xWingmaNx Blog

EA and Origin: A New Experience

ninja — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:01:00 GMT

EA has launched a new experience for their online presence, introducing a new brand to house their digital game distribution and a redesign of their dot com site.

Welcome to Origin. EA will use this brand and application to enhance your gaming experience amongst EA products. Origin will launch with 150 titles available for your PC. The PC application will feature an online store embedded within the app, social features to allow you to interact with other Origin Account friends, an easy download/installation process and even a mobile service!

EA.com has also received an updated look and feel to add to the overall experience. This new design is very clean, simple and interactive; take the time to play around on the site, it is pretty cool.

E3 starts next week, it will be great to hear what EA has planned and to learn more about the release of this new brand and experience.

The WiiS360, in retropsect

ninja — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:30:00 GMT

This has happened to many of us, we find ourselves at a buffet with a vast number of edible options to choose from, including an array of desserts. What do we do? We engage our hunger, armed with a plate (or two) full of food, only to find ourselves full with the remnants of all the items we failed to consume; our eyes were bigger than our stomach. How often can you say you've experienced that mindset within the gaming realm? I have found myself in this situation: my eyes are bigger than my stomach - only my "stomach" is the available free time I have to game. As I look around the room, I see the following gaming systems: a PS3, a 360, a Wii, two DS, a DSi, a PSP, an iPhone and my computer. You know what? I have too many systems and not enough time to game.

How did I get in this situation? I think it stems from my childhood love for gadgets and gaming. My first console, like many people in my generation, was the original NES. It wasn't long until I picked up a Nintendo GameBoy and a Sega Game Gear (remember those?). I just didn't want to be limited to one system, I didn't want to be restricted from playing any particular game. But in reality, having so many options has prevented me from experiencing the full-library of games available to any one system.

Now, back in the days of the Super NES and the Sega Genesis, there would have been very good cause to have both systems; games were not shared across the two platforms. Even games like Street Fighter, which was available on both systems, had different editions depending on the system! However, can that really be said for today's standards? Sure the Wii is definitely a different type of system than the PS3 and 360, but how many of us "hardcore" gamers are actually playing games on that system? Despite the massive sales of the Wii, to me, the system is a disappointment and it collects dust.

Recently, I loaded up a game of Mario Party and was shocked to learn that my last saved game was from November of 2008; seriously, over one and half years ago. That is not a successful system for me, though it might be a great system for plenty of other people and the hardcore Nintendo fans (which is cool), it's just not for me.

Let's take a brief look at the PS3. This is what inspired this post, based on Kotaku article. Why do I have a PS3? Simply put, I missed the feeling of the PS controller. Sounds like a lame reason, but it's what eventually got to me. When the 360 launched, I bought one. When the PS3 launched, I waited. Eventually I put my PS2 away in storage and focused on the 360. After about a year I felt this strange gaming emptiness inside, an empty feeling that, in my mind, could only be filled by acquiring a PS3. Well, I waited and waited. I did this because I couldn't justify the purchase! After all, what games would I buy for the system? All the games I wanted to play were already available on the 360. I decided that I needed to keep an eye out for PS3 exclusives and once I found five of them, I would have enough of a reason (aka "excuse") to purchase the system.

That all changed when the PS3 slim was announced; game over. I bought that system as soon as it came out and I had no regret. This completed my quest for the WiiS360 combo (Wii + PS3 + 360) - every possible current gen game was now available for me to play. Armed with my brand new PS3, I (idiotically - is that a word?) decide to ignore all the PS3 exclusives to snatch up three games that are also out on the 360; yep, smart. I played Batman: Arkham Asylum first and I "beat the crap" out of that game. In the end, I was not happy, I was depressed. I thought about all the gamer points I could have had if I played it on the 360! Now, that is ridiculous in my opinion, but it happened.

I thought that I could get over this and simply accept the fact that I'm playing the games for the fun of it, not for some achievements and gamer points. Moving on, I proceeded to invest hours into Assassin's Creed 2 only to experience the same feeling of lost gamer points, after completing the game. What does this mean? Has Microsoft successfully found a way to get some of us addicted to their system? Are gamer points the equivalent to virtual crack? I never knew I really cared about gamer points and achievements until my PS3 experience; subconsciously, the Xbox has destroyed me.

