MMO Economics

Real-world economics are important to consider when developing an MMO. Just ask my boss, Sam Lewis, who was recently featured on a Marketplace report about virtual economies.

Did you know that Second Life generates as much as $2M per month in transactions? The Second Life economy could eat some African economies for breakfast. (Ironic, since most people in Africa don't ever get to eat breakfast.) Seriously, this is a little bit disturing. But also very cool, in a William Gibson kind of way...

Justice League Heroes Podcast

A video iPod is your ticket to a whole new world of branded promotional entertainment! Check out the three-part Justice League Heroes video podcast in the iTunes store, free to download and providing a prologue story to the video game of the same name.

On a side note, people want to hate this game -- mostly because DC-branded games have historically been shovelware. But check it: I played the game at E3, and it was one of the biggest (pleasant) surprises of the show. I'll be sure to pick it up eventually.

Hats Off to the Hardcore

Wii are disappointed.

Went yesterday to Toys R Us before they opened to try and pre-order a Wii and a PS3. When I got there, about 1.5 hours prior to opening, I found lots of folks hanging out by the side entrance. (And by "folks," I mean, "nerds.") In any event, some of them had been there since the night before, and one of them cheerfully* pointed out to me that all the consoles were already spoken for. Apparently, each Toys R Us received 10 Wii pre-orders and 6 PS3 pre-orders. Gee, that should satisfy demand!

Anyway, the last guy in line graciously** explained that he had gotten there at 7:30 am, so anyone arriving after him was SOL. ORLY? As far as I know, there is not a law stating that "nerdiest nerds get first dibs" -- but I was willing to concede.

In all seroiusness, props to the gamers who are so dedicated that they will sleep in a Toys R Us parking lot to obtain a new console. I, on the other hand, have better things to do with my life. And I refuse to play these stupid games in order to play my stupid games.

I will be interested to read the blogs this morning to see others' reactions. Kotaku has a nice summary here.

*vindictively

**rudely

Another One Bites the iDust

Well, I have discovered a veritable "iPod killer" -- ME! My iPod abruptly stopped working the other night. (Dropping it earlier in the evening might have had something to do with it.) Anyway, this iPod was a replacement for the earlier one that I broke back in February. Poop!

So I brought it into Apple, and confirmed what I already knew: replacement iPods only have a 90-day warrantee. They recommended sending it for a diagnosis from a trusted third-party vendor, so I used the excellent iPodResQ service. For $29, they shipped me a protective box and an overnight DHL label, which I used to ship the unit back to them. In less than 24 hours, they called me back with a diagnosis: FUBAR. Well, not exactly, but the digital guts of the unit are all screwed up and the battery needs to be replaced. Total: $149. Yipe!

Fortunately, the hard drive was fine, and iPodResQ offered to buy it for $60. Not bad at all. I guess I'll just use that towards my new video iPod!

(Gosh, I hope I have a more gentle touch with this one.)

Footnote: if your iPod breaks, and you bring it in to Apple, they will let you trade it in for 10% off a new one.

I "Saw" it on YouTube

It is exactly this kind of stuff that makes YouTube an extremely compelling promotional tool for entertainment companies:


Note that this isn't merely a trailer for "Saw III" -- it's a trailer for "Saw III" produced specifically for YouTube. Granted, the production value is low, but it proves a point: media companies are taking YouTube seriously. Mazal tov, Google!

But seriously, will YouTube ever be more than a destination for pratfall videos and old Letterman episodes? Only time will tell. Even the "big hits" on YouTube are nothing compared to, say, LOST.

For a really interesting take on the subject, see this recent New Yorker article.

Pelican 1, Pigeon 0

Blimey! Over in the UK, pelicans are mad crazy! Check it. Maybe they need to import some of them to New York, you know, to keep the natives in line...

Sock = Rock!

Thanks to a recent post on GameSetWatch, an awesome rock band called Uncle Monsterface has come to my attention. Why I never heard of these guys before, I don't know. They are a sock puppet rock band! (And they live right up my alley.)


In any event, they are releasing some kind of Nintendo-themed album to coincide with the release of the Wii. Nerds! I'd rather hear their version of 2112, frankly.

