Octo

Octo is here to replace Isidore (no kidding), our really-starting-to-get-old server. We used to have a Pentium 4c 2.4 Ghz 1 GB RAM with 250 MB of software RAID1 disk space and we're upgrading to something that, you'll agree, is pretty damn nice:
- 2*Quad core 2 Ghz Xeon (hence the name, Octo for Octo-core)
- 4 GB RAM FB-Dimm
- Hardware RAID6 controller - 8*500 GB hard drives, which implies 3 To of redundant disk space
- And no less than 7 fans to keep it cool at anytime!

Such a powerful machine with so much disk space will allow us to offer you some new services. As soon as next week, the usual WMV will always come online accompanied by their MP4 counterparts and all this will be done automatically. Moreover, I'm glad to announce the return of the 640x360 "LQ" versions in AVI/XVID format allowing those who do not have a "monster machine" or unlimited broadband connections to still enjoy our content. And the good news is that these versions too will be available each time and automatically encoded.

Secondly, by the end of this year, we plan to add a new tool that will allow you to upload your own videos so everyone can enjoy them, just like what youtube offers, but in eye-blowing-kick-in-the-ass-fantastic quality obviously. This service will be linked to a blog engine which will also be available to you. Our goal is to ultimately give you access to almost all of the functionalities of Gamersyde.

First results

After one month of activity, we are rather satisfied and the figures show that there have been a bit more than 500,000 different visitors in the last 31 days and about 5 million pages have been read.
These figures could have been much better had we handle E3 better but we've learnt form our mistakes and for Leipzig in a few days or Tokyo, everything should run a lot smoother, without a doubt.

Contentwise, we're doing our best to offer as many exclusive videos as we can and we're happy to see that some publishers seem willing to play the game. I hope it will come off soon.

We are fully aware that we're way behind the big American sites, but we're having a really hard time when it comes to finding good quality videos in time. Since stealing the content of other websites to put it online here is not an option for us, we sometimes find ourselves in situations where we can't find a video that's available almost everywhere else. Not being able to offer you some content because of that is the sort of thing that happens too often to my liking. Being a French based website sure doesn't help but again, things seem to brighten up a tad. So wait and see.

Our main problem now is to be able to offer you some good Wii content. I have to admit that this first month hasn't been great in that area and I guess we are to blame. Truth be told, I can't say I am "drawn" to what the console has to offer. There sure are exceptions but I have to say my motivation simply drops down when it comes to writing news about games I have absolutely no interest in. I know it's really unprofessional to feel that way but that's the way it is. Anyway, that's why we'll soon welcome a new Wii-guy in the team. More info soon!

Last but not least, the new ad content and the money we have invested in the company have given us the means to get the technical equipment at the scale of our ambition. We now have two HD video cameras (Sony FX7) as well as many (and expensive :/) accessories, two over-powerful laptops and some portable hardware allowing us to record HD direct-feed footage on the go (pretty much an exclusivity in Europe). It's an investment of more than 12000 euros (15000 dollars), but I think you'll all come to appreciate it. The video quality of the latest Gamersyde Diaries is a good proof of that, and you'll come to like it even more in the next few weeks.