วันศุกร์ที่ 10 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Avatar The Game

Avatar the game is being released December 2009 in conjunction with the highly anticipated movie of the same name.

The movie has been twelve years in development as the director, James Cameron, has waited for technology to catch up to his vision.

Cameron is responsible for some of the most successful movies ever made, both commercially and critically, so when it takes this guy over a decade to concentrate on getting a single movie just right then it's sure to attract a lot of attention and hype so there's been plenty of time for the game developers to fine tune the gameplay and graphics for this title. Cameron is quoted as saying he was fed up of seeing movie titled licensed games tagged on after the fact and wanted the game to be created hand in hand with the movie experience.

The movie is set in the 22nd Century on an alien planet called Pandora which is inhabited by the indigenous Navi tribe. Pandora's atmosphere is toxic to humans so they create hybrids, known as Avatars (a genetic mixture of human and Navi) that can be controlled using a mental link. A paralysed soldier by the name of Jake Sully volunteers to become an Avatar and finds his beliefs and convictions tested in the battle between humans and Navi's.

Avatar the game draws on the rich storyboard present in the movie and takes you to the planet of Pandora where you can play as either human or Navi. The choice as to who you play dictates the path you take in the game as almost two separate gameplays are available depending on which side you select. You're able to use and customise 60 different weapons as well as the ability to create your very own character acquiring skills as you progress through the game. It's also possible to drive all of the vehicles in the game as well as ride and control the alien animals you will meet across your journey although beware as not all the animals are friendly.

There are different weapons for the different sides but the controls are pretty much the same and whichever side you choose you will still be able to enjoy the stunning scenery, lush, exotic jungle foliage with alien plants that can surprise you with what they do!

As with the movie, Avatar the game is available to play in 3D although a suitable television set and 3D glasses are required.

Avatar the game is available on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PSP, Nintendo DSi and the PC.

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 9 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Avatar: The Legend of Aang

Аватар Легенда об о Аанге



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aeCH8-UEOA&hl=en

วันอังคารที่ 7 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Virtually Yours - The Importance of Virtual Avatars in Casual Games

Many online games feature virtual avatars , a simple yet effective way to make the player feel immersed in their environment. This is evident by the countless makeover games, virtual worlds and MMO's available on the Internet today. This is a design feature many independent game developers can learn from and make an integral part of their game.

Large companies such as Nintendo have embraced virtual avatars with the creation of the Nintendo Wii's Miis. Others are taking notice of the importance of having a 3d virtual representation of them selves with Sony creating the Home service and Microsoft is rumored to soon replace their static 2d Xbox Live profiles with fully 3d animated avatars as well. Other companies such as IMVU have focused entirely on just having virtual avatars with thousand of choices for changing your appearance. It stands to reason if many large companies with millions of dollars budgeted for advertising and research are leaning towards trend, your small game development company should too.

What is exactly the appeal of having virtual avatars? This is an abstract topic as it varies from one user to another. For some it is pure escapism, for others it is unlimited freedom to experiment with styles, looks, and colors they would otherwise never try in the real world. Virtual avatars appeal to our ego at a fundamental level and for some people it becomes an extension of themselves as a person. There tends to be a varying degree of seriousness taken as some people strive to make their avatar look "cool" or "sexy" while others intentionally make their avatar look outlandish and as silly as possible.

When planning to develop a game title, regardless of if it is a action game or puzzle game I think it is important to leverage the fact that gaming audiences have an eager appetite for having a customizable avatar. For example if you were developing a small racing game, you should take a two pronged approach this. Firstly, you should let the person create their virtual identity with a name tag and simple customization choices, hair color, clothing color etc. If you had the time to invest, it would be beneficial to create more accessories and variations. Secondly, you would give the player the option to customize the car as in depth as you did the avatar character. With this extra bit of development work you have just increased the chances of having your player feel like they have something invested in your game which is almost the opposite of what many casual game developers do. Casual games do not have to mean limited user investment.

Key elements of making any virtual avatar game succeed would include large variety of choices for clothes, hairstyle, accessories and colors. Also it is extremely important for the player to have their avatar be seen by other people via either in game if multi-player is supported or via a user profile page. Introduction of rare avatar items is a extremely important element as well. Many MMORPG's cater to this exclusively as the quest to gain items is dependent on playing the game more and more. GAIA Online for example displays its users avatars on their message forums, and gives them the option to change their appearance with various clothing items but also displays public wish lists in the hopes that strangers buy items for them.

Regardless of the game theme or style of play there is room for addition of player avatars in any game if planned properly. Having a game with customizable virtual avatars greatly increases the chances of your games popularity, user investment and overall enjoyability.

