Flipnote Studio Rocks

It's certainly no game, so it won't be getting an "official" review - but that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve the same amount of attention. For the low price of nothing (yes, it's free), you can download one of the most interesting additions for the DSi since it's release.

Although the DSi is selling like crazy, some DS Lite owners aren't ready to make the switch - although the new system has two cameras, the abilty to upload pictures to Facebook, and the ability to download games and other features, the $170 price tag is a little much. While Flipnote Studio

certainly isn't a huge release, it might just be enough to make a few fans make the switch.

The free application allows DSi owners to create the electronic equivalent of flipbooks. There are plenty of tools, such as copy/paste, different paint brushes, and color inverting, the core of the app is drawing with the stylus. Once you finish drawing on a page, you can move to the next

simply by clicking the D-Pad, and you will see a gray version of what you just drew, allowing you to smoothly transition your "flipbook" to the next frame.

These cartoons can be very simple, with stick figures simply moving around, though with a little time and effort, you can create very intricate cartoons with complex drawings, and even sounds. If you're too lazy to make one of these yourself, you can view hundreds of cartoons uploaded by users of the app using Flipnote Hatena - and you can upload them yourself using the same service.

Another useful feature is the ability to share your flipnotes with friends that also have the DSi. Simply be within the correct range of them, and you can wirelessly transfer your creations to them, allowing them to save your flipnotes onto their DSi or SD Card.

While I do think the app itself is fun, the "selling point" (in quotes because it's free) of Flipnote Studio will be the sharing concept. It opens up an entire host of possibilities with the DSi that we are simply not seeing yet - and, knowing Nintendo, we might not for quite awhile.

Note: I'll be uploading a few of my own Flipnotes soon, but be warned - they are not good.

Image credit: play.tm (here), Nintendo Limited (here).

Hello to you and you, and YOU!

Hey there!

I'll be contributing to this blog in Nate's absence (lucky duck, I wish I'm on vacation too!)

Just a quick introduction:- My name's Sakari and I'll be posting the usual stuff, and I'll try not to be biased just because I'm an XBOX360 fan. =) All game consoles rock, btw.

See you later!

Hiatus

If you follow electric overdrive on twitter, you've probably heard that I will be on vacation for about a week. I may be able to post occasionally, but you shouldn't count on it. Until then, check out my twitter profile, which I will continue to update throughout my vacation!

Interview: Joey Betz

electric overdrive has the exclusive interview with one of the top Flash game developers on the web - Joey Betz, of Armor Games. With games like Phage Wars, Demolition City, and Pixel Grower under his belt, he is definitely a developer to watch.

Q. What got you interested in game development?

A. I got interested in game development when I was at a game co

nvention and I saw some colleges offering degrees in game development. I was at a point in my life where I didn't want to work dead end jobs anymore so I chose to visit West

wood College (the one with the horrible commercials) and got enrolled in classes knowing nothing about game development. I found out that it was a lot more complicated than everyone makes it look, but I enjoyed the challenge immensely. I ended up loving every minute of it and glad I made the decision.

Q. When did you become a game developer for Armor Games?

A. I became a full-time game developer at Armor Games on Feb 1st 2009. Before that I actually developed a the original Phage Wars as a sponsor game for Dan (owner of AG). Phage Wars was actually my senior project in college. Before that I worked for company doing client based games and a Flash MMO.

Q. Do you have any plans to create a Phage Wars 3, and, if so, would you like to see a multi-player feature? What other features that didn't make it into Phage Wars 2 would you want in a sequel?

A. I would love to revisit Phage Wars. It's definitely a project that I enjoyed doing. The number one request I get for Phage Wars is multiplayer, hands down. I've gotten so many comments/emails on that request alone, so it's definitely been on my list of things I need to do.

Q. Do you have any other upcoming projects?

A. I always have upcoming projects. We are very close to finishing Crush the Castle: Players Pack, so I'm looking forward to launching that soon. In the mean time I'm focusing on smaller projects (like "Demolition City") that take only a week to build.

Q. Tell us about the process of taking an idea and making it into a full-fledged game.

A. When one of us comes up with and idea in the office we like to gather discuss it together so as to get input from everyone. If everyone agrees on the idea then it boils down to when it will be started. Mostly this is right after your current project, as that is when you need a next one

anyways. Sometimes work loads have to be split, like art and code, but most of the time you're on your own. During development, sometimes issues come up that you didn't think about prior and have to be addressed. If they require major changes, then sometimes we get back together to find a solution. As far as the entire work flow of development, I typically like to get the core gameplay nailed down before I start work on menus and such. This isn't how everyone works, and John (jmtb02) likes to work on UI more. Sound and Music is always last, as you can better judge all the sounds you need when the game is finished.

