We all know that everyone gets very creeped-out by robots that look and act human. We know this, despite the fact that 99% of us haven’t ever seen robots that look and act human, because the media tells us it is true. They talk about the concept of the uncanny valley and how it explains this discomfort.

The concept basically runs like this: things that look almost totally humand but aren’t, and things that act almost totally human, but aren’t, are something that’s going to creep us out for reasons we can’t quite explain. This concept was basically just made-up by a Japanese robotics guy named Masahiro Mori.

From what I can tell there’s no real evidence that this is true, but it appears to be accepted without any skepticism from the masses (bearing in mind that these are the same masses who believe in creationism rather than evolution and the lack of understanding perhaps makes sense). Evidence often cited includes poor box office receipts from movies like Beowulf (which I rather liked), The Polar Express, and Final Fantasy – The Spirits Within, (though one of my favorite whipping boys, Final Fantasy: Advent Children, did quite good in sales and is left off the list). What’s not usually mentioned is that these, frankly, weren’t very good movies and that might’ve played a larger role than anything else in their failure.

I think the uncanny valley concept is basically an excuse people like to use for why various products, including those movies, failed. It also doesn’t explain why other products, like Disney’s Hall of Presidents, are a success.

Ultimately this appears to be something that someone made up without any real evidence and that the media now accepts without any question. With the rise of things like Poser porn (you can search for that on your own; I’m not linking to it while at work!), I think this concept is pretty-well debunked.

By Jesseca Bagherpour

Thursday night began with a manic rush from the DayBowBow meeting at Sweetwater in Denton to The Mountain Goats show at the Granada in Dallas. I probably pushed my Cutlass Ciera a bit too hard because I didn’t want to miss seeing Final Fantasy (aka Owen Pallett) once again. He played at Hailey’s in 2007, but I couldn’t go because I was sick and I was determined to catch at least half of his set this time. But unless he only played four songs, I didn’t meet that goal. I didn’t count on the Granada being packed, leaving the spots in the neighborhood where I normally park completely full (I eventually parked in front of Buffalo Exchange, which I assume was all right since they were closed and my car was still there when the show ended).

When I finally walked into the auditorium of the Granada, I could tell the end of Final Fantasy’s set was drawing near. I had a ticket for one of the seated sections, but I stayed glued to the back wall during those two last precious songs(not counting the five he played with the Mountain Goats). For 10 glorious minutes I got to witness Pallett’s brilliance. My eyes never left the stage and the serene smile never left my face as he played “This Lamb Sells Condos” and “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt”. The violin loops and accompanying vocals (I’ve tried to find who is backing him on this tour, but I’m still not certain) sounded perfect. Although not everyone in the audience was impressed, most people were. I hope I get another chance to see him live, because I’m sure a full Final Fantasy set is incredible.

When I finally found my seat, I had a few minutes to relax before The Mountain Goats played. Having never seen the band live, I had no idea what to expect. I thought I was in for a relaxed, low-key evening, which I would have welcomed after the stress of my drive. I thought I would simply watch in rapt attention as the band played, like I did with Pallett. I thought wrong. And I realized it the second the Mountain Goats ran out on stage, Shellac blasting, the audience screaming and applauding. The band was clearly fired up to perform.

From the opener, an upbeat and amped-up version of “1 Samuel 15:23″, through to the encore, the band never lost momentum. In particular, lead singer/founder John Darnielle and bassist Peter Hughes were in high spirits. Darnielle’s infectious smile never left his face and it prompted one especially vocal audience member to tell him, “You have a great smile.” Darnielle’s interaction with the fans was, and I assume always is, a huge part of the performance. He told lengthy, but always amusing, stories about each song he played (at one point, Darnielle asked the audience if they were tired of his long stories and when people began chanting, “Stories! Stories!”, he got his answer).
He also had witty responses for audience outbursts. After his introduction to “Enoch 18:14″ (“This song is a bonus track on The Life of the World to Come. The book it gets its name from is a bonus track to the Bible.”), a spectator yelled “You’re beautiful”. His response: “Thanks, but my Bible is more beautiful.”

