Dementi on the part of Hanwell Mental Institute

Warning: disturbing messages and movies ahead

Recently, I have been receiving strange emails from a gentleman who presented him as Leonard Hastings. Frankly, it has been somewhat unsettling. The first one was implying that something was wrong with the mental institution he was somehow related to:

Please, release immediately.

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - June 4, 2010. The following tape was found at a
confidential archive and has been painstakingly restored. It proves
beyond doubt that what happened at the Hanwell Mental Institute is
true. This is only a very small glimpse of the atrocities committed
there. I can show you more...

I beg you to refrain from contacting me as I have put myself in great
danger already. Thank you, and spread the word.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNkUcXPr8BY&fmt=22

I found it especially unsettling that someone from a mental institution has somehow gotten hold of my email address - and what more? The second email that arrived soon after was equally unnerving in tone:

Please... release it now.

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - June 11, 2010. The second part of the recovered
tape is made available. It gets much worse from now on. I’m not sure
if I should show you the rest... Is this enough to convince you that
the rumors about Hanwell Mental Institute are real? Look closely and
pay attention: this is what they did to my friend. They did it to me
as well. And you.

I may not be able to continue with this. You should spread the word.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p7OBfgTRGw&fmt=22

The final one was clearly showing that the poor soul writing to me was losing grip on reality:

Dear friend...

I write this letter to you under a great deal of pressure. I have been hiding in the shadows, trying to tell to you the truth, but they found about it and now they are coming for me. The last recording that I recovered is now available and nothing was the same after it... Bertrand was the first and then came many others. Including myself...

You have to come to the Hanwell Mental Institute. I know this is happening to you as well... If you are not convinced yet, please, I beg you to watch the final session: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn0PDYOOaMw&fmt=22

This is the last you will hear from me...

-Lenny

Fortunately, the head director of the aforementioned institution was kind enough to provide a word of explanation:

This article is for immediate publication.

Dear Sirs,

I am writing this public letter on behalf of the Hanwell Mental Institute, in the hope that it will clarify a distressing and misleading situation that came to light at the beginning of June. A person by the name of "Leonard Huntings" has been offering a series of video recordings and attempting to pass them as actual archive material from the institute. The Internet website in question that I am referring to is located at http://www.youtube.com/user/lhuntings

We claim absolutely no connection to these outrageous videos. More so, we suspect this "Leonard Huntings" is a nickname used by the perpetrator, who has not the courage to use his real name. We never admitted patients by the names of Leonard Huntings or Bertrand Laroche, who seems to be subject of the videos. Thus, we are dismissing this stunt as nothing else than juvenile efforts to tarnish the good image of our institute. Authorities have been alerted and I trust the aforementioned Internet website will be disabled shortly.

I sincerely thank you for your time and I'm truly sorry to see you being bothered by this childish event.

Yours Truly,
Dr. Andrew H. Miller
Head Director
http://www.Hanwell.org
andrew.miller@hanwell.org

I am glad to have received dementi on the part the institution whose credibility and good name was being questioned. It seems that the letter were some kind of internet prank, nothing really serious or disturbing. Ah, the kids these days.

I will definitely be sleeping better, knowing there is nothing wrong happening. After all, if we can't trust governmental institutions and their officials, then whom?

The obligatory post-E3 wrap-up, part two

The E3 saga continues

Portal 2

This was the second E3 highlight for me - I loved the first Portal, I am replaying it right now and I just can't wait for more of it. I had doubts concerning the story and the ambiance when I first heard about Portal 2 being a prequel, but the recent trailers evaporated all concerns I had. Valve are geniuses, their writers are brilliant and I can barely wait. Two player co-op mode, one player story mode, Glados returns and the crazy ambiance is definitely there, as you can see in this absolutely fabulous trailer. This game is going to be a day one purchase for me.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta

The first PSP iteration of God of War franchise was one of the best games ever to grace the platform. It also was the first GoW game that I completed, as I never owned PS2. This sequel to PSP title looks rock solid - I am not sure how the authors managed to push handheld's hardware limits even further than previously, but the quality of graphics is staggering. While static screenshots display it to some extent, it is watching the in-game footage from Gamespot's E3 stage show that got me hooked. Ghost of Sparta is the principal reason why I am seriously considering re-buying a new PSP after having sold my old one last year.

Mortal Kombat 9

I had already put Mortal Kombat in the mental drawer of "games I don't care about", as the series has only gone downhill since MK3. Bunch of terrible movies didn't help either (okay, the first one was not that bad). The recent teaser-trailer-whatever-the-ef video tickled my curiosity and reminded me of the franchise, but what really struck me was this trailer that appeared out of the blue and longer stage show from E3 that showed a lot of in-game footage.

