Platform 2013 is here!

I've just got back from experiencing the various delights of Platform 2013, the biggest gaming convention ever to hit Hull, and it's been pretty awesome fun.

Platform has pretty much taken over Hull City Centre today and tomorrow, being in force in the City Hall, Guildhall, Studio School, and Ferens Art Gallery.  In the City Centre the main gaming focus is taking place, with a mixture of games developers and gaming-related firms in prescence.  It was great to see the Multiplay guys commentating on some fantastic Hunger Games Minecraft and Ace of Spades games.

One of the indie developers there, Beard Bandit, was on hand to feature the first-ever public showing of their new game, Comet Chaos.  It harks back a little to Missile Command, albeit with far better gameplay, graphics, and insane powerups - swopping your missiles for a laser is ridiculous fun!  And watching the stellar chunks bounce off a handy shield is very satisfying.

Comet Chaos - don't be put off by my low resolution picture - I just need a new camera!

One of the chaps from Beard Bandit does an interview while his colleague gets the important job of "playing the game so the interview has it in shot, whilst sitting on the floor behind a table to keep out of the shot himself"

Elsewhere, in the Guildhall, two rooms are set up with all kinds of retro gaming computers and consoles available, from Acorns and BBC Micros, through Ataris and Sega Master Systems.  They only had one Spectrum but it was a +3 - oh how I wanted a ZX Spectrum +3 when I was a kid!  I tried various games, and reminded myself just how bad I am at them.  Today's games are a lot easier, you can pause them and save them and go back whenever you want, and if you die you restart just before where you died... I remember the family playing one game for a month, and that meant that the Spectrum stayed on for the month.  Amazing that the power supply didn't burst into flames really, knowing how hot they got!

BBC Micros.  At least they didn't have any of those nasty Commodores around.

I also popped over to Ferens Art Gallery to see what was going on there, as I sauntered in a Platform volunteer said "are you here for Platform?", I answered in the affirmative and within twenty seconds found myself in a lecture hall, with no idea of who was speaking or what about.  Fortunately the speaker was the very impressive AJ Grand-Scrutton who gave a fantastic talk about his experiences of working in the games industry.

Special mention must be made to Hugh of Let There Be Light Productions - great to finally speak to you in person!  And if he reads this, hi to Nana, I'd be interested in challenging you to a chair-breaking contest sometime, I understand you're quite an expert at it!

All in all a very entertaining day!

Platform 2013 - one day to go!

Well, the video camera is on charge, the brand new space invaders t-shirt is hanging in the wardrobe and I'm scribbling my YouTube channel address on the back of a load of free Vistaprint business cards I ordered for no reason ages ago.

Why?

Platform 2013!

Platform 2013 is a massive gaming expo taking place in Hull tomorrow and Saturday.  Featuring the likes of Google, Microsoft, Multiplay, Sony, Konami... the list goes on and on.  Loads of games to play, new hardware to look at (I believe PS4s will be in attendance), I'm very much looking forward to an event like this, especially one where I don't have to travel for 2+ hours to get to.

I haven't decided whether I'm actually going to do some filming or not, but I want to take my gear with me in case the feeling takes me!

Speaking of filming, my latest episode of MANEATING went live yesterday - this week it's the turn of Ryvita Wholegrain Crackerbreads to be eaten.

Construction work is waiting for me

I have a project to undertake.

A project that will challenge all of my construction skills.

The kitchen drawer has finally failed.

The rear wall of the drawer has been falling off for some months.  Since it first showed signs of weakness, I've tried repairing it using a variety of materials, including:

• Sellotape
• Glue
• Thick tough tape
• Some funky metal bonding stuff in a tube that you have to cut, massage until its soft (a bit like blu tack), and then work into the gap

All of this has, in the end, failed.

My other half pointed out her displeasure with the current state of affairs by putting things into the drawer, and the items promptly sliding out of the back of the drawer and falling into the cupboard below.  I explained that if you:

a) Opened the drawer extremely slowly and carefully, and;
b) Didn't put anything in it

Then the drawer was fine, but apparently regardless of these perfectly reasonable facts it is time to go buy a new drawer, and fit it (gulp)

In other news, I've recorded tonight the first three episodes of my new web show.  It's called Maneating and it'll be on my YouTube Channel... sometime.  Not tonight because I have to do editing and do music, and all that kind of thing.  So maybe tomorrow night.

Unless I play Card Hunter.

The other thing is, have you got your tickets to Platform 2013 yet?  If not, this massive gaming expo is taking place on November 15th and 16th in Hull.  There's speakers from Google and Microsoft, video game exhibitors, a PC showcase, cosplay, all kinds of cool stuff.  I'm going down with my camera kit to hopefully do some filming.

Internet Stuff

I have news!

I've been asked if I'm interested in auditioning for a series about gaming. It's for Platform Play, and I'm very excited. No idea if I'll get anywhere but it's great just to be asked if I'm interested in auditioning.  If you feel the need you can see my initial web audition below.

Platform Play is part of Platform Expos,  which is working to create a hub of games development, transmedia and content creation in the Humber region.  It's really exciting what they're doing and I really hope it takes off.  If you are in the Humber region, do be aware of the upcoming Platform 2013 expo in November - I've got my ticket booked for the Friday (and the day off work), I'm not quite sure whether I'll be in there doing a load of filming or whether I'll just be enjoying everything going on, but either way it's going to be fun!

Couple of Internet things to tell you about:

Firstly, just a reflektor. This is an interactive film that uses your webcam and smartphone/tablet to interact (it can use your mouse instead of your phone if it isn't to hand) and is quite cool. It follows a young woman who travels between her world and our own.  I won't spoil it by saying what happens but do check it out at https://www.justareflektor.com

The other thing is that I am rapidly becoming addicted to Card Hunter. This is an online collectable card adventure game that you play either as a single player fighting your way through dungeons,  or in multi player head-to-head. You get loot, which gives you better cards. Very good fun and free to play (although you do get more loot if you pay to become a member of the card hunter club), the only downside is that because it is so popular at peak times you may have to wait to get onto the server (which is always a sign of a good game!)

Pics below:

Okay, so I've got to kill some kobolds right? Lets do this.

A Mighty Bludgeon is deployed.  That's gonna hurt.