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 | Erik @ Bayonetta Costumes
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| | | "Ultimate" might not be an appropriate word to describe ZETAgamer.com and I couldn't help myself but to exploit it like many people do for just about anything! (^_^). Today I announce the launch of ZETAgamer.com, my personal web based RSS aggregator focusing on video gaming news. Read on to know more about ZETAgamer.com.
What's ZETAgamer.com?
ZETAgamer is a collection of the latest video game news using RSS technology as its backbone. In other words, it is an (my) RSS feed bookmark/subscription of many video game sites.
Note: RSS can be simply put as "site updates log" or "new news headlines" in layman's language.
History ZETAgamer.com
Shin-Otaku has gradually turned into a figurine blog and the initial reason I registered ZETAgamer.com was to separate Shin-Otaku's GAME section to an entirely new domain and blog everything about video game there with my buddy Ryan W.
| | | Above: Old ZETAgamer.com on Joomla |
Instead of using the PHP hand-coded Shin-Otaku platform, the heavy Joomla CMS was used -for some (uninvestigated) reasons, Joomla ran significantly slow on the webhost-. After some time, Ryan and I decided to drop the blog and I was left with a domain that pointed to a blank page. I thought I should make good use of the domain and eventually decided to make it an RSS site aggregator.
The Idea Behind ZETAgamer.com
Basically it's all because of my love for RSS. About 5 years ago, I was a Windows Mobile 2003SE lover and had been following PocketPCThoughts updates very frequently. I first came to know about RSS there. Back then, I do not recall many sites utilizing RSS but did realize that sooner or later many, if not all sites will provide RSS support. And it did happen. Now, modern web browsers such as Firefox 3.0 and IE 8 has RSS reader built-in -no 3rd party RSS reader download required today :)-. For Web-based RSS reader, Google Reader favours them.
In the Web 2.0 era, RSS has become essential to channel information more effectively and efficiently. As an otaku, you should have probably known that there are two popular aggregators that 'subscribe' RSS-enable web sites (mostly blogs), namely Otaku.fm and AnimeNano. And the new ZETAgamer was inspired by these two fine sites.
The Web 2.0 has changed my online reading habit significantly and almost everything "news" related are now done via RSS, otherwise social networking sites -Digg, Japansoc, N4G, etc-. RSS has made me very lazy clicking my mouse and I actually read mostly headlines instead of the actual content (full article) for my RSS feeds due to overwhelming amount of information, given the time I have for online reading. Keeping up with the latest video game news from many of my favourite sites was just too time-consuming and I wasn't too comfortable with my browser's RSS reader nor Google Reader. Hence the birth of the new ZETAgamer.com.
Thoughts About Design
PHP and MySQL is the way to go for the backend. But the HTML looks like this: --> <table><table><table> </table></table></table> Duh! My web design skills is stuck to the 1990's standard. The main structure was composed using of table since I am not quite accustomed to the mainstream tableless CSS design yet. The CSS there are mainly used for font formatting and alignment but overall I am very happy with the outcome. The site still loads very fast despite my sluggish connection. Future upgrades shall implement full CSS design, and perhaps AJAX too when I see fit.
ZETAgamer Development
The site has been running for about a week and is currently undergoing minor code optimization and bug fixes. RSS support coming soon (RSS feed the RSS feed, do I have to do this?) and more functions and usablility shall be added to the platform later. Please do not hesitate to reply in this blog entry should you have any idea to improve this personal web-based RSS reader :)
Omake (Random Video Game Thoughts)
As of time of writing, I am very excited with the Final Fantasy XIII gameplay demo, new Tekken 6 console trailer and the announcement of the Sony PSP (and PS3) Tekken 6 release. I am also eager to know the how will the PS3 and Xbox360 graphics of Tekken 6 compare later this year. Plus, what will Hideo Kojima come up with since he has decided to make games for the rest of this life? Will Metal Gear or ZOE make it to its "XIII" installment too LOL?! "Katamari Forever" @1080p ftw there.
