Lavaball Iphone Game

Soap's first iPhone game Lavaball is now in the App Store. It's free, its fun and it's easy to play. Waste 5 minutes playing Lava Ball. Part Monkeyball part Pocket God.

"You are Mr L'ava L'ava, volcano deity of the Pee Pee Islands. Once upon a time the Pee Pee feared and worshipped you, but times of peace have made them lazy and complacent.

Its time to remind them once again who is boss. Use your device to control Mr L'ava L'ava's fiery balls, smiting and scourging and smouldering all those who have forgotten you.

Eight tricky levels await, rock n roll time!"

I've seen images and a beta of our next game (a paid game) and it's looking awesome. And Mark's next iphone Unity3D game is looking even more fun. Again it involved killing lots of people.

We also have a useful app (we make those too) that's in the final stages. It's something I'd use daily.

Note: Our first app for the iPhone was Glass Busker but it's not really a game.

Damned If You Do

Today we launched the Digital Agency HOT+COLD list for Campaign Brief and Bannerblog.

The idea has been in flux for a while and after many emails between lots of different parties it's all complete.

Debate over how much awards should factor in (some wanted it 50-100% based on awards), should size be based off billings vs staff numbers (I pushed for staff numbers as a much easier figure to audit), should it be in Campaign Brief, let's get AIMIA or IAB involved, lets rate by technology, lets make it like the NMA list etc etc.

The NMA list in the UK bases all agencies on their digital billings. Agencies are ranked from 1-100 and NMA seem to have the respect of all the agencies and being on the list seems to be enjoyed by most. Even the ones lower down.

One thing I realised half way through the Hot+Cold process was that if I ever floated the idea of "a blog for banners what does everyone think?" the site would have never been made. It would have been just a series of emailed opinions about how it should work and how it wont work.

I also realised it's a major hassle to wrangle judges to do something. It's a real hassle chasing people for info, scores, comments. I should have charged for entries :) All the judges did their job though so I can't complain too much. It was also a good cross section. Some were very harsh while others were very lenient. The range of scores ended up at 21-79 so they all cancelled each other out into the middle.

So the list is up and come major agencies asked not to be part. They had their reasons but these are the same agencies that enter "agency of the year" comps but won't agree to be ranked with all other agencies. This seems like a double standard to me. Why enter B&T and AdNews with their secret juries and not Bannerblog and a known jury of peers? Anyway, I take stuff personally when I shouldn't.

The list would have been created with or without my involvement by Campaign Brief. I jumped at the chance to work on it for multiple reasons but mostly to ensure that it was judged by a proper digital jury and not just Michael Lynch's friends. No offence Lynchy :)

I could have just judged it all myself and done it as an opinion piece like this post by Visual Jazz's Stuart. My list would look a lot different from the one we ended up with and I also would not have asked for agencies permission and submissions. Much easier but meaningless. I would have also been influenced by 2008 work. Many agencies I thought were killing it a lot of the work I remember was form 2008. Other agencies I had never heard of had solid 2009 years.

I had best intentions when wanting to start the list in 2008 and still do. But with all the BS that comes your way (and my nature to take to everything to heart) it feels like it wasn't worth it. Hopefully after the next round of updates and more agencies are added people will start to see the worth of it.

It certainly has to have more worth than the recent Forester report of 6 agencies.

Next steps for me will be to talk to AIMIA and IAB and see if this is something they want to carry the torch for it and Bannerblog can just host it. This might convince the other agencies that it's something worth while being involved in. Before this there was comprehensive list of digital agencies in Australia and maybe I should have just started with that.

So damned if you do and damned if you dont. I've been in this boat many times and it always makes me feel uneasy.

Its much easier doing nothing that's for sure. I've had some tough decisions at work also with the same outcome. Either way I get a shit sandwich, only difference is you can choose which bread I'd like beforehand.

2003: Year In Review

While looking for an old document of junk I found this Year in Review document. I present it to you in unedited form. Note: If only I data vized my stats I would have had 3 years on Feltron.

I'm unsure why I didn't post this. It's quite funny to me now.

I did a year in review for 2005 and for last year.

2003 Year In review:

Soap went from 3 people to 2, then to 3, then 4 then 5.

The first full year of working for myself.

We launched a new website in December which we started in January.
Had a client get arrested and go to jail for importing $100M+ of Ecstacy. We never saw our money.

We bought a heater, 3 Emacs, 2 PC's and 2 printers. And numerous software. We also bought numerous chairs which will all be obsolete in January 2004

Did our first eyeblaster banners with Syrup.

