Kenny's Cafe Corner
Friday, July 30, 2004
SpiderMan India
No joke, this is real...Let's make a Suparman Malaysia...So waddaya say M'sian comic artists??
Green cape, green panties, i mean green undies worn on the outside...songkok...and a beard...yes, can't leave that out can we? Faster than a speeding Komuter, able to leap Petronas Tower in a single bound...it's a gagak, no, it's a MAS, no...it's ..it's SUPARMAN!! The MAN OF WAJA!! Suparman can stop Komuters from crashing, search for crashed helicopters ...even apprehend snatch thieves! Suparman Malaysia Issue #1 will show our spandex hero saving a National Service participant from being raped by freezing the pervert's crotch with his cold cold breath...After drinking some '7UP Ice' of course!
No joke, this is real...Let's make a Suparman Malaysia...So waddaya say M'sian comic artists??
Green cape, green panties, i mean green undies worn on the outside...songkok...and a beard...yes, can't leave that out can we? Faster than a speeding Komuter, able to leap Petronas Tower in a single bound...it's a gagak, no, it's a MAS, no...it's ..it's SUPARMAN!! The MAN OF WAJA!! Suparman can stop Komuters from crashing, search for crashed helicopters ...even apprehend snatch thieves! Suparman Malaysia Issue #1 will show our spandex hero saving a National Service participant from being raped by freezing the pervert's crotch with his cold cold breath...After drinking some '7UP Ice' of course!
Monday, July 26, 2004
Watching Raiders with Someone Dear
I was re-watching Raiders of the Lost Ark last saturday and thinking about what a great movie it was...one of the greatest ever made. It's so influential that most adventure movies nowadays owe Spielberg/Lucas' masterpiece at least a tad bit in ideas, execution and just plain viewing fun. There were countless clones ranging from the good (The Mummy) to the embarassingly hokey (Tomb Raider).
Then I started thinking about my first viewing of Raiders and how I saw it with my mother not at the cinema but at her friend's home. I remember being mobbed by dogs once we entered the house. The friend had 9 to 20 dogs all kept indoors! Thankfully they weren't hostile but just overly friendly...too friendly in fact! If I recall well they were sheep dogs or something...the small extremely furry type where ya can't see their eyes!
Anyway, the movie was starting on the VCR (it's a player that plays VHS video tapes...in case you're *that* young) and I stopped noticing the dogs, enraptured in the best Hollywood adventure. I sat beside mom at the edge of my seat when Indy was 'chased' by this huge boulder, laughed till I burst my guts when Indy shot that scimitar wielding thug , cheered when Indy fought off a truckload of Nazis victoriously and got the living daylights spooked out of me when they finally opened the Ark of the Covenant. It was movie-bliss and my mom was always there when it comes to appreciating art. She was the artistic and passionate half of my parents. I must say that I'm eternally grateful she introduced me to this side of life.
So there I was watching the movie when there was suddenly a fluttering shadow around the room. It was a white moth...or butterfly i dunno..i'm no entomologist ya know. The white moth wasn't furry with a big head and antennae like other moths. While other moths usually have wings that sweep down from the head, this one has wings almost like angel wings. It stopped flipping around and rested at a portion of the wall beneath the ironing board I have in the living room.
Now here comes the weird-coincidence part...It seems to me that sometimes when I think of my mother, a white moth just like that appears. Sometimes when I'm feeling down and wish mom was here..the white moth appears. It appeared immediately after my mother died during the wake...It was resting on my piano and somehow the sight of that moth comforted me.
I'm not the type of person to believe in superstitions or such hocus-pocus mumbo jumbo but I can't help wondering why this coincidence and if only there's something there...I guess in the end it does no harm to be a bit wistful or sentimental. I switched the indoor lights off and turned on the balcony light so the moth would fly out and bother the light bulb outside. You know, we never ever quit missing the people we love....just the way it is...
I was re-watching Raiders of the Lost Ark last saturday and thinking about what a great movie it was...one of the greatest ever made. It's so influential that most adventure movies nowadays owe Spielberg/Lucas' masterpiece at least a tad bit in ideas, execution and just plain viewing fun. There were countless clones ranging from the good (The Mummy) to the embarassingly hokey (Tomb Raider).
Then I started thinking about my first viewing of Raiders and how I saw it with my mother not at the cinema but at her friend's home. I remember being mobbed by dogs once we entered the house. The friend had 9 to 20 dogs all kept indoors! Thankfully they weren't hostile but just overly friendly...too friendly in fact! If I recall well they were sheep dogs or something...the small extremely furry type where ya can't see their eyes!
