ScottishGames.biz

Update on domain mapping

24-48 hours until we're back online.  Don't lose faith.  As a bonus for your patience, we'll be posting the pictures of Paul Farley which accompanied his article, but which were excised on legal advice.

Domain Mapping Problem...

We're currently suffering from a problem with our domain mapping, folks (1&1 Internet - bad), so you won't be able to find SG.biz on the normal URL.  Please bear with us and we'll have everything back up and running asafp.

(Seriously, don't use 1&1)

In the meantime, you can find the blog at: http://indoctrimat.typepad.com/scottishgames/

The daily e-mail and RRS feeds should be unaffected.

Soz.

Your All New Scottishgames.biz - Now With FIZZ!

Good morning.  Welcome to your brand new, refreshed, repainted and revitalised Scottishgames.biz site.  As you'll see (unless you get the daily e-mail update), the site has been given a bit of a redesign with a brand new logo, a revised colour scheme and a host of less obvious, but even more extraordinary features.

Over the next two weeks we'll also be announcing a few new aspects to the site, which should make it THE place to visit for anything in Scotland which is related to videogames and interactivity.

Before we hit the rest of the changes, we have to stand and applaud Lyall at Dundee's SooperDD, who's responsible for the new logo and the rather stunning banner you see the the top of the page.  If you're looking for any design work, we can't reccommend him highly enough.  Thanks Lyall...

Let's start with the company listings.  To date we carried simple links to every company's site.  Which was OK, but didn't really tell anyone who the company's around here were. 

We've now changed the basic link to a profile page (which can contain the link).  It gives each and every company the chance to put up basic company contact information, a company profile and we'll even link to the latest stories and headlines from the blog and maybe (if we're feeling kind), the rest of the Internet.

Take a look, let us know what you think.  As always your thoughts and opinions are welcome.

And lo! The Waters Went Down A Bit

After a couple of decidely dodgy moments on Saturday (forget me, save the servers...), the waters abated.  While SG HQ suffered no immediate effects, the power is on and off a bit, so we've relocated back home.  Today's SG update will be coming to you from the comfort of a deep, plush sofa in the west wing withdrawing room.

Console Poll

We're just planning our next incisive poll for the SG site and had a look at the results for the current question over there on the right of your screen --->

Xbox leading, GP2X F200 making a brave show in second (though we suspect we still won't qualify for a free 'review' device) and the Wii and PS3 leading the DS which is, susprisingly trailing waaaay behind.  Yet still well above the PSP...

However it's the actual numbers which don't add up.  As of 18:12 today, the total according to Vizu is a whopping 131.4%

The games market is definitely expanding...

Back Once Again - Like A Renegade Dancer...

OK, so that wasn't quite the smooth pickup we planned.  One new laptop arrives.  Minus one operating system.  Cue calls to Lenovo and furious arguments over which O/S was paid for and the differences between Vista Ultimate, Vista Home Premium, Vista Pets and at one point, we're pretty sure, Vista Chow Mein.

Boom boom!

OK, so one new laptop, one shiny bright, freshly downloaded copy of Ubuntu (yes, we're going indie, kids.  Damn MS and Apple.  Damn them to H.E.L.L.) and we *may* be back in business.

So, updates coming.  News, annual roundups (for those who were missed before Christmas, our apologies.  You'll receive a free SG.biz voucher in due course) and a variety of fascinating articles looking at interesting and relevant areas of the industry we know and love.

Starting... now.

Mind The Gap...

We apologise for the slight blip in the year end roundups over the last few days.  One of the SG.biz laptops - well, THE SG.biz laptop died suddenly and we've been offline and borrowing access in the wild howling North of the country...

We'll be picking things up again from tomorrow morning and making sure each and every single bright-eyed, bushy young thing who sent in answers is covered in approbation.

In the meantime, continue having a marvellous Christmas time.

Your chum,

The Editor.

Please Welcome...

Regular readers (both of you) may have noticed a welcome increase in posts and a certain rise in the quality of the posts over the last week.

This is due to the contributions of two very talented gentlemen, Mr Dave Cook and Mr Shiraz Kahn, who very kindly agreed to pop along to this year's EIF and share their experiences with you, our readers.

As you've no doubt noticed, they are both talented writers and avid gamers.  Dave writes for The Skinny - the new free listings magazine for central Scotland and Shiraz has just finished his journalism degree.

If you're enjoying their pieces, don't be shy.  Leave a comment and let them know you appreciate their hard work.

We're hoping that publicly acknowledging them (and getting them into the EIF free) will in some way make up for not paying them a bean - or even buying them a drink during the festivities.

More delays than Duke

Chums, friends, readers, colleagues, vaguely interested parties...

We're aware that the SG blog has been sadly neglected over the past several weeks.  Illness and various maladies have kept us from you, our adoring public.  No updates, little news.  Why, we'd not be surprised if you've started using GamesIndustry or Kotaku for your daily gaming goodness.

However, we are, finally, back in the editorial chair, sipping coffee and preparing lots of great, good and occasionally interesting news stories, features, feeds and hilarious links, to keep you brimming over with everything you could possibly need to know about the games 'scene' here in bonny Scotland.

We'll be filling you in on the forthcoming EIF, progress on Dare to be Digital, company news, releases, deals and of course, scandalous gossip, starting now...

Back online...

After a week's unexpected absence, we're back - LIVE and online.

Sadly, it was not a quick, all-expenses-paid trip out to weE3, or a press junket to somewhere fabulous.  However, we're back and blogging from this morning.  Expect posts as soon as we make a dent in the Ben Nevis sized heap of e-mails awaiting our return.

SG.biz...