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ooofaitooo · 3 years ago

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5 Reasons Why Fanboyism Is Old

Before anyone gets offended by this article let me firstly say in caps THERE’S NOTHING WRONG IN LIKING OR EVEN LOVING SOMETHING I like my PC,

I like my phone, I love my true friends, family, and pets that I’ve gotten close to but when it’s that obsessive that they start hating on the component that’s when it’s an issue. I’m more of a dog person but that being said

Don’t you just cringe at those fanboys that go “Xbox is better than PSN” or “PSN is better than Xbox’ probably even “Nintendo is superior to everything”,

All of these quotations mentioned are completely wrong and inaccurate and I’m going to explain them in this article today.

Like, come on we all know PC is the better option for anything that will ever exist, (Okay, that was a joke please do not get serious, But we should dig into this now)

1: Both Have Their own unique features in their own way

All gaming consoles make their designs unique to them that way you can tell that it’s them that invented the system, All designs are good but we humans like to think our opinion is the ‘right’ opinion but in reality that’s not even the slightest close. Because an opinion is no right or wrong it’s just a personal preference personally to us. This means whether you like Microsoft’s boxed style approach to the Xbox series or Sony’s Compact Approach (PS1 to PS4) then followed by their curved like updated approach from the PS5 it’s all based on our own personal preference, I know what I prefer but for the sake of this article, I will not answer this right now.

2: They both do the similar thing

Despite the minor differences such as different hardware and software the main goal especially with Microsoft and Sony is to power up games, They both run almost the same titles for example Grand Theft Auto, Whether you own a PS or Xbox console they will both power up GTA 5, Sure each will have their own exclusive games but for the most part 90% of gaming titles should easily run on both and are sold at a very similar price, So hating on one thing over the other makes no sense.

3: Being Different Is Good

Whether you vouch more towards the Xbox, PSN, or even the Nintendo line-up series we are all allowed to like different things, It would be a boring world if we all liked the exact same things all the time and there would be no multiple gaming companies since there would be no differences to cater for it.

For example, I prefer iPhone over Android but I do not think that people that own Android devices are stupid, At the end of the day no one has the same brain as you and it’s in our own human right to like what we like, After all, it’s not great being ridiculed just for people different to someone else and it’s most definitely not fair.

4: People May Have More Friends On One Platform Over The Other

Not many people know this but if it’s school, work, or some other circle of friends that we catch up with daily such as sporting events, Different circle of friends games on different platforms,

This means if someone sees most of their friend’s games on an Xbox they may game on an Xbox too naturally, You would wanna buy an Xbox to join in on the fun, We do not know people’s lives especially judging from the internet so we should never judge when we don’t know who they know and why they choose one over the other, Honestly, it really does not matter we all have rights to our thoughts.

5: Life is too short for it

Life is one of the shortest but best gifts we have ever been given, For me to be able to type this out inside my physical body that’s a gift on its own, however, it’s not going to last forever, and to be fighting over and making others feel bad because they own a system that we personally might not like, that only has a few minor specs, hardware and game titles differences is pretty stupid to let’s all let each other live our short life the way we want to live it and game on what we personally enjoy to game on.

Hopefully eventually in the gaming community, we see the day when we can put our minor differences aside and see the similarities that we all love videos games and not the design and minor hardware differences that an individual chooses to use, I hope this has put some light and my thoughts on this subject.

And thank you so much for reading another Fait Article.

– Fait

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fostersffff · 4 years ago

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Can Xbox win next gen?

Thank you for asking me this anon, I’ve been dying for an excuse to talk about console war stuff.

With what we know right now? I don’t think there’s a fucking chance.

To begin, based on what I’ve seen, Sony genuinely internalized their lessons from the PS3′s wack ass cell architecture by talking with developers about what they want out of the system, which has led to people like Epic’s CEO Tim Sweeney- a man who could not possibly have less of a reason to pick sides in a console war- praising the PS5 and talking about how incredible it is, whereas Microsoft has made A Very Strong Box... perhaps even History’s Strongest Box.

A Very Strong Box would be perfectly fine, but there’s a problem: because they have said and reconfirmed that the Series X isn’t going to have any first-party exclusives for at least the first few years, every game is going to have to run on an Xbox One, and Microsoft just discontinued the One X, meaning that games are going to have to run on the One S. This will result in one of two things happening: either they’re going to primarily develop for the Series X and downgrade games for the One S, which will almost certainly result in HILARIOUS jank like the PS3 version of Shadow of Mordor, or they’ll develop for the One S and just crank the hell out of the settings for the Series X, which will absolutely result in incredible resolutions and framerates, but model/texture work won’t be nearly as impressive as it could be. Compare the reception of Halo Infinite’s graphics versus the the big-budget stuff on the PS5 showcase like Ratchet & Clank and Miles Morales. Plus, in either situation, first-party games won’t be able to be developed around having a Solid State Drive, the benefits of which are immediately apparent if you go watch that Ratchet & Clank trailer- the only way they can get environmental swapping like that without loading screen is because of an SSD.

