All you hear these days is Internet is stealing the local stores money and other crazy stuff like that. Basically the dinosaurs are throwing their tales around and missing the point. So what would an average street be like in the future? With the adaption of internet shopping for various types of retail, will the common street front be a thing of the past?
Entertainment like movies and games will slowly disperse from retail stores to the internet. Were the upkeep is drastically less than hundreds of stores across the country. This will be good too for the consumer, with the consumer wanting more and more entertainment cheaper than the current high market price. I could see what little entertainment which does exist in the retail stores been limited to smaller selections and big releases aimed for the “right there, right now” market. However with the increasing effectiveness of postal services this too might just disappear.
Supermarkets will still exist, while they are trying for that whole online push as well, like the delivery systems tried years ago they will just forget them as well. The whole idea of purchasing produce online just seems a more over presented pointless exercise. Especially when half the time the stores themselves usually have the dodgiest produce, why would an online warehouse supermarket have any fresher?
I expect the future of the shop front will be more speciality stores which are not aimed at entertainment or convince but what a consumer would need locally. For example building supply stores and other industrial setups. The corner store would probably return and the malls will be a of a relic of the past.
Bars and clubs should also evolve, not as a “this is the future” but more as “this is what I want”, stop panning for the typical Bogan and put in some sophistication to a night out. Evolve to more of a lounge style set up which is open late with various actives outside the usual rave party; give us some board and video game setups.
The Chip Behind the Idea is an idea for a website, a feeling an emotion a desire. Okay I’m going to stop trying to sell the idea, as it would be quite obvious by now if it was a success or failure. However this one has a story, and some interesting designs. So tonight I will bring you the second Site Histories Editorial of the day.
The site was from 2010, late in the year approaching the end of the year. You know that usual November or December or even October style time frame which seems to be the period all my sites start up in. However to be honest if memory serves right many of the sites final designs and days where only this year in the heart of January and if you want to know what happened next, first you must know what the site was, or least what it was going to be.
I don’t remember a day when the site was public, okay maybe it was, you know it was, however I think it was that usual week before I got bored style thing. But that is okay it was failed at the start. You see the concept was simple, make a brand new never before scene websites, take one average gamer who likes the whole idea of the behind the scenes stuff and then- you still playing attention? Then you put them together with email and skype based interviews posted each week. Okay that was the original concept, see how horrible cringe worthy it is. I know I do.
So what happened next? Well the site became something different, something existing, through the development process I decided that what I just outlined to you was never going to happen. So I decided to make more editorial based content around various observations with Video Games and then when the site is accuarly up try for those big gun interviews with developers about games.
So the idea obviously didn’t take off like that either. However the site was home to a few articles which if you go back a few pages on this site, no doubt you will find them.
So why are these articles on Trinest.com now? Well obviously I didn’t want to make them go to waste. However there is more to the story then that, to find out we have to look at what was happening at Trinest.com at that time. In the final months of 2010 the site had design quite similar to what is on here now, but it was a bit messy, the colours were not right (if your lucky the old.trinest.com archives are still up and that should be the design I’m talking about). So I kicked the site down to a project page for a bit around the time I was working on The Chip Behind the Idea. I felt that the content which was originally on Trinest.com was written pretty horribly, while I might be going back to that, the problem was also the articles which were written didn’t really have any substance. So no one was going to read a shoddy article if it is about well, nothing.
So with the dawn of The Chip Behind The Idea obviously not going as well as I want, it was time to relaunch Trinest.com I made the current layout and uploaded the editorials from The Chip Behind The Idea to the site. I also dug through the old archives to find articles worthy of been put back up on the site again. After that I tried to continue the similar style update schedules which I proposed for The Chip Behind The Idea.
However moving on to The Chip Behind The Ideas designs, they are quite unique. They resemble the transition of styles which Trinest.com had experienced over 2010 as well as reflecting some other styles I had for other sites at the time. More importantly you will notice that one of the designs I talked about only in the last article. It is the red theme from Another Code Labs. However this theme is also used for The Chip Behind The Idea, as a base for the website before I started anything in it.
I then decided to make something unique for the layout, which this next layout became the layout through the sites “beta” phase. While I havn’t talked about the 2010 era of Trinest.com yet, it does contain many elements from various designs during that time. The article section for example was from one of the designs previously made for Trinest.com. All that was done to it was some slight colour changes. This is also true for the “final” layout of The Chip Behind The Idea which used the article sections from another Trinest.com theme from 2010.
Other then that the designs are very basic and contain ideas and elements from the eras mentioned previously.
ACL Converted for TCBTI |
“Beta” Design |
Final Design |
You know it has been more than a year, maybe a year and a half since CiNG went into bankruptcy? What is CiNG you ask? Well CiNG was the developer of the Another Code Series. The video game which Another Code Labs was no doubt based around. So I felt today might be a good time for another look into layouts of old, layouts from a time gone past. Like CiNG itself, forgotten in time, and with many of the layouts gone for good. However there are some which still exist showing off what Another Code Labs was once when it was in its prime, as well as what it became, when it turned into a disgusting mini site and a shadow of what it once was.
