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May 30, 2007

Webnation - now in widescreen!

Last week not only marked the release of Webnation #5 (featuring a great interview with Gene Simmons re: NGTV) - it also marked the beginning of us releasing the show in widescreen...on the web!

This rocks for many reasons. For starters - the show is actually shot in a 16 x 9 aspect ratio but aired on television in the standard 4 x 3 ratio. For the first four episodes I had to resize the entire show (from 16x9 to 4x3) before exporting it for the web. This took forever and it lowered the video quality (the quality is still not where I want it but it's getting there).

You'll notice the screenshots and video clips we grab from the net are still not widescreen but we are moving in the right direction (with hopes that the show will soon air in 16 x 9 on TV as well). A big bonus is that it looks amazing on an AppleTV or XBOX 360 hooked up to a widescreen television.

I'm working on getting the best quality video out to the viewers and would love to hear your feedback. Drop me a line or post a comment.

PS: commandN 91 is now online too ;)

 

May 29, 2007

Adventures on the Web - May 29, 2007

-Eagle vs. Shark looks pretty messed up!

-Mark McKay rules and The Wacky World of Web 2.0 proves it.

-Jott seems interesting.

-I'm digging the new Smashing Pumpkins song Tarantula.

-Top 10 Ways to Steal a Car!

-When is Bug opening at the drive-in?!

 

May 17, 2007

Forget Joost - I want my NGTV!

We interviewed Gene Simmons today (for the next episode of Webnation) about his new web TV startup No Good TV (aka NGTV). Gene and Carrie Keagan (the face of NGTV) were both excellent to interview and the piece looks awesome (so make sure you watch next Thursday night)!

Gene Simmons Interview
Gene, Amber, and Carrie

At first I didn't know what to make of NGTV. It's loud, sexy, and in your face - how MuchMusic/MTV was back in the day only TOTALLY UNCENSORED! After a few hours though I found myself WANTING to watch more! They actually have shows, videos, interviews, etc. that I enjoy watching (what a concept).

If you are looking for quality FREE entertainment online, NGTV is worth your time. Just be warned - this site is for 18+ viewers only.

 

May 16, 2007

HALO 3 Beta via Crackdown?!

The HALO 3 Beta was finally released today to people who either had a special invite or the game Crackdown - and unless you were trying to get it via Crackdown you are most likely playing it now.

So what happened with the Crackdown download? I tried downloading it this morning with no luck (the "Download HALO 3 Beta" button was not live). I checked online and sure enough, people were freaking out that they could not download it (Major Nelson's site went down due to high traffic so many people were freaking out).

Updates during the day stated that Microsoft and Bungie (the maker of the HALO series) knew about the problem and were working on it.

The most recent update from the Bungie site states:

We're happy to finally announce that the issues being faced with the Halo 3 beta and Crackdown will be resolved shortly. The Microsoft team has found a solution and it's undergoing final testing now. Assuming the test pass goes according to plan, the fix will come in the form of a Crackdown title update within the next three to six hours.

Waiting sucks! I hate it! In this case though I can tell you it is worth the wait. The demo is fun and I'm sure it will waste many hours of my time until September 25th (when the full game is released)

 

May 15, 2007

Interested in a $10,000 scholarship to design video games?

The International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT) and the folks from the show Electric Playground have joined forces to hold a video game design contest. The prize? A $10,000 scholarship at the IADT Game Design School.

More info from the press release:

Beginning May 1st, Canadian residents 17 years of age and older can enter the contest by registering at gamedesigncontest.ca. Registrants must submit a fully functioning version of their Flash game by July 2nd. Games will be judged by a panel of experts on their creativity, technical expertise and originality. The Grand Prize winner will be announced later in July and awarded a $10,000 scholarship to IADT’s Game Design School in Toronto.

So there you have it. Good luck to all who enter.

 

May 11, 2007

Joost - Now for Friends!

If anyone is still in need of a Joost invite please send me your name and EMAIL ADDRESS and I will hook you up.

I've been watching Joost a lot of since they added episodes of G.I. Joe and Transformers (U.S. only). I also recommend the Aardman channel and The White Stripes Live @ Much.

May 10, 2007

Holy new Crackdown content!

