Archive for March, 2004

New content downloads are now available for Amped 2. This is great timing for me as I haven’t been playing Amped as much in the past 2-3 weeks (been playing Crimson Skies and Links mostly) and this is just what I need to get back on the slopes.

A short while back, John Porcaro wrote about a discussion he had at a Geek Dinner with a few other Seattle area bloggers about listening to customers. He said the following:

One of the tips Robert talked about made a lot of sense. He occasionally gets product suggestions sent by email. He mentioned that he encourages the customer to write about their ideas in their blog, then he’ll send a link to the blog entry to the product team. Having something “published on the web” has a few benefits: 1) It’s public, and carries some weight because the discussion is in the open, it can’t get shuffled away or lost in an Inbox; 2) it allows others to join the conversation either through linking or commenting; and 3) it allows everyone to follow the conversation, to “listen in.”

Sounds good but come on?does that sort of thing really work? I mean, do people that work at large companies like Microsoft really care about what some average joe that uses their products writes in their weblog? Surely not right?

Wrong!

Last week I posted about a frustration that my boss had regarding the Microsoft site and the organization of the webcast sections. Not a big deal?I mean we all get frustrated from time to time right?

However John read my post and decided to dig a little. After just a few hours, I find out that my post had been passed on to several people who took the time out of their busy schedules to review the items mentioned and come back with some actual useful information on some changes that are taking place that will actually solve the exact problem I had mentioned in my post. Wow!

So I feel pretty good now. Not because I got my way but because someone listened. Actually in the end, a few people did and that makes it all the nicer.

In my opinion, and obviously I am not the only one, the key to building relationships with customers centers around listening, communicating and spending a little time in their shoes to get to the bottom of what matters to them. Let?s face it, you can?t always solve every problem your customers have (although I wish I could). However showing someone that you are willing to go to bat for them once in a while or simply taking the time to ask them ?how can I help you with this?? ? That is where loyalty is built.

In the past year I have read many of John?s posts with great enthusiasm. He is without a doubt one of my favorite bloggers and a great inspiration to me as I build a career in business and marketing. Apparently lots of other people feel the same as well because he is often one of the first names I hear when great blogs are discussed. It?s not that he works for Microsoft, or in fact one of my favorite divisions. Although I admit that?s cool. It?s not just that he often posts on the topics that I care most about. And it?s not because he gives me a little referral action once in a while (woot). It?s that he writes about how things should be done?and then does them. I think that?s pretty darn cool. Kudos to you John and thanks!

Today Microsoft’s Robbie Bach and J Allard announced a new game development platform, XNA. Very cool. Nice to see game development heading more towards a consistent platform that focuses on reducing costs, improving experiences and better use of developer resources. Oh yah and let’s not forget about bonuses such as mobility, connectivity and multimedia improvements.

Let’s face it, if you have spent any time working with the .Net Platform, the New Office System or the Windows Server Systems – you know that if anyone can make this happen it’s Microsoft. The real value of technology is seen when developers are freed from repetitive mind-numbing maintenance and coding tasks and let loose on the real problems we face. It’s when they get the chance to be creative and tackle new challenges that things get real fun.

I will post more later but in the meantime check out the press release and download the sample videos. Note it’s better to just download the videos if you are on a decent connection – the streaming took a while when I did it.

Maybe I should convince my bosses to turn our company into a game development shop. Oh yah baby…now that’s a business plan I wouldn’t mind writing.

Sorry for the “Yah Baby”, I feel asleep a couple of nights ago with Austin Powers on the tube. My mind has been a little warped ever since.

From Lauraj’s blog, I just read that the Infopath team has a blog. Great news. I didn’t realize but then again I haven’t been doing much blog related reading (or writing for that matter) for the past couple of weeks so I think it’s time to catch up.

Today’s post is on one of my fave new things from the SP1 preview. Using filters on your dropdown boxes and secondary data sources.

Gamespot has an interesting article on recent reports published by DFC Intelligence on the development of the game industry in comparison to other popular entertainment industries such as music and movies.

“Revenue for the video game industry could pass the music industry in the next five years. More adults are playing games, the industry is expanding on a worldwide basis and online distribution is becoming a reality,” said David Cole, lead author of The Business of Computer and Video Games 2004, and DFC president.

