Author: Doug Groves

dougplanet.com is his personal blog, which is withering on the vine. If you poke around it, you’ll find out that he’s an animator and broadcast designer by trade, usually pushing pixels in either After Effects or Lightwave 3D. If he absolutely had to pick a favourite all time writer, it would be Harlan Ellison more days than any other. If you don’t know who Ellison is, then Doug weeps for you. Doug also likes long walks on the beach, mainly to collect improperly discarded medical waste for an undisclosed project of epic proportions.

Rogers first Canadian carrier to announce release date for Blackberry Torch 9800

September 1, 2010September 1, 2010 Doug Groves announcement, Blackberry, Blackberry 6, Blackbery Torch, Redboard, release date, RIM, Rogers, smartphone, Torch Mobile1 Comment

The Blackberry Torch, which represents a new large screen form factor and updated operating system, is coming to Rogers on September 24th, with pricing starting at $199.99. When the Blackberry Torch was first revealed running the new Blackberry OS 6, it seemed like a step forward for the Waterloo company. The Torch has a slide out portrait keyboard, much like the Palm Pre, and its name comes from RIM’s acquisition of Torch Mobile, a Blackberry developer that was working on a Webkit based browser for the operating system. RIM also…

Fan Expo 2010 – Jeff Lemire Interview

September 1, 2010September 1, 2010 Doug Groves Comics, Essex County, Fan Expo 2010, interview, Jeff Lemire, Krypto, Superboy, Sweet Tooth, The Atom1 Comment

Peter B. sits down with Jeff Lemire, creator of Sweet Tooth (see Peter’s review) and Essex County, to talk about his influences, and the recurring theme of small town life in his work. The next chapter of Sweet Tooth will give readers more insight to Jepperd’s background. Jeff also mentions that the mysterious event that led to the current day situation will get an explanation, though he drops no hints. He also talks a bit about his upcoming Superboy comic (the Kon-El Superboy), and that both The Phantom Stranger and…

Canadian telcos to share high speed networks with 3rd party providers

September 1, 2010August 31, 2010 Doug Groves Bell, CRTC, ISP, net neutrality, ruling, Teksavvy, Telus2 Comments

Back in 2008, the CRTC ruled that internet wholesalers should have fair access to higher speed data networks controlled by incumbents such as Bell and Telus. Partly due to growth in high speed cable internet, the incumbent telcos haves have been resisting providing the high speed access to 3rd party wholesalers, to maintain a competitive edge with their cable counterparts. The original 2008 ruling was challenged and sent to federal cabinet, which sent it back to the CRTC. On Monday, the CRTC reaffirmed its position, which with means independents will…

New Xbox 360 controller to fix the mushy D-pad

August 31, 2010 Doug Groves controller, Microsoft, Microsoft Canada, Play And Charge kit, transforming D-pad, Wireless, Xbox 3602 Comments

Microsoft has announced an updated wireless controller for the Xbox 360, which should fix the problems with the original controller’s D-pad. Although it functions just fine, the design of the original left a lot to be desired, as it can be somewhat mushy and imprecise in regular usage. I got accustomed to it fairly quick, but it has nothing on either Sony or Nintendo’s D-pads. Of course, I’d argue that the PS3 controller is an anachronism from controller days gone by, and is only barely more ergonomic than a Colecovision…

At X’10 – Fable III interview with Josh Atkins

August 31, 2010September 20, 2010 Doug Groves fable 3, Fable III, interview, josh atkins, lionhead, Microsoft, PC gaming, preview, Show, x10, Xbox 360, Xbox Live3 Comments

In our final interview at Microsoft’s X’10 event in Toronto, we talk with Design Director Josh Atkins of Lionhead Studios about what to expect in Fable III, and the importance of storytelling in video games, from the writing to the voice talent. One of the goals was to engage the player enough to actually put down the controller and think about the moral decisions they make. “For us, the idea of a choice, it really has to make you care. It can’t just be so good/evil. It’s got to be…

Pure Pwnage Android app l33t Speaker beta demonstrated

August 30, 2010September 20, 2010 Doug Groves Android, app, Apple, beta, Boom Headshot, Fan Expo, Fan Expo 2010, Geoff Lapaire, google, HTC, iPhone, l33t Speaker, l33t Speaker Pro, Nexus One, Pure Pwnage, smartphone, soundboard3 Comments