Darnielle’s lyrics are full of religious references, especially references to Christianity. From what I can gather, from articles and the Mountain Goats official forum (which Darnielle moderates and regularly participates in), he’s an agnostic/former Catholic who is fascinated by religion, particularly Catholicism because of the ritual of it. I can relate to Darnielle and probably appreciate the lyrics because I too am an agnostic (formerly a devout protestant) who finds religion beautiful and intriguing despite not believing in God. He’s also just a damn fine lyricist who can turn a song about the Toad in Super Mario Brothers (“Thank You, Mario! But Our Princess is in Another Castle”) into a beautiful, yet tongue-in-cheek, ballad.

The entire set was amazing, but a few songs stood out for me. “See America Right” is a raw rock tune with a catchy guitar hook. I loved seeing the middle-aged, meek-looking Darnielle get pumped with this one, slamming his head to the beat, dancing and screaming. “Cotton”, a much slower-tempo song, had perhaps the most gorgeous vocal and guitar harmonies of the night. Darnielle reached the height of audience interaction during “Against Pollution”. With neither guitar nor keyboard to play, he walked to the edge of the stage and leaned towards the audience, in true rock star form. And of course the night ended with a sing-along rendition of “No Children”. I normally hate when musicians prompt sing-alongs, but it’s a favorite song of mine and the positive vibes filling the venue had long ago overcome me, so I joined in.

The sheer talent of the Mountain Goats, as well as their obvious passion for playing in front of an audience, ceaselessly impressed me. They are true showmen, especially the charismatic Darnielle. I’m definitely catching this band every chance I get. Along with Wilco, Spoon and a few others, they’re now on my list of acts I will never tire of seeing live.

Agora que eu descobri esse jogo, apaixonei.

Kingdom Hearts é uma série de jogos de RPG desenvolvidos e publicados pela Square Enix (antiga Squaresoft). É resultado da colaboração entre Square e Disney Interactive Studios e está sob direção de Tetsuya Nomura, um antigo designer de personagens da Square. Kingdom Hearts é um crossover de várias criações da Disney dentro de um único universo criado especificamente para a série. Em adição, a série conta com um elenco de voz all-star que inclui vozes oficiais dos personagens da Disney. Personagens da série Final Fantasy, da Square Enix, também aparecem e interagem com o jogador e com os personagens da Disney. A série é centralizada no personagem principal Sora, sua procura pelos seus amigos e seus encontros com os personagens da Disney e de Final Fantasy, em seus respectivos mundos. (via wikipedia)

Pra quem gosta de Disney, o jogo é muuuuitooooo foda, eu to amando, e fico babando nos personagens em 3D…. =)))

Um site muito bom sobre ele é o Kingdom Hearts Wiki e o KHInsider.

Quando eu terminar o 1 e começar o 2 eu posto aqui pra dizer o que tô achando….

Fica aqui o trailer do Kingdom Hearts I

From Toy Story to Bolt, animation has brought us an array of wonderful characters to cherish and enjoy. This roundup highlights a selection of simply awe inspiring 3D characters.

Stunning 3D Characters

Captain Jack Sparrow

Created using 3DSmax, Zbrush and Photoshop, the attention to detail and expression are fantastic.

Bobby, The Little Octopus

Textured using ZBrush and decorated with Blender, taking 5 days of work. Bobby is a unique and fascinating piece of work.

Harlequin

Hauntingly realistic, Harlequin is truly a spectacular piece of art. At first glance, one might think this was a well lit photo.

Science Doc

Modeled in maya and rendered in Mental Ray, Science is an excellent character, with matching production values.

Goblin Mechanic

Inspired by Max Cant’s soldiers when modeling the furnace on his back he is full of expression and crammed with an array of wonderful details.

Will Smith Caricature

Hilarious and superbly created using Cinema 4D, ZBrush and Photoshop. It has a warmth and charm that make it stand out.

Jelly Spider Friend

Realistic and a little creepy, this is beautifully crafted with amazing colors and textures. The lighting adds to the freakish feel of the piece.

Cloud Tribute

A tribute to the popular Final Fantasy character Cloud, the emotion behind the eyes is extremely powerful.

Beautiful Vanadisa

Created in Daz Studio with a rendering time of over 22 hours, this is a simply breathtaking 3D portrait.

Isabelle

Modeled using a combination of Poser, Vue, Cinema 4D and Photoshop CS, she has a real sense of mystery and magic.

Art Ventura

A wonderful caricature, Art Ventura solves mysterious CG cases. The behind the scenes of its creation is worth viewing.