“The interactive entertainment industry is still nowhere near the size of the movie industry,” continues Cole. “However, production values are starting to compare with those in feature films. Increasing consumer expectations, along with other factors including the rising cost of talent, the need for large-scale marketing campaigns, adding online components and demand for high profile licensed properties are substantially increasing costs.”

Pretty cool stuff really. Shane and I always discuss how much the games industry is maturing, from an experience level. Games today are very much like movies. They have solid plots, soundtracks, and complex character development. Many game ads now rival those of movies. Likewise, whenever I watch an intense action movie, my next thought is “OK now why can’t they make that into a game” or “When is the game version coming out?” One advantage with respect to games is that the experience is more interactive and generally lasts longer.

So it’s only logical that games be looked at more seriously as a solid entertainment source. I thank the hardware vendors and game developers for that. In my opinion the game industry has matured and progressed in the past 5 years tremendously because of the progress made in technology and communications (Xbox Live). Likewise I feel that the music industry has suffered or under-capitalized due to its failure to embrace market environmental changes and technology. But that’s just my opinion…and we all know what that is worth.

Steve and I are meeting with a couple of reps from MSDN Canada tomorrow to get the ball rolling on starting an official Newfoundland .Net User Group. So far the guys have been very friendly and helpful so I am pretty siked!

I made a vow when this year began to give more time towards different “community” activities. I figured it was a good time to start building rather than just participating. This includes everything from my church to some of my tech interests / hobbies.

I will post more on this as we get things up and going. In the meantime, if you are in there area and interested in the .Net Platform, drop me a line. If you are not from Newfoundland but don’t have a similar group in your area, let me know and we might be able to help you out a bit.

I finished reading Difficult Conversations a while ago…now I think I am going to write a book called “Painful Sentences” and this one will be in the first chapter:

Additional information about this feature will be provided on the Web. For the latest information, see | Enter url that points to same darn outdated file |.

STOP THE MADNESS!!! So frustrating.

Note to Self: Post some warm fluffy stuff later…sounding too negative.

Some new features unveiled for the next Mac version of Office. Pretty cool stuff.

While I was very impressed with Office X when it first came out. I have to admit I avoid using it now compared to the Office 2003 system for PC. Who knows how Office 2004 might make me feel.

What I really want is info on the next version of Office for PC. Now that I have seen how beautifully all the 2003 apps play together to build an extremely dynamic and efficient collaborative work environment, I can’t help but wonder what’s around the corner. But I am guessing I won’t be finding anything out any time soon.

Today I had a meeting with my boss, Steve. I walk into the Boardroom and I see him there pounding enthusiastically at his keyboard (nothing unusual of course). Turns out he was on a ranting spree and posting to his blog about the sometimes frustrating organization of webcasts on the Microsoft site.

He lists a couple of suggestions:

I have to agree. Not just because he’s my boss and I know he reads my blog (in fact he inspired me to start) but because I watch A LOT of webcasts and I have struggled with similar feelings of frustration in the past.

I spend a great deal of time on the MS partner site collecting product information, doing training, and looking for events / announcements etc… The only reason I am able to get as much info as I do it because I’m really freakin dedicated to the cause. Things COULD be made a lot easier. I have noticed some improvements over the past year or so – either that or I am adapting to chaos a little better.

One thing that I personally have found frustrating related to the webcasts is the lack of consistency on how they are conducted and organized. Some events allow me to add a reminder directly to my calendar. Others remind me via email just before they start. Others remind me via email about a week before they are scheduled. Some have great quality…others not so great.

I am a big fan of Placeware/LiveMeeting as an online collaboration / meeting tool so I am hoping to see more and more of these appear as time goes on. We use this internally for client training and presentations. Works quite well and is very easy to use.

A very special thanks to our buddy Jamie for coming over to our place last night to finish off our Small Business Server Install / Config. Works great! So nice to be able to do Sharepoint testing and research directly over our LAN rather than through VPN. Plus it’s just really really cool.

Not much posting going on right now, I guess I have taken a mini hiatus. Work has been very busy but is going great. Looks like all our hard work at shaping Sharepoint into a sellable solution for us is really paying off, so I couldn’t be happier.