It is so full of win: fatalities are so brutal it almost hurts to look at them, fighters get scratched, bruised and covered in blood, the old backgrounds return in their dark HD version, the familiar characters are back, but this time their looks are more varied and so is the way they move. Additionally, there is this incredibly cool effect of x-ray vision showing broken bones that reminds me of Romeo Must Die movie with Jet Li. In short, one more reason to buy PS3.

The obligatory post-E3 wrap-up, part one

Because no gaming blog can do without one

I intended to list here all the things that turned me on this during this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, as well as those that got me even mildly interested, but the part on Nintendo's new portable has grown so much that I've decided to split the note and continue with rest in the following post.

Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo's newest child, the 3DS, was for me the definite highlight of E3. At first I was incredibly psyched, after reading more about it I relaxed a bit. The intial impressions sounded awesome, the movie showing the handheld in action looked impressive. However, having read the specs, especially the comparison of 3DS' graphic chip against iPhone 3GS and Playstation Portable, and seen the infamous Kid Icarus trailer, my enthusiasm subsided a little.


It looks like graphic-wise 3DS might turn out weaker than PSP, a machine that is five years old already. Of course, this is just guessing and we won''t be sure until the console makes it debut, but there are clues that indicate it could be a little disappointing graphics-wise. I am not really that much of graphics freak and I know that Nintendo DS did great commercially, despite its jagged, non-filtered 3D games that make me shudder. However, if a next-gen handheld is generating visuals that are inferior to current-gen system, then it feels like it is lacking something. If it does, of course.

Graphical comparison taken from here

You might have noticed that I have not mentioned the whole 3D effect just yet. This is due to the fact that I am rather sceptic about it - I enjoyed Avatar 3D and How To Train Your Dragon 3D in iMax theater, but 3D on a handheld sounds superfluous and unnecessary. As someone who suffers from astigmatism and different vision impairment in each eye, I am rather suspicious towards adding 3D effect to small screen in portable device - the chances are, I won't be able to see it. Also, people who had used 3DS report that one needs to keep it at a precise distance from their eyes in order for the effect to be there, which for me goes against the idea of the handheld being playable anywhere (including riding on the train or metro, where space is limited and one cannot exactly choose where to hold it). Fortunately, though, the effect can be turned off.

Now, the fact that I have doubts about Nintendo 3DS is one thing, but despite some concerns I am rather positive towards Big N's new child The fact that the line-up is strong and, what's more important, geared towards more hardcore gamers audience than the casual crowd is a good sign. For someone as retro inclined as I am, the news that old NES and SNES titles will return is very promising, too, even despite the fact they got 3D effect slapped on them (but as I wrote earlier - it can be turned off). Overall, I will give Nintendo 3DS benefit of doubt and will surely try the new toy when it comes out. It is possible that the big N will win my heart again.

Now it's your move, Sony.

Xmarks - the artist formerly known as Foxmarks

If it worked for porn sites only, it could be named XXXmarks

Time flies, everything changes, panta rhei and all that. Almost two years ago I wrote the post about an excellent piece of software called Foxmarks that I had just started using. In the meantime many things have changed: Google Chrome appeared on the market and the name of the tool was altered.


Currently known as Xmarks, the software took Google Chrome under its wings, meaning it can now synchronise user's bookmarks between Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome and Safari. Strangely enough, it does not support Opera and I can't find out a reason for that, neither in my head nor on the software homepage.

Nevertheless, it really helps me keep all my bookmarks in sync between desktop, laptop, company computer and centuries old machine in my parents' basement. I can access my saved pages anywhere, even on a computer that does not have Xmarks installed - via a web interface.

I am sharing it here, because I find it extremely useful, even despite the lack of Opera support.

Remixed Cave Story music available for free

The original one as well

Time to make a confession: I have not yet finished Doukutsu Monogatari, better known to the world as Cave Story. I have been playing PSP version for a while, I have tried PC version (available for both MacOSX and Windows) as well, but I have never managed to actually complete the game or even get really far. Perhaps the reason is that I don't have the best reflexes in the world, perhaps Cave Story is just difficult, or perhaps I am too lazy.