I now find myself looking at piles of consoles, games, controllers and cords; it's clutter, it's messy, it's time to clean house.

Ever since I foolishly gave away my original NES and Sega Genesis, I have refused to get rid of any gaming system I own. Yet now I find myself ready to get rid of everything except for my 360 and DSi (of course my computer and iPhone aren't going anywhere, but that's for non-gaming reasons). I want to simplify my gaming rig and focus more on one-system gaming with my limited downtime. This is a strange time in my life, I feel that I'm crossing into a new era that'll impact all future console choices. I may never end up experiencing the awesomeness of Uncharted 2, but I feel a sense of peace with this decision. I wonder, will I actually go through with scaling down or will I talk myself out of it?

NinjaScript: If/Then Structure

ninja — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:41:00 GMT

Hey everyone, here we go - round one of NinjaScript (short for "JavaScript Ninja") training! Today, I'm going to keep this relatively brief, hopefully this weekend I'll be able to put together a more solid structure for this series (bare with me). The topic is the basic JS if/then structure. Why? Because nearly every book and site that teaches beginning JS does this incorrectly, well, it's not wrong, but there is a better way to do this. Let's take a look ...

w3schools.com is absolutely my favorite code reference site on the web, but let's take a look at their "Learning JavaScript" if-statement lesson. w3schools.com, like many books I've seen, provides the following as the basic syntax for a JavaScript if/then statement:

if (condition)
  {
    then do something, execute your code ... 
  }

While this is technically correct, it is actually problematic with more complex scripts, because it can produce funny results - weird, I know, but this apparently is true (though I have not encountered this yet). Another reason why this isn't ideal, is that it is an archaic way to initialize a statement.

Therefore, you may now be wondering, "what should the basic syntax look like?" It's very simple, I'll show you! The following is exactly how you should structure an if/then statement (or any Compound Statement for that matter):

  if (condition) {
    then do something, execute your code ... 
  }

Super simple, huh? It's just moving the first curly brace to the same line as the IF condition!

(In Doug Crockford's article, "Code Conventions for the JavaScript Programming Language," he provides many patterns to follow for statements; I suggest checking it out.)

"Cool, now what?" Okay, let's talk about that condition real quick. This is another thing that is quite often taught incorrectly - though, again, technically correct. So JavaScript is a language that is "loosely typed," meaning you do not have to declare a variable's type (i.e. string, float, etc.). Many (or maybe all?) of the beginning JS books teach you the following structure for conditions:

if (myVar == "something") { ... }

Ask yourself, does this actually look wrong? No! It's not, but it might fail you in certain situations. Take for example the following (this is just an example for visual purposes):

if (2 == "2") { ... }

Is this condition true or false? Initially looking at this, you'd say this condition is false (unless you are new to coding, then you may believe it is true). Guess what? It's true! JavaScript will convert the string into a number (meaning, it'll change the "2" to a 2). Because of the loose-type in JS, you may find that you aren't getting the results you want. If you want to do a proper comparison, then you need to use these operators:

===
!==

if (myVar === "something") { ... }
if (2 !== "2") { ... }

Coding in this manner will ensure that JavaScript will actually check the type of your variables! According to Doug Crockford's article, mentioned above, he writes, "It is almost always better to use the === and !== operators. The == and != operators do type coercion. In particular, do not use == to compare against falsy values." That might sound a little confusing, but for now, use the === and !== operators for your comparisons (note the "almost always" in Crockford's statement though, there are some exceptions - though I don't know them at this moment).

Okay, I said I'd keep this brief, it's getting long, but let me show you one last bit of code. Here's how you convert an if-statement into a short-hand JS version. Maybe I'll cover short-hand coding later, but for now, check this out, it is cool:

original version:

if (condition) {
  TRUE, then do something ...
} else {

  FALSE, else do something ...

}

short-hand version:

(condition) ? TRUE, then do something : FALSE, else do something;

Cool huh? Well, I think it's neat! Oh, last thing! Wondering why I have an image of Super Mario Bros. on this post? Check this Kotaku article out: Super Mario Bros. in 14 Kilobytes of JavaScript!

A JavaScript Ninja

ninja — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:56:00 GMT

How does one become a JavaScript Ninja (someone who is great at JS coding)? Well, let's take that journey together! I have decided to use my GI blog for the force of good ... coding. It's time to walk the path of a rogue JS Ninja. Why? Because I want too.