Speaking of SSD, there’s another problem: Microsoft has yet to formally announce the Lockhart, which according to leaks is a budget Series X, and we know it exists because there are references to Lockhart in the Windows 10 OS. There’s a possibility that one of the budget cuts Microsoft will make is using a standard optical hard drive instead of a SSD. This would cripple not just Microsoft but possibly the entire industry for the whole generation, because for as good as those PS5 games look now, they’re only going to look better down the line. A possible future is that third-party developers won’t take full advantage of SSDs since they’ll want to make sure their games will run well on everything, and as a result Sony’s first-party output will blow everything else out of the water because they know they always have an SSD. Even if the Lockhart does have an SSD and make cuts elsewhere like the PS5 with no disc drive, a lower spec Xbox Series console almost certainly means that developers are going to be required to make sure it runs on both, which will just cause more issues for them. I guess the positive side to both of these problems is that they are technically consumer friendly- making sure people who don’t want to upgrade to a Xbox Series console will still be able to play games like Halo Infinite, and making sure people are able to afford some kind of upgrade even if they can’t afford the Series X- but I don’t think most people are thinking of it like that, especially when the pomp and circumstance around a new console generation has always been about how much better the new hotness is.

On the subject of new hotness, Microsoft’s marketing strategy is very bad. Xbox has never had the best names, but this holiday Microsoft will have the Xbox One S, the Xbox Series X, and whatever they call the Lockhart, presumably the Xbox Series S or Series L. Maybe you and me can distinguish that with relative ease, but there’s going to be no shortage of tech illiterate parents and grandparents stumbling over themselves to remember what their kids wanted, or kids writing down and asking for the wrong thing, or even people buying for themselves trying to remember if it’s a One X or Series X or Series One or whatever. And we know this kind of thing is a problem because it 100% contributed to the Wii U’s abysmal sales. The other aspect of their marketing strategy is that they really... aren’t doing much to celebrate the Series X being new hotness. They’ve announced the Series X UI is going to be identical to the Xbox One, and just by looking at game boxes you’d have a hard time knowing if the Series X is a brand new console or just an enhancement the One X because of how identical it is:

Same banner, same smaller black banner advertising what console to use, little white text in the top right advertising graphical fidelity. It’s nearly identical. Compared with the reveal of what PS5 boxes will look like:

It’s still blue plastic, but check out what white banner and black text! No more “Only on Playstation” text so there’s less to distract from the box art! Even if you want to argue that no one but turbo nerds really care about the boxes- and you’d be correct to do so- there is something to having them look even slightly different to signal “THIS IS NEW!” Also, going back to marketing, Smart Delivery is a terrible name for Cross Buy/“you own it on the old thing and the new thing”, and they’re not even enforcing that name for consistency despite featuring it heavily in their advertising because EA is calling it “Dual Entitlement”, which is actually still a better name:

Also, the OPTIMIZED FOR SERIES X sticker. Madden 21’s box art is already fucking awful enough without also needing that big ol’ OPTIMIZED FOR SERIES X sticker making it an even bigger mess.

Then there’s all those studios they bought up: your tastes may differ, but the only studio in that bunch that I think can produce worthwhile games is Obsidian. Ninja Theory’s got Hellblade but not much else, Double Fine is going to be a fucking money pit because Tim Schaffer just revealed they were going to CUT ALL OF THE BOSS FIGHTS OUT OF PSYCHONAUTS 2 BECAUSE THEY SPENT ALL THEIR MONEY ON JACK BLACK until they got bought and funded by Microsoft, and the other studios they acquired like inXile and Compulsion are kinda just… fine. Even if they did have an absolute killer’s row of developers, I think about what Rare’s been doing since they were acquired (although people seem to like Sea of Thieves now that it’s had some updates, and I sincerely hope Everwild is as cool as it looks), and I think of this recent quote from the head of Xbox Game Studios:

“It’s kind-of a phased thing. Take Compulsion. They’re working on their next game and have spent the last year on early ideation. I try to keep us as far away from that as possible. And then, as it starts to get exposure within the organisation, feedback will come in and things will start to steer. But it’s important to leave them alone for as long as possible, until they’ve got something that can walk on its own. And then there’s no shortage of feedback within Xbox.” (emphasis mine)

… which makes me think about what happened with Platinum’s Scalebound, a game that somehow transformed from a single-player action RPG to an online multiplayer hunting(?) game and was cancelled because Platinum just couldn’t meet deadlines and am overwhelmed with dread.

