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I Got Quoted by MSNBC

Matt — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:09:54 +0000

Just wanted to share that I was interviewed by MSNBC and my answers were quoted in an article available online at their site, entitled “Games are serious business for Apple”. The article is about gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and whether or not Sony and Nintendo should be worried in regards to their PSP and Nintendo DS, respectively. The article was featured prominently on the front page of MSNBC, too.

Since starting FingerGaming.com two months ago, the site has grown by leaps and bounds as just a couple weeks ago Apple officially announced they’re entering the mobile gaming industry. I knew gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch was going to be a big deal, so this basically validated my gut instincts.

Here are the quotes by me in the MSNBC article:

Apple iPhone and Touch users can interact with games by touching the screens and by tilting the machines to and fro. “The possibilities are near limitless with what can be done in games using these unique methods to interact with games,” says Matt Burris, creator of the blog FingerGaming.com.

Additionally, when the App Store launched in July, it suddenly offered an easy way for iPhone and Touch owners to download a veritable smorgasbord of games (and other programs) onto their devices. And Burris points out, “These games are affordable, lower than any other games on the market. They range from free, 99 cents, all the way up to $9.99. You don’t have to go to the store to get them. All you have to do is tap on an icon, choose the game you want to buy, and within minutes you’re playing that game.”

And further along in the article:

Burris disagrees. “If anything, Nintendo should be excited. The iPhone and iPod Touch will be reaching even further to an audience that may not even consider themselves gamers.”

He says that most people who have purchased an iPhone probably didn’t buy it to play games. But now that they’re able to find and easily play interesting games, they’ll be pulled into the fold.

For their part, Nintendo is striking a nonchalant tone.

FingerGaming.com – Gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch

Matt — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:09:54 +0000

I’m announcing my new website I’ve just finished putting together and now unveiling to the public, FingerGaming.com. FingerGaming.com is all about gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch, now that Apple’s new App Store is open to the public and cranking out games every single day. Mobile gaming a rapidly growing industry, and FingerGaming.com is going to be a part of that by covering everything games on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The reviews, the main features on the site, will feature videos I’ve recorded of me playing these games, screenshots, price, link to the developer of the game, and of course my thoughts on the game itself.

Already we’re seeing a slew of very fun, polished, widely talked about games. You have my personal favorites, MotionX Poker, a dice poker game with achievements, dozens of dice you can unlock and use, and gameplay mechanics that take advantage of the iPhone (multi-touch, accelerometer support, vibrate, etc.) There’s also Galcon, a fast-paced space strategy game that is incredibly addictive and easy to pick up and play. Labyrinth is an age-old game, with a modern approach. It’s the wooden box in a maze with holes that you have to tilt the iPhone/iPod Touch to avoid. It’s simple for everyone to pick up and enjoy, with over 500 levels to play through, with more that you can download over time.

All of these games can be had for $10 or less, some are even free, such as the excellent Aurora Feint. Portable gaming has never been this powerful, and intuitive, and now it’s here. Visit FingerGaming if you want to be part of this wonderful new world.

Being a better gamer: a guide to changing the world

Matt — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:52:45 +0000

Ars Technica has an excellent article, titled Being a better gamer: a guide to changing the world. It’s a great article worth reading if you’re interested in gaming in general, whether you’re a casual gamer into solitaire and Bejeweled, or a hardcore gamer into Call of Duty and Halo. It covers a lot of ground, and points out how gamers can help give all gamers a better impression in the media and to get politicians to stop their fear-mongering, ignorant ways.

If the mainstream media is to be believed, video games are about as healthy as cigarettes, except they cause psychotic breaks instead of cancer. Politicians use this artificially created fear of games as an excuse to pass legislation to criminalize the sale of certain games, although so far, each of these pieces of legislation has been successfully challenged and overturned in the courts. While more people than ever are playing games, and the audience for those games is expanding to include people of both sexes and all ages, the media’s reporting on the industry and its effects on children remains reactionary and woefully misleading.

MattPlays v2 – HD Gameplay Videos

Matt — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:17:56 +0000

I’ve wrapped up a redesign of my gameplay video site, MattPlays. On MattPlays, you will find me playing games and showing them off in a high-quality, easy-to-use manner. Next month will be the first year anniversary of the site, as I had launched it on August 31st, 2007. As of this writing, there are exactly 77 games with high-quality gameplay videos on both the PC and Xbox 360. That’s 23 shy of one hundred! I’m pretty proud of the site, and how far it has come.

My New Site – AudioSurfBoard.com

Matt — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:55:07 +0000

I’ve put together a new website, called AudioSurfBoard. It allows gamers playing AudioSurf to share their videos of them playing, all on one site, using any video service they like.

If you’re not familiar with AudioSurf, think of it like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but without the cheap, plasticky instruments, or the limited soundtrack, or even the expensive pricetag. AudioSurf’s track-like stages visually mimic the music the player chooses, while the player races across several lanes collecting colored blocks that appear in sync with the music.

Here’s a video of AudioSurf in action, click the image below to view it:

Bedouin Soundclash – When the Night Feels My Song

You can find a lot more videos over at AudioSurfBoard.

How to Record Xbox 360 Gameplay Videos, while using Medifast to Stay in Shape!

Matt — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:47:14 +0000

Recently I’ve gotten a lot of inquiries from people that visit MattPlays.com, asking how I recorded the games I’m playing on the Xbox 360. With this in mind, I thought I’d write a simple little how-to guide on how to record high-quality gameplay videos of you playing. Since it records the video to your computer’s hard drive, you can do what you want with it, upload it to a video service online, convert it to any format, burn it to a CD or DVD to share with people, etc. Like a lot of video game gadgets, this will definitely keep you highly entertained and glued to your electronics, not allowing a lot of time for exercise. I got some MediFast coupons to get some medifast really cheap in case this starts to take up all of my time.

