I run this joint. Don’t know where to start? Let me show you around:
Our executive branch of the federal government has failed us. Our legislative and judicial branches aren’t much better, though their added checks and balances make them less susceptible to corruption than our most popular branch of government, the one the POTUS oversees.
From my cursory vantage, here are some of the issues that concern me most, both from political and economical perspectives: Continue reading…
Lindsey and I had the opportunity to watch the Bourne Ultimatum while my sister-in-law babysat Sadie on Saturday. Outside of its being a most excellent, non-gadgety, weaponize your environment type spy-movie, I discovered what I believe to be the worst boss in the world: a spy (or CIA) boss.
It might look something like this.
Gloob.tv, a phonetic portmanteau of glued and tube, is adding an editorial layer on top of the web’s billion-plus available videos; the idea being that editors know best when it comes to selecting the most desired user-submitted videos.
Published by Future US out of San Francisco, Gloob currently employs 26 editors or “spotters,” as they are called, to organize “the unwieldy world of online streaming video.” Spotters work on a rev-share basis being compensated for the traffic generated to their respective video selections.
And therein lies the difference in how Calacanis would do it; actually paying people to do the nitty-gritty as opposed to the insipid use of rev-share to drive traffic to a site that doesn’t have any revenue to begin with.
I love “earning” a good Friday night and subsequent two-day weekend. By earn I mean having completed several items from you weekly to-do list. It just feels good.
I must say that Lindsey and I aren’t the most adventurous folks. We’re home-body, city-slickers by definition. Even so, it’s a challenge to do creative activities with a little 2-year old and one in the cooker.
Lindsey and I have wedding festivities both tonight and tomorrow for two different couples followed by another baseball game tomorrow night (that’s always a blast). So what are you doing this weekend?
We sit down with famed God of War creator David Jaffe and Twisted Metal mastermind Scott Campbell at their new Salt Lake City studios to discuss the PS3 (not to mention PS4, and PS5), review scores, God of War sequels, casual games, and the current state of the industry. While Jaffe is now independent, his loyalties still remain with Sony.
The Associated Press reports: “Barry Bonds hit No. 756 to the deepest part of the ballpark Tuesday night, and hammered home the point: Like him or not, legitimate or not, he is baseball’s new home run king.”
Amid a swarm of expected negative press, the above image is how the nation’s largest sports magazine ushered in the news on its home page. It takes more than just a number to break a record it seems…
My wife Lindsey blogged the other day about things that get her excited (read: make her happy). Liking the idea, here are my top 52 natural highs, heavy on sappiness and in no particular order. Continue reading…
I used to be more critical of Bonds than I should have been, but having done my research I still think an asterisk is in order. Should be interesting to see him “break” the record in the next few days. *
As of September 2006, Nintendo had sold 275 million Mario games worldwide easily making the little Italian plumber the best selling game character of all time. To put that into perspective, imagine all other notable game characters, combine them, and you still won’t account for half of what Mario has sold. Not Halo, not Gran Turismo, not even Nintendo’s own Pokemon or Zelda come close.
And he’s still selling. “Mario is a gaming icon that has had and continues to have a huge impact on the gaming world,” admits once Nintendo rival Takashi Iizuka of Sega. But even though single game sales may never resurface to the level of 1980s gaming, Mario isn’t the only franchise character still thriving. The franchise formula continues to work to this day assuming the playable characters maintain their appeal.
It’s apparently a minor ankle injury, one that allowed him to play for about 15 minutes in his debut game. Click here for more…
The AP reports: “At airports, supermarkets and big-box retailers, ‘customer service’ in recent years has meant self-serve — aided by touch-screen kiosks. As digital kiosks become more user-friendly and capable of handling more complicated tasks, health care providers, fast-food chains and other businesses say trading face-to-face encounters for face-to-monitor transactions improves service and saves money.”
