Various Updates

Just a quick posts updating you guys on what I'm up to.

I finally uploaded new photos on my Flickr account. It was kind of dead for the last seven or eight months. It was about time that I added stuff there. Some of the pics were taken months ago, but I didn't take the time to upload them. You can check out my Flickr account to check the new photos.

I also, unfortunately for masteringMaya and learning PHP/mySQL, got my hands again on Animal Crossing: Wild World. Regardless of how addicting it is, I put the game down today to do a bunch of stuff (Flickr, this update, later I'm continuing MM:TF). Just to give you an idea, tomorrow I'm getting Nookington's after only a week.

I also figured out a nice little project I could start in PHP and later integrate mySQL functionality as a refresher: A dynamic calendar generator system. I want to first come up with a generic Pseudo-Code that could work in most programming languages to generate the calendar and calculate various elements (days offset, days in a month, etc) without the use of PHP's date functions. I will use PHP's date functions when I create it, thought. I would later add a schedule functionality through mySQL. This is going to be a very nice refresher on a language I started learning a year ago and haven't touched in eight months.

That's about all. Still no news of what's going to happen to me at work. Fear not, I will update you guys as soon as I know anything new.

Insecurity

Yesterday, our Provincial Health Minister announced a restructuration of the Regional Health Authorities (RHA)—from eight individual RHA's to two working in tandem with two support agencies. Without going into details, it basically means that my career at the ACADIE-BATHURST Health Authority could, or not, come to an end.

I could stay here, I could be asked to move to one of the other agencies, I could have a new tasks, or could downright lose my job. I know that our Provincial Health Minister, Michael Murphy said that he wanted to have minimum impact on the employees (Clinical and Non-Clinical), but there's still going to be some damage.

Regardless, I'm taking every day as usual until we get news on what's going to happen to each individual Non-Clinicl position. This is going to take a few months. This is putting me in an uncomfortable position. Good or bad, I'd feel better if I had news now. Being kept in the dark, not knowing what's going to happen is, as one of my coworkers puts it, "chinese-torture". Even if I learn that I'm losing my job, at least then I can take steps to 1) find a new job or 2) go back to college (unlikely).

But, I'm still take every day as positive as I can. I have to put some things on hold. Such as the Python TD (previously known as Xtreme 101) course. I want to focus on Maya and learn PHP/mySQL on my own time. I was learning it at the office in downtimes, between projects, but I haven't my localhost in months. I want to be proficient with PHP as it could be what I need to 1) keep my job (extra proficiency) or 2) get a job elsewhere. I have two books to help me through PHP/mySQL and 3DBuzz's Web Design bundle.

That's pretty much it. Don't expect MM:TF updates as frequent as they were. My priority is to assure myself a future, regardless if it's here or outside the country. :)

Special Thanks to: James Stevenson, Billy Parmenter, Paul Haile, Cory Rewell, Steven Wann, Jens Charles Jakobsen, Aleksi Rokka, and Brad Fawaz for your incredible support in the last two days (and beyond).

Slow Progress

I just wanted to update you guys on why I haven't updated my blog. In short: I've been busy at work and lazy at home. But, I'm coming back into the groove of things. I'm dedicating two evenings a week on masteringMaya: The Fundamentals (MM:TF) and one on the upcoming Python Xtreme 101 class on 3DBuzz.com.

My evenings are going to look like in college. By structuring/dedicating my evenings, it's going to give me the incentive to persevere. Don't get persevere wrong. I love modeling and programming, but I work full-time in front of a computer monitor. When I get home from a hard day, I don't necessarly want to get in front of a monitor for a few hours.

I did it before. I've had long days at work and came home to MM:TF. It's not so bad, but everything seems harder when you're exhausted after a hard day's work.

I really need to start programming again, and the Python Xtreme 101 class timing is perfect. My goal is to eventually juggle masteringMaya: Advanced Modelling and XNA Xtreme (101). I like programming and I would love to learn more, especially game programming. Volume 1 and 2 looks exactly like what I want to do. But for now, focusing on MM:TF, Python will do the job :) !

As you may have noticed, I added a little widget on the right side to better display my progress in the various 3DBuzz training that I'm (and going) into.

masteringMaya: The Fundamentals - Update

It's been awhile. I've actually been busy and lazy at the same time. My father's worship band has taken a break from playing in church while they concentrate on their album. I don't play on the album, so that gives me a break. Time I can take and concentrate on finishing masteringMaya: The Fundamentals.

I've given myself a goal on finishing the content, which (by adding a little pressure), adds a lot of motivation and incentive for me to go through it. I love Maya, but sometimes the temptation to just sit on the couch and play the PS3 is way to great. I'm a gamer afterall. I plan to finish MM:TF before this summer.

