Thu - February 8, 2007
Radiohead digs Cave Story
Still the best game in terms of (quality / number of
creators) and storytelling in my humble opinion , Cave Story
(Doukutsu Monogatari) was previously mentioned on
Radiohead
Guitarist Jonny Greenwood's blog: http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/
Quote:
Go Pixel, go!
Quote:
...five years in the making, and a work of art
Go Pixel, go!
Mon - January 29, 2007
the 2030 challenge
Ok, I know there's a lot of important stuff concerning
global awareness and greenhouse initiatives, but this one surprised me a lot,
and it might surprise you
too:
40% of all US greenhouse gas emissions come from operating buildings.
Here's the quote from the interview posted on BLDG BLOG :
Think about that. Remembering the terrible conditions regarding air quality and temperature at the last office building I worked at, I doubt that the numbers are any better here in Europe. No matter how many environmental sensitive passive houses our friends build for themselves, they're nothing compared to those huge energy-eating office complexes that we keep planting.
40% of all US greenhouse gas emissions come from operating buildings.
Here's the quote from the interview posted on BLDG BLOG :
The number is actually 48% of total US energy consumption that can be attributed to the building sector, most of which – 40% of total consumption – can be attributed just to building operations. That's heating, lighting, cooling, and hot water. There are others – running pumps and things like that. But 40% of total US energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed just to building operations
Think about that. Remembering the terrible conditions regarding air quality and temperature at the last office building I worked at, I doubt that the numbers are any better here in Europe. No matter how many environmental sensitive passive houses our friends build for themselves, they're nothing compared to those huge energy-eating office complexes that we keep planting.
Tue - January 2, 2007
Temporal distortion photography
I just stumbled across the amazing KHRONOS projector
while browsing for Slit Scan Photography
.
Slit Scan photography has been around for a long time, it basically just means that you take a pictures through a moving slit, exposing only a small strip of your film at a given time. If this sounds like gibberish, just imagine placing your hand an a photo copier and moving it with the scanner.... the hand will stretch forever, as long as it moves with the slit.
Now this technology creates fun, yet non-interactive distorted pictures. What would happen if you stored all the movement, but you wouldn't freeze it into the pictures?
Luckily the digital age has made this possible, by adding the time as a third dimension to an image. This 'temporal offset' can then be experienced by 'punching' into the picture. Enough said, just try it out yourself!
Here are some interactive examples using the Processing scripting language:
http://www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/members/alvaro/Khronos/Khronos_P5/Khronos_Jefo.html
http://www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/members/alvaro/Khronos/Khronos_P5/Khronos_ShibuyaShort.html
The main KHRONOS Projector website can be found here: http://www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/members/alvaro/Khronos/
Slit Scan photography has been around for a long time, it basically just means that you take a pictures through a moving slit, exposing only a small strip of your film at a given time. If this sounds like gibberish, just imagine placing your hand an a photo copier and moving it with the scanner.... the hand will stretch forever, as long as it moves with the slit.
Now this technology creates fun, yet non-interactive distorted pictures. What would happen if you stored all the movement, but you wouldn't freeze it into the pictures?
Luckily the digital age has made this possible, by adding the time as a third dimension to an image. This 'temporal offset' can then be experienced by 'punching' into the picture. Enough said, just try it out yourself!
Here are some interactive examples using the Processing scripting language:
http://www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/members/alvaro/Khronos/Khronos_P5/Khronos_Jefo.html
http://www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/members/alvaro/Khronos/Khronos_P5/Khronos_ShibuyaShort.html
The main KHRONOS Projector website can be found here: http://www.k2.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/members/alvaro/Khronos/
Wed - November 29, 2006
Bullsh*t bingo
Seriously, what is it with those waves of buzz words
lately? Here's my top 3 most heard and meanwhile most annoying phrases for
November, 2006:
"Mockumentary" Thanks you, Mr. Cohen. And I don't mean the movie about Leonard, either.
"Outsourcing" A new way of saying: You dig hole, I watch and comment.
"this new TV Show..." Ok, enough already! Lost, Carnivale, My Name is Earl, Heroes, Jericho. How many hours does your day have?
Oh, while you're at it: this mock DJ Documentary might be fun: It' All Gone Pete Tong
"Mockumentary" Thanks you, Mr. Cohen. And I don't mean the movie about Leonard, either.
"Outsourcing" A new way of saying: You dig hole, I watch and comment.
