I neeeeeed to sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

The Viral Play hosts are back this week to let you know about their latest venture out to Burbank for Insomniac’s Full Moon Community Day. Listen in to Carlos, Adrian, Ariel, Louie and Sapo take on the topics that matter to you most.

Including: Denny’s locations, video game voicework, BBQ pizza, Beavis & Butthead’s mission to GWAR, hosted (not open!) bars, trophies vs. achievements, and Adrian makes his case for 50 Cent not looking the part in Blood on the Sand. It’s his own game!

Click through to download Viral Play – Mess Hall Ep. 3.

Mess Hall archive:

Viral Play – Mess Hall Ep. 2
Viral Play – Mess Hall Ep. 3

Uh oh spaghetti-O’s! As earlier reported by your trusted news source The Cookbook, sequels to both Insomniac’s alien-blasting Resistance series and Killzone have been inadvertently announced for a supposed release in 2010.  But the above billboard really takes the term ‘letting the cat out of the bag’ to heights no amount of face-palming could do justice.

As reported by the crack team at Joystiq, renowned artist Ben Mauro, creator of personal blog personal blog “Perpetual Motion”, listed the projects “RCF2″ and “R3″ on a resume at his LinkedIn profile. The first project being Ratchet and Clank Future 2, also known as Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time and the second being Resistance 3.

This could have been downplayed if it wasn’t for a huge reveal on Sony’s projected release schedule and this massive, eye-grabbing billboard that was spotted by a member of the NeoGAF team, who happened to driving through a Louisiana movie lot at the time. The ad was to be incorporated in a film titled Battle: Los Angeles, which is due out in early 2011, but ended up being revealed to the internet masses way ahead of time.

Nice one guys, you just earned your game some accidental mega-hype way ahead of launch.

(11:33 PM)

Autumn leaves, smelly cheese.
I’m so fucking depressed now.
I’m on my knees,
begging dear almighty.
What have I done?
Nothing for the past ten years,
I’m done, I’m done.
When will I feel better?
When I’m old and sad?
That’s like every other day,
I’m sad, I’m sad.
I don’t think I’m suicidal,
scared of death.
I’ll just keep on going,
with nothing left.
Haven’t left the apartment,
for five long years.
I wonder where my friends are,
as I wipe away my tears.
This might sound a little tragic, I know.
Might this be a cry for help,
or something that I ate?
Here I go again,
trying to laugh away my pain.
Truth is there nothing funny,
when a man is on his knees.
Thinking if it really was,
the goddamned smelly cheese.

Autumn leaves, smelly cheese.

I’m so fucking depressed now.

I’m on my knees,

begging dear almighty.

What have I done?

Nothing for the past ten years,

I’m done, I’m done.

When will I feel better?

When I’m old and sad?

That’s like every other day,

I’m sad, I’m sad.

I don’t think I’m suicidal,

scared of death.

I’ll just keep on going,

with nothing left.

Haven’t left the apartment,

for five long years.

I wonder where my friends are,

as I wipe away my tears.

This might sound a little tragic, I know.

Might this be a cry for help,

or something that I ate?

Here I go again,

trying to laugh away my pain.

Truth is there nothing funny,

when a man is on his knees.

Thinking if it really was,

the goddamned smelly cheese.

(2:39AM)

Autumn leaves, rainfall and wine
In a pattern flying round and round
Wet patent leather, tuxedo and wine
It’s after midnight, homeward bound
Went to the liquor store, bottle of wine
Slippery when wet, bottle on ground
Streets are a red, floods of wine
Blood all over, spinning around
Like autumn leaves
And a bottle of wine

Two weeks ago I mentioned that my short story “The Insomniac” had received the J.K. Galbraith Literary Award. People have been coming forward to offer congratulations (thanks for that) – and also to suggest tips about overcoming insomnia!

