Category Archives: Mail Bag

Straight from the Mail Bag: Media Ops!

Oh, back to the mail bag.

I usually just dump a bunch of headlines into a list and call it a day for one of these posts, just to show you what shows up in my inbox. But this time around I have a theme.

I asked an AI to make me a mailbag full of spam and got a dumpster

Something happened in April and interview offers and “media ops” were suddenly a thing in my email account.

Seriously, this was a complete unprecedented burst of activity. I pulled out and list below the subject lines for 71 different interview opportunity email messages that I received in April.

I can hear you saying, “Well, 71 isn’t THAT many email messages.” And you are correct. But I also got the usual amount of other messages… plus, I managed to get two or three… and a couple of time four… versions of the same email on different days. So 71 is after I filtered out nearly as many duplicates.

And what sort of topics did various publicity agencies think were suitable for this site? What interviews did they feel would add value here? Well, head on down the list.

From Politicians to Veterans to everyday people: How a newly released gaming app is helping battle Mental Health
Where Yellow Flowers Bloom: A Heartfelt Testament of a Mother’s Love and a Wife’s Devotion in the Midst of Sudden Loss and Trauma
Entering or Re-entering the Workforce? Expert Offers 10 Fast-Start Tips to Help Job Seekers Launch a Career, Get Noticed and Achieve Early Success
Unexpected Insights for Modern Parents: Children Can Be Far More Helpful and Capable than We Allow Them to Be
Montecito Mudslide Tragedy: Grieving Mother and Wife Recounts Healing Journey Following Profound Loss
Winner of 64 Film Awards: GodChaserz The Documentary Available Now on Streaming Platforms
U.S. Sanctions Iran’s Regime as Lawmakers Announce New Bill to Support Iranians – Intv. w/ Iranian Policy Experts
A Needle in a Haystack: Dig Through the Rubble to Find Authentic, Lasting Relationships, Says Bestselling Author Jameliah Gooden
MEG Author Steve Alten Announces What Fans Have Been Requesting For Years: A Collector’s Edition Set
10 Fast-Start Tips to Help Job Seekers Launch a Career, Get Noticed and Achieve Early Success
Block(chain) Party: How Educating Kids on Crypto Can Shape Tomorrow’s Digital Wizards–Intv. w/ Bitcoin Expert
Streaming TV Network Ventures Into Live Animal Rights Trial Coverage With Expert Panels, and People are Watching!
At 19, Homeless and Pregnant, Allyson Roberts Beat the Odds; Now She Helps Others Do the Same
Real Estate Expert Offers Valuable Insights to Help Home Buyers Scared of High Interest Rates and Sellers Spooked by Lower Home Values
The Adventures of Hillary the Little Ladybug Children’s Series Features Original Illustrations, Photography and Playfully Educational Storylines
Unmasking the Artificial: Misinformation Expert Deconstructs the Deep Fakes and Warped Realities of Generative AI
Are Your Business and Personal Brands Prepared for AI? Expert Says Most Aren’t
Mother’s Day Masterpieces: AI Platform Founder Shares How AI Art Creates Picture-Perfect Memories
Expert on Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attacks William R. Forstchen, Ph.D. Available for Interviews to Discuss What We Can Do to Be Better Prepared
Workplace Safety Matters: The Importance of Building an ‘Ownership Culture’
A Voice for the Voiceless: Renowned Music Artist Kevin Gates is Speaking Out About Suicide Prevention
New Age Recording Artist Kaliyani’s Inspiring Single and Music Video a Call for Human Connection and Oneness With the Earth
With Shark Tales This Good, Who Needs to Get Back in the Water?
Former CEO of National Health System Shares 5 ‘End-of-Life Care’ Revelations Everyone Should Know
Netflix’s Live Stream Disaster – PR Crisis CEO on Saving the Platform’s Teetering Reputation
Civility in Crisis: Reversing Discourteous Dialogue Amid Discord in Biz & Life — Interview / Article Opp
Beyond the Classroom: Children in Traditional Societies Learn with Little or No Parental Involvement, Expert Says
Magic and Mystery of Easter Island Statues at Core of Hair-Raising Expedition in The Trouble with Miracles
Young Influencer With Asperger’s Syndrome on a Mission to Empower Others Living With Disabilities
How, We As a Society, Can Address The Mental Health Crisis Among Men – Male Actor And Advocate Comments
Decoding the Bitcoin Dip and Its Connection to Bank Earnings–Intv. w/ Bitcoin Expert
Kaliyani’s ‘One Earth’ Single and Music Video a Call for Human Connection and Oneness
Former ‘Science Fiction Prodigy’ Celebrates Half a Century of Publishing with Short Story Collection
The Rise of Animal Rights Trial Coverage
Banks Next Big Risk: Empty American Offices – Commercial Real Estate Veteran Weighs In
How Does One Deal with All the Bad News These Days?
‘Embedded Enemy’ Survivor Shares Gripping True Story of Deadly Terrorist Attack on 101st Airborne Division
Music that Transforms Souls: Award-Winning Documentary Captures the Raw Energy and Grit Behind the Production of Faith-Based Rap
Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your First Book: Prolific Author Shares Tips, Strategies and Practical Wisdom in New, Interactive, Free E-Book
Eye Specialist Addresses Concerns Regarding Eyedrops Use After Reported Deaths and Increased Infections
The ‘Insider Threat’ is Closer Than You Think, Says Terrorist Attack Survivor and Situational Awareness Expert
Embedded Enemy Survivor Steadfast in Pursuit of Recognition by the Award of the Purple Heart for Those Killed and Wounded During Terrorist Attack
Over 100 Nationally Recognized Experts Available for Commentary and Analysis on National Security, Economy, Mass Shootings, Artificial Intelligence, Health, and More
ChatGPT and AI News – Should artificial intelligence be regulated? – AI and data scientists for comment
Vaccine Injuries: A Nurse Practitioner’s Plea for Government Agencies to ‘Start Telling the Truth’
Hollywood Actress on Trial for Grabbing a Chicken: Coverage Draws Thousands of Viewers as UnchainedTV Ventures Into Live Streaming of Animal Rights Trials
The Trouble with Miracles Author Explores the Unintended Consequences of Scientific Breakthroughs in Reality-Based Trilogy
Unique eBay Charity Auction Features 1,000 Original Hats and Other Couture Items From New York Estate
Caring for an Aging Parent: CFP Outlines Proactive Approach to Preserve Wealth and Family Harmony
Surfing the Search Wave: Expert Dives into B bitcoin’s Rise as America’s Top Trending Topic
Riding the Bitcoin Wave: Uncover Hidden Opportunities with Bitcoin Expert Amid the Banking Crisis
Veteran Hollywood Investor Reinventing Livestreaming Entertainment Industry
Exclusive: Revolutionizing AI Art with NightCafe Studio’s Access to DeepFloyd’s Game-Changing Algorithm
Beware, Phishers: Cybersecurity Expert on How to Stay Safe
Beyond the TikTok Ban: Expert Insights on Protecting Children’s Data and Addressing the Real Issues at Stake
AI Spy with My Digital Eye: Will Artificial Intelligence Outsmart or Complement Marketers?–Intv. w/ Group Director of Performance Media
Saving Teen Girls From Rising Tide of Depression: Lifestyle Psychiatrist Shares Drug-Free, Affordable Strategies
Picture This Exclusive: AI Platform Founder Reveals DeepFloyd’s Groundbreaking Algorithm Set to Reshape the AI World
Week Ahead in Misinfo/Disinfo News – Interviews w/ Risk Intelligence Expert Available
Leave the Pain of Past Trauma Behind: Expert Shares Proven Strategies That Heal
Crypto-conflict: Unearthing the Cyber Warfare Potential of Cryptocurrency–Intv. w/ Bitcoin Expert
Why Celebs, Pokémon & Marvel Love This Artist
Legendary Video Game Visionary Building the Metaverse
AI is Making Misinformation King – What this Means for Public Figures, Our Habits, & Everything In Between; Creative Agency Founder Weighs In
Entering or Re-entering the Workforce? Former Fortune 100 President Shares His Practical Wisdom
She Hit a Glass Ceiling and Opened a Window: Juliet Hall Shares Her Powerful Career Pivoting Prompts
Debt Default Drama: Will Bitcoin Skyrocket or Face a Crypto Crash?
AI Art CEO Reveals the Power of Stability AI’s Newly Released Algorithm
Patricia Summersett returns as the voice of Zelda in Tears of the Kingdom
The Buddhist CEO a Blueprint for Work-Life Balance
Defining Attributes to Help Overcome ‘Virus of Victimhood’
Unlocking the Power of AI: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Paid Search Marketing
Three Veterans and a Hacker: How ORE Sys is helping men deal with mental health through a gaming app