I've been spending the last few days on shading the Alien Ship. I finished adding shader glow to the ship.



I hope you like the color choice for the glow ;) !

There's only a few videos before completing the project's Advanced Shader lesson. Then it's on to rigging.

2007 Biggest Surprises in Gaming

Now that the new year "rush" is passed, it's time to look back at the last year. 2007 was the year of Surprises in the gaming industry. Releases, Lawsuits, Demonstrations, Politicians (finally) siding with the ESRB... It was a very big year.

It's hard to compile every surprising event that happened this year. Even harder to just name one. But just to put some perspective:

• Nintendo being surprised at their own success
• The sales and account creation/cancellation rates after the release of WoW: The Burning Crusade
• Sony's PR dispute with Kotaku
• PS3 Home and LittleBigPlanet Demonstrations
• Take-Two FINALLY suing Jack Thompson (although they took it to the backseat later)
• Paul Eibeler removed as Take-Two CEO
• Politicians adopting Second Life as a Campaigning Tool
• Although we always kind of felt it was coming, the Announcement of Starcraft II
• The Church of England showing the world their greed by 'attempting' legal actions againg Sony/Insomniac Games (Machester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man)
• The Manhunt 2 ratings rollercoaster and battles
• Ken Kutaragi's Retirement a Reality
• The XBox 360's Red Ring of Death Plague and Microsoft's lasting denial and Warranty rollercoaster
• WiiFit
• GreenPeace's console ratings in their quaterly "Guide to Greener Electronics"
• Peter Moore leaving Microsoft
• The Two PS3 Price Cut... that didn't happen... in a way... but then there was... you know what? Just forget it.
• The New E3
• The "media" forced connection of the Virginia Tech Shooter to Video Games
• A load of games parodying tragic events
• Jack Thompson sending Gay Porn to a judge;
• Jack Thompson using libel/defamation and personal attacks toward GamePolitics.com and Dennis McCauley (editor at GamePolitics.com);
• Jack Thompson attempting to sue GamePolitics.com and Kotaku.com (two different lawsuits); and
• Jack Thompson's disciplinary hearings (at long last)
• Silicon Knights suing Epic Games for their own licence breach.
• The Rarity of Wii's after more then 13 months after launch
• PSP Slim and the revatilized PSP sales
• Nintendo Firing Employee Blogger
• The 'milked' Halo 3 Media Barrage... there seriously was too much Halo 3 in the Media
• Speaking of Halo 3 -> Bungie leaving Microsoft; and
• Halo 3 used to attract/connect with kids in Church
• Politicians and attorneys finally realising that, for the ESRB to work, you need to promote it. A lot of influencial figures are starting to side with the ESRB such as Greg Abbott, Glenn Coffee, and more... even Helene Keeley who worked with Jack Thompson on bringing video game legislation to Delaware
• EA acquiring... buying... possessing... (whichever one fits) BioWare and Pandemic
• Jeff Gerstmann Fired from GameSpot and the Awakening of the Angry Internet
• Vivendi buys and merges with Activision
• Mario Party DS making PC World Magazine's "Most offensive game of 2007" list.
• Monster Hunter 3's sudden console switch (that even Capcom, outside the development team, didn't know about) - PS3 to Wii
• Mothers Against Videogame Addiction and Violence (mavav.org) Hoax
• The WiiZapper (the plastic Wii Remote and Nunchuck accessory that barely looks like a gun) being the subject of controversy

That's only a fraction of all the things that happened this year. (Maylater add links to source articles if I can find the time.)

Obviously MY personal Biggest Gaming Surprise of 2007is not even close to those. Mine is outside the technical or political scene and more of a personal experience and what was once the reason for me to stick to PC for playing FPS games. That's right, in 2007, I was totally shocked at... (wait for it...)...(it's coming...)... (just a little more...)... Unreal Tournament 3'scontrol scheme for Sixaxis.

I can already here most of you going "WTF???". It's true. FPS Controls on a console NEVER felt so responsive and natural. There are so many little details (like the rotation acceleration to turn quickly) thatresults in a lot of people using the Sixaxis over Mouse & Keyboard, eventhough Mouse and Keyboard are supported.

I definately feel that FPS game developpers should take notes with whatEpic has done. Epic has spent a lot of time developping and tweaking aconsole-specific control scheme and engine that does shrink the linebetween PC and Console FPS, consequently, bringing quality FPS toconsoles and proving that it is possible to PS3 ports THAT DONOT SUCK!!! *stares in EA's direction*