Up on the discussion block today are four layouts. Two of which are from the old era, which I want to talk about first- for the simple fact they show both what the site was when it was in its prime, and where I was design wise and knowledge wise when it came to making websites.
These original layouts are also quite old, from the period of 2005 to 2006. Their exact dates are unknown, but they are from an era which I used a content management system called iGaming CMS. Back in those days I knew little about making a website and when it came to the designs on my sites, they where either free layouts or ones which where made by others. In this case however these two designs where designed by me, and the layout was then coded by someone else.
Dubbed “ACL 9” and “ACL 10”, while they probably were not to far off the exact layout version are completely different to the ones before and after it. I think the best way to look at it, is to first look at “ACL 9” and see what it represents.
“ACL 9” is green, and you will be surprised to know that around that time many of my layouts where not green. While green has become the stigma which is attached to Trinest.com, my previous sites such as Another Code Labs and either older sites like Aussie DS where known for their blues. Another Code Labs also featured sites with pallets such as brown sand greys. So while this is one of the first green sites I’ve made, what else did it put on the table? Well it was also around the time other games got introduced to the Another Code Labs website. Such as Konami’s Lost in Blue (Survival Kids) series and when this layout was introduced coverage of Animal Crossing (by Nintendo of course). Other games also followed while using this design such as Darwinia. However those extra games where dropped soon after. (The site went back to just CiNG titles and Lost in Blue games). So other then that design wise, the site used a combination of various sprites and artworks in the headers.
Moving on to “ACL 10”, it is a drastic change and quite a different colour scheme. While unable to be seen by looking at the design, this is the time where the other games where dropped. It also continues use various sprites from Konamis’ Survival Kids GBC title. Once again it has been coded by “Careykid” (obviously an internet alias) who reminds me in this raw design that I’m going to get my ass handed to me in Mario Kart. Well it’s on CK, if your reading this- the challenge is still available. Joking aside, with this drastic colour scheme which seems to work so well you might be wondering how I came up with such a colour scheme at that time. Well inspiration and the general colour pallet was drawn on from the default theme of a Forum Software called NextBBS.
Moving on to the Mini Site design which I’m some what disappointed in. There is a story behind it, at the time I had decided to stop doing the whole Another Code Labs thing. Which lead to a serious of events which my backup of all the awesome content I had disappearing. Which when I decided I wanted to do the site again, and I randomly looked for the information and found nothing- so I stitched together a Mini Site. Since that time Another Code Labs had never been the same.
Following the Mini Site blunder was a time when I decided I wasn’t going to do it again once more, which then resulted in, you guess it a return to wanting to do it. So that is where the final design today comes in. I did however make a serious attempt to try and get the site back to its former glory this time around. However it ended up resulting it the site been ramped with FAQs from around the internet instead of original content. The design was also used once again, but red when I tried to do the whole CiNG website again. This time around I dropped the Another Code Labs name, and tried for something like “Cingida” which was something like “Cing Information Database” Wiki? I’m not to sure. But if you guessed that project went to nothing as well, then you would be right.
ACL 9 |
ACL 10 |
Another Code Mini Site |
Rebirth |
Will the social fad die?
When you say something like that it is quite hard to really know what your trying to imply. After all the whole socialisation of the human species is at the core of us, or something. However let’s just look at Facebook and other social networking sites around on the internet right now. They have all fundamentally stayed the same for quite some time and not many offer any unique features or socialising options.
Look at Facebook, Google Plus and Disporia. They all have the same ideas and overall design. Social networking on these sites at the end of the day are all the same core technique and style. The reason why moving over from MySpace and Bebo to Facebook worked so well at the time was because Facebook accurately offered a much more solid interaction with friends. At the time it was the top of the game, but since then it is the same core design which has been reused over and over again. It has become a internet fad, rather than a way of networking and sharing. The current design of social networks has run its course.
All the new social networks which are arising, Google Plus and Disporia are meant to change the way we think about social networking. Revolutionise the game. However at the end of the day it is the same core design from Facebook. What changes have they used to change the game? Well the friend list was shaken a little to allow more customisable sharing, which guess what, that got copied to Facebook anyway.
When I last talked about social networking, I talked about MySpace and how it should of evolved and become a key player in a different side of social networking. I raised the point it should try and target Deviantarts market rather then Facebooks, by becoming a more creative social outpost. I still stand by this point, and I want to further say that all social networks should probably incorporate more and more creative socialisation into their websites.
Social Networking should become more private, allow circles to be tightened and information that is revealed to the world much tighter and more portal styled. It should be like a different view for people who look at a page, for example let’s imagine this crazy creative social network site did exist, the global page for all could be a more personalised project hub site. While as you go through the circles you start seeing more interaction with the core owner, such as emailing appearing into the hub area, then pictures of holidays, pictures of friends, status updates and finally full interaction and commenting through various hubs. While this tightening of social networking is starting to happen, it still doesn’t allow the user full control of their information, at the end of the day they are just limiting the information to various users, rather then allowing limited information to present a different way of socialising with different people.
I think something else I should mention in the Trinest Talk segments which are not real articles, otherwise they’d have more swearing and bad spelling in them is the emergence of Coldplays new album Mylo Xyloto.