I think there are maybe five headlines in there that even involve video games. Lots on Bitcoin and careers and AI and other things not very much on the topic of this site.

I did find the one from the “Fortune 100 CEO” about re-entering the workforce to be perhaps the least likely to involve anything useful or interesting. A CEO of a big company is generally so detached from the day to day work of the company that their idea of what people actually do is generally absurd.

Also, advice from rich people is generally bad. The first rule of rich people club is don’t help other people join rich people club.

Anyway, another glimpse behind the scenes here.

Return of the Mail Bag as Crypto Crashes and Atari Turns 50

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I am back once more with some subject lines from the old blog email address… not the one that has been current for the last seven years, but the old one that seems to be stuck on a lot of PR related mailing lists. I wonder how many times that address has been sold.

One thing that surprised me a bit was the fact that Atari turned 50 last month and there was only a single email hawking something based on that anniversary.

50th Anniversary XP Cartridge Drop

It turns out a company calling themselves Atari XP has the license to remake special collectible Atari 2600 cartridges. For the 50th anniversary Missile Command was up for sale.

The cartridge lights up

For just $99.99 you get this deluxe package that includes:

Premium 50th Anniversary game box with a cutout that allows you to see the front of the cartridge
A newly manufactured Atari 2600 cartridge with custom artwork and an acrylic top that lights up when being played
Full-color instruction manual
Hard enamel collectible pin with black nickel plating
Polyester blend, twill-woven embroidered collectible patch
Custom acrylic cartridge stand

I guess you have to have an Atari 2600 console to use it, unless you just want it as a collectible. There is also an Adventure version of this collection available, though the Yar’s Revenge and Saboteur cartridges have sold out.

Meanwhile, as was the case back in January, the majority of the email subject lines seem to be focused on crypto, NFTs, and Web3, though there are at least a few in the mix that indicate that all might not be well in the world. (Though they almost always recommend now is the time to buy in the body of the email.)

Don’t Call It A Comeback – Rapping Crypto-Meme Creator Rito Rhymes Says Crypto Will Bounce Back
How Celsius Filing Bankruptcy Marks a Larger Problem With High Profile Cryptocurrencies
Top Surgeon Makes the Cut as a Musician on a Mission to Combat Gun Violence
As Bitcoin Collapses Crypto Traders Are Liquidating
World’s First Solar-Powered Bluetooth Headset
Souq Raises $3M, Supports Web3 Gaming Amidst Growing DeFi Adoption
Tesla Expected to Report $440M Impairment on its Bitcoin Stock
Company of Heroes 3 is available for Pre-Order
New TV Series Exposes The Myth of Teacup Pigs
Path to Enlightenment Explained in Zen Rohatsu
Ryu Games Announces Two New Games from Ulti Arena Launching on Flame, Its “Steam for Web3” Platform
Could ‘Unknown Factors’ in Schools Stop Active Shooters in Their Tracks?
California Dead Last In US Sports Betting Index
Why Companies Are Putting a Halt Crypto Withdrawals During a Market Crash
42% of Coinbase assets in Q1’22 are in Bitcoin
Will the Real Estate Boom Cool Down, Heat Up, or Stay Steady this Summer?
What is GameFi, and why are regulators treating it as a legitimate form of finance?
How to Become a Gaming Influencer – Tips from CEO of leading gaming influencer agency [x5]
America’s BTC Hashrate Share Surged 358% to stand at 38% in early 2022
32% of all Social media Crypto Frauds are committed on Instagram
This Rapping Crypto Influencer Just Dropped His First Meme Song
How eBay Could Monitor and Control NFT Transactions
Denuvo by Irdeto launches Denuvo SecureDLC, the industry’s first solution to protect downloadable content against piracy
Global Video Gaming Base Crosses 3 Billion
Souq Raises $3M to Redefine Web3 Gaming Amidst Recession
NASEF MENAcraft: international exchange program uses Minecraft
John O’Hurley’s (“Seinfeld”) Launches Tech Company to ‘Authenticate All Real Humans’
Interview Billionaire Gamer CEO Building Out the Metaverse
The US has more Fintech Unicorns than the next 20 Countries Combined
Apple’s $2.5 billion move into sports streaming with MLS deal signals a changing landscape for media rights
The carbon footprint of mining a single BTC transaction is 22X that of Gold
The Future is Here, and She’s a Lovely Stranger Named Frankie
Tencent’s $32.2B Gaming revenue is the highest for a public company
Scams on the Rise During the Increased Reputation of Crypto
Microsoft is plotting a CTV sneak attack
Fortnite & The Office (US) are 2 of the fastest growing fandoms in the last 5 years
Turkey leads the world with its 85% Mobile banking adoption rate
The most cosplayed anime characters confirms the world loves Naruto
Ryu Games Announces Flame “Steam for Web3”
New Game/Metaverse on Blockchain
Misconceptions About the Metaverse
First Ever Rhyme NFTs minted by Crypto Rapper
Dogecoin Founder Agrees w/ NFT Artist About Decentralization on Blockchains
The Meta Daisies ignite rock in the metaverse, in a world-first
Music in the Metaverse and the Future Concert Experience

This isn’t a full list from January when I last posted. These are just from the last month. And some of them showed up multiple times, though I only used a subject line once. I did put a [5x] on the one about becoming an influencer, because that one showed up five times since mid-June.

