I will be concentrating my writing output over at my new personal blog, Regolith. Please aim your feed readers in that direction from now on(http://regolith.wordpress.com).

Construed will stay up but it is unlikely that I will return to post here in the future.

Just like to thank my readers for their time and patience – I hope to see you over at Regolith soon.

As the title of this post may suggest to you, I am indeed planning to pause my activities here at Construed. Be it a short term break or something longer, I can’t say for sure at this moment.

My ambition for Construed has somewhat outstripped the necessary time that I can actually spend developing it forward. So for the time being I plan to take a break from writing posts here but this doesn’t mean I plan to stop writing altogether. Far from it. My videogame reviews for Crossfire will continue & I have also been recently experimenting with the blogging platform, tumblr. There is also a good possibility that I will be writing further videogame related topics at another UK based game site, very soon.

I will be posting any & all of my future developments via Twitter which you can follow, even if you not a Twitter user yourself.

Goodbye for now but remember…this is not a farewell.

DM∞

Prototype is released here in the UK on 12th June.

Out of all the videogame titles released in June, Prototype feels the brightest of the bunch. Gameplay that I have seen looks crisp & fluid but I do hope the storyline will be as entertaining as the action.

There’s no multiplayer gameplay to distract the dev’s from producing a worthy sandbox adventure for the single player. And it’s healthy to see a videogame developer deciding not to include a multiplayer element in the current climate. Let’s just hope there’s enough content in the single player campaign to make Prototype a fully realised game world.

The game diary posts in late June should have some heavy Prototype content & I expect to write a review of the game for Caught in the Crossfire, at a later date.

Terminator Salvation could be a return to form, after a rather disappointing Terminator 3:Rise of the Machines, with a UK release date of the 3rd June. I am unlikely to get to see it on release but it does follow as a close second to the new Star Trek film, as a must see on the big screen.

From what I have read, Christian Bale has had a big part in bringing this movie to life. With hints that there will be far less enthasis on the special effects, this time round, with far more focus on the storyline & characterisation.

The videogame spin-off to the Terminator Salvation movie, is released a few weeks earlier on the 19th May. But I really don’t hold much hope that this title will add anything to the swell of third person shooters.

Terminator Salvation is the fourth movie in the franchise & I am hoping it does a good job of tying the whole Terminator story together. I feel a fifth movie would be overkill.

A new era for the Dectective Comics title comes in June. Not since issue #27 has Batman not been the main character lead, in this long running comic book.

Issue #854 – available on the 24th June – will see the four part “Elegy” story begin. A storyline involving Batwoman as the central character in a Gotham without Batman. The artwork will be penned by JH Williams III whose work I have admired for awhile now. I’m quite excited by the choice of character in Batwoman, as this will be the first storyline, if my memory serves me correctly, that I have read with her as the central character.

Am curious to who will be the future central characters in the Detective Comics title while Batman takes a well earned break – there’s just no way he’ll remain dead for long…surely?

So there you have it – some of my hopes for good entertainment that I’ll be looking to cover in June. I will be highlighting more of my hopes sometime next month, with an eye on the new crop of entertainment that will be due in July.

What are you looking forward to?

DM∞

The Dreamcast was unique in it’s ability to allow players a taste of online gaming, via a console, for the very first time. So my gaming habits could have been very different, if I had latched onto console gaming with the Dreamcast, at that time.

There have been plenty of rumours circulating since the demise of the Dreamcast, that SEGA would eventually return to the console hardware market again with Dreamcast 2. But the official word has always been the same from SEGA & was again reaffirmed this week, in a tweet:

Shame.

Personally, I would welcome another console into the fray. But is there space in the market between the likes of the 360s, PS3s & Wiis? Would a new console need to be significantly different from what is already in the market, to succeed?

Whatever SEGA produces in the future, be it software or consoles or indeed both, I’m sure they are shrewed enough to succeed. I just find that to dismiss the possibility of console production, in the way that they have, will probably never end the rumour or speculation from inside & outside of the games industry. Dreamcast owners of old, seem to hold very fond memories of their SEGA console – possibly the last ever manufactured by SEGA – to which, I must admit, I feel a little bit jealous of.

DM∞

I’ve had a funny few weeks of late.  Hardly touching a gamepad in that time – being uninspired as I have to play any of the titles in my videogames library. Even looking through a list of future releases has just left me feeling rather tired. Without doubt this is a period of general burnout that I hadn’t expected to affect me but it has. There’s really no point in fighting it – past experience has taught me that it’s best just to roll with it & see it out.

One demo that I did download, on this very day, was the new Wolverine title based on the recent X-Men Origins movie release. It’s a short demo, allowing just enough time to pick up the combat combos & techniques with a small slice of the storyline exposed. I don’t expect to play the full game at release but liking the Wolverine character as I do, there’s a strong chance of me picking it up at a later date.

I did have a more expectant feeling for the June release of Prototype than I did for the Wolverine title. Both have some similarities in their lead characters abilities & am sure the development team at Radical Entertainment looked over the history of Wolverine, at some point in the creation process.

DM∞

Posted in Game Diary, Videogames Tagged: Prototype, X-Men Origins: Wolverine ]]> http://construed.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/game-diary-living-with-burnout/feed/ 2 dmosbon Weapon X or should I say Prototype? http://construed.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/a-little-tweaking-a-little-tlr-afoot/ http://construed.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/a-little-tweaking-a-little-tlr-afoot/#comments Sat, 02 May 2009 11:42:47 +0000 dmosbon http://construed.wordpress.com/?p=3002 ]]> On September 12, 2008 at 5:46 pm – Construed was born.

