Games I Don’t Understand
About a week back, I was watching CSI:NY and they were trying to solve a crime that involved Second Life. Once upon a time, it wasn’t called Second Life, At least, I don’t think it was. Or maybe it was just so long ago that I think it was named something else.
Anyway, I’ve been playing around on it, and all I can say is: BLAH. I’ve played it on both my Mac Mini (equipped with the less than stellar Intel GMA950 graphics chip) and on the School Supplied MacBook Pro (With an ATI Something-Rather in it) and both of them make it look like playing Doom 3 on a 386.
I also have a hard time with “User Created Content.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all crap, just mostly. I think the only nicely designed user area was the airport that I encountered. With the exception of some usability issues, it looked like a not-so-distant futuristic looking airport.
But, as I was reading was saying, there is no goal, no end game in Second Life. As much as WoW sometimes can be annoying (due to the fact that are idiots out there), at least there is a goal to reach that can be done at least a little on your own.
All in all, I don’t think it’s worth paying for. If you like it, all power to you; if you make money, well, be the second life’s answer to Donald Trump. But my experience, in usability and design, it leaves a lot to be desired.
Almost Another Canadian Heritage Moment
As many of you know (or don’t, whatever), the Canadian Dollar has past parity with Greenback and is now sitting around $1.07 USD. So, you’d think, after many years of having to pay more than our American cousins, we’d be able to get a break because of the “strength of our dollar” (read: weakness of the US dollar).
Just when I thought I would have to buy the iPod Touch State-side I caught this:
That’s right. It’s Apple Canada’s site, both by the address and the Page Title. But, when I grabbed my credit card to go and get my new fancy gadget on this momentous occasion, this is what I found.
No joy. That’s right, whoever maintains the Canada site was either too tired, too lazy, or two ignorant to change 3 characters of text with that fancy font that Apple uses. I shouldn’t be ragging on just Apple. It’s the consumer electronics industry as a whole. But I wants an iPod Touch and I wants it now. But that ain’t gonna happen.
A Strange Mix
So I had a conversation with a friend of mine on the way into school this week, in regards to what has been happening with an art festival I helped out with this past summer and the surrounding some disagreements happening between some of the original Board of Directors. I’m not pointing fingers at anyone. I understand both sides. Art and business sometimes just doesn’t work.
Take for example the art show in Toronto “Nuit Blanche.” A story that went through most of the Canadian press outlets about the event, gave examples of patrons to the event saying that it was over commercialized. Also, the amount of art and/or artists dwindled significantly from the previous year. The author of the linked article was quite adamant that the organizers of said event were sure to call it “Scotiabank Nuit Blanche,” not just “Nuit Blanche.” Once again, I see both sides: Scotiabank wanted to make it bigger and better, but they also wanted their money’s worth in investing in such an event. I can understand why the artists didn’t end up showing up this year because of the gratuitous corporate presence.
I’ve said all that to say this: I understand both sides. I really do. There has to be a little peace between corporate types and artists. I think I have a little of both in me; I’m neither Picasso nor Donald Trump, but I think I could do great in business with the right kind of business, but I also am – to a certain extent – an artist. I wouldn’t be in a design course if I didn’t think I could at least hold my own, and I wouldn’t be seriously considering starting a business in the near future if I didn’t think I could handle it. It’s an interesting oxymoron. The art of business.
I may bring world piece. Well, at least in these two worlds. Or I’ll just make a good chunk of change trying.