The Mail Bag Returns with Another Round of Headlines

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I did a mailbag post back in mid-December just to display the sort of email and press releases I get on what was once the main blog email account. It isn’t anymore, but it was during the peak of the blog and blogging, and nobody updates anything on the internet it seems, so I still get notes there daily. The whole tale of that is in the post I linked.

I decided to go back because since the holidays there has been a bit of a surge in a couple of topics, and they probably won’t surprise you. These are basically all of the unsolicited email subject lines for the last month that landed in my old inbox.

Touchcast Launches MCity, the World’s First Enterprise Metaverse
Gibson Brands Acquires GWW Guitar Case Company: Sets the Stage for Future Integration, Innovation, and Growth
ESL Pro Tour StarCraft II Schedule Revealed for 2022/23
E:Alert: Original Gaming Thriller “First Person Shooter” Premieres Today on Tubi
Product Review: Lowest price entry-level Xbox on the market
Display Social, Acquires 2 Companies- forms multi-billion dollar metaverse company
Security 101. Don’t Bash Your Head Over Unsecured Credentials
Expert Interview Opp or Guest Article: Managing NFT’s From Creation to Sale
PR: Bitcoin electricity consumption is 8X that of Google and Facebook combined
CryptoDragons Metaverse is starting on December 25
Crypto company TacoCat announces new advisors
Ho-ho-ho: Adult company selling cryptocurrency designed dildos for the holidays
PR: NFT sales surge past the $4 billion mark in the last 30 days
PR: USDT dominance among stablecoins plummets to 49% in 4 years
How OpenSea’s Auction Valuation Confirms Independent NFT’s Role in Blockchain: Intv. w/ CEO of NFT Gaming Marketplace
Expert Interview Opp or Guest Article: Metaverse Explainer
Review/Feature: The Book of Greatest Leadership Quotations
Evanescence, Grim and Umphrey’s McGee and More Go Meta with Soundscape VR
GKIDS Releases Opening Scene for Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE – In Theaters This Friday
How to Become a Gaming Influencer – Tips from CEO of leading gaming influencer agency
PR: 23 NFTs Sell for Over $1m in the Last 30 Days
Story: new game let’s kids build the metaverse
PR: CryptoPunks Generated Nearly Half of Top 10 NFT Sales in the Last Month
NEW PRODUCT: Dreo’s Air Purifier Dusts The Competition
Shure Debuts New Look and Even Better Sound For Its Award-Winning SRH840 and SRH440 Headphones
RESEARCH-NFT launches attract 50x more bots than hype sneaker sales
Prime Video Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA
Federal regulations cracking down on internet privacy laws
PR: Energy consumed by one Ethereum transaction could power over 100,000 VISA transactions
PR: 257 NFT artists have generated over $1M in sales over the last 30 days
[STUDY] Gaming addiction causing tech-related health issues
Cute but demanding tactical masterpiece! Gem Wizard Tactics is coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox
PR: Bitcoin Treasuries Account for 7.2% of the 21 Million BTC Supply Cap
PR: MicroStrategy and Tesla Command 80% of BTC held by top 10 public companies
Accessing the Blockchain Can be Too Expensive for Some Developers – Web3 Visionary Explains How to Change That
Blue Tiger Wins TWICE Picks Award for World’s First Solar-Powered Bluetooth Headset
Almost 10k petition EA Sports to honor John Madden on next Madden NFL cover
Intv. w/ XR Cinema CEO: VR Expert Weighs in On the Rise of Metaverse & Virtual Reality
Almost 70% of People Can NOT Distinguish Gmail’s Real Login Page From A Scam – Can You?
Physical release of Comic Coloring Book: Complete Edition for the Nintendo Switch console available now
Activision Blizzard’s games ranked #2 & #3 most popular in gaming community
PR: ETH average transaction costs 33x BTC costs in 2022
Nooie Launches Versatile Smart Camera Featuring a Detachable Base
Calling All Sonic Sculptors, the Legendary Brand Maestro Emerges with Five Pedals for Endless Exploration
XGIMI Expands Versatile Halo Series With Smarter Halo+ FHD Portable Projector
Study from Marmalade Game Studio finds one in four have developed mental health issues since Covid
Connect Tolkien-like fantasy world with the 1920s and see what will happen. Pendula Swing is coming to Nintendo Switch
PR: The average price of NFTs hits $50K in the last 30 days
Reminder: 01/20 News Advisory – Doomsday Clock Update – Major Announcement on Clock’s 75th Anniversary
PR: CryptoArt Market Cap Hits $2.3 Billion With Over 2 Million Total Sold Artworks
[News] ZOAN Announces €100 Million Virtual Land Sale with Photorealistic Metaverse Cornerstone.land
Microsoft is acquiring Activision Blizzard to dominate the metaverse, says GlobalData
Intv. W/ Crypto Creator & Expert – Microsoft To Enter The Metaverse After Purchasing Blizzard
BREAKING: Doomsday Clock Set to 100 Seconds to Midnight, Scientists Call for Action to “Turn Back the Clock”
Highrise City Playtest starts January 27th – New Feature Video and Screenshots released
My Friend Peppa Pig Launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
Call of Duty collectibles incoming from Koyo & Activision
Join awe.live, submit an Auggie Nomination, get your Super Early Bird registration and find out what’s new in the XR community
Gibson and Jake Kiszka -Guitarist in the GRAMMY-Winning Rock Band Greta Van Fleet- Celebrate the 61st Anniversary of the Iconic SG Guitar
Intv: Is Meta increasing accessibility to NFT creation a good thing? NFT Expert Explains
NFT Expert Available on Meta Considering Adding NFT Component to Facebook and Instagram

As you can see, NFT, crypto, and the metaverse continue to trend, though they have somehow managed to all mean the same thing thanks to the crypto scammers pushing their “ownership” agenda.

I am genuinely sorry I didn’t get a press release about the “rave” that took place in Decentraland, which was the saddest, most 2003 online event I have seen in ages. But the pathetic nature of the video when compared to, say, concerts in Fortnite, haven’t stopped the cryto bros from trying to spin it as amazing.

This is the #metaverse… A live rave happening right now in @decentraland for the upcoming @LightbulbmanNFT release by #BjarneMelgaard. Music from @feedelity @prins_thomas @mightbetwins #NFTdrop #rave #virtualevent #NFTCommunity pic.twitter.com/aC4WYRbgH9

— Alex Moss (@alexmoss) January 20, 2022

That is practically a self-own… or yet another demonstration that crypto bros don’t know what they’re talking about. That ain’t no Ariana Grande concert.