Anyway, the movie was starting on the VCR (it's a player that plays VHS video tapes...in case you're *that* young) and I stopped noticing the dogs, enraptured in the best Hollywood adventure. I sat beside mom at the edge of my seat when Indy was 'chased' by this huge boulder, laughed till I burst my guts when Indy shot that scimitar wielding thug , cheered when Indy fought off a truckload of Nazis victoriously and got the living daylights spooked out of me when they finally opened the Ark of the Covenant. It was movie-bliss and my mom was always there when it comes to appreciating art. She was the artistic and passionate half of my parents. I must say that I'm eternally grateful she introduced me to this side of life.
So there I was watching the movie when there was suddenly a fluttering shadow around the room. It was a white moth...or butterfly i dunno..i'm no entomologist ya know. The white moth wasn't furry with a big head and antennae like other moths. While other moths usually have wings that sweep down from the head, this one has wings almost like angel wings. It stopped flipping around and rested at a portion of the wall beneath the ironing board I have in the living room.
Now here comes the weird-coincidence part...It seems to me that sometimes when I think of my mother, a white moth just like that appears. Sometimes when I'm feeling down and wish mom was here..the white moth appears. It appeared immediately after my mother died during the wake...It was resting on my piano and somehow the sight of that moth comforted me.
I'm not the type of person to believe in superstitions or such hocus-pocus mumbo jumbo but I can't help wondering why this coincidence and if only there's something there...I guess in the end it does no harm to be a bit wistful or sentimental. I switched the indoor lights off and turned on the balcony light so the moth would fly out and bother the light bulb outside. You know, we never ever quit missing the people we love....just the way it is...
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Do Not Believe Advertising So Easily
This is actually an article in Popular Science detailing how radioactive products used to be sold as 'health' products. The same can be said of most advertising today...from water filters to herbal supplements. Just because something is natural doesn't mean it can't harm your health! The orang asli uses natural poisons in their blowpipes for hunting.
It's scary to think that most 'facts' in commercials and advertising range from half-truths to outright lies. Either that, or the facts are all correct but merely in the way they are presented they are still trying to manipulate the consumer. Remember folks, they don't really care about you...they're trying to sell a product...they want your money and would do anything to get it!
This is actually an article in Popular Science detailing how radioactive products used to be sold as 'health' products. The same can be said of most advertising today...from water filters to herbal supplements. Just because something is natural doesn't mean it can't harm your health! The orang asli uses natural poisons in their blowpipes for hunting.
It's scary to think that most 'facts' in commercials and advertising range from half-truths to outright lies. Either that, or the facts are all correct but merely in the way they are presented they are still trying to manipulate the consumer. Remember folks, they don't really care about you...they're trying to sell a product...they want your money and would do anything to get it!
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Your IT job and what music you listen to.
Hmm, I like Kraftwerk, classical music, Queen, Hendrix and the Stones...what does that mean?? I've a mixed taste eh?
Hmm, I like Kraftwerk, classical music, Queen, Hendrix and the Stones...what does that mean?? I've a mixed taste eh?
Doom 3 Requirements
Oh mama..not even 256MB of RAM would suffice for id software's next generation game engine! Looks like i'm gonna have to wait a looong while before i could afford a new PC...
Oh mama..not even 256MB of RAM would suffice for id software's next generation game engine! Looks like i'm gonna have to wait a looong while before i could afford a new PC...
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Computer Gaming and God
Now that's an interesting topic...hmmm...There just aren't any good games with a religious theme. Sure, there are good games based on ethics/morality and games with religious symbols/characters or themes but none truly about religion and mankind's need for God. It's not surprising anyway, since religion is such a sensitive issue and you're making games to gain a profit...not spread a message. I wonder what if someone made a good and fun game that has something truly important to say about spiritual growth or salvation....i wonder...
Now that's an interesting topic...hmmm...There just aren't any good games with a religious theme. Sure, there are good games based on ethics/morality and games with religious symbols/characters or themes but none truly about religion and mankind's need for God. It's not surprising anyway, since religion is such a sensitive issue and you're making games to gain a profit...not spread a message. I wonder what if someone made a good and fun game that has something truly important to say about spiritual growth or salvation....i wonder...
Saturday, July 17, 2004
I Robot movie review at Wired.com
I'm not surprised at all...I was expecting something along the lines of the 'Paycheck' movie anyway. It's odd that the director Alex Proyas made such a popcorn movie though...after all 'The Crow' and 'Dark City' were cerebral.
I'm not surprised at all...I was expecting something along the lines of the 'Paycheck' movie anyway. It's odd that the director Alex Proyas made such a popcorn movie though...after all 'The Crow' and 'Dark City' were cerebral.
TGIF?...FYIHTWS!
FYouIHaveToWorkSaturdays... Looks like i'll never totally rid myself of zits...sigh! To think it's all gonna go away with age too.. I have one on me nose my sis calls me Rudolph. I don't get it...i'm not particularly stressed out right now, i've been eating and sleeping right...even use a darn facial cleanser..Don't even wash it too often...so why this red abomination?? Only explanation i could come up with is hormonal frustration... That's what a much older friend told me anyway....He'd stop me in mid-hallway ...hold me by the shoulders too shake some sense into me...