Recently, though, I had given it yet another try and got further than ever. While perusing the internet for helpful bits of information (don't trade your Polar Star gun too early, folks!), I have accidentally found this interesting post mentioning the music of Cave Story. It seems that other than Daisuke Amaya (game's creator) sharing the original soundtrack in mp3, there also exists Cave Story Remix Project, which, as you might guess, aimed to create remixed versions of the original music. You can read more details on both of them in the linked post. Since I had problems downloading the files, I have allowed myself to put them on Mediafire so that anyone who would like to grab them can do it without any hassle (original music, remixed music).

Now keep your fingers crossed for me, because I would really love to finally complete Cave Story.

Also, if you happen to like the fan-art image that I have chosen to illustrate this post, it was created by very talented deviantArt user Blackbookalpha and you can download it in higher resolution from here.

Quest into past

Retro game is the key

I don't often recommend reading fiction texts on this blog, but Nomen Ludi by Rob Beschizza is a fine piece of writing telling the story of a search for an old computer game and as such I don't have the slightest hesitation - go read it. Do it now.


Personally, I have never met any game designer from the old times, except for one guy that used to work on Electro Body and Heartlight PC - but him being a douche, he did not allow me to show screenshots from the unfinished (but working!) prototypes he has on his hard drive. Still, I could totally see something like Rob's story happening to me, so I can relate to its protagonist's adventure.

Good stuff.

Heart Forth Alicia

Young girl in the woods, with a sword in hand

Heart Forth Alicia is a freeware indie game in the making that I have found by pure luck. I was perusing Free PC Gamers website and stumbled upon a short trailer (click on the link and scroll down to the third position or just click here) of a delightfully retro action-adventure that immediately caught my attention - probably because it reminded me of a game I used to play a lot on my friend's Amiga, called Elf. Similarly, Heart Forth Alicia looks retro, low-res, pixelated and absolutely charming.


I started googling for more information on Heart Forth Alicia and development status and found the game's website, but unfortunately at that time there were only some old posts available and it looked like the project was dead. This didn't discourage me, though, and I wrote an email to the author, talented Alonso Martin, asking about the game status. The gentleman in question replied that development is far from dead, but unfortunately is progressing at an uneven pace and therefore he cannot guarantee any precise dates. It's done when it's done. On a brighter side of things, he still plans to release Heart Forth Alicia as freeware.


The response was kind and generally positive and the fact I sent out my questions seems to have prodded the author a bit. Alonso updated news on the project page with new post containing the same information he sent me, as well as added some new media and also revived the official Heart Forth Alicia url. I am really glad that the chances of seeing the game completed are looking good. I will be keeping a watchful eye on the development of Heart Forth Alicia and I suggest you do the same.

235 Free Indie Games in 10 Minutes

Pixels galore

It is brilliant. Over two hundred indie games bonanza stuffed into ten minutes may seem like an overkill, but turned out to be surprisingly pleasant experience. The chiptune music helps - I obviously have a soft spot for this kind of sound - but even more so does the content itself. As quick excerpts from various titles flicker across the screen I can't help but wonder how large the indie games community has become and how many fun creations it spawned.

I know this goes against my recent "no Youtube embedding" policy, yet I couldn't help it, because the movie is just too cool. Not only at some points would I exclaim "I know this!", but more importantly I found myself pausing from time to time in order to take note of some game, the glimpse of which captured my attention.

So if you have a couple minutes to spare, watch the video, grab a copy of any game that looks promising and give it a try. You mind find a gem that you would have missed otherwise.

[ PixelProspector via Play This Thing! and Gnome's Lair ]

Freestyle and Blender development update

Create your own anime for free

It's been a while since I last wrote about Freestyle, my favourite NPR stroke renderer to be included in the upcoming Blender release. Ever since TK took over Maxime's work it has been progressing along nicely and regular updates have been put up on the project blog for the impatient followers, such as myself.

Cubic Polandball

So far it seems that even volcano cannot stop Freestyle development. The feature set of Freestyle has expanded (some of which can be observed in TK's Vimeo gallery), the bugs are constantly being ironed out, the internals have been refactored. To watch the results in action, click on this cool test reel on Youtube (I do not embed it here, as too many online videos tend to disappear from the net). I am really glad to see Freestyle have progressed so much!

On a related note, let me also give you a quick update on Blender itself. The development is steadily progressing towards the huge milestone that release 2.6 will be. So far we are at version 2.5.2, which means Blender 2.5 branch, Alpha 2 - and it's looking spectacular. The major changes instantly visible to amateurs like myself are the graphical interface and overall looks, but there is much more happening under the hood, including, but not limited to, the aforementioned Freestyle module. For a full list of changes and the roadmap, click here.