Probably the most interesting on the list… or at least the one I decided to go look at… was #40 about popularity in the gaming community. It at least has an infographic, even if I am not exactly sold on their methodology.

The top six out of the 23 listed

The least inspiring was the the setting of the Doomsday Clock (entries #48 and #53) by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists because they didn’t actually change the setting… it was set to 100 seconds back in 2020… so the whole thing was, ironically, a bit of a damp squib. I also feel like the name of the organization has become misleading. While some towering atomic scientists helped found the whole thing… Einstein, Teller, and Oppenheimer were among the group… the whole thing has been trying to find its way since the end of the Cold War and, so far as I can tell, isn’t exactly the domain of many atomic scientists any more. It would be more aptly titled the Bulletin of the Poly Sci Majors.

Also, they apparently bought a mailing list with some really out of date and/or inappropriate addresses. Nice move Einstein.

Anyway, that is all I have. The inbox has been cleared again, we’ll see what trends continue to find their way into it.

Return to the Mail Bag for some Headlines

Back in the middle bronze age of the blog I started in on a recurring feature centered on items that landed in my email inbox. I was apparently committed enough to the bit that I even made a “Mail Bag” category, which means you can see on the side bar category list drop down that I managed to farm that for a good 16 posts between mid 2011 and late 2013. (The count is 17 now with this post.)

That time frame happens to correspond to the peak of the popularity of the blog, though I suspect my dropping the mail bag bit was not a key element in its subsequent decline.

Anyway, the idea was founded in the fact that, back when I started the blog, I created an email address just for the blog and blog related items. It was a Yahoo address, which was the style at the time, and it appeared on my About page for many years.

Yahoo, back in the day… like a decade before I started the blog, but I had the picture handy

And I used to get a lot of email. Not from readers, though that was not unheard of. I still get the occasional email on that front. The main senders were PR and marketing people with press releases to push and post ideas to suggest.

Somewhere around 2015 or so I changed the blog email address on the About page to a Gmail address (same user name though, wilhelm2451) because… reasons. I think there was some worry about Yahoo at the time and how they might no longer allow free email or some such.

It has been a tough couple of decades for Yahoo.

Anyway, the swap was made and now anybody more recent than that time probably sends me email there… which is a very small number, because by 2015 this blog, and blogging in general, were in serious decline.

But I didn’t throw away the Yahoo account, and Yahoo didn’t end up breaking email or demanding payment or anything, so I still have the account. I still even email some people from that account if our relationship started in that era. Hey Bhagpuss.

The thing is, I still get a lot of email on that account. A lot of press releases, PR items, and blog post suggestions from various agencies. More on a typical day than I get on my blog Gmail account in a week.

Lately I’ve become a bit fascinated by the pile of stuff I get there. I certainly didn’t sign up for all of those mailing lists. Somebody must have just collected a random set of web site email addressed and sold them to unwitting PR people.

I often just let it all collect and then delete it in great bunches, but sometimes I let it sit and gather and then wander through it to see what is there. I don’t think I have received a single item that has prompted a blog post in years. But still it keeps coming in.

So, in furtherance of very little other than my own amusement, I gathered the last sixty or so subject lines and pasted them below, just to give you a simulation of what it is like to open my inbox at the end of any given week.

Newsweek’s Atari VCS Review: Retro Tech Meets Geek Chic!
OUT DAY: BEDROOM POP AUTEUR ZEPH RELEASES DEBUT SCARED OF EVERYTHING EP ON NEON GOLD
TV Priest (Sub Pop) start first UK headlining tour | Guestlist available on request
Swedish BrainTech Company Mentalytics Signs Agreement with Kia
Survios Sells Over One Million Copies of CREED: Rise to Glory, Inspired by Hit MGM Franchise, Across All Platforms
STEM Toy of the Year Nominee Roto Brain – Sample?
Jooki Kids’ Streaming WiFi Speaker Available for Review – Screen-Free Music & Audio Book Entertainment
‘Len’s Island’ gets new gameplay trailer – moves launch date to 26th November
Virtual tickets are now available for AWE USA 2021!
Starlight Alliance debuts on Steam and Nintendo Switch [review copies available]
Gaming and the Sustainability Problem: Console Power Consumption Increases by Up to 2,520% [Infographic]
One of the World’s Top-Selling Video Game 3D Artists
CNBC Transcript: Chipotle Chief Diversity, Inclusion & People Officer Marissa Andrada and Chipotle CFO Jack Hartung Speak with CNBC’s Kate Rogers Live During CNBC’s @Work Summit Today
China’s Impact On The Gaming Industry Is Going To Be Massive
North of Nowhere Launches a Kickstarter!
New Gameplay Trailer Out Now for ‘They Always Run,’ Set to Launch on October 20th, 2021
Pinball Expo 2021 October 27th-30th
DoubleDice develops decentralized gaming platform allowing multiple games in a no-house/no-casino setup – democratizing the gaming industry
OKLOU SHARES GALORE ANNIVERSARY EP + DEBUT AMERICAN TOUR WITH CAROLINE POLACHEK
New York’s Bambara announce new mini-LP “Love Is On My Mind” | Out February 25th on Wharf Cat Records | UK + EU headline dates announced for 2022
The Journey thru Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life
Minecraft most malware-infected game on the market with 228k users affected
Stocking Stuffer: Gaming deodorant for your forehead – actually a sweat liner for your VR headset
Google Play Quarterly Revenue Jumped to $21.5B, Almost Double than App Store
Enter the Multiverse & Discover Every Spider-Man Variant [Infographic]
Pinball Expo 2021 located at Schaumburg Convention Center
Silverbacks announce new album “Archive Material”
Self Esteem reveals “Moody” video ahead of release of highly anticipated album Prioritise Pleasure (out 10.22 on Avenue A / Fiction Records)
iRacing Petit Le Mans glory for RLR eSports Porsche GT3 duo
Is a Metaverse Possible?
DreamHack Anaheim To Take Place in Feb 2022
AP Style Reminders, Scary PR Pitches & More
New research reveals how you can take up to $339 off your new PS5 and Xbox Series X
WATCH: “I’m On A High” by Rick Eberle (music video premiere)
The Number of Twitch Streamers Plunged by 1.8 Million YTD, Average Viewership Down by 20% Since May
New GamePlay Trailer Out, Cradle of Sins, Brings VR & PC Players Together in an Adventurous Multiplayer Game
[CORRECTED]: Users globally spent over 140,000 years watching Twitch in H1 2021
Press Release: 2 IN 5 PEOPLE ARE CONTENT CREATORS: SHURE UNVEILS FINDINGS FROM FUTURESOURCE’S NEW STUDY
Review/video Consideration – Striking visuals spooky Fairy tale – Puzzle platformer – Tandem a tale of shadow
Email Vulnerability Pandemic. Are All Emails Worth Opening?
Quick Pitch: The Gen Z EV That’s GAS –Alexis
NEW RELEASE: ‘FAR CRY 6’ The Music of Yara – Music by Various Artists
Data: San Jose is the most expensive major metro for household bills
Xbox Players Most Toxic on Voice Chat, Swearing 6 Times per Minute
Greatest Music of All Time Podcast
Introducing Lowel EGO LED™ Light
Kills Birds share the anthemic and incendiary “Cough Up Cherries” | New album “Married” out 12th November
NEWS RELEASE – REDBOX Expands Distribution Footprint of its Streaming App to the PlayStation5 Console
Little Bug, a lovely adventurous platformer is coming to Switch and Xbox consoles later this year
Aloof release date revealed. Super cute puzzle-fighter is coming to Nintendo Switch
STEVE JONES PROMOTED TO PRESIDENT OF GEARBOX SOFTWARE
It’s not the same old internet
GKIDS To Release Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE In Theaters January 14, 2022
Nintendo Switch Outsold PS3 and Xbox 360 with 90.5 Million Units in Lifetime Shipments
Environmentally conscious underwater adventure SAMUDRA heading to Steam
Revealed: The highest earning games per player – Clash of Clans a billion dollar earner
Fintropolis uses Minecraft to teach students about money – Over 1M Downloads in First 25 Days
EXPERT INTERVIEW OPP: Overdose CRISIS: Highest Number EVER; Rehab Owner and former addict weighs in

