We first got a quick peek at Sony’s NEX-5 at a Sony event a couple of months back, and were suitably impressed with the overall design. It’s not as bulky as a full on DSLR, while having more control, than your average point-n-shoot pocket camera. We finally got a review unit from Sony a couple of weeks back and have passed it around the bullpen. Click on past the break for our impressions, and some sample images from the NEX-5.
Read MoreAfter originally announcing the Boxee Box for a spring release 2010, Boxee had to revise their schedule, promising the diminutive D-Link built media player for a fall release. The Box allows users to access content both on the local network, as well as access thousands of online sources including network television, Netflix, Youtube and much more (of course, some services are geo-locked). Despite some skepticism, and some hardware changes, it looks like they’re going to make good on the autumnal release. When first announced, the Box was to be powered…
Read MoreA Fond Farewell When Halo: Reach was announced as a prequel, a lot of gamers expressed their concerns,making comparisons to Lucas’s critical failure with the Star Wars movie prequels. This totally ignores that one of the defining differences between film and video games is that it’s pretty hard to make a game worse than the original. Unless, as a developer, you’re completely phoning it in, a large part of the art of game making, as opposed to film making, is tweaking the elements of gameplay, not just making the graphics…
Read MoreThe Start Show, being held at the Great Hall in the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) , is all about promoting and celebrating Toronto’s awesome indie game scene, with a special games-as-art focus. The Hand Eye Society will be there running a number of titles, and if you haven’t yet checked out the Hand Eye Society, I’d highly recommend it. The Start Show runs every day from 8am to 10pm, until Friday Sept 17th, with a special Gala event on Thursday night. I can’t recommend this highly enough. …
Read MoreVideo games have been garnering a lot more attention in the mainstream press these days, and it’s not just enraged parents groups concerned with the effects a Mature rated title is having on their 13 year old who’s playing it in the den. Today marked the launch of a new feature on the CBC website called Pushing Buttons, which over the course of the week will take an in depth look at video games and their cultural and financial impact in Canada. Today is all about the history of games,…
Read MoreOne of Peter’s main quests during this years Fan Expo was to seek out writer and game designer Robin Laws. In the midst of the fire marshal declaring the building over capacity, they found the time to have a lengthy discussion on gaming. In particular, Robin discusses the Hamlet’s Hit Points project, which analyzes other forms of storytelling, with the objective of taking those dramatic beats, and adapting them to a role-playing environment. You can catch part two of the interview after the break…
Read MoreIt’s a Sunday afternoon two four, as Peter had a chance to take a couple of minutes each with Tahmoh Penikett and Dean Stockwell over int the signing area during Fan Expo. Why are these posted together? Well, because it represents both the human and cylon factions of Battlestar Galactica, of course. You can catch the Dean Stockwell interview after the break…
Read MoreBenjamin Rivers, creator of Snow and Empty Words, talks with Peter about his comics work, and about the freedom that one has when self publishing. You can check out both Empty Words and Snow online.
Read MoreWhen Acer first announced their line of X3400 small form factor PCs, I don’t think they had me in mind. They were clearly targeting people with limited space, and in need of somewhat limited computing power. The initial press release announcing them was clearly shooting for dorm rooms and light-medium use, and not much more. However, when I took another look at the basic specs, I have to admit I was kind of curious. Given the small form factor, but room for expandability, could this be a good balance for…
Read MoreToronto developer Longbow Games was on hand at Fan Expo demonstrating and selling their new real time strategy game Hegemony: Philip of Macedon. Developed by a staggeringly small team of about 5 people, the game maps out a huge area around ancient Greece, and includes a smooth zooming engine for navigating between field level battles to overall strategies. Longbow president Jim McNally was kind enough to talk to us in detail not only about Hegemony, but the challenges and opportunities that arise in a small game development house.
Read MoreSamsung, who’s been a contender in the mobile and smartphone market for some time, has recently kicked it up a notch. Their line of Android based Galaxy S phones, which have launched on multiple carriers internationally, have been getting great reviews. Just a week or so ago they announced their Galaxy Tab, a 7 inch tablet also running Android, which is due to hit multiple markets by the time November rolls around. With all this Android love, one has to ask “What’s up with this Samsung Wave?” After trying it…
Read MoreWe sit down to talk with Toronto based writer/artist Uyugomiak in artist alley at Fan Expo. On hand were the first few issues of The Chubby Bounty Hunter, a post apocalyptic alternate world story, as well as his Uyugomiak Miniatures, which collects his non serialized work.
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