Wednesday, January 22, 2014

 

The strange fate of Xtranormal



Some of you might remember the "IPLawGuy" series of videos I made, the third of which is included above.  I created them using a service called Xtranormal, which turned text into the dialogue in the video.  It was a great service, and what you paid for various features seemed reasonable.

Then, in July of last year, it just died.  I'm not a business expert, but this one baffles me-- the development expenses had already been spent, and by last summer the site should have been simply generating money.

Am I missing something?  How does this happen?

Comments:
You wonder how a seemingly successful business model just up and dies and whether you’re missing something? I think I have the answer for both…Pickles the irreverent, borderline psychotic, detonation trigger happy Cat. I know it’s crazy, but I’ll miss her...messing with all those geeky characters made Xtranormal a more explosive fun.
 
She was kind of a wildcat….
 
Listen osler--Geoffrey sucks,but I rule
I need my own cartoon,with IPLAWGuy as my sidekick. I am a role model for young girls...I call myself: "Self Esteem Girl." My secret power is the ability to shrivel undeserving men with a single word,or well-placed foot. Power color: Fuchsia. Get it right,Osler

 
DEAR SELF ESTEEM GIRL:

SADLY, I CAN'T MAKE MOVIES ANY MORE, BECAUSE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO EXTRANORMAL. SAD FACE.
 
Put your thinking cap on,Osler. I don't want to hear the words "can not." Find some evil genius to help you. I have gone too dam long ungratified. I NEED this cartoon
But when you find this evil genius have him make my voice sound pretty like it normally sounds and make I LAW GUY'S voice manly,but subserviant. And he needs a cape.
 
Can your can'ts!!!
 
Go to Artoonix,Osler. Do I have to do everything? "Download your free sample...TODAY!
 
Hey, Sally quit the self-aggrandizing crap and get over the fact EXtranormal is KAPUT!!
Hug and hisss,
Pickles
 
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Cat,you think Self Esteem Girl is afraid of a measly little pussy-cat like you, with your pathetic sounding moniker. With my dainty little tootsie I could make you fly to Venus & back. Osler --get to work. I'd like this on my desk by 8 a.m. sharp. Quit whining.
 
And as to my so-called "self-aggrandizing"---Pussy-Cat,I am ever so delighted that Mama Cat sprang for that dictionary for you for your Christmas stocking. How droll. We all know I am a boon to humanity. You,on the other hand...
 
Sssssally darling, I will not dignify your nonsense with more than this advice: you should! Should be afraid, I mean.
PTC
 
Pickles Pussy-cat. You suck. Go lie down by your dish. I have a cartoon to star in...I don't have time to pet you...WITH MY FOOT. Go play in the traffic. I have to save the self-esteem of AMERICAN GIRLS!
 
I know, I do, but I also bite and like it just as much. Remind me Sally if you will, are you a cow or a mare? On a second thought-- bovine, equine makes no difference. AMERICAN GIRLS and their self-esteem need you! Giddyup, Sally.
 
Pickles, Sally, calm down! I think maybe I should make a cartoon where the two of you match wits...
 
And either way you're gonna git stomped,KITTY! I heard cat guts make swell guitar strings IF anyone wanted to play you...
 
Sally, you know she has a nuclear bomb, right...
 
This reminds me of a story I read in a "men's magazine" one time.
 
Listen Osler--Pickles sucks! Open a can of Friskie's or make her a dubbie out of catnip,& she's putty in your hands. Nuclear shmuclear. I will not be held hostage by a damn pussycat. Do I have to do everything,Osler? Where's my cartoon? I hope that adorable IPLAW GUY doesn't mind being my sidekick. My superlative self esteem will not allow me to be second banana...I do enjoy a good banana now and again,but--- Any hoo I LAW GUY will have a key to the Girlcave, and unlimited rides in the Esteemobile.
..
 
I’m sorry to break it to you Sally, but this damn pussycat doesn’t give a hoot; she already had you under her paw the minute you opened your esteemed mouth with all that stream of nonsense that spews out (quite tiresome if you should know). Thing is you need not worry, I have real fish to fry, cows/mares are kind of hard to hate, all that fluffy brain and big eyes. Plus if push comes to shove they grind up into some very yummy Friskies (the horse meat I particularly enjoy-- very lean, virtually cholesterol free--had it in Padua where apparently even humans enjoy equine delicacies, mmm). PTC
 
Sally,

Banana? Girlcave? Unlimited Rides? See, I told you this sounded like a story from a men's magazine!

 
Here,kitty kitty! Bite me...go ahead.Meet Sadisto,my pit bull. Listen--I don't have time for this fol-de-rol. Girls are at stake. I put the "steam" in esteem. Hey Osler. I've been ruminatin' on my utility belt. I decided I should have some Snickers bars in a pouch and a loop to hold a flask of Maker's Mark. What girl wouldn't feel just a little bit better after a Snickers and a belt of Maker's Mark? I'm going to need red stiletto pumps with smoke bombs in the heels and a few hand grenades. Also some hand cuffs for recreational purposes and they might come in handy on the job.I'd like a large flacon of Chanel # 5. A little spritz of this and your self esteem soars. Osler I trust you've found a way to make this happen.
 
Sally, maybe I will just let you use the old Tydwbleach costume: you can see it here.
 
You can keep animating for free with this technology at stateplus.net.


 
Oster have you lost your grip...are you suffering from the grippe? Self Esteem Girl ears no one else's costume. It kinda goes against the whole notion of self esteem. Wait a minute...did Pickles bite you and now you have rabies or hydrophobia like Old Yeller had? Great movie. I bet you're gonna try to weasel out of my utility belt and I PLaw guy's cape. Or the whole cartoon deal.
 
After Xtranormal.com shut down, http://stateplus.net became the unofficial goto place for people who wished to continue. Unfortunately stateplus.net later closed down too.

The original Xtranormal STATE can still be downloaded from archive.
http://web.archive.org/web/20100607221713/http://state.xnl.s3.amazonaws.com/StatePackage.exe

STATE Plus by Glen Saunders can be downloaded here:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/6ndodf5be1tiubx/stateplus-code-725.zip/file

Apparently using STATE Plus, you can still use the STATE offline. Any one has any idea how to put the two together to get it running offline please?
 
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