<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.9.1 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:16:50 GMT--><rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><title>main</title><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/</link><description></description><lastBuildDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:16:33 +0000</lastBuildDate><copyright></copyright><language>en-AU</language><generator>Squarespace Site Server v5.9.1 (http://www.squarespace.com/)</generator><item><title>Vaudeville, time travel and pie</title><category>2K Play</category><category>P.B. Winterbottom</category><category>The Odd Gentlemen</category><category>Xbox 360</category><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:17:03 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2010/2/28/vaudeville-time-travel-and-pie.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6857692</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.sofari.net/storage/winterbottom.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1267325765763" alt="" /></span></span><a id="inlineSaveTarget" class="button button-important " onclick="this.blur(); Squarespace.ConfigurationTray.issue('save');; return false;" onmouseout="this.blur();" href="javascript:noop()"></a>Following in the tradition of &lsquo;Splosion Man, Braid, and Peggle, <a href="http://www.winterbottomgame.com/">PB Winterbottom</a> takes it&rsquo;s mechanics and explores them just enough to keep things fresh.</p>
<p>It could be finished in an afternoon, and seeing the gray coming down right now over Sydney, there probably won&rsquo;t be a better Sunday to check it out. It&rsquo;s a measly 800 microsoft points (just over $12 Australian) through xbox live arcade, which buys you a healthy dollop of chortles and tom-foolery.</p>
<p><object width="600" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Triirdqmevo&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Triirdqmevo&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6857692.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Micky's - Malteaser Milkshake</title><category>Sydney</category><category>cafe</category><category>food and drink</category><category>micky's</category><category>sugar</category><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:57:38 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2010/2/27/mickys-malteaser-milkshake.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6851355</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><iframe width="600" height="300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&amp;source=s_q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=micky's+cafe&amp;sll=-33.885222,151.227614&amp;sspn=0.001067,0.002401&amp;gl=au&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=micky's+cafe&amp;hnear=&amp;ll=-33.87462,151.231956&amp;spn=0.001067,0.002401&amp;t=h&amp;z=14&amp;iwloc=A&amp;cid=15366535178319772006&amp;output=embed"></iframe><small><a style="color: #0000ff; text-align: left;" href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&amp;source=embed&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q=micky's+cafe&amp;sll=-33.885222,151.227614&amp;sspn=0.001067,0.002401&amp;gl=au&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=micky's+cafe&amp;hnear=&amp;ll=-33.87462,151.231956&amp;spn=0.001067,0.002401&amp;z=14&amp;iwloc=A&amp;cid=15366535178319772006"><br /></a></small></p>
<p>Exhausted from the Mardi Gras? Just down the road from the flouro and feathers you'll find <a href="http://www.mickyscafe.com/">Micky's cafe</a>. <br />The Malteaser Thickshake is to chocolate what crack is to to caffeine. <br /><br />You may never be able to taste sugar again.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6851355.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>BAD COMPANY 2 DEMO</title><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:35:08 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2010/2/14/bad-company-2-demo.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6687435</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>God may not play <a href="http://www.dice.se/">Dice</a>, but soon everyone else will be thanks to the <a href="http://badcompany2.ea.com/">Battlefield: Bad Company 2</a> demo. In a refreshing show of generosity, all are invited to play one level of the demo for the next couple of weeks. For those of you still sitting on the fence about this one, pull that picket from your posterior and download the demo now. &nbsp;Especially if you&rsquo;re someone daunted by the world of online shooters, this could be the one that pulls your gaming microphone out of retirement.</p>
<p>Check out the video below, it&rsquo;s a gameplay video by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/norm360X">norm360X</a> &ndash; in a world of Drowning Pool no scope montages, Norm&rsquo;s videos have the refreshing habit of making video games look like fun.</p>
<p>Bad Company 2 is coming to Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.</p>
<p>﻿<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eEFfX9NnwJ0&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eEFfX9NnwJ0&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6687435.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Vessel</title><category>indie</category><category>precious fluids</category><category>video games</category><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:09:28 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2010/2/7/vessel.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6585189</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rll-fDn-8YM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rll-fDn-8YM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></p>
<p>Better late than never, but the upcoming game Vessel from <a href="http://www.strangeloopgames.com/">Strange Loop Games </a>looks beautiful. The fluid physics is enough to warrant a look. This is exactly the kind of game that I would only ever want to play on a 2D plain. Thanks to this and <a href="http://pixeljunk.jp/library/Shooter/">Pixel Junk Shooter </a>I now demand fluid physics in all my games.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6585189.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>The Last Guardian - IN YOUR EYES!</title><category>doughy eyed</category><category>playstation</category><category>puppies</category><category>screenchots</category><category>sony</category><category>team ico</category><category>the last guardian</category><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:45:45 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2010/2/2/the-last-guardian-in-your-eyes.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6527933</guid><description><![CDATA[<p>﻿<span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.sofari.net/storage/post-images/Project_Trico.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1265101324124" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p>Screenshots. Normally the most boring aspects of video game hype which leaves me hanging for a video, but the <a href="http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/trico/main.html">new Last Guardian images </a>have me staring at the screen doughy-eyed with the grin of a man who found a baby Panda in the mail.</p>