I consider myself one who prefers the personal touch in lieu of self-service kiosks, usually. At the post office, I bypass a line of 15 people in favor of the kiosks. I’m in and out in 2 minutes (because no one else seems to use the kiosk) while others can wait up to 45 minutes to send something. However, at Walmart and other stores employing self-service kiosk, I almost always opt to wait in line for 5 minutes to encounter a human.
I can appreciate the cost savings of kiosks from a business perspective, but the human element in me questions the so-called “improved service.” Our new motto as humans: Get in. Get out. Do your thing. Avoid humans at all costs because they get in your way by slowing you down. That doesn’t sound right…
Here’s a protip for those transitioning into the high-definition world; never buy HDMI cables at retail stores. The cheapest you’ll find one is $50-60 for a four foot cord whereas an online store will get you a 6′ cord for as little as $10 (svideo.com and Buy.com for example). Buy.com has a three for $17 deal right now.
And don’t be fooled with the quality argument on this one. Assuming the cord has standard durability (i.e. a plastic casing), you’ll see zero difference in picture quality as it’s all ones and zeros. Monster Cables worked in the analog world. They have little place in the digital one.
I was interviewed by GameDaily for my thoughts on video game reviews today and here’s what I told ’em. For context, video game review scores are perhaps the most influencial consumer product reviews I know. For instance, something like 8/10 best selling games last year were in the 90th percentile, so you can see how important (and political) a good review score can be to a game publisher. My comment:
“As much as I criticize review scores, I still use them to gauge lemon games and think scores should stay. Unless a game receives an average of less than 50%, I will still buy or at least give it a renting chance if it has sufficient appeal. That said, I find any system above a 10-point scale (think decimal points) to be superfluous in that it takes the subjective review process way too seriously. Kudos to GameSpot for recently dropping their 100-point scale down to 20. Now they just need to drop it to a clean 10-point system.”
My ideal product review system already exists in the movie industry. They use a 10-point scale by way of a five star system, such as 4/5 stars, 3.5/5 stars. I like this methodology for two reasons. First, five stars (though a perfect score in its own system), doesn’t hold the same meaning as a perfect 10 score. For some reason, a 10 implies more perfection than 5/5 stars while both metrics tell that something is very, very good. I say the less presumption, the better.
Second, the star system on a 10-point scale doesn’t take the subjective nature of reviews too seriously as noted above. Round up the average review scores, go read Meta Critic to catch any outliers, and you’re well on your way to dodging repellent products.
Nintendo has crushed a large majority of competing video game handhelds since first popularizing the platform over 20 years ago. Save only a few, an overwhelming number of portables are commercial botches. Here are the top handheld failures.
Be it a lack of games, poor strategy, or inadequate marketing, a majority of video game consoles are commercial failures. Here are the 10 worst selling consoles of all time in terms of high-profile systems that stood a viable chance. Other lesser-known consoles are sure to have sold worse, but the below represent the notable platforms that never met expectations.
Lindsey and I should totally do this! Teaching children in lieu of a professional career is soooo over-rated.
Some recent developments and slow consumer adoption have Blu-ray slowly edging out HD DVD in the states. But things are completely as they seem, especially being that the latter format is performing better in Europe. I wrote a story on the current state of the HD disc format war over at NewTeeVee. For those interested…
Blu-ray adoption is gradually killing HD DVD, or at least that’s how it appears. Retail advantages, bigger support base in Hollywood, and a slightly cheaper PlayStation 3 all suggest that the Sony-backed medium will ultimately prevail over Toshiba’s HD DVD. “We are starting to see the pendulum swing slowly in [Blu-ray’s] direction,” says Chris Roden, analyst with Parks Associates. Continue reading…
I decided to buy a PS3 on a whim this week. To be honest, this game (Heavenly Sword) will be released as a demo tomorrow, and I just couldn’t deny myself the HD action-adventure goodness. So far I’m happy with my purchase. The interface is beautifully simple and well-organized, I really like the PlayStation store for downloadable games, demos, and videos, and I’ve liked what I’ve played so far. No buyer’s remorse what so ever.
