Hi-Rez Kayli...Posed!

Howdy Folks,

Happy New Year...though I'm a bit late I suppose, sorry. Hope everyone had a great Christmas / Holiday and New Years. Just dropping by to share something cool with y'all. The Kayli model has been finalized for awhile now but the artist, Mark Kobrin, recently finished posing the hi-res version of the model and shared the image with me...and so I'm sharing it with you. Mark really did Kayli justice with his model and pose...I hope y'all like it. If you want to see more of Mark's stuff, check it out at his site...here.


Oh and in case you don't remember or have never seen it, it's based on this original concept by Genevieve...Kayli's redesign for the Project IITS game.



Update: If you're interested in seeing the model in slightly greater detail, here's a link.

- Joseph

Kayli Model Finalized

Hey Folks,

Just dropping by for a quick update...the Kayli model was recently updated and I'm very happy with the changes. I know, anyone still reading this blog probably can't even remember what the old one looked like. The changes were mostly in the head and face so she pretty much has the same basic body shape you saw in the previous post. I hope to have a neat model preview link here in the next week or so.

By the way, the "Naked Kayli Sighting" post was just something I did on a whim. I was messing around in Unreal and dropped the model into UDK (Unreal Development Kit) to see it in some fancy lighting. The environment you see is a tech demo area built by Epic...not by Project IITS.

We're currently working on finishing up the rig for the model (which needed fixing/editing as a result of the model changes). Once the rig is done, we can start doing more fun stuff. I got a new animator for the project and she's great. More on her later when we got some stuff to show (her work was interrupted when we had to update the model/rig).

Anyway, hope y'all had a great Turkey Day weekend...thanks for reading.

- Joseph

You Have Spotted a Wild Kayli!

QUICK! SNAP A PICTURE!

Sure Is Quiet...

Hey IITS Readers,

Just a quick project update since I noticed I hadn't posted in awhile. We're in the middle of making some pretty substantial changes to the Kayli in-game model, which will then need to be re-rigged and also needs a facial rig for facial animations, and finally...I'm pretty close to finding a VO actress for the role of Kayli! More on that soon, hopefully. =)

Thanks for stopping by!

- Joseph

Kayli Mousepad Owners...Get Your Free Stuff!

Hi Folks,

As I mentioned in the previous post, those of you who have purchased either or both Kayli Boob Mousepads at the IITS Store site or at any of the shows we attended (such as Comic-Con or APE) are eligible to receive some freebies from the IITS Store as an apology for the manufacturing flaw.

To get your free stuff, you'll need to submit a "proof of purchase"...which is pretty easy. First snap a photo of the pad and include a note in the picture that has your name and address and the two items (not including the mouse pads) you wish to have sent to you. Here's an example:


Please select two different items...the following examples are all valid:

1 Comic, 1 Kayli Big Sword Print
1 Assmeats Magnet, 1 Kayli Business Suit Front Print
1 Comic, 1 Assmeats Print

Next, email the picture to iits.store(at)gmail.com...then wait a bit and the stuff will magically appear in your mailbox! I'll keep all of this on record and when the fixed mouse pads are manufactured, they will be sent to you at the same address. If you don't want the freebies but want to submit your proof of purchase with me to keep on record for when the fixed pads are ready, just provide your address with the picture of the mouse pad. Finally, if you're too busy right now to deal with this nonsense, you can always wait for the announcement on this blog of when the new pads are available and claim your replacement then. Sound good? Cool.

Sorry for the ghetto way of doing things but it's easier to just respond to requests rather than track down everyone on record who has bought a mouse pad and sending out an email to each person. Hope that's okay with everyone!

P.S. Those of you who don't mind the flaws, the discounted and updated product is available at the store page and now includes details of why the item is discounted and some additional pictures of the problem.

P.P.S. If I don't find your name in the records, I may ask you a few questions about your purchase to verify your identity as a customer. Don't worry, if you're legit...you'll be fine. =)

- Joseph

Manufacturing Flaw in Kayli Boob Mousepads

Hey Folks,

Got some unfortunate news to share...which those of you who purchased the Kayli Boob Mousepad may already be aware of. Apparently, over time, the gel area (the boobs) of the mousepad begin to curl a bit from the base of the mousepad. At first, I thought this was a fluke because my own mousepads did not exhibit this problem. I know now that it probably has something to do with exposure to oxygen because most of my stock is stored in boxes which are, in turn, stored in a closet. After taking a look at similar commercial mousepads and even the Kayli Boob Mousepad prototypes the manufacturer sent me, I think the problem can be chalked up to the lack of the inclusion of a stiff back plate between the gel and the rubber bottom of the mousepad.

Most aggravating of all is the fact that the two prototypes that were sent to me, which are the ones I look at on a regular basis because the others are stored, do not exhibit this problem and have the back plate included. Check out the following images:

Top to Bottom: Prototype, Retail Version, Retail Version
w/ AAA Battery for Gap Scale, Record of Agarest War Pad.

As it turns out, if you actually place your wrist on Kayli's boobs, the pad lowers to a normal shape and appears to be perfectly functional as a gel filled, wrist support mousepad and may not even bother some people. However, the design flaw is unacceptable to us and we sincerely apologize for it. I feel very terrible about this and while the manufacturer is entirely at fault for screwing me over with badly manufactured pads, I'm entirely responsible for the stock I've sold to our customers.

All said, here's my three step process for addressing this problem:

Step 1: Those who already purchased the mousepad are eligible to receive any two items from the IITS Store (not including the mousepads) free of charge. I know, some of you own everything we have...but please feel free to give these items to a friend. Also, keep reading!

Step 2: The remaining mousepads will be sold at a $20 discount (for a total of $25 after shipping) at the IITS Store to help pay for Step 3.

Step 3: I will begin the process of finding a competent and reliable manufacturer for flaw-free Kayli Mousepads.

Additionally, everyone who purchased a mousepad before today will be eligible for a free replacement mousepad which will be mailed to you when they are complete.

Islands in the Sky is a independent, self funded operation but we understand that our faithful fans and customers are the lifeblood for our project and despite the difficulties this process will create for us, your support is all important to us and nothing is worth losing that over.

For instructions on how to get your free stuff, please look for a forthcoming post. For those of you who don't mind the flaw and want to get a discounted pad, please wait for the IITS Store to to display the new price before purchasing.

Finally, just so you know, the process of having to get the pad made was very involved and took quite a long time...therefore I cannot guarantee a date for when the new pads will be made. Rest assured, I'm on the task. Thanks for your understanding, guys and gals. We'll do our best to get this fixed as soon as we can.

- Joseph

Project IITS Game Update

Hey IITS Readers,

Just a quick update to let everyone know we're still alive. A lot of folks are wondering how the game will play and so the current plan is to create a visual proof of concept and I'm still in the process of putting that together. Beyond just entertaining a small but faithful group like yourselves, the visual proof of concept will help to secure funding to kick the project into full gear.

Due to the self funded nature of Project IITS, things like animation and modeling and such are all done on a contract basis...rather than having a full time team. As contractors come and go (getting busy with other contracts or finding full time work), the team changes from time to time and there is a process of relearning things and sometimes finding new directions to go in. Currently, Project IITS is in that process...but don't worry, we're still in business.

RE: The IITS Comic, I don't have any real updates for you...sorry. As it stands, Genevieve is still focused on working full time in the game industry and I'm focused on the Project IITS game. As always, if there is some new development, it will be posted here. For you small group of faithful fans out there...thank you for still dropping by from time to time!

- Joseph