|
|
Monday, November 21, 2005
Return to the beginning.
I've just adjusted my page slightly, to bring it back in line with the regular myOtaku formatting. I do not intend to leave it this way, though. Soon (ie: whenever I have the time), I will work on a new layout. I think I will do something different in the introduction area, too. I'd like to see if it can be pushed any further within the default framework. Speaking of going back to default, I'm just wondering, does my MP3 work for any of you? When I use the direct URL on my browser it comes up, but I hear nothing on here, even when it's loaded. Perhaps we have dropped MP3 support, but that seems unlikely (and I heard nothing relating to that). So I'm hoping it's just a basic thing on my end.
In my last post, I talked about working on a new site outside what we are doing now. I thought I'd use this post to discuss my plans just a little bit.
Those of you who are gamers know that Nintendo has recently launched its Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. If you know about that service, you also know that unlike Xbox Live, it is not centralized. Therefore, the specific capabilities and features will vary depending on what game you're playing (and what game developers have included in that game). A simple example would be to compare Mario Kart DS to Tony Hawk's American Sk8land; the latter has significantly more advanced Wi-Fi Connection features. So different games will use the technology differently.
At the moment, people are sharing their Wi-Fi Connection ID numbers primarily over forums. That works out, but it's not the best way to share numbers with large amounts of people at one time. So I have been thinking about a way to solve this issue and to simultaneously build a strong community around Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. I thought that a good way of doing this would be to create a kind of online phonebook, where you could register and list your number publicly.
What are the advantages of this? Well, there are a few.
For one, you could search for players based on many different criteria (location, age, gender, skill level, gameplay preferences and so on). I am sure that some Wi-Fi Connection games will offer this anyway, but not all of them will and that's really the key point.
In addition to this basic search ability, it would be possible to have your number listed publicly or privately. You can still have a listing in the directory, but you could make it so that people need to PM a request to you to receive your number. This is something I discussed with Desbreko and I think it probably strikes a good balance between maintaining a listing (still enabling you to search for others and to have people search for you), without automatically giving your number over to just anyone.
Of course, there are several other benefits to this kind of service. For one, it's a lot like hunting for anonymous users, except that "anonymous users" you find there would have profiles and further information. You could potentially set up LAN meetings or even create groups (like clans) for particular games. It would also be possible to organize race meets in Mario Kart DS and of course, you'd be able to maintain a friend list on there, so that regardless of game, you have a list of numbers stored in one convenient location.
I have many other ideas for a service like this, but those are really the core basics. Best of all, nobody is really providing something that comprehensive right now. There's a need for it and it's relatively easy to do, so why not?
Work is already underway on the site's design (you can view the header here) and domain has already been selected. This new site will be called Nintendo GameLink. I am hoping that a basic site can be rolled out within the next couple of months, with other additions coming along after that.
Although this is really a side-project for me, it will be receiving Velegant support. Adam was pretty enthusiastic about the idea when I explained it to him and technologically speaking, it should be very easy to do. With the knowledge we've gained on myOtaku, theOtaku and OB, it will be possible to construct all of the features that a site like this would need. And of course, it would kind of mark a return to gaming for the network (although perhaps not in the form that some were hoping for).
CosmicSailor: Although being frustrated easily is something you can probably control, it's also true that the service provider should be making the system as easy to use as possible. Having frustrated users isn't a good thing, for sure.
Kei: I suppose for me, as long as there isn't the kind of treasure-hunting as in the Sonic Adventure games, it wouldn't be so bad.
I didn't really mind the slower levels in SA (ie: Amy levels), because they were at least still platforming-based, despite being a bit slower. What I really hated was the fishing and treasure hunting. The shooting levels in SA2 were sloppy, but not quite as terrible as those awful treasure hunting levels.
Aaryanna: I'm just wondering if sending sand would somehow be impossible in terms of customs (ie: the possibility of some kind of organism being in the sand or whatever). I will have to find out about that.
Annie-chan: It's weird to think that theOtaku/myOtaku have been on television over there twice by now. It's a shame the Filter presenter was highly annoying, but it was definitely nice to see the myOtaku logo in the background.
And no worries about the AIM chat. Any Annie time is good Annie time. ~_^
|
|
|
Comments
(7)
« Home |
|
