Burst Attention Span

In case you wondered why I’ve been quiet lately… it’s because I forgot you existed. Sorry.

Oh, and I also got addicted to Facebook and posted all my random mutterings there instead. People actually make comments instead of trying to sell me penis extensions or addict me to gambling.

Maybe I’ll do a Facebook ‘dump’ and fill this site back up with crap from the last few months. Or I might develop a double-posting mechanism that will share on both platforms at once. I.just.don’t.know.yet.

Ciao for now.

It’s quite creepy to hear older men talking to younger girls. That’s why they often do it in the privacy of their own IM windows… But what if you’re a serious journalist and you just want to interview an semi-clad attention-seeking girl gamer without coming over all Gary Glitter?

Let Kotaku’s Michael Fahey be your witty-yet-principled guide in this dangerous area of journalism.
Read the rest of this entry »

I spat sandwich all over my screen when I saw
Joey and David’s ‘Wii Fatality’…

I’ve been playing the Wii (nearly said ‘with my Wii’ – oops!) for a few days now, and the novelty of flailing my controller instead of hunching over analogue sticks still hasn’t worn off.

My actions might be a little more reserved if I were being watched… Wouldn’t want to look a ‘toolbox’!

My first Wii-related breakage happened when I forgot the Wiimote was strapped to my wrist, put it down and reached out for a glass of water, swinging the controller out of my lap and sluicing the coffee table. Stupid, I know – but I’m not alone.

A couple of people have reported accidentally hitting each other with the remote during frantic games of tennis, among many other things. Someone else has even put their Wiimote through the telly, with some force it would appear. The wrist strap cord looks like it will wear out quite quickly if it’s always being detached and reattached from the nunchuck socket, so I guess this is an insurance niche to watch in the future.

Rejoice, people of the Tau’ri! Great scenes from Stargate SG1 are being enacted by screws and hardware items. Starring all your favourites, including the hard-anodised Teal’c, and General Hammond (played by a nut) and even featuring props like a sarcophagus (actually played by a blister pack for 2-Hydroxy-5-aminobenzoic acid… someone in the team isn’t very well).

Health issues notwithstanding, they’ve also managed to turn out a movie. Genius, with the sound off.

How to squeeze every last drop out of your batteries and use the power to light your home. The prolific and fearless Big Clive has many such projects – some more dangerous than others…

“Look at me, I’m just cute as a button!”

To celebrate my successful pre-Wii-order, here’s an Apple spoof comparing the two systems. The Wii definitely comes across as more ‘pick up and play’… but the PS3 seems like the candidate for those long evenings on the sofa. She’ll need her own, I’m afraid…