Journeys

First, my review of this great book (just in case none of you saw it on FaceBook, KillaNet, Village Gamer, Amazon, Chapters or Barnes & Noble:

Games Boys: Professional Videogaming’s Rise from the Basement to the Big Time by Michael Kane is the best inside look at the competitive videogaming industry I have read to date. He peels back the layers of this very complex subculture and lays it all out there for anyone to read – from the gamers themselves to the parents who try to understand. Game Boys has it all – the celebratory victories, the heartbreaking losses, the passion of its supporters and he doesn’t leave out the backroom dirty laundry either.

This book is an informative, exciting, unsanitized read; he does not sugarcoat the competitive gaming industry; instead he offers an outsider’s perspective of a largely misunderstood section of today’s society. Author Michael Kane has managed to translate the excitement of competition into his words, and sometimes I found myself reading faster through the competition gameplay to get to the moment of victory – even though I already knew the results of many of the matches he wrote about.

Author Michael Kane has managed to translate the excitement of competition into his words, and sometimes I found myself reading faster through the competition gameplay to get to the moment of victory – even though I already knew the results of many of the matches he wrote about.

As a participant full of passion for the videogame industry, there were so many times I found myself identifying with CompLexity GM Jason Lake and harbouring feelings of resentment towards Craig Levine. Like Jason Lake, I believe in the grassroots foundation of this wonderful industry, and even though Craig Levine has done much to get competitive videogaming out there into the main stream of today’s world, I often felt that Levine’s tactics were less than honourable, and I am of the generation when honour was at the forefront of how you conducted your life. These are elements which make for a great book – eliciting emotion and appreciation from the reader, making the reader care about the characters in the story.

Michael Kane has artfully included every aspect of our advancing technological world – global friendships and rivalries, heroes and villains, supportive families and families who feel the gamer is wasting his or her time. Corporations who only look at the biggest and the best for exposure, instead of looking at and supporting the grassroots events and players who keep the industry churning forward on a daily basis. Event promoters who are in it for the dollar, and to heck with the injury they do to our industry by scamming the players who have poured their heart, soul and often their last dollar into feeding their passion for gaming in hopes of making it to the winner’s circle.

I commend Michael for the honesty of his words, even the ones which cast a less than idyllic light on the e-sports industry, because the end result shows that our cyberathletes truly are no different from the mainstream sports athletes. They train, they play, they do things they shouldn’t, but when it comes right down to the final seconds it’s all about the game and the opponent in front of them. Game Boys shows how far we as a competitive market have come, but also shows how far we have yet to go. Michael touched very briefly on the girls in gaming, and while some things have changed since Game Boys went to print, much has stayed the same, from the disdain which meets many girl gamers head on, to the insults and unwelcome photos hurled at them on XBL. While the industry is still very much a boys’ club, the girls are rapidly gaining ground – perhaps in the future we can look forward to a book on Game Girls to compliment Game Boys – what do you say, Michael?

Next – it’s really freaking hot here – 33 Celcius, to be exact. That’s approximately 98 Fahrenheit for the uninitiated. I like summer and all – other than the fact that light is evil – but does it need to be this hot? Why can’t we have just a nice temperate 23ish degrees? Ah well, maybe some fluffy clouds will roll in and there will be some good shot opportunities tonight.

Now, back to Game Boys for a minute – because I can talk more in-depth here about goings on in the book. I meant every word that I said in my review, the book really is a great read. It also gave me a few ideas for the projects we’re working on with KillaNet and its various properties and productions. I very much relate to Jason Lake and the trials, tribulations and disappoints he went through on his journey to see competitive videogaming reach the DirecTV level.

It is sometimes -no, make that often- very frustrating on the sponsorship plane, and while I understand the theory behind supporting the big events which get all of the press attention, it’s the events and players at the grassroots level which continue to feed the pipeline of upcoming new talent to the massive events, and it’s those events and gamers who need support too. Not necessarily in the thousands of dollars in sponsorships, but even the gift of a few tournament prizes, or the lanyards most corporations seem to rain down on the masses at big events – even discount coupons for new games or products, something these corporations can easily track – would be most welcome. These are, after all, the kids who are out there on a regular basis buying the new games, participating in the community forums and upgrading their systems as new and cooler stuff comes available. They are the ones paying the daily wages for those who supply the products. These are grassroots players are tomorrow’s stars -whether it’s on the competitive circuit or on the design and development end- they all have dreams which deserve support. By the way, I would like to thank Michael Kane and Viking Penguin for graciously donating autographed copies of Game Boys to be given away at Digital Storm 2008. Their contribution is very much appreciated – and in no way influences my opinion of his book.