The hardware is leagues ahead of the unreliable Xbox 360. For a hefty $500, you get access to Sony’s upcoming and traditionally stellar first-party games, a Blu-ray player, 60GB hard drive, wireless networking, and one of my personal favs, free online multiplayer (albeit limited in comparison to 360’s more expansive list of supported games).
I will admit, the system feels a bit stale at the moment due to a lack of truly compelling software, and it easily trails the Wii in the freshness department. But I’m optimistic of the future prospects, the visuals are gorgeous, and its fall linup of games has my interests piqued.
Faveup is a nifty little Digg-esque voting site for designers looking for inspiration. The site features logo, biz card, flash sites, and css site designs for the uninspired. Granted, some of the looks are trendy and Fisher Pricey, but overall, its a fresh take on the current state of design. Check it!
The Associated Press reports: “The batting coach for the Tulsa Drillers was pronounced dead at a hospital Sunday evening after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach’s box during a Texas League game with the Arkansas Travelers, police said.”
Sad story. I’d wouldn’t be surprised, however, if the coach was looking elsewhere when the foul ball was hit. That said, I still support wooden bats in both college and high school as both the majors and minors currently use.
The PS3 isn’t the only console with problems. Microsoft has an equal share of issues with the Xbox 360 that could prove just as harmful as Sony’s. Here are six reasons why the Xbox 360 is in trouble, though not necessarily doomed.
Facetious headline aside, my wife tells a funny story of one of the many benefits in being a parent.
Take it away, Lindsey: “Last night, Blake and I thought it would be fun to take Sadie to McDonald’s to play. It’s been too hot to go somewhere outside, so after washing one of our cars, we headed to the golden arches. We had already eaten but I felt that I should at least purchase a hot fudge sundae for myself so that we would be paying customers playing on the toys.” Continue reading…
I’ve had several discussions this past week on the best way to interview someone in the name of journalism. Here are my thoughts, methodologies, and best practices when trying to extract pertinent information from key individuals.
Anyone else have thoughts on interviewing for information? Comment if you got ’em.
If someone told me in 1984 that you could successfully sell dolls to little boys for more than five consecutive years, I would have laughed at them. But that’s precisely what Hasbro (makers of Transfomers) and Playskool (makers of Playdough) did from 1985 into the early 90’s.
Granted, My Buddy wasn’t a smash or sustainable hit, but it clearly was profitable, albeit for a while. The lesson? Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t take to market. I realize this idea encourages a lot of junk product being released, but in business, the best marketing wins, not necessarily the best product.
So the next time someone is drilling you on your marketing plan, just remember the doll intended for boys that had a run of success in the 80s. Remember My Buddy.
Santa Monica, California – If there was one buzzword at this year’s E3, it was “casual gaming” in all its synonymous varieties: family-friendly games, games for everyone, usability, intuitive controls, and accessibility, to name a few. Almost every game maker in attendance had casual gaming on their briefing agenda, even if only name-dropping the idea.
There’s no need to be coy; Nintendo’s Wii is directly to blame for the recent surge in interest of casual gaming and its much larger audience outside of hardcore gamers. Interestingly, that reality is transcending consoles, something that is sure to excite independent developers looking to avoid unfavorable licensing terms. Highlights from the E3/casual gaming convergence after the break.
Next Generation sat down with Activision Senior Vice President of Marketing Will Kassoy on Friday to discuss Guitar Hero, EA’s competing Rock Band, and casual games for Wii.
“There was a lot of unmet demand due to controller shortage with the release of the first Guitar Hero,” Kassoy said when asked about the franchise’s massive success. “As a result, we invested heavily in ramping up production of Guitar Hero II to meet demand.”
Activision, the number two independent game publisher, says the series is one of the fastest growing brands of all time. The company is currently preparing to release the third installment this fall next to EA’s Rock Band, a game that some are calling the “Guitar Hero killer.”
