It seems that, for good or bad ol' AAUK has become a blog writer at an almost professional level - what with taking care of the Blognik and all. The Barbed Wire Halo is a mix of Sonic Wrecks, Radio Redux and personal thoughts from the man behind the ArchangelUK mantle.

What Is "A Job"? - A Response

Apparently there is some hatin' on me at the moment - nothing new frankly, I'm used to being disliked for one reason or another. Apparently working for SEGA has "changed me" and I'm not doing the Community any favours or what not. Bullshit. I work my ass off 24/7 - and it IS 24/7, to try and make things better for you guys, the NiGHTS guys and any other people who fall under my games remit. Me going "above and beyond" has been noted, to give you a clue I started work 90mins early today in fact I'm working so hard on so many things I'm actually making myself ill over it. Ask Echo Hawk who is getting all kinds of worried about it. I will always be a Sonic fan and part of the community and will stick up for you when the going gets tough - whilst there may be times where I get in contact and say "please remove this" because of thebreaking of an agreement etc, if an ISP is getting a bit pissy at you because of "copyrighted material" let me know and 99 time out of 100 I'll be able to step in and give you a hand - unless you've done something truly reprehensible. I will NOT be held to ransom over it that it is for the "greater good". SEGA allow all sites - you, me, TSS, Yoda, SSN, Vegemite, Style, SSR, SEGA Radio, NiD, S2B, Retro, GHZ, FFM, ET-F'n-C to have media up because yes you are advertising their products but more because we're genuinely impressed with what you do. However, if you post up details of a private SEGA FTP unsurprisingly you won't be on my Christmas list as you aren't doing yourself any favours in proving to those who still live in the world of print that the average Sonic fan is worth more personal attention than just a cursory nod of acknowledgement but after over 16 years is - y'know, worth consulting about the product. I'm constantly battling against those higher up who do not neccessarily see the value in what I and you guys do. That is not a personal slight against you by them - they simply don't understand the way it works online. Incidentally, do you think I'm somehow the only person connected with SEGA who keeps an eye on the likes of CuLT? Do you think that things like this are somehow NOT seen before hand or at the same time by others and somehow ignored? Those that know me know I am a very outspoken defender of their abilies at finding titbits out within games - I think its cool. If I was SO completely anti-them would I reference their Sonic 06 discoveries in my interview with Bentley Jones? No. Its my job to get coverage online - FACT and yes, I want you guys talking about the product as that generates said coverage in terms of reviews, etc. Those people who come to the community days and get the free games DO KNOW this - and they are invited on that basis, they are your peers and as such you are generally likely to listen to what they have to say. They are the bloggers, writers, broadcasters, etc. Their opinions are noted and looked for. If that statement has somehow shocked you - oh dear. Here's another one though: regardless of what you think or have opinions on there are those at SEGA, besides me, WHO CARE ABOUT YOU. I will GLADLY include others within the community days as and when I can (though I am obviously limited in numbers), you know you can email me and say "look I do this, click here can you consider me for any community day in the future". You do KNOW that right? Would I be trying to raise money with SEGA to support Summer of Sonic and make it a groovy - perhaps annual event if I didn't give a damn? With regard to Race To Name, two things - without me Race To Name would not have happened and had SCD not closed down SW wouldn't have had a choice through its other staff - SW was agreed as an entrant purely becuase of the sudden gap that was left between high and lower tier UK related sites. That's all I'm saying on that matter. And yes some people do get extra merch, but that's because they help out on things that you do not neccessarily see. So yes, there we go, I've completely wasted the time I gained coming in early having to write this and I'm fundamentally aware that in the end nothing will change but I'm not a faceless corporate monstrocity and I am one of you guys so that gives me the goddamn right to sound off straight back at you when you have a go at me - or people who I work with - or my friends. Those of you who think this job is all ice cream, lolipops and candy can get stuffed. Those of you think I'm somehow the Worst Thing Evar™ consider yourself bunged up with Paxo too. I have nothing but respect for those that resulted in this post, however don't expect me to sit back and just say nothing either. Meanwhile I'll get on with what I was going to do today, Samba De Amigo's website proposal, Marvel stuff, Sonic City's redesign and behind the scenes work on Summer of Sonic and Chronicles. Guess who those last three are for...