I’ve spent a fair bit of my time reading back over the content of this blog, recently, just to see how the first seven months have unfolded. I am happy to a degree. My writing has improved but I also know where my weaknesses lie.

That period of contemplation has also triggered me into re-address why I write a blog, am I happy to continue it & if so, how can I improve things so that the content better reflects my opinions?

In the next month or so, expect to see some fresh ideas & approach to the content here at Construed. The Thoughts on modern entertainment blended by DM Osbon tagline remains & is the pinnacle reason behind my blog writing.

On thing I will announce now is a Twitter based activity that I have already begun – the #TLR(Twitter Length Review) is something of an experiment which I have enjoyed doing over the last week. If you follow me on Twitter then you’ll have seen my first attempts already but for those of you don’t, here’s a quick explanation:

#TLR or Twitter Length Review is simply a brief review on an entertainment based product or event by yours truly. As with the nature of Twitter, I’m limited to 140 characters per update so these reviews are tightly formed & I try to get over a feel for what I have experienced in each review.

So that you can keep up to date with my #TLR & for those of you that don’t use Twitter, I’ll be doing a weekly roundup post here each Sunday containing the past 7 days worth of reviews. First such post will be up a week tomorrow.

DM∞

NASA’s recently announced three-way partnership to produce a space exploration MMO, with Virtual Heroes and Project Whitecard, has now been given a slightly less-than-sexy name in Astronaut:Moon, Mars, and Beyond.

“‘Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond’ was selected because the three companies involved had a really ideal combination of qualities we were looking for,” Daniel Laughlin of NASA’s Learning Technologies Project Office said in a statement. “They have the right experience, they demonstrated their ability to engage middle school through higher education curricula, and they have extraordinary enthusiasm about working with NASA to make a fun game…”[1]

Sure, space exploration doesn’t grab the headlines or the imagination quite like it did back in the 60s and 70s. But there are high hopes at NASA that Astronaut: Moon, Mars, an Beyond, their first foray into MMO gaming, will bring a spur of interest back into the field of scientific study:

“We want to create a fun, compelling gaming experience that will give players the chance to learn about science and engineering careers while they play the game,” said Daniel Laughlin, Ph.D., project manager of NASA Learning Technologies. “NASA is committed to attracting more students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields of study and careers. We hope this game will inspire players to consider those careers.”[2]

So what can the player expect from NASA’s MMO? A varied choice of playable professions to choose from?

“Players will pick a profession like a roboticist, space geologist, astrobiologist or mechanical engineer and work together as a team as they explore space and complete missions, establishing bases and outposts and traveling to the farthest reaches of the solar system,” explained JerryHeneghan, founder and CEO of Virtual Heroes.[3]

Expect a demo of Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond in our solar system later this year, with full systems launch due in 2010.

DM∞

In need of a little cheering up? I did this morning & what else could put a smile on an old geek’s face than some french guy playing out Pacman in a supermarket?

Remi Gaillard is that guy. A french prankster that seems to have been playing the fool since 2001 – my french is a little rusty!

My thanks to TheDvS for the heads-up!

DM∞

52 episodes in, Freak Angels is the weekly online comic book from writer Warren Ellis & artist Paul Duffield. Set in a fictional past, Freak Angels unravels a story of 12 children born in England at the same time, 23 years ago – all of whom appear to be rather strange & all of whom are having to deal with the world that has come to an end.

I picked up on Freak Angels from a recent tweet sent out by Warren Ellis, announcing episode 52 was available to read. Online comics may not be a novel idea anymore but what is unusual, is to find such high profile comic book creator doing so.

Each weekly episode comprises of 6 pages illustrated with some very fine artwork by Paul Duffield, who was introduced to Avatar Press after posting some artwork on past Warren Ellis forum. When it comes to the story, well I’m still trying to work my way through it – I’m planning to review the first 52 episodes in a future post, here at Construed. When I hope, by that time, I’ll have worked out what the hell is going on!

If you like your future(or should that read past?) apocalyptic then I recommend giving Freak Angels a spin through – the artwork alone stands head & shoulders above some of the material coming out from the major publishers.

DM∞

Posted in Comic Books, Internet Tagged: Avatar Press, Freak Angels, Paul Duffield, Warren Ellis ]]> http://construed.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/freak-angels-6-years-ago-the-world-ended/feed/ 0 dmosbon Freak Angels promo image from 2007 Episode 49 - page 2 http://construed.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/real-estate-keeping-heroes-afloat/ http://construed.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/real-estate-keeping-heroes-afloat/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:20:07 +0000 dmosbon http://construed.wordpress.com/?p=2916 ]]>

My interest in watching Heroes while season 3 has aired, pretty much died after the first few weeks. I have missed many of the episodes from season 3 but have just caught back to back episodes, Into Asylum & Turn & Face the Strange , both of which I have enjoyed in a casual viewing way.

But like you, I’ve heard the rumours about the show being cancelled by NBC. Interestingly enough, ratings may not be the main factor for keeping this show from being canned. SF Universe have an interesting take on Forbes TV’s Biggest Moneymakers:

The tale of ordinary people who suddenly become superhuman generates $4.3 million per average telecast, thanks to a largely young male demo that many advertisers find attractive. That pricey real estate puts Heroes in the top 10 most lucrative shows on TV, joining hits such as American Idol and Dancing With The Stars.

Could this be an insight into how Heroes can resist the continued loss of ratings per each season aired?

DM∞