2012 is here! I would like to wish readers of Nine Over Ten 9/10, and those from the gaming industry that have worked with us, in bringing really cool games to platforms such as the iPhone, iPad, Nintendo 3DS, Mac, PC and even the PS3. 2011 has been a super busy year and I think the number of posts eclipses that of 2010′s. The quality of games coming our way were a mark improvement over those in 2010, proving that the market and industry are maturing hand-in-hand.

A big shoutout to the developers, publishers and PR practitioners, without you, Nine Over Ten 9/10 wouldn’t be functioning like clockwork. My new year’s resolution? Review more iOS games, probably get an Android phone, check out the 3DS’ lineup and of course set better personal records for the half marathon and full marathon runs . So in 2012, keep the games coming and stay tuned to Nine Over Ten 9/10!

Christmas has always been known as a time for giving and we would like to kickstart this year’s Nine Over Ten 9/10 Christmas 2011 Gift Guide with a question: why not gift a gift and do your bid for charity as well? The Humble Indie Bundle 4 is the perfect avenue for this. Not only can you purchase this bundle which consists of amazing indie games such as Gratuitous Space Battles, Super Meat Boy, Bit.Trip Runner and many more, as a gift, part of the purchase goes to American Red Cross and Child’s Play Charity. Check it out over here.

If you are feeling a little more generous, you can always head over to the nearest NGO or Charity out there and donate. Here are some organizations that are closer to home in my case:

• National Cancer Council of Malaysia: http://www.makna.org.my/
• National Council for the Blind: http://www.ncbm.org.my/
• National Kidney Foundation: http://www.nkf.org.my/

OK, with that charity bit out of the way here’s our annual gift guide for Christmas 2011, this time it has something for everyone, I think, ranging for the bookworms to tech heads (I’m actually adapting my Amazon wish list for this year’s Christmas guide):

Books

1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Hardcover)
2. Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape: The Remarkable Life of Jacques Anquetil, the First Five-Times Winner of the Tour de France by Paul Howard (Paperback)

Electronic Devices and Gadgets

1. Apple iPad 2
2. Kindle Fire
3. Arduino UNO Board
4. Grado iGi In-Ear Headphones

Video Games

1. Nintendo 3DS
2. Batman Arkham City Collectors Edition
3. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Collectors Edition

Movies

1. Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]
2. Harry Potter: The Complete 8 Film Collection [Blu-ray]

Music

1. Torches (Music CD) by Foster the People
2. Pickin’ Up The Pieces (Music CD) by Fitz & the Tantrums.

If you need more gift ideas, check out our super popular guide articles:

• Ultimate Guide to Getting the PlayStation Vita (click here)
• Ultimate Guide to Nintendo 3DS Accessories (click here)
• Ultimate Guide to Nintendo DSi LL/XL Accessories (click here)
• Ultimate Guide to Sony PSP Go Accessories (click here)
• Nintendo DSi Accessories Guide (click here)

Watched an obituary to Steve Job on Hong Kong TV just now. Rest in peace Mr. Jobs and thanks for all the innovations and iOS devices that came out from Apple, without which Nineoverten.com wouldn’t be where it is today.

Sent from my iPhone

Check this out. Facebook has updated their Pages to look more like Profiles.There are now pictures accessible right at the top (just like in a typical Profile) and everything else is Profile-like as well: notifications when fans interact with pages/posts and a news feed.

Even the page identity, in this case Nine Over Ten 9/10, is used as a profile. Because of this, I’ll have the ability to Like and post on other pages as Nine Over Ten 9/10 instead of my own personal account. I think it’s all pretty cool (especially the layout) and have promptly upgraded the Nine Over Ten 9/10 Facebook Page.

Do check it out over here: http://www.facebook.com/NineOverTen910

Looking back on the year 2010, I would think that it has been a pretty good year for Nine Over Ten 9/10. The support that we’ve been receiving from both the video game developer/publisher/PR community as well as readers has been amazing. 2010 is the premise for some amazing statistics for Nine Over Ten 9/10, even I myself find them hard to believe when I was compiling them for this article:

• 120 game reviews were published, mostly for iOS games followed by PS3 and PC.
• 200 video game news articles were published, this included Press Releases, Previews and Contests.
• 140,000 hits, not bad for a niche blog
• 160,000 page views
• Ad revenues of nearly USD 2,000!

My favourite iPhone game this year has to be Age of Zombies by Halfbrick Studios. This indie game developer also happens to be my pick of best iPhone game development studio (worldwide). The guys down south in Singapore, LambdaMu Games is my pick for best Asian development studio. Do check out their brilliant contribution to the Tower Defense genre with 4Towers.

My household became the home for two iPads in 2010, making way for Nine Over Ten 9/10 to review iPad games (finally) and I must say, the device is an amazing piece of engineering. Favourite iPad game for this year? Scrabble .On the PS3 front, Red Dead Redemption takes the cake even though I’ve yet to finish the game. I’m grateful for the opportunity to review stuff like Vanquish on the PS3 (it was a blast) and I’m looking out for more.