I welcome the advice, as I have never been a sound sleeper. One of the most inventive tips was suggested by my neighbour, Margaret. She maintains that you can help yourself fall asleep by touching your thumb to your index finger, and holding it there. Who knew? Apparently she does this nightly, and the next thing she knows, the cock is crowing. (Yes, we have a rooster in our vicinity.)

I tried out this new remedy the other night, and immediately realized I should have asked for more information. I couldn’t remember if my index finger was my pointer finger or my ring finger. I didn’t want to wake Kayak Guy from his kayak dreams to ask him which one was my index finger – he can get testy about things like that – and I hated to turn on the light to look it up in the dictionary.  So I decided to cover all bases by touching my thumbs to both my pointer and my ring fingers. I can confirm that this feels awkward. But then I got to thinking maybe it only felt awkward because I was doing it wrong. After all, I am a klutz.

I thought about calling Margaret, but it’s hard to dial without full use of your fingers. Plus, she was probably doing it right, and was already asleep. So I cannot, at this time, endorse the “thumb-index finger” insomnia-prevention technique. (If anyone has any better ideas, we insomniacs are all thumbs – I mean, all ears.)

I can say with certainty that the renowned “counting sheep” technique has never helped me get any shut-eye. Especially not lately. Whenever I picture those bleating little beings launching their woolly little bodies over fences, I always picture them landing– and getting themselves all muddy in the barnyard.

Which gets me thinking about other barnyard critters. Like pigs. Which these days reminds me of swine flu. Which makes me wonder if I have already, somehow, come into contact with the H1N1 virus. Are flu molecules already attached and even now replicating in my nasal passages? They are. I can feel the itching! Is my throat beginning to hurt, just a little, toward the back? I think it is. It definitely is! Now my pulse is racing. Elevated pulse – is that a sign? It IS a sign: a sign that I am, once again, sleepless in Nanaimo –  and now, perhaps, another victim of the dreaded swine flu.

Anyone got tips for overcoming insomnia? (No barnyard-related remedies, please.)

© Judith Millar 2009. All rights reserved.

Feliz em ouvir isso não é? já esta imaginando jogar Ratchet & Clank ou Resistence no seu Wii ou X360, certo? Errado, veja o que James Stevenson disse:

“Obviamente que nunca iremos fazer um jogo de Resistance ou Ratchet para outra plataforma porque a Sony é detentora desses títulos. Mas relativamente a novos títulos, quem sabe? Eu consigo ver esse futuro. Mas actualmente estamos contentes com a relação que temos com a Sony.”

This entry has been moved to the page ‘Insomniac Diary’.

I’ve been neglecting my need to write. Why? To be honest, I don’t really know. I could say I’ve been busy but that wouldn’t be the truth. I could say I’ve been stressed out and have had a lot on my mind, but that would only be partially true. After all writing does help me clear my mind… usually.

I will be writing more often soon. I plan on writing more movie reviews and I plan to create a new page entitled ‘Insomniac Diary’. It could turn out to be interesting. I’m staying up later and later every night. Last night I was awake until about 7:30 am. I’ll save that story for the first page of Insomniac Diary though. There’s not too much to tell anyways.

Things will be changing soon. I’ll be moving in about two weeks, to a much larger city that’s about 3 or 4 hours away. It should prove to be either a wonderful and much needed change of pace and scenery, or a complete disaster that has me running back home to the not so comfortable atmosphere of this dreary town that somehow manages to save my caboose every time I come back.

I’ve lived in the Rocky Mountains in Montana, the bland flats of Texas, small towns, bustling cities, and spots in the road that you’ll miss if you blink. I’ve traveled through about a third of the U.S. I’ve been the social butterfly and the wallflower. I’ve been the princess and the pauper. I’ve been the petite little thing and the rootin’ tootin’ lumberjack tomboy. Now I’m a wife, a Mother, and I’m pretty sure I’ve almost seen it all even though I’m still so young; yet I still don’t think I’m prepared for the move I’m about to make.