Mylo Xyloto is an album with one of the most bizzar names in the world. Coming out later next month with an array of tracks. The idea behind it seems it has been split by a imaginary line which gives the musical tracks distinct styles. Also the album is meant to have some sort of underlying story as well, which the separation adds to the whole idea.
The first half features songs like Every Tear Drop is a Waterfall and Paradise, the more poppy styled songs from the album. As well as the best song in the world right now, Charlie Brown.
The second half however features songs like Major Minus and Up in Flames which have a more “old school” Coldplay styling. Also may I mention that Up in Flames is the most boring track ever?
Well maybe not, but it seems the more older styled tracks in the album are not as good as the new age stuff. Which seems to be more energetic and while the “hardcore” Coldplay fans can have the argument that the new stuff has no Soul, the other half which is more older styled doesn’t either to the degree they want. It seems to be fleshed out to the point its a fan service to sound the same. But don’t get me wrong- they are still good tracks.
So this week was some kind of conference for developing for Windows products, and at the end of the day, the biggest thing sweaty nerds where waiting for- was the Windows 8 Development Preview. Which would be downloaded by more then just developers. Including me, while many people who did this looking at websites are disgusted by the operating system and comparing it along side a completed version of Windows 7 or something. I’m going to compare it to the betas of Windows 7 and Vista.
With that in mind, what the hell was Microsoft thinking releasing such a buggy produc…..I mean what?
I think for me the disappointment is the new UI which they have designed. Not for the fact it’s stupid or what ever else a frequent Apple fanboy would use to throw shit at Windows. No for the simple fact it doesn’t really work well with a laptop computer, if for example I had a touch pad- it would be the best dam thing since sliced bread. But on a laptop it just feels conflicting.
I love the metro apps, until I realised they didn’t do everything in the world, with the Twitter and Facebook applications been very limited. But I guess they are beta items. I was wondering also why the Development Preview had them to begin with, as well as why would they be included and not a simple email application. Seriously- wouldn’t an email application be more useful for a developer then checking their Twitter or Facebook?
While it is still in beta, and lets face it- its not even a beta yet, its more a preview. I understand that, but what confuses me is if Microsoft will go with this same style with the final product. Aka the new Windows “menu” thing. Because quite frankly on a desktop based computer it is the most confusing set up in the world. Especially to find various things I had to dig around to get used to their placement. If I am confused at this, what makes Microsoft think the average user would find it easy? I guess with the future been Tablets and Transforming devices, I guess it might not be that much of an issue.
On the flip side though, I’ve found it to be an enhancement to the Windows experience which once it is included will probably never leave. The ribbon in the general desktop areas also isn’t as bad as once thought either.
After using this preview, I can’t wait for the final product, simply because I can see already the backbone of so many ideas and features which would be amazing once working or finished.
It has probably been the finest month for Nintendo fans who indulge themselves in the news as well as rumours through the internet. From the rumour which the device was going to get a circle pad attachment, as well as a future redesign to the circle pad accuracy been a real thing. The end result seems to be a perplexed emotions and loss of direction from both the fans and the company itself.
What we know for starters is very little, but what we fear has grown to a considerable list. With the 3DS console already having a shaky path, it doesn’t seem like the future is any smoother. While we know that the Circle Pad provides a few more control options and attaches to the 3DS in the ugliest bulky way, does this represent the whole situation Nintendo has put themselves in? A flurry of disjointed decisions to try and restore the brand image of the system after riding off the success of the original DS line, choices such as keeping the original line on life support while launching the 3DS and the slow trickle of any games at all, as well as the huge price tag and the fact that 3D just plan sucks what more could there be?
Regardless of what Nintendos original intention was with the Circle Pad, it has now become a frenzy of bad publicity relating to what if anything would be the future of the 3DS system. Especially when the Circle Pad originally was rumoured alongside a future redesign, as well as rebranding of the 3DS system. There is becoming a zero confidence in the company when reading forums and other websites relating to video games because of the announcement of the Circle Pad.
While at the end of the day the original intention was probably a harmless “an extra option if need be”, and keeping it limited to possibly just Monster Hunters. It has risen to the fear of it been a requirement for future titles, as well as when the inventible redesign will most likely include the additional control methods within the system. Even if Nintendo says that it wouldn’t be required, when 3D also isn’t technically required in games, only one or two games have launched without 3D support for the 3DS. With the original selling point for the 3DS been the 3D factor which failed to ploy the mainstream attraction to the system like the DS had, the new selling point will obviously be about the control methods and styles, sort of going back to the whole “touch” angle, but instead “it has buttons”. Returning to the confusing angle of buttons isn’t going to attract the mainstream audience which since the PlayStation generation have been geared to simpler games and of late motion controls.
It seems Nintendo is going in circles for problems to its latest console launch which where relatively simple when you look at them. Just release some games, advertise the thing outside of random people just looking at the device with seedy smiles and lower the price. Heck the majority of these things have been completed, bar the games thing- which looking into 2012 onwards the system was set to have more support from Nintendo and third parties. Which maybe if we think about it, should of the system just have launched a year later?