Ogryn Stare

The artists first project using ZBrush with the entire piece taking over two days. It makes great use of textures.

Rose

A beautiful pose and composition, great use of light and a thoroughly captivating expression make Rose a compelling piece.

Emocionado

A funny and charming piece with great attention to detail on the cloth patterns and the stubble on the chin.

Aztec Priest

Inspired by Mel Gibson’s movie “Apocalypto”, this Aztec Priest is detailed, imaginative and original.

Cyber Goth

Created using a combination of Poser and Photoshop, the design on her scalp and the eye markings really draw the eye.

Samurai Troll

The texture work in the armor plates and skin are amazing given that the artist views this as a work in progress.

Smoking Creature

I don’t what’s more frightening, the hideous character or the amazing amount of realism he possesses.

Kai

This is Kai, Nariko’s dedicated friend (from Heavenly Sword). Created using Poser, Vue and Photoshop.

Shadow Conscious

Absolutely incredible detail, the artist really captured the emptiness in her eyes and created a character deep in thought.

Female Vampire

Inspired by the vampire film 30 Days of Nights, this female vampire looks really realistic and deliciously evil.

Arwen

Created using Cinema 4D, Poser, Vue and Photoshop with an obscene render time, Arwen is a pearlescent beauty.

Fries With That

Fantastic modelling, texturing and shading make this utterly realistic, you will think it’s a photograph. An amazing achievement in 3D realism.

Suspicious Minds

An incredibly striking, beautiful, realistic and moving portrait with an interesting story behind it.

The Worlds Enemy

A superb model of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy with the rendering taking 3 hours and the post production taking 6 hours.

Chris In 3D

An absolutely stunning combination of Poser and Photoshop work. Do yourself a favor and check out this render’s immaculate details.

Cyborg Head 01

The level of detail is nothing short of amazing, enhanced by the textures and lightning that give this 3D render superb qualities.

Ethereal

Artwork based on the W40k universe, it’s an Ethereal from the TAU empire, taking 2 days to complete using Cinema 4D, ZBrush, VRay and Photoshop.

Knight of the Temple

A lone knight of the Temple, standing guard. The chainmail and stone are particularly brilliant in detail and texture.

Grandma

Just awesome detail, amazing textures, superb blending and the befuddling expression on the woman’s face make this a wonderful piece of work.

För det första måste jag säga att jag har fått en ny 360 av Microsoft. Den förra var ju på besök i Tyskland för att den fick för sig att repa mina spel, och det ser ut som att Microsoft tyckte den skulle få pensionera sig där. Men nu får vi se hur aktiv jag kommer vara på att lira 360 då Jackos Wii (som mest samlade damm innan) har börjat gå på högvarv, och då menar jag verkligen högvarv då den låter mer än en 360… det är därför Jacko skaffade en ny och jag fick låna den gamla på obestämd tid. Jag har även skaffat Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 till DSen så att det liras också en del.

Sedan har det även kommit till att jag ska börja måla brosans julklapp som skissen är färdig till.

Inverno

Estava nevando. Não que a vista para a cidade de Archades deixasse de ser bela, só era diferente naquela época do ano. O ar parecia pesado nestes dias, a respiração toma forma de fumaça perto dos lábios e em todo canto há pessoas com mais roupas do que o necessário. Apesar de tudo, Larsa gostava de neve, gostava de sentir o frio chegar e se enfiar debaixo dos grossos cobertores de sua cama, acender a lareira que ficava apagada nos dias de verão e primavera. Quando estava exausto demais no fim do dia, seu guardião, Gabranth, lhe traria uma xícara de chá quente e insistiria para ele ir para a cama. Ele sempre recusaria, dizendo que tinha muita coisa para fazer, mas Gabranth sempre ganhava o round o pegando no colo e o colocando gentilmente na cama, todo protetor e cuidadoso como sempre era, claro, protegido pelas paredes do quarto do pequeno lord. Fora delas, a não ser que estivessem sozinhos, uma barreira muito mais grossa que a camada de metal do capacete que usava os separava, uma subjugação e polidez enorme vinda do judge que afastava Larsa indiretamente. Mas ele não conseguia se esconder para sempre atrás da armadura.