So what’s next for Nine Over Ten 9/10 in 2011? More iOS game reviews and coverage of course, pay more attention to the YouTube channel and probably get an iPad 2. So keep on reading, subscribe to the RSS feed if you have not already, and don’t forget to be a fan on Facebook (links are on the right). HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Looking for a gift for a loved one or friends this Christmas holiday season? How about getting him or her (or even yourself) an exclusive customized/personalized phone cover from Coveroo. It’s all about customization these days and with  5000+ designs available including NBA, MLB, College Sports, Fraternities/Sororities, Fashion and Diva Prints, Family Guy, etc, Coveroo has something for everyone.

To add a touch of uniqueness, you can also choose your own picture or design. After you have decided on a design,  you’ll have the option to personalize it further with a line of text. Coveroo will then use laser engraving or High Color process (the choice is up to you) to create a high quality design that will never fade, peel or rub off your iPhone, iPad, Kindle, BlackBerry or any other phones/high-tech devices that Coveroo produces covers for.

As a special for Nine Over Ten 9/10 readers, enter the following coupon code: XMAS15 to get a 15% discount off your purchases at Coveroo with FREE SHIPPING! Check it out over here: www.coveroo.com/gifts

I was at the tail end of an important meeting in Jakarta when a phone call came in informing me that I was selected to review the iPhone 4, thanks to the Maxis10 Reviewers Programme. I think my guarded response to the congratulatory message wasn’t something April (the lady that called up) was looking for, but if your client is just across the table with several other vendors in the room, you’d probably adopt the same tone as well.

Anyways, a little background on Maxis. It’s one of the major mobile phone telecommunications providers in Malaysia, and the first to bring in the iPhone to Malaysia, starting with the iPhone 3G. The Maxis10 Reviewers Programme, quoting its Facebook Tab, is about independent voices giving their free, fair and unbiased reviews of the latest technologies and devices from Maxis.

Since the Maxis10 reviewers for the iPhone 4 have already been announced on Twitter, I guess it’s safe to talk about it right before the launch event. I’m pretty stoked at being given this opportunity. So what do I really want to check out about the iPhone 4? Lets see, there’s that HDR functionality, Retina Display, Face Time and yes..that A4 processor. And I’m going to compare it with my iPhone 3GS, and that relic, the original iPhone. I wonder how Dodonpachi holds up on the iPhone 4.

Want to find out more? Stay tuned to nineoverten.com. I’ll be getting the phone tomorrow at the launch event at the Gardens Midvalley tomorrow night (it’s a really good thing that I’m flying back to Malaysia tonight). In the mean time, it’s back to clearing up that “iPhone games to review” backlog.

Due to the Multimedia Super Corridor initiative in the late 90′s, Malaysia’s ICT industry has grown by leaps and bounds. What started as foreign ICT firms setting up shop in Malaysia led to the growth of homegrown ICT companies which are no short on innovation and ever hungry for man-power. One of the sub-industries is a fledgling video games industry, in which a growing number of full-fledged studios, outsourcing outfits, animation, motion capture and arts studios call home.

EDGE UK profiled several of these companies in their November 09 issue and it highlighted among others Codemasters (GRID, Operation Flashpoint), Igloo Digital Arts (Afro Samurai, Formula One 2009) and Young Jump Animation (mo-cap work for TMNT).

Realizing the demand in man-power for this rising industry, Nine Over Ten 9/10 now features a job search function in partnership with Careerjet, a job search engine designed to make the process of finding a job online easier and it does the heavy lifting by referencing job listings from company websites, recruitment agencies and large specialist recruitment sites, saving the trouble of having to visit the aforementioned sites individually.

So, if you fancy a career in video games, give Nine Over Ten 9/10′s new Job Search page a try, click here. Alternatively you can access it by clicking on the Job Search link at the top of this blog:

Yup, after two years and it’s time for an upgrade. I’ve finally gotten rid of the staid and cramped theme and went premium! Yes, this new theme actually cost me something but anyways, how do you like it?

So what does the new theme spell for Nine Over Ten 9/10? Articles that look easier on the eyes, bigger pictures and videos and just a general feeling of relieve usually associated with getting over constipation. I was joking about the last part.

2009 was pretty much a roller coaster year and given the recession, a so-so one for blog earnings. I noticed that not many visitors were buying video games and their related products off of the Play-Asia ads on my blog.

So while 2008 saw a cool USD 700 dollars in terms of commissions, there was a 60 dollar drop in earnings for 2009. Adsense earnings were steady however, bringing in almost the same amount as 2008, at around USD 220.Nuffnang contributed as well, with slightly over RM 100, which while little (the site doesn’t attract the local crowd), was better than nothing.

One good news about 2009 was there were no shortage of advertisers approaching Nineoverten.com to advertise their wares, this brought in about USD 150.

The money was well spent though, paying off the PS3 (I bought it on installments) and the hosting fees for Nineoverten.com, buying plenty of games (for the DS and PS3), presents for the girlfriend and financing my year end trip to Krabi. Pretty good example of a self-sufficient blog eh?