Completed our first commercial CDROM job for Contiki and HOST.

Built our first flash desktop app for Big Brother 03.

First mentioned in B&T for Moboy and Big Brother

Got the Flash Forward award we won last year from Leo

----------
I retired my laptop to work on a Emac. The took my laptop out of retirement with OSX 10.3 to work occasionally at home.

Bought an IPOD. Converted all my CD's to MP4's. Realized Itunes was useful.

TOP Songs/Albums of 2003: According to Ipods Play Counts:
24 Doves: Lost Souls: Firesuite
22 Coldplay: A Rush of Blood: Clocks:
22 COldplay: Parachutes: Shiver
21 The Prodigy: The Fat of the Land: Climbatize
The Shins: Og Inverted World: Caring is Creepy:
AIR: Moon Safari: Sexy Boy
Cat Power: Moon Safari: Cross Bones Style
Eels: Novacaine for the Soul
Easy Me: Faith No More
Oh Yeah: Yellow

Faith No More is the only artist i own a CD off. The rest I burnt from friends. Weird they should make up the top 25 in my Top played songs:

Only Smashing Pumpkins with 1979 and the before-mentioned Faith No More are the lone artist's in my Top 40 of which I own CD's of. I guess my friends have good taste and I'm a stingy bastard.

Finally understood XML and it's worth

The first full year in sydney I have lived in the same apartment.

In December I finally bought a PS2 and tried to make up for lost time.

I raised $2,150 for Oxfam to travel to China only to have SARS and work interrupted plans.

I Visited Melbourne for the first time.
Visited QLD twice

>> Spoke at 2 conferences this year: Flashklt and Digit. Both ill-prepared but went down well. Also got asked to speak in Singapore (free flight) only to have a job due the same day. Then find out the job is delayed.

My little sister moved in to live with me for a while.

Still haven't got Private Health Cover, Insurance or Laser Eye Surgery.

We bought a new kettle.

Bought a DVD player to go with the DVD's i own.
http://www.theslipperytruffle.com/v4/archives/2003_06.html#000972

Finally started paying for dialup after my free UUNET account stopped working.

Realised i can make good smoothies. Made and consumed around 50

Bought my first ever suit for Robs wedding.

Finally got a electric toothbrush

Realised i like Felafel Kebabs from Ali Baba. Bought and consumed about 15

Sworn off soft drink about 10 times

Got a new mobile phone (Siemens S55) and have hated it ever since.

Number of times vomited: 4
Number of Migraines: 3
Number of fights: 0
Distance i drove a car: 0km
Number of Weddings Attended: 1
Pairs of Shoes bought: 1
Pairs of Shoes worn: 3
Number of times rent paid late: 18
Number of times sunburnt: 1
Allnighters at work: 3
Number of times went to bed before 12am: 50

won ticket to premier of Matrix 2. 1 ticket!!!! I sat behind Jimmy Barnes and next to 2 suited people. I saw the president from 24 on the Red Carpet

i made a google #1
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=bored+stiffy+in+public+places&meta=

Photo Round Up

Here's a few photos I forgot to post until today.

Havainas Thong Challenge Bondi 2010
One of the best brand PR stunts/promos I've seen. Great vibe, well organised and a huge success.

Moldy Science Project Cheese
Found in the fridge today! WTF the dust that came off this was insane

NYE
The fireworks were as they have always been. The same. At least this guy was entertaining for 5 minutes.

Xmas Lunch
Kastengels (buttery and cheesy indo cookies) made with a secret family recipe. So secret when people ask for it they get a "different" one.

Sharemate Wanted
You had me at free toilet paper!

Min 2 weeks Max 3 weeks! Wow that's some tight restrictions.

Fail on the way the phone number is typed and pre-torn. I want to ring just to tell him he's an idiot.

My Lanyard Collection
Including my name badges from all my casual jobs. View on flickr for notes with most detailed. I hate when I visit a company and they make me give these back.

Coffee Cup with a Moe
How adding 5c of fabric and some glue can turn your coffee mug into an interesting selling point for your cafe. I don't drink coffee but I wanted to buy a cup

A Sad Case of Blog ADD

toothpastefordinner.com

I have a serious case of Blog ADD. Here's my train of thought for a typical lazy raining Sunday. Part of getting over this problem is sharing the problem so here goes.