O príncipe não conseguia dormir aquela noite, nem depois de três xícaras de chá que seu leal guardião havia lhe dado. Era verdade que o frio tinha grande parte da culpa, mas o garoto sentia algo a mais no ar. Gabranth, como sempre, estava ao lado da porta, de pé, já sem o capacete, como Larsa insistia quando ficavam sozinhos por muito tempo, o observando tentar ler um ofício pela quarta vez nesta meia hora. Finalmente o moreno soltou um suspiro de frustração e se levantou, indo até a cama enorme, se sentando.

- Gabranth, você se importa de me acompanhar até os jardins? Eu sei que está um frio intenso e já passam da meia noite, mas tenho medo de que, se não tomar um ar fresco, vou ter um colapso.

- Não me importo, Lord Larsa, é sempre agradável te acompanhar… – o loiro disse pegando o capacete da armadura, só que o príncipe o parou antes, a pequena mão enluvada em seu pulso, o olhando com um sorriso cansado.

- Não, por favor, deixe este pedaço horrível de metal aqui. Eu lhe peço. Ademais, provável que não tenha ninguém acordado no palácio a esta hora. – ao sentir o braço do loiro relaxar, o pequeno lord o puxou para fora do quarto, pegando um manto no caminho.

Os dois caminhavam sorrateira e silenciosamente pelas sombras altas e maciças do palácio adormecido. De vez em quando ouviam vozes e era a vez de se esconderem numa pilastra próxima, só para descobrir servos comuns que ainda estavam acordados. Chegaram ao jardins sem grandes complicações, sem Larsa perceber que todo este tempo estava segurando firmemente na mão do guardião que, apesar do silêncio e cortesia, ficou embaraçado com tal aproximação. Ao pisarem no caminho de pedras que levava a um grande labirinto, Larsa apertou o manto contra si, o vento gelado lhe arrepiando, mas, mesmo assim, não soltava a mão do loiro. O guiou facilmente pelo labirinto, que conhecia desde os três anos, era seu lugar favorito em todo o palácio, indo em direção a uma pequena praça, com direito a banquinhos de madeira belamente esculpidos e uma fonte, congelada a esta altura da estação.

O príncipe finalmente largou a mão do loiro, que sentou-se em um dos bancos, deixando que o pequeno fosse até a cascata de cristal projetada pela fonte, não conseguindo conter um sorriso ao observar o quanto ele ficava ainda admirado com o prisma de cores noturnas que se mostravam no gelo, puro e cristalino como os adoráveis olhos azuis que o fitavam. Adoráveis? Ultimamente Gabranth tinha pensamentos muito estranhos direcionados ao seu protegée. Por exemplo, o quanto, apesar de considerar isso proximidade demais e, conseqüentemente, desrespeito, apreciava os toques suaves de Larsa, mesmo que ocasionais e raros. Ou que ainda se pegava admirando a beleza andrógina do príncipezinho, o contraste da pele pálida com os cabelos escuros, o azul intenso e cativante de seus olhos, até que se repreendia internamente por deixar o olhar ponderar sobre o quão bonito era o corpo do jovem lord.

Foi tirado de seus pensamentos pelo simples toque das mãos de Larsa em seus joelhos, a visão do pequeno lord trêmulo a sua frente o impelindo a abraçá-lo, mas o guardião reuniu todas suas forças para não o fazer e somente sorrir.

- Sim, Lord Larsa? – por mais que tentasse, não conseguiu se segurar e colocou uma das próprias mãos sobre a do garoto, que sorriu de volta, se sentando a seu lado, olhando para cima.

- Não é nada. É só que você parecia pensativo demais, não que eu quisesse interomper seu raciocínio, mas é que… eu fico com ciúmes dos seus pensamentos que lhe ocupam mais da sua atenção que eu. – ele riu baixinho, ainda com uma das mãos em seu joelho, o olhar fixado na fonte congelada.

- Lord Larsa, posso te garantir que o senhor vem em primeiro lugar em meus pensamentos. – o guardião não acreditou que disse aquilo, mas se aliviou em perceber que o sorriso do jovem lord só aumentou. Entretanto, se incomodou polidamente quando ele se encostou em seu braço, semi-cerrando as órbitas azul-opala. Gabranth pode sentir as batidas cardíacas aumentarem o ritmo, o garoto havia virado a mão e entrelaçado os dedos nos dele. Isto lhe parecia tão errado, mas, ao mesmo tempo, tão confortante. Porque, na vida como Judge, ele conhecia pouco ou nenhum carinho e agora, ao tê-lo tão perto, com suas barreiras totalmente em xeque e sem ao menos o metal para encobrir seu rosto, fazia com que todo seu corpo experimentasse uma sensação de inquietante conforto. Sem mencionar que podia dar a desculpa do frio para as bochechas coradas, o simples ato de se envergonhar perdido há muito tempo para Gabranth. Em seu caminho para se tornar um Judge, ele havia posto de lado sentimentos e sensações que estavam voltando gradualmente conforme convivia mais com o príncipe.

