New Article: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Could be the Death of the Series

The other day S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was officially announced. I took the opportunity to publish an article the other day on HubPages that talked about how it might not be such a good thing.

The game’s engine is a multiplatform one, with console versions becoming more likely with the sequel, and part of me thinks it could end up being the end of a great PC exclusive series. Rough, raw, and largely unpolished… but still great. Here’s to hoping that the sequel actually comes through.

New Article: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Could be the Death of the Series

Chaos Kenridge Moving Next Month

Chaos Computers is the fastest rising computer and technology-orientated retail chain in the Cape. There are stores in Kenilworth, Cape Gate, and Parklands.

The store that started it all is in Kenridge, Durbanville. Initially it was located in a pokey room which used to be an apartment overlooking the local petrol station and shopping centre. But eventually the first floor was used for businesses instead, with the ground floor belonging to a car showroom. Slowly it expanded and incorporated the room next to it, and after that another room.

The last time I visited, the store was barely half the length of the Kenridge Computer Academy’s floor space. But that’s about to change, seeing as I read in the paper the other day that after all this time, they are going to be taking the leap and moving to another location.
Next month, on 1 September, Chaos Computers will be moving from Kenridge to Willowbridge Shopping Centre.

It’s a move that I anticipated long ago. I thought they would either end up going to Willowbridge, or Tyger Valley Shopping Centre – which is just across the main road. But there are all ready established computer stores in TV - like Computer Mania and CompuCity, which have been there for years. I think Willowbridge was a good idea in this regard seeing as there’s less competition.

The only thing is that seeing as Willowbridge is a more upmarket venue than before, I have doubts that the low prices that made Chaos so favourable in the past will still be adhered to. The rent of a bigger store in such a place, which is often frequented by tourists and the like, and considered by some to be more upmarket, may end up pushing up the prices.

Well, we’ll have to see. The Grand Opening of the new and improved store will take place on Friday, September 3, 2010.

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Source: Chaos [via TygerBurger]

Chaos Kenridge Moving Next Month

New Article: The BrotherHood – Celebrating Hoods!

Hoodie Day [12 August – NZ]

I put up a new article on one of my HubPages profiles just lately. It’s been a while since I’ve done one. This one is called The BrotherHood: Hooded Characters in Video Games.

As you can tell, it’s about hooded characters in video games. Think Garrett from Thief.

I decided to put it up there as an article, seeing as there’s quite a lot of content to go along with it. I was initially going to post it here on the blog, but thought I would just do this short post talking about it instead and link to it.

There’s pictures of each of the characters mentioned, or most of them anyway, along with a poll to vote for whoever is your favourite. Games are mentioned in chronological order, right from ROTT in 1995, up to Thi4f, which is yet to come out.

I thought it was a good idea to to publish it now seeing as this week, on the 12th, today, is Hoodie Day. Well, in New Zealand, anyway, alongside the UN's International Youth Day. I started working on the idea about a year ago. It’s been sitting on my HD since then, and I was just waiting for this particular day to come along.

New Article: The BrotherHood – Celebrating Hoods!

HubPages Turns 4 This Month, Partners with ClickTurn

I’ve been a member over on HubPages for the last two years. It’s said to be one of the web’s leading content publishing sites – rivalling the likes of Squidoo, Helium and other such places, some of which may have been around for longer.

This month, HubPages turns 4. It was founded back in 2006 by the “two Pauls” – Paul Edmondson and Paul Deeds. There’s now a staff of several people, and not to mention probably a few hundred or even thousand people who are registered, and publish articles, or hubs, with the easy creation and editing tools.

HubPages likely has one of the better communities out there, and the user experience, interface, and so on is always being improved seeing as the HP staff and engineers are always listening to requests for features and other suggestions. It’s most definitely a website I don’t regret joining. They’ve made some great changes to the overall look over the past year or two.

Right now, HubPages is in the process of extending its revenue generating options. For some time now it has utilized Google Adsense, Amazon, EBay, and Kontera as a means for people to generate passive income from their hubs. This month they have begun a partnership with ClickTurn – a company which supposedly has a new and fresh approach to advertising with its interactive styled ads. These ads often have videos and links to Facebook and Twitter pages and the like embedded within. They look as though they’re more social than the usual ads have been up until now.

It’s a new company, but seemingly won over HP, with the promise that soon we will be able to use these ads on our hubs, either to supplement earnings with other programs, or as a replacement.

If you’re still not a member of one of the hottest places on the net, then you should join now and start with your online web presence and passive income generating efforts. Even if it’s just for backlinks to your blogs and so on. People on there have multiple reasons for joining – and staying. There are writers, photographers, artists, sculptors, and people in other professions from all walks of life. You’ll like it. Promise.

Happy Birthday HubPages, and here’s to many more years!

HubPages Turns 4 This Month, Partners with ClickTurn

The Verge Returns: Coming Back This Week

Just over a couple of months ago, the somewhat popular show about video games on Vuzu, called The Verge, went off the air for a hiatus which was said to last a couple of months.

