2D games, why and when do they make sense. Read it, love it:

Positech Blog Entry

Also note the very important part at the bottom of the entry, exactly my feelings on the matter:

3D isn’t new or exciting in 2009, It’s just another option 
in the toolkit. Game designers need to get over the 3D obsession 
and make more considered design decisions. Some genres work 
great in 3D, some don’t.

My desk, says so much about me:

If you look carefully to the left of the coke cans you can see the designs for the last two 4k games and some other ideas that never got off the paper.

Another random up, talking to some folks on IM, talk about kids, talk about Meg, look up some photos, she makes me laugh so much:

She is destined to be either a boarder of some sort (snow or surf is undecided).

As some may be aware I've had some health issues recently, it's been great. I mean really fun. Having visited the quack a few times over the matter I've recieved the normal prescription, a set of mild placebo-esque drugs to placate me until it gets bad enough for the national health to want to pay for it. This is of course, just setting the scene, a cry for attention (another depressing need that seems to be part of my current state) and a complex introduction to a simple blog post.

So, I'm driving into work this morning - having got up, taken Meg to her grandparents, chatted and then toddled off down to the road. I'm focussing on my normal morning activity; driving to work and preventing the voices in my head from making me run the car into the closest barrier for a change of scene and to prove that I do infact have some control over my life.

Then the Moyles on the Radio pokes into the edge of my consciousness. Here's two songs, "Don't Look Back into the Sun - Libertines" and "Fear - Lily Allen" back to back. Enjoy.

Around 3 and half seconds later my mind is clear, the volume is up (of course) and the route to work is a paradise. By the time the Libertines is finishing I'm smiling and arriving at work. As I park up on top of the multi-story car park looking out across the Welsh hills (parking on the top is mandatory when you arrive as late as I was) it starts to rain harder and Lily Allen begins. I turn the car off, being careful not to interrupt the music supply. Turn the volume up more and sit back watching the rain hit the windscreen, listening to my medicine.

A few minutes later the song is gone, I'm off and into work, more content than I've been for some weeks. It's now the end of my lunch break and I'm still on an up. So, what is it? Is music really good for the soul or is there simply some days when you get lucky?

In the past I've recieved a few emails asking if I'd like to collaborate or lead a game development. I've always replied with "I don't play well with others" and given a polite no. It's not personal, I just really don't think I have done in the past.

However, that said, I'm now embarking on what is probably the dumbest thing I've ever attempted. I've decided that I'm old enough, ugly enough and seasoned enough to try working with a group to big something bigger and better in the games domain. Hopefully a shining example for Java and games development.

I'm just kicked off discussions and an initial vote over at JGO which seems to be getting some creative juices flowing. Here's hoping they can put up with me long enough to get the game development ball rolling. Right now I've agreed to push the thing along but I'm hoping that we'll generally just work together to create something cool.

If you're interested, do feel free to pop along and get involved.

I recently ordered a lamp from Pixmania via Amazon Marketplace. It was expected to be delievered within 3 days, it didn't turn up. I gave them 10 days - just incase the xmas post was holding things up. Then I contacted them, to be told that it'd be sent and delivered, and signed for apparantly. Could I check with my neighbours to see if one of them had it.

First, if my neighbour had recieved it surely I would have recieved a card through the door saying that. Second the "signature" for the reciever was just a squiggle - not letters, not words, just a squiggle. Still, I checked. No joy. So I contact them again.

I'm told they'll need a copy of my signature, and passport, to confirm that the signture (which is just a squiggle) isn't mine - and that they'll then open an equiry. First, I'm not sending you a copy of my passport, identity theft anyone. I print out, sign and scan the form I'm sent, sending it back to them. I'm told that if it isn't resolved within 28 days then nothing will be done about the fact I've paid for goods I've not recieved. I hear nothing for 2 weeks.

I mail them again, and am asked for the same information again. I'm told this time that the delievery service was DHL. I reply pointing out that I've already sent this information and asking about the status of the investigation. Yet again, hear nothing.

Apart from anything else, we're talking about a 40 quid lamp. Why didn't they in good faith just send out a new one, or refund the cash until it'd been resolved. No, they need to go through a process. I still hear nothing.

Today I just got this:

Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. Kevin Glass,

The investigation carried out with the transporter Parcel Force has
been completed and it has been confirmed that delivery took place on
2008-11-19.