Mr. Gao: Kenny...you *need* a girlfriend....
Me: .oO(phuh! yeah...duh!) Why?
Mr. Gao:All that pent-up sexual energy...you need someone to calm you down...
Me:Alright, you're freakin me out now...stop touching me!!
Hey, it's not like i don't keep trying ya know!! sheesh.
FYouIHaveToWorkSaturdays... Looks like i'll never totally rid myself of zits...sigh! To think it's all gonna go away with age too.. I have one on me nose my sis calls me Rudolph. I don't get it...i'm not particularly stressed out right now, i've been eating and sleeping right...even use a darn facial cleanser..Don't even wash it too often...so why this red abomination?? Only explanation i could come up with is hormonal frustration... That's what a much older friend told me anyway....He'd stop me in mid-hallway ...hold me by the shoulders too shake some sense into me...
Mr. Gao: Kenny...you *need* a girlfriend....
Me: .oO(phuh! yeah...duh!) Why?
Mr. Gao:All that pent-up sexual energy...you need someone to calm you down...
Me:Alright, you're freakin me out now...stop touching me!!
Hey, it's not like i don't keep trying ya know!! sheesh.
Friday, July 16, 2004
The Mono Project
Ok, the Mono Project is cool. I sure hope it doesn't get killed one way or other, but hey, a geek can always dream can't he? What is it? Well, it's a set of programming libraries that are MS .Net compatible, *but* it's Open Source and runs on Linux too!
Ok, the Mono Project is cool. I sure hope it doesn't get killed one way or other, but hey, a geek can always dream can't he? What is it? Well, it's a set of programming libraries that are MS .Net compatible, *but* it's Open Source and runs on Linux too!
STARGATE ATLANTIS
A Stargate SG1 spin-off...SG1 being a spin-off the movie! Add this to the list of tv shows i won't get to watch...at least not in the near future.
What? No MacGyver???! Aw shoot!
A Stargate SG1 spin-off...SG1 being a spin-off the movie! Add this to the list of tv shows i won't get to watch...at least not in the near future.
What? No MacGyver???! Aw shoot!
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Me? Pray? I guess so...
Hmm, i think i know why there are so many mention of God in the blog before this...You see, whenever i'm happier or sadder than usual, i say something to Him...Someone to be thankful to or someone to blame i guess.
Just like when i got to dance with a pretty gal (never thought that could ever happen to me..) or a week ago when i spent a simple but satisfying stroll through a supermarket with a friend...i tell God that i needed that to de-stress...i didn't ask for it or expected it so i'm grateful.
And then other times i feel so cheated and disappointed. It's as if life purposefully set your hopes up, even a little, just so you could fall back down again...What's up with that huh?!
So i'm not 'RELIGIOUS'...i go to church whenever i can...i try real hard to concentrate and give at least that little hour or two dedicated solely to the Lord. Get my batteries re-charged so to say. But other than that, i talk to Him all the time. As a friend, as someone frustrated with how things are, sometimes i get mad at Him...ya know, it's almost like my relationship with my sister. Sometimes things are good, they're great..and then sometimes i just *can't* stand her!
The bottom-line is...i love my sister and i love God...with all my heart and all my soul, just as they teach in Catechism, but i really mean it ya know. At the end of the day, when i've no one to talk to...guess who's there?? :)
Hmm, i think i know why there are so many mention of God in the blog before this...You see, whenever i'm happier or sadder than usual, i say something to Him...Someone to be thankful to or someone to blame i guess.
Just like when i got to dance with a pretty gal (never thought that could ever happen to me..) or a week ago when i spent a simple but satisfying stroll through a supermarket with a friend...i tell God that i needed that to de-stress...i didn't ask for it or expected it so i'm grateful.
And then other times i feel so cheated and disappointed. It's as if life purposefully set your hopes up, even a little, just so you could fall back down again...What's up with that huh?!
So i'm not 'RELIGIOUS'...i go to church whenever i can...i try real hard to concentrate and give at least that little hour or two dedicated solely to the Lord. Get my batteries re-charged so to say. But other than that, i talk to Him all the time. As a friend, as someone frustrated with how things are, sometimes i get mad at Him...ya know, it's almost like my relationship with my sister. Sometimes things are good, they're great..and then sometimes i just *can't* stand her!
The bottom-line is...i love my sister and i love God...with all my heart and all my soul, just as they teach in Catechism, but i really mean it ya know. At the end of the day, when i've no one to talk to...guess who's there?? :)
Monday, July 12, 2004
A Lonely Heart Speaks
You know when you're in love you can't stop thinking of that certain special someone? Well I'm in love and I have her on my mind with every blink and breath of my life. Trouble is, I haven't 'met' her yet...