To be fair, that one at the top of the list about the new Atari VCS, which arrived just last night, also showed up on every other email account I check regularly. They are more serious about finding me than most.

There is quite a bit of music related press releases landing in my inbox, which is odd because any long time reader would probably be able to suggest a half a dozen more suitable blogs than my own for that. Once again, hi Bhagpuss!

And there are a number on the list that really look like they might be on topic for the site, but which end up being either a bit skimpy… that one about swears on Twitch streams was the result of somebody watching the first 15 minutes of 100 videos on YouTube, which doesn’t exactly feel like a sufficient sample size… or are sponsored and hosted by online gambling sites.

The Is a Metaverse Possible? pitch seemed interesting, given Raph Koster’s current project. It is pushing a book from Frank Rose, The Sea We Swim In, which seems to be more focused on manipulating your fan base with your stories than the technical feasibility, or practical implementation, of the whole metaverse idea. Looking him up, the same author wrote a book on immersion a decade back. Maybe I’ll look into that. But no meat in there for a post despite he promise of the subject line.

Such is life online.

And I didn’t even think to look in the spam folder on the account, though peeking in there it seems that not much gets flagged as spam.

Anyway, there wasn’t much of a message behind this post other than to give yet another peek into what goes on here at TAGN.

Free Realms Inspired Family MMO Raises Seven Dollars on First Day

The upside for Wonky Seasons, should they be able to carry this first day momentum, is that is that their Kickstarter campaign is trending to raise a grand total of $109.

The bad news is that if this trend continues, it will only get them to 0.13% of their $85,000 goal.

Looking pretty happy considering…

Okay, I am being snarky or sarcastic… or maybe both. Heck, I couldn’t tell you for sure if Free Realms was their inspiration. This is all they really say on the subject:

Wonky Seasons started because it’s creators saw how the closure of a popular family MMO game affected it’s players. We followed many stories of kids that were heartbroken and the big void the closure of this game created.

While the characters in the logo made me think of the now shut down Free Realms, they could as easily be referring to the dearly departed Toontown Online. Or it could be some other game. So take your pick.

I am not bringing this up to be hurtful or to have a joke purely at their expense… though that will probably get them some attention, which they desperately need… but because this sort of thing almost makes me weep for the almost boundless sense of optimism that this sort of project requires and how it is going to get smacked down by the harsh reality of the world of game development in general, and MMO development in particular.

Just last Friday I was bemoaning the fact that the Project: Gorgon Kickstarter campaign seemed unlikely to succeed largely, I felt, because it had little name recognition. No major media outlet is clamoring for an interview with Eric Heimburg just so he can promote his new Kickstarter. But Eric Heimburg at least has standing in the MMO game developer community and has worked on actual MMOs that have shipped, are still running, and could be considered successful… not to mention actually having a working alpha version of his game that you can download and try before you decided whether or not to kick in any money.

And with all of that, he only rolled out of the gates on the first day with $4,500 of the $100,000 he is looking to raise to hurry up the production of his game… a game that is already a tangible thing you can play.

In that context, what chance does a team with no standing and no game development experience listed have showing up with no fanfare and looking to build momentum and get the ball rolling after they have already started the clock on their campaign? It isn’t like they are making something that will capture media attention or is likely to go viral. Another MMO? Who needs that? We’re looking for the next potato salad campaign. (Which, depressingly, brought in more than Eric Heimburg’s first Kickstarter.)

So what do you tell somebody who sends you a note asking you to please do a post about their Kickstarter campaign? Being one of a dozen or so messages in the blog inbox, I nearly passed over it. I only looked at it because it was flagged to indicate it was sent from the feedback form on the About page here at TAGN, which meant somebody came here and pasted it in themselves rather than just using an email spam service. And I only decided to do a post because… seven dollars?

Do you tell them to give up, go home, get a real job?

I don’t know. I don’t know what they really have. I don’t know where it may end up.

All I could recommend is that they get themselves a copy of It’s a Long Way to the Top by AC/DC… I am partial to the Jack Black version at the end of School of Rock… and to play that loudly every time life comes around to kick them in the teeth as they try to move this project forward. If they want to get this done, they’ll be listening to that song a lot.

You can find their Kickstarter page here to read all about the project.

Items from the Mail Bag – In the Material World

Another visit to the mail bag, which for some reason features a lot of actual things. It also shows that press releases will go out to just about anybody these days.

A Love Letter to DOOM

I am always a fan of people who tackle gaming topics in actual printed book form. Being over a certain age, getting somebody to publish that sort of thing lends legitimacy to the whole genre, even if it isn’t likely to make any best seller’s list. So I was interested to see a press release for DOOM: SCARYDARKFAST.

DOOM: SCARYDARKFAST

According to the press release, this 200 page book covers the creation of DOOM, how it impacted the industry, pushed online multiplayer and modding, and spawned many imitators. The book jacket quote:

This book is a love letter to DOOM and its various creators, written by a highly educated and devoted scholar and player. The book offers a well-grounded sense of the game and does an excellent job working its way through a range of topics: from the software company to the graphics engine to the story to the sound to the final game.”
—Katherine Whitlock, California State University-Chico

Never having actually played DOOM (I was working on Mac OS at the time, so Bungie’s Marathon kicks off first person shooters for me) and not being a particularly dedicated shooter fan, some of this will no doubt be lost on me, but it is nice to see it getting recorded somewhere.

