blog
Latest
Sony's flog the best of 2006
The Consumerist is running a poll, chronicling the worst of the worst fake blogs (flogs) to hit the web this year. Among the contestants are Walmart, McDonald's, and of course... Sony's PSP. The "All I Want for Xmas" fiasco caused even more bad publicity for Sony, painting them as desperate for PSP sales. Hopefully, 2007 will see a change in marketing tactics: one that doesn't involve the use of a middle-aged man pretending to speak like the kids.As of writing, the PSP flog is leading the pack with 74% of the vote.
Calling all bloggers, part three: the deadline
We put out the call ... and now it's about time to close the gates. If you're waiting to send in your application to write for Wii Fanboy and DS Fanboy, send it in soon, because we're not going to take any further apps after Wednesday, December 27th. Anything received after 11:59 pm EST that night is heading toward that virtual trashcan in the sky. So get those apps in -- this is your last chance!Tragic blogger shirt found here. We couldn't resist using it.
Flog archived for your pleasure
Just in time for Christmas, the "All I Want for Xmas" flog (contraction of the words fake blog; blog, of course, is a shortening of weblog; weblog, of course is a compound word created from web and log; and logs are better than bad ... they're good), has been reuploaded by the Consumerist (complete with awful YouTube vids) after its sudden disappearance. Apparently, they wanted to preserve "this importance [sic] piece of internet poo."[Via Joystiq]
Calling all bloggers, part two: FAQ edition
Now that we put out the cattle call, we're gonna take a moment to explain the branding ... er, the position itself. We've had a few questions in the comments, so we'll address those -- and we have one for you, dear reader. In this time of transition, take a moment to tell us what you want to see. If you controlled DS or Wii Fanboy for a day, what would you implement? What would you like to see for the future? Let us know, either here in the comments, or through the comment submission form here.Check after the jump for the skinny on the applications.
Learning from Sony's viral blog mistake
"From this point forward, we will just stick to making cool products, and use this site to give you nothing but the facts on the PSP."These were the last words of Sony's viral-blog-gone-bad. The site is now suspiciously empty, showing how empty that apology/promise really was. Advertising Age did an interesting write-up on the whole ordeal, making note that the FTC is now taking steps to ensure that companies disclose the true nature of any viral communications they produce. The article has four things to learn from Sony's mistakes, and I found the following to be most important: "The consumer is smarter than you think, alternative marketing tactics must be genuine, authentic and in today's world, transparent." As Penny Arcade smartly noted, "The reality is that no agency can create viral marketing, this is the sole domain of the consumer."Sony has to stop thinking we're idiots, and start treating us as educated consumers that know what we want. The homebrew community is a testament to that statement. Sony: listen to the gamers, read some PSP Fanboy and Joystiq, and figure out what we want.[Via AdJab]
Cingular jumps on the MySpace bandwagon
It looks like Helio isn't the only game in town touting a MySpace partnership anymore, as Cingular has not only joined the ranks (well, solidified the friendship, anyway), but upped the ante in the process. While we learned about MySpace's integration with Helio (and the subsequent perks for members) awhile back, Cingular's deal promises a "more expansive" offering. So expansive, in fact, that users will be charged an extra $2.99 per month to upload photos taken on their handsets to their profile, read / respond to MySpace emails, update their blog entries, and search / view friend profiles on their handsets. Apparently, these not-so-outrageous niceties are costing users due to the "small Java application" that they can download, which presumably makes accessing these luxuries an easy and painless process. About "30 cellphone models" will initially be supported, with another 20 or so to follow suit, and while online videos aren't currently supported, that functionality should be launched "sometime in 2007."
Calling all bloggers: we want YOU (update 1)
Do you enjoy writing about video games? Do you enjoy getting paid real monies? Well, then you might be just the person we're looking for! DS Fanboy and Wii Fanboy are both looking to expand their staff and are holding open submissions for bloggers. Applying is a piece of cake, asking only that you: Write up 3 mock posts in the current format that is on DS and Wii Fanboy, including original source links for the story Compose a short bio praising yourself and your insane writing skillz Include links to all published material you have written in the past And that should about do it. Simple enough, right? As always, failure to follow these rules will exclude you from the festivities. So get cracking and send your submissions to nintendobloggerjob [at] gmail [dot] com.[Update: New email addy to send in submissions, other way around would've caused us headaches in the backend.]
Fake blog admits it was "too funky fresh"
It looks like the now-infamous Sony blog, "all i want for christmas is a psp," is going to keep it real. Shockingly, the blog writer "isn't a real hip-hop maven." The apology states that the blog will now be used to give "nothing but the facts" on the PSP, but we're sorry, Sony. No way you're going to compete with us!