I’m off to Santa Monica tomorrow to cover the Electronic Entertainment Expo again this year. It’s a lot smaller now because the conference ballooned into a pit of money and glut last year, but it should still be a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some fresh games. As a refresher, here’s what happened since last year’s E3:
Games I’m most excited for: Assassin’s Creed, Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Skate, Little Big Planet, and a handful of fresh new titles in that order. Predictions: Wii will outsell both Xbox 360 and PS3 by early next year, Xbox 360 will get a price cut to $350 off the heels of the PS3 drop, Halo 3 will be the biggest selling game of 2007, and Sony will continue to underwhelm. All in a year’s work of the $14 billion dollar industry.
See also:
I was out yesterday, but thought I’d chime in with my Independence Day thoughts. Note: Please don’t misunderstand the below comment for ethnocentrism or arrogance. It is only out of appreciation, pride, and in belief of the country which I call home.
“Despite its flaws, and there may be many, the United States is the greatest attempt at democracy the world has ever seen.” — some conservative Rodeo announcer I heard a few weeks ago while on leisure with family and friends.
I believe that statement to be true. I’ve hung my hat as an American abroad for two years in Brazil and would live there again in a heart beat, but I believe America really is the most progressive attempt at democracy the world has ever known despite our current and insipid executive branch (read: president). This is thanks in part to the Brits, the French, and the Greek before us, and I’m sure many others were influential as well.
UPDATE: Fixed “Greeks” mispelling. I’m a retard.
I had the pleasure of seeing Transformers last night with a friend. I stress the word pleasure because it was exactly that. I wasn’t expecting good acting only going for the special effects, but Shia LeBouf was the movie standout. His comedic delivery and believability are top notch.
Michael Bay, the director, did an excellent job despite being largely criticized for his past big, over-the-top movies. Granted, there are several plot holes in the movie, but remember you’re watching a film about big giant robots once catered to 5-year old boys as I once was. Indulge yourself, and you’ll come away watching one of the most visually impressive, entertaining, and freshest movies (at least in terms of cadence and visuals) in a long time. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, though it’s not Oscar material (like I know what is).
Oh, and I also saw Ratatouille over the weekend. Different kind of movie than the above, but Pixar’s animation is the best I’ve seen and this is easily my favorite film they’ve made due to its sophistication and compelling story. Both films highly recommended.
In classic Apple form, the company seemingly wants you to exclusively buy their earbud headphones for use with their iPhone as opposed to any other headphones you may or may not want to use. Flickr user vrogy has the scoop and the pic:
“It’s very simple- the curvature and insetting of the iphone housing prevents anything but very small audio plugs… i.e. mac hardware. Classic hardware lock-in.”
In a statement to Smooth Harold, Apple CEO Steve Jobs rhetorically asked, “We’d be stupid not to exploit and cash in on our insanely loyal consumer base, right?”*
*Steve Jobs really didn’t say this, but I can’t imagine the thought process being much different.
The reason why most new music sounds worse than most older recordings has to do with loudness optimization that started with the inception of CDs and progressively getting worse with time as shown in the above video.
[via FunL]
Despite its recent troubles, General Motors is the luckiest company in the world over the next few weeks according to Jalopnik. The car-loving blog — while heavily praising the movie’s entertainment value– says the highly-anticipated Transformers movie is basically a 144-minute commercial for GM. From the article:
“What makes this arrangement so amazing is that GM didn’t pay Paramount a single dime to get it done. That’s right — not a single penny changed hands between the big n’ beefy automaker and the big n’ beefy studio. Sure, GM provided some in-kind contributions of concept vehicles and the like, and of course they’ve got their own marketing budget running their own marketing campaign — but unlike other automakers, they didn’t drop a single pence into Paramount’s pocket for the privilege of having themselves featured in a movie [aimed at the coveted 15-35 male demographic, you know, the ones that buy a lot of cars] about cars that change into robots.”