At Fan Expo, Geoff Lapaire of Pure Pwnage was kind enough to give us a look at the still-in-beta app that they’re developing for Android phones (an update to the already available iPhone app). The soundboard app, l33t Speaker, will have both basic and Pro versions, and Geoff shows it off on his Nexus One. The soundboard is a popular app category, but sound quality can sometimes be an issue. Since this is an official app, not only is the sound quality going to be top notch, but they’ve actually…

Fan Expo 2010 – The Big Crunch

August 30, 2010 Doug Groves Anthology Project, Comics, Fan Expo, Fan Expo 2010, Film, PC gaming, PS3, Pure Pwnage, Xbox 3601 Comment

With the end of the last weekend of August comes the end of Fan Expo, by far the largest gathering of fans from across the geek spectrum in Canada, and third largest in North America. 2010 also marks the third year that we at RGB Filter have stormed the gates with video cameras and mics in hand to interview artists, writers, game designers and the occasional geek celebrity, meaning that I’m personally looking at about 6 hours of footage to pour through. One of the consistent highlights of Fan Expo…

At X’10 – Fallout: New Vegas

August 29, 2010September 20, 2010 Doug Groves Bethesda, Bethesda Softworks, Fallout, Fallout New Vegas, interview, Matthew Perry, PC gaming, PS3, x10, Xbox, Xbox 3609 Comments

Taking place about 3 years after the events of Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas spans an area about the size of the Capital Wasteland, but it’s not quite the post apocalyptic environment. Since Vegas wasn’t directly targeted in the attacks of the Great War, they still have power, which means there’s going to be a lot more colour in the new game. You can expect about the same amount of game play as in the Fallout 3, but they’ve introduced a few new elements, such as the Companion Wheel, which…

At X’10 – Need For Speed Hot Pursuit

August 28, 2010September 20, 2010 Doug Groves Autolog, Criterion Games, EA, Hot Pursuit, Microsoft, multiplayer, Need For Speed, racing game, taunt wall, x10, Xbox, Xbox 3601 Comment

Dana Sissons, Public Relations Manager for EA, talks to us about the latest version of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, developed by Criterion Games, makers of the Burnout series and set in the fictional Seacrest County, based on the California coastline. This offers up a variety of racing environments, with the four major variants being forests, mountains, desert and ocean. As Dana explains, the new Need For Speed aiming to provide short burst, intense racing, focusing on the thrill of the chase. He also mentions that the developers took inspiration…

At X’10 – Halo: Reach sneak peak

August 27, 2010August 28, 2010 Doug Groves Bungie, co-op, event, Forge, Forge World, FPS, gallery, Halo, Halo: Reach, multiplayer, sneak peak, video, x10, Xbox 360, Xbox Live0 comment

One of the closed door events at X’10 this year was for the highly anticipated final chapter of Halo, at least from Bungie. Unfortunately, once we were ushered behind the heavy curtains we weren’t allowed to actually record anything, but we did get to see the first single player missions, Noble Actual and Winter Contingency in action. The single player gameplay was exactly what one would expect out of Halo, with even more polish put on the engine itself. While Reach introduces squad play, there’s no real squad mechanic in…

At X’10 – Microsoft Kinect

August 27, 2010September 20, 2010 Doug Groves Dance Central, Dashboard, Kinect, Kinect Adventures, Microsoft, motion control, x10, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live4 Comments

One of the highlights of X’10 was getting a chance to go “hands on” with Microsoft’s controller-free controller Kinect. The various mini games in Kinect are actually quite the workout (see about 1 minute in the above video), and though there is lag, it didn’t seem to affect gameplay. We also got a sneak peak at the Kinect friendly version of the Xbox Dashboard, which allows you to navigate the console with either gestures or voice commands. Both features were working spot on, and it seems that Microsoft’s goal of…

Hand Eye Society Arcade at Fan Expo

August 26, 2010August 26, 2010 Doug Groves Bigpants, Fan Expo 2010, GetSetGames, Golden Gear Games, Hand Eye Society, indie gaming, PC gaming, Spooky Squid, Spyeart, TORONTRON4 Comments

Good news gaming fans! The Hand Eye Society Indie Arcade is going to be at Fan Expo this weekend. The Torontron arcade cabinet is going to be there and loaded up for your enjoyment. They’ll be set up in Room 201 on the main floor, so make sure you drop by. For more info, including details on the gaming party, read on…