OffLine OnLine

I've moved the Blog - http://www.offlinetshirts.com/blog

2006-10-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

Here's the new home of OffLine Online. I've gone with a WordPress installation for a few reasons but mainly because it gives me more control and has an easy category separation tool so you can find things easier.

I've imported all the old posts over so I hope you will also join me over there :)

Click now!

Yet Another Article About Games Reaching out to Girls

2006-09-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

There's nothing particularly good, bad, or surprising about this article that hasn't been said several times before in other articles but reading this one does make me want to rant a little.

First off, stop with the "female players tend to scorn games of wanton destruction" type lines.

You know what one of my favorite old arcade type game was? Rampage. You know, the game where you control the equivalent of King Kong or Godzilla or (I forget what the third monster was)? The object of that game was to smash things and eat people: wanton destruction. I loved it and I wasn't a "tomboy" either. I wasn't a "girly girl" but I wasn't a tom boy that folks might automatically expect to love things boys did.

I will give a nod to the article writer for the comment that girls like to identify with game elements though. I first tried Tomb Raider partly because the main character is a girl. A girl who runs around stealing things from tombs while shooting at things by the way (another point against the girls scorn games of wanton destruction).

One of the games I'm playing now, First to Fight, a first person shooter, doesn't give me the choice of being a female character. It's a small thing when you don't see yourself much in the game anyway, but I would still like it better if I could pretend to run around the game as a girl. I don't mean that I would actually roleplay I was a marine, but just for little things like how the guys I game with can have avatars and screen names they use on other web applications that sort of go with their game personas but I'm walking around as a square jawed guy named "Fricka".

I suppose I should be happy that females are getting attention from the media and from game developers. Well, I am happy, but I'm also sad that the same misconceptions come up article after article, year after year. I give props to the gamers who make up groups like the Frag Dolls but I don't know if that's the answer to getting more females involved in gaming.

I think groups like that are great eye candy for guys, but I think there are also more females like me just giving a sigh and saying, "I thought I found an area in a virtual world where I could just hang out and game without having to additionally be some kind of eye candy". It doesn't seem enough that girls game well or even look good in the context of a game (eye candy Lara Croft, scantily clad MMORPG elves etc.) but now it seems like the industry will only notice or sponsor you if you game and also look like a model. If the gaming industry wants to attract more female gamers they need to allow us to feel comfortable playing any type of game we want and to look however we want to look like, in game or off. Some folks may say, "You're just jealous". Well, I've been called a Booth Babe before and I was amused and flattered, but sending the message that you can only get on a team or get media attention if you look like one means that you won't be reaching all females and your market reach is not going to grow.

Technorati Tags:
gaming, gamers, gaming industry, female gamer, girl gamers
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E3 to be Downsized?

2006-07-31T04:46:00.000-07:00

From Ars Technica: E3 game trade show not cancelled, but will be downsized

Contrary to reports across the web, E3 has not been cancelled. Next-Gen had hoped that they would blow the lid off of a hot story by revealing that the show had been cancelled, but some quick fact checking shows that they are simply incorrect.

Sources close to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) tell Ars Technica that the show can and will go on, but that big changes are planned. The "Electronic Entertainment Expo" (hence E3) started in 1995 as a small but interesting annual convention for gaming, following roughly six months after the once-popular annual COMDEX computer trade-show in Las Vegas. The show has grown immensely in popularity, and that appears to be the problem.

The article goes on to talk of game companies trying to out do each other by putting on a better "dog and pony show" and not getting enough return. It also mentions floor folks not being able to speak freely and of "the show in a show" system where one needs to get an appointment to get the real scoop.

I went to E3 this year and to tell you the truth, it was less crowded than last year. That doesn't mean it wasn't crowded though, it was still a mass of industry geeks and there were still hour long lines for some things, like the Spore demo. I can also attest to the existence of the "show in a show" system. I had appointments with the folks I interviewed and they were held in areas not accessible to the floor public. However, it has been like that for a few years now and I don't think the system will go away entirely. It just makes sense that the CEO of a company is not the one on the floor doing the demos for the week.