My one true love could be someone I haven't been acquainted with yet or even someone I already know but just haven't *met* heart-to-heart. Maybe she's writing down the same thoughts at this moment wondering about the same things too. Maybe she's lonely and saying to herself, "Maybe *he*, the so-called Mr. Right(or Good Enough), does exist after all! Maybe we'll meet eventually, maybe not but darn it, HE EXISTS!!" We may share such a great fear of missing out on each other that we continue to suffer dilemmas on how to react to every opportunity that comes along. Or maybe she's currently in a relationship that just wasn't meant to be, no matter how it seems at the moment. Maybe *we* were meant to be instead...
This feeling of hopeful longing right here right now doesn't occur frequently though. Often times I was inundated by self-doubt and low self-esteem leading to a deep pessimism about my barren love life. God only knows how unlucky in love I've been. So many false alarms and heartbreaks it's hard not to be mired in self-pity.
That is what happened a few hours ago, another hope dashed as she goes off with someone else. Again, what I felt was 'something', turned out to be 'nothing'. I feel like being played a fool by God...or the devil..(feels like Job, only a bit). So what can I do? Let it be...let it be. If it seems too good to be true, it has ALWAYS turned out to be too good to be true! Just when I thought the attraction was mutual...sigh! Dumb, so dumb to think of that A-word being associated with yours truly.
Perhaps God doesn't think I'm unlucky-in-love. Just helping me avoid bad or wrong relationships. If so, I wish it didn't have to make my 'heart sink down deep into the guts' or 'dying a little'. All the cliches apply because it really does feel that way! Still, I'm wholly in His hands, even if I'm to join the population of people that will be alone for their whole lives.
Nevertheless, now as I prepare to go to bed there's a tiny part of me that believes she *is* out there. Every night before approaching slumber I'd whisper affections to her, wishing deeply that telepathy works and that she could feel what I feel so strongly. To my Dearest Only: I love you and I just can't *wait* to meetcha! Goodnight and sleep tight!
You know when you're in love you can't stop thinking of that certain special someone? Well I'm in love and I have her on my mind with every blink and breath of my life. Trouble is, I haven't 'met' her yet...
My one true love could be someone I haven't been acquainted with yet or even someone I already know but just haven't *met* heart-to-heart. Maybe she's writing down the same thoughts at this moment wondering about the same things too. Maybe she's lonely and saying to herself, "Maybe *he*, the so-called Mr. Right(or Good Enough), does exist after all! Maybe we'll meet eventually, maybe not but darn it, HE EXISTS!!" We may share such a great fear of missing out on each other that we continue to suffer dilemmas on how to react to every opportunity that comes along. Or maybe she's currently in a relationship that just wasn't meant to be, no matter how it seems at the moment. Maybe *we* were meant to be instead...
This feeling of hopeful longing right here right now doesn't occur frequently though. Often times I was inundated by self-doubt and low self-esteem leading to a deep pessimism about my barren love life. God only knows how unlucky in love I've been. So many false alarms and heartbreaks it's hard not to be mired in self-pity.
That is what happened a few hours ago, another hope dashed as she goes off with someone else. Again, what I felt was 'something', turned out to be 'nothing'. I feel like being played a fool by God...or the devil..(feels like Job, only a bit). So what can I do? Let it be...let it be. If it seems too good to be true, it has ALWAYS turned out to be too good to be true! Just when I thought the attraction was mutual...sigh! Dumb, so dumb to think of that A-word being associated with yours truly.
Perhaps God doesn't think I'm unlucky-in-love. Just helping me avoid bad or wrong relationships. If so, I wish it didn't have to make my 'heart sink down deep into the guts' or 'dying a little'. All the cliches apply because it really does feel that way! Still, I'm wholly in His hands, even if I'm to join the population of people that will be alone for their whole lives.
Nevertheless, now as I prepare to go to bed there's a tiny part of me that believes she *is* out there. Every night before approaching slumber I'd whisper affections to her, wishing deeply that telepathy works and that she could feel what I feel so strongly. To my Dearest Only: I love you and I just can't *wait* to meetcha! Goodnight and sleep tight!
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Space Art by Pat Rawlings
I used to be fascinated by outer space exploratioin as a kid. I still am. My parents bought me a book about the NASA Apollo missions that includes pieces of translucent plastic stacked together with an exploded view of the Saturn V rocket and the L.E.M. Since then i was obsessed about space ships. Then my mom took me to all those science fiction or space-related movies...ie. Star Wars, Star Trek etc. So you see i was a geek since the beginning! ;)
I wonder if i'll live long enough to be able to travel to space...
I used to be fascinated by outer space exploratioin as a kid. I still am. My parents bought me a book about the NASA Apollo missions that includes pieces of translucent plastic stacked together with an exploded view of the Saturn V rocket and the L.E.M. Since then i was obsessed about space ships. Then my mom took me to all those science fiction or space-related movies...ie. Star Wars, Star Trek etc. So you see i was a geek since the beginning! ;)
I wonder if i'll live long enough to be able to travel to space...