Unfortunately however there hasn’t been much time for blogging but I have posted some things over at activexbox.com so be sure to check those out. Of particular interest is the Xbox Live Event that is taking place tomorrow that lets you race Michelle Rodriguez in PGR2. Quite cool!

Rodriguez will be waiting for you online from 2:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. (PST) on Friday, March 12, 2004. There?s no need to register; simply get on Xbox Live and send a Friend Request to MRodriguez.

In other news, I am getting a new Tablet soon. Woot!! More news on that later but I am pretty excited. Tabby is moving on to a better place – I will miss her but bring on the power baby.

On a closing note, check out this video that reminds me of when my mother would watch me when I was a child…well kinda (I was always her lil’angel).

I just posted my first few posts to ActiveXbox. Thanks to Todd and Robert for showing me the ropes. I am looking forward to being part of their great team.

Just finished typing up a long post that I considered both insightful and brilliant. Well not really but it was pretty damn decent. Then the power goes. Only for 10 seconds but just enough for me to lose my post. So I am dedicating this entry to the post that never was. Maybe if I feel like it I will try again later but for now I must go drown my frustrations and BBQ with my man. At least if the power goes again, we can still eat.

Yup that’s right, its -8 outside and we are grilling baby!! See I feel better already.

It’s funny. I have been to the xboxsolution.com site many times and use it as a regular source for Xbox and game related information. But tonight I found this gem written a couple of weeks ago by the site owner that really hit home with me on a few things.

Aside from being female gamers, I’m beginning to think Christina and I may have quite a few things in common. (1) We both started gaming on an Intellivision (2) We both have kickass boyfriends that support and share our interests and (3) We both really like the Xbox and the relationships that can be built through gaming.

Here are a couple of my favourite excerpts:

As a female gamer I didn’t feel comfortable going to a lot of sites, they didn’t take me seriously and minimized my thoughts and posts. So Jason being the web guru he is created Xbox Solution along with my support so people have a place to respect and value everyone’s opinions and thoughts, no matter what age, sex or creed they may be. It’s not easy being a female gamer, you walk in to pick up a game and they say “oh, your boyfriend like first person shooters huh”… no dumbass, I do!

and

It’s not just about games anymore, it’s about building relationships, it’s about knowing your friends, on live and in the games. I love the fact that I can talk to people on the forums and know them almost as if I really knew them face to face. I know Jim has dogs like I do, I know Nadia was newly promoted and is doing well, I know Alpha waits til the last minute to do his reports for school, I know Amutt doesn’t talk much, I know I’d like to take a dip in Rockk’s pool, I know Gameman is funny as hell and has wonderful grandchildren, and they all know I just changed my job, I also know we all get hungry at 1:00 am and the gaming stops for 20 minutes or so to take a snack break. It’s a bit more than knowing they can frag me.

and

When I look back at it, it still amazes me. Some people say games are childish, I think not. People use many vices to get through the tough times of life… drugs, alcohol, criminal activities, what do I do, I read a book or pick up a game. It helps me relax, it helps me cope, and I like to think that I too help others in the process, and it’s something me and Jason enjoy that helps bring us even closer together.

Here is an article written by my little bro about his expedition last summer to Mount Washington and some other surrounding areas. It was his cool down after a summer of serious training for para.

He gets “sworn in” tomorrow for the army. *Gulp* Big sis is gonna need a lot of tylenol to get through the next few years I think.

Alison Overholt posts an interesting piece over on the Fast Company Blog about Trump’s “The Apprentice” show and a recent article published in Newsweek. She raises a good point in saying that the article’s gender emphasis on the female participants is unfair. I agree completely with Allison.

However, unfortunately I can’t help but feel that these particular women haven’t done a great job at positioning themselves as equals in the show or the business world. I still can’t get the garbage that took place during the first few episodes out of my head. What WAS that?? As I watched I suddenly felt my knees buckle as any progress that those of us have made in the business world got tossed aside like a piece of ratty cardboard. (Not really but I am trying to stress my displeasure with their behaviour)

In my opinion the women participants were acting like idiots by implying through their actions that they didn’t need real skill to succeed…they could just flash a little booty and men would give them whatever they wanted. As well even after those games ended, the lack of emotional control and constant bickering from some of the participants was just unacceptable. Not a great display of the real skills a woman (or man) can bring to the boardroom table in my opinion.

