Angled Whiteboards

This week, GameTap busts out the puzzle action. Stress yourself out with the Lemmings-like Chu Chu Rocket — or go slow and methodical with the thinking man’s Lode Runner, Pyramid Magic. This is one game where I’m very happy with our built-in save-game feature. No more writing down and losing weirdo passwords!

As for Buku Sudoku, this is the first non-paper-based Sudoku I’ve really given a shot and I gotta say: if this is your first Sudoku experience, do yourself a favor and turn off the hints and error correction. Talk about robbing yourself of a challenge.

Also, you might notice that there’s a GameTap client update on your way in. It’s super-minor, behind-the-scenes plumbing work. Think of it as a stage-setter for … the future.

New Games:

• Arthur’s Pet Chase
• Arthur’s Computer Adventure
• Buku Kakuro
• Buku Sudoku
• Chu Chu Rocket
• Pyramid Magic

New on GameTap TV:

• GameTap News: Best of PC
• GameTap Tracks: The Hold Steady
• Sam & Max: Kitchen Consequential
• Sam & Max: The Tell Tale Tail
• SeaLab 2021: Legend of Baggy Pants

Okay, we’re a couple months in now — I guess we should explain the title of the site. We’ve detailed bits and pieces of our design process from whiteboard to production. So the “whiteboards” portion of our name is pretty self-explanatory.

But would you believe our working conditions are such that our whiteboards are NOT completely 90° perpendicular to the ground? And that we’re not talking about that loosey-goosey flip-over portable kind? That instead, we work on whiteboards that are permanently inclined? ‘Cause we do.

Design and architecture-wise, the GameTap offices that we moved into last summer are new, fresh, and funky. So much so that certain workspaces have these supertall, lean-y walls. Both Dinah and I each have one of these lean-y walled offices. And on our lean-y wall is our gigantic whiteboard:

But here’s the catch: these particular ice-cube tray offices adjoin at the inclined wall. So one person gets the 100° angle and the other the 80°! To pull it all together, Dinah has to make sure she doesn’t jump up excitedly or risk ink on her face. And I end up with bits of erased detritus all up IN my sleeves. Design is DANGEROUS. Don’t stand up too fast. Don’t let your sleeves dangle:

Our very first poll, for all you GameTappers out there.

In the current GameTap client, opening a game infocard is always consistent, whether the game is local on your computer or not. That means, if you select “Play” (picture 1, below), the Start Game cylinder opens, video begins playing, we make the game ready to play (for you techies, we mount the volume), and light up the Start Play button (picture 2, below). To begin playing, you select “Start Play” in the Start Play cylinder.

Things to think about:

• How often do you open a game infocard when you don’t intend to play the game?
• What about games with challenge lobbies?

Please give us your opinions AND comments, please!

but we didn’t win the Emmy. Las Vegas was a blast and if you ever get a chance to go there, make sure you drop by the Venetian. This picture (taken with my phone. ugh) is the ceiling in a small lobby area.

Anyway, in our category “Outstanding Innovation and Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for the Best Use of “On Demand” Technology Over the Public (open) Internet“, StimTV (by NPOWER) won the Emmy. Congratulations, StimTV.

Duplo says “It was all made on a dry erase board and i pretty much made the video backwards because it is easier to erase as you go then to draw.

and it was a lot of work! when i started i somehow kidded myself into thinking it would be a minor project… instead i’ve barely seen the light of day all week…

As far as process, gear and software… i’m pretty low tech. this is made of still shots i took with my digital camera of a white board (or dry erase board). About 2500 of them. I edited them together in iMovie.”

We say it takes a lot of whiteboards to make something moving. Exceptional work, Duplo!

Looks like a light week, games-wise. So either spend some time catching up on the games that have been piling up in your favorites list, or head over to GameTap TV and watch one of the more controversial (from a fan/love perspective) Sealab 2021 episodes. From the Wikipedia description:

A nuclear submarine crashes outside the station, and the crew of Sealab (in a rare occurrence) must work quickly to stop an environmental disaster from happening. The only “serious” episode in the show, this was an original episode of Sealab 2020 which was redubbed by the 2021 voice actors, with approximately half of the original episode’s footage excised to fit the shorter running time. The end is also modified. The episode’s title derives from the sequence number of the original episode its footage comes from.

I’ve always loved this episode. It’s fascinating and unintentionally funny through and through. “Hmmmmm, okay.”

New Games:

• Arthur’s Wilderness Rescue
• Arthur’s Sand Castle Contest
• Arthur’s Teacher Trouble
• Disciples Sacred Lands Gold Edition

New on GameTap TV:

• Quick Hit: The Hold Steady
• Sam & Max: The Glazed McGuffin Affair
• Sam & Max: Egregious Philosophy Platter
• SeaLab 2021: 7211