Here is some recorded gameplay footage of the hand drawn cross-platform adventure game I am developing.

The drawing for the level shown in the video is shown in the previous post.

England cleary deserved the goal scored by Frank Lampard in the World Cup 2010 quarter final against Germany. This goal would have counted if FIFA had chosen to use Goal-line technology such as Hawk-Eye.

The International Football Association Board decided to rule out the introduction of goal-line technology for the foreseeable future on March 5th 2010.

Daily Mail reports that the officials at Fratton Park failed to award a goal,

McLeish said: ‘FIFA are doing the officials a disservice. It’s not easy for them to see things in a split-second.’

Ridgewell added: ‘It was definitely in. James caught the ball behind the line.’ And even one of James’s teammates, Jamie O’Hara, admitted: ‘I was on the goal-line and the ball was so far over I thought it was going to hit the back of the net.’

The controversy over Thierry Henry’s blatant handball in France’s World Cup play-off against Ireland last November seemed to have opened the door to embracing scientific help for referees, even if it were only used to rule on whether the ball had crossed the line. Thierry Henry’s handball helped France qualify for the World Cup.

On March 5th, Dr Paul Hawkins, whose Hawk-Eye technology is used successfully in tennis and cricket, presented his camera and computerbased system, while Cairos Technologies, a German firm owned by adidas, updated the board on their device, which involves a microchip in the ball.

But FA chief executive Ian Watmore and Scottish counterpart Gordon Smith, who backed testing the systems in matches, were outvoted by FIFA and the Northern Ireland and Wales delegates.

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said: ‘They are saying, “Why should we have technology in a game where the main part should be humans – players and referees”.’

Watmore insisted that ‘The credibility of football is always improved if you get the critical decisions right,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it’s obvious that if we experimented with technology we would then go on and use it, because we might find there were lots of issues out there in the real game. But I would like to try it out in the real game to see whether it is good or not. I think there is enough evidence and enough quality of the technology to do an experiment that we could have learned from.’

Manchester United keeper Roy Carroll fails to stop Pedro Mendes’ lob from the half way line – but the goal wasn’t given anyway

Jonathan Ford, chief executive of the FA of Wales, said: ‘The human element of the game is the critical component. Think of the debate they had with Geoff Hurst’s goal in the 1966 World Cup final – that’s the beauty of the game and that’s what keeps people talking in pubs and keeps the game alive.’

But Watmore insisted that agreeing to test the different systems in realistic rather than theoretical situations would not commit football’s rulers to go ahead with the technology.

‘The credibility of football is always improved if you get the critical decisions right,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it’s obvious that if we experimented with technology we would then go on and use it, because we might find there were lots of issues out there in the real game. But I would like to try it out in the real game to see whether it is good or not. I think there is enough evidence and enough quality of the technology to do an experiment that we could have learned from.’

Smith added: ‘Traditionalism is something that it is strong in the game. We should be looking beyond this human element side of it because the human that suffers the most when the decision is incorrect is the referee. And the fans suffer and one of the teams suffers.’

So do the companies who have spent millions of pounds and man-hours developing technology after being told that if they produced a system that worked, it would be adopted.

Hawkins heard about the Ridgewell controversy after landing back in England and when told of the IFAB decision said: ‘The technological gods are clearly not looking down on us.’

Well it looks likes they most certainly are not.

I scanned in a rough drawing from my moleskin book – one I’m using as an environment game level in a platformer I’ve made.  It needed sprucing up a bit, so I made some simple custom pencil and paint brushes to assist in giving it more life!

Finally!  After several short delays in 2009, and increasing excitement by many fans of the game – Plants vs Zombies is finally released in the iTunes store. This is going to be great on the iPad !

Plants Vs Zombies in the UK iTunes App store

A superbly balanced easy-to-play-and-get-addicted-to tower defense / strategy game mixed with the expected polish from Popcap, masters of casual gameplay.

Plants vs Zombies on iPhone / iPod / iPad released February 15th 2010

Charismatic, colourful illustration style, amusing animations, fitting sound effects and catchy music only add to the experience which is guaranteed to help you lose a few days to protecting you house from an onslaught of all manner of zombies (including bobsledding Zombies – apt considering the Winter Olympics have just begun).

The iPhone / iPod / iPad is a perfect platform for Plants vs Zombies.  The game actually works better than on the PC – no more frustration moving the mouse around to collect Sun – the all important currency for growing and adding to your plants.

Right down to the different game modes that are basically tailored for varying lengths of Bus or Train journeys.

It’s a must buy for all ages, and is bound to become a top grossing game on the iTunes app store, based on it’s previous success as a PC and Mac game sold through Steam and Popcap’s own website.

There are a fair few cheeky little illustration ‘easter eggs’ in the desktop version of PvZ – so expect to find a whole load more on the iPhone version, such as these oriental zombies found in the title screen achievements area.

PvZ on iPhone iPod Touch iPad Oriental Zombies illustration easter egg - dig deep to find them!