I didn’t care that the women were winning in the early episodes – in fact I started rooting for the guys. It was only when Donald told the girls to knock it off that I started to really enjoy the show. I mean it’s STILL Reality TV but it is better than most.

All that being said, when it comes to turning around those rinky dink pretend projects over the span of a couple of days – I could kick all their asses any day of the week.

It is so hard to capture your true self through an avatar but here is a pretty cool flash app that can help you out. I found this on the Viral Marketing blog and happen to think it’s pretty neat.

I like following the viral marketing blog because it gives you the run down on all the popular new silly things floating around on the web. I’m a fan of viral marketing as a concept. (As I have mentioned in the past) I like any idea that engages the user enough to want to pass it around to others they know. Isn’t that the perfect scenario for a marketer?

Doom 3 is expected out for PC this April (sweet! but highly unlikely all the same given the lack of publicity) However whenever it comes, what is really exciting is that the Xbox version will be arriving shortly after. Check out this this story from gamesradar.com for the latest info.

While Microsoft announced way back at last year’s E3 that Doom 3 is Xbox-bound, we’ve had very little in the way of details on it. Although the fact that development didn’t start on the Xbox version of the game until last July – two months after it was first confirmed – may have something to do with this.

The game is reportedly not just a straight port of the PC original but has been partially rewritten specifically for Xbox. However, the game will retain the entire physics and lighting system of the PC game, while the hard drive will be used to handle textures and sound.

Developers id Software have also said that the Xbox is the only console currently capable of running Doom 3, with neither PS2 or Gamecube up to handling the game’s graphics, lighting, sound and bump mapping (which simulates the bumps or wrinkles in a surface without the need for geometric modifications to a model).

As for the game’s release date, we know only that the Xbox version is expected to hit shelves shortly after the PC game. Speaking of which, it has been reported that the PC version will go on sale in the US on 15 April, with a UK release to follow a day later. This date apparently stems from a source at the US sales department of publishers Activision.

However, the company have still yet to officially confirm a release date for the game and the idea that it’ll be on sale in just seven weeks appears to be optimistic, at best. We’ll keep you posted on Doom 3 though as soon as we hear anything.

Think you have what it takes to be a star? Do you think you can change the world, one gamer at a time? If so you might want to read this article from IT Vibe.

Remember TV shows such as GamesMaster and Bad Influence? Remember sitting there thinking anyone could do Dominik Diamonds job of running round and hyping up a challenge to complete Sonic in 17 seconds? Now’s your chance?

Gamer.tv has announced the launch of a nationwide search for two new TV presenters to front an all-new computer and videogames TV show.

They are looking for two TV presenters – one male and one female – who are gaming experts and have no problem coping with the excitement of TV production.

Applicants need to have outgoing personalities and an enthusiastic greed for all things computer and video gaming.

And a plus point is previous TV presenting experience is not necessarily needed.

If you think you have what it takes to become a Gamer.tv star, or you know someone who you think has the talent, you need to contact presenters@gamer.tv

They are promising that the new show will be both entertaining and totally credible. Full details will be released later in the year.

Just before heading out of the office to spend the day at a client’s, I received an IM from one of my co-workers stating that he just received a message from one of my accounts that had a virus attached to it. Ewwww!!

Instantly I started to itch from head to toe. However all I could do at the time was yank out the network cable from my machine and run out the door. All the while feeling very uneasy. I don’t open suspicious email. I keep all my machines well patched. I have Norton Antivirus installed and up to date with definitions. I never really download much except from legitimate sites. Yet I can’t help but wonder if my skin is about to fall off any minute.

I proceeded through my nearly 5 hour long seminar / demo on Project Server and Sharepoint (went well thanks) but all the while in my head I was wondering if I was indeed infected.

So now I sit here shivering, even after scanning every machine I own and reading on Symantec?s site that the latest threat (which looks like a bad one) spoofs the sender address (which I suspected anyhow). Yet I still feel dirty.