0 Comments Posted on 14 May 2008 by ArchangelUK | Blog |

Ding Dong Bells: My Secret Revealed

I am pleased to announce that I am moving to Uruguay to marry Ram. Our tempestuous relationship has been a big secret hanging over our heads and I'm pleased to finally divulge the truth as it wasn't doing me much good health wise with the stress tbh. I'm now moving out there to have lots of babies, leaving SEGA behind in Europe - but, I'll be heading up a special SEGA post dealing with Brazilian company TecToy and starting up my own Community Team dealing with the guys in South America. I suppose I'll have to rename myself ArchangelURG - which makes me sound like being sick. Oh well the sacrifices we do in the name of love. More details as they come.

0 Comments Posted on 01 Apr 2008 by ArchangelUK | Blog |

Exhausted: Working 7 Days A Week Is Not Fun

Hi guys, been a bit busy what with work which is really getting in the way of the community stuff. That and I've recently been to a funeral which isn't a traditionally good way of having a swell time. This was combined my two white shirts, Man Utd shirt, England shirt and best going out shirt apparently being ruined by seepage through the walls of moisture and gunk from the flu following a mass downpour. SEGA is a hard place kids, especially when you've got games coming out - gee lemmie see I'm working on NiGHTS still and getting content up for that. As well as SEGA Superstars Tennis which I'm getting increasingly angry about - not the game, I've been playing dev code this weekend and like it a fair bit. Mario & Sonic DS, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, I'm planning stuff for Chronicles (oh boy have I got something for you guys!!!!!) have work to do for Iron Man and Hulk and thats not counting translations, emails in and out, dealing with questions, sorting out post, writing blogs, organising community days, seeding items, Sonic City and the organising of god knows how many updates for that before I even get to Sonic Wrecks. I'm so overstretched at the moment I working all hours just to maintain the status quo of being slightly behind. I know my mum is worried that its starting to have a bit of an effect on me with the stress and I'm starting to see her point. Roll on when I get my assistant! Anyway, I have a chance to breathe this weekend... not much as I'm making notes on SST so I have content to actually talk about. Which reminds me I need to email Richard Jacques about something. Sigh. What I have done so far today is tried to get up to speed with community issues, etc, I'll even be able to go into my SW email tomorrow I hope and do some bits. I have an update of things ready for the Depository and I'll try and get a new CD sorted so I can upload that as well - the current favourite being the NiGHTS: Another Dreams remix album. What you might want to do is check out the SEGA Blogs - the actual SEGA one, not the Blognik - as I'm half way through my series of blogs talking about my trip to see the NiGHTS guys in Edinburgh. Speaking of, you have until tonight to vote in the Wrecks Factor poll, I'm not gonna unfreeze said polls, but I will be giving T&D one more vote as they were above Vi after all. Oh yes - while I'm on the subject of singing I've not long completed two songs for Rory's Valentines Day album, naturally these are as romantic as a kick in the head with size 12 steel toe-capped army boots but they are as entertaining as heck and perhaps the first songs I've done that I don't feel embarassed by. How are they so funny? They're in French. Or rather Babelfish translated English, so you can look forward to a special version of "Mon Destin" and "L'E.G.G.M.A.N" in le langue de l'amour. That's me out for now - I'm off to play SEGA Superstars Tennis and eat some crisps. Oh and PS - to the guy who on the No More Blue survey said of Sonic Wrecks "When will people realise sprite comics are shit?" When will you realise that myself, Vger and all those others who make sprite comics and are entertained by them don't give a shit about your opinion?

0 Comments Posted on 26 Jan 2008 by ArchangelUK | Blog |

Blognik-X: VGL London 2007 Round-Up

Welcome to the first Blognik-X - No, these aren't Blognik's remixed by David-X, they are Blognik's that in the time restrictive mediums of SEGA life never got approved for one thing or another. The pain of these is that it's likely I've done a lot of work putting them together which is then wasted, the joy of these is that I can to prevent their loss entire put them up here! The following takes place on the day of Video Games Live coming to London: It's 4:27am and I've been up for what seems like days; in fact I'm roughly approaching 24hrs awake which is perhaps not a good thing - but I have to tell you what happened last night at Video Games Live. As usual the difficulty for me was finding the people I was going with - especially when the directions being given appeared to be in some sort of dead language and intent on sending me somewhere nearer Bristol than the sushi bar in question...(Read more)

0 Comments Posted on 24 Nov 2007 by ArchangelUK | Blog |