Maybe it’s just because it’s the first time I’ve moved since having my child. I’ve been comfortable in this average two bedroom apartment for almost two years now, but it’s not so comfortable anymore. The discomfort of this town is becoming oppressive and depressing and it’s finally time to go for good. But I’m still nervous about it… I’m sure I’ll get over it.

More to come later in Movie Reviews and the new Insomniac Diary. Don’t hold your breath.

Ridge Racer 6 liefert flüssige, perfekt spielbare 60 Bilder pro Sekunde

Scream-Faktor: 100%
Fun-Faktor: 0%

Im Blog von Insomniac bestätigt es ein weiterer Entwickler: Die Zeit für Konsolenspiele mit 60 Bildern pro Sekunde sind gezählt. Und als Resultat wird Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time das letzte Spiel dieser Art des Entwicklers sein. Mike Acton nennt auf dem Blog mehrere Gründe. Spiele verkaufen sich dadurch nicht besser und in Spieletests wird es auch nicht lobend erwähnt. Eine bessere grafische Qualität treibt Spieleverkäufe sehr viel stärker an. Damit zieht Insomniac ähnliche Schlüsse wie Codemasters mit Dirt oder die geschlossenen Ensemble Studios bei Halo Wars.

Zum einen fällt mir dazu ein, dass der gute Mann leider nicht meine Tests liest, in denen ich immer auf die Bildrate eingehe. Zum anderen möchte ich darauf aufmerksam machen, dass mir diese Entwicklung gehörig stinkt. Ich bin ein großer Freund von Spielen, die 60 fps liefern: Wipeout HD, Halo oder zuletzt Forza 3 und so ziemlich alle Spiele auf dem PC. Und genau dorthin wird die Nische für Spieler wie mich wandern – auf den PC.

P.S.: 60 Bilder pro Sekunde sind in erster Linie für die Spielbarkeit eines Titels wichtig (Steuerung) und sekundär für die Authentizität des Spielgefühls (Geschwindigkeitsgefühl & Animationen).

If your dog is a canine vacuum, avoid mushrooms. This is easier said than done, here on the wet coast in autumn, but it’s still important to keep in mind. Also, consider pet health insurance, because trips to the vet are expensive and it make take a costly test or three to confirm that poison is the cause of your dog’s distress.

Mo’s doing okay, though still staying at the hospital until this evening at the earliest. I am relieved, though feeling fragile. Also, even more exhausted than a few days ago. We’ve canceled the open house/puppy warming that we’d planned for tomorrow night, because it looks like none of us will want to do much beyond cuddle on the couch.

I can’t believe the weather these past few weeks! Rain, rain, more rain, and to top it all off, RAIN!!! When I first arrived in Texas, all I heard about was the record heat wave. So far, all I’ve seen is this miserable rain streak! It’s even ruined my campus recreation job!

On a more awesome note, I just beat A Crack in Time, and I must say, it was totally epic! I give it a 10, but if you doubt me, play it yourself and you’ll see the light soon enough! That marks my last video game purchase for the year, and prob until Naughty Dog, Insomniac or Sucker Punch release a new game. That’s all for now, and I’m open for ideas on a posting category.

I was waiting on a bench today when a woman passing by stopped, got out of her car, walked over to where I was sitting, and told me I was pretty. She literally came over and said, “Excuse me, I’d just like to tell you, because I bet you don’t get told enough, that you’re very pretty.” I was pretty much speechless. I mean, not because I was flattered. Although, I was, I mean, I wasn’t insulted or anything, but it was just really weird. This random, midfourties woman, comes over and tells me I’m pretty? And I wasn’t wearing anything especially gorgeous, just some red chucks, jeans, my red fall jacket, and a blue scarf. And my glasses. I didn’t even know what to say, I was just a bit shocked. I said, quite intelligently, “o,h, uh, er, thanks!” and fumbled pen I was twirling in my hands. I still don’t know how to feel about it. Has anything like that ever happened to you guys?