วันจันทร์ที่ 6 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2553

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 5 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Avatar Movie Costumes - Full Costume and Makeup Choices

With Avatar costumes you can dress up like Jake Sully or Neytiri in the distinctive look of navi blue and aqua blue. You definitely won't be mistaken for any other movie heroes.

There are costumes from the movie Avatar for boys and girls, men and women. This is also a unique costume as you have your choice of going full makeup route, or go easy and buy a ready to go Avatar costume with mask and clothing.

The Jake Sully costume comes with shirt, coat and pants with attached tail and full mask for the men's version and half mask for boy's version. Sexy Neytiri Costume comes with a tight striped body suit with attached tail, front apron, arm gauntlet and beads. It comes in sizes for girls and women. These costumes do not come with masks so they will need makeup to really complete the Navi look. For those men and boys who want to make their own costume but not want to put on makeup there is a beautiful full size Jake Sully latex mask with wig. Those guys who are willing to do their own makeup there is a Jake Sully wig available. There is also a Neytiri wig for those ladies who will make their own costumes.

No Avatar warrior costume is complete without weapons like Navi spears, knifes and bow and arrows.

These costumes are great for Halloween trick or treating and Halloween party's, going to your favorite event like Avatar viewing party or conventions like Comic-Con.

วันศุกร์ที่ 3 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Norah Jones Shoot the Moon

Shoot the Moon by Norah Jones The summer days are gone too soon You shoot the moon And miss completely And now you're left to face the gloom The empty room that once smelled sweetly Of all the flowers you plucked if only You knew the reason Why you had to each be lonely Was it just the season? Now the fall is here again You can't begin to give in It's all over When the snows come rolling through You're rolling too with some new lover Will you think of times you've told me That you knew the reason Why we had to each be lonely It was just the season Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, keyboardist, guitarist, and occasional actress of Anglo-American and Bengali descent. Jones' career was launched with her 2002 debut album Come Away with Me, a contemporary pop album with a sensual, plaintive soul/folk/country tinge, that sold over twenty million copies worldwide and received five Grammy Awards, with Jones winning "Best New Artist". Her second album, Feels like Home, was released in 2004, clocking more than a million sales in the first week of US release. In 2007, she released her third album, Not Too Late, which debuted at number one on the world charts. She has become one of the most successful recording artists of the decade, racking up sales of more than 16 million records in the US and 39 million records worldwide. She is the daughter of musical maestro Ravi Shankar and half sister of sitarist ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TENV8IhpZ2A&hl=en

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 2 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Halloween Costume Elf Ears Are Easy to Make

An elf is a mythical creature of German origin. They are known for their magical powers and are often associated with fairies. Most fairy tales, fantasy themed books and movies have elves in them. Their depiction in the 20th century is based heavily off their portrayal by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, popular for his Lord of the Rings series. His portrayal of elves is described in the book The Silmarillion. Aside from their place in early folklore, elves are more famous for their tiny appearance and their elf ears.

Elf ears are often worn as a part of a Halloween costume as they are relatively easy to make and one can even buy them premade in costume stores. Making your own elf ears can be fun, especially if you are preparing for Halloween. If you make them yourself, you can be sure that it fits you just fine and that they are proportional to your face.

If you just want to make a simple pair of elf ears to add to your Halloween costume, you can make use of cardboard. Cut the cardboard in the shape of elf ears, this means cutting it upwards with a pointy edge. You can search the internet and print out a picture of an elf and then trace its ears or you can just download a template. After you cut out the cardboard, colour it with water colour or other colouring materials, make sure the colour matches your skin tone. You can also add details to make the ears look more realistic. You can then tape them on your ear or use strings to attach them and there you have a simple Halloween costume accessory.

Some people are very meticulous about the way they make their costumes as they want it to look and feel as realistic as possible. There is a more intricate method of creating elf ears to make your Halloween costume more appealing. First, you have to buy liquid latex, clay for moulding, adhesive and makeup. Once you have all the materials, you can start by moulding your clay in the shape of elf ears. This is probably the hardest part as you have to make sure you mould it properly because once it dries, you can't alter it anymore. You can practice with play dough so you know exactly how to go about the process. After you have moulded the ears, leave them overnight to dry. When they are dry paint them to match your skin colour, and then use liquid latex or spirit gum to attach them on your ears. Don't forget to apply latex on the tips of the elf ears for a smoother finish. After you have attached the ears apply a little make up to cover the part where it is attached.

Making your own elf ears can be a very fulfilling project and sometimes custom-made costumes even look better than those sold in stores. Complete your Halloween outfit with your own specially made set of elf ears.