D-Link Router for Gamers

D-Link sent me a press release for their new router for gamers.

Available in August

This one interests me because we have to share a rather small pipe to the internet at our house and the tools available for apportioning out bandwidth seem to be to be rather primitive. Looking at the we page for the router, it looks like they are headed in the right direction. And, frankly, things like Quality of Service shouldn’t be rocket science at this point. I am not going to run out and pre-order one, but I will look for reviews to see if it actually works as described.

FitDesk for the Happy Family

FitDesk is a company that sells equipment that allows you to use your electronics while you exercise. A noble calling, or at least one with some merit. I recall a story from a few of years back about a guy who bolted his laptop to a treadmill and spent all his World of Warcraft time walking. He lost weight and got into shape while raiding. So I have nothing snarky to say about the idea really, except that the picture they attached to the press release they sent me is a bit… odd.

Just like no family ever

The thought process that lead to this would be interesting to map. Put dad in the chair. Have him smiling, happy that his son is getting exercise. Hand him a laptop to show he is tech savvy. Give him a smiling trophy wife about his son’s age. Have those two gaze fondly at the son while he plays his game completely undisturbed by this attention. And no sweating! We don’t need to remind people that exercise makes they moist and smelly.

Life in the world of advertisements.

LEGO Middle-earth Rolls On

And the people at LEGO continue to send me pictures of their latest and greatest stuff, like this Tower of Orthanc set.

LEGO Saruman

Unfortunately, the age of LEGO seems to be pretty much over at our house. My daughter is in the pre-teen stage and becomes quickly bored when forced to do things like assembling LEGO kits with dad. Time marches on. Now we’re worried about paying for college.

Items from the Mail Bag – Press Releases and Special Offers Edition

Digging into the mail bag, another reminder that I haven’t felt inspired to write about much new of late.

Darkfall: Unholy Wait

Aventurine sent me the press release announcing that Darkfall: Unholy Wars would finally launch on April 16th, after a five month delay.

Back in September of 2012 they announced that the original Darkfall would shut down on November 15th to make room for Unholy Wars, which was slated to launch on the 20th of the same month. And then… well… the Aventurine reputation needed to be maintain. So here we are, seven months after that announcement, and the game should launch next week.

Now, the press release points out that this time was well spent, that much was learned from the beta. We shall see next week. Maybe.

Blizzard Remains Steadfast

After running out my seven free days of World of Warcraft, I remained on the fence about whether it would be worthwhile to subscribe or not. And then, ten days later, I received an email from Blizz with a subject line asking me to resubscribe to the game.

I was intrigued. I wondered if Blizz might sweeten the deal now that they had me thinking about the game. A special offer might have been enough to tip the balance.

But there was no special offer. It was just a link to the standard subscription page. Blizz isn’t at a point right now where it feels the need to anything special to get people to come back.

Twitter Pushes Advertising

Twitter has decided that I am a small business and, as such, I need to advertise on their service. So I received a whole stream of messages from them offering me a free $50 advance on my advertising.

I have not taken them up on their offer, having no idea what I would even promote.

Mega Wars IV

Crimson Leaf Games, which recreated the classic CompuServe game Mega Wars III that I poked my nose into ages ago, has taken the idea a step further and created Mega Wars IV which includes a full graphical client done in Microsoft Silverlight.

Interestingly, Stellar Emperor, the version of the game that ran on GEnie, which I have also covered, went this route in the early 90s, adding on a graphical client and updating the game, thus diverging it from what stated off as its twin, Mega Wars III.

Populist Wish Fulfillment

I keep getting press releases around a film titled Assault on Wall Street. The synopsis for the picture is:

Jim is an average New Yorker living a peaceful life with a well paying job and a loving family. Suddenly, everything changes when the economy crashes causing Jim to lose his job, home and wife. Filled with anger and rage, Jim snaps and goes to extreme lengths to seek revenge for the life taken from him.

The poster shows the star, Dominic Purcell a pistol in one hand, a combat rifle in the other, with bullet riddled NYPD cars and SWAT teams deploying in the background.

So, yeah, gun violence. I guess that takes Occupy Wall Street up a notch. Let’s go kill the 1%!

Given that the only name I recognize in the cast is Eric Roberts, and that they are sending press releases to random gaming blogs, I am going to guess they couldn’t get any funding from those in the 1%.

World of Tanks Rolls On

Wargaming.net is very good about sending out regular press releases. Two big things they have coming up are the World of Tanks 8.5 update, which includes more German tanks, redone maps, and changes to what non-premium accounts can do. There is a preview over at The Mittani.

And then there is World of Tanks Blitz.

This is Wargaming.net’s attempt to bring World of Tanks to mobile platforms. Featuring 7 vs. 7 battles, I will be interested to see how they translate their Windows shooter to that mobile world.

Items from the Mail Bag – Barrel Scrapings and the Like

Mail bag was going to be a regular monthly feature, but frankly the mail I have been getting on the blog account really hasn’t been living up to the role. Still, I do get something amusing now and again. A pity none of it showed up recently, so this is all you get.

Three Kias, One Cup

The Kia Motors Overseas Communications Team ( 해외커뮤니케이션팀) wants me to go connect with their Facebook page so I can play a flash based tennis game featuring players that are, if I understand this correctly, anthropomorphized versions of their cars. The Soul, Sorento, and Cerato to be specific. Except I think that last one is sold as the Forte here in the US.

Totally not ripping off Disney/Pixar

All because Kia sponsors some aspect of the Australian Open… which is a tennis tournament.

I had to look that up.

I almost want to go play this, just to see how they get that lumpy Sorento to move its ass around the court. But a surge of apathy has stayed my hand so far.

Still, don’t let me stop you! You can find the page on Facebook here. Just be quick, as the game only runs from January 16th through the 31st. Of course, they only sent me this note on the 29th, so clearly my participation was not all the important.

Aventurine Fails Again

Aventurine sent me a “Media Alert” to invite me to come and explore the world of Agon, which I am afraid always brings up images of Larry Storch.

A little whackier than this though

Unfortunately for Aventurine, all they actually had for me was a link to a dev diary video about their upcoming (some day) Darkfall: Unholy Wars reboot.

Then they listed out the price of the game ($14.95 if you are a Darkfall Online returning player or $29.95 (25% off) if you are new to this game) like they expected me, a member of the media (who else gets “media alerts” right?), to actually pay for it myself. This is how you get 2/10 reviews. (Though I still suspect there was a method to their madness.)

Haven’t we all learned by now that companies can get game journalists to degrade themselves and their profession with a few simple freebies? Playing it straight is a mug’s game.

The Soda Sipping Inside Joke?