The last thing is to think of that really just completely undercuts Microsoft is that fact that all of their Xbox games are also going to be playable on Windows 10. Obviously, gaming PCs are more expensive than consoles- even if both consoles wind up at a super high price point, getting comparable or better performance on a PC will cost just as much, or more- but it still cuts out a portion of people who might otherwise be persuaded to buy an Xbox if they wind up with a lot of good exclusives.

I think the only things Microsoft can claim as an inarguable advantage is the fact that the Series X is A Very Strong Box... perhaps even History’s Strongest Box, and that Xbox Game Pass is an insanely good deal (but again, Windows 10). Right now, they also have the Xbox One’s backwards compatibility baked-in, which is excellent, but Sony could potentially pull out the “PS5 can play PS1-4 games” card, which would nuke Microsoft’s “largest launch line-up in history” from orbit. Their only other possible advantage would be price, which is why despite the fact that we’re roughly four months out from launch, we know nothing about price of either console. I think they’re playing chicken to see who reveals their price first, and how low they can go before it would be suicide for the other company to go lower. And- this is wild, baseless speculation, but fuck it- Sony recently announced they’re increasing production of launch PS5’s up from 6m to 9m. It’s true that gaming sales have actually gone up despite/because of the current state of the world, but who knows what things are going to be like in four months, and either way the average person still probably can’t afford a huge purchase… which could mean that the PS5 isn’t such a huge purchase. I don’t know the cost of the PS5 components, but Sony might be willing to go absurdly low and sell at a loss for a while just to put Microsoft in that position, where they literally can not go lower than them (or they COULD, because Microsoft as a whole has theoretically infinite money, but I can’t imagine them wanting to accept that much of a loss).

tl;dr: Naw, man.

#long post #video games

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duxgamecom · 4 years ago

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Duxgame

In the late 80s, when the concept of video games started booming, not many could've predicted what will gaming be like in 2020. There was a time when so many different hardware and equipment were required to run one game properly. On top, people were spending a fortune on TVs, games, and a proper setup to play a game that won't last thirty minutes. Comparing that to today, things have changed so much.

RELATED: 10 PlayStation 2 Games That Still Look Amazing In 2020

Many people are now spending hundreds of hours on video games, right from their mobile phones while lying in bed. People can even play what was once console games, right from the comfort of their internet browser. Duxgame.com also provides the good stuff.

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10 Pac-Man

PAC-MAN first arrived in the market in the 1980s. The game is a Maze arcade title that was once one of the best games in the world. It was later released on home consoles and many other systems as well. But finally, the title can be played right from the browser in one of its most creative forms ever. Players can try out World's Biggest PAC-MAN here and enjoy an endless array of custom levels, all free to play and enjoy. The best part, the game works 100% flawlessly right from the browser.

9 Doom

The original Doom from 1993 will always be a cult-classic and for an excellent reason. The game took the first-person shooter genre into another dimension and gave players the freedom to explore hell. The over-the-top nature of violence in this title was very much appreciated. In fact, this was probably one of the biggest titles in the 90s with so much blood and gore. This is also the reason why the newer Doom games follow the same path. Original Doom is playable in the browser here.

8 Wolfenstein 3D

Wolfenstein has to be the granddaddy of every first-person shooter that came after. This is the title that made FPS games bearable when the world was full of 2D platformers and RPGs. While this might certainly look dated visually, it can still be enjoyed quite a bit. To anyone who wants to experience the evolution of games, this is the perfect title to play. The game can also be played right from the browser here, so not much reason to say no to this.

7 Sid Meier’s Civilization 1 & 2

Released in 1991 and 1996 respectively, Sid Meier's Civilization 1 and 2 are probably not the games for everyone. However, they are the best few games to play for strategy and turn-based tactics fans. Civilization games are quite honestly the pillars on which the genre of strategy games stands today.

RELATED: 10 90s RPGs With Lengthy Main Stories (& How Long They Take To Beat)

So there shouldn't be a shadow of the doubt as to why one should play this, especially since they can be played right from the browser here, without even installing.

6 Diablo

Many RPG fans might remember purchasing Diablo games on discs, only to install them slowly on a computer with 8MB ram. Comparing that to now, Diablo does need to be installed at all. It can directly be loaded from online servers here. Diablo series is easily one of the best RPGs to play, and even with their age, they are so full of details. Blizzard's hack and slash RPG has it all, from a single player to a fully functional multiplayer. Now that is commendable for the time.

5 Counter-Strike 1.6

If Wolfenstein was the granddaddy of FPS titles, Counter-Strike is the first-person shooter multiplayer game's granny. This is one of the best shooters in the market that are still played to this day. Obviously, being such an old title, there must be a way of playing this without any hassle.