Clickety click, much more details in close-up

Let's face it, most probably I will never be a proficient Blender user. I might finally complete that short animation I have in my head, but the chances of me ever making something important with this great program are really slim. However, I am thrilled at the thought of all the passionate and creative individuals that will be able to use it in order to make brilliant new things - especially those who for some or other reason would not be able to afford professional 3D software, such as students or people from less developed countries. It is true that Blender is inferior to fully-fledged 3D behemoths, but it provides a reasonable alternative for the poor that is both free and legal, which is why I have a lot of warm feelings towards Blender and the folks behind it.

Eversion

If Cthulhu and Princess Peach had a baby...

Eversion is a game that I played quite some time ago and wanted to write about, but got distracted. Recently, however, its refreshed HD version appeared on Steam, which gave me the excuse to cover it here, as well as to replay the original.


Someone described Eversion as a bastard child of Lovecraft and Super Mario Bros - I find this short description very fitting. While it starts as a typical, colourful, merry platformer, it soon becomes much darker and more sinister. It is hard to write about it and not spoil too much, but suffice to say that the orange protagonist can in some circumstances switch between layers of reality and each such change (called "eversion") takes him further away from his fluffy world into increasingly stranger and creepier places where all the rules can change, even those that we assumed are set in stone.

This oekaki was brought to you by zeroxtb

Eversion is undoubtedly weird, breaking the conventions and even bending game rules. Its sounds and graphics become more unsettling with each level, as the layers of happy reality are peeled off - it is not a game for children and it honestly warns player about it in the title screen. However, thanks to its profound sense of strangeness and gameplay twists, it is also a unique experience, definitely worth checking - either in its free version, if you are a cheapskate, or in its updated HD remix, if you are not.

Behind you.

Deus Ex Machina

Simply wow

I haven't watched any teasers, trailers or read any info on Deus Ex: Human Revolution until very recently, because I feared the disappointment. Deus Ex: Invisible War is still one of my biggest disappointments in gaming (Warcraft III is another one, by the way) and I didn't want it to happen again. However, I have cracked when yet another of my gaming friends started to rave about the trailer.


Having watched the official E3 trailer, I must say: HOLY CRAP! It definitely holds promise. A promise of a story, of gameplay, but even more importantly, of ambiance and mood. It has this feeling of a product that not only tells the tale, but also does it with style. It evokes emotion of melancholy in the dark future that is not a happy place to be in, just like the first Deus Ex did - and it does so already at the trailer level. Colour me both impressed and interested.

As a result, I now have something that I feared having: high hopes. My inner cynic whispers to my ear that there is no way this game could be half as good as the trailer promises it to be, but I hush this voice, because, as Fox Mulder would have it, I want to believe. This may end up as a bitter disappointment and it probably will, but even imagining that we could get a game like this gives me a warm feeling. Maybe, just maybe, we PC gamers will finally see a true successor to the original Deus Ex in the form of great-looking game that has it all: the gameplay, the setting, the story, the ambiance. Substance and style in one. We can certainly hope.


On a slightly lighter note: I can't help it, but the main protagonist reminds me of Pan Wrona (Mr Crow), pirate radio DJ from Mr Herring's comic series Osiedle Swoboda (Housing Estate Liberty). Comparison pic above.

On Vienna, Space Invaders and music sharing

Yet another photo post

I have just come back from Vienna and there are three things that I wanted to share with the dwindling readership of this blog, one of which is closing to its expiration date.

Firstly, for all of you who are in whereabouts of Vienna, the University of Music and Performing Arts will organize panel, discussion and workshop on music file sharing and music flat rate models. This is very interesting, because it shows that the perception of music sharing is changing among traditionally conservative music schools - which is a good thing. Then again, I always considered the Austrian to be down to Earth and reasonable, so it is definitely less surprising than seeing similar poster, say, in Krakow. Still, times are a-changin' and as a person surfing on the first waves of different internet revolutions I find it reassuring that some institutions do follow trends in real life.


Secondly, this little fellow up there seems to be one of Space Invaders that invaded Vienna in 2006 and 2008. While I can't find him anywhere in the official Invasion Map, the chances are he just got lost there. You can see him on the wall of House of the Sea, which, by the way, is extremely interesting place to see (other than sea creatures, one can actually enter vivarium with lemurs, how cool is that?).


And lastly, while on the topic of Space Invaders, I have found another mark of their invasion in form of the above sticker. As a person objecting to racism in any form I wholeheartedly support the initiative, as a devoted Terry Pratchett reader I appreciate the humour and as a game blogger, I had to share it here.

And I promise that next post will be more about games and less about photos.