Blu-ray, CD/DVD and possible related releases:
 | PS3 A.C.E: Another Century's Episode:R (Game)
Release Date: 2010-08-19
Buy It Here: • Play-asia
Description:
Cut through the boundaries that separates your favourite robot anime titles. Another Century's Episode gather all the mechas together and put them into war with one another. Fully scaled and modelled to the last detail, the Mobile Suits, Arm Slaves, Knightmares and Valkyries are all here, ready for you to pilot. | 
 | Final Fantasy XIII PS3 [US version] (Game)
Release Date: 2010-03-09
Buy It Here: • Play-asia • Yesasia US • Yesasia Global
Description:
This eagerly anticipated title takes full advantage of the PlayStation 3 system's advanced hardware, providing tangible, intuitive controls while delivering seamless transitions between real-time gameplay and stunning in-game cinematics. |
 | Bayonetta PS3 (Game)
Release Date: 2010-01-31
Buy It Here: • Play-asia
Description:
Bayonetta faces-off against countless angelic enemies, many reaching epic proportions, in a game of 100% pure, unadulterated all-out action. Outlandish finishing moves are performed with balletic grace as Bayonetta flows from one fight to another. With magnificent over-the-top action taking place in stages that are a veritable theme park of exciting attractions, Bayonetta pushes the limits... |
 | Final Fantasy XIII PS3 [Jpn version] (Game)
Release Date: 2009-12-17
Buy It Here: • Play-asia • Yesasia US • Yesasia Global
Description:
Square-Enix flagship RPG Final Fantasy XIII. This is the first Final Fantasy series to debut on PS3 taking full advantage of the system's advanced hardware, providing tangible, intuitive controls while delivering seamless transitions between real-time gameplay and stunning in-game cinematics. |
 | PS3 Tekken 6 Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 (Game)
Release Date: 2009-10-29
Buy It Here: • Play-asia
Description:
The official Tekken 6 design Hori REAL Arcade Stick for PS3. |
 | Bayonetta PS3 (Game)
Release Date: 2009-10-29
Buy It Here: • Play-asia
Description:
Bayonetta is a stylish and cinematic action game, directed by Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya, for the PLAYSTATION |
 | Tekken 6 PS3 (Game)
Release Date: 2009-10-27
Buy It Here: • Play-asia
Description:
The advanced high definition graphics and 3D animation technologies create the most impressive HD visuals in Tekken history, Master 40 unique fighters representing the world |
 | Final Fantasy Versus XIII PS3 [US version] (Game)
Release Date: [TBA-]-
Buy It Here: • Play-asia
Description:
Final Fantasy Versus XIII is a wholly independent story unfolding with different characters and a different visual design. Although it is set within the same Final Fantasy XIII universe, it is unrelated to any other entry within the compilation and is thus neither a sequel nor a prequel to any other entries in Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy XIII. |
 | Tekken 6 PSP (UMD)
Release Date: 2009-11-24
Buy It Here: • Play-asia
Description:
First press release of Tekken 6 for PSP. |
| |  Read or post comment (4 Otaku comments)  | Preston
(KL)
Posted May 1st, 2009 12:20 pm (Fri) | Congrats on new launch! Need not to google for news games launch especially for a lazy person like me :p, just surf ur RSS aggregator.
This concept diff from IGN.com???
|  | Divine Fang
(Kuala Lumpur, MY)
Posted May 1st, 2009 11:33 pm (Fri) | @ Preston,
Thanks! Glad that you find it useful.
I suppose it works like Gamespot, but then I'm not quite an IGN reader, always got distracted by its post like this LOL!
|  | Saku
(Toronto, Canada)
Posted May 9th, 2009 8:01 am (Sat) | Grats on the launch. Time to check it out. I am not an IGN reader but I do check it once in a blue moon and I check kotaku.com more often actually.
I bet most people will get distracted by post like that. I know I did ^^;;
| | Divine Fang
(Kuala Lumpur, MY)
Posted May 13th, 2009 10:45 am (Wed) | @ Saku,
Thanks! I read Kotaku quite a lot since the launch!
PS: For many years I am somehow a loyal Magicbox reader despite its slower coverage. And I'm a bit disappointed to find that it does not support RSS :(
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