Thursday, November 27, 2008

Piece of Mind: The Windows UX

With Windows 7 slated to pick up where Vista leaves off, I think it's high time Microsoft worked on a comprehensive Human Interface Guidelines project.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Max Payne Movie Goes to Discs Early


A scant month from release, it is revealed that Max Payne is coming to Blu-Ray and DVD on January 20, 2009. I wonder at the motivation behind this, but I think it might be a good thing for movies to have a shorter gap between opening in the Theater and going on sale on Discs. I have seen movies that, going out of the cinema, I wish I could've brought home then and there. My theory is that the sooner a movie gets on discs the more likely people would buy them, as the memory of the experience is fresher and enthusiasm for the film is greater.

The Lord of the Rings Online Mines of Moria Collector's Edition

Verdict: Overall a good first-attempt at a Collector's Edition. Looks like a book bound in red leather. Some sub-par materials detract from the quality of the collection.
Grade: B
  • Well-designed box, rich red leather styling. Very nicely embossed.
  • Medium-thickness cardboard, seems sturdy but slight pressure reveals how flimsy it really is.
  • Magnetic latch holds the cover closed, undoing it opens the flap and reveals the contents.
  • A thin cardboard insert divides the inner compartment in two.
  • Upper compartment:
  • A faux-velvet drawstring pouch, containing a mediocre replica of the one ring on a thin chain.
  • The Treasures of Moria entry card.
  • The Lord of the Rings Online Product and Buddy Keys Pamphlet.
  • The Lord of the Rings Online Starter Guide
  • The Lord of the Rings Online Quick Reference Card 
  • Paper Map of Middle-earth
  • The Lord of the Rings Online Poster
  • Lower Compartment:
  • Shrink-wrapped installer discs, styled in a similar fashion as the box.
  • The Lord of the Rings Online Music and Art Collection-a combined art book CD case.
  • Cloth map of Moria. Feels synthetic, nylon prehaps.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition

Verdict: Another well-assembled Collector's Edition from Blizzard Entertainment. Ardent fans of World of Warcraft would enjoy this edition. However, aside from a non-combat pet there are no in-game items or features exclusive to the CE, so WoW players on a budget should be able to skip this for the standard edition.
Grade: A
  • Shrink-wrapped large, hefty sleeve container. Excellent faux leather print, well-executed embossed details.
  • Sliding out inner box reveals sturdy felted plastic insert, designed to securely hold Collector's Edition memorabilia.
  • Topmost item is a shrink-wrapped "The Art of the World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King" Hardcover book with a matte dust cover depicting The Lich King. The actual cover is a matte blue-black texture, with illustrations of Frostmourne and The Lich King's helm in white on the front and back respectively.
  • Underneath the art book is a World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King-themed mousepad depicting a map of Northrend. The mousing surface is a textured, transparent plastic sheet with the art printed underneath ensuring longevity. This is adhered to a textured, foamy rubber substrate for adequate grip on surfaces such as a desktop.
  • Third layer consists of World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King Installation Discs in a DVD case, The Official Soundtrack in a CD jewel case, and a stack of two shrink-wrapped World of Warcraft Trading Card Game Starter Decks and a sealed cellophane sleeve containing 2 CE-exclusive cards.
  • The next layer of CE contents are revealed under the installation discs and soundtrack--a Behind-the-Scenes DVD and 2 World of warcraft Guest passes.
  • Completing the CE swag is a WoW TCG March of the Legion Special Rulebook and Blizzard Entertainment Product Catalog.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Windows 7 Thoughts


Windows 7 looks promising, with a more refined User Experience than Vista. However, the current preview build could still benefit from a more critical eye with regards to the User Interface, such as a codified best practices for Controls Layout (distances, sizes, positioning of buttons, checkboxes, labels, and whitespace etc).