Steelso V6.0

It turns out that I have a week off between GRP and Equator. Which scared me a little. I’m always used to have something to do and this means I have nothing to do. Nothing. So of course I’ve done some self improvement by catching up on my reading. And getting through some games that I’ve not yet managed to complete.

Oneof my very kind leaving gifts was Super Mario Galaxy. It. Is. Amazing. The games loves you. It does. It wants you to succeed. It gives you extra lifes at certain points to keep you interested in completing a challenge. It makes you smile when you die. It is insanely creative. It is nostalgic while being utterly modern. It’s the most my Wii’s been used in months.  I play it to be happy. I am rationing my time on it so it doesn’t end quickly. I go ‘wow’ alot.

I love Mario and what he represents to me. I bought my first games console because of Super Mario Bros 3 and it nearly split my girlfriend and I up. Mario 64 seemed to be the height of gaming for me. The Mario games are the only games that my kids and I watch together to see how we’re doing. “Daddy, you’re terrible at Mario” is a phrase that I just don’t get used to hearing. I know it, that’s good enough. I just don’t need a 5 year old reinforcing it.

If you have a Wii, I implore you to get it. If you don’t have a Wii? Well you probably won’t have one for a while I reckon. Sorry.

Next game I want for my Wii? Wii Fit!!!!

The other game I got from GRP was Assassin’s Creed. It’s been get good reviews but I’m bored of it. It’s amazing to look at, one of the few times I’ve had my jaw dropping at certain points, esp. when you turn the corner of the road and see Damascus. It is beautiful, the first game that made me want a HD ready TV to see the design properly. But it is so, so repetitive. And the story isn’t strong enough to keep me remotely interested. The best thing about it is that I’ve seen how a Batman game could be brilliant using that graphic engine. However it made me sad that the best thing I could think about was a how good another game could be…

I’m desperately trying not to buy an iPhone…..

Steelso :: Nov.22.2007 :: Wii, Xbox 360 :: No Comments »

My blogging has been seriously curtailed of late. This isn’t due to lack of things going on, far from it. I’m trying a couple of tools to help me write offline then send it up when I get connected. This helps me try to find the time to get write about things I enjoy wherever I want to and not be constrained by the lack of an Internet connection.

I am enjoying my Wii. Not loving it. Enjoying it. Though it does prove the tact that Nintendo set on as Sam has embraced her inner Wii with a vengeance. Which is another way to say I am fed up being beat by all that handle a Wiimote. A five year old humped me at boxing!

Things that I’m currently into: Twitter, scenario design, networking and how your online persona kisses with the real world, Yahoo! mash up, Modest Mouse, models, really good uses of the web that make me inspired, my camera, Guitar Hero II, Halo 3 Beta (I’m actually better than I remembered. At dying often), citizenship and the web, models (have I mentioned that before?), engineering mash ups.

Love that bull.

steelso :: May.22.2007 :: Cool, Creative, Thoughts, Wii :: 4 Comments »

Tomorrow the UK goes to vote in the local council elections and up here we also vote for MSP’s for the Scottish Parliament. This could be the biggest change in Scotland’s political landscape for many generations as all the polls indicate the SNP are likely to hold the balance of power. If they do they have promised a referendum on Scottish Independence in the next two years.

I’m not keen on independence, I can’t see the benefits. This isn’t an election on that though, this is about giving Labour, and in turn Tony Blair, a good kicking at the polls. That I totally understand.

The feeling is that the SNP are going to romp home. This will be interesting to see if this will create voter apathy, if it’s such a foregone conclusion then what’s the point in voting? The weather is also going to play a part, it’s going to be fantastic weather. Does that help or hinder turn out?

I’ll be glued to the BBC tomorrow night to see how it all falls. Either way this Scottish election has massive implications for the UK as a whole.

In other news: I’ve bagged a Wii!

steelso :: May.02.2007 :: Politics, Wii :: 5 Comments »

Due to some sadness with my ex’s family the week is now all over the place. I’m here to support her and as such the knock-on means I can’t get to Manchester for the gig on Thursday. While it’s “one of those things” I was really looking forward to it and a bit gutted I can’t go. But it’s one of those things. No one to blame, just one of those things. Which for me is a bit tough as I like to account (i.e. “blame”) for things when they don’t go to plan, even if I’m the cause, but this is just one of those things. Deep breath. It’s cool.

Weekend was quiet, on Friday Gareth and I had a chat on how the Internet had fundmentally shaped the whole gig experience and why theatre would have trouble replicating that. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Dave and Kirsty popped in and we went to a “Celebration of Political Song”. Actually I went for more beer and I really was annoyingly annoyingly sneery when I got there. That didn’t go down well. It was good to see Mr Sneddon though. So after winning a fiver on the puggy, Kirsty was kind enough to give me a lift up the road and I broke the no-indian-food-when-dwunk rule and had a chicken tikka chasni.

Kids at the weekend but we all had the cold and we spent the weekend blaming each other and feeling miserable. D thought it hilarious chopping down my trees in AC:WW. I was raging. J spent the time pretending to be a cat so he could rest on my lap and be pampered. He can’t purr but he can meow. Sweet baby jesus, he can meow. Esp for treats, juice and petting.

We held a family vote and decided that I (and in turn us) should get a Wii. Well, D and I are excited about it, J just kept saying “Wee” and pretending to, well, wee. He thinks it’s funny that you have to buy a Wii. He noted that he could give us Wee anytime he wanted. We’ll see who’s laughing when it comes to Wii Sports boxing! Sean and Sally are invited up so D can show them the Wii. More laughing from J.

Been writing some comments for a couple of publications up here. Not sure if they’ll see the light of day so I’ll post them here if thwey don’t. Not because they are magical just because I want them to go somewhere.

Four people at work will have a Xbox 360 all connected to the international net in the next week. We’ll be like a Clan and everything! I started making a dance for us. Stewart (not I) is not convinced, in fact he looked a little afraid. Jamie has a purple cable of joy. Old man Marc is still holding out, he’s saving for a big Costco box of Horlicks. Old man Marc, you daft OAP.

Toothpaste can help rid DVD’s of unseemly scratches.

Meeting the lovely GFO tomorrow then a trip to the Edinburgh city for some lunch and a chat with the nice people at koncept. Tony and I will be as witty and hilarious as the last time we went to the Edinburgh city.

I talked to Conlon today too. Like Thor on the phone. Loving his work.

Take care, hope life with you all is well.

S
x

steelso :: Jan.22.2007 :: Animal Crossing, Clients, Everyday Stuff, GRP, Kids, Nintendo, Thoughts, Wii, Xbox 360 :: 5 Comments »