JavaScript is an amazing and powerful front-end development language used for web pages and web applications. It has grown into a beast that may surprise many of the backend Java developers who use to frown upon this once "simple" language - was it every really simple? If you want to be a web developer, then you need to know JavaScript, as it is the power tool you will use to get things done.

In this journey, I will touch upon concepts from basic JS coding to more advanced techniques. My hope is that along the way, I will not only help educate, but I will learn many new things myself. I will be armed with my experience, my JS heroes (Doug Crockford and John Resig) and both physical and digital resources.

Let's begin with The Stages:

I have heard a few different variations on this concept, apparently John Resig has a version that is specifically geared toward JS coders and when I find it, I will post about it. However, devthought.com posted an article on The Four Stages of Programming Competence. This is a great way to understand where you are in the scale of "novice to expert."

Here's a quick summary of the four stages:

1. Unconsciously Incompetent - this is the stage of a coder who believes they "get it," when in fact they are quite incapable of understanding advance coding concepts at this stage. They often have been exposed to the basics of various coding languages and environments, separating them from the non-coders, but giving them false confidence in their abilities.

2. Consciously Incompetent - this is the stage where the coder is first aware of their lack of knowledge, where they begin to understand that they did not really "get it." They feel they are not in the area of their expertise, when comparing themselves to the pros and they rely on others to support their project needs; a frustrating stage.

3. Consciously Competent - this is the stage where a coder is aware of their issues within the field, but makes an effort to try to do their best - overcoming their frustration. They look for the most efficient solutions and do a lot of trial-and-error to get their code to function properly. Unknowingly, this person is on their way to becoming an excellent coder.

4. Unconscious Competence - this is (for some) the final stage. When a coder's process to finding a solution is second nature; when complex problems are easily overcome. This is the stage where you should strive to be, in order to be considered an expert in the field. If you find yourself in this stage with a language, you are in the possession of the knowledge that will allow you to easily pickup multiple coding languages as the concepts are the same.

5. Reflective Competence - a fifth stage? Some people claim there is a fifth stage, where a person who is an expert in the field, is aware of their skills and is capable of effectively teaching their "unconscious" methods; therefore bringing these methods to the conscious mind.

The goal - Stage 4! Good luck, it won't be easy, but it will pay off.

Get to Know Jasper

ninja — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:59:21 GMT

Get to Know Jasper

For a few years, I have feared the Red Ring of Death. I silently prayed for a RRoD-free Xbox 360, as I watched my friends and co-workers fall victim to the hardware failure; some experiencing the problem more than once. I stood strong, with faith in the quality of my Xbox 360. As the years went by, I took pride in the open-air setup of which my beloved console lived. As the hours of gameplay increased with no indication of failure or even system hiccups in sight, I began to wonder if I'd receive the RRoD at all? I was lured into a false-belief that I somehow, miraculously, had hand picked a "special" console that was constructed so well, the RRoD could not occur. Two weeks ago, my false-belief was shattered.

Surprisingly, my issue was not the dreaded Red Ring of Death! You see, I have experienced a hardware failure that transcends the red lights; a failure that no one I know has experienced. Perhaps I was right in my false-beliefs, maybe I truly did pick a rare Xbox 360. What I have experienced is the "water color" issue, which eventually brought on the death of my display.

With my broken-heart, I contacted Microsoft support, in hopes that they would be able to offer some insight into my situation. To my sorrow, I received a generic troubleshooting email response, which was nothing more than a path that lead to the inevitable "repair request" screen. Shortly thereafter, I found myself at an impasse - do I spend $100 on the out-of-warranty repair cost? Or do I spend $200 on an Xbox 360 Arcade, slap my current 360 hard drive on it and call it a day?

At first glance upon this choice, it sounds like a no-brainer, "why spend $200, when you could spend $100?" It is true, the cost alone is a significant "con" in the list of pros/cons, but there are other factors here; one which has finalized my decision: Jasper.

What is Jasper? No, this Jasper is not the vampire from Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" series. Rather, this Jasper is the new 2009 Xbox 360 Arcade-model motherboard which decreases the GPU chip size from 90nm to 65nm. Jasper was created with one thing in mind, to destroy the RRoD, before the RRoD ruins Microsoft's reputation - ha! Okay, perhaps there are more reasons than just the RRoD, but it is true, that Jasper should theoretically decrease the possibilities of RRoD.

