creators, planet creatorsclothing creators and the list goes on. It’s amazing to go onto www.spore.com and just look through some of the things people have made in the sporepedia (and the knowledge some might be in you game is even better ;D)

But there’s always a downside. If I had one complaint about the game it would be that the space stage can become a bit of a drag at times.

Just one of 4 million. This is going to take a while.

The AI can sometimes get fairly annoying because it gets a little over aggressive sometimes (demanding you pay them $500,000 which I just don’t have or attacking my homeworld, when i’m hundreds of light years away from it, forcing me to go back and dogfight with one or two enemy ships.

Other than that though, Spore was well worth the money and the wait. I highly reccomend it

Being the avid gamer and Machinima fan I am, I have to say I couldn’t help but feel jealous at talent that has gone into this music video created using The Sims 2 and Avril Lavigne’s Sk8r Boi. Quite fantastic work in my opinion.

So while in town today I was doing my usual lurking around in Forbidden Planet for some new Anime before heading out into the street to head for Fopp. I was crossing the bridge to the other side of town, admiring the advertisements plastered on the other stores walls when a Native American traveling band attracted my attention. I went for a gawk and was quite enjoying it while watching people sign all sorts of petitions that had set up due to large crowds attracted by the band, with one in particular attracting my attention. The NO2ID logo printed on the banner, hanging from the table, drew me in and I signed the petition with every intention of saying NO! to a police state Britain!

This takes me to next part of my story.

After signing the petition, I had made my to Fopp and was quite happily browsing the music and DVDs they had available. Now they always have security in there and usually they don’t bother me but today I had one watching every move I made. I brushed it off and continued my shopping. Eventually I chose what I was wanted, Daft Punk, Oasis and Interstella 5555 and payed at the counter. On my way out though I was stopped by the security guard and asked, in the middle of the street, to unzip my hoodie. I complied and did just  that. Everything checked out there.

“Can I just see your receipt, quickly mate?”

I gave him my reciept and, once again, everything checked out. Seeing that everything was legitimate, he thanked me for my time and let me on my way. Now don’t get me wrong, he was just doing what he’s payed to do and they may well have had a wave of shoplifting (due to the festival we have each year in town). I just couldn’t help thinking though how much worse that could’ve gone  if we already had compulsory ID cards and I had happened not to have had mine on me that particular day.

Anyway, I learned two things today. How the state is trying to control us through ID cards and how they could potentially be misused by a future government and not to get sweaty while wearing a zipped up hoodie. It makes you look suspicous.