Ah, mas, ao mesmo tempo que errado lhe parecia o garoto ficar de joelhos no banco e enlaçar timidamente seu pescoço, sem dizer nada, a visão do rosto igualmente corado dele fazia Gabranth finalmente colocar de lado suas barreiras e o abraçar de volta. A respiração quente e pausada do menino em seu pescoço lhe dava arrepios impossíveis de conter tanto quanto eram proibidos.

- Lord Larsa, eu não acho que… – “que seja adequado.”; “que seja apropriado”, pensava, quando foi interrompido.

- Gabranth, por favor, deixe-me ficar só um pouco assim. – ele sussurrou, apertando os braços em seu pescoço, se aproximando mais. O loiro podia sentir o calor do corpo do pequeno, não resistindo em correr uma das mãos por suas costas, se surpreendendo por agir com tanta ousadia assim. Como se não bastasse isso, Larsa encostou o rosto com o dele, sentindo-o tão quente quanto si próprio. A esta altura, os batimentos cardíacos de Gabranth eram tão rápidos e fundos que ele tinha medo que o jovenzinho os ouvisse ecoando pela armadura. Por mais correto, por mais que soubesse seu devido lugar, o guardião não conseguiu resistir mais, levando uma das mãos até o rosto pequeno do garoto, afagando com carinho, até o virar para si mesmo, tão perto que a respiração dos dois se confundiam e o vermelho quase vinho que tomava conta de ambos parecia o mesmo.

- G-Gabranth… – foi a última coisa que Larsa sussurrou, antes de perder a voz para os lábios do guardião. Um beijo inesperado, sensível e tímido, sem nenhuma malícia a mais, já que este foi um ato extremamente corajoso da parte do loiro. Afinal, ele tinha o triplo da idade de seu jovem lord, sem mencionar que era apenas um Judge Magister e ele, um príncipe. Mesmo assim foi um beijo em que pôde colocar toda sua admiração pelo pequeno, todo seu carinho e dedicação. Depois do que pareceram aos dois uma eternidade, se separaram, ambos envergonhados demais para dizer qualquer coisa. Larsa se sentou de volta no banco, com os dedos enluvados na frente dos lábios, enquanto Gabranth fixou o olhar na fonte, extremamente embaraçado com o que acabara de fazer.

- Eu… eu acho que é melhor voltarmos para meu quarto. Preciso… dormir. Já é tarde. – o príncipe se levantou e o olhou. Sorriu, quase um sorriso culpado, e estendeu a mão para o Judge. – Vamos?

- Lord Larsa, eu…

- Sssh. Não vamos querer estragar a cumplicidade das estrelas ao falar sobre isso bem embaixo delas. Não hoje. – e o guardião suspirou, aceitando a mão de Larsa e se levantando, caminhando junto com ele até o quarto. Quando foi para o seu próprio finalmente descansar, tinha fresco na memória o beijo e isso o ajudou a carregar seus próprios pecados, limpando a mente antes de deixar que o sono o tomasse.

Por: ‘Larsa’.

This might come as a huge surprise, but when I drive fast or aggressive, I tend to listen to something that calms me down and makes me feel – at peace. Probably because the adrenaline rush can blind your judgment and these songs allow me to relax and think clearer than I normally would.

Aeris/Aerith’s Theme (Piano Version)

Nightwish ‘White Night Fantasy’ (Orchestral Version)

Gente, desculpa mas estou morrendo de emoção aqui em frente ao PC: finalmente acabou a palhaçada da Square-Enix. Foi divulgada na última sexta-feira 13 no site oficial a data de lançamento, nos EUA e na Europa, de Final Fantasy XIII. Mal posso esperar para colocar minhas mãos nesse jogo que promete, e pelo que vi por aí na internet vai cumprir tudo e muito mais \o/, o vídeo seguinte revela no final a tal data de lançamento (vou logo adiantando porque sou desses, vai ser no dia 9 de março de 2010) e também mostra mais detalhes do jogo, sistema de batalhas e seus personagens:

(Quero esse apresentador para mim /comofas?)