Lucky…
NOTE: Transformers looks incredible! At first I thought the movie and its premise seemed too lame for the big screen, not to mention juvenile and over the top. But after seeing (and hearing) the amazing CG, cinematics, and deep sound, I cannot wait to see this film. “Autobots, transform. And roll out!” (spoiler-free review here)
Nintendo’s Wii gaming system has been a hit on the marketplace, but to keep the momentum, the company is making a strategic bet, and turning it into a developer platform. With enough developer momentum, iconic products say an iPod or Facebook, can become a mass market phenomenon.
Nintendo today announced a new indie developer platform for its widely successful Wii console, likely to launch in early 2008. Dubbed WiiWare, the service is said to enable developers to create smallish, new games via download on the motion-controlled system.
I was recently introduced to a new 70’s song over the weekend that I’m completely enamored with: “I’m a Fool To Do Your Dirty Work” by Steely Dan (not to be confused with Stealers Wheel as I often do). I’ve had the song on loop for the last 35 minutes. Love it!
I first heard the track as the outgoing song to Once in a Lifetime, a documentary about the rise and fall of the NASL. It’s an interesting and informative film not to mention a case study on how not to run a business. Despite the league being a flop, soccer moms around the country can thank it for laying the ground work for the sport in America and the some 20 million players here.
You can dload the Steely track from iTunes here. Get that!
As a professional blogger for nearly two years now, I’ve seen tens of thousands of comments aimed at me. Most of them are favorable, a lot of them are entertaining, some of them are negative, and a handful of them are just nasty. It comes with the territory when you publish your opinions, passions, and stories freely to the web.
But nasty commenters have a bright side. They help motivate me to work harder and make it so my output has to do the convincing. They give me thick skin and chutzpah to take risks as both a writer and businessman.
It’s documentary week here at Smooth Harold, and this is one I’ve been wanting to see since it first premiered in NYC in March. It’s called Helvetica, and it’s all about type and design.
Here’s a snippet from Kottke’s 4/5 star review: “Perhaps the highest praise I can offer for Helvetica comes courtesy of [my wife], who was snickering on the way into the theater about going to see a movie about a font and exited saying, ‘that was great, now I want to be a designer!’ The rest of the audience, mostly designers and type folks, loved it as well. But for the non-design folks, what’s compelling about the movie is getting a glimpse of how designers think and work; that it’s not just about making things look pretty.”
Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until it hits DVD as the film is only showing on the artsy fartsy coasts. Any one else seen it?
I’m on a roll with controversial documentaries. I just finished watching Good Copy Bad Copy in which independent Danish filmmakers examine copyright law in the US and abroad. It’s fascinating to see how other countries treat IP, let alone make money from music and movies in ways the RIAA and movies aren’t even close to understanding or trying. I don’t necessarily have a solution to the challenges that piracy creates, but this 58 minute film is a must-see on the subject. Download the torrent here (it’s free!)
[via BoingBoing]
Game journalism sometimes gets a bad rap, but many of the worst accusations aren’t based in reality. Here are eight of the most popular myths about game reporting…and what really happens behind the scenes.
8. Video game journalists aren’t as responsible as traditional media.
Conventional wisdom suggests that most gaming journalists are uninspired, inconsistent, overly sensationalistic, or even fail to fact check before running a story. While some outlets are more irresponsible than others, this isn’t the case across the board. Game journalism didn’t get where it is today by being inaccurate and irresponsible. Additionally, widespread video game coverage has existed no longer than 20 years since the late 80s. While the media is anything but nascent, it still has its growing pains. Was the mainstream media as reliable as they are today? Not likely. This same is true of video game journalists.
The Verdict: It depends on the publication and the reporter, but more often than not, game journalists are right up there with most media in terms of credibility.
The US healthcare system is broken. That is unless you work for an opulent healthcare or pharmaceutical provider. In that case, US healthcare works like a charm (from a for-profit perspective).