One thing they did this year was to have a Press only time slot, if the game companies want a chance to interact with the press more perhaps that time period could be extended. As far as the expense goes, maybe a cap of some sort might help. Of course that may fall prey to the old "only bring a $20 gift" syndrome and companies will still try to push it.

I don't have the answer but I do know one thing. E3 has taken on a life of its own. It's true that information is dispersed more quickly than ever, especially information geared towards a net savvy crowd like gamers, but E3 is still a trigger for the industry and the gaming public. There's still nothing that can compare to it that will get us to sit up and take notice. A press release here and there is not the same as the convenience of being able to play and see the games all at once, even if it is in the cacophony that is E3.

Technorati Tags:
e3, gaming, gamingindustry, tech
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GAM3R 7H30RY

2006-06-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Gamer Theory
It's a book in the making, you can read part of it already and comment.

Back to the Future - Proof He Did It!

2006-05-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

I give you... Marty McFly in 1918!

http://www.seditionproject.net/RENO.htm

This was found by internet sleuths on this page about folks charged of Sedition.

Identity Theft Victims Sue NCSoft

2006-03-03T00:50:00.000-08:00

In short, folks have their identity stolen, gold farmers use this information to open "hundreds of thousands" of accounts in Lineage and Lineage 2 and the identity victims foot the bill. Lawsuit ensues.

If NC Soft is found liable, which personally I don't think is likely, it might make all the MMOG companies even more interested in shutting down the secondary market.

http://www.whatpc.co.uk/vnunet/news/2151224/identity-theft-victims-sue

Technorati tags: gaming, mmogs

Backyard Roller Coaster - Forget Roller Coaster Tycoon!

2006-02-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

This guy's made his own backyard roller coaster!

Listen to the audio from The Next Big Thing here.

Painfully Funny Spoof Video about RPG Gamers

2006-02-19T01:09:00.000-08:00

"Painfully funny" because I think it hits close to the mark for some. I give you: "Fear of Girls"

If you want to download the video, you can get it here.

Granny Gamer

2005-11-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

Funny video clip of a hardcore gamer Granny.

http://media.putfile.com/granny-gamer

Seems like most of the games she plays are only the single player versions but they did show Doom 3 so maybe we'll see her online too.

Pretty funny regardless, go Granny!

Technorati tags:gaming,
granny gamer

Gaming in Brazil - Download the Documentary

2005-11-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

I noticed sales of my gaming stuff to Brazil before but I didn't know it was an indication of a large gaming community there.

Check out the website for free download links and more about the project.

Technorati tags: gaming, Brazil

Blizzcon Buzz Getting Louder

2005-10-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

BlizzCon, Blizzard's first fan gathering will be occuring this month on the 28th and 29th. Turns out the band Offspring will be the surprise concert to end it. While all of Blizzard's games will be highlighted, the majority of attendees will likely be World of Warcraft players and the new WoW expansion will be playable at the event. Tickets are currently sold out though they may release a few more Exhibit Only tickets.

OffLine will be there but not likely as a vendor this time around.

More info: http://www.blizzcon.com/

"Last Summer Breeze Sale" Now 'till end of tomorrow, Sept 21st

2005-09-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Last Summer Breeze Sale - Now till Sept 21.
$2 off Baby Doll Tee, Jr. Raglan, Jr. Tank Top,
Women's Cap Sleeve Tee, and Women's Tank
Coupon code: Breeze2

You enter the code during check out and all the
items listed above that are you in your cart each have
$2 off.

WoW Developers Leave Blizzard and Start Red5

2005-09-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Looks like some devs, an art guy and an exec have left Blizzard to start their own company called Red5. Could explain the lack of big patches for WoW. On the other hand, the first WoW expansion is supposed to be announced at the upcoming BlizzCon in October.