E um bônus, música tema do jogo: My Hands, de Leona Lewis (aquela mesma que dizem ser o motivo da briga entre Rihanna e Cris Brown).

Arrasou no vozeirão, esse jogo vai ser demais… já tô úmida antecipadamente!!!

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» There’s one word that isn’t used much in the entirety of New York City and that word is “delighted.” It’s a perfectly good word but “delighted” just isn’t in the daily lexicon of the Big Apple. Can you imagine a street food vendor saying, “I’m delighted to serve you a falafel from the confines of my humble food cart?” We can’t. Earlier this morning, the word “delighted” was conjured upon hearing the second track titled “Horn, the Home of the Wind” on Square’s Hikari no Senshi 4 Original Soundtrack. The first track “Four Warriors of Light” didn’t elicit much of a response since it’s the same old staid Final Fantasy theme that we’ve heard throughout the years. Track 33 “Crisis by a Hair” made us feel as if Armageddon was nigh.

The soundtrack contains a total of 41 tracks; although not all of the tracks are delightful, the OST provides an enjoyable Final Fantasy aural experience.

On s’en rappelle tous avec émotions : quelle joie nous ressentions lorsque les revues spécialisées divulguaient les codes secrets des jeux vidéo. Ces combinaisons de touches invraisemblables permettaient de tricher en toute impunité et profiter des jeux en profondeur.

Sans réussir à le prouver, je pense que l’apparition des cheating codes faisaient partie de la stratégie des éditeurs de jeux. Ils participaient à la notoriété et au plaisir ressenti de certains opus, parfois trop difficiles ou quasi impossible à exploiter dans leur intégralité.

Mon ami Alex m’expliquait que seul 20% des joueurs avancent vraiment dans les jeux, les autres restent souvent bloqués au début (cela ne pose pas nécessairement problème, un jeu comme GTA se jouent autant au premier niveau que dans les niveaux avancés…). Un code permet simplement de débloquer une situation, continuer à jouer et éventuellement devenir fidèle à une sage (GTA, Fifa, Final Fantasy…)

Au passage, je serais curieux de tomber sur une étude démontrant l’impact des vies dans les jeux vidéo. Elles ont vraisemblablement contribué à angoisser les joueurs vis-à-vis de la mort > “si je peux mourir et ressusciter ad lib dans un monde virtuel, notre impossibilité à “gagner des vies” et à les dépenser dans la vraie vie dramatise profondément mon rapport à la faucheuse”. Mais c’est un autre débat…

La mythologie des codes a la dent dure. Certains développeurs et nerds continuent à les faire vivre à travers des petits secrets intégrés aux programmes, aux sites web ou aux jeux vidéo.

On trouve par exemple le Konami Code sur certains sites (essayez au moins celui-ci grâce à la page WP ci-avant qui donne une liste des sites dotés de cette fonction).

Il existe en outre des easter eggs sur certains sites. “L’oeuf de Pâques” s’inscrit dans la même lignée que la Konami Code (à quelques nuances près). Il débloque des bonus ou des fonctions cachées.

Exemple dans Doom :

Exemple dans Excel (oui oui!) :

Que nous apprennent les Konami Codes ou Easter Eggs? Que lorsque les gens/consommateurs/clients ont l’occasion de creuser un lien avec un produit ou un service via une petite manip réservée aux fans, l’interaction devient magique.

On devrait évidemment y penser plus souvent pour les marques, qui réussissent dans les meilleurs cas à dialoguer, parfois créer des expériences, rarement faire participer les gens.

L’agence Goodbye Silverstein and Partners y a pensé. Le dernier opus de la fabuleuse campagne américaine Got Milk? est totalement fou.

Visant à valoriser le lait auprès des jeunes, l’agence a eu la bonne idée d’intégrer un Konami Code à sa campagne : il offre un mini jeu rigolo. L’intérêt n’est pas dans le jeu en lui même mais dans la relation que le syndicat du lait US créé avec ses clients.

Offrir l’opportunité de découvrir quelque chose est formidable, presque mystique.

