New World Notes

Learn All About Famed SL Animator Abramelin Wolfe in the Latest Episode of The Drax Files: World Makers

Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

Famed SL machinima artist Draxtor Despres has released a new episode of his ongoing series, The Drax Files: World Makers, which highlights the work of virtual builders, designers, and artists from Second Life. This latest episode is all about Abramelin Wolfe, a name that should sound familiar to anyone with a taste for well-crafted avatar animations... Or Blade Runner.

The sim for Abramelin's animation store, Abranimations, is one of the first locations in SL that ever made a real impression on me. It was also one of the first to use clever building and texturing tricks to simulate reflections in puddles, which contributed to a bleak and rainy feel -- accurate to its Blade Runner inspiration -- back at a time when most of SL still felt like little more than blue skies, grassy fields, mini-malls and beaches. It was an awe-inspiring experience, and an incredibly influential build.

Abranimations remains an excellent ressource for animations and animated gadgets, so this episode is an absolute must-watch.

Downton Abbey meets The Sims 3, Snowflake Day Special Part 2: It Takes Two to Igloo

Iris Ophelia's ongoing effort to simulate Downton Abbey in The Sims 3

Winter has been bleak and unforgiving at Sim Downton Abbey. The family is nearly destitute, and the biggest holiday of the year, Snowflake Day, is just around the corner. It wouldn't be Snowflake Day without a gift-giving party, but parties aren't cheap -- the cost of a proper holiday tree or even a few modest plates of cookies would put the family in the red.

But where there there's a will, there's a way... No series-appropriate pun intended.

New MMO Marvel Heroes Has Its Fair Share of Problems (And Nearly None of Them Were Caused by Dr. Doom)

Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

Last weekend I had the chance to play Marvel Heroes, an MMO that combines Diablo-esque play with a litany of characters from the Marvel universe. It'll be free-to-play right from its June 4th launch, complete with an in-game store bursting at the seams with premium content like extra characters, costumes, and powerups.

I really enjoyed playing Marvel Heroes at first, but unfortunately it didn't take long for the veneer to fade. Fans of Marvel comics (even just the movies to be honest) may be thrilled to play what's been described as a much improved version of Marvel Ultimate Alliance, but for poseurs like me who merely have vague and/or nostalgic interest in the characters this game leaves a lot to be desired. For instance...

Upcoming Puzzle Game Road Not Taken Might Look (And Sound) Familiar to Fans of Defunct Virtual World Glitch

Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

Spry Fox, the indie publisher behind the addictive multi-platform puzzle/strategy game Triple Town, has been working with two Tiny Speck alums to put together Road Not Taken, a puzzle game inspired by Robert Frost coming later this year. If the aesthetic style in the image above looks familiar, it's because the game's art has been in the hands of Spry Fox's art director Kukubee (a.k.a. Meowza), who also helped realize the distinct and darling visuals of browser-based MMO Glitch.

It's not just the art that should inspire nostalgia in the hearts of Glitch-lovers, though...

These Historical Second Life Headdresses from Illusions Are Fit for a Virtual Queen

Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

Whether you enjoy decking your avatar out in historical fashion or you just like keeping a stock of fantasy-chic items on hand, Siyu Suen's latest release at Illusions should be of great interest to you. Siyu's just come out with two mesh headdresses (French Hoods, to be precise) which until now have been surprisingly hard to find in Second Life. They're a staple of Tudor-inspired costuming, but I bet even a particularly inventive Gothic Lolita fashionista could make these pieces work, especially with all the different scripted color and styling options available.

Siyu has had a very high output lately as she's been working on a series of commissions, including these hoods, most of which are also being released at her shop. Her Plurk feed has been full of tantalizing sneak peeks of the gorgeous work that's still to come, so anyone with an eye for the unusual should be paying close attention to Illusions in the weeks to come. You can pick up the french hoods (and much more) there right now [SLURL] [SL Marketplace]. 

State of the Av: The Virtual Future's So Bright, I Need to Wear Cybershades

Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

This month an item I'd been waiting ages to get finally came out. Even better, something I didn't even know I needed came out alongside it... Lucky me, the pair happen to coordinate perfectly together. I've mixed them in with some oldies-but-goodies for my SL avatar's current look, so here's the full breakdown:

Dear Internet: If You Must, Harass me for What I'm Doing -- Not for What I Am

Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in a charity streamathon, an event where people essentially play games for an online audience to raise money. I was playing and watching others play alongside a slew of outstanding guests. We raised a hell of a lot of money for an incredibly worthy cause, and the whole thing was a resounding (if exhausting) success. I'm not going to name the event here -- though it's not hard to figure out -- because this post isn't about the streamathon. We contributed to something amazing, and nothing can or should change that.

This post is about the creeps and the jerks; the ones who donate under names like "JanineMakeMeHot", who look for any opportunity to embarrass a woman no matter what the context, who may even think they're being flattering. The people who left their bitter little marks on an otherwise amazing event.

For all I know, this post may be about you.

Downton Abbey meets The Sims 3, Snowflake Day Special Part 1: A Song of Ice and Fire Alarms

Iris Ophelia's ongoing effort to simulate Downton Abbey in The Sims 3

Winter is coming.

... Actually, it's already here; the abbey grounds were enveloped in a thick layer of snow almost overnight. The scenic ponds and rivers may have frozen over, but the heat is on at Sim Downton. Although things seemed to be going relatively well a series of unfortunate events have put the Crawleys in crisis just in time for the holidays, and even I'm not sure they'll be able to escape it unscathed.

Ink Innovation: Nian Design's Affordable Solution to One of SL's Oldest Avatar Issues

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

For nearly a decade, SL tattoo makers have had to respond to one irritating and ignorant request day after day, week after week. "Can you make a single-arm tattoo?"

No, they couldn't. They really couldn't. The limitations of the avatar itself stood in their way. But mesh has opened a lot of doors and solved a lot of problems for SL creators, including this one.

Looking Forward to This Month's Collabor88? Here's Why You Should Be!

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

The 8th might be my favorite date, because that's when Collabor88 throws open its doors for a new round of cleverly themed shopping every month. Collabor88 May will be open to the public this Wednesday, but many creators are already teasing what they'll have on offer for this round's Rain or Shine theme. Keep reading to see what's in store!