The RRoD is believed to be "contributed to the GPU chip warping away from the motherboard" (Toms Hardware) due to overheating. The Jasper motherboard is attempting to disrupt this hardware failure by reducing the energy consumption and heat output through the reduction of the electrical components within the Xbox 360.

How do you find Jasper? First off, it is important to know that the Jasper motherboards are only available on the Xbox Arcade models - why this is the case is beyond me. It is rumored that some Pro models contain this motherboard, but the Pro model has been discontinued. Some people believe that a Jasper model can be identified through the power source. It is true that the Jasper model uses a 150W power block - older 360s use a 175W block. Unfortunately, this isn't the best identification method either, there have been some reports of false information printed on the 360 packaging and that some Jasper 360s came with a 175W block (Microsoft attempting to use up their stock?).

The best way to identify a Jasper 360 is to look for the console serial number/barcode - which should be visible through the console packaging, not requiring you to open the box. If you look at the serial number/barcode area, you need to look for the amp information. A Jasper 360 will have 12.1A rating. If you see this, then you are good to go!

Has Jasper saved the Xbox 360 from the depths of the RRoD? Well according to an independent study by SquareTrade, it appears to be the case:

In Q4 2008, Jasper units started arriving, although we believe units purchased during this period continued to be a mix of Falcon and Jasper models. Even with this mix, we projected the 1-year failure rate to drop below 4%. Furthermore, when looking at over 500 units purchased in 2009, fewer than 1% of customers have reported a RROD error as of Aug 2009. It is still too early to definitively assert that Jasper has given RROD a knockout punch, but such an argument may be pronounceable in the coming months (SquareTrade).

In the end, I feel confident in my decision to spend the additional money on purchasing a new Xbox 360 Arcade over repairing my original 360. The benefit of an HDMI port, a new warranty and a potentially RRoD-free Jasper motherboard will let me sleep at night - plus a Best Buy Reward Zone discount helps ease the pain on my wallet!

The Art of Writing, Making War with Words

ninja — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:30:57 GMT

The Art of Writing, Making War with Words

How many times have you left a movie theater or watched a season finale of a television series and have actually felt upset, saddened? Have you ever allowed a book to engulf yourself, completely removing you from reality, grounding you in your mind – beyond your control? This is the power of a writer.

A good writer has the ability to manipulate your emotions with language. The art of writing has a foundation that spans centuries with influences from nearly all cultures. It’s a skill that people are not born with, but develop as we grow. The ability to transfer sounds (spoken language) into visual shapes (written language) is something we take for granted; it is a powerful tool.

As Stan Lee says, “with great power comes great responsibility” and when it comes to video games, we often find this power misused. Ask yourself, “how often have you felt an emotional attachment to a storyline in a video game?” There has yet to be a game with a storyline so well written that it could change the direction of the entire industry.

There are two schools of thought here. The first deals with the fact that gaming is simply a form of entertainment, similar to a card game or board game, but on a much more visual level. In this school of thought, there is hardly room for a dramatic, captivating storyline – and why should there be drama?

The second school of thought is the relatively new idea of “video games as art.” This approach puts gaming on a level that rivals movies, books, plays and music; it allows games to be another outlet, or medium, for storytelling. Opening the doors into the elite industry of storytelling requires video game developers to employ quality, experienced writers.

Video games have a unique approach to drama that no other mediums can emulate. This approach is found through the ability of the audience to break down the wall of “passive” entertainment, to emerge into a world of “active” entertainment. No other medium is capable of allowing the intended audience to make decisions that change the actual story! This creates a brand new world for writers to explore, taking some of that power away, in exchange for opportunities regarding choices.

Quantic Dream studio’s upcoming title “Heavy Rain” (PS3) is a game that capitalizes on this emerging path for unique narrative forms. The game intends to challenge the audience’s emotional response and morality. As Director David Cage said, “the real message is about how far you're willing to go to save someone you love” (http://tinyurl.com/ojqm2f).

Quantic Dream is just one studio that is pushing the boundaries of video game art forms. As more studios continue to explore this territory, we may soon find the industry split into various genres, well beyond the typical FPS, action/adventure, RPG variations; new genres will emerge, those that may rival the film industry for our visual story experiences.