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Choose Your Own Adventure on iPod
If you're of a certain age (which I am), you may fondly remember a little series of books called Choose Your Own Adventure. Right around the time a little game company called Infocom was really cranking out the interactive computer games, which I spent countless hours playing on my Apple ][, CYOA books were a regular staple at my house. Yeah, we'd all skip ahead to make sure we weren't about to wind up as ant food, but the books did a lot to foster reading across the country, long before Harry Potter was a gleam in Rowling's eye.Anyway, Choose Your Own Adventure books are back! Sure, you can buy dead tree versions. But you can also buy iPod versions, which use the iPod's primitive hyperlinking in the Notes. And as astute reader Amy pointed out to us, there's a free sample iPod CYOA book, The Abominable Snowman, on their website. It's neat to see the old series faithfully reproduced, but even better knowing I can carry these around in my pocket (and read them to my kids).
WoW Books: Rise of the Horde now available
The latest novel set in the World of Warcraft has been released this week. While I haven't yet seen it in my local bookshop, it does seem to be available from Amazon.com. Rise of the Horde is written by Christie Golden, who wrote (with Don Perrin) Warcraft: Lord of the Clans, as well as a couple of Star Trek: Voyager novels. From Amazon's blurb: Though the young Warchief Thrall ended the demon curse that had plagued his people for generations, the orcs still wrestle with the sins of their bloody past. As the rampaging Horde, they waged a number of devastating wars against their perennial enemy -- the Alliance. Yet the rage and bloodlust that drove the orcs to destroy everything in their path nearly consumed them as well. Long ago, on the idyllic world of Draenor, the noble orc clans lived in relative peace with their enigmatic neighbors, the draenei. But the nefarious agents of the Burning Legion had other plans for both of the unsuspecting races. The demon-lord Kil'jaeden set in motion a dark chain of events that would succeed not only in eradicating the draenei, but forging the orc clans into an single, unstoppable juggernaut of hatred and destruction. I've bought a couple of WoW novels in the past, but I've never really been drawn-in by them, preferring being in the game than to lazing on the couch reading about it. Rise of the Horde seems to be a little more interesting, as it may give some background going into The Burning Crusade. And hey, with a couple of weeks to go, and not a lot to do in-game, now might be a good time for me to give WoW novels a second chance. So, are you going to pick this one up? Have any of you read the past novels, and do you find they add to your enjoyment of the game, or just give you a nice break from staring at the computer screen? 01/16/07 UPDATE! Christie Golden has written in (YAY! THE AUTHOR!) and clears up a few things: Thanks for making people aware of the book! I do have a correctionfor you if I may--I did not write Lord of the Clans "with" DonPerrin. Lord of the Clans (as a novel that is, of course thebackstory and the world is Blizzard's!) is entirely my own creation,I never saw any of the work Don had done on the project before Istarted writing.Also, I'm delighted to report that many things made it from the bookRise of the Horde into the expansion, which is a real thrill for mepersonally and doesn't often happen in the world of media tie-ins.Blizzard is a fantastic company to work with. And yes, I play WoW.:D Thanks for the information, Christie, hopefully we'll see you in the Outlands!
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 confirmed for DS [update 1]
Back when the "Ivalice Alliance" was announced and a sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was unveiled, there was some confusion over which handheld system would reap the rewards. Surely, the DS is the hottest thing since the SN 1054 supernova in the Crab Nebula, but the "Advance" moniker was unsettling.Just kidding. No it wasn't. Square-Enix aren't a bunch of fools, and with the intense support they've been showing lately toward the machine of the future, this announcement was merely a formality. Hopefully, FFTA2 won't be a mess of obscure gameplay rules and can bring back what made the original Tactics so great ... Calculators.[Update 1: Wrong frackin' blog!]
