Even though I own a Mac and have praised Apple a lot recently, I’m NOT Anti-Microsoft, in fact, I’m a friend of the Blue Monster. Anyway, I was just reading my twitter feed and noticed a post by Hugh, a cartoonist and marketing professional who is currently visiting Loic, the owner of Seemic and they’ve announced The Blue Monster Show – this is good news for Friends of the Blue Monster. You can watch the announcement via Seemic.com.
Now, I’ve just got to convince my CEO to use one of Hugh’s cartoons on the back of our AlienPants Ltd business cards!
I’ve had a few days to play around and get used to OS X Leopard. I’m truly pleased with the experience and I’m looking forward to showing my Windows friends all the new features. Admittedly there are a few similarities between Leopard and Vista such as the translucent menu bar but Leopard is way cooler than Vista in so many ways.
OS X Leopard and an exclusive Leopard launch t-shirt.
Shortly after the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft UK sent me boxed copy of Windows Vista and the latest version of Office. At the time, I installed the programs onto my desktop PC but they were slow and sluggish when I was loading applications, especially the Office email client; Microsoft Outlook. I spent a lot of time configuring and tweaking Vista to run games and after a while it got rather annoying. It was incredibly annoying when a game was installed and the icon for the game appeared in another folder other than the game explorer. I pretty much gave up with Vista and decided to buy a MacBook.
A lot of people have said that I was crazy to switch but I thoroughly enjoy the computing experience on the MacBook mainly because I don’t need to waste any time downloading drivers or security updates. However, the very same people that said I was crazy for switching from PC to Mac have also said the Mac doesn’t have any games – this is not true, EA, the World’s biggest games publisher recently announced a range of games for the Mac. Blizzard, the developers of World of Warcraft and StarCraft release games for the Mac. (You can find out more about Apple Mac Games via the Apple website or view the long list of Mac games on Amazon). I’d say a number of publishers will most likely follow Blizzard’s and EA’s lead over the next few years.
The other cool but important factor about OX S Leopard is the price point when compared to Windows Vista. On Friday I purchased a family license for Leopard because I have two Mac’s in my home. The family license was the most cost-effective option because it only cost £129 (Single license cost’s £85), and it allows me to install Leopard onto five Mac’s within my household. There are multiple versions of Windows Vista and the price point varies from £180 for the Standard version to £300 for the Ultimate version, and you’ll most likely need to buy new hardware components to upgrade your system which could run up a bill of a good few hundred pounds. Is it worth it?
Oh yeh, Phil, I didn’t forget about Time Machine, I’ve not got around to blogging or using it yet!
Apple launched OS X Leopard at it’s flagship store in Regent Street last night. The queue outside the store had over 1200 people waiting to get their hands on the latest operating system. It was absolute mayhem outside the Apple store and you would have expected the security guards to have established some kind of order in the queue to prevent queue jumpers. At 6pm, the crowd gathering outside the store started to surge forward and you pretty much had to fight your way into the store. Once in the store, a number of Apple employees were cheering and taking pictures of the customers entering the store. I managed to get to the counter and buy Leopard within seconds of the store opening.
Shortly after battling through the crowds at the Apple Store I walked over to the nearest London Underground station and it was PACKED. The station was so busy, people queued on the street! After being packed into the tube for thirty minutes or so, I arrived back home to install Leopard.
I started to install OS X Leopard around 7pm. Once I had inserted the disc into the disc drive, it only took a few clicks before the installation started and it was complete by 9pm.
Leopard is an improvement over OS X Tiger and I like the new features like Spaces and Quick Look. Also, the ability to create your own widgets on the fly is pretty cool. I’ve listed some of the new features below with my initial thoughts but for a more comprehensive list of the 300 new features in OS X leopard, check out the Apple website.
Spaces are awesome. When I was using OS X Tiger, my desktop was a mess. The numerous applications on my desktop took up a lot of desktop space and I used to hit F9 every other minute trying to find the relevant app. With Spaces I have four virtual desktops and each space manages specific app’s i.e. Space one is used for is browsing and surfing the web. Space two is used for imaging, word processing and spread sheets. Space three is used for Instant Messaging (IM) applications and Space four is used for email.
File Stacks are pretty cool. With one click on the dock I’m able to view all of my recent files. Stacks is a very handy to access files quickly. Another feature called Quick Look is really cool because you can look through all types of files without opening the files application / program.
Overall, I’m very impressed with OS X Leopard and I’m glad I made the switch. I’ll be upgrading my sisters Mac tomorrow and I’ll record a few Tiger / Leopard compassion videos.
I’m currently at the Apple Store on Regent Street. The queue outside the store is starting to grow longer by the second. I’m one of the first people waiting for the new operating system i.e OS X Leopard. I’ll update this post with pictures, video and updates as Leopards launch arrives.
Update: Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of time to record any video at the launch of Leopard but I’ve uploaded a few photo’s on FaceBook. After I had purchased my copy of Leopard it was absolute mayhem outside the store and it was rush hour so I ended up going home to install Leopard. I’ll post more about the new operating system tomorrow.
GameXplore issued a press release earlier today announcing the availability of review copies of The Book of Games for the press. Obviously, you can email me for a review copy or download a sample of the book via the official Book of Games website.
If you are not a member of the press and would like to find out more about The Book of Games collection, please visit www.bookofgames.com or pre-order a copy of the book via Amazon.
