Well Slumdog has won and lots has been said, across different media, even the web, but on different places.
Just thought would write one post summarizing all that thicket of conversation.
Guess there are a couple of recurring themes seen.
One major current, where we Indians want to feel good about the movie and its Oscar march, just because it is about our country and fellow country men won.
Jai Ho morphing to Jai Hind.
Then there is this other current, again coming from national identification, but here instead of pride there is disgust/remorse/criticism whatever one might call it. Picturing of slums in our country, in a movie made by Brits, well one can be sure it would evoke a 'patriotic' reaction.
Jai Hind, therefore no Jai Ho.
Now, where do my allegiances lie, anticipating the thought in your head, dear reader.
Well, neither. And here would like to say, sort of tongue in cheek, how can a movie, any movie for that matter, be of national importance.
Meaning, how can people in either of the positions above, whether celebratory or critical, attach so much national significance to 'a' movie? And now when times are recessionary, with a possible economic depression looming, surely there are other matters to be more concerned about. End of the day, it is a movie,and to my mind would make for a better world if all its merit, significance and talk about it remained in realm of art*.
Attaching elements of polity ,society and nationality into what is primarily a product for 'entertainment' is going too far.
Jai Hind and Jai Ho have an incidental similarity where the first word comprising the whole phrase, is the same.
'Slumdog Millionare' is just a romantic, rags to riches movie,'incidentally' set in Mumbai backwaters.
Let's keep it that way.
*Do see some semblance of this is being said now, especially in context of 'Slums' Oscar victory for best picture, where some other popular movies lost out.
In movie, Last Samurai, Tom Cruise, after having been captured, has his first meeting with Samurai King. In this encounter, a few words are exchanged, like their individual names, but nothing of significance. However a certain tension between between captor and captive, between two warriors of different motivations, seems to ease. A simple exchange of words breaks through barriers of culture and context, connecting two humans. "It has been a good conversation", concludes Samurai king, smiling
Aha, an Oscar
So the country is abuzz with Slumdog millionaire winning a clutch of Oscars, and in that set are those won by Rehman and Resul Pookutty, both 'bona fide' Indians. Hence where ever you look, whatever channel you flip, this is THE News.
Even on Google News Top Stories widget see an item related to the PM congratulating Slumdog team. All good; surely a matter of great honour and pride winning an Oscar.
Congratulations to all people involved. And also considering that Little Pinky also won, looks like India is a flavour of this Oscar season.
Now whatever might have been the merits of Slumdog as a movie or not, all the same
Jai Ho, or maybe Jai Hind:)
Even on Google News Top Stories widget see an item related to the PM congratulating Slumdog team. All good; surely a matter of great honour and pride winning an Oscar.
Congratulations to all people involved. And also considering that Little Pinky also won, looks like India is a flavour of this Oscar season.
Now whatever might have been the merits of Slumdog as a movie or not, all the same
Jai Ho, or maybe Jai Hind:)
Mathematical puzzler : A Casual Game
Have u played Tetris?
Can say with more than 90% certainty*,that you have.
Yes it is that same game where blocks drop to make lines and there are bonus points for number of lines that one can make in one go.
To me personally puzzle games, having a hidden mathematical structure, are a constant fascination. And though Tetris is one such game, also being one of most popular games of all time, and there have been others(various versions of sudoko), off and on, wonder why they have not been more? And if there have been, how come not popular that don't readily come to mind?
Too difficult to make, too small a demographic which is interested, no fun, all of this and more?
Well don't know the right answer but am hopeful that a lot of that is going to change. Already there is a growing demographic, different from hard core gamers, playing what are called casual games, a category to which Tetris can also said to belong. And within this, think there is a need, and a market niche, for people wanting to excercise their brains, if u will, than just needing to improve upon hand eye coordination.
Guess just like Nintendo changed and expanded the game playing demographic, there is need for some more individual/companies that can come out with such engaging stuff.
Personally, have designed a couple, working to bring them to iPhone and or XBOX 360 and or online. From initial feedback to a closed group of users, things look good.
Let's see if finds a large enough audience, and also if there are other developers creating for this 'puzzle' genre. In case, dear reader you know of any, do leave a comment.
*Given the demographic that would come to read this blog; still in case you haven't, go here to know more and download a sample maybe.
Can say with more than 90% certainty*,that you have.
Yes it is that same game where blocks drop to make lines and there are bonus points for number of lines that one can make in one go.
To me personally puzzle games, having a hidden mathematical structure, are a constant fascination. And though Tetris is one such game, also being one of most popular games of all time, and there have been others(various versions of sudoko), off and on, wonder why they have not been more? And if there have been, how come not popular that don't readily come to mind?
Too difficult to make, too small a demographic which is interested, no fun, all of this and more?
