May 16, 8:00 am
A new blog series for all you music lovers and gaming enthusiasts! In this series, I’ll showcase a number of cool bands and songs that I think are perfect for listening to while gaming. We’ll break down musical selections by game genre, type, and I’ll even throw in some of my favorite songs from video game soundtracks. I’ll also do some special features with YOUR gaming music suggestions - so don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you listen to while gaming!
With all the shooters the Frag Doll team has been playing lately, I’ve found that these songs totally get me in the shooting mood!
Song: Unstoppable
I’m a huge fan of the band E.S. Posthumus, and I find that their “epic/classical” sound is perfect for most types of gaming - especially shooters. With third (and first) person shooters, I tend to lean toward instrumental songs with heavy bass, guitars, and drums, and the song “Unstoppable” hits the spot! Give the song a try - it starts getting good at 0:43 and takes off at 2:02!
Song: Here Comes The Reign
The evolution of the band E.S. Posthumus is Les Friction, and “Here Comes The Reign” is a great piece to game to. Shooters instantly feel more intense and badass when I put this song on. Although I try to avoid playing songs with lyrics (since I can get easily distracted from the game by trying to decipher what the singer is saying), this song has just the right amount of voice and instrumental parts. The gradual build of the song fits great with most shooters, and I can’t help but put the song on repeat.
Don’t worry folks, I have plenty of music that I’ll be sharing with you in the near future! Check back for regular music updates, leave a comment with your favorite songs to game to, and I’ll give you a shout out!
Love and Peace,
Sabre FD
May 07, 9:00 am
Ever wonder how they do stunts in action movies, specifically ones involving glass? I know you’ve seen movies where someone jumps out a window or falls on a glass table - so how do they do that without getting hurt? It’s a little bit of movie magic trivia called “breakaway glass,” and I got my hands on a piece for this week’s Frag Doll Weekly Minute! Alfonso’s Breakaway Glass, Inc., but before I tried breaking it, I knew I had to capture it on camera.
Neat, huh? You can buy breakaway glass from Alfonso’s Breakaway Glass, Inc. and many other retailers, and you can buy breakaway glass in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors. But, if this kind of breakaway glass is too pricey, you can always go back to the traditional “sugar glass,” and make it at home by following some easy instructions online like the ones found here! And remember - even though this is speciality stunt glass, you MUST be careful when using it. It will shatter just like glass, so it can have sharp edges and very small pieces.
Have fun and be safe!
Love and Peace,
Sabre
Apr 02, 9:00 am
As the Frag Doll Cadette Academy has grown and evolved, we’ve made an effort to continuously provide support and opportunities for all of our Cadettes. Now the time has come to take it a step further! The Frag Dolls want to show our gratitude and support for those exemplary Cadettes by announcing a new Cadette status:
What is a Senior Cadette?
A Senior Cadette is an exceptional member of the Frag Doll Cadette Academy who has shown her dedication to the Frag Dolls by continuing to actively participate in the Frag Doll communities. Senior Cadettes are those Cadettes that frequent our Frag Doll forums, facebook page, and livestream events. They are continuously generating ideas and creating new content for the Frag Doll website, and strive to excel in both casual and competitive gaming. Not to mention that they kick butt when working at events!
What changes when I become a Senior Cadette?
In addition to the title change, Senior Cadettes will be considered to fill in for additional support at online and industry events, and may be asked to participate in Frag Doll marketing and promotional campaigns. Senior Cadettes will also receive new forums signatures, and will be allowed to use the title and Senior Cadette logo in online venues.
How do I become a Senior Cadette?
To become a Senior Cadette, you must be nominated by a Frag Doll, Ubisoft representative, or other Cadette. Once a nomination has been accepted, we will then evaluate the candidate based on their contributions to the Frag Dolls and Cadette Academy, their work ethic and participation at events (industry and online), and their participation in Frag Doll events, promotions, and campaigns. There is no set timeline for when we will promote Cadettes to Senior Cadette status, and you can only become a Senior Cadette after you’ve completed a full Active Cadette Term.
Who will be in the first group of Senior Cadettes?
We chose the introductory group of Senior Cadettes from only those Cadettes that re-applied for this year’s Cadette Class (2012). These Cadettes are continuously offering their support, time and effort to the Frag Dolls, and represent talented and creative gamers in the video game world.
I now present our first round of Senior Cadettes!
Congrats to all the new Senior Cadettes, and thank you for all your hard work and dedication!
