EPSBE:) (can you guess what it means???)

^ stands for: External Pitching Session Blog Entry :) Lame, I know.

Wow, I haven't posted in a bit :P But I've been sick for 3 weeks, and I really, really think it is because of CS3216. I've fallen sick more times this year (2months past) than I did last year (probably due to a lack of sleep) :( And it's horrible. Imagine having a fever, sinus infection, sore throat. You can't eat because you can't open your mouth big enough to fit the spoon in (even porridge was a chore). You can't sleep because if you try to lie backwards, your head hurts. If you try to lie left or right your face hurts. If you lean forward, your eyes hurt. You feel both hot and cold. I kid you not. Can't even go karaoke :P But I met the rest of my family today and we're all like that :D I thought it'd therefore be a peaceful day since no one would talk, but they did. Can you imagine 5 people with sore throats laughing and struggling to speak :P Horrible, horrible. But so funny, and then I will burst out laughing but laughing hurts my half recovered throat.

But back to the pitching session :) And btw I'm able to speak again :)

So, hmm, the pitching session could have come sooner perhaps. I think by then quite a number of people already had in mind what they wanted to do and formed groups already. One person kiasu, then herd instinct kicks in. Though the pitching session didn't really leave me inspired. And I created and iSyndica account on the spot xD But seems like there IS a limit leh. Wonder if they'll let me intern even if I don't help them on this project :X

Hmm, so what I remembered best was RedSports (the one before that on world cities left me "???" and from DS I learnt some sign language... did I mention I broke my glasses so I've been using one 300degrees below since that session haha). The thing about the RedSports presenter that really struck me was that he seemed so sincere in making Singapore sports news available for all. He really had an idea of what he wanted to do, did it, and it's all really inspired. Though I am not sure if it is so much SG sports news, or SG youth sports news? Seems more like the latter case, and if so, he is serving a niche market, though I've honestly never heard of the site before. I wonder how large their audience is... 2000? Is it really worth all that effort for such a small audience? I guess to someone who is doing it as a hobby, even 1 viewer would be a good enough reason to continue. It would be nice if everyone in the world did a good job for no reason other that the satisfaction of another :p

Honestly though, I don't think they have done a very good job marketing themselves. Not even sure people bother reading everything... perhaps only the players themselves, their friends, and a few others? Then again, I'm not a sports player. Perhaps they make their presence known at games with RedSports branded tees and cameras and such. With their Facebook page, I actually could kinda point out on the spot (as many of us could) how to make it more nicer. One thing I really do not get is that small "RED" picture :X Is it their logo? Looks very random. Nevertheless, I like what they have done - taking action about something they have an interest in. All that said, I think slowly and steadily, if the site can survive long enough, it could become something rather successful. Not very though, how successful it becomes hinges on external factor, like the sg youth sports scene.

Another thing I remembered was module-review. I really don't know what to say about it haha xD I just remember it well. It's kinda funny b/c when you visit the site, a ton of mods are missing, and for some facs, not a single review is posted. While everything is arranged nicely for someone visiting the site, it's less appealing for the information provider imho unless I really, really know and want to provide a free review. I am still not sure what to make of it though. When I first heard of it, I though it wasn't going to work. But I couldn't explain exactly why. I mean, it would be useful. But I had no idea how to execute it or make it work. I am not sure it's a good idea for a third party to handle this, but then CollegeBoard works (although it simply covers the unis I think, non-specific). I think it would be great though, if the schools would do it for us. It's not like they don't collect reviews from us every sem already in return for bid points :p To me, this is something like umm a public good. So no one will supply anything, and the school should provide it for us or it won't work xD Okies, econs majors (do we have any) please don't come after me if I said it wrong, hahaha.

Last, I think the Prince of Persia opportunity was cool, though the timing wasn't so cool :( Also, checked out the explosive barrel site and the games actually aren't that cool :X So sorry. I know I shouldn't say stuff like that about other people's work especially if I can't do it better myself, but they aren't all that appealing, especially in terms of gameplay. I am not sure if they were thought out properly, though I am sure much effort was put in. Very honetly, there are plenty of individuals out there who do better games for free as their hobby. Then again, the games they display on their site are probably not their best work. What they do for other companies like Ubisoft must be way better. If Ubisoft picks them, they must have their reasons. But that site is not such a great portfolio at first glance :X

Actually, one thing I kinda realized is that a game doesn't have to be coded well to be successful xD Please don't blast me. The code can be messy, but if it works seamlessly on the surface, and the layout, drawings are nice, many people will play it. Then when you are successful, can get better programmers xD This game I used to play (and will be playing next age (does that give me away :))) supposedly had really primitive code but it still lasted so long until the new people re-wrote it (full of bugs intiially), and really, many people would have at that point in time, stuck with the old code than welcome the new, hopefully better written one. Because people play not for the code. The end is what matters, not what's below all that. Like a house that looks clean and beautiful, but all the dust is swept under the carpet, mountains stored behind cupboard doors. People don't really care as long as they can't consciously feel the effects of the problem. And if you tell people to come to your house 5h later when they're at your doorstep, because you wanna clear all the dust I can't see under the carpets, I think people will be really disgruntled. So do you improve or stick with the old? And when you improve, people must be able to feel, and enjoy the difference. Ok, so I went off topic.

Oh gosh, actually I just basically said a lot of things weren't done very well. I feel like a mean old woman (I am NOT mean, don't comment on this) Which I feel I shouldn't since I haven't done any of these thing and I don't understand their possible limitations (which I have realized during CS3216 xD Heart wanna do, but hard to carry out given constraints). Though this is my honest opinion as a third party. Though I have nevertheless learnt through the session (new info provided, and it really forced me to think about how I'd do things, rather than just seeing everything and going "yeah, yeah, that's cool, that's not cool". I have to pinpoint more exactly and it's hard after 2weeks :P).

I'll get the next entry I owe up asap! Uh, but not today :p

Sorry, I edited the entry quite a bit for words here and there and stuff :P Bad habit, but make it easier for the reader to read I hope.