Well don't know the right answer but am hopeful that a lot of that is going to change. Already there is a growing demographic, different from hard core gamers, playing what are called casual games, a category to which Tetris can also said to belong. And within this, think there is a need, and a market niche, for people wanting to excercise their brains, if u will, than just needing to improve upon hand eye coordination.
Guess just like Nintendo changed and expanded the game playing demographic, there is need for some more individual/companies that can come out with such engaging stuff.
Personally, have designed a couple, working to bring them to iPhone and or XBOX 360 and or online. From initial feedback to a closed group of users, things look good.
Let's see if finds a large enough audience, and also if there are other developers creating for this 'puzzle' genre. In case, dear reader you know of any, do leave a comment.
*Given the demographic that would come to read this blog; still in case you haven't, go here to know more and download a sample maybe.
Tags:
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Videogame Time,
Work Life
Game changing games
What's in a game, you might ask.
A lot actually; or that is what i think, for sure.
This is an emerging media, elements of which are only now maturing and being refined.
Guess can go on and say that it is an art form, much like film making is; well maybe this would sound far fetched, for one, practice of computer game designing is young, much younger than film making, and two there is very little evidence to buttress its claim to being an art form.
But anyways, that's that; lets take a more concrete direction, and here would just like to point out one example where MIT is exploring possibilities of using game technology to better conceptual understanding of students in varied streams. Yup, MIT, and its been in the works for a few years now, with corporate sponsors like Microsoft thrown in. Go here for details.
Now another question, given that above is possible, why is it that we still see games that are primarily themed around violence and gore? Maybe the answer here is habit, for paying audience of games has been males of a certain age group, and this is what they have showed an inking for. But now, the onus is on developers and designers, to bring to market not what people want but what they need.
A lot actually; or that is what i think, for sure.
This is an emerging media, elements of which are only now maturing and being refined.
Guess can go on and say that it is an art form, much like film making is; well maybe this would sound far fetched, for one, practice of computer game designing is young, much younger than film making, and two there is very little evidence to buttress its claim to being an art form.
But anyways, that's that; lets take a more concrete direction, and here would just like to point out one example where MIT is exploring possibilities of using game technology to better conceptual understanding of students in varied streams. Yup, MIT, and its been in the works for a few years now, with corporate sponsors like Microsoft thrown in. Go here for details.
Now another question, given that above is possible, why is it that we still see games that are primarily themed around violence and gore? Maybe the answer here is habit, for paying audience of games has been males of a certain age group, and this is what they have showed an inking for. But now, the onus is on developers and designers, to bring to market not what people want but what they need.
.Net Architecture2.0
All of the varied applications possible on MS Technology platform classified as app types, hence Mobile application is one type and Web Applications another.
And a distinction is made, that of architectural style, whereby denoting how the important parts of a particular application are put together and interact.
Between the two points above, guess guidance for most applications that one is making or would make get covered.
Now what makes the guide really interesting is the archetypes section, where for an application type, a 'primary' form is illustrated. That is, for an application of a particular application type to be architecturally robust, the given archetype serves to function as an 'ideal'. Thus, looking at this archetype, one can make out significant parts and their relationships.
Notice here separate archetypes for Web Application and RIA, where there are variations resulting from the two being different application types, brought about by number and nature of layers, to what goes in each layer, brought about because of differences in architectural style optimum for each.
Add a section giving an overview of .NET technology, and you have a one solid resource when it comes to architecting and designing applications on .NET X.X platform. Further, given accessible style of writing, using this document to get english speaking stakeholders to see an architect's standpoint is going to be so much easier. Kudos to that; great to see that there is some one up Redmond's Mount Olympus, bringing Prometheus like, light and knowledge of app architecture to mere us mere mortals.
And a distinction is made, that of architectural style, whereby denoting how the important parts of a particular application are put together and interact.
Between the two points above, guess guidance for most applications that one is making or would make get covered.
Now what makes the guide really interesting is the archetypes section, where for an application type, a 'primary' form is illustrated. That is, for an application of a particular application type to be architecturally robust, the given archetype serves to function as an 'ideal'. Thus, looking at this archetype, one can make out significant parts and their relationships.
Notice here separate archetypes for Web Application and RIA, where there are variations resulting from the two being different application types, brought about by number and nature of layers, to what goes in each layer, brought about because of differences in architectural style optimum for each.
Add a section giving an overview of .NET technology, and you have a one solid resource when it comes to architecting and designing applications on .NET X.X platform. Further, given accessible style of writing, using this document to get english speaking stakeholders to see an architect's standpoint is going to be so much easier. Kudos to that; great to see that there is some one up Redmond's Mount Olympus, bringing Prometheus like, light and knowledge of app architecture to mere us mere mortals.
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