Games
Thomas Was Alone mini-review
Platformers are inherently mechanical exercises. So much is reliant on the controls and accuracy being just so, and one element being not quite right can lead to an unplayable game.
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Filmmaking
HitFilm for Mac Kickstarter
This is one of the more interesting projects I’ve worked on at FXhome. Our visual effects and video editing software HitFilm has been out on PC for a couple of years now and we’ve been asked continually about the possibility of a Mac version. For various reasons that wasn’t a […]
Writing
Fun with time dilation
I’m in the middle of writing a short story that rather prominently features time dilation as a central plot device. Turns out time dilation is a complex little blighter. That’s why it took somebody like Einstein to nail down the concept in the first place. Anyway, while researching I stumbled […]
Technology
How to fix a Samsung Galaxy S3 on O2 with the 4.1.2 freeze problem
I don’t normally write tech-type blog posts but having recently endured this utter pain in the arse of a problem, I thought I’d try to help others by posting my solution. I’ll attempt to be succinct. (more…)
Movies
A quick summary of why TAKEN is a terrible film
Since it was released I’ve been told by friends that I Really Must Watch Taken, and that I’d Really Like It. They all talk about how they expected it to be rubbish and were surprised by how good it was, that Liam Neeson is excellent, and that generally it’s better […]
Games
George Osborne and the strawman in need of a brain
As a long-time and avid gamer, one thing I’ve become accustomed to over the years is observing repeated sideways attacks by ill-informed politicians and press regarding the morality and safety of games. Whenever a high school shooting occurs or an act of extreme road rage or other isolated boiling point event, the eyes of a few immediately turn towards gaming, once more seeing an opportunity to further their agendas. (more…)
Games
Why would the games industry want to be more like the movie industry?
A few weeks ago David Cage, head of game developer Quantic Dream and creative lead on fascinating-if-flawed games Fahrenheit (aka Indigo Prophecy) and Heavy Rain, gave a talk at theย DICE summitย in Vegas in which he lamented the games industry’s “Peter Pan syndrome” and unwillingness to mature as an art form/entertainment medium. (more…)
Politics
Making time
November 10 2012, eh? That’s the last time I wrote a blog post here, apparently. Turns out having a baby is quite time consuming. Now there’s some never-before-observed insight. In the time when I’ve not been looking after the rather spiffing little chap called Yared Rohan Jones I’ve found myself […]
Games
Spiffy games of 2012
Back at the start of the year I remember a conversation which noted how good 2011 had been for games, while 2012 looked like it was going to be a quieter, less interesting year. Turns out that was an entirely incorrect prediction, as this has been one of the most exciting 12 months for gaming in quite some time. Without any further faffing, here are my top games of the year… (more…)
Filmmaking
Arms Race: Escalation: Episode 1: Released: Now!
After over a year of work, It’s A Trap have released episode 1 of Arms Race: Escalation! It’s been a hugely challenging and lengthy project to work on and I’m thrilled to see it finally out the door and into the wild. It’s a fun romp and well worth a […]