Cocoa Blogs, by Scott Stevenson
I have to admit right up front that I'm not as familiar with the Mac dev community as I'd like to be. I don't know a lick about developing, and I get a bit intimidated as I know it's one of those trades that has a completely different set of constraints and connotations to manage; there's nothing like trying to swim in the big kid's pool while still wearing floaties. Though, for the record: that's just an analogy; I don't wear floaties when swimming in real life. I got rid of those months ago.That said, I'd like to pass along Cocoa Blogs, a new venture from Scott Stevenson, whose name I only know from its mention on a number of Mac developers' blogs I've stumbled across from time to time. As you might glean from the title, Scott waxes on Cocoa, one of Apple's major (and dare I say preferable?) programming environment for Mac OS X, as well as the world of development and its community. He also wrangles a number of Cocoa developer resources and notable blogs for skills both advanced and new.While much of the language in Scott's code-oriented posts and links might as well be Latin to me (and no, you don't get points for noting that up to 80% of English is Latin-based), this looks like a great new resource for Cocoa developers in all walks of life.[via Gus Mueller]
All I want from Sony is better advertising
The Internet is filled with tons of awful, awful things. And the people of Something Awful make their living looking for the Internet's worst. They discovered a Sony-owned and operated blog called "all i want for xmas is a psp." While many PSP enthusiasts will agree with an idea like that, the blog is clearly corporate. Watch this video, found on the site, which features a suspiciously old looking white "teen" that performs a video so bad, it's not even funny. Do you think this kind of advertising would work... on anybody?[Via Joystiq]
Fujifilm slaps US release date, price on Z5fd / FinePix S5 Pro
Fujifilm is apparently in the mood for spewing out much-anticipated launch details today, as both its face finding portable and S5 Pro DSLR are getting tagged with a US release date and price. The Z5fd has added the "face detection" moniker since we last saw it, but keeps the same 6.3-megapixel sensor, metal enclosure, trio of color schemes, 2.5-inch LCD monitor, i-Flash (flash that adapts to the environment), and "Blog Mode," which will automatically resize your photos for easy web posting while maintaining the original biggie. On the DSLR side, the FinePix S5 Pro is getting all official too, touting a 12.3-megapixel Super CCD SR Pro sensor, the company's own RP Processor Pro for "smoother tonality," ISO up to 3200, film simulation mode, and the obligatory face finding technology to boot. So if you're looking for a pocket-friendly digicam to come your way next March, the Z5fd will be landing for $229, while the upscale S5 Pro would make a lovely Valentine's Day gift if you're down with the $1,999 pricetag.Read - Fujifilm's Z5fdRead - Fujifilm's FinePix S5 Pro
PS3 firmware ambiguities reiterate need for dedicated Sony blog
Why can't Sony blog? That's the question Opposable Thumbs posed this morning as it reluctantly accepted the arrival of a new PlayStation 3 update, described simply as v1.3. Like other curious downloaders, the site turned to internet forums for details, finding only a jumbled mess of threads with contradictory opinions. Eventually, a translation of a Japanese explanation of the Japanese update was uncovered. Phew!So why is Sony making it so hard on us? Why no Major Nelson or Gamerscoresque blog? Certainly the semi-official Three Speech site isn't up to the task -- this morning's posts neglected to mention the update even in passing. There's simply no excuse for not providing the public with a dedicated space on the PlayStation website or elsewhere that provides timely information about firmware updates and other content additions.
WoW Insider is LFM!
We're looking to expand our staff here at WoW Insider with new people and fresh perspectives. Getting paid to play isn't just a pipe dream -- though in this case you at least have to alt-tab out and write about your experiences. Think you might make a good addition to our team? Well then, read on for all the details!
Wii Sports: Training and Fitness modes documented
We've been spending tons of time with Wii Sports and we never took the chance to check out the Fitness and Training modes. In correcting the situation, we found that each are fairly straight forward and just how you would imagine them; Fitness is a kind of Brain Age semi-clone, yet instead of a brain age you are given a fitness age, and with Training you are taken through several scenarios in each of the sports. Fitness mode is a good deal more in-depth, so initially you'd want to head into Training mode before checking that out so that you can train up before committing yourself to a fitness age the system is looking to label you with.Continue reading for our first ever Wii Sports Fitness mode trial!