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Musings on the Current MMORPG Boom in Malaysia
There's a Korean drama showing on tv right now and its protagonist works at a computer game company. That set off a whole series of thoughts and so here i am, trying to record my brain fart.
Any gamer worth his/her salt would've noticed all the hoo-haa about Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games(MMORPG) by now. And any *real* gamer would also notice that 99% of the online services were developed by Korean companies with the exception of Fung-Wan online which is made in Malaysia.
Hopefully, folks who had enough gaming experience will also realize that despite all the hype, 98% of the games are utter crap not worth paying dick for. But you know what they say about a sucker born every minute eh?
Not that it helps when these MMORPG companies employ the 'coke' model of sales. That is, 'the first one's always free', get you hooked and then you'll be spending profusely for a shallow and mechanical experience. The image of a hamster running in place within one of those ferris-wheel thingies come to mind. Definitely not good gameplay.
Of course i'm talking about 'Ragnarok Online' or R.O. as it's called by those who spend hours online performing mind-numbingly repetitive tasks in R.O.-land such as whacking pink bouncing 'Hershey Kisses'...or piles of shit, whichever way you see it.
R.O. offered free game play during a thinly disguised 'BETA' period. All the while a heckuva lot of R.O. installer CD-ROMs were printed and distributed in an attempt to imitate AOL's viral marketing strategy. Thankfully though, most players got either bored or frustrated *before* the pay period starts and thus uninstalled the game even though they might feel that they wasted all the time playing with no pay-off. Newsflash for ya...ya got suckered! HAHA! Instead of whacking shit after shit after shit, I'd rather be checking out some of the quality single-player games out there...you just had to look. So a note to any future MMORPG marketing weenie, make sure the trial period ends *before* the player discovered what a sucky game your product is!
As soon as the dust settles though, only a few good MMORPGs will be left standing and i predict GUNBOUND will be one of them. Ok, so Gunbound is not Massively Multiplayer per se but it's a successful execution of an idea so obvious you wonder why nobody's done it before:
Worms-type gameplay online with real humans and a little RPG management mechanics thrown in for good measure. Some of my friends say it's even better than 'Worms' and i tend to agree. Just download and play it to see what i mean. Once again, it's free while it's still 'BETA'...
You see the problem with MMORPGs is that due to its complexity and bandwidth limitations, most game designers just implement a superficial world and leave the rest to the human players. Make the rules too complex, and it's not mainstream enough for the mass of suck...err, potential customers.
Therefore, an MMORPG makes or breaks depending on what its virtual community does. Unfortunately, a false sense of anonymity also brings out the worst and most anti-social tendencies in people. MMORPG 'players' either play the game as if it is single-player only. Either they forgot what the R.P.G. in the acronym stands for or they're just plain too lazy to cooperate/interact with other players. Where's the fun in that?!
The only interaction they're seeking is to kill each other in deathmatches, an action known as Player-Killing or PK-ing. Even though i could wax poetic about Quake 3 deathmatches myself, i've played enough MUDs(Multi User Domain) and Ultima Onlines to experience how frustrating it is to be bullied by God-like players while i'm still a beginner-weakling.
And then there are all the cheatings and hacks. Once more proving that even the most straight-laced of us might be cyber-anarchists deep down inside.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that a significant portion of MMORPG players are of the male species. It has been proven that on average, female gamers and male gamers have different styles of PLAY that they prefer. Guys are normally more competitive and prefer trash-talking each other while gals prefer to cooperate, set things in order and discover.
First hand experience of Quake2 multiplayer gaming with a female friend made me realise the above. Often i'd 'meet' her in a Quake2 deathmatch hoping for some cyber-bloodletting but ended up using the virtual reality world as a chatroom of sorts. In addition to that, we enjoyed exploring the map, helping each other reach hard to get places just to see what it looks like from 'there'. (i 'knelt' down to give her a boost up) Soon i found myself searching for and downloading a new map everyday just so i could play hide-and-seek with my friend in such a virtual reality. The most fun maps were uniquely designed, with beautiful vistas or architecture. It was all very unmasculine but heck it was *fun*! You could even make your avatar do a limited number of scripted gestures. A 'hi-i'm-over-here' wave, a 'come-and-get-it' taunt, and a hilarious 'kiss-my-ass' gesture. The latter was understandably my favorite especially whenever her pony-tailed avatar turned around, pointed at her polygoned bottom during a heavy session of virtual flirting!
Meeting people and interacting with them in a virtual reality world is precisely what THERE is all about. It's an interesting concept that's been tried before but never gained commercial success. I'm interested to see where this 'THERE' project will lead to. The aforementioned friend and i discussed precisely such an environment back in 1995 during our Quake2 sessions. We talked about how cool it would be to modify Quake2 technology into a virtual meeting place/townhall/rendezvous point not unlike a Starbucks cafe or mamak stall in the real world. While they're at it, why not play some games instead? Such games don't *have* to involve killing but rather competitive sports that require team-work. They can be fast-paced action Unreal Tourney style games OR be as slow as Yahoo board games type.