But let me put my business degree away for a minute. As a citizen and patient, I now believe in universal healthcare in America just like I believe in socialized libraries, policemen, firemen, public schools, and highways. Here are five reasons why: Continue reading…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqsyXdj_p_I[/youtube]
I’m on a kick of digging up old-school YouTube videos lately when I should be working, but I couldn’t pass this one up. It’s Radiohead’s most excellent No Surprises video (it’s also my favorite track from OK Computer). Don’t be fooled, though; director Grant Lee used ninja editing skills to make it appear as if lead singer Thom York held his breath longer than he really did.
The attention surrounding MMOs (massively multiplayer online worlds) has never been greater. But it’s not just role playing games along for the ride; non-game, avatar-driven virtual communities are just as popular, if not by more, and we’re not just talking Second Life here.
So in an effort to cut through the hype and glean some context, here are the most popular MMOs in terms of active users or subscribers, based on publicly available data. These titles may or may not be games, but the medium has expanded far beyond Tolkienesque fantasy worlds. They all are Mac-friendly/Web-based with exception of Guild Wars.
You know mulitasking is nothing more than a feel-good concept, right? It’s a word people use to make them feel more productive. And “work-life balance” is anything but according to productivity ninja Tim Ferriss:
“For most of the planet, I would assert that the ideal dream job is the one that takes the least time. Be productive instead of busy, and recognize that life is full of special relationships and activities that need to be protected from one another. Focus on artful separation instead of integration, and you might just—as I did—feel as though an enormous burden has been lifted. Expect a lot out of life, but don’t expect too much from your job. It’s just one tool. Make it a specific one.”
Wise counsel.
See also: Book review: The 4-Hour Work Week
You don’t have to watch pro basketball to appreciate these well-aged gems of modern advertising. Courtesy of Fox Sports.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1QMXpGENkk&eurl=http://www.smoothharold.com/best-nba-commercials-ever/[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeboMEq10Ms&eurl=http://www.smoothharold.com/best-nba-commercials-ever/[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xErEq7ojGnk&eurl=http://www.smoothharold.com/best-nba-commercials-ever/[/youtube]
[Hat tip, Tim]
In case you’ve forgotten, the US economy is ginormous. Strange Maps tells why:
Although the economies of countries like China and India are growing at an incredible rate, the US remains the nation with the highest GDP in the world – and by far: US GDP is projected to be $13.22 trillion (or $13,220 billion) in 2007, according to this source. That’s almost as much as the economies of the next four (Japan, Germany, China, UK) combined.
For even more context, click on the above US state map renamed for countries with similar economy sizes. Amazing…
Hat tip, USA.
Write a lot. Then buy this book. Or vice versa.
Don’t let the name mislead you—The AP Guide to News Writing will help you become a better writer of everything except maybe books. This quick and worthwhile read is full of helpful tips, professional counsel, and practical ways to further flex your prose.
More than 5,000 video game commercials can be found on Game Ad’s online archive. That’s a lot of ads. Sadly, a majority of them aren’t worth your time, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to hand pick the best using only the finest ingredients; humor, creativity, cachet and a hint of nostalgia. Peep ’em. They’re the best video game commercials of all-time:
Definition: Trend (n.) – the general course or prevailing tendency. A leaning towards, a fad, a novelty.
So why do trends exist? Because they are familiar, they enable standards, and they just make life easier. In the case of video games, trends help companies maximize sales while reducing costs because gamers will purchase what they are accustomed to. But easier isn’t always better. Here are eleven reasons why:
The wife and I were talking over the weekend about our corporal markings and how we got them. Breathtaking conversation, I know. But we both thought it was interesting how a scar is really just a physical story from your past.
With that, here are the stories behind my engraved blemishes in the order I received them. Some dates are educated guesses of course. Not that you asked, but I thought I would document them none-the-less: Continue reading…
Ryan from Invisible Inkling has such a good take on the waning popularity of newspapers and how new media has changed the game for the better. Without stealing his thunder, here are his major points:
Be sure to click on through to read his excellent commentary.