Michael Kane touched on so many areas in his book which I have been a champion of for many years – videogaming is definitely not anti-social, it’s not a bad influence on the psyche of our children, it won’t turn them into mass murderers, and they are a huge opportunity, through global tournaments and multiplayer game modes, for gamers around the world to learn from and about each other. Yes, there are the dangers of addiction, or predators, or scams – but that goes for almost any aspect of life, does it not? All things in moderation is a good adage to live by, no matter what your interests are. While it’s true that no one gets anywhere without hard work, dedication and passion (unless they have a money train, then things are a bit easier), there still needs to be some kind of work-life balance. In today’s world of constant connection with the outside world, though, that’s not always easily achievable.

As for the part girls play in gaming – so many people underestimate us. Just like the boy gamers, girl gamers inhabit all levels of the playing field – from casual to hardcore, from newcomer to elite. Why then is it so difficult for some males to just accept that we can, and often do, play just as well as they do? Why does there so often have to be a sexist angle to it? Why do girl gamers have to be submitted to rude comments, or be the recipients of very inappropriate photo messages on both computer and platforms like Xbox Live? Some girls even get booted and banned from game servers when it’s found out that they are *gasp* female. That’s not 100% of today’s gaming scene – there are many guys out there who are great to game with, I have some of them on my XBL Friends list. It’s the minority, however, who make it difficult to get the girls out to play. I’ve been a gamer since the first days of Pong and Space Invaders. I was one of those early Doom players – this is my playing field too, and I have just as much right to play in it as the boys do.

Wow – that was a bit more of a rant than I had actually planned on, but it doesn’t make things any less true. The game industry as a whole is full of very talented women who both play and design, and as more women come into the industry, perhaps we will finally see our presence more widely accepted. Perhaps we will see more realistic women characters who aren’t scantly-clad over-developed, under-proportioned eye-candy for the boy gamers to ogle. Maybe the armour we’re given to wear in some games will actually look like it could stop an attack while still looking pretty. That’s one thing I really like about Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 – the female characters look realistic, their attire is realistic, and the game isn’t full of eye-candy NPCs. Thank you, Ubisoft, for that.

First, let me say thank you to Digital Storm’s newest sponsor, TRENDnet. They will be providing several very welcome items for prizes for this year’s event. Without the generous support of such corporations, it would be much more difficult to put together a great event for our local gaming community. We are still working on some further sponsorship agreements and will announce them as they are confirmed.

Second, I have more new books to read. One I think is going to be a battle to get through, as it’s highly evident that the authors are very good writers, it’s also highly evident that they are more accustomed to writing scientific dissertations. I’m sure the information is very good and the studies accurate, but I think there will be many who don’t read it all the way through. The other two books look like they will be very good reads, and while I have read the first few pages, I will wade through the other book first. I really need to finish reading Get Rich Playing Games as well; it’s not that it isn’t a good book, because it is – I enjoy Scott Steinberg’s books – as you all know, I’m just easily distracted. So once I get done this small collection, I can start on the next group of books. Everything from the art of game worlds to learning Flash. Not that I have any Flash programmes, but the book was sent to me for review, so I guess I had better read it too.

So I’ve been playing Turok on the 360, and I’m noticing some very interesting things about the game. I’m not going to tell you yet what they are though, because I think I will write it as an editorial on Village Gamer. That’s another huge list of things to do. At least I’ve finished all of the icons – or at least I think I have. There are probably a few I’ve missed. Next up I think I will add all of the photos to the gallery, which numbers in the hundreds – and they all need edits as well, I think. So much fun. Then there are all of the articles still to be written; and game reviews. So many game reviews. Some of the games are older, but that’s alright, because we need the content.

Our yard no longer looks like a jungle – only like half of one – but we’ll get there I’m sure – just in time for all of the plants to go dormant in the fall   The outside of the house is getting pressure washed tomorrow as well. That would be nice – although I hear that moss is highly effective as an insulator.