The delivery ticket on the parcel XXXXXXXX for the indicated address
was signed. As a result, we are unable to resend the order or proceed
with a refund. 

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer
Service department by clicking on Contact [mailto:noreply@pixmania.com]
or by calling 0844 369 0372 (national rate call).

Thank you for your understanding.

Let's take a look at that wonderful email. First, Mr/Ms/Mrs. Maybe thats why they didn't manage to get the post to me - they can't actually keep track of what gender the people they're delivering to are.

Second, we're back to Parcel Force now. Parcel Force originally said they'd delivered it. So, the result of the investigation has been ... dun dun dun ... they still say they delivered it. I've waited 28 days for that. Great.

Next, the revelation that *someone* signed for the delivery. Which as I've said wasn't me and was just a squiggle (on the record from Parcel Force, not DHL you understand). That means they can't refund or resend. Well, thats great. So if anyone get's anything and signed for it they can steal it from the intended recipient.

Finally, lets look at that last paragraph. Customer Service. So I can either pay national call rates to wait in a queue to talk to someone who is not going to have any power to resolve the issue or I can email them. Oh, but way, the email "noreply". That the email they use to send out emails that they don't want automatic replies to. So, yes I could mail their customer support and promptly be put in the trash.

Pixmania my friends are rip off merchants. I'm sure when transactions work they work, but thats not really what counts is it? It's when things go wrong you see what a company is worth - and in this case Pixmania arn't worth a cup of shit.

As to the Amazon guarantee on Market Place, well thats worth absolutely squat aswell.

So, Pixmania, I salute you. You're totally shit and run your business like a bunch of immoral halfwits. Anyone reading this please feel free to comment to Pixmania, at they're contactable address of SPAM PIXMANIA

I have of course replied:

So you've taken my order, charged me and delivered nothing. In English
thats often referred to as theft. Don't thank me for my understanding,
because I simply don't. I don't understand how you can run a business in
such an appauling manner and continue to make a profit. I find it amazing
that you've requested the same set of information from me twice during
this process, that you've been unable to consistantly report the delivery
service in question (it's been Parcel Force, then DHL, now Parcel Force
again) and that the contact address for your Customer Service department
is "noreply@pixmania.com" - which of course is "no reply".

I will be continuing the process of obtaining my refund through the small claims court.

Thank you for your understanding,

Mr Kevin Glass

• Eye opening
• Exciting
• Scary
• Motivating

My second entry for the 2009 Java 4K contest is ready to play. It's called Keggle after the the game that it's based on, Peggle.

You can either play it via Webstart here or go over to the Keggle Website to play as an applet and get some extra info.

Woo hoo for 4k games, it's so much fun!

Got my first 4k game out of the way. The aim was to:

a) Implement a 4K game to get going, I like to write more than one for each contest.
b) Write a physics system from scratch instead of porting and extending others work
c) Have fun

The first game has worked out ok, check out 4x4k. It's a simple terrain climbing truck game, balance the truck as it goes up steep slopes and complete the courses as quickly as possible. It's not turned out as fun as I'd hoped but it was a good test case for building the physics engine.

So, I used that verlet physics stuff to build a simple response simple based on primitive line/circle collision detection. The world is spatially culled, constraints are supported, restitution and friction all work correctly. I set the arbitrary goal of getting the basic physics fitting under 2k leaving 2k for the game. It came in at about 2.2k, so I had room to make the game look pretty (for a 4k entry).

All in all, a) check, b) check, c) check. Don't think it's a winner, but on to the next entry!

Two new games entered the house here this Christmas. The first, Wii Fit, is a lot of fun but is essentially designed to encourage you to keep playing by calling you fat and old and indicating that if you keep playing you'll soon be a fit hunky bodied player. The second, Big Brain Academy, is a set of brilliant implemented mini-games. However, it's premise is to call you stupid at the start and then tell you if you keep playing you'll be a rocket scientist within a few weeks.

Now, I've read and understand a bit about hooks in game design. It's interesting stuff, but I never thought anyone would take it to this extent. It's a bit of shame that the positive games (and they are positive games) have to start with this hack at the player.

That said, they're both wonderful games and I heartly recommend them. Those two, and World of Goo - which I've just downloaded via the wonderful WiiWare system. Beautiful game.