FlashGameLicense.com: Where Game Developers And Sponsors Meet

FlashGameLicense.com (FGL) is a website dedicated to bringing Flash game developers and sponsors together. I have been using FGL since late 2008 and find it to be a useful tool with an excellent community. Below, I will briefly describe the two things that I most enjoy about FlashGameLicense.com.

Developer Community

Numerous skilled game developers, and some artists, participate on FGL. The single most useful aspect of the site that I have experienced is receiving feedback from my peers. FGL allows developers to upload their games, at any level of completion, and share them with the community. With Flash Gear for example, I initially created a crude demo of the game and sought feedback from other developers. Their comments, opinions, and bug reports proved to be an invaluable resource leading to the successful production of the game. Additionally, it allowed me to gauge interest for the idea, before I put in the effort to create it. I highly recommend that Flash creators use the FGL community to inform the design and development of their games.

Thinking in reverse, another feature of the FGL community is that one can play other members' games. This is beneficial for multiple reasons. For one, by playing someone else's games, I am able to get new ideas for my own and understand how people approach game design differently. Furthermore, if I leave useful feedback for someone else, he or she is likely to take a notice of my games and return the favor. Together we improve the overall quality of each other's products. Lastly, the potential also exists for members to collaborate. By reviewing other users' creations, I can identify people who I might be interested in working with on future projects.

Sponsorship Opportunities

To my understanding, the main intended purpose of FGL is to link game creators with sponsors. This opens doors to new developers who do not have industry connections and helps sponsors find quality games that may have been overlooked otherwise. Though it may take a few attempts, developers of high-quality Flash games can indeed receive sponsorship for their hard work. FGL has a number of pages of FAQs and sponsorship descriptions, as well as a responsive staff, that help to educate new developers about the process. I was fortunate enough to receive my first game sponsorship through FGL and am grateful for that opportunity. It is unlikely that I would have obtained the level of exposure with Flash Gear that I did, had it not been for FGL.

Check It Out

If you are a Flash game developer, FlashGameLicense.com is certainly worth taking a look at. At a minimum, it will expose you to ideas from other developers and potential sponsors. However, if you choose to get involved in the community, it will prove to be a valuable resource for informing your game design and development process.

P.S. Flash Gear will be launching on the AddictingGames website in the near future. I will make a post describing the game and linking to it at that time.

EduGeoProject.com: The MSU Geo Project is Complete

Thanks to an intense day of photography last weekend and a long week of editing photos, I have completed the first version of the MSU Geo Project. It contains over 250 images from the main portion of Michigan State University's (MSU) campus. Each photo is geotagged with latitude, longitude, and altitude data, which allows software like Google Earth to automatically pinpoint where the image was taken.

EduGeoProject.com

To assist with the distribution of the MSU Geo Project, I have created the Edu Geo Project website, which can be found at www.edugeoproject.com. The site currently offers the embed code for multiple versions of the interactive Google Earth map of MSU's campus, as well as a zip file containing all of the geotagged images in the project.

Creative Commons

I elected to place the content of the MSU Geo Project under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 U.S. License to encourage the use of the photos without the fear of copyright infringement. I welcome others to employ the images found in the MSU Geo Project for any variety of derivative or expansive works.

Future Projects

Having successfully completed what initially seemed like an overwhelming task at MSU, I have already begun to think of future geo projects. I am tentatively planning to accomplish a similar feat at Arizona State University (ASU) some time within the next year. The results of that project will likewise be hosted at edugeoproject.com.

Feedback

I am currently looking for feedback on the MSU Geo Project and welcome any comments and criticisms. Feel free to point out missing landmarks that would make the map more complete. Please share any uses that you have for the project or ideas that you have for improving the EduGeoProject website.

Learning Mandarin Chinese With Rosetta Stone | 在四个月学习中文

On February 23, 2009, I began learning Mandarin Chinese. Using the Rosetta Stone software, I was able to become proficient in Chinese after only four months of practice.

