Category Archives: General

Violence, game and other

12/9/2006 American 7 Comments

On a topic that I’ve grown tired of even thinking about, video game violence, I recently read the following…

First this:

Video Game Violence Goes Straight to Kids’ Heads
TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) – A study of adolescents finds that violent video games stir up the brain’s emotional-response center while reducing activity in regions linked to self-control.
“This is the first time that it has been demonstrated that violent video games can affect brain physiology and the way the brain functions,” said lead researcher Dr. Vincent Mathews, professor of radiology at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Input “stirs up” the brain. So what!

Then this:

Hot on the heels of the release of the Iraq Study Group Report — and a day in which 10 U.S. servicemen were killed and at least 84 Iraqis were blown up or shot — prospective presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will join with Joe Lieberman to hold a press conference today at 3 pm ET to announce the launch of a television PSA campaign about… video game ratings.

Reading that Hilary Clinton is more concerned about fictional video game violence than she is about all the real-world death and violence in Iraq stirs up MY emotional-response center. Will someone PLEASE make a PSA campaign about the violence inducing risks of living in a world filled with moronic politicians!?

General

Turtleing

12/2/2006 American 7 Comments

I just think this guy is cool:

General

Dags?

11/21/2006 American 5 Comments

While dealing with the bureaucracy of starting a business in China I’ve also been trying to find a place to live in Shanghai. A straight-forward enough task – get an agent, view houses, etc. Some of the locations are at a distance from the new office, so I’ve been thinking of buying a gas scooter. On that topic I had this exchange with one of my agents:

Me: Thinking of buying a scooter.

Agent: Oh, scooters are cheap in Shanghai. But the license is very expensive.

Me: Eh?

Agent: But you can get parrot license. Very cheap.

Me: Parrot license?

Agent: Yes, parrot license. Very cheap. Very easy.

Me: “Parrot”? – Sits on the shoulder of a pirate? Says, “Caw! Caw!”?

Agent: Yah, “parrot”. Arrrg.

He gestures with his hand to make a hook.

Me: Ohhhhh… you mean PIRATE license… Yeah, I need a parrot license.

General, Spicy Horse, Vykarian

Poke, Poke, Prod

11/17/2006 American 3 Comments

Welcome to Shanghai, now bend over.

Yesterday we went to the doctor. But it was more like an assembly line of poking and prodding. A model of Chinese scale and efficiency. The goal: To be certified as healthy, happy, and sane before acquiring our China live/work visas.

At the beginning things were pretty standard for a visit to the doctor’s office. Only the mass of confused looking foreigners gave any indication to the differentness of the situation. We filled out the obligatory yes/no medical questionnaires. Do you suffer from any of the following:

*Diabetes
*Colon Cancer
*Herpes/AIDS
*Plague
*Heart Disease
*Leprosy
*Psychotic Episodes
*Epilepsy

Etc, etc. Pretty standard stuff, but it left me wondering. Who still gets “plague”? I thought that was done away with around the time of Monty Python’s “Holy Grail”. Leprosy? Wouldn’t that be kinda obvious? “Sir, you dropped your finger.” And psychotic episodes? Apparently this is something they have a problem with in Shanghai, even the “passenger agreement” in the taxi admonishes against catching a ride if you happen to be a “psycho”. Do crazy people get in the cab, read that, and then say, “Oops, sorry mate. Let me out at the next corner. I’m crazy.”

Happily none of us suffer from any of these things. (At least we won’t publicly admit to being psychos.)

With forms finished your number is called and it’s into the breach. Clothes are exchanged for robes. You find yourself feeling a lot like cattle. People shuffle confusedly from room to room, examination station to doctor’s desk. Stamp, stamp, stamp go the forms. Doctors prod you. Nurses jab you. Blood squirts, xrays blast, and stethoscopes listen. At one point we even had sonograms. I tried to ask, “Boy or girl?” but the joke was lost on my non-English speaking medical inquisitor.

Suddenly, you’re done. You expect some sort of handshake and, “You won’t die soon.” from the nearest doctor, but no. Results will be mailed. Have a nice day. Get out.

All in all a throughly dehumanizing experience. All in the name of progress. At least we now know we won’t be giving colon cancer to China.

General, Spicy Horse, Vykarian

Call for Sponsors

11/12/2006 American Leave a comment

My Shanghai-based game development studio and our sister game art-outsourcing company (Vykarian – www.vykarian.com) are running a video game art contest in China to spotlight the best and brightest game art talent in the country. We are working in partnership with a China’s most prominent gamer/IT magazine, “PopSoft” (www.popsoft.com.cn). In addition to their huge online presence, Popsoft has a print circulation of over 300,000 – distributed on a bi-weekly basis.

Our contest will be featured in the print/online pages of PopSoft over the course of 4 months (8 issues). Issue #1 will include a multi-page spread with interviews, images, and description of the contest and prizes. The contest will ask participants to download an art test package and create 3D models based on the latest “Twisted Tale” game development. Subsequent issues will continue to promote the contest, with a final issue announcing the winners. We expect to receive attention and entrants from all over China.

My request: We are looking for corporate prize sponsors willing to contribute products and branding for use in the competition. We are open to various prize concepts, but especially interested in hardware/software/merchandise fit for the “gamer artist” lifestyle.

The direct return to sponsors includes:
– 2.4mil print impressions in China’s biggest gaming magazine.
– Millions more online impressions.
– Positive association of sponsor branding with China’s core computer game community.
– Opportunity for “headline” sponsorship.

Our deadline for sponsorship participation is December 1st, 2006.

This is a unique opportunity for targeted exposure to China’s massive gaming community.

If you’re interested you can post your contact info in the comments. Comments are moderated, so private messages don’t post to the public. Or email me directly: amcgee (at) tmiec (dot) com.

General, Spicy Horse

A New World

11/10/2006 American 3 Comments

For all my worries about her safety, the cat made it to Shanghai before me. I guess it helped that she had her visa in order. Star (that’s her name) is a surprisingly well adapted travel-cat. If you’re ever shipping a pet to or from Hong Kong/China and looking for a good service, I highly recommend Ferndale Kennels. They handled the delivery with a high level of care and professionalism.

My own (me being stupid) visa situation was resolved with a quick visit to the Chinese Consulate in Hong Kong. US$120 and 2 hours later, I was once again official and on my way to the PRC.

Saying goodbye to Hong Kong was not painless. As excited as I am about my future life and business in Shanghai, there are aspects of living in China that simply cannot compete with the civility and quality of life to be found in a world-class city like Hong Kong. But that’s in the past now…

Stepping off the plane at Pudong is like walking into a forest fire. The smoky haze that engulfs most of China can be quaint at times. With a mild winter chill in the air, the smoke takes me back to autumn in Texas, when the woodsy scent of burning leaves reminded you that Christmas is just around the corner. Except in China I think they’re burning tires.

First day on the ground was productive. We think we might have found our new office space already. Thanks to some advance scouting by Xin we now have our eyes on a beautiful creative space in a renovated building near to the current Vyk offices. If all goes well we could be moved in by early-December. Adjusting for mah-fahn (that’s Chinese for “hassle”, one of the first words you learn – exactly why, you are reminded of every day) – we can actually expect to be in by Christmas. But as Xin likes to say, “There is no Christmas in China.” We’ll see.