I’ve posted the press release below:
Review Copies of Book of Games Vol. 2 now available for the press
All New Games, All New Features
Book of Games Volume 2 takes up where Volume 1 left off and further establishes the series as the ultimate reference on videogames for gamers, parents and industry professionals alike. Book of Games is an international collaboration with contributions from more than sixty people. Highlights in Volume 2 include:
Detailed Coverage of 100+ New Games on All Major Platforms
Over 1,000 Quality Photos and Artworks
Feature Articles on Exciting Videogame Topics Like:
The World of Hardcore Gaming
Gaming in Schools
Videogaming is Healthy – For Your Body and Mind
Videogames as Art
The Console Wars – The Battle for the Mainstream Market and the Casual Gamer
Interviews with Tony Hawk, Skateboard Icon
Petter Solberg, World Rally Champion
Al Lowe, the Man Who Defined the Adventure Genre
Jun Takeuchi, Chief Producer, Resident Evil 5
Rob Pardo, Chief Designer World of Warcraft
Reference and Glossary Section with Tons of Useful Information
“The sleek hardback is a perfect conversation starter.”
—Forbes.com
“… just the right balance of information with entertainment reading.”
—Hal Halpin, President, Entertainment Consumers Association
“I think that this book will do more to bring an understanding of the videogame culture to non-gamers than any collection of web sites and media articles could possibly do…”
—Tami Quiring, KillaNet.net
“One of the most comprehensive looks at the gaming industry in years … a treasure trove of information for both the casual and dedicated videogame enthusiast.”
—Scott Steinberg, Author, Get Rich Playing Games and Videogame Marketing and PR.
The Book of Games Volume 2 (400 pages)
Editors: Bendik Stang, Morten A. Osterholt, Erik Hoftun and Hans Christian Bjorne,
Pub. Date: November 1, 2007
Publisher: gameXplore® N.A. Inc
ISBN-13: 978-82-997378-21
Distribution: North America: Independent Publishers Group, Chicago. Europe: gameXplore Europe
Book of Games Vol. 2 is published by gameXplore N.A. Inc., the North American subsidiary of gameXplore. gameXplore is the first company to systematically describe, compare, and categorize the content and challenges of interactive games. gameXplore offers innovative information solutions to retailers based on its objective gameplay database. Visit www.gameXplore.com for more information about the company.
I returned home from Video Games Live around midnight last night. As I mentioned yesterday, I wasn’t sure what to expect but the concert was really good. The Philharmonia Orchestra played a range of tracks from a number of memorable retro video games alongside some of the newest games like BioShock.
I’ve already posted up pictures from the concert on FaceBook, Flickr and I uploaded a video of StarCraft 2 on FaceBook and YouTube. The next time Video Games Live is in town or visiting your city, you should really think about attending the show. I highly recommend it.
In a couple of hours time I’ll be heading down to the Royal Festival Hall to see the Video Games Live concert. I’m not sure what to expect but tonight’s gig features the Philharmonia Orchestra. I’ll take pictures and I’ll blog about the concert later.
When Microsoft was launching the Xbox 360, they marketed the console as a High Definition entertainment system and the games will be immersive game play experiences. At the consoles launch I was sold on the new console. Looking back over the past couple of years there doesn’t seem to be many games that live up to the hype.
Crackdown and Gears of War were titles that retained the hype and are games that I’d play again and again. Halo, for me, was a system seller and as I’ve mentioned before, I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the first game in the series. Halo 2 and 3 were over hyped, yet those games have a large fanbase and sold well but for me, Halo 2 and 3 were a disappointment.
Here is a short list of original games:
Ace Combat: 6 Fires of Liberation
Assassins Creed
Blacksite Area 51
Call of Duty 4
Clive Barker’s Jericho
FEAR Files
The Orange Box
TimeShift
Ironically, there are a few sequels in the above list but these sequels won’t be as disappointing as Halo 3. I understand the fact that if a game or movie does well, then the fanbase would want a sequel and from a business perspective, it makes sense to develop sequels that will sell well but I think that Microsoft is lacking originality by creating too many sequels. Ok, Mass Effect is due to be released in the next few months but it’s future is now uncertain.
I’d like to see more original IP on the Xbox 360 and less sequels. Sony’s Home and LittleBigPlanet are unique, original and look like a lot of fun.
C’mon Microsoft, surely with the vast resources at your disposal, you can create, develop unique IP and entertainment experiences.
Apple’s latest and newest operating system, OS X Leopard is due to roar into retail outlets next Friday. Yep, the new OS is due out on the 26th October and I’m pondering on whether or not to pre-order Leopard.
Never thought I’d be a Mac user a year ago but since I dropped Windows Vista earlier this year I highly doubt that I’d personally use Windows operating systems ever again, however, due to work with Games for Windows titles then I will still have to use Windows Vista.
Apple’s products and software seem to be more appealing than Microsoft’s. I was an avid Windows user for two decades and I was an extremely loyal customer, always going out and buying the latest software or upgrading computer hardware. I still own a Windows PC and laptop but I have no real need to use them unless it’s to play test games. The only Microsoft hardware and software that still runs in my home is the Xbox 360, however, knowing my luck the Elite system will probably signal the three red lights of doom…
At the beginning of October I finished working on World in Conflict. The past six months working on the game as the UK Community Manager was a lot of fun and I was able to meet a lot of cool people.
Also, V2 of The Book of Games is done. I haven’t got a lot on at the moment and until I’ve got my new remit I’m taking a break. Now, it’s time to find something to do!