"this new TV Show..." Ok, enough already! Lost, Carnivale, My Name is Earl, Heroes, Jericho. How many hours does your day have?
Oh, while you're at it: this mock DJ Documentary might be fun: It' All Gone Pete Tong
Mon - November 20, 2006
Really good games...
...sometimes still won't keep you from missing your
old job, partner and the place you
shared.
Why are there no save
games or at least a simple 'quit' function in
life?
Answer: Because that's the way it is. I just got reminded that there are quite some people far worse off, and by not being in contact with them I had forgotten how unimportant some problems are compared to serious illness and death.
As a good friend just put it, we seem to be eternally bound to our own small spectrum of emotions in the vast high dynamic range of life. I better get some perspective now....
Answer: Because that's the way it is. I just got reminded that there are quite some people far worse off, and by not being in contact with them I had forgotten how unimportant some problems are compared to serious illness and death.
As a good friend just put it, we seem to be eternally bound to our own small spectrum of emotions in the vast high dynamic range of life. I better get some perspective now....
Tue - November 14, 2006
I've turned into an asshole
Today it has finally dawned on me that I've turned
into a real asshole. I've hurt somebody really close to me with stupid jokes,
i've twice refused to answer the phone when Mom called and I've (get this !)
purposefully
blocked two cars on a shopping mall parking lot,
only because they themselves used up 3 spots for their two
compacts.
So, no happy news here. I will need to resolve this before the festive season sets in.
Oh, if you came for pictures: last month I took a great trip to Czech Krumlov, pics here.
So, no happy news here. I will need to resolve this before the festive season sets in.
Oh, if you came for pictures: last month I took a great trip to Czech Krumlov, pics here.
Wed - October 18, 2006
The High Alp Road
If you live in central Europe, be sure to visit the
Grossglockner
Hochalpenstrasse some day. Preferably between May and October, when
it is open. We're talking 2700m (that's 8850 feet guys!) altitude on fresh
tarmac, in between mountains and goats and a lot of
sky.
If you are crazy (and a little dumb) you can do the trip in one single day from vienna: here's a brief history of such a rushed vacation in pictures:
Run To The Hills
enjoy!
If you are crazy (and a little dumb) you can do the trip in one single day from vienna: here's a brief history of such a rushed vacation in pictures:
Run To The Hills
enjoy!
Wed - October 11, 2006
Fri - September 22, 2006
Killing in the name of
What a weird title.
Anyway, I recently stumbled across my love for making games and picked it up on the way back. Facilitated by two specimen of the rare not everyone's but definitely mine breed, namely Sega's Yakuza and Capcom's Dead Rising. Both pieces show enormous attention to character, rock-solid handling and a serious but nevertheless required level of violence, as they are both adult material, and rightfully so.
Yakuza captures the spirit of honor and deceit in the circles of a (presumably fictional) japanese mafia, but delivers it with typical Yu Suzuki attention to environment and naive play. Shen Mue without forklifts, but more bare knuckles. Fools might confuse it with the GTA line of free-roam action titles, but the only trait these share are a map of town and babbling bystanders.
Dead Rising, on the contrary, runs along the lines of free-from game play in a refreshing way, without the need for (but featuring) vehicles, tons of interaction and lots of optional objectives to complete. However, these are merely tools in telling a satire about survival of the fittest, the illusion of happiness through shopping (everybody loves the hardware store, but even chain saws won't save your trapped tourists if you're too far away...) and the ever neutral stance of journalism in a time of crisis. Why safe them when you can take their picture instead?
So, video games are not boring yet. Phew!
Anyway, I recently stumbled across my love for making games and picked it up on the way back. Facilitated by two specimen of the rare not everyone's but definitely mine breed, namely Sega's Yakuza and Capcom's Dead Rising. Both pieces show enormous attention to character, rock-solid handling and a serious but nevertheless required level of violence, as they are both adult material, and rightfully so.
Yakuza captures the spirit of honor and deceit in the circles of a (presumably fictional) japanese mafia, but delivers it with typical Yu Suzuki attention to environment and naive play. Shen Mue without forklifts, but more bare knuckles. Fools might confuse it with the GTA line of free-roam action titles, but the only trait these share are a map of town and babbling bystanders.
