Dear Canada

Wow, what a culture shock. Leave the UK to return to my native lands only to discover it has taken a massive leap backwards in the tech war. So unfortunately my first entry since returning to Canada is going to come with a healthy dose of disgruntled and WTF...

Dear Canada,

I can not believe the backwards motion you have adopted in this age of technology. What is this data usage BS you are assaulting me with? Are you not aware there is a tech race going on? Have you not considered the ramifications or the knock on effect this will have on this amazing facet of commerce and entertainment?

The mobile life hasn't been this set back since the days of AOL and ADSL. What good is wifi if you can't actually use it? An average data usage package seems to believe that 500 MB will do. Sure, if you only use Facebook and pay a few bills online.

My phone alone is over $30 a month and all I get for data usage is 400 MB. 400 MB what is that? Two top grade apps... and forget about updating the ones you have. Not only have you charged me data usage to get them, but you also charged me data usage to remove them. What a freakin' joke.

There are no unlimited plans. This boggles the mind. Seriously it does. Someone in my industry can easily consume a Gig in a single day. When I was living in England I probably consumed 3 Gig a day alone. Was I charged for that? No.

If I consider that in the UK I would play on my tablet simultaneously alongside my iPod, stream music on my PC at the same time while playing social games and watch Youtube videos on my tablet when I wasn't playing games on it to expand my knowledge and research things of interest I want to cry. You really have dropped the ball Canada. I'm actually embarrassed about it.

If I have to pay for playing my games through data usage I will never again consider paying for an app. Why would I wish to pay twice for a purchase. At least if I get the free ones, I only pay for my bandwidth. The price for your contracts is preposterous and with a price tag of $0.15 a Meg on pay as you go plans I'd feel as though I was playing the worst freemium game in history if I took that root.

I won't carry on all that much about this or I might lose my rag to an embarrassing degree. Get your act together Canada. There are third world countries that don't charge for data usage. I can't believe I actually miss British Telecom. I never thought the day would come when I would wish to be a BT customer again...

The United Kingdom is on an up and up path when it comes to mobile. It will gain strength and begin to flourish as will any other country that doesn't restrict data usage and peoples accessibility to the mobile life. So to anyone in the UK I used to work with, who wondered why the North American market seemed to be behind the rest of the First World countries here's your answer.

The mobile life is your enemy. It costs you out the ass and sucks up cash left right and centre. So no one here has ever had the chance to explore it, harness it and embrace it. Canadians are not free to do what they want, when they want online so it's a struggling market.

There were no data usage limits on internet usage when I left in 2007...

Get your act together Bell, Virgin, Rogers and any other providers. This is a joke. You are choking your own market to death. It would serve you right if someone came along offering an Unlimited data usage plan and you lost all your customers. Come to think of it, maybe BT is looking to expand.

cheating VS exploiting

I want to have a quick word about the art of exploitation. Those of you that know me personally will have heard this argument before but I realise I need to get this discussion out of the way as I want to post on the various reviews if there are exploits about it.

Gaming definitions for beginners!

Cheater 

= Someone who wins through altering code or installing programs that alter code for them (this is illegal)

Exploiter 

= Someone who identifies areas of code that are missing or were never implemented and uses it to their advantage (this isn't illegal)

Cheating = Violation of Terms

Exploiting = Valid lack of boundary

Cheating = ILLEGAL

Exploiting = NOT ILLEGAL

Cheating = Stealing food from someones bag at work

Exploiting = Getting two items of food from a vending machine you noticed wasn't aligned properly and might offer the chance at a double payout (you seriously going to tell me you don't check the vending machines for this before purchasing..?)

Now that we've cleared that up, let's move on!

I have years of testing under my belt and this skill has worked to my benefit while having that job. Please developers and publishers of said games I review DON'T BAN ME PLS! I'm not breaking the code of conduct and/or the users rights agreements. I am not altering code, adding code, or messing about with code via a third party program I am simply identifying the weak points in the code given.

If I mention an exploit and it actually gets fixed, hats off. I will not do anything the game doesn't allow me to do either intentionally or by accident. With so many games being playable between devices and different medias the server cross off data and refresh capabilities of games can sometimes be easy pickings. 

If anyone takes my exploits away from me I offer you +10 respect in return and it won't cause me to slate your products but applaud your company for outsmarting me. At the heart of every farmer is the love of a challenge. We are bright and get bored easily. When we're bored, we dick around with what we have at hand. These days, that's almost always a mobile device or social game.

Quit Blaming the Games

Alright, so maybe a tactful rant as one of my primary post isn't exactly the best idea but I feel compelled to do it. I will also eventually get around to properly formatting the blog and making it look much cleaner and snappy.