Microsoft just released some new downloadable content for the XBOX 360 game Crackdown - and some of it is FREE!

New vehicles, achievements, and weapons are included in the FREE update. For 800 Points you can get an additional three vehicles, four weapons, a "cloaking device", and a new street-racing mode!

Sounds fun.

More details from the press release:

With more than 900,000 units of “Crackdown” sold-through in only two months, Microsoft Game Studios and Realtime Worlds are extending the game’s unparalleled experience, offering gamers several exciting new features, including vehicles, weapons, game modes and seven highly explosive, new Achievements. In addition, Agents will have free access to improved mission time trials, an option to repopulate gangs and kingpins after they have beaten the game, a vehicle impound garage, and the long-awaited Keys to the City — a comprehensive cheat mode including new “super agent” abilities and the option to create ramps, vehicles and explosives anywhere in Pacific City, at any point in the game.

For 800 Microsoft Points, Agents can also access the full Crackdown armoury, which includes three unique vehicles, four new devastating weapons, co-op game types, an Agent “cloaking device” and an added dynamic street-racing mode.

The new and improved street-racing mode brings several white-knuckle races to the streets … and everywhere in between. Agents can win by any means necessary — via speed or sabotage.

Vehicle selection is imperative to an Agent’s success, and the premium vehicle additions will help gamers dominate their foes. The Agency Buggy, fitted with a turret for the new, ultimate fast-firing projectile chain gun, is the vehicle of choice in rough and tumble off-road races. The low-profile battering ram of the Agency Armored Vehicle is strong enough to knock vehicles out of the way and protect Agents from an onslaught of gunfire, and is fitted with an independently aiming rocket turret. The Agency Racecar is the high-speed car of choice on the long stretches of city pavement.

In addition to a flocking rocket launcher (the MSK Lobber) and the all-powerful MZ360 Mini-Gun, the premium content will feature both proximity mines and the HRX Harpoon gun capable of stopping crime in its path by nailing criminals to nearby cars and walls.

In addition, if a player who has yet to purchase the PDLC content enters into a co-op game with a partner who has, that player will be able to preview the new content for the duration of that game.

May 09, 2007

H.264 and MPEG-4 on your XBOX 360

UPDATE: TVersity posted an update to work with the new firmware patch.

The Spring 2007 Update for the XBOX 360 was released this morning - adding the ability to now play H.264 and MPEG-4 encoded video files (as well as a bunch of other things including instant messaging with friends on Windows Live Messenger).

I tested the new video capabilities with the most recent episode of commandN. The iPod formatted .M4V file we encode looks the best - even better then the the .WMV file we currently encode specifically for the 360. This is great news for Podcasters as it opens up a new market for them without having to encode and host another file.

The only real downfall is that you still can't play XviD/DivX formatted files natively (and I doubt you ever will). I also noticed some issues connecting with TVersity after the update (which is the best way to stream XviD/DivX files) and you still can't stream H.264/MPEG-4 files from a Mac until Connect360 updates. Will be checking into both of these issues further.

Even with some minor bugs, I am glad I waited on purchasing that AppleTV.

 

May 08, 2007

Double Dragon hits XBOX Live Arcade!

The classic arcade game Double Dragon hits the XBOX Live Arcade on Wednesday, May 10th for only 400 points! I was a fan of the original game (and the NES versions) so I can't wait to get my hands on it.

From the press release:

“Double Dragon” is the story of Billy and Jimmy Lee, twin brothers who learned to fight on the cold, tough streets of their city. Their expert knowledge of the ancient martial art of Sou-Setsu-Ken, combined with their streetwise outlook, means that they’re two of the most formidable combatants ever to walk the streets. Billy and Jimmy will use their feet, fists, elbows and whatever weapons come to hand to defeat the gang that kidnapped Billy’s girlfriend.

Game Features
The title includes the following:
- Two-player co-op multiplayer locally or over XBOX LIVE
- Special extras such as a look at the original Japanese and U.S. “Double Dragon” sales fliers
- Gameplay with either the original graphics or with new high-definition graphics
- All new music
- Hints and tips for newcomers
- Three leaderboards
- Customizable button configurations
- Ability to earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

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