I'll get a list of posts I need to do for Sleevage (including ones that I have promised bands and designers sorry guys) and start researching a post. I'll then end up with 25 tabs open and then see something about an underground dance party and start to flag that for the underground blog. By this time I've forgotten about Sleevage. Either that or my tabs crash and I lose all the links.

I'll then see a banner on one of these sites that reminds me to audit the submissions for Bannerblog. I'll look through those which is also littered with viral videos and campaigns. While checking out them I'll see something which triggers a thought for this site.

It's usually a pet peeve or something stupid yet insightful so I open up the admin here. But opening up this admin reminds me of all my other posts I promised myself I'd do. I search for an old list I did somewhere. Google Docs or Toodloo.

I can't find that list but see another list of the collaborative posts/articles I have on the go for Soap Creative and my real job! Oh yeah that Community Post with Matt! I totally forgot. Oh the white paper on Micro Transactions. This is why we got the 2010 Digital Predictions doc done in <5 days because it would have dragged on otherwise.

Thinking about this then reminds me that I should tend to HeroHQ while we're in hiatus awaiting the new game to be announced (soon guys!). I'll check there and someone will link to a crazy X-Men related costume which reminds me that no only did I sell WTFcostumes too soon but my other 3 blog ideas (secret ideas right now) haven't even got off the ground.

The one blog that did get off the ground is the neglected Cool Shit You Can Buy. On official hold due to a blog embargo by my wife.

I then check my email to see another request for a custom Mr Potatohead. I look to my left and see a box of Mr Potatohead parts and piles of clay that have been untouched for almost 2 years now. I resist the urge to make a Predator potatohead yet again.

Looking at my Mr Potatohead photos reminds me that I still have thousands of travel photos to process. It makes me reminisce when I had a proper photoblog back in 2000-2004. Ahh Happy Snaps I miss you. I also find it funny I used to post images 320x320 size. I was worried when I went above 40k for a photo. That was dial up in 2001 I guess.

It's about this time I realise I've done nothing, I'm still in my underpants and I haven't eaten anything. Oh and it's time for bed.

The only saving grace is that Bannerblog has a solid team of editors who keep the site rolling along and Ross, Alex and Matt continue to hold the torch for Soap on the blogs even when I don't.

I hope others out there share the same problem. Maybe I just need a personal assistant?

Disclaimer: Facts may be exaggerated for dramatic effect.

Fruit vs Junk Food A stalemate

The problem with fruit is that you can never guarantee it's going to taste nice. There's nothing I hate more than buying a shit load of apples or oranges (grand plans when grocery shopping) and then finding out I got a bad batch. I've never had a bad Oreo or potato chips but I'd say 20% of the oranges I've had lately were tossed in the bin.

Now I have no junk food and no fresh fruit!

It's the ultimate slap in the face by a piece of fruit. You're made to feel guilty about eating junk food so I buy none and then the fruit at home just gives you the middle finger.

If the fruit had feelings it'd be pretty bummed also. It's entire life was preparation for the ultimate honour of being eaten. Then when the big day comes it gets one bit and unceremoniously tossed in the bin. Poor bastard.

I can now feel the hard stare of the ice cream sandwich in my freezer! Must resist!

Human Flesh Meat Hook Tug of War

Ouch!, Ewww and fuck that!

Point and Shoot Camera

My wife's small point and shoot camera is always around and I'm more inclined to take photos of random things with it than my big DSLR. I also carry my Nikon around with me less. Tonight I raised the memory stick of her camera and found some really old shots I took and forgot about and I present them here for all the laughs.

What Not to Name Your Bluetooth Virus

Why You Should Put Sunscreen on Your Ankles

How I Roll in Indonesia or What the donation box at our wedding ended up looking like

Fatty Hands or What my hands look like after walking non stop for 14kms or It hurts to make a Fist

Elite Salads

I also realised after doing a backup I have travel photos from 2006 that I havent processed and have fallen behind on 2009 photos too.

Soda Milk

Free Internet & Rice!

Masturbate to the Moon

Serious About Junk Mail

At Soap I always encourage the guys to take photos at every event but the main complaints are

- Forgot
- Didn't have camera
- Soap camera too big
- iPhone doesn't have flash and it was too dark

So we recently bought the Olympus Tough camera to try and solve that problem. I'm looking fwd to taking that out on a Jetski and getting some videos. I know it's selfish or weird but a work event without photos to document it is a wasted event. Capturing the culture is really important and sharing the culture not only a great talking point at work but a great recruitment tool also. Taht's why we have so many photos on our agency Flickr.