RELATED: 10 90s Shooters With Lengthy Campaigns (& How Long They Take To Beat)

Well, luckily there is, and that is called the cs-online club. The game can be directly launched from here and only needs to be loaded once, even on a low-end computer.

4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Now, obviously, most retro 2d games from the Nintendo Entertainment System are easily available to play via emulators. But why download a whole different software to play these games when they easily boot online. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and many games like this can be played directly from the browser here. This is a must for retro fans, as they will no longer have to mess with downloading emulators, ROMs, bios, and whatnot.

3 Fallout

Another classic RPG that once required people to install a full disc onto the computer to play is now playable online in just a few taps. The Fallout comes from 1997 and has always been a PC exclusive. This is why not a lot of gamers have played the older titles. This is also because they are not easily available to everyone. However, things couldn't have been better because now the original Fallout can be played right from the browser.

2 Super Mario Bros.

This game has to be on the top of the list because of its sheer significance. Super Mario Bros. was released in 1985, and since then, many brothers and sisters to the game have released. However, the original remains one of the best console games of its time and one of the most famous. Luckily the game is easily available to play online and should cheer up everyone who decides to play this.

1 Stadia

While Stadia isn't just one game, it is an amalgamation of plenty of heavy-duty titles. It has games such as Destiny 2, PUBG, and Borderlands 3, which are directly playable right from the servers. The best part is, people who aren't so much into high-end gaming and purchasing expensive hardware, will find this way of playing games super easy. Since modern titles and technologies are still growing, it is not fair to assume the experience will be flawless. However, slowly and steadily it's shaping up.

NEXT: 10 Notable Games Famous Movie Directors Worked On

Next Diablo: 10 Things Fans Don't Know About The Nephalem

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nyrator · 4 years ago

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been feeling like venting, so just some random vents- then afterwards, JSRF ramblings because I just beat that game

turning 29 at the end of the week, not looking forward to it- turning 30 next year terrifies me

mother’s funeral was friday, got that out of the way relatively painlessly (other than having to spend an extra 800 dollars just to bury my sister with her, about $4500 by the end of it

gofundme raised about $2000, other donations about $1300 last I counted (probably higher), so most of it was covered

yesterday my mother’s 70 year old best friend held a party at a bar for my mother’s friends and I was obligated to go, bunch of crazy old women talking like sailors, drinking and smoking pot and laughing about all the drugs they did and all the times they got raped (yeahhhh), the only person I was comfortable around was the best friend. And then the party ends two hours late, we’re getting kicked out of the bar, and this friend falls bending down to grab a picture of my mother that she dropped, smashes her face into the floor, and collapses with a pool of blood under her face, unmoving, right in front of me. I couldn’t get the words out that I’d go and pick the photo up for her before she went to get it, and I regret it

Thankfully, she only had a concussion and a broken nose, she started responding after about a minute of just lying there, but it messed me up, I think.

I’ve been debating if I want to start drinking. I never tried before, mainly because my father was an abusive and violent alcoholic. The other reason is because I’m afraid what I’d do to myself if I had no inhibitions in place, I feel like I’d be very dangerous to myself.

neck has been stiff for two days. Probably slept on it wrong. Also keep feeling like I get different symptoms of covid every so often after exposing myself to the public (that bar was packed with old people who wouldn’t wear masks and had no concept of personal space). Today my throat’s been sore and I can barely breathe.

my boss told me I can go back to work as soon as the funeral’s finished- not sure if I should call her to remind her or wait for her to call me, she texted me last week and I told her the funeral was on friday. But my coworker was also wondering and asked me today, and I didn’t know what to tell her, since my boss doesn’t want me to let her know just yet because of how limited they’re open (three days a week, four hours a day)

relationships are very hard

I’m a terrible person who does the bare minimum to help someone who’s terribly lonely and depressed, and it’s like I’m backed into a corner in desperation from being unable to do anything about it. I’ve caused so much harm to this relationship that I wonder if there’s any way it can survive sometimes

It’s always the case, though- I can’t get myself to do more than the minimum effort it takes, and my social anxiety prevents me from ever initiating anything, which has cost me so many people that I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. And I can feel that awful, selfish bitterness inside of me, that part of my father and my sister that’s in me that I try to suppress, and I hate it.

my diet is going well enough, lost over five pounds since starting it late August. But it’s mostly because I just dislike eating, so eating in portions is easier for me. And then there are days like today, where I just don’t eat at all. Just ate one slice of bread, 30g of peanut butter, and a small cup of ice cream today, and I don’t even feel hungry. Normally I try to get some food in me, but today I’m just too disgusted to even try to make dinner.

My sleep’s also been weird, still. Been going to bed later and later again, but can’t stay asleep. Usually only sleep in bouts of 3-4 hours, then just lay awake until I’m half asleep long enough that I feel the urge to give up and get up. It’s been like that for weeks now, I can’t remember the last full night of sleep I’ve gotten.