<p>A Panda covered in puppies.&nbsp;</p>
<p>RT <a href="http://twitter.com/nsuttner">@nsuttner</a> via <a href="http://twitter.com/ryanodonnel">@ryanodonnell</a>.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6527933.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Giving up smoking</title><category>cold turkey</category><category>nsfw</category><category>quitting smoking</category><category>quitting smoking</category><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:06:37 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2010/1/14/giving-up-smoking.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6315317</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.euro-cig.com/gal_images/20060404093822.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1263755260595" alt="" width="603" height="384" /></span></span></p>
<p>For the last week, I have not smoked a single cigarette - the first time for twelve years that I&rsquo;ve stopped smoking.<br /><br />I&rsquo;m going cold turkey - partly because I&rsquo;m real man, and partly because I&rsquo;m not organised enough to organise myself some nicotine patches. <br /><br />I know the most important thing about giving up smoking. <br /><br />Be warned, this is going to be offensive to people who are ever offended by offensive words, and especially those who are only offended by certain words.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6315317.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Assassin's Creed 2</title><category>AC2</category><category>Assassin's Creed 2</category><category>Bad Pope</category><category>PS3</category><category>Sydney</category><category>Xbox 360</category><category>video games</category><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:27:10 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2009/12/10/assassins-creed-2.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6002927</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.sofari.net/storage/post-images/badPope.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1260129515512" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<!-- 		@page { margin: 2cm } 		P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } -->
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A typical exchange at my place this week:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">&nbsp;</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">&lsquo;I can&rsquo;t wait till you finish that game&rsquo;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">&lsquo;Eh Bambino? Itsa fantastico!&rsquo;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">&lsquo;Your accent is not Benne&rsquo;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">&lsquo;Frutata pesto taglietelle&rsquo;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">&lsquo;Shut up...&rsquo;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">&lsquo;Bella! I&rsquo;ma ...&rsquo;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">&lsquo;Now.&rsquo;</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">So now that I&rsquo;ve finished Assassin&rsquo;s Creed 2, and I can finally open my mouth without sounding like an advert for microwavable pizza, I think it's time to reflect on my time in the 15th century. Some spoilers incoming.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6002927.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>is this it?</title><category>Hello World</category><category>Pooing with ambient noise</category><category>Sydney</category><category>video games</category><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:01:12 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2009/12/7/is-this-it.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6007342</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.sofari.net/storage/post-images/1702uchaos_engine2jpg.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1260180117873" alt="" /></span></span><em>(Image from The Chaos Engine, The Bitmap Brothers, 1993)<br /></em></p>
<p>Sofari.net has been parked here for a while now nothing happening. This is especially annoying seeing as I paid for this thing. Unfortunately little things like travel, a worrying economic climate and that &lsquo;life&rsquo; thing had other ideas. More on my obligatory 'hello world' post after the jump...</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6007342.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Michael</title><category>atkinson</category><category>lack of commonsense</category><category>r18</category><category>video games</category><dc:creator>Tidyman</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:53:32 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.sofari.net/journal/2009/12/7/michael.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">404050:4410266:6002290</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.sofari.net/storage/temp/michael.gif?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1260125721025" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p>The man above is Michael Atkinson. South Australian <span class="mw-redirect">Attorney-General</span>, Minister for Justice, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and Minister for Multicultural Affairs.</p>
<p>According to the oracle that is wikipedia:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Atkinson is responsible for maintaining Australia's status as the only Western country without a "Mature" rating for video games, despite overwhelming demand for such a rating. Due to this, Atkinson is often at the receiving end of criticism from the international <span class="mw-redirect">Video Gaming</span> community. Other related consequences include the sale of what are rated "Mature" games in other countries to minors and repeated inconsistent decisions from the OFLC who are "stuck between a rock and a hard place". He has withdrawn his support for a discussion paper and public consultation on the subject of an "R18+" rating, although the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General still has this issue on its agenda, it is improbable that there will be unanimity which will result in introduction of the rating being almost impossible.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This site is coming soon, but rather than waiting around for something exciting to happen, go <a href="http://www.gamers4croydon.org/">here</a>.</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.sofari.net/journal/rss-comments-entry-6002290.xml</wfw:commentRss></item></channel></rss>