Our best idea though will also be quite controversial. We wanted to create cyber-'rooms' or even public places for cyber-sex! Why not? Since cybersex is extremely popular in chatrooms anyway, so why not let player avatars have sex with each other? We envisioned kinky settings and at least a hundred different animations for kissing, foreplay, and all sorts of sex acts.
Since the Quake2 code is open source these days, anyone with a little less moral compunction, capital money and a team with enough expertise is gonna strike it rich! So the idea is out there...go forth and DO IT!
Good ideas are cheap and plentiful.
Finally, i'm gonna fuck with fate and make yet another prediction. Seeing as to how MMORPGs are old news already, the NEXT BIG THING will be...mobile communication based virtual communities! And i don't mean the text-based environments..it's gonna be running on something called VRML or a newer version of it. It's easy to see where technological convergence is going to lead us. Exciting times indeed!
There's a Korean drama showing on tv right now and its protagonist works at a computer game company. That set off a whole series of thoughts and so here i am, trying to record my brain fart.
Any gamer worth his/her salt would've noticed all the hoo-haa about Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games(MMORPG) by now. And any *real* gamer would also notice that 99% of the online services were developed by Korean companies with the exception of Fung-Wan online which is made in Malaysia.
Hopefully, folks who had enough gaming experience will also realize that despite all the hype, 98% of the games are utter crap not worth paying dick for. But you know what they say about a sucker born every minute eh?
Not that it helps when these MMORPG companies employ the 'coke' model of sales. That is, 'the first one's always free', get you hooked and then you'll be spending profusely for a shallow and mechanical experience. The image of a hamster running in place within one of those ferris-wheel thingies come to mind. Definitely not good gameplay.
Of course i'm talking about 'Ragnarok Online' or R.O. as it's called by those who spend hours online performing mind-numbingly repetitive tasks in R.O.-land such as whacking pink bouncing 'Hershey Kisses'...or piles of shit, whichever way you see it.
R.O. offered free game play during a thinly disguised 'BETA' period. All the while a heckuva lot of R.O. installer CD-ROMs were printed and distributed in an attempt to imitate AOL's viral marketing strategy. Thankfully though, most players got either bored or frustrated *before* the pay period starts and thus uninstalled the game even though they might feel that they wasted all the time playing with no pay-off. Newsflash for ya...ya got suckered! HAHA! Instead of whacking shit after shit after shit, I'd rather be checking out some of the quality single-player games out there...you just had to look. So a note to any future MMORPG marketing weenie, make sure the trial period ends *before* the player discovered what a sucky game your product is!
As soon as the dust settles though, only a few good MMORPGs will be left standing and i predict GUNBOUND will be one of them. Ok, so Gunbound is not Massively Multiplayer per se but it's a successful execution of an idea so obvious you wonder why nobody's done it before:
Worms-type gameplay online with real humans and a little RPG management mechanics thrown in for good measure. Some of my friends say it's even better than 'Worms' and i tend to agree. Just download and play it to see what i mean. Once again, it's free while it's still 'BETA'...
You see the problem with MMORPGs is that due to its complexity and bandwidth limitations, most game designers just implement a superficial world and leave the rest to the human players. Make the rules too complex, and it's not mainstream enough for the mass of suck...err, potential customers.
Therefore, an MMORPG makes or breaks depending on what its virtual community does. Unfortunately, a false sense of anonymity also brings out the worst and most anti-social tendencies in people. MMORPG 'players' either play the game as if it is single-player only. Either they forgot what the R.P.G. in the acronym stands for or they're just plain too lazy to cooperate/interact with other players. Where's the fun in that?!
The only interaction they're seeking is to kill each other in deathmatches, an action known as Player-Killing or PK-ing. Even though i could wax poetic about Quake 3 deathmatches myself, i've played enough MUDs(Multi User Domain) and Ultima Onlines to experience how frustrating it is to be bullied by God-like players while i'm still a beginner-weakling.
And then there are all the cheatings and hacks. Once more proving that even the most straight-laced of us might be cyber-anarchists deep down inside.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that a significant portion of MMORPG players are of the male species. It has been proven that on average, female gamers and male gamers have different styles of PLAY that they prefer. Guys are normally more competitive and prefer trash-talking each other while gals prefer to cooperate, set things in order and discover.