During this time two new shows made an appearance on the channel: GameFace and The Ginx Files. PlayR, the taped version and predecessor of The Verge, continued to be shown as well. There were also a number of changes to the days when these programs were shown, in addition to the changed timeslots before that.

Anyway, this week, Monday the 2nd of August, sees The Verge return to regular, live programming, you might be pleased to hear.

For the past two months or more, we’ve been forced to sit and endure reruns of past episodes. I’m still left wondering why exactly it was that the break took place in the first place, and I’m also still anticipating some changes that may have been made to the format or appearance of the show – such as the disappearance of that bar with all the SMSs and messages that shows up at the bottom. But fat chance of that happening anyway.

You can follow updates on The Verge at their Facebook page, Twitter, and the main website.

The Verge Returns: Coming Back This Week

NAG Magazine August 2010 Issue Out This Week

Thursday the 29th of July sees the August 2010 issue of NAG magazine arrive in stores.
Worthwhile features in the mag will be previews of top games that are due out within the next several months including Mafia II, Medal of Honor, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Red Faction: Armageddon. Also, Bulletstorm gets the nod as the cover feature seeing as everybody’s raving about this new and improved FPS set to redefine the genre. Whether it does or not will have to be seen.

Reviews include that of Singularity, Raven’s latest title, as well as Alpha Protocol and Dead to Rights Retribution. Shadow! Awww!

There’s also a look at The Silver Lining: Episode 1, part one in episodic series of the fan-made project based in the same universe as the King’s Quest series. I’ve all ready read a rather scathing review of it on NAG Online, written by Tarryn Van Der Byl, NAG’s resident freaky Goth chick. It was less than complimentary as I’ve just mentioned, but then again, she likely doesn’t like a lot of things in life. I don’t know when NAG will put the game on the DVD if ever, seeing as it is supposed to be free, isn’t it? Activision wouldn’t allow them to make a profit off of it, surely. They tried to shut the project down at one point.

The Cover DVD has demos of Mass Effect 2, which came out in January all ready, as well as Sniper: Ghost Warrior – the first game which focuses heavily on sniping that I think I’ve ever taken an interest in, although there are no doubt others. No new drivers or patches, but there are the usual videos – 145 of them. This is the E3 issue you see, so plenty of footage from that event. The July issues of the past used to have all the E3 stuff but this year is different. Some extras on the DVD include music from the unreleased Deus Ex: Human Revolution and the usual odd stuff.
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Source: NAG Online

NAG Magazine August 2010 Issue Out This Week

Paul the Octopus May be Hiding a Secret [Random Madness]

To many, Paul is known to be a common octopus which hatched in 2008 in Weymouth, Dorset, UK, and now resides at Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany. He’s become famous for his accurate predictions of soccer match results. This has led to him being called a psychic octopus.

There have been may theories as to how he picked the winning teams during the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. Some even say that it’s not the same creature, and that the real Paul died.

But little do they know. The truth is that Paul has been hiding a deep dark secret.
Paul is a psychic cephalopod, but rather than a common octopus, he is actually better known as an Octabrain.

Octabrains were discovered years ago, back in the mid 90’s. They often inhabit water or areas near water, although they have the ability to travel from these places and onto land, as they can levitate above the ground. They are referred to as triclopses, which means they have three eyes, and also possess some wicked sharp teeth, as well as tusks or sharp mandibles. They have little need for their tentacles, but still they remain.

 
               
Images of an Octabrain, first sighted in the mid 90’s.

They have the ability, in addition to biting their prey, to attack with psychokinesis – hurling orbs of harmful energy at their victims, which serve to stun or even kill. This likely came about because of the large size of their brains. They might have evolved from another species, or may possibly be extraterrestrial.
Contrary to opinions which say that Paul will die soon, Octabrains have a longer natural lifespan than mere common octopuses, unless they happen to be blown up by a rocket propelled grenade, which would effectively mean their premature demise.

Paul has retired from his divination duties and now seeks retirement. There has been talk by some that he should experience what it’s like to be out in the ocean once before he passes away, seeing as he’s been in captivity since day one. Others warn that it would be dangerous for this very reason that he be released.
They’re right.



Images of a more mature, bigger version of an Octabrain, first sighted in 2007.

If Paul is released, it could mean catastrophic death for many, as Octabrains’ favourite food is human flesh – not mussels, like some would have you believe. He’s also nowhere near fully grown, as Octabrains can reach enormous sizes, as was seen in sightings in recent years – as big if not bigger than say, a giant squid.
It would be the biggest mistake they could ever make if he’s released. For goodness sake, if you read this, spread the word, and KEEP PAUL IN CAPTIVITY.

At least if he continues to grow while in his tank, and develops sentience, and more powerful abilities like psychokinesis, he may more likely be subdued and eliminated, and less likely to join up and plot world domination with all the other Octabrains that were flushed down the toilet and are now lurking in the sewers.

Paul the Octopus May be Hiding a Secret [Random Madness]