This isn't the first time original devs have split from a MMORPG company to start their own. But in Sigil Games Online's case, Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler were inarguably the key folks behind EverQuest's design and development. Many argue that WoW's success had a lot to do with the Blizzard franchise.

Here's the press release from Red5:

"World of Warcraft" Veterans Launch Online Gaming Company

ALISO VIEJO, CA -- Mark Kern, William Petras, and Taewon Yun, key developers and executives behind Blizzard Entertainment's hit "World of Warcraft," have announced the formation of Red 5 Studios, Inc.

Based in Aliso Veijo, California, the new company will focus on creating massively-multiplayer online entertainment -- a gaming genre that's now a global sensation.

“Our work on World of Warcraft has really opened up people’s eyes to the potential of online gaming in huge, persistent worlds,” says Kern. “We want to continue to shape the future of online gaming by tapping into new worldwide trends and pushing the limits of our creativity.”

Kern, Petras and Yun are all former Blizzard veterans. Mark Kern was Team Lead for World of Warcraft, and William Petras was Art Director on the project. Taewon Yun helped found Blizzard Korea where he was responsible of World of Warcraft’s launch and operations in Asia. Together they have over 30 years of experience developing and launching hit games such as Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo.

Technorati tags: gaming, wow, Blizzard

X-Box 360 Details in One Place

2005-09-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here's the link:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=11246

I swiped mine from an E3 display. Of course I'm just kidding!

I'm not going to pull a kid outs step dad move or anything remotely near it!

Japanese Symbols - Playstation Similarity?

2005-08-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

This post implies that the Playstation controller markings came from usage of common Japanese marking symbols, equivalent to Western style check marks or "X"s for instance.

I don't find it conclusive evidence but I do think it's interesting. I wouldn't be surprised though if it was just coincidence and the markings were chosen simply to make them look different.

Technorati tags: gaming,
playstation

Video Game Commercials

2005-08-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a site with a great collection of "classic and contemporary" ads shown around the world!

Most appear to be in Japanese, but you can sort by country and time period.

China Sets a Timer on Online Play

2005-08-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Unhealthy Game Time Warning

Link leads to a radio bit heard on NPR, the gist is that China has come up with an idea to curb game time by having a pop up warning interrupt game play: "You have entered unhealthy game time, please go offline immediately to rest." The time limit per day they've decided on is 3 hours a day. I'd be interested in seeing how they came up with that figure.

This brings to mind special situation "gaming". What I mean by that is when one might be logged into the game on the computer but not really playing it, for instance it could be up while you were waiting for your friends to come online, you might be using it as a chat client, or you might sporadically do tradeskills but not want to log in and out all the time. Folks with two computers might even have the game up on one while they work on the other... or just have the game up on one and not even be in the same room while doing chores etc. I suppose these situations are pretty rare and maybe even rarer in China.

On the other hand in EverQuest now, there is a timer you can set to remind you when a certain amount of time has elapsed. It doesn't penalize you like the Chinese system if you play beyond your timed session but just acts as a simple timer. I like this concept much better.

Technorati tags:
gaming, mmorpg, online games

No Strong Link Between Video Games and Violence

2005-08-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/05/0809videogames.html

I don't think this study is one of the stronger cases since it studies only one game but I do think this study should be counted. There are so many anecdotal stories and tragic news stories in which the aspect of someone being a gamer is immediately pointed out to be the root of all their problems that I think it's important to point out an actual study done.

At the very least even if this study were to conclude that only fantasy violence does not cause an increase in violence and aggression, it would be a step in clarifying to the public in general that video games, like films, TV shows, or any other form of entertainment are quite different from each other and should not be all lumped together .

8 Myths About Video Games Debunked

2005-07-21T01:28:00.000-07:00

"A large gap exists between the public's perception of video games and what the research actually shows. The following is an attempt to separate fact from fiction."