Alrighty – not a huge update, but something for you to read all the same. History channel’s a rerun of Alexander, and I’ve seen it often enough as it is. Besides, it is late (early?) and I have things which need doing in the morning before I head off to work. One day, KillaNet and Village Gamer will be my only job. Not that I hate working in the transportation industry or anything. Oh wait – yes I do!

We shall see how our plans start coming together, and then it be a definite move forward. Until next time…. be well.

The final verdict on this game: highly addictive. I will never get any other work done.

Developer: Codeminion
Demo: 60 minute trial
Platform: PC
Genre: Casual Match 3 Puzzle
Official Game Site: Saqqarah – note, parts are still under development
Price: $19.95 USD instant download 26mb

System Requirements:

OS: Windows Vista/XP/2000/ME/98
CPU: 800 Mhz
RAM: 256 MB
Hard Drive: 45 MB
Graphics: DirectX 8
Sound Card

All Screenshots in this review are the property of and copyright to Codeminion.

Saqqarah is a truly beautiful game – the amount of detail the designers have put into the UI and levels for this game is incredible. Everything about Saqqarah is pleasing to the senses – the soundtrack is very fitting for the setting of the game, and is actually something I could listen to all on its own. The puzzles are challenging without being impossible, and the methodology used to solve them is easy to learn. The characters in the game are helpful and amusing – I love how the little scarab rests against a pillar in between levels. You can even learn little bits about Egypt’s past throughout the game.

The game begins with a brief cinematic – this is another thing that I like about Saqqarah – players are given the option of skipping all cinematics if they so choose, but they are so well done, I watched them all. The purpose of the game is to help Khufu restore the power of the Egyptian gods, which you do by completing all of the puzzles. Khufu is a magical blue monkey who assists players throughout the game. He offers tips, some magical power-ups and a few jokes too.

The Quest of Saqqarah takes you through the seven temples of the gods and goddesses – Isis, Horus, Bast, Anubis, Thot, Osiris and Sobek. Once you complete the first four levels and the bonus game you are given a key to unlock the next temple. You can come back to the other temples at any time. When you enter each temple, you learn about the god or goddess who resides there. Each temple holds a different style of match 3 puzzle. Some may take a little time to figure out, but they are not impossible to learn. Sweeper the Scarab also helps you out during gameplay by gathering up token pieces and increasing your “shuffle power” which can be used to shuffle the tokens as well break token obstacles.

There are several player achievements to win along the way as well, such as coin collecting, destroying puzzle obstacles, high scores, completing a certain number of puzzles in a row without running out of time, and more. If you do get stuck, Khufu is there to offer hints and encouragement. Upon completion of each stage within a temple, you need to catch the scarabs to harness their power in order to restore the statutes. The statue is fully restored when you complete all of the puzzles within each respective temple.  With 7 different puzzle styles, 3 levels of difficulty and 500 puzzle maps, this game is very much worth the purchase price. There will also be further downloadable levels and add-ons for Saqqarah in the future, adding to the value of this game.

The Ancient Quest of Saqqarah is destined to be another winning title for Codeminion – well done!

As many of you readers already know, we received notification today that Greg King has pleaded guilty to two of the four computer crime charges against him. It all feels very anti-climatic, really. We fought him and his attacks for so long, and often felt so frustrated because the US wheels of justice turn so slowly, that I can even say the news seems surreal. I warned Greg so many times to stop, that he had picked the wrong place to launch his attacks. He greeted those warnings with total disdain, insisting that nothing would happen to him. He should have heeded those warnings.

In a warped kind of way, I feel sorry for Greg because he chose to ruin his life on something so petty. It must be tough to have your life ruled and ruined by your ego. Was running a DDoS botnet so important to him, did it win him so many friends, that it was worth the minimum two year sentence he is now facing? US Federal convictions don’t just disappear, either. Neither do they offer parole. He will definitely be doing the time, and I doubt he will have a nice consultancy career waiting for him on the outside, either.