North Korean Crisis

Mark Bazer, a preeminent Asian scholar* and close personal friend, has written a very insightful piece about the current state of affairs in North Korea.

*not a preeminent Asian scholar

Me in Reverse

If you're like me, the last transcendent rock album you've heard might have been 1999's "The Soft Bulletin" by the Flaming Lips. By "transcendent" I mean: there was a time before you ever heard the album, and a time after you heard the album, with the actual first listening of the album demarcating a very special musical experience.


Well, if you're a rock fan in search of another amazing recording, look no further than Built to Spill's latest, "You in Reverse". I've always liked this band, but never loved them, per se. However, upon hearing this album I was immediately enchanted. (This is actually a bit different from my experience with "Soft Bulletin", which took some time to really grow on me.) It's truly amazing.

I know I'm a little late on this, as the album came out over six months ago. But I'm not as young as I used to be. Anyway, it's easily one of my favorite purchases of the year, and -- like "Soft Bulletin" -- likely to be one of my favorites for a long time to come.

Get it!

Konichiwa!

Well, I finally posted my pictures from Japan.


There's a lot to see. Start here.


I also posted my pictures from the Tokyo Game Show, which you can view here. Enjoy!

Robot 1, Rubik's Cube 0

Seconds after filming was finished, RuBot II incinerated the child and declared, "humanity is obsolete". Fair warning!

White and Nerdy

When my wife says that Weird Al is "brilliant" you know for a fact that he must be doing something right. This is hilarious.

CN Video

Hey, have you checked out Cartoon Network Video?

Animal House

I tell ya, I was relieved to see some of my feelings about the current state of feature animation echoed in a recent article by Mike Hernandez of the NYT. Basically: too many movies with animals in them. Also: many of them suck. From the article:

The main criticism of animated movies within the industry and among consumers is that they are beginning to look alike. And the recent crop looks a lot like a zoo. Natalie Ward, 13, who was out shopping with her grandmother, Bonnie Ward, in Hollywood recently, was unimpressed with the latest offerings. “There are so many movies with animals,” she said, pursing lips tinged blue by the icy neon drink in her hand. “The ones about cows are too, like, I don’t know — boring.”

Ica Age was great. But how about Shark Tale? What a steaming pile of chum! And let's not forget Madagascar, The Wild, Open Season, Barnyard, etc. I watched Over the Hedge on a plane recently, and it was pure trash. What is it with these wisecrackin', namecallin', smartypants cartoon characters? Bugs Bunny wore it well, but these guys just make me want to turn them into roadkill. And this was a movie that got some decent notices! Well, there's more on the way, with two movies about rats and another one about penguins. Can't wait.

Fact is, animated features have often and historically featured animals in their lead roles. Just think about The Rescuers, The Aristocats, Lady and the Tramp, and on and on and on. It's not that animals are bad....it's the movies that are!

I'm Surrounded by Assholes

Even though I would like to think otherwise, I have a sneaking suspicion that the new Spaceballs animated series is going to be terrible. (Not to mention about 15 years too late.)

Seriously, G4? What are you guys smoking over there?

Gaming Life in Seoul

This recent NYT article nicely captures the current gaming culture in Korea. The author may suffer from some hyperbole, but I was actually at the Coex during a taping, and it was as described in the article. Madness!

Seoul Power

I posted my pictures from Seoul!


Check them out here.

My First YouTube Video

Aw, isn't he cute?

Make Love, Not Warcraft

Just hilarious.

Wii Preorder Update

When can Wii preorder a Wii? Well, according to one local EB that I called in the Atlanta area, presales are scheduled for October 17. However, another local store that I queried said that they had "no plans announced" for preorders. Hmmm. Gamers, start your wallets.

More WoW for the Masses

The mainstream press continues to ride the World of Warcraft bandwagon. This piece ran in Newsweek right before I left for Korea. And, yes, the game seems to be a big hit in Seoul as well. Maybe I shouldn't have just uninstalled WoW from my computer?

The Bunnies Are Back

And this time, it's The Ring.