I keep getting press notices about a game called Soda Drinker Pro, but cannot tell if this is just the internet yanking my chain or not. The quotes sound tongue in cheek.

Soda Drinker Pro is the most advanced soda drinking simulator ever created

While sites like Gamasutra have reprinted the press releases due to contractual obligations.

Mashable has a brief write up, but it still ends up sounding like an internet goof.

I have to think that the only reason I got this was that I have written about soda, and soda experiments, here in the past.

Somebody Sued Facebook

Which probably isn’t news, but the announcement showed up in my email. It was something about sponsored stories.

Why did I get this notice? This Notice relates to a proposed settlement (“Settlement”) of a class action lawsuit (“Action”) filed against Facebook relating to a particular Facebook feature called “Sponsored Stories.” According to available records, you may be a “Class Member.”

What is the Action about? The Action claims that Facebook unlawfully used the names, profile pictures, photographs, likenesses, and identities of Facebook users in the United States to advertise or sell products and services through Sponsored Stories without obtaining those users’ consent. Facebook denies any wrongdoing and any liability whatsoever. No court or other entity has made any judgment or other determination of any liability.

You can read more about it here. If Facebook used your likeness without your consent, it could be worth a sawbuck to you.

Meanwhile if the suit succeeds the lawyers will all get paid for the hours they billed and Facebook will have to change their terms of service so that by accepting them you allow Mark Zuckerberg to do whatever he damn well pleases with your likeness.

Oh, Mark, you crazy!

So who is going to win here?

Raptr Has a List!

Raptr sent me a list of awards they made up and gave out for 2012 based on their game tracking stats.

Most Played New Game – Borderlands 2
Most Played Game (Released Anytime) – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Biggest Boost from User-Generated Content – Portal 2
Most Played Long-Awaited Sequel – Borderlands 2
No Bathroom Break – Borderlands 2
Most Played XBLA Game – Minecraft
Most Played New IP – Dragon’s Dogma
Most Successful Paid to Free-to-Play Game – Star Wars: The Old Republic

Some of those make sense, while others… I am not so sure. The “Bathroom Break” bit probably relates to a measurement of play sessions, but how did they come up with “Long Awaited Sequel?” Was Borderlands 2 really that long in showing up? Relative to what?

Meanwhile, their last category almost always reflects a sentiment of “crap, we’d better mention MMOs!” They used the same category as 2011, but this time they managed to combine it with an attempt to suck up to EA/BioWare. Or does somebody think if you were going to mention MMOs that there weren’t other categories or titles you might choose? “Most played MMO” or GuildWars 2 certainly springs to my mind.

Anyway, you can read their full post here, which includes some additional details.

The Rest

Finally, I seem to be getting more and more messages asking me if I would like to come write for other sites. These invites are rather transparent requests to please provide free content for such and such a site to exploit for ad revenue.

It is the sources of these requests that are getting more interesting. I had one from a web media group from everybody’s favorite Germans, ProSiebenSat.1 and another from a group that purports to run the largest MMO gaming site in China.

All I can think is, “China?” My Larry Storch jokes are probably too obscure for Cracked.com, how would they possibly play in China.

Anyway, send me something interesting that isn’t about your 99 cent iPhone app and maybe I’ll make fun of it. As always, contact info is on the About page.

Items from the Mail Bag – Prizes, Discounts, and Volvo

Time for a return to this irregular feature where I pull items from the blog’s email in box and display them for all to see.

I haven’t done this for a bit because most of the blog email has been music industry press releases or people asking me to please review their iOS or Android app. However, aside from the Pet Shop Boys (and I am sorry for you guys if it has come to sending press releases to the likes of me) I haven’t a clue about any of the musical acts. And as for iOS and Android apps… well… most of them were unimaginative knock-offs of other games from indie devs and I have a general editorial policy of not posting about such things if I do not have anything nice to say. Big companies or big names can survive some mocking.

Still, a few items worthy of mention or mockery have shown up, so on to that.

Raptr Gives Me Some Hats in Rift

Raptr is the game time tracking tool I have been using since late 2010. (See me here) It is a competitor to Xfire and was, in fact, created by some of the same team that originally created Xfire. My main complaint about Raptr is that they do not display game time stats the way Xfire does, so you cannot do things like Nosy Gamer’s weekly Digital Dozen.

Instead they are trying to be more of a social network. They want you to interact with your friends there. They want you to do reviews there. They want you to blog there. And the really want you to hook Raptr into your other social networks.

I have done the latter primarily because I have a special crap Twitter feed you should not follow and a Facebook profile you probably shouldn’t be friends with. (Because look what happens.)

And, they offer up special deals, which usually amount to “please come play this game, we’ll give it to you at a steep discount and/or free.” But once in a while, something I actually want comes up, like hats. I just got this in email last night.

This was part of a push to get you to connect Raptr to Facebook I guess, but it actually came with a prize I might wear in Rift. While I can run around with awkward mis-matched armor, I will go out of my way for a good hat. So I get this next week when Storm Legion goes live.

A hat and goggles!

I am also eligible for a helm that looks like it was inspired by Half-Life 2.

Good for the aspiring cyclops

I think I will just stick with the hat and goggles. I wonder if they can be dyed?

Meanwhile, if Trion is going to work with Raptr, I wish they would get Rift achievements hooked up into Raptr the way Steam and Blizzard have. Ah well.

World of Tanks and Veterans Day

Wargaming.net is doing a special for Veterans Day and Remembrance Day. They have a charity offer for veterans organizations, plus the usual buffs; 5x bonus experience for your first win of the day in each of your tanks and they are giving credit bonuses to a few tanks I do not own. (B1, T-34, M4 Sherman and PzKpfw VI Tiger) Details here.

And they are giving away 24 hours of Premium service, which enhances your experience and credits earned even further. The code for this is VETERANSDAY and you can read about how to redeem the code here.

LOTRO – Spend More, Save More

Lord of the Rings Online also has a deal going this weekend which basically amounts to the false economic proposition of “the more you spend, the more you save!”

The offer

If you were planning to buy something expensive, this might be a boon. However, I cannot see myself spending 3,000 Turbine Points just to save 30% off of something.

EQInterface Prize

The team at EQInterface, which hosts UI mods for EverQuest, along with sibling sites for EverQuest II, Vanguard, and World of Warcraft, was celebrating their 10th anniversary back in… August I think. They had a trivia contest about the site and I apparently was a winner. I got a notification about it back in September. However I still haven’t gotten anything because they are still trying to get in touch with all of the winners.

So I continue to wait, but I still endorse their site for UI stuff.

Crash with Volvo

I keep getting notices from Volvo about their new iOS/Android game called Volvo Transporters. I suspected it would mostly be an ad for Volvo, but I grabbed it because it had the virtue of being free.