In other news, my birthday is in eleven days. Whooo-hooo! I am so very excited. Later, homesly!

Though far from a departure, A Crack in Time throws plenty of new stuff your way. Everything you love about Ratchet and Clank is still there (and in great quantity – most of your hours logged will be after you beat the game) and Ratchet’s segments, despite their familiarity, are absolutely outstanding, but the sequences you’ll remember all belong to Clank. It’s fair to say A Crack in Time is still cranking out the same formula, but with Insomniac’s amazing attention to detail and refusal to keep the pace at anything other than a neck-breaking speed, is that really a bad thing? For Ratchet, if “the usual” if going to go hand in hand with “stellar,” I’ll take it.

Read my full review over at Digital Chumps!

De acuerdo a declaraciones hechas por los señores de Insomniac Games el PS3 no está cerca aún de alcanzar su máximo potencial, contradiciendo por completo a los señores de Kojima Productions y otros tantos que dicen explotar al máximo a la consola con sus respectivos juegos.

Ahora que este es un concepto nada claro por que quizás un equipo desarrollador se limita a explotar la consola con las herramientas que tiene a la mano en ese momento y durante el proceso de optimización de los años los procesos se mejoran y por ende los juegos.

Aún así la mayoría hemos tenido la oportunidad de ver la ultima obra del equipo de Naughty Dog y se ve sumamente difícil (pero no  imposible) que se logre mejorar radicalmente eso. Pero los señores de Insomniac nos explican:

“Siempre hay maneras de ser mucho más eficiente. Las plataformas PlayStation están construidas con tecnología muy avanzada y creo que parte del éxito de Sony con esas consolas es obsequiarlas con una vida muy larga.”

“Los primeros años son para que los desarrolladores entiendan cómo trabaja la plataforma. Todos han visto lo que Naughty Dog ha hecho en los dos últimos años, lo que hemos hecho nosotros también en ese tiempo… es ahora cuando las cosas se ponen interesantes.“

“Creo que, verdaderamente, no vamos a ver la potencia máxima de PS3 hasta dentro de dos o tres años. Nosotros estamos usando ahora mismo el máximo de la consola, pero es que siempre existen maneras de ser más eficiente y poder rendir más.”

Pues según recuerdo, el juego de Resistance no impresionaba nadita, por lo que yo dudaría de la palabra de este señor, pero aún así varias veces lo hemos discutido que el pS3 es la única consola a la que se le podrá seguir explotando en cuestiones de Hardware de manera radical; por lo que no queda más que esperar esas maravillas prometidas por la gente de Insomniac.

Vía  CVG

Segun James Stevenson de Insomniac, cree que falta poder por mostrar en el PS3 ya que dentro de unos 2 o 3 años los desarrolladores entenderan y trabajaran con su poder maximo.

Siempre hay formas de que podamos ser más eficientes. Las plataformas Playstation están hechas con un techo tecnológico muy alto y creo que eso es parte del éxito que Sony ha tenido creando estas plataformas con un lapso de vida realmente largo”, segun Stevenson.

Tambien pone como ejemplo la mejora progresiva de Uncharted 2:

Ya ves lo que Naughty Dog ha tenido la oportunidad de hacer durante los dos últimos años. Ya han visto lo que nosotros hemos sido capaces de hacer en ese tiempo. Ahí es donde se pone interesante”, declara.

También califico al PS3 como un sistema joven a estas alturas:

Todavía creo que no vas a ver el PS3 realmente exprimido hasta dentro de otros dos o tres años. Estamos usando todo lo que ofrece PS3 ahora mismo, pero siempre se puede ser más eficiente en el modo en que lo usas”.

Veremos como fue el trabajo de Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time como fue aprovechado el Sistema PS3 y sus recursos.