Love and Peace,
Sabre
Mar 27, 9:00 am
Finally after years of fun, interaction, and entertainment, video games have been given their first major museum exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C.! This exhibition, titled "The Art of Video Games," explores the 40-year evolution of video games as an art form that spans across computer graphics, character and story development, and even player interaction and interpretation. I was able to snag some press passes for the exhibition's opening weekend, so check out my video below to see what it's all about!
"The Art of Video Games" exhibition will be on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum from March 16 - September 30, 2012. After September, the exhibition will travel to 10 other cities around the U.S. By now you may be asking "what games can you see in the exhibition?" The answer to this is a little tricky - an advisory board (consisting of game developers, journalists, and designers) selected 240 video games and asked the public to vote for which games would be displayed in the exhibition. With over 3.7 million votes, 80 games were selected to be showcased through screenshots and game footage. As you walk through the exhibition, you'll see these 80 games broken into 4 different genres (Action, Target, Adventure, Tactics) per game console. There are 20 consoles on display, and they are placed in a chronological order by era:
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Era 1: Start! - This era displays some of the very first home video game systems, including the Atari VCS, and attendees can learn about games like Space Invaders, Combat, Donkey Kong, Star Strike, and Utopia. |
| Era 2: 8-Bit - The next era showcases systems including the Commodore 64 and the original NES, with games such as Attack of the Mutant Camels, Pirates!, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers 3, and After Burner. |  |
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Era 3: Bitwars! - This era showcases more advanced systems like the SEGA Genesis and the Super NES, with games including Phantasy Star IV, Earthworm Jim, Star Fox, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (one of my all-time favorite games!). |
| Era 4: Transition - As technology progressed, so did systems like the SEGA Saturn, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64, as well as great games like Tomb Raider, DOOM II, StarCraft, Final Fantasy VII, and Sonic Adventure. |  |
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Era 5: Next Generation - This final era showcases the systems we know and love today, including the PS2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PS3, and covers games such as Shadow of the Colossus, BioShock, Halo 2, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Portal, and Uncharted 2. |
In addition to these awesome games and displays, the exhibition also includes concept artwork and video interviews of game designers and artists, and even invites attendees to play 5 games, each with their own gaming stations and large projection screens. The 5 playable games are Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower.
Ever wonder how these museum exhibitions are created? Check out these behind-the-scenes pictures showing how the exhibition was built!
If at this point you're still not convinced that you should go see this exhibition, then take a look at these videos for some more information and inspiration!
I had a blast checking out "The Art of Video Games," and I can't wait to see how this exhibition does during it's travel around the U.S. I think it's amazing that we're finally seeing a major exhibition on video games, and I believe that events like this will help change how the world views video games and gamers in general. What I found most interesting was the genre display breakdown, where instead of featuring "popular" games based in the standard RPG, FPS, and RTS groups, the exhibition features games that made an impact on the industry and in American Art based on stories, characters, game mechanics, and graphics in terms of Action, Adventure, Target, and Tactics. One aspect of the exhibition that exceeded my expectations was the discussion on video games growing and evolving as a narrative art medium, and what makes this so compelling is the idea that art is not just found in graphics, designs, pixels, and music, but also in how players interact with and react to these immersive video game worlds. This exhibition is a great start in educating gamers and non-gamers alike on the artistic creations, cultural impact, and value of video games!
Love and Peace,
Sabre
Mar 15, 9:00 am
Welcome to Sabre’s new blog series - Controller Mods FTW! This series will showcase fun cosmetic controller modifications that you can do at home, but it won’t cover adding cheat mods to your controllers (better look elsewhere, you cheaters!).
Ready for another controller mod? Watch this video where I show you how to change up your Xbox controller shell! Hint - You’ll need the same Torx 8 Security screwdriver to remove the screws from the controller shell, and you’ll need a #1 Phillips Head screwdriver to remove and replace the D-pad! Also, new controller shells can be found online for around $7-15. Enjoy!
Check out this quick and simple Bullet Button mod for the Xbox controller - You’ll need the bullet buttons which you can buy on ebay and many other online stores that sell controller parts and mods. And don’t forget the Torx 8 Security screwdriver, which you can also find on ebay for a couple of bucks. Make sure you get the security screwdriver, which has a divot in the tip that fits perfectly into the Xbox conroller screws.
So, seen any good controller mods? Let me know by leaving a comment on the forums!
Love and Peace,
Sabre
