The Download Munkey : Tracking the Treasure Down …

I encountered CamStudio while looking for a freeware or open source solution for creating Flash screencasts to demonstrate the new features of the software products developed at work. For most users, viewing such screencasts beats reading a lengthy user guide or looking through a whole lot of screenshots.

If you’re new to producing screencasts, you’ll be glad to find that CamStudio is very easy to use. After the straightforward installation process, launch CamStudio and change Region > Fixed Region to Region. Click Record, select the screen area to record and then control the recording process with the mouse or keyboard hotkeys (default for record/pause is F8). Below is a short screencast of me capturing a screencast of myself typing in Notepad.

[kml_flashembed fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.downloadmunkey.net/download/convert.swf" targetclass="flashmovie" publishmethod="static" width="450"]

Click here to view screencast at its original size.

Of course, unless a screencast is self-explanatory or utterly pointless like the one above, you will need either verbal or written messages to be displayed during your screencasts. CamStudio supports recording audio instructions through microphones or speakers connected to the computer. Alternatively, you can also create screen annotations – see the screencast below. Much more useful, eh?
[kml_flashembed fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.downloadmunkey.net/download/annotate.swf" targetclass="flashmovie" publishmethod="static" width="450"]
Click here to view screencast at its original size.

CamStudio records your screen actions into an AVI which you will most probably want to convert to a bandwidth friendly Flash file with the included SWF Producer.
[kml_flashembed fversion="8.0.0" movie="http://www.downloadmunkey.net/download/record.swf" targetclass="flashmovie" publishmethod="static" width="450"]
Click here to view screencast at its original size.

While I use CamStudio primarily for work, I’m sure it can be put to imaginative use for gaming too – creating walkthroughs, feature demos, tutorials, etc.

Download CamStudio.

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There should be more games with dinosaurs like Paraworld, developed by now defunct SEK Ost and published in 2006 by Sunflowers.

Some shots from the cinematic intro trailer featuring a pack of vicious little Deinonychus overwhelming an ungainly Ankylosaurus and human warriors mounted on suitably gigantic beasts like the Brachiosaurus or Stegosaurus.

The finale even includes a ballista mounted on a heavily-armoured Triceratops.

From my impressions with the single player demo, Paraworld is a OK RTS with pretty graphics and impressively huge dinosaur units coupled with more than serviceable AI and pathfinding. It’s not exactly outstanding but still worth a try if you like the subject matter. A digital download version (4+ GB) is available for purchase at Gamersgate if you’re sufficiently interested.

Enjoy the intro trailer at Gametrailers and try out the 1.2 GB singleplayer demo at GamersHell.

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© Capcom

Watched this trailer with a bunch of other gape-mouthed guys at a Samsung TV roadshow at Plaza Singapura several weeks back. Familiar faces from Street Fighter II return in the latest installment of the Street Fighter series – Street Fighter IV, including the most muscle-bound sumo the world has ever seen : E-Honda.

© Capcom

Frankly, I’m pretty disappointed that the four characters from Super Street Fighter II : The New Challengers (Cammy, Fei Long, T-Hawk and Dee Jay) didn’t make the cut (for the arcade version at least). Maybe I’m just being biased but I find the new characters Rufus, Abel, Crimson Viper rather colourless and forgettable with the sole exception of high-flying luchador El Fuerte.

© Capcom

While the 3D graphical overhaul looks awesome especially with the swirling ink brushstrokes that appear after some moves (below), I still prefer the fluid and lifelike 2D character animation of Street Fighter III.

© Capcom

Guile vs French mixed-martial arts proponent Abel from the E3 2008 trailer.

Download the AOU 2008 Amusement Expo trailer. There’s more videos at Gametrailers (I highly recommend the E3 2008 trailer and the exclusive anime trailer.)

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Just saw this cinematic trailer for Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War 2, the upcoming sequel to Computer Gaming World’s 2004 RTS Game of the Year.

The action is even more visceral in this prerendered CG trailer by Plastic Wax than the intro trailer (also prerendered) for the original Dawn of War by Blur Studios as befits the mega-violent nature of Games Workshop’s vision of the 41st millennium.

© THQ

Flashy lighting effects and shiny surfaces are put to good use in this trailer as the stealthy Eldar attempt to ambush a squad of Space Marines from the Blood Ravens Chapter during their nighttime mission in some unknown jungle. The graphical effects makes it feel more more Unreal Tournament III than Warhammer 40,000 at times.

© THQ

My only grouse for this trailer is that I expected Space Marines and Eldar to look less like *us* – the former because of their genetic and bionic augmentations and the latter because they’re supposed to be an alien race.

© THQ

Iron sights on Space Marine Bolters in the 41st millennium? WTH?

© THQ

A Eldar Farseer … or a very convincing human cosplayer of the 41st millennium

Personal nitpicking aside, it’s still a must watch/download for Warhammer 40,000 fans, Dawn of War fans and CG action film fans (in no particular order) for some really fantastic fighting sequences.

Copious amounts of blood are a pre-requisite for Dawn of War cinematic trailers (below).

© THQ

I especially enjoyed the duel between the Eldar Howling Banshee and the Assault Marine, the graceful movements of the agile Banshee making the Space Marine’s broad slashing strokes with his whirring chainsword look incredibly awkward and amateurish.

© THQ

Spectacularly choregraphed CG action trailers like this are the reason why I started collecting game videos in the first place

Download the trailer in Quicktime or Windows Media Video format from GameTrailers or check out the official Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War II site.

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I learnt a lot from James Cunningham aka PivotRJ’s animated short asdfmovie last weekend, things like:

• I must not want a birthday cake this year.
• I must not smell the flowers
• RPG games make you violent

© James Cunningham (PivotRJ)

Don’t smell the flowers!

© James Cunningham (PivotRJ)

Stay away from RPG gamers!

© James Cunningham (PivotRJ)

Don’t kill him (or her or it)!

© James Cunningham (PivotRJ)

Ties are evil!

Sure, most of the animations are rather frivolous but if just a single one cracks you up, I think it has more than fulfilled its purpose. Besides, laughter is the best antidote for those damn blue Mondays .

Did I also mention the excellent mouth-synching of the animation with the voiceovers by Tomska & Bing too?.

Watch asdfmovie on YouTube.

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