Chocobo and the magic launch event
Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book launched in Japan today and, in full-on Square-Enix fashion, was accompanied by an event in Shinjuku. Consumers were also greeted with this snazzy little pouch as a bonus gift upon purchasing the title. It's said that the final game features over 40 different mini-games and you can bet we will be getting our hands on it should it release stateside.More pictures available after the jump ...See also: More info on Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book Wark! Chocobo coming to the DS Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book gets Japanese date Checking out Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book
Epson working on mobile-to-printer e-books
It may not have the same sort of high-tech impact as e-ink, but there's something to be said for reading stuff the old fashioned way with a nice, thick stack of paper -- and Epson would like us to use our phones to do it. The Japanese company has hooked up with Sammy NetWorks to include its muPass platform in printers and phones for managing DRMed e-book content via IrDA -- in other words, buy a book on your phone and beam it straight to your printer over an infrared connection. Epson and Sammy are thinking that the setup will be perfect for distributing periodicals (magazines, newspapers, and the like), individual articles, and out-of-print or limited audience material that can't be justified for a regular production run on the press. Integration should be a snap for phone manufacturers, since Sammy's now managed to cram the muPass system into software. War and Peace, anyone?
New Irish tale spun with anti-gaming sentiment
It certainly ain't no Ulysses, but Irish scribe Dee Quinn's new children's book, Billy Bolshie Junior, appears to be stirring up some kinda revolution in County Kerry, Ireland, where a book launch was recently held at the Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney. Bolshie purportedly draws upon some cockamamie moral about video games being a "poor substitute for the simpler things in life."Thankfully, a Google search on Bolshie and Quinn turned up nothing. We wouldn't want this sorta propaganda spreading beyond the borders of southwest Ireland...
From Silent Hill to rules and manners
Silent Hill producer Akira Yamaoka has apparently changed his focus. His latest project is a DS adaptation of Soichiro Ishihara's Otonaryoku. Translated as "Adult Power," Otonaryoku is a self-help guide to improving relationships through the mastery of rules and manners.It's unclear how the themes from Otonaryoku will be used in conjunction with Yamaoka's game. We fear it'll be another drab software trainer, undoubtedly a hit in Japan's quirk-obsessed market, but too obscure to reach beyond. But who knows, maybe Yamaoka's creepy imagination will be permitted to bend the rules.
More info on Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book
In the latest update for Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book, some info relating to the game's battle system and characters is revealed. The game is to feature 3 playable characters in (the obvious) Chocobo, Shiroma (a White Mage) and Chromo (the Black Mage responsible for bestowing the book upon our yellow-feathered protagonist). The game's villain is Bebazu, who is sealed within the magical book in the game's title of the same name.The battle system for the game is card-based. Using cards causes them to be gone for good, however after you win each battle you are gifted with new cards, so your deck is very much a renewable resource. It is also said that there will be character cards, like the ones present in Final Fantasy VIII, so discretion is certainly advised.See also: Wark! Chocobo coming to the DS Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book gets Japanese date Checking out Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book
NPR interviews Steve Wozniak
Can this guy get around, or what? The Woz has been everywhere lately, from the Colbert Report to the It's Showtime event on a Segway, and he's on his way to the South Pole in a hydrogen Hummer. Now even NPR got their hands on the big W for an interview, waxing ecstatic about his life after Apple, and hopefully a bit more about his book than he got out on the Colbert Report. Check it out, though you'll need (*snicker*) Real Player or Windows Media support installed via Flip4Mac.Thanks phi
Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book trailer
Everyone loves the chocobo. And why not? He's got his own theme music, he's the best ride in all of Final Fantasy, and then there's the whole "Wark!" business. No one can resist the fluffy giant chicken. You think you can? Oh, brother, we have something for you. It's the new Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book trailer, and it is cuteness personified. No matter how crusty or curmudgeonly you think you are, this trailer is guaranteed to make you murmur, "Aww," at least once. And hey, these days, it's hip to be sensitive. Just let it out, man. We won't tell. The trailer is embedded after the jump, and it really is just as precious as ... well ... things that are extra precious, like babies and gold rings with scribbles. Even malboros, one of the most fearsome enemies in the FF-verse, seem totally cuddly, despite our memories of their bad breath.