Dead Rising, on the contrary, runs along the lines of free-from game play in a refreshing way, without the need for (but featuring) vehicles, tons of interaction and lots of optional objectives to complete. However, these are merely tools in telling a satire about survival of the fittest, the illusion of happiness through shopping (everybody loves the hardware store, but even chain saws won't save your trapped tourists if you're too far away...) and the ever neutral stance of journalism in a time of crisis. Why safe them when you can take their picture instead?
So, video games are not boring yet. Phew!
Mon - September 4, 2006
The new dior collection
Ok, the Final Fantasy characters
are a
step. But check this out (and learn in
wonder)
DIOR at style.com
DIOR at style.com
Fri - August 4, 2006
The state we're in
Ok, this is not supposed to sound cynical, or
socio-critical or any other way ending in -al. But come on, no matter whether
you're a video game feminist, a premature gore fanboy or a theoretical game
critic with no development experience: this picture has to touch you
somehow:
I love it! b(^-^)d
Thanks to Wataru over at Costume GET for the link.
I love it! b(^-^)d
Thanks to Wataru over at Costume GET for the link.
Thu - July 20, 2006
The other blog...
Since Rockstar Vienna closed it's doors, barricaded
and heavily guarded them too I have been keeping busy working on several indie
projects and doing some freelance
work.
If you're interested in the going-ons, feel free to visit my other blog . It was created mainly because I am planning to migrate to wordpress soon, and because I needed to be able to update my work diary from different places.
Link
If you're interested in the going-ons, feel free to visit my other blog . It was created mainly because I am planning to migrate to wordpress soon, and because I needed to be able to update my work diary from different places.
Link
Mon - July 10, 2006
Landscape Portraits
I noticed a strong drift towards nature photography in
my work lately. Maybe it is because of the solitude that the countryside offers,
a feeling that is rare to be found in a city in mid
summer.
Anyhow, there are two new sets. Sky seems prominent.
Skies
Current Impressions
Anyhow, there are two new sets. Sky seems prominent.
Skies
Current Impressions
Tue - July 4, 2006
One order of Final Fantasy XII, with extra Zelda coming right up. You want flying fries with that?
Ever wondered if your Credit card will expire before a
certain title arrives? Well, we all heard and grieved about the delayed shipping
date of Final Fantasy XII, but Zelda.... check that out!
:)
Order #1556792 Ordered On: Sunday, July 10 2005
. 1 of: Legend Of Zelda: The Twilight Princess @ $62.95ea.
Order #1556792 Ordered On: Sunday, July 10 2005
. 1 of: Legend Of Zelda: The Twilight Princess @ $62.95ea.
$62.95
Product
Number: 90061377 Product Type: Nintendo
GameCube Arrival Date: Wednesday, January 1
2025
Order #1654645 Ordered On: Monday, April 3 2006
. 1 of: Final Fantasy XII @ $62.95ea.
Order #1654645 Ordered On: Monday, April 3 2006
. 1 of: Final Fantasy XII @ $62.95ea.
$62.95
Product
Number: 90060571 Product Type: Sony PlayStation
2 Arrival Date: Tuesday, October 31
2006
Wed - June 28, 2006
The Cave Story Remix Project
In case you did play cave story , you most likely loved the music.
Well, so did others, and they decided to pay tribute by creating two discs of
remixes:
http://kwix.shackspace.com/cavestory/index.html
The original creator, Pixel, had this to say about the project:
"06/06/26
I got word that there was a Doukutsu Monogatari 'remix project' recently completed, so I went right away to have a listen. It was fantastic.
Are these people even human?"
Thanks to the pixel diary translation offered by Shih Tzu
http://kwix.shackspace.com/cavestory/index.html
The original creator, Pixel, had this to say about the project:
"06/06/26
I got word that there was a Doukutsu Monogatari 'remix project' recently completed, so I went right away to have a listen. It was fantastic.
Are these people even human?"
Thanks to the pixel diary translation offered by Shih Tzu
Doukutsu Monogatari PSP - A cave-in story?
Desperatly seeking COFFEE STAINS!
Pink clouds and vineyards
If every angel is terrible, why do you welcome them?
Take2 closes Rockstar Vienna in a surprise combo attack!
the comic
X or O?
Chi powered samurais from europe
eyeweiss up again
Let's all hype the xbox 360!
Autumn gaming
The autumn soul
Random comment about an obsolete control scheme
Moscow preview
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Published On: Feb 08, 2007 11:56 PM
Published On: Feb 08, 2007 11:56 PM