While I don’t hesitate to agree that he deserves every bit of punishment thrown at him, I find myself still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Almost the way we felt when the FBI initially seized his computers way back in 2004. That action did not stop him. He simply found other ways to access the internet and send his bots to visit us. What he didn’t know was that I am very good at certain things. These things involve research and finding things. He couldn’t have known that I would track him right to the WiFi spot he was pirating at a McDonald’s restaurant, or that I would not only track him to the public library, but I would get his account canceled and receive file copies of his activity while on the library’s computer. The only thing that stopped him from being caught red-handed those times was pure luck and timing. The FBI was out there, they were looking for him – but they missed him by > — < that much.

Don’t get me wrong – I am incredibly grateful to FBI Special Agent Brian Scott and US Attorney Matt Segal – a promise was made to me when they took over our case – and they kept that promise. All that remains now is to submit our impact statement to the Judge and await final sentencing. Do I hope that he is ordered with restitution? I’d be lying if I said I’m not, but I highly doubt that we will see a cent of any ordered restitution.

I will certainly not miss the feeling of waiting for the next attack, or the dread I felt whenever I saw Greg join our IRC. Nor will I miss the lack of sleep, long nights and examining endless attack logs. I want to feel optimistic that we can now safely move forward with the knowledge that Greg is behind bars – or at least he soon will be, although I do admit that it will be better once he is no longer on the street at all. So, how do I really feel? You know, I’m really not sure.

First, the big announcement of the day – Amy has passed her written qualification exam for entrance into the RCMP. The next step is passing the physical qualifications before June 14th, and then once she’s done that she will be off to the RCMP training facility in Regina. We are very proud of her – not only for passing the test, but for following her passion and working towards a career which she has wanted for many years and just recently made the decision to go for it.

Amy also bought me two new books for Mother’s Day – because I need more books. Added to my reading list are Steve Berry’s latest novel Venetian Betrayal and an older James Rollins novel which I hadn’t read yet, Excavation. These two authors are among my favourites, because they write action-packed mysteries which revolve around current situations and historical mysteries. Venetian Betrayal is about Alexander the Great, and Excavation is about the Incas. Even though I haven’t read Venetian Betrayal yet, I’m already looking forward to Steve Berry’s next book, The Charlemagne Pursuit. James Rollins has had a new book out for awhile that I must get – The Judas Strain – and he has a new book coming out in June – The Last Oracle.  *sigh* So many books, not enough time.

The second announcement is that SteelSeries will again be providing prize packages for Digital Storm. Their products were hotly contested for at Digital Storm 2006, when they sponsored our WCG Counter Strike tournament. This year the prizes will be bigger, better and much in demand. My thanks to Casper at SteelSeries for the continuing support of Digital Storm.

Tomorrow night we will be attending the ACM SIGGRAPH Vancouver event featuring artist Syd Mead and a special screening of BladeRunner – The Final Cut. Thursday I will be attending the AutoDesk Game Tour event and finding out all kinds of very cool stuff about their products and design tools. I will also be talking to the reps about Digital Storm ‘08 and our uber secret 2009 event. Saturday we’ll be in Vancouver yet again – 3 trips in one week – for the Tom Lee Music Rock Band Championships. At the very least that promises to be entertaining. We will probably have to drag Mike forcefully from the store’s drum department when it’s time to leave.

Next week will be another round of daily trips into Vancouver. Wednesday and Thursday I will be at the Vancouver International Game Summit conducting a few interviews and grabbing some photos for Village Gamer, and then on Friday and Saturday I’ll be at VIDfest to check out all of the new media coming out and of course to find out who the winners are for the PopVox Awards.

Over the next few days we will be working to finish the design layout for Village Gamer, so that we can hopefully take the site officially live this week. There isn’t too much left to do, it’s just all time-consuming and between events, work and home renovations (no, we’re not done yet) there is never enough time. It would probably help if I’d stay away from the 360, but there are times when one needs to just sit and game. Then again, I do have hundreds of photos which need some edit work and then need to be added to the Village Gamer gallery. I need to stop thinking – every time I do, I remember something else that needs to be done for one site or another.

Some of you may have noticed that KillaBlogs is undergoing changes. We have changed the blog software over to WordPress MU, as our own blog software is no longer being developed and supported. With so many nasty script kiddies out in the world, we felt it was better all around to go with a piece of software which was more secure and kept up-to-date with new web developments.