Nice article for every gamer to read so they can counter some of the myths and for every non gamer to read so they won't spread the myths in the first place.

Eets: Original Game, Free Demo

2005-07-12T00:23:00.000-07:00

Eets: Overview
I just finished playing the demo levels of this game. It's cute, unique and has catchy music and fanciful graphics. At it's core it's a puzzle solving game and it contains classic levels and platforms like familiar classic games but the driving motivation of the hero, eets, is emotion. And you use various objects to change his (its?) emotional state.

All in all, worth the download.

Requirements: PC with DirectX 9c or later.

Props to The Safehouse for the link to the demo game.

Technorati tags: gaming
free games

Inside the Mind of a Pro Gamer: Kornelia at the GDC 2005

2005-07-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Pro Gamer Kornelia wearing Geek Team Style Jersey

A great look at the experience of being a professional gamer from the viewpoint of FPS gamer, Kornelia: gdc2005.

I had the good fortune to meet Kornelia first via email and then in person. She initially emailed me asking if I would like her to wear some of my OffLine T-shirts apparel at QuakeCon 2004 since she had a rare opportunity to wear what she wanted rather than an official sponsor's logo emblazoned shirt. Though the timing was tight, I was happy to oblige and she sent me the great picture above and linked to OffLine from her website.

Then, just this past E3, I got to meet her as she took a tiny break from facing challengers at E3. She was very nice and thanked me profusely for the shirts. I didn't keep her long though as I didn't want to break her concentration. After reading her GDC story I'm amazed she was as loose and easy going as she was when we spoke.

The overall experience, coupled with reading the GDC story has brought me to a few conclusions. One, Kornelia is a nice and genuine person, and two, competitive gaming has a lot in common with competitive athletics. As a former competitive athlete myself I could relate to what she went through -- the point where all the practice doesn't seem to matter, how one kill will calm you down, and how all else can fade away and all that matters is you and your opponent.

What else can I say? Kornelia you do us gamers proud.

Category tag: gaming

Enchanter: Charmed I'm sure

2005-07-04T01:55:00.000-07:00

Lovely model Kassey in an Enchanter baseball jersey.

Enchanter Shirt

Technorati Tags: tshirt,
gaming

Geek Season! and the LOL Summer Sale

2005-06-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

Hello dear reader!

Geek season is in full swing!

E3, Comdex, ComicCon, Gencon... the list goes on! Whatever your favorite convention flavor, be sure to dress appropriately!

With that in mind, here's the latest coupon code offering:

It's the LOL Summer Sale
Coupon code: LOLSAV
$3 off all apparel in the OffLineTshirts.com main store (in other words the sale does not extend to the Special Orders Section). The sale will end 7/14/05 so grab your favorite t-shirts or even pick up a naughty thong or two (hey at $3 off that makes the thongs a really great deal!).

Want some ideas?

Here's our latest designs:
For female goers of conventions who get tired of being asked where their boyfriend is: What boyfriend?

This one is for any geek who loves to confuse people:
I !=Geek

For other fellow Treo (or other combo data / voice phone) lovers:
Signal Bars

Finally, more goodies for World of Warcraft fans:
I Heart Orcs

And... if you haven't seen them yet, check out the men's ringer tees, with 3 color choices for the "ringers".

And that's just the beginning folks... more designs and items are going to be popping up in the store soon. For instance, I promised folks at the SOE FanFaire I'd get the EQ level 70 titles up so be on the look out for those, plus I have EQ2 stuff and even more WoW stuff in the works as well.

Whew! I better get cracking instead of writing this newsletter eh? ;)

~ Your gaming rogue and geek goddess,

Fricka

Here's the Blogger.com Home of OffLineTshirts.com

2005-06-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

/looks around

Looks comfy enough in here. Let's see how it works out before signing the lease. /nod