On Apple, blogging and policies
For some time now, Apple's hush-hush policy on public communication has been the focus of much debate. The discussion escalated, however, with the debut of the Masked Blogger, an Apple employee blogging under the radar (or directly in the middle of it, depending on your perspective). Today, John Gruber linked a couple of interesting posts on the subject, one from Chuq Von Rospach (a recent ex-Apple employee), and another from Dave Winer. The more interesting of the two is Chuq's post, where he discusses at length Apple's policies on communication, the fact that the company and its employees actually *do* communicate and blog (though without affiliation), and why Apple's lack of a blogging-specific policy doesn't matter in the grander scheme of things. Chuq's essential point is that Apple's employees do a lot to communicate and interact with the public - they just do it over traditional systems (like email lists) for the purposes of helping and solving problems. Further, 'blogging' is just one more way of communicating (albeit a new and hyped one); it isn't an end-all solution for these purposes. While I think Chuq makes some great points about the focus of blogging and the importance of considering it as a tool for a company like Apple, I still think the company could use one, especially in light of one of its many facets as being closely involved with creative media (see: iLife, which they even brag about on TV). While blogging doesn't have to become a public focus for the company, it certainly wouldn't be difficult to fire one up, and having a blog or two for anything from pimping new products (see: the Google Blog) to offering an easily accessible forum for discussion couldn't hurt (after all, not everyone likes checking in on forums or having one more email list to organize), and they could capitalize on a popular and buzzing new medium. The blog(s) could be treated with a formal touch (like many company-focused promotional blogs) or have a more personal touch from a company-sanctioned individual, like the Scobelizer. Of course, being powered by iWeb, or having a corporate Photocast (or podcast!) couldn't hurt either. Ultimately though, I think one of the good points Chuq makes about how well (yet quietly) Apple's employees actually are communicating is the true Achilles' heel of the idea of an Apple blog to begin with: most of the communication efforts of Apple's employees are quiet or under the radar - right where the company wants them to be. Apple, like most of its products, has a very shiny, polished exterior, which is exactly the kind that does not lend itself to opening the holes and flaws that blogging would puncture, no matter how personal or cute they may seem. One only needs to glance at the company's quiet handling of problems like battery recalls and MacBook RSS to see what I mean. Apple may be a purveyor of some of our favorite creative and communication tools, but donning a more personal side by *using* them just doesn't seem to be in the cards.
Viral blog takes girl to the broken lands
Viral ads are the hottest thing in advertising right now (see examples here and here). They try to spark your interest, so that you spread the site/idea/product around to a friend, like you would a disease (like how I caught this cold!). One reader, Mike Sutter, discovered a blog called "Honey for Tango" which focuses on a girl's encounter with the paranormal. This could haven been a convincing, and interesting viral blog, but unfortunately, it seems like the reveal happened too soon: her latest entry over-enthusiastically hypes the upcoming Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony.The game itself looks interesting, but her obviously fictional blog does a poor job of getting me excited about the game. Also, I understand the game is releasing on Halloween, but in my opinion, the blog's focus on the supernatural doesn't seem to mesh well with the fantasy environment of the game.
Gears of War is 'goldish,' CliffyB done
"My job as designer of Gears of War is, well, more or less done," writes CliffyB in his latest blog, titled "fin." The Gears lead designer is now off to fulfill his duties for the hype machine, leaving us to assume that Epic's game is gold and ready to lead Microsoft's holiday charge. Of course, Cliffy "can't speak to the status of gold" ... or can he? During a recent interview with Major Nelson, the designer clearly drops the "gold" word:"We actually found out like about week before we went gold that [the final boss] was actually too tough to beat, even on casual." [8:19][Thanks, Baker]
The tech behind Death Jr. 2
IGN's Death Jr. 2 blog has been revealing some real gems of info. The latest entry goes into the technical aspects of creating the game. Read the lengthy, but genuinely informative, blog to find out more on what kind of evil magic programming the team had to do to get HDR lighting running in the game. It gets pretty complicated, showing off scary XML code. I was personally fascinated by the images from the developer's tools (PB Viewer and Maya Viewpoint)-- this is the kind of behinds-the-scenes stuff that we don't get enough of. The blog also explains more complicated-sounding things like vertex lighting and light seams. Finally, they reveal some of the special visual effects the game will employ: softening, eggcrate, fisheye, ripple, and vortex.All this technical mumbo-jumbo's being thrown around to razzle dazzle us, and I have to say it's sort of working. Although the game is going to pretty, the real test will come the game ships this Halloween, when we'll be able to test all of its gameplay.
Lumines II website opens, links to PSP Fanboy
We at PSP Fanboy love Lumines... and apparantly, the people of Lumines love us right back! The official website just launched, and within the slick-looking interface, you'll see upcoming competitions, a wallpaper creator, and more. It appears the site will expand over time, to include a blog, a "music hub" and more. Most excitingly, if you check out the Links section (click the green box), you'll see that Joystiq and PSP Fanboy are listed in their Links section! A mere mortal like me feels honored.See also:Exclusive Heavenly Star fan pack
Intel build of ecto 2.4.1 now available
Fellow ecto users running on Intel Macs - rejoice! While Adriaan has been teasing us with snippets of ecto3 details, he recently posted on his blog that it's taking a bit longer than expected to develop, largely in part because it's a complete re-write from the ground up. With that said, he has announced an Intel build of ecto 2.4.1 (Finder says it's Intel, not Universal), though it is not fully tested, nor will it be supported (hey, he's just one guy). If you've been using the previous PPC version on your Intel Mac, I am happy to report this Intel build starts up in the blink of an eye, or rather: the bounce of an app. One bounce in the dock on my Core 2 Duo iMac and this new ecto is ready for action.This new ecto 2.4.1 Intel version can be had from this ecto blog entry, as the standard download link from the site still points to the PPC version.
