It struck me, looking through the Power Soccer forum like I always do a couple of times a day. Found a thread started by Powdersnow called “Presentation thread” where he encouraged everyone to write about themselves, age, occupation, favourite food and tv-series and colour, name and whatever else that anyone might want to know.

And I started reading through the answers, page up and down with people gathering, communicating. There was a 10 year old from Hong Kong, someone named George from Greece, Sipwell of course, a 12 year old from Tirana and hundreds of others. Seven pages, 340 replies. Everyone so eager to share, to get the chance to learn more about the friends and co-players of PS.

I got to think about my son Lewis and how he, the other day, with great pride in his voice shouted that his post was “post of the day” on his favourite forum. Needless to say he’s an active member and this forum is like the centre of his universe. “Everyone will read this! It’s the top post!”

The topic of the thread itself might not be that important, but the look on his face, his self esteem boost… not to mention his improved social skills and English vocabulary… that matters a lot.

Imagine that. Being able to write something you care about and innumerous people around the entire world will be able to read it within seconds. Everywhere. Suddenly it doesn’t matter where you live, how old you are, what you look like, how fast you run 100 meters, if you bother to cut your hair or not, what sneakers you wear…

That was when it struck me. Internet sometimes has the ability to make real life matter less.

In a good way. You can be whoever you want to be.

It lets you find friends who share your interests. It lets you be the person you really are. It patiently waits until you got the time. If you’re shy no one will see you blushing. If you want to write you write - and get published! If you like flamingos you’ll find others just like you and you can start a flamingo club.

To me that’s what online gaming and communities are really about. Friendship. Communication. Mutual understanding and support. Finding friends no matter what happens in school, at work or at home.

So besides all the great lol cat pictures and cookie dough recipes, there are other ways in which the internet is fundamentally cool.

Making people grow. Making the friendless socialise. Letting the quiet speak up. Allowing the wannabe to BE.

God save the internet.

I promised you a sneak peek and here it is:

If you for some reason want the youtube link here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-AiUI56WY0&fmt=18

Puss o kram from the PR people

Most of the Power Challenge crew are back at the office today. Some are home sick (coughing, throwing up, crying…) and some are still on holiday.But most of us are here. And even though things feel surprisingly the same, there are actually some changes taking place.

We started this new year off with a moving-around exercise. We altered the teams, the focus, the desks. So now I’m actually sitting where Powdersnow used to sit! Kind of classic. (but he took his gold medal with him… greedy)

Anyway. As I sort of told you at the end of last year, we’re gonna put some more time, people and effort into Power Racing from now on. We’re NOT letting go of Power Soccer. We’re still keeping a team for soccer and there will still be features developed - we’re just moving some of the previous soccer people over to racing. So instead of one fabulous online sports game brought to you by Power Challenge - there will be two! Isn’t that just excellent news?

Well, just wanted to say hi and let you all know we’re back at work. Back in business, so to speak.

See you out there, on that giant freeway called the interweb.

// linda

We entered this competition, SIME Awards - and Power Challenge is actually one of three companies nominated in the “Best Online Entertainment” category! Wohooo!

Tomas U put this video presentation together, to go with our SIME application - a sort of 60 sec introduction to Power Challenge and it’s games. Check it out right here (the quality was sort of reduced when entering the youtube zone)

Enjoy!

Came across this while youtubing for “arcade racing games” and “city racing tracks” and “best online racing games” among others… some german game/site called BET and RACE. It includes a game mode - for all of you aged 18 or above - where you can actually win real money.

Of course I had to look through the site, the info, the tutorial. And two things are striking.

1. They seem to put much of their hope into the hands (or other part of her body) of Jessica The Playmate, trusting the average racing game dude to be so impressed with the Bunny logo that he instantly signs up.

2. The only two cars that seem to be available are some sort of Golf GTI and the Volvo C30. Now, that’s not much fun is it?

Real cities, real cars, different weather, up to 8 players in one race, the possibility to win money…it all sounds good. But it looks pretty sad. Something went wrong on the obsticle filled road that leads from “idea” to “release”. Someone wanted to make money fast and though that showing some Bunny skin would do the trick. Sorry, it simply doesn’t do it for me.

I’m not even sure if the game works. Downloading? Moi? No thanks. Not when I can get the real deal in just around 10 Mb’s…

I read an interesting post in the Power Soccer forum about how much time people spend here, playing the game or just hanging around, talking to friends, posting in the forum…  After that quick look I’d say the average is somewhere around 1-2 hours a day. Most of our players seem to have a limit on school days and play more in the weekend.

And I’m thinking… is this an issue at home, for those of you still living with your parents? Do you have to fight for your right to play Power Soccer, or any other online game? Do you pay for it yourself? Are they at all concerned with your Internet habits, are they involved, do they want to know what you’re up to..?

Just curious what the adult, parental view of Power Soccer might be like.

// Linda

Hi people. Now we’re finally here. Over there. The conference starts tomorrow morning (which should be about about 18.00 or something Swedish time). Jet lag is a bummer but I’m trying to cope with some help from Starbucks vanilla latte…

The whole business/mingeling apparatus starts tonight with some kind of get-together arranged by The Swedish Trade Council. Most of the Swedish game developers attending GDC will probably be there so I’m very much looking forward to it, hoping to speak to some of our interesting competitors, calmly bragging about Power Racing. In a very subtle manner of course.

Tomas Ahlström is - informally - the social and schedule manager of our little group, being in total control of all our appointments and meetings. It seems like it’s gonna be a busy week… We already have quite a few meetings with the press scheduled, and we’re counting on a lot of visitors to the Nordic booth at the Expo area where we’ll be hanging out most of the time. Or at least Tomas & Tomas will, I’m gonna be spending a lot of time at the actual conference listening to some incredibly clever and interesting people giving lectures on agile projects and production do’s and don’t’s among other things.

The website is up, alive and kicking! Make sure to check it out (www.powerchallenge.com/racing). I’m thrilled with the work so far and it’s just gonna get better. My guys on the team are simply the best. Just imagine, in a few months from now we can all enjoy the hottest online racing game ever. And even if our summer release is “only” a first version, barely a Beta release, I’m sure it’s gonna be a great gaming experience for us all.

Ok, time to find out what this city is all about. And yes I’m bringing the camera just in case something unbelievable shows up.

// Linda, with a fanatic attention to bringing some adrenaline to your browser