For the record, this method will also work on the Sony Playstation 3. I have no idea if it’ll work on the Nintendo Wii, though. I’ll be going through this guide using the HAVA Platinum HD placeshifter device. Other methods involve the use of a capture card or external USB capture device. The benefit of a placeshifter is that it has other uses (such as watch your cable or TiVo anywhere), and it allows you to record at a higher quality, namely at a resolution of 720×480.

There’s no free way to do this, it requires spending a bit of money. Here’s what to get:

HAVA Platinum HD placeshifter device (Buy at MyHava.com ($120)
Two (2) triple phono couplers ($2.94 plus $2 shipping at Monoprice.com)
Xbox 360 console with component cord ($350)
5 to 10GB of free space on your computer’s hard drive

Okay, it’s likely you already own an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. First off, you’ll want to buy a placeshifting device. Placeshifting can be defined as watching or listening to live, recorded or stored media on a remote device via the internet or over a data network (wireless network, for example.) Once acquired, follow these steps to get to recording your gameplay.

Step 1:

Lay out the HAVA Platinum HD (picture of back) in an open space near your computer and Xbox 360:

Step 2:

Take a triple phono coupler and plug the component (red, green, blue) cord into one side, and then take a component cord that came with the HAVA and plug it into the other end. Then plug the mini-stereo jack into the back of the HAVA where it says HD In.

Step 3:

Take the audio RCA cable from the Xbox (it’s the same component cord that has the red/green/blue on it) and take the other triple phono coupler and plug the red and white cords in (doesn’t matter which colors it goes into.) Then take the same audio RCA cable that came with the HAVA (red/white/yellow cord) and plug it into the other side, making sure the red and white plugs are on the same alignment. Then plug in the mini-stereo jack into the back of the HAVA where it says A/V In.

Step 4:

Now take the other audio RCA cord (red/white/yellow) that came with the HAVA and plug the mini-stereo jack into the back of the HAVA where it says A/V Out. Do the same for the other component cord that came with the HAVA and plug that one into the back where it says HD Out.

Step 5:

Plug both cords from Step 4 into the TV where you’ll be playing the Xbox 360 on.

Step 6:

Connect the ethernet cord to your router, and the power cord, and plug it in.

Step 7:

Make sure your TV is on the correct video source (for example, the HAVA is plugged into my TV’s Component 2). Turn on your Xbox 360. If the logo comes up and everything works fine, you’ve set everything up properly.

Step 8:

Go to HAVA’s Download and Upgrade page and grab the latest software and firmware for the HAVA Platinum HD. Install the software and follow instructions. Update to the latest firmware if needed. Once everything is installed and set up properly on the computer, run the HAVA Player.

It should show whatever is on your TV, albeit with a slight lag. Which is why you’ll be playing on the TV, while your computer records what is being shown on TV. In HAVA Player, be sure to go to up to the menu and go to Player>Settings and set everything up there.

To record gameplay, simply hit the big record button on the HAVA Player. When done playing, hit the stop button. From there, you can do whatever you want with the video that is created. I suggest sharing it on Stage6, which allows for higher quality video sharing than what YouTube allows.

Videos:

Here’s a video I recorded with my camera showing me playing the Xbox 360 on my HDTV and then walking to the kitchen where my laptop is playing what I’m doing in my room using the HAVA Player.

Also, if you’d like to see the quality of a recorded video using the HAVA Player at default settings, you can download it here (150MB). Right-click the link and choose Save As to download it and play it using your video player.

If you’d like to see videos I’ve recorded, be sure to visit MattPlays.com.

Update: I’ve disabled comments because of overwhelming support questions. Please do not email me with questions. I’m just one person that has limited experience with Hava’s product. Hava has dedicated support for their product, visit their Support Page if you need help or have questions. Thanks!

My New Website – MattPlays.com

Matt — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:10:34 +0000

I’ve put together a new website a couple days ago, and whipped up a design for it. The site is mattplays.com. Basically I record videos of games I’m playing and put them up in high-quality, widescreen streaming Flash videos. I’ve been doing that here at goodblimey.com but figure I’d get more interest if I had a dedicated site for it. Since I play so many games, I figure it’d be neat to share what I play with everyone.

BioShock Demo Movie

Matt — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:48:54 +0000

The demo for Bioshock was released yesterday and it is everything a gamer could ask for in a game. It’s pretty much why I upgraded my computer recently (and to enjoy future games, as well.) The graphics are some of the best in a game, and the gameplay is unique and fun.

Click the picture below to see a video of me playing BioShock:

: Click to watch video

Quake Video – Blast from the Past

Matt — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 18:02:43 +0000

Way back in the day, I got Quake 1 with my new computer, a Pentium 100, and all was good. It was the first 3D game ever, and it was very, very good. I have so many great memories of playing this game, and to this day it is still very fun to play. When I got the id Super Pack on Steam, which includes every single Quake, Doom, Heretic, and Hexen game ever made (plus every other id Software games), I took a trip down memory lane.

Here’s a video of me playing a level in the original Quake, trying to remember the secrets areas and where all the enemies are:

Tomb Raider: Anniversary Video

Matt — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 01:12:28 +0000

Welcome back, Miss Croft! After countless sequels of crappy Tomb Raiders, finally a version comes out that recaptures that magic of the first two games. This Anniversary edition reimagines the first Tomb Raider, the one I have so many fond memories of, and updates it with modern graphics, new gameplay mechanics, and a remastered soundtrack. I cannot begin to describe how happy I am that a Tomb Raider game is fun again.

With that said, I’ve recorded a video of me in action playing Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Click here to watch it.