In lighter news, finally got back to playing JSRF. Beat it the other night after 24.5 hours of game time, just have a few more challenges left (did everything from Dogenzaka Hill to the Bottom of the Sewage Facility so far), got all graffiti and souls possible before beating the final boss. Played it via emulator (which worked great except for crashing when entering the graffiti selection occasionally) with a Switch Pro Controller, felt really good. I own it and the original Xbox for it, but just am spoiled by a PC experience, I suppose.

The gameplay is great, but the level design leaves a funny taste in my mouth. Aesthetics are worse than JSR for me, while music... it’s tough to say, it’s different than JSR, but really grew on me. Sometimes it felt more like noise (I remember the Sewage tracklist not speaking to me too much at first with the more ambient-ish tracks), but it did grow on me a lot. Baby-T was my Garage theme the entire game, such a great track.

Naganuma’s music in the first game was definitely the weakest of the original’s OST (still good of course), but in Future I feel he really stepped up his game. Teknopathetic is one of my favorite songs in the new OST.

speaking of favorite music, here’s mine from each game:

Bout the City

Dragula

Magical Girl

Miller Ball Breakers

Mischievous Boy

On the Bowl (A.Fargus Mix)

Rock It On

Super Brothers

Yellow Bream

Aisle 10

Baby-T

Birthday Cake

Count Latchula

I'm Not a Model

Like It Like This Like That

Rockin' the Mic

Statement of Intent

Teknopathetic

The Scrappy

(shout outs to Girls from the one JSR CD, haven’t listened to much of the other exclusive songs to it, but Girls was good)

but yeah, my minor gripes with Future

Linear level design was a bit painful (missing a jump and not being able to backtrack a lot was bleh), and the later levels were very painful (the sewage area and the rooftops are come to mind, skyscraper to a lesser extent but I liked the skyscraper one a bit more), but at the same time, they force you to get good, which I can appreciate, so hm. Still, a checkpoint system (especially since there are save points) or unlocking shortcuts would be a bit more convenient, if not entirely necessary.

Not having a way to stop auto-grinding, even if just holding down a trigger or something- the way I latched onto rails especially in the sewage area was painful

Points challenges mainly being “find the special points rail and just spamming Y” on it was a bit odd (mainly for the Jet Techs so far, just five minutes of spamming Y...), but I like how the combos feel in this game, especially X combos to speed up. Has a rhythm that’s hard to explain but just feels natural.

Also street challenges should’ve been explained better in general, had to look up most of the special ones (and glitched out the Shibuya Terminal one many times until realizing the fix was just “hop all over each platform multiple times and hope it counts”, the second one next to the tilted platform specifically for me

Mew/Bis/Rhyth’s redesign still hurts, but you better believe she’s the character I used throughout the entire game after unlocking her

Storywise, I think I like JSR’s take better- Professor K being a neutral party and more amusing/less insulting, Onishima > Hayashi, and the character designs and artstyle I overall prefer from the first game

Felt like it tried to add things that just didn’t really work sometimes (Death Ball comes to mind, though I haven’t messed with Versus yet, the story mission was very easy compared to how they hyped it up), and the boss battles were all... strange. Tagging enemies on that roller coaster level, having to grind up to that one Hayashi boss fight over and over and over, then even moreso for the final boss... never got much use out of targeting enemies, spinning circles around them, or things like the railgrab for high jumps or skidding to slow down for graffiti, either, but maybe they have their uses.

But man, the game did feel fun to play, just frustrating to explore, I think. I still like the idea of making Skatered, even more after playing this game. Maybe I could learn modding, or something...

Oh yeah, also got all the pieces of my costume together (minus some eva foam), we’ll see how that goes. Not looking forward to assembling it, honestly, but I can’t back out now. Main regret I think is the tights, being unable to find striped ones (and the solid ones I bought being a bit too see-through, I should’ve bought a size up maybe). Still not confident enough in my makeup abilities, either.

and one last bit of light news- I finally got my Kuja figure, he’s so beautiful and detailed and I need a good place to put him

#text stuffs #nyrants #lots of venting I apologize feel free to skip to the JSRF portion if you even feel like reading

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bltngames · 4 years ago

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So I guess I’ve started getting press releases from game companies, now. I’ve never posted news to this blog before, but I got pinged about this, so I might as well post it.

Today, Amazon announced their own game streaming service called “Luna.” For $6 a month, you get access to the entire Luna library, streaming at 1080p 60fps. Just like with Stadia, they’re really pushing the “no download, no install” pretty hard.

