Welcome to Modojo, 
Modojo 3.0!
Written by Modojo
posted September 26, 2006
Modojo 3.0 has landed! Just like 2.0 before it, this relaunch isn't just a fresh coat of paint. There's much more to see and do, so if you haven't already, sign up for an account and start blogging, tagging, reviewing, and otherwise take advantage of the community elements now at your disposal.
Modojo staff had been considering launching a staff blog for some time. A lot of cool stuff happens in the world of handheld gaming, and sometimes a blog, as simplistic as it can be, is the best way to highlight it.
Handheld gaming has a culture and a pace all its own. Yesterday my better half and I were getting ready to leave the house. I was finished, and she had to get her shoes and purse. I popped open the DS to clear a floor or two in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, even though I literally had probably 45 seconds to wait. Who needs downtime when there's so much portable gaming goodness out there?
So if YOU'VE ever been known to pick up your DS rather than (god forbid) just sitting and waiting for a few moments, hopefully we can put together a blog that is right up your alley.
-Justin Davis
Meetings Meetings Meeting
- Written by Modojo
- posted March 22, 2006
Most people’s GDC doesn’t begin until Wednesday, but Monday and Tuesday were the busy days of the show for me, since they’re the days of GDC Mobile. Since coming to Modojo last year I’ve been on the phone and trading emails with mobile companies virtually every day, but I’d never met any of them before. I love meeting new people… it’s very quickly becoming my favorite thing about E3 and other conferences.
Tuesday I met with Gameloft again, this time with Sanette Chao. I also had appointments with I-Play, and Konami. The Konami meeting was actually this week’s mobile biz interview.
After the show I went with GameDaily BIZ Editor-in-Chief James Brightman to a couple more parties. I probably had the most fun at the party put on by new PR firm One PR. It was smaller and more low-key than most other after-hours events, but that actually made it more enjoyable. I actually feel like I made some friends there, where at most parties you just trade cards and figure you’ll never see that person again.
After One PR’s event we both briefly went to Foundation 9’s party. I got to talking to one of the bartenders, because I was a part-time bartender myself for a couple of years, while I was in school. We traded tips and drink recipes, and of course every new drink we shared we had to test out. :) I didn’t go TOO overboard, but it’s safe to say I wasn’t in a condition to blog when I got back, which is why my day 2 recap is a little late.
GDC proper has began now, so look for hands-on reports of all the DS and PSP games worth paying attention to throughout the day.
GDC Vol 2: Spore, Glu, and Parties
- Written by Modojo
- posted March 21, 2006
GDC Day 1 is already over. With hourly sessions and plenty of meetings, the day went by surprisingly quickly. Things started off with a bang with EA Mobile’s (IE Jamdat) Mitch Laskey delivering GDC Mobile’s sole keynote. As Modojo reported (the first site to run the news in fact), during his report he casually revealed that Spore, Battlefield, Medal of Honor, and seemingly about 50 other EA properties would be hitting mobile phones in the near future. EA Mobile is going to be an absolute force in 2006. It’s exciting (and honestly, a little scary) to think about the impact they could have on the industry during the next 12 months.
After that first keynote, it was what seemed like a whirlwind of meetings and speeches, up until now, 10PM as I sit in my hotel room. I finally met face-to-face individuals I’d been working with off and on all year, including Glu’s Chief Creative Officer Robert Nashak, Sprint GameLobby Manager Jason Ford, and Gameloft North American General Manger Eric Albert.
I was also introduced to many new faces from companies like Qualcomm and Superscape. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep in touch to set up some content over the coming weeks and months. GDC is an excellent, low-key opportunity for press to get rare face-time with companies, and vice-versa. E3 might be bigger, but I’d argue that GDC has nearly become the best networking conference. Without so much hustle and bustle, it’s possible to actually get to know people and make new friends. I really like the atmosphere.
To cap off the night I attended a small party put on by Infospace, in a hotel suite that had an excellent view of San Jose. A few Coronas and a few appetizers later, I figured it was time to head back. Modojo (unfortunately) can’t update itself! I’m currently in the lobby surrounded by a large group of Frenchmen, talking in their native tongue. It’s making me nervous… I think I’m going to go.
GDC Vol. 1: On a Plane / Can't Complain
- Written by Modojo
- posted March 20, 2006
My flight out to San Jose for GDC was uneventful enough, besides a super-long layover in Chicago. Being a portable gamer gets me scoffed at by my console gaming peers, but it sure as hell makes travel a lot easier to handle. A four-hour flight and three-hour layover was easily absorbed with DJ Max Portable, Tetris DS, Exit, and some Lumines for good measure.
I also finally put a dent in The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It's been sitting on my bookshelf untouched for months.
GDC seems to have taken over the city of San Jose, much like E3 takes over Los Angeles. Our hotel is well outside of downtown - we have to shuttle to the train and then train it into the convention center - and yet all the rooms are still filled with GDC attendees. I thought for sure no one but us would be staying there for GDC, since it was so far away.
Keep it here for the full scoop on the parties, rumors, and "other side" of GDC.
ReDesign FAQ
- Written by Modojo
- posted October 28, 2005
Below is a FAQ the Modojo staff has put together to answer any questions you may have regarding the new site. If you see something that isn't here, simply add a comment to this post and we'll answer your question and add it to the FAQ. Thanks!
Q: Site ReDesign?! What's going on here?
Modojo is undergoing some dramatic changes. No, we're not just splashing up a fresh paint of orange over the old site. The new Modojo 2.0 is completely brand new!
Q: Why are you doing this?
The new site is all about making your visit at Modojo that much better. The site is cleaner, faster, contains more features, and more content than ever before. We've spent the past several months coming up with a site that we think you'll love.
Q: What are some of the new features?
Where do we start? Primarily, the new features allow you the user to be in control. Want to start your own blog? Now you can! Have some hot news to share to the world? Go ahead! Want to tell people about what you're playing? It's all available now!
Q: Why aren't the forums scalable to 100%?
We've switched over to a larger 1024x768 viewing resolution so you should have plenty of room now. We wanted to make the forums fit with the rest of the site so we had to use a fixed width.
Q: New site!? Will I have to signup again?
No, all user accounts have been transferred over as well as anything you may have posted on the old site.
Q: I found a bug!
Feel free to tell us about any bugs in the feedback section. This is still a work-in-progress so we'll be ironing out the bugs gradually.
Q: Why do some of the links not work?
We may have missed something or were not able to get that section up in time for the launch. Be assured that we will have everything ready shortly.
Q: My other favorite site has ______, why don't you have it?
We want to build something special here and it's going to take time and your help. We can't possibly add every conceivable feature right now. However, we are listening and with your help we can make this a special place.
Q: What is the new feedback level system?
The feedback system now allows you to give recognition to users you feel do a good job on the site. For every positive piece of feedback, that user gets +1 added to his/her score. At designated times throughout the year, the staff will give special users awards for their contributions.
Q: I love/hate the new site or I agree/disagree with what you have done here!
Whether you hate the redesign or love it, be assured that we have made this site to suit our users. We can't please everyone so if you are willing to help us become a better site, we're ready to listen.
Q: So where do we go from here?
Just have fun and be active on the site and we'll do the rest. In the coming months Modojo will work hard to make this site great.
Q: What sort of features can we expect in the future?
We've been planning out many features that will make your visit more enjoyable. Everything from more customization in your blogs to exciting contests! These things will take time to create so stay tuned.
Q: How do I help?
All we ask is for your support. Get involved with the site and visit our sponsors, and we'll be happy!
All the best and enjoy the site!
-Modojo Staff