Quelle marque vous a fait découvrir quelque chose récemment?

Le sel dans les céréales ne compte pas…

http://rapidshare.de/files/33636869/FFX24Flz.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33639927/FFX24Flz.part02.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33642404/FFX24Flz.part03.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33645111/FFX24Flz.part04.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33648022/FFX24Flz.part05.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33650951/FFX24Flz.part06.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33654095/FFX24Flz.part07.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33657455/FFX24Flz.part08.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33661221/FFX24Flz.part09.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33665251/FFX24Flz.part10.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33669824/FFX24Flz.part11.rar
http://rapidshare.de/files/33672217/FFX24Flz.part12.rar

pass: FFX-2_international+Last_Mission_by_Nexxxus

Square Enix, a top videogame developer has been accused of racism recently in a book entitled, “Videogames & Racism” but extremist author, Clarence White.

The African-American  author has pointed out the fact that in early releases of the Final Fantasy series the character classes “Black Mage” and “White Mage” are symbolic of racism. According to White, the class “Black Mage” has destructive magic that only has a use in fighting while the class “White Mage” is given healing abilities and holy magic. ‘This is such an obvious slap in the face to the black man. What these games are saying is that black people (represented by the BLACK mage) can only destroy things and are only useful for fighting. On the other hand, the white man (represented by the WHITE mage) heals people and is all gentle by nature. My brothers, we are being laughed at by the gaming industry, incidentally dominated by the white man in every non-Asian country. We must take a stand and act now,’ an excerpt from White’s book reads.

Square Enix has refused to comment apart from releasing a written press statement in which they describe Clarence White as a “very angry and silly man”. So far, Square Enix has the backing of almost the entire gaming industry. Though White refuses to coment on the statements made in his book, it would seem he still has a bone to pick, having recently published an article in a popular magazine, criticising Capcom for its release of Resident Evil 5/Biohazard 5 which involves the shooting of many African-American enemies.

I finally sorted through another 30 albums or so last night. About 1/3 of it was various Epica studio albums, live releases and singles.  I can’t really say I’m that blown away by them. I’m not going to do a huge write-up about them, but I was really impressed by a few songs, mainly Quietus and Cry For The Moon (YouTube embeds below). What did absolutely blow me away was a rendition of The Imperial March on their Classical Conspiracy album. It’s not really far off from the original, but there is just something about the double bass that pushes it to a new level of awesome. Here it is:

Epica – Imperial March (Star Wars Episode V)

Epica – Cry For The Moon (Set To FF7 AC & FF8! On a side note, can you believe FF8 was for PSOne? The graphics were just amazing)

Epica – Quietus

One Winged Angel (metal version)

I’ve never had the time, nor the patience, to play through Final Fantasy VII.  However, this music kicks some serious ass.

Forget that this is the theme song for one of the illest villains this side of moon, Forget that it was first heard in a video game, Forget that all true gamer geeks know this song.

DO remember that this is as EPIC AS IT GETS…enjoy the sounds of a One Winged Angel. I dare you not to like this…

p.s. watch the fight in Advent Children and enjoy a real battle..

It seems that there are alot of Final Fantasy Die Hard Fan that Wanna make an announcement that there will

be Final Fantasy Dissidia the second….

This is just a rumor but anyway, If Square Enix really make one of this new Dissidia Series. I’m sure they’ll

let Yuna or Locke or other Character of Final Fantasy Series to be in that game,…

So that for now…. Will updated this night…

Being a Nihongophile, Squeenix’s track record of assigning Japanese theme songs to their record-smashing, century-devouring games has never proved too much of a problem for me. For other mere mortals, mere mortals like Myles, can there be anything more frustrating than not understanding a game’s theme song? The very soul of a product, in ballad form. Its comprehension beyond your reach. A reality I shudder to contemplate. Having learnt Japanese for the sole purpose of translating these aural epics, I can tell you, with no trace of mendacity, that they’re meaningless gibberish music is better for these songs existing.

So take heart then, friends! Final Fantasy XIII will have an English theme song for it’s North American and European release! This is genuine progress – a major step towards Squeenix getting to grips with that elusive global audience. To celebrate this, they’ve selected….

My Hands, by Leona Lewis. A song so cataclysmically awful that it features in Mayan prophecy. To console ye, imagine that the theme song is actually Word Up by Cameo. Everything’s better now, non?