First hand experience of Quake2 multiplayer gaming with a female friend made me realise the above. Often i'd 'meet' her in a Quake2 deathmatch hoping for some cyber-bloodletting but ended up using the virtual reality world as a chatroom of sorts. In addition to that, we enjoyed exploring the map, helping each other reach hard to get places just to see what it looks like from 'there'. (i 'knelt' down to give her a boost up) Soon i found myself searching for and downloading a new map everyday just so i could play hide-and-seek with my friend in such a virtual reality. The most fun maps were uniquely designed, with beautiful vistas or architecture. It was all very unmasculine but heck it was *fun*! You could even make your avatar do a limited number of scripted gestures. A 'hi-i'm-over-here' wave, a 'come-and-get-it' taunt, and a hilarious 'kiss-my-ass' gesture. The latter was understandably my favorite especially whenever her pony-tailed avatar turned around, pointed at her polygoned bottom during a heavy session of virtual flirting!
Meeting people and interacting with them in a virtual reality world is precisely what THERE is all about. It's an interesting concept that's been tried before but never gained commercial success. I'm interested to see where this 'THERE' project will lead to. The aforementioned friend and i discussed precisely such an environment back in 1995 during our Quake2 sessions. We talked about how cool it would be to modify Quake2 technology into a virtual meeting place/townhall/rendezvous point not unlike a Starbucks cafe or mamak stall in the real world. While they're at it, why not play some games instead? Such games don't *have* to involve killing but rather competitive sports that require team-work. They can be fast-paced action Unreal Tourney style games OR be as slow as Yahoo board games type.
Our best idea though will also be quite controversial. We wanted to create cyber-'rooms' or even public places for cyber-sex! Why not? Since cybersex is extremely popular in chatrooms anyway, so why not let player avatars have sex with each other? We envisioned kinky settings and at least a hundred different animations for kissing, foreplay, and all sorts of sex acts.
Since the Quake2 code is open source these days, anyone with a little less moral compunction, capital money and a team with enough expertise is gonna strike it rich! So the idea is out there...go forth and DO IT!
Good ideas are cheap and plentiful.
Finally, i'm gonna fuck with fate and make yet another prediction. Seeing as to how MMORPGs are old news already, the NEXT BIG THING will be...mobile communication based virtual communities! And i don't mean the text-based environments..it's gonna be running on something called VRML or a newer version of it. It's easy to see where technological convergence is going to lead us. Exciting times indeed!
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Firefly
Monk
TV3's airing new shows and they're goodies. Firefly is destined to be a cult favorite since it's a cancelled show with lotsa fan support. Unfortunately, unlike Star Trek, even with lotsa fan support it's still cancelled! :-( It's a space cowboy kinda sci-fi tv show mixed with a dash of Wing Commander:Privateer/Freelancer. Except this time there's a motley crue erm...crew of a 'Firefly class' spacey ship called the Serenity. Among them are two good looking female specimens...a mechanic played by an actress named 'Jewel' and a prostitute/ambassador played by some hot latina babe! Interesting watch if you're a horny sci-fi fan. :-D
Then there's Monk...an award winning detective series. Tony Shalhoub's a pretty convincing actor really. He's got that whole manic craziness down pat. These shows air at 11pm so i hope the power supply at my apartment holds up long enough.
Monk
TV3's airing new shows and they're goodies. Firefly is destined to be a cult favorite since it's a cancelled show with lotsa fan support. Unfortunately, unlike Star Trek, even with lotsa fan support it's still cancelled! :-( It's a space cowboy kinda sci-fi tv show mixed with a dash of Wing Commander:Privateer/Freelancer. Except this time there's a motley crue erm...crew of a 'Firefly class' spacey ship called the Serenity. Among them are two good looking female specimens...a mechanic played by an actress named 'Jewel' and a prostitute/ambassador played by some hot latina babe! Interesting watch if you're a horny sci-fi fan. :-D
Then there's Monk...an award winning detective series. Tony Shalhoub's a pretty convincing actor really. He's got that whole manic craziness down pat. These shows air at 11pm so i hope the power supply at my apartment holds up long enough.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
BEFORE SUNRISE
BEFORE SUNSET
There's a sequel to my favorite romantic movie of all time!!! It's called Before Sunset...the part deux of Before Sunrise, again starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. I like the conversations...actually the movies are both pure conversations and that's it. It's pure and without silly contrivances and manipulative plot. Great acting on the lead actors part too...gosh! Can't wait!
BEFORE SUNSET
There's a sequel to my favorite romantic movie of all time!!! It's called Before Sunset...the part deux of Before Sunrise, again starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. I like the conversations...actually the movies are both pure conversations and that's it. It's pure and without silly contrivances and manipulative plot. Great acting on the lead actors part too...gosh! Can't wait!
Internet Explorer 6 CRITICAL update
Ok, those of you using IExploder 6 (it's 6 right? any lower and you're bust) must download and install this patch. I know it's a bit too late but hey, didn't say i didn't warn ya. Better yet, switch to Mozilla!
Ok, those of you using IExploder 6 (it's 6 right? any lower and you're bust) must download and install this patch. I know it's a bit too late but hey, didn't say i didn't warn ya. Better yet, switch to Mozilla!