Q. Where does the music for your games come from (specifically, "Demolition City")?

A. We like to grab music from a few places. The Newgrounds Audio Portal is one of them, another one is imcompetech.com where Kevin MacLeod does some awesome scores. That is where the music for Demolition City came from. In fact, DC was extremely hard to find music for. I listened to so many songs, but nothing fit the game perfectly. Eventually I remembered the Fantasia 2000 movie by Disney and the George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue set in a large city and I figured that would fit perfect. I found the best 1930s sounding music I could, which is also why the explosions are cymbals and the collisions are drums. It ended up better than I expected so I kept it.

Q. What console games do you like to play? Have any of these influenced your game development?

A. I have a soft spot for the Ratchet and Clank series. They are very polished and humorous at times. I also enjoy free roam games more than I should. If I can walk around and do a bunch of cool stuff, I'm sold. As the game industry grows there are more and more highly polished games coming out, and I think if anything I like take some time at the end of the game development and refine features and such to make the game as well rounded as I can. I don't always get this time at the end, but when I do I take full advantage of it.

Q. Of the games you've created, which would you say is your favorite?

A. I think because Phage Wars was a college project that turned out to be cooler than I expected, that I would have to call it my favorite. I spent so much time researching cells and viruses that I probably learned more than I ever did in my high school biology class. It became a quest to make it accurate, but still fun. Crush the Castle was also fun to make, especially when during development I finished implementing the character screams and it became apparent that it way more entertaining than I imagined.

That's it for the exclusive interview with Joey Betz. For more on Betz, go to his website here, or, to play his games, go here.

Image credit: heise.de (here), Flash Anywhere (here).

Rest In Peace, John Hughes

John Hughes, born February 18, 1950, has died today of a heart attack. He was incredibly successful in the American film industry, as a writer, producer and director of such movies as Home Alone, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and many others. Currently, no details of his death have been released other than the fact that he died of a heart attack.

John Hughes was known for his trademarks, which appeared in most of his films. Characters speaking to the audience ("breaking the fourth wall") were seen in several of Hughes' movies. Many of his movies were also set in places where he himself lived.

Thousands of fans are now mourning over the loss of such an amazing movie-maker. Stay tuned for a batch of reviews of John Hughes' most famous movies in the next couple of days.

Image credit: Listal (here).

Why 'Idol' Won't Work

Update: It appears that Fox is trying to fill the void, and not just with Kara DioGuardi - Katy Perry and Victoria Beckham have been lined up as guest judges. Is this enough? In my opinion, having guest judges was never a good idea...

American Idol, despite it's enormous popularity, has seen some changes lately. Last year, the "Judge's Save" was added - a feature that allowed a judge to stop a contestant from being eliminated. Of course, in Season 8, the biggest change was that of the fourth judge - singer/song-write Kara DioGuardi.

She served alongside Idol veterans Simo

n Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson all throughout last season, and it's been confirmed that she will be returning for the upcoming Season 9. While this intially doesn't seem like a 'problem', it has become one, with the news that Paula Abdul will not be returning as a judge for the next season.

Now, I'm not going to be comparing these two - they are entirely different people - but with the situation, that is exactly what fans will be doing. Despite her being around for last season, she will be seen as a "replacement" of Abdul. Why is this a problem? She simply isn't recognizable enough. The three original judges are so well known because they have been with the show for years. And while she may have rose to fame as a fourth judge given enough time, she has to become a veteran judge after one season.

You see, the judges' names should be recognizable by fans and non-fans alike. When a non-fan can tell who is an Idol judge and who isn't, that is a big sign of popularity. Kara DioGuardi simply doesn't have that kind of Idol fame, and most people wouldn't even know her name before she appeared on Idol.

After the announcement that Abdul was leaving, my expectations for the next season sunk dramatically. The balance of judges will be thrown off completely, and I feel quite confident that ratings for Idol will dip severely. We're just going to have to wait and see, however, if Kara can really carry that much weight on her shoulders.

Image credit: USA Today (here), MTV (here).

Making The Case: A 'Bones' Movie

The reason I chose Bones as opposed to any other crime drama is exactly what sets it apart from the others - characterization. The characters in Bones seem very life-like, making it an ideal candidate for a movie. We've seen Booth and Brennan both go into action several times before, and the "Gormogon" story arc proves the series can handle something more epic than a single episode.

Of course, a movie would have to wait until the next season is complete to work into the story (if you've seen the season finale, you'll know why), but that doesn't mean it couldn't work altogether. Booth and Brennan have already travelled to different locales before, which would seem to be the best idea for a movie - but there is no reason not to get the entire team involved.

One story idea is having a terrorist (or terrorist group) begin a series of murders around the D.C. area. The group could then attack the Jeffersonian, and the whole building would go on a lock-down. Booth and Brennan could chase down the terrorists through the Jeffersonian, and perhaps also chase them through the city.

How would the movie fit into the whole story arc of the show? While it would be terrible to see the series end, I think a full-length, theater-released movie would be a great cinematic ending to the series, with Booth and Bones finally "getting together" - though I would love to see the show progress at least two more seasons before it ended permanently.

Image credit: smh.com.au (here).