rock-n-roll
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The MMO Report: Elvis invented rock 'n' roll edition
This week on The MMO Report, Casey insists that he's a "wise-cracking superhero with a heart of gold," not a noob who doesn't know his MMO history. "For the record," he says, "I do realize that EverQuest wasn't the first MMO. I was just saying it was the game that brought MMOs mainstream attention... like how Elvis invented rock 'n' roll." Casey reports on Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online's financial woes, RIFT's new infinite trial, Star Wars: The Old Republic's impressive sales numbers, and TERA's beta plans. Then he dips into Uncle Casey's Mailbag to discuss -- what else -- hot dorf-on-dorf action. All this and more in the HD MMO Report tucked behind the cut!
Count The Beats: Playing keys and synth live on a Mac (interview).
Over the coming months, the Count The Beats series is going to be taking a closer look at how the Mac (and the accompanying software) fits in with the various components of a typical rock band (drums, bass, electric guitar etc. You get the idea). In this post we're going to take a closer look at keyboards (playing keys and synths) in a live performance context. From honky-tonk piano's on fire to out-of-control oscillating synths, there is so much gear and software out there it can be difficult to know where to start, especially when it comes to playing in a live performance context. Session musician, and good friend of mine, Jon Dean does a fair bit of this, and does it well. In the last few years he's gone from classically trained pianist to Rock 'n Roll, synth and pad-crazy keys extraordinaire. I managed to pull Jon away from his busy touring schedule to sit down with me and a cup of tea with some After Eight Mints (it's a new kind of Rock 'n Roll out there, apparently) to talk controllers, audio interfaces and moving from PC to Mac, with a couple bad musician jokes thrown in for good measure. Even if you're not a keys player, it's interesting to see how the Mac continues to facilitate and encourage creative musicianship to an extent that just wasn't available a few short years ago. Click the Read More link for the interview. Photo credit: kolleggerium on flickr.
Last minute Apple rumor roundup: iPhone HD video out, no new iPod touch?
Okay, we're in the final countdown to Apple's Only Rock and Roll event, and some interesting bits of info have hit the wires while we're waiting. First, AppleInsider claims a "historically reliable source" has leaked the entire new lineup of iPods, complete with model numbers, and it's somewhat surprising if true: not only do capacities remain the same apart from a 160GB iPod classic, the iPod touch is absent from the list -- leading some to believe its upgrade has been delayed due to rumored technical issues with the camera module. AI also says the nano is getting "significant changes" to Nike+, but doesn't go into further detail. There's also been an interesting press release this morning from Harmon Kardon, which is touting that its new Bridge III iPod / iPhone dock and AVR 2600 and 3600 receivers can "play back HD video from iPod or iPhone products." Seeing as there's no (official) way to even get HD video onto an iPod or iPhone right now, that seems to indicate there's a change a-comin' -- and seeing as we've already gotten the iPhone 3GS to play back 1080p video, the addition of HD video support to at least some of the i-line seems like a no-brainer. We'll see what's true and what's just wishful thinking soon enough -- the liveblog starts in just a little bit!Update: And just in case you couldn't get enough sketchy cases, Cygnett has some listed on its site that seem to show a new nano screen size, as well as a new touch with a camera. Things are definitely heating up, stay tuned. Read - AppleInsider leaked list of new iPod models Read - Harmon Kardon says new dock can play back HD video from iPhone
Tag Games bringing Rock'n'Roll to the iPhone's accelerometer
The folks over at Touch Arcade are doing a terrific job of keeping up with all the good-looking games on the App Store (and even some not-so-good-looking ones) but for my money, this one falls solidly into the first category. Rock'n'Roll is an accelerometer-based puzzle/platforming game (ported from other mobile platforms). As you can see in the video above, it plays like a much more colorful version of the already-fun Spinner, as you rotate the iPhone to control the little circle and get him to fall down in the right place. There are power-ups and items to collect as you explore the little mazes, and though there's no sound in the video, we're told the game will have a "traditional Americana" rock soundtrack, which sounds like fun.A few people have mentioned motion sickness, and while that's a possibility, my guess is that it's more from the video itself -- playing Spinner has kind of the same effect, but when it's you controlling the spinning and the image is confined to the iPhone's screen, it's not so bad. At any rate, we'll find out soon whether the game is as fun as it looks -- it's due for a release later this month.
Bartle to old guard: "We've already won"
In a wonderful, feel-good-story-of-the-year type of article, Richard Bartle, the father of online gaming, has written a laudable rant in the Guardian, essentially informing the old school haters that they're officially obsolete. You know the ones -- every reporter making a quick buck off of the party line that videogames are dangerous to our psyches; every politician riding the easy ticket of attacking our hobby in the name of protecting the children; every concerned parental activist group calling for the heads of the developers who worked on our chosen pastime -- Bartle has given them notice. In his delightfully-worded article, Bartle reminds us all that these witch hunts are generational: previously, it was television; before that, the enemy was rock 'n' roll, comic books, even the novel. People fear what they don't understand, and aggression is what they employ to mask that fear. Every previous generation seeks to destroy the entertainment of the new generation, and for our age, it's the videogame that's under fire. Bartle understands this and quite calmly uses this knowledge to signal an end to the previous generation's influence. Yet he doesn't just condemn, he also offers a way out.
Comic Watch: Chocolate Shoes laments 'the real'
Christopher Stuck mocks his own entertainment choices in his comic Chocolate Shoes. An updated take on an old classic concept, it questions where the real value in life lies.Giggles aside, this argument rings more false than ever these days. Videogames are still new enough, anthropologically, to be considered a flash in the pan, and subject to the same skepticism and outright hostility from non-players that rock 'n' roll and the novel were exposed to when they were new. Simply put, value is where you find it, and no one else. It'll be nice when this generation, having grown up with games, comes into its own -- maybe we'll finally stop seeing articles demonizing our entertainment of choice, and move on to the true threat to society: reality tv shows.