Rosetta Stone is an incredible tool that I highly recommend to all language learners. Not only is it self-paced and interactive, but it takes an intriguing approach to teaching Chinese. While using the software, the student is immersed in a wholly foreign world. No English can be found. No translation occurs. The learner is exposed only to the unknown language. He must read, hear, speak, and type only in Chinese. From the accompanying images and activities, the student deciphers and constructs his own meaning. Thus, the new language is discovered and absorbed through the learner's situated experiences. This reflects the way that one learns his native tongue and is remarkably fast and effective.

After four months with Rosetta Stone, I am confident that I can conduct everyday tasks in Chinese. I know how to handle things like buying and selling, meeting and greeting, social events, and basic conversation. My current understanding of Chinese is comparable to my proficiency in Spanish after four years of traditional instruction! I believe that Rosetta Stone can both supplement the learning of traditional students and help nontraditional students learn a language very fast. It costs about the same as a one semester college course, yet provides years worth of knowledge in the same amount of time. If you are interested in learning a new language or improving your existing skills, I recommend that you use Rosetta Stone. I have never experienced a better language learning system.

While I can now handle many basic life situations, the keys to becoming fluent in Chinese are to practice and increase my vocabulary. Rosetta Stone has given me a solid foundation, especially in regards to grammatical syntax. I need to continue learning new words to grow my capabilities. Although I have completed the entire program, I plan to continue using Rosetta Stone to review and practice. I will also seek an alternative source for expanding my vocabulary. Studying Chinese has been an exciting and rewarding experience for me. Without Rosetta Stone, I would not have been able to learn Chinese in such a fast and effective manner. To demonstrate my progress thus far, I decided to rewrite this blog post below in simplified Chinese.

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二零零九二月二十三号上，我开始我的中文课。用Rosetta Stone软件，只要四个月的练习,我能精通中文了。

Rosetta Stone 是一个俱佳的用具。我推荐所有的语言学生都用它。它不只是自步和互动， 可是它的教式很有意思。在用着Rosetta Stone的时候，我浸了一个外星球。我找不到了英语或者译文。我只经历一个陌生语言。我只看，说，和写了中文。从照片和活动，我构和发现了我的意思。因此, 我的知识是从经历来的。这样跟我的最初英语学习一样，也有效。

过后的四个月跟Rosetta Stone，我能做平常的东西用中文。我会买卖，见面，和讨论多东西。我中文知识比我西班牙语一样，可是我在中学里学了四年的西班牙语！为传统和非传统的学生，我想Rosetta Stone很有用学一个新语言。一个大学课比Rosetta Stone价格差不多一样， 可是Rosetta Stone有多年的课。如果你要学一个新语言，你应该用Rosetta Stone. 我不知道一个更好的语言学用具。

虽然我能对付多日常活动，我的关键流畅的中文是练习和加词汇量。Rosetta Stone 给我一个强基础的语法。我需要学习新词扩大我的能力。虽然我结束了我的电脑课，我会继续用着Rosetta Stone练习。还有，我会找另一个资源学中文词。我想学中文很有意思和重要。没有Rosetta Stone, 我不能写这个或者跟一个中国人说话。

Follow-Up: Progress on Geotagging MSU Project

Last month, I wrote about my idea to geotag all of the buildings and other significant landmarks on MSU's campus. My objective is to create an interactive, visual map of campus that can be shared through Google Earth. Thus far, I have taken over 90 images of approximately 50 campus locations. However, I still have about 70 more sites to document before completing the project. Below, you will find an updated Google Earth map that will give you an idea of what the final version will look like.

Update: The MSU Geo Project has been completed. Read about it here.

Oatestasia Studio: An Upcoming Hit From TechSmith?

Rumors are swirling across the internet over a recently discovered graphic from software vendor TechSmith. The image portrays a new product, entitled Oatestasia Studio, that uses advanced artificial intelligence and audio generation to apply authentic sounds by musician John Oates to a user's presentation content.

You can see the leaked graphic in its entirety below. Click on the preview image to see the full-sized version.

I, for one, believe that such an innovation would be warmly received across the board. Imagine presentations that audiences can groove and dance to, rather than sleep and snore to. This is the killer app that we have all been waiting for.