Eleven Stories and My Baby's Dead
Whatta night...and weekend. I had a nice weekend, spent saturday with friends and sunday with sister. We did some grocery shopping after church and we didn't squabble! Whoa! Talked about which condom types are safest, made pasta etc.
Anyway, as if to 'punish' me for having a good weekend, yesterday i came home, switched on my 'baby' (the PC-lah!) and poof! The CD-ROM tray popped-out real weird and there was the scary smell of something burnt. Not even a video signal came through! No beep no nothing except the CDROM motors trying to spit out the tray as far as it could.
It's easy to blame sis 'coz i've been using the comp everyday without fail and last sunday she used it to surf the net. It was raining last evening so i guess there must be a surge when i switch the PC on, thus killing the powerbox. Sigh! Guess i'll have to wait till weekend to get it fixed.
Meanwhile, that should give me more time to read 'Artificial Life' by Mark Ward. I recently bought William Gibson's Idoru and can't wait to start on that...after i complete ALife first.
Unfortunately, as i was reading with the Greece vs Portugal match re-play in the background suddenly everything went dark. No electricity! Bummer! So i guess i'll just sleep early then, but my sister called on the phone to ask me to escort her from the car park to the apartment. See, it was all dark and as luck would have it, the elevators were all down. That's eleven stories down and up by staircase. Oddly enough it wasn't as tiring as expected though sis complained all the way and some idiot filled the enclosed spaces with cigarrette smoke.
Oh well, i hope my baby's ok...i've a lotta neat stuff on hard drive...My last back up was sometime in February...
Whatta night...and weekend. I had a nice weekend, spent saturday with friends and sunday with sister. We did some grocery shopping after church and we didn't squabble! Whoa! Talked about which condom types are safest, made pasta etc.
Anyway, as if to 'punish' me for having a good weekend, yesterday i came home, switched on my 'baby' (the PC-lah!) and poof! The CD-ROM tray popped-out real weird and there was the scary smell of something burnt. Not even a video signal came through! No beep no nothing except the CDROM motors trying to spit out the tray as far as it could.
It's easy to blame sis 'coz i've been using the comp everyday without fail and last sunday she used it to surf the net. It was raining last evening so i guess there must be a surge when i switch the PC on, thus killing the powerbox. Sigh! Guess i'll have to wait till weekend to get it fixed.
Meanwhile, that should give me more time to read 'Artificial Life' by Mark Ward. I recently bought William Gibson's Idoru and can't wait to start on that...after i complete ALife first.
Unfortunately, as i was reading with the Greece vs Portugal match re-play in the background suddenly everything went dark. No electricity! Bummer! So i guess i'll just sleep early then, but my sister called on the phone to ask me to escort her from the car park to the apartment. See, it was all dark and as luck would have it, the elevators were all down. That's eleven stories down and up by staircase. Oddly enough it wasn't as tiring as expected though sis complained all the way and some idiot filled the enclosed spaces with cigarrette smoke.
Oh well, i hope my baby's ok...i've a lotta neat stuff on hard drive...My last back up was sometime in February...
Friday, July 02, 2004
Mpmppf ffmppffmf fppmmmppppppmmm mfmppfppffmmmpp ppmffm mpfpffmmmppppmpmpffmfpfffmpmpppff?
Don't know what i'm sayin'?
Translate it here The KENNYFIYER!
Don't know what i'm sayin'?
Translate it here The KENNYFIYER!
Will Smith interview on WIRED
This link's for you Gary, seeing as to how much you like Will Smith. Turns out he's a geek after all. Now i see the fascination...heh heh!
Finally, the Google ads at the top of this page pointed to something i could endorse reading. It's a blogsite about Artificial Life. Which is creepy 'coz...how DID Google know i'm reading a book on ALife right now??!! Or at least, how did it know i'm interested in the topic? Hmmm...*checks his surroundings for RFIDs and other bugs...looks up at the satellites ...'HI BIG BROTHER!' *
Whoops! I spoke too soon...the link is gone...so here's the blogsite, Mechanical Spirit. Check it out, i posted a comment.
This link's for you Gary, seeing as to how much you like Will Smith. Turns out he's a geek after all. Now i see the fascination...heh heh!
Finally, the Google ads at the top of this page pointed to something i could endorse reading. It's a blogsite about Artificial Life. Which is creepy 'coz...how DID Google know i'm reading a book on ALife right now??!! Or at least, how did it know i'm interested in the topic? Hmmm...*checks his surroundings for RFIDs and other bugs...looks up at the satellites ...'HI BIG BROTHER!' *
Whoops! I spoke too soon...the link is gone...so here's the blogsite, Mechanical Spirit. Check it out, i posted a comment.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
We're consumers. We are by-products of a lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty, these things don't concern me. What concerns me are celebrity magazines, television with 500 channels, some guy's name on my underwear.
- Random movie quote, guess which one!
- Random movie quote, guess which one!