Text-based game used to promote book
Using interactive games to promote products online is nothing new, as anyone whose ever had to "punch grandma to win a FREE PSP*" well knows. But Random House is taking a bit of a different tact, using an interactive fiction game to promote their new title The Glass Book of Dream Eaters.The two text-based mysteries, coded using the INFORM engine, let players take control of either wealthy plantation heiress Celeste Temple or assassin Cardinal Chang. It may not be quite as thrilling as boxing grandma, but both games provide some engaging, super-old-school fun for a lazy Thursday afternoon.* - Free PSP requires signing up for like a million free trials and promising us your first born child.[Via Grand Text Auto]
Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book gets Japanese date
While there is still no word if the US will see the Square-Enix Final Fantasy spin-off, Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book, those who plan on importing it anyway will be pleased to hear that it got a release date. Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book will reach Japanese shelves December 14, 2006. With the web site up and screenshots a plenty, we hope to hear more about the title coming to the States. Square certainly is showing the love for gamers this year. This Fall has been a Final Fantasy overload and now they are hitting us with spin-offs. Square, we love you. [Via Go Nintendo]
iLounge releases The Free iPod Book 2.2
Those iPod-obsessed kids over at iLounge have updated their Free iPod Book to version 2.2 (yes, books can have version point updates too). Four all-new sections are included in this updated version: Nike + iPod Sport Kit Troubleshooting Your iPod U2 iPod + iPod Pack-Ins Backstage at iLounge You'll also find the typical kinds of updates to previous content you would expect. This 200+ page "free manual on getting the most from your iPod" is available from iLounge's update post, as well as from the iLounge Library. Enjoy.
Official Dungeon Strategy Guide Now on Sale
Now that Brian Kopp's Unauthorized WoW Guide is back in the news, you might also be interested to know that an official guidebook for WoW has just been published. Brady Games has released the World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion, a 400-page guidebook covering all instanced dungeons currently in the game. The book's features include: • Every Dungeon: Low-level instances and the toughest raid dungeons are all covered in this monstrous compendium. Light is shed on everything from Ragefire Chasm to the brand new Ahn' Qiraj. • Outdoor World Boss Encounters: Learn exactly what you need to take the Azuregos, Lord Kazzak and the Emerald Dragons. • Much more: monster information, question guidance, rewards and secret rooms.So, if you haven't givent this game enough of your money yet this month, you can order the guide over at BlizzPlanet in the merchandise section. Let me know if it's any good...
From Sun Tzu to Xbox; a new book on war and videogames
Firing Squad caught up with Ed Halter, author of From Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Videogames, to talk with him about the intersection of ... umm, war and videogames. Anyone who's read Smartbomb is already familiar with the intimate and storied relationship between the two, from early Defense Department research to current Army recruitment tools. Halter says:"The Army loves to say that America's Army is 'authentic' but only a fool would believe that real war is like that game. A more realistic form of America's Army, for example, would be one in which your soldier might lose a limb or get brain-damaged in combat, then come home to a Sims-style scenario in which you have to manage the rest of your life that way. Or maybe a game where you don't get into combat at all–you just camp out in the desert, running exercises. But I doubt those kind of game would serve as very effective advertisements."Halter will continue to follow the topic with a blog -- as a supplement to the more traditional dead tree edition and as potential material for a new edition -- that's already full of interesting stuff. Anyone pick this up yet?[Thanks, John]
Book: Discovering Automator
Discovering Automator is a new book from Hanaan Rosenthal that delves into the many facets of making your Mac do more work in less time for you with the power of Mac OS X Tiger's Automator. From Automator World's description, Discovering Automator details "the ins-and-outs of Automator: basic workflow construction, deployment, debugging and advanced topics such as creating shell scripts, Applescripts and plug-ins." The book also comes with over 70 Automator actions, including many requested actions for Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.Discovering Automator sells for $14.99 at Amazon.com, but if you'd like a taste, you can download both a sample chapter and the table of contents at Hanaan's site.[via Automator World]
Wired posts Apple fan art gallery
Leander Kahney, author of the successful Cult of Mac book, has posted an interesting gallery of Apple fan art at Wired. While I think I recognize some of these images from browsing the Cult of Mac book at the local bookstore, this gallery is an interesting look into just how far Apple's loyal following are willing to go to show their love for the Mac.While I'm glad to see posts like this, I have to wonder: where are the Cult of Windows books and art galleries?
Essential Tiger Server Admin book canceled
If you just recieved an Xserve running Tiger and you were hoping that O'Reilly would be releasing an updated version of their Panther server admin book, you're out of luck. Faced with the choice between canceling the book or making sacrifices for production time, the author decided not to go forward with the project.O'Reilly doesn't think there is a demand for an OS X server admin book, if you want one let them know!