One of those games will be Sonic Mania Plus, which is where the press release I received comes in. Speaking of which:

Sonic Mania Plus™ Spin-Dashes to Amazon Luna

Fans of the Blue Blur rejoice! Sonic Mania Plus™, SEGA’s 2018 definitive version of the critically acclaimed platformer game, Sonic Mania™ is heading to Luna — Amazon’s cloud gaming service designed for the love of play: removing the frustrations of gaming today, and inviting everyone to an experience that makes it easier and more fun to play — anywhere, anytime they like.

Developed by Hyperkinetic Studios in collaboration with Sonic Team, Sonic Mania Plus™ builds off the momentum of the critically-acclaimed platformer, Sonic Mania. Players can jump back into one of the best platform games of 2017, with two new playable characters from past Sonic games, Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel, and a new Encore mode that provides a fresh look to familiar zones with new challenges and layouts for new and veteran players alike.

Luna subscribers can stream high-quality, immersive games to their Fire TV, PC, Mac, web browsers, iOS phones and tablets straight from Amazon’s game servers, powered by AWS. For a seamless and low-latency gameplay experience, players can grab the Amazon Luna controller, the service’s native game controller, which connects players directly to Luna servers.

To stay current on Amazon Luna news, follow @amazonluna on Twitter, and subscribe to Amazon Luna on YouTube.

For more information, please visit amazon.com/luna.

Further information at the Luna website makes it seem that, just like with Google Stadia, you can go from watching a livestream to playing the game yourself -- but whereas Stadia promised to do that with Youtube, Luna will use Twitch. As of yet, I don’t think that feature works on Stadia right now. (Luna hasn’t launched yet, so I guess it doesn’t work there yet, either).

There’s also a Luna controller. Whereas the Stadia controller adopts the Playstation symmetrical design, Luna replicates the Xbox button and stick layout. In truth, it’s vaguely similar to that Amazon Fire Controller they used to sell, but with purple accents now.

My experience with these streaming services hasn’t been too negative -- I was a beta tester for Microsoft’s Project xCloud and it actually seemed to work pretty well with minimal delay. But I also basically live across the street from my ISP’s maintenance office, which means my internet is probably better than most. (We pay for 80mbps, but since we live so close, we usually get closer to 110mbps with some pretty low ping latency to boot).

My time with xCloud wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. For as well as it worked, I couldn’t use the internet for anything else while I was streaming a game, or else the stream would begin to stutter and the controls would feel noticeably sluggish. It brought back memories of early broadband internet, or even dial-up, where you just didn’t have enough bandwidth to do more than one thing at a time. Even a simple Youtube video would completely destroy the gameplay stream. I had to focus exclusively on the game and nothing else, which wasn’t something I always wanted to do.

Luna’s pricing structure does seem a bit more friendly than Google Stadia’s at the very least, but there’s no changing the fact that these game streaming services feel like they’re made for rich people who can afford to have nice enough internet for this to make sense. Those same people could also afford to just have the hardware on site to play these games with the settings maxed out, too, without dealing with video compression artifacts, control latency, service outages, or anything else. Sort of defeats the purpose, if you ask me.

You can sign up to be a beta tester for Amazon Luna, but if it’s anything like Microsoft’s Project xCloud, you won’t be compensated for your services. After the lengthy beta period, Microsoft emailed me a PNG and said I could use it to “print out my own badge.” Labor sure is cool when it’s free, huh?

If any of this sounds like I’m bitter, you’ll have to forgive me for feeling morose over a future where you have even fewer ownership rights than you do right now. $5.99 a month sounds like a really good deal when you’re only considering the raw value of the money itself, but what else are you giving away in exchange for that? Does "no install time" really sound so good when you're signing away the freedom of user-made customizations and mod support? What if some day you go to play Sonic Mania Plus on Amazon Luna and it isn’t available, because Sega struck an exclusivity deal with some other streaming platform? Some very rich people are very excited about forcing you to make choices about that kind of stuff over the next ten years, and it all starts here. Are you okay with that?

Personally, I’m not. But that’s just me. Anyway, it sounds like Luna will launch with Sonic Mania Plus, so stay tuned for that, I guess.

#amazon #luna #streaming #sonic mania #sega #sonic the hedgehog #writing #rants #the war on ownership

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weshallneverrevolt · 5 years ago

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In-Home Streaming, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Couch

I’m a longtime PC gamer for many reasons. Yes, there’s the snob factor: PC games can look better than consoles almost all of the time. But it’s also because of the customizability. You pick your framerate, your resolution, your graphical settings. But you also own a machine, not an appliance: you learn its quirks, its inner workings. It’s something you take care of. For an enthusiast, a custom built computer is like a tailored suit.

And yet, there’s something I have missed for a long time: gaming on the couch.

Couch gaming is how I grew up. Huddled with friends around a tiny TV and N64, controllers in hand, shouting and laughing. Or leaned back in a chair with a cold soda, savoring every moment of a lengthy Final Fantasy cutscene. An office chair just isn’t the same. It’s rigid and harsh. It says “at attention,” not “relax.” It was the antithesis of my ideal gaming experience.