Considering that I have not confirmed this product with a source from within TechSmith, I am lead to ask two things:

1. Is Oatestasia Studio real?
2. When does production on Hallit get started, so presenters can replace their boring voices with custom-generated vocals by Daryl Hall?

Update 3PM: Officials from TechSmith were unable to confirm nor deny this report. However, one stated that an overwhelming amount of "automated mustache callout" requests had flooded in since this news first hit the scene.

Update 5PM: It now appears that Oatestasia Studio is officially a spoof and not a work in progress by TechSmith. Yet, I cannot help but think of what an amazing application it would be. Something that could take presentation content, analyze it, and generate the appropriate audio track to go along with it, would not only be incredible, but most useful.

2009: A Year in Mad Libs - June

In June, we'll discover a new form of baseball that uses penguins for bases and has 4-foot fences.

June

Monday, June 1: Skating

Traditionally, Slugger McGurk is as cool as the bat on which she skates. Last night she surprised her fans by pumping her Adam's apples in the air and jumping into her coach's softballs when her winning umpires were flashed on the home run!

Tuesday, June 2: World Series Broadcast

Here we are in the bottom of the ninth blubber, the score is tied, there are two outs and the penguins are loaded. Here it comes... and there it goes! It's a 4-foot home run. Wow!

Wednesday, June 3: The Farm

I spent last summer on my grandfather's exuberant farm. He raises oats and ninjas. My favorite place to balance on the farm is the warrior house, where Grandfather keeps his downtrodden chickens.

Thursday, June 4: For Sale: New Stereo

Here's a chance to get a bloody new stereo. This set will play records, clean cassettes and compact bumper cars. Best news of all, it will only cost you 1 dollar.

Friday, June 5: Camels

Question: Why do camels have light bulbs?
Answer: Camels live in the desert and have to go for days without food or venom. Their humps are made of lederhosen on which they live.

Monday, June 8: Travel Suggestion

If you're looking to spend a sweet honeymoon, think of salty Mexico. At night, you can retire to the local woman and watch the famous pope dance called the bicycle.

Thursday, June 10: A Card From Camp

Dear Folks,
Camp is great! I like all of the bankers in my tent. I have become as close as two fortnights in a pod with Sammy Davis Jr., who has a cute personality.
Love you!

Saturday, June 13: Fashion Show

One of the hottest designers today is Anna Bajoomba. She got her start in the priest industry, and then moved into fashion. Now, her line of collars is getting all sorts of brown reviews.

Monday, June 15: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, LTD.

This scary sand was written over 100 steaks ago and made its author very modest. The story is about a humble doctor who performs egotistical experiments in his lab.

Tuesday, June 16: Computer Decorating

One of the most horny things about having your own computer is that you get to decorate it any way you want. I bought the coolest beetles to hump all of the monitor - it looks so vigorous!

Wednesday, June 17: Captain Zoom

The adventures of Captain Zoom, Space Goiter. Captain Zoom is a superhero who wears a diarrhea brown cape and a happy purple suit of long underwear. He has his own sad rocket ship, which takes him all over the universe.

Friday, June 18: Bird Watching And Vice Versa

Bird watching can be more fun than a barrel of gutterballs. Our gleeful feathered friends are everywhere, waiting to be watched. An interesting bird to start with is the morose oriole, which builds its nest in tomato trees.

Saturday, June 19: 1-800-PSYCHIC

Psychics are skippers who are sensitive to the supernatural forces happening in this shallow world. If you want to talk to a dead beach or dearly departed winter, a psychic can arrange a seance.

Wednesday, June 24: Driver's Checklist

Before you follow the open road to a descriptive adventure, don't forget to have a good town drunk give your screw an inquisitive tune-up.

Saturday, June 27: Wrestling

Wrestling was a gluttonous sport among the anorexic Greeks. Wrestlers were naked to the calves and wore restaurants around their waists.

Monday, June 29: Handbag Confidential

Some women like bags that are very barbaric while others like a bag that's as small as a cluster. There are some common things to every bag like a cell top hat or a pair of glasses for discovering.