Dear Parents,

Stop blaming the games for your children's problems or the problems your children create.

Unless your child is a teenager, someone had to have given them the devices and bought or downloaded that game for them. That is not the games industry's fault. This works in the same way as blaming food makers for your child being over weight. If you didn't purchase or download it for your child, find out who did.

Tablets, phablets, phones and pods require passwords. If your child hands you a device and it's asking for a password, have you not stopped to ask yourself why? Or is the device such a trusted babysitter for your child that you assume it is sentient and only has the capability to nurture, cuddle and force your child to do good?

Especially iOS devices (iPhones, iPods and iPads) request you input credit card details in order to create an iTunes account. If this doesn't strike you as a warning sign that purchases could be made at any point, put the device down. Not that Apple will trick you into making purchases, it will always politely and considerately request you confirm your purchase before proceeding. Your password will now be stored for five minutes unless otherwise specified in your settings (yes every device has settings) as Apple may be assuming that at the dear price their devices come in at most users will be in their late teens or older and have the capacity to understand the technology (unlike your children and toddlers who just like to make things happen by pushing and prodding things, like payment buttons).

For those of you who really are new to the whole mobile phenomena here's some advice:

1. Games with LITE in the title are FREE. They are shortened versions of full games, so it is a demo of sorts your child can play for a level or two. After that it will prompt them to buy the FULL version.

2. Purchased games are usually free from in app purchases. These are FULL games like you get on consoles etc. You buy a bundle of game and your child is free to play it over and over again. If there is a second version of the game or a sequel it may prompt your child to purchase it if they finish the original.

3. Freemium games are free to download and play BUT people can make in app purchases to make it easier or speed things up. My Little Pony fell into some hot water or this not that long ago because parents were inputting their passwords into their devices when requested by their children and not questioning why, racking up huge bills.

4. Temporary sale games are games that are normally purchase apps but for a short while are free to download. These are FULL games that you can find in a bargain bin. It's worth looking for them every once in while while your child is in bed or elsewhere.

Downloading things for them to play is a great idea. Don't just let your child download anything. Just because it's cute, colourful and has a catchy inch big icon that looks child friendly on the details, doesn't mean it is. Not only do I recommend you download content for them, I also recommend you play it before they do. Many of them come with multiple saves or the ability to wipe your data so they can start fresh.

Quite a few games now support chat rooms and the such these days, so if you wouldn't want your child talking to strangers outside, know if they have the capability of doing so in their games.

If you do not care what your child is doing or you aren't interested in them or their activities, this is why they have problems or will have problems. You are giving them the impression that technology and games are more interested in having fun with them then you are. If this is you, GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND RAISE YOUR CHILDREN, THEY DON'T RAISE THEMSELVES!

Thanks For Your Time,
slightlyNsane

Introductions

Greetings and thanks for visiting my blog!

My name is Dawn, but everyone in my gaming circles know me as slightlyNsane. I am an avid gamer who fell hard for mobile games in the early days of the iPhone and still can't get enough these many years later. What do I do for a living? Well, I'm a digital games designer oddly enough.

Designer by day and farmer by night, I scout the interwebs, app stores and play shops for challenging new experiences I can sink my teeth into and wrap my mind around. Having experience in broadcasting as well I have supplied voice work for numerous full and arcade titles over the years, primarily ambient but principal on occasion as well.

Armed with my Android tablet, iOS device and MS laptop I vow to continue my hunt for amazing entertainment and offer insight and reviews into a varied array of games that either top the charts or warm my heart for varying reasons I will gladly share.

As a farmer I enjoy freemium titles the most and have yet to spend a cent on any in app purchases. I'm a class of player the studios are well aware of, that hopes I will acquisition others for their titles if I myself refuse to become a feeder. It's a delicate balance, but this blog proves I'm more then happy to play my viral part in ensuring their games have a steady stream of new users so long as their title has something that tickles my fancy and doesn't require its players to pay to win. I'll quite happily grind and I'm sure quite a few of you who will end up reading these do as well.

I won't always give out stellar reviews. There are more then a few games that disappoint me as I press on in them, testing how long it takes me to get over the walls put in place for those who refuse to pay. One thing is for certain though, I love a game with a sense of humour, so those titles win me over fairly quickly.

It might not be a game some days but something else gaming related that I will add here and I will aim to post something every week. At times it will be daily and others it might be monthly as my schedule is quite varied. At any rate, whatever I post will hopefully be as interesting as it is insightful. So for now, fire in the hole!