But after I got my PC, I never bought a console. For one, I couldn’t afford them. In college my money was precious, and my computer – already cobbled together from low-end or used parts – was expensive enough to maintain. The idea of dropping hundreds on a console and proper television was out of the question.

As an adult with more disposable income and now a home of my own – complete with an awesome living room my wife put together – I wanted to have that experience again. But my budget-mindedness and graphical snobbery hadn’t changed, and my PC was upstairs on the other side of the house. What to do?

I wanted couch gaming. And I managed to get it without buying a console or moving my PC to the living room thanks to a hugely underappreciated technology: in-home streaming. Here I’ll share what I’ve learned, discuss setups, and evangelize one of the coolest tech tricks I’ve discovered in homeownership.

What is In-Home Streaming?

You’ve probably heard of Google Stadia, Google’s uh…interesting new streaming game service. The basic idea is that your console isn’t in your living room. Instead, it’s located in a Google datacenter, which streams the game as a video through the internet. It sort of works, with the hiccups you’d expect with streaming a game over the internet: lag, input delay, graphical glitches. It’s like having very, very long HDMI and USB cords.

In-home streaming is basically that, but in your house. With the distance being just a few rooms instead of across state lines, latency becomes much less of an issue. It finally gives PC gamers the one thing we were missing: the couch.

Because it encodes video in real-time, in-home video streaming is a pretty new technology, and it requires certain hardware and software. The two dominant solutions are Steam and Moonlight, and they’re different in important ways.

Steam Remote Play

Steam Remote Play is by far the simplest method. For one, it integrates directly with Steam, so there is no complicated setup. Just install Steam on both devices, boot em up and you’re good to go. It pairs well with Steam’s “Big Picture” interface for a console-like experience.

Steam streaming also runs on just about anything, including very small computers like a Raspberry Pi. This is because it uses H.264 encoding, a standard that has been around for a long time. Just about any computer made since 2008 can play H.264 video, meaning that your old laptop or a $25 PC from Goodwill can be turned into a stream machine. Encoding H.264 on the host machine also has little performance cost.

Where Steam hits a limit is in resolution. Steam can only stream games at the resolution they use on your native monitor. So if your computer monitor is 1080p, you can’t play in 4K when it’s streamed to your TV. You can go lower resolution, which is fine if you’re streaming to some laptop screens.

Steam works with all Xbox controllers, as well as the Dual Shock 4 through DS4Windows.

Moonlight

Moonlight is what I use for in-home streaming. It’s an open-source implementation of NVidia’s “GameStream” technology, originally developed for their Shield devices. My main PC has a GTX 1070, which supports GameStream.

Moonlight has a number of significant advantages over Steam. For me, the most important is its ability to stream in a different resolution than your desktop. So while my desktop monitor is 1080p, I can play games in native 4K on my TV set! For newer games that my PC can’t run at full 4K, I use NVidia’s dynamic super resolution feature to run at 1440p or another resolution, then upscale it to 4K.

GameStream can also encode in HEVC, a cutting-edge video codec that offers superior quality with lower bandwidth. There’s virtually no artifacting, and colors usually look better than with Steam streaming. There is also HDR support. Because HEVC is lower bandwidth, it’s also ideal for wi-fi streaming.

If you’ve been keeping up with all the NVidia mentions, you’ve probably figured out the most significant drawback of Moonlight: hardware exclusivity. GameStream can only encode certain NVidia graphics cards. For instance, the 10-series locks GameStream to the 1050ti or higher, so budget gamers with a 1030 or 1050 are out of luck. Good news is that the receiving PC can run non-nVidia graphics.

GameStream also supports H.264, but for HEVC you need more powerful hardware on the receiving end. So while any old shitty laptop could stream with Steam, it would choke on HEVC.

Moonlight has the same controller support as Steam.

My Setup

When I first built my setup, I set a few standards:

4K, 60 frames per second

Option for “upscaled” 4K similar to the PS4 Pro/XB1X

4K Blu-ray quality HEVC (around 100mbps bitrate)

Quiet

An unobtrusive look, like a home theater appliance

A hard-wired setup for low latency

Less than a week after we moved in, I hard-wired my house for internet. I ran an Ethernet cable all the way from my office, through the garage, under my crawlspace and into my living room. I then crimped the ends (badly) and installed a wall outlet in my office (barely.) If I were to do this now, I’d buy a pre-made 200-300ft CAT6 cable on Amazon and just run that. That said, my cable still works for what I need.

For my streaming PC, I knew that I had to go small form factor. The credenza in my living room didn’t have space for a full-size PC, and the aesthetic of most of those would offend my non-gamer wife. I considered building one, but most SFF hardware is targeted at enthusiasts and so doesn’t come cheap.