Volvo truck off the rails

And, yes, it is something of an ad for Volvo. It throws little Volvo factoids at you like how much food in the EU is hauled by Volvo trucks or that if you lined up all the Volvo buses ever made you would be well on your way to simulating the 405 freeway at 5pm on a Friday.

Basically, you drive a truck… a Volvo truck no doubt, but it is too small to see the logo… and have to drive over power ups to transform your truck into the vehicle appropriate for the hazards in the area. So for fires, you need a fire trucks, garbage requires a garbage truck, piles of muck require a front loader and so on.

Front loader in action

I will say I was happy the game was not one of those tilt-to-steer apps. I find that the iPad has too much mass to steer smoothly or accurately and so the big reason I think that Sonic the Hedgehog racing game is horrible is because I cannot steer very well. That and it is such a complete rip-off of Mario Kart games I am surprised that Sonic doesn’t feature a mustache and a little red hat.

That said, it requires a finger swiping action to steer which, combined with the odd “two-thirds off the rear quarter and fluctuating” viewing angle, wasn’t exactly winning me over. But then again I have big hands with all the agility of a cinder block, so maybe I had best stick with board games like Ticket to Ride on the iPad. You can see a video of somebody who can actually play the game here.

All in all though, I came out of the game having crashed often and with no additional desire to buy a Volvo.

Which is to say, I would still like an 1800ES. But that desire goes back a long ways.

Items from the Mail Bag – Absence Makes The Heart Something Something Edition

I started up “Items from the Mail Bag” as a regular feature a while back, and then totally dropped it for the last few months. This was primarily based on the quality of items showing up.

For example, I already mentioned Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess once, so the next 9 emails to me on that topic were something of a waste. I have also already mocked a couple of people who were essentially offering to let me write free content for their ad-driven site under the guise of “giving” me better exposure. Again, some jokes are only funny once.

In addition, I seem to have gotten on the distribution list for some PR group handling album releases for bands I have never heard of. Of course, I am old, so bands I have never heard of is a pretty large category I suppose. Still, I was amused to see that the title in the press release for deadmau5 did not, in fact, indicate that there was some sort of mail merge issue.

Do people still use mail merge? Do they still call it that? It was a big deal in the 80s, but I am going to guess there is a Web 2.0 term for it now.

Anyway, I think I have accumulated enough interesting/pathetic/amusing notes from my in box that are close enough to the topic of games and gaming that it is time again to share. So, in reverse chronological order, I give you:

Planes of Merinia MMO – Budget Slightly Less Than SWTOR

Phillip sent me a note asking me to publicize his attempt to fund his MMO project via Kickstarter. So, there is the link.

Another well mowed 3D landscape

Called Planes of Merinia, it offers… well… this:

In Merinia, you do not choose a class. Instead, you can learn skills, spells, and crafts from multiple classes. You can learn healing, fire magic, and sword master, for example. As you gain levels for your character, you can increase your set of skills. Your skills only level if you use them.

In Merinia, you can construct your own weapons, armor, artifiacts, items, etc. Included in the game is an item editor. Create a vorpal sword, or a golden bag. Whatever you can imagine. Items can have scripts attached to them, allow for animation, actions, and special events.

The game is allegedly 65% complete as is currently slated for a February 2013 release. The money being raised, $20K, is to get art assets and level (zone?) designer involved. The whole thing strikes me as a low budget Darkfall, but I am not sure I want to go there.

Master Blaster – The Gun for Your 5D Home Holodeck Thingy

It is a controller that looks like something a space marine should be carrying.

Too awesome to be fully displayed in a single photo I guess

This is an Indiegogo project… which is something like Kickstarter I guess… where you can buy that gun controller thingy to use some sort of very expensive looking full room gaming environment made by a company called izone-3. And it works with the Wii.

iOS Apps I Haven’t Bothered to Download

I’ve ignored them so you don’t have to… or something. I don’t think it works like that. Anyway, they all sent me press release-like messages asking for a mention.

SpaceWiz – Immerse yourself in the wonders of a visual/audio experience like no other! Take the role of viewer AND creator in a galaxy where you reign.

ExQuizit – The world’s biggest quiz. (Can we get a Guinness ruling on that?) The guy spent 18 months writing the questions. There are 12,000 of them. Go nuts.

Carpet Ball – See, the AppStore is proving that either all the good names are taken or that people are bad at naming their apps.

Diptic – Create exceptional photo collages that can be shared with friends and family.

No endorsement of these apps should be assumed.

Because I Spend So Much Time Talking About Cables Here…

Megan at Canyon PR has sent me half a dozen messages asking if I would like to review the ACCELL’s DisplayPort to DVI-D Dual Link adapter.

Look, hardware!

It works with 3D, which implies that there is some limitation somewhere. Or is this like labeling candy that is nothing but sugar “fat free” because it isn’t even as nutritional as fat? Anyway, I feel better about deleting her messages now.

And Harry Potter Will Solve Our Economic Woes

Harry Potter “the most successful literary and film franchise in history” according to one press release, needs to pile on to its already impressive $7 billion in merchandise sales by throwing two pull-out poster books into the mix.

Potter Poster Books

Now J.K. Rowling will be just that much richer than the queen. (Which I am pretty sure is why Elizabeth looked so grumpy at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.) I’m not even putting any links in for these two. Go find them yourselves.

Club Penguin Does… Something

I am not even sure how to parse this headline:

Make Your Mark: Ultimate Jam Follows Massive Success of Marvel Super Hero Takeover Event; Club Penguin’s First Single Tops iTunes Children’s Chart

It is one of those “I know what all those words mean by themselves…” moments. And the text of the press release just goes on in the same vein. It could easily be randomly generated for all I can tell.

In summing up what ever they were trying to tell me, it seemed that whatever it was involved 40 million play sessions across 200 countries.

The take away for me is that SWTOR could really use more penguins if it wants to succeed in F2P I guess.

Because It Is Better Than Eating Their Pizza

A PR firm representing Little Caesar’s sent me a link to a video on YouTube. They want sites to run it on a… commercial basis. The message literally said that watching the video will make you want to go “Whoooo!” And it did indeed, though I am not sure I am pronouncing it in the way they expected. To my mind, their pizza is to “real” pizza what Chef Boyardee is to Italian food in general.

Space Nazis! What Is Not To Love?

As inexplicable as the music press releases, I received a couple of messages alerting that Iron Sky will be playing at select theaters in the US over the summer. The premise:

In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by fleeing to the Dark Side of the Moon. During 70 years of utter secrecy, the Nazis construct a gigantic space fortress with a massive armada of flying saucers.

By this point however, the tour is almost over. In reading some related information I have to admit I was not aware that Space Nazis represented such a full body of work.

The same company sent me a similar press release about something called Unicorn City, which doesn’t even have a Wikipedia entry, so I remain mostly clueless on the subject.

And that is about it, aside from the co-marketing pitches and one company who noted that the site lacked a forum and offered to set me up with one. Just what I need.