How could we improve the portal?

[Joshua822]

The google add should have the same color as the background, and maybe the font could be smaller

[Hunchman801]

There's nothing I can do about the font (it's not customisable, and changing it is against the terms of use), but change the ad format. “Skycrapers” (e.g. the ad format you can see on the screenshot) have the largest font size, while “leaderboards” (i.e. vertical banners) have the smallest.
As for the background, I used the same background colour as the bottom line so that it looks like a block and fits the page. Do you think I should use the main background colour because of the ad width?

[Beebop]

I think the Forum link should be more visible. The first time I saw the new portal it took me a while to find the link to the Forum.

[Hunchman801]

I'm starting to wonder how so many people can miss a link in the main menu. Except for the top menu, there's nothing more visible

[Jman]

Yeah I wonder that too. I liked it when we could click on the PC logo at the top of the screen to take us to the forum (when we were using PHPbb2).

[foultzboyz]

I find the forum RSS useless, to be honest. If all someone posts is "Okay" or "I agree with you", you have no idea what they're talking about, and even still, we debate quite a bit around here and you'll never see the whole story one post at a time. Plus, forum games will show up to and there's no use for that either. Maybe letting you see if someone replies to your question, though that's why you'd subscribe to a thread. As a level designer, it's not always about putting in as much cool stuff as you can and more about practicality and what's cool and useful. In a level design, trying to cramp too much in one space (cluttering) can hamper game performance greatly, and on a portal too much could take up needless amounts of space that everyone's eyes will probably wander past.

The point: Whatever happens, make it useful, make it something that people will be interested in. Useless clutter does not do anything for anyone and creates unfavorable impressions. Stay practical, and if the portal doesn't fill up entirely and you're left with cluttering options, then don't add them no matter the extra space.

[Hunchman801]

I'll try to follow your advice. Now, I'm going to create a poll with all the options we have mentioned. But first, I will create a few prototypes and contact UbiSoft again about the Rayman 3 Hall of Fame.

[Jman]

I noticed the little Ebay in there, cool touch, but it seems very random on the portal. It might need its own little box for it.

[jamesbond_boy_007]

is portel game by half life developeer? :DDD

[Hunchman801]

I noticed the little Ebay in there, cool touch, but it seems very random on the portal. It might need its own little box for it.

Yeah, I'm just doing tests so far.

Here are a few previews:

eBay Partner Network


Google AdSense


Video of the day (YouTube)


Video of the day (DailyMotion)


I think all the other ideas are pretty clear and don't need a snapshot: after all, they're just blocks.

[Jman]

Are the videos located at the top? Maybe they should be scaled down and put in a side bar?

[Joshua822]

You shouldn't start the video directly, but wait for the user to ask for it. Because else, the page will load really slow ( Well, for dial up users and other smallband users )

I think you should use the eBay one. Not adSense. I think the eBay one is more usefull.

[Hunchman801]

Are the videos located at the top? Maybe they should be scaled down and put in a side bar?

I don't know yet. And 320×265 is the smallest size. Could you be more specific about the size bar?

You shouldn't start the video directly, but wait for the user to ask for it. Because else, the page will load really slow ( Well, for dial up users and other smallband users )

Already done

I think you should use the eBay one. Not adSense. I think the eBay one is more usefull.

Maybe. I'm not sure PC will earn anything from it, but it could be interesting for our members.

So, all I have to do is phone my contacts at Ubi next week about the Rayman 3 Hall of Fame (their numbers are on my computer at home), and then, I will start the poll about the new features.

[Jman]

Are the videos located at the top? Maybe they should be scaled down and put in a side bar?

I don't know yet. And 320×265 is the smallest size. Could you be more specific about the size bar?

Um... nevermind. But looking at the Ebay area, is there a way to change the image that says "Powered by Ebay" to something else? Maybe text? Or another image that takes up more horizontal space.

[Cairnie]

If we're going to have a video of the day, then who will be choosing them? I would probably be more comfortable having a video of the week rather than a day, since there aren't too many good Rayman videos about.

[Joshua822]

Besides, if you get the HoF going i might start DOTK again ^^ ( I got the PS2 version recently so i'm sure that the glitch will work )

[Reese Riverson]

If we're going to have a video of the day, then who will be choosing them? I would probably be more comfortable having a video of the week rather than a day, since there aren't too many good Rayman videos about.

Yeah, it would be kind of difficult to keep up with.

Though I do think RayTunes Player (I think it'd be nice to listen to Rayman music.), Forum Hall of Fame (Sounded like a good idea to me.), Personal Space (this does sound like a very very good idea.), and perhaps RayWiki Featured Artical.

That's what I like to see out of the list.

[Hunchman801]

If we're going to have a video of the day, then who will be choosing them? I would probably be more comfortable having a video of the week rather than a day, since there aren't too many good Rayman videos about.

Well, spiraldoor said exactly the opposite. I'm clueless now.

But looking at the Ebay area, is there a way to change the image that says "Powered by Ebay" to something else? Maybe text? Or another image that takes up more horizontal space.

You're not supposed to, but I could mess with the JavaScript and try.

[spiraldoor]

If we're going to have a video of the day, then who will be choosing them? I would probably be more comfortable having a video of the week rather than a day, since there aren't too many good Rayman videos about.

Well, spiraldoor said exactly the opposite. I'm clueless now.

I never suggested a "Video of the Day"; my idea was that one of a selection of videos would randomly appear on the Portal every time you visited it.

[Hunchman801]

I never suggested a "Video of the Day"; my idea was that one of a selection of videos would randomly appear on the Portal every time you visited it.

And I never said you suggested it, I just said you told me it wasn't hard to find a new video each day:

It wouldn't be too hard. There are hundreds of Rayman videos on YouTube. There are complete walkthroughs for Revolution, R2 DC and R2 PS1, as well as videos people have uploaded of Rayman Desgner levels they've made, tributes to Rayman games etc, and many videos are very interesting indeed. For example, there's this, and this, and this, and this.