But small form factor PCs have a particular application: offices. When offices dump their old hardware, you can get it for almost nothing. I found just such a deal on reddit’s /r/buildapcsales for a Lenovo ThinkCentre m58p, refurbished from Staples for $20 shipped. It was small, simply designed, and not too flashy. But it is from 2008, and needed a few cheap upgrades:

I swapped out the dual-core E8400 processor for a quad-core Q9400 I had on hand.

I replaced the loud, slow hard drive with a small, cheap ADATA SU635 solid state drive.

For my quiet living room setting, I also replaced the cooling fan with a high-quality Noctua model.

But chief among these upgrades was a graphics card. This PC, being more than a little old, could not play HEVC video without specialized hardware. And it had to be silent, not require much power, and be able to fit inside this small case.

So I turned to the NVidia GT 1030, specifically the MSI low profile silent model. Targeted at home theater PCs and poor gamers, the GT 1030 is not gonna blow anyone’s socks off. But it does 4K, and it does HEVC, and it does all of this over HDMI so it plugs straight into my TV with no issues. One quirk with my model is that the heatsink didn’t fit in my unusual case, so I had to take a hacksaw to it.

For a truly 1%er experience, I wanted to be able to start my upstairs PC remotely. That way when I want to play, I don’t even have to walk up there. For this I used an Android app called Unified Remote, which allows you to remotely control a computer from a phone. Unified Remote is free, but I bought the premium version with Play Rewards points.

The Value Question

Let’s get the first question out of the way: if a NVidia Shield is $150, why not just buy that? A few reasons:

It has hard-wired ethernet. No matter how good your wifi is, hard-wired is better.

Moonlight’s interface is more flexible than the Shield’s.

This also runs YouTube with a full keyboard remote for easier searches.

I can install a Blu-ray player at some point, if I choose.

I can emulate many games on the living room PC; the GT 1030 is great for that.

It runs party games like Jackbox just fine.

This is more fun.

So let’s run a tally. I’m not counting the hard-wiring, since I needed that for my office computer anyway.

The PC itself: $20

GT 1030: $75

Noctua 92mm fan: $15

Bluetooth receiver: $10

SSD: $15

Q9400: free to me, but you can get one on eBay for like $10

So for $135 – less than a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X – I get 4K couch gaming at higher framerates and higher settings. And for certain games, like Overwatch or Cities: Skylines, I still have a killer keyboard and mouse setup.

You can easily make this cheaper, especially if you use Steam and aim for 1080p instead of 4K. A Raspberry Pi – around $60 with accessories – can do 1080p Steam streaming flawlessly. Most Intel CPUs made after 2011 can decode H.264 without a graphics card, and the 6000 series and higher can even decode HEVC. You could also go for a GT 1030 with a fan, which are usually cheaper.

So How’s It Perform?

In short: great!

I’ve played everything from The Outer Worlds to Slay the Spire to Rocket League on my streaming setup, and they all work perfectly. Sekiro – which requires extremely precise inputs – does suffer a bit from the input lag, but I can’t detect lag with most games. Visual quality is excellent with very little loss in color saturation. You will notice artifacting on grass or leaves when you’re up close, but this is less visible at 1440p or higher.

I would not play competitive games on a streaming setup. The only one I play seriously is Overwatch, and there is definitely a difference in my performance when streaming. Competitive first-person shooters also suck to play on a controller, and a proper couch desk is not an investment I’m prepared to make.

Be prepared to tweak graphical settings if you’re shooting for 4K on most setups, as the video encoding does have a slight performance cost. This is not true for older games; Dark Souls and Dishonored run at a locked 4K and 60fps. For modern games, Forza Horizon 5 runs at 1800p on High, and Resident Evil 2 is smooth as silk at 1440p.

One final tip: if you’re streaming over wi-fi, be prepared to make some compromises. I would stick to 1080p to avoid lag, or do 4K only on HEVC with lower visual quality. Also streaming basically requires 5ghz wifi, so if you have an old router you should probably cut back to 720p.

So that’s in-home streaming! If you’re already a PC gamer, it’s an affordable and easy way to achieve a console-like experience. Feel free to DM me with any questions you have about hardware or software setup.

#tech #gaming #streaming #in-home streaming #remote play #steam #moonlight #nvidia #gamestream #hardware #pc gaming #couch gaming

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superoddgaming · 5 years ago

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My Top 10 Games For E3 2019

E3 2019 is on the horizon and you know what that means; endless predictions and guesses and what the hell is gunna be going down from the 8th to the 13th apparently.

A bunch of companies are having their own showcases and conferences except for Sonyand I believe EA this year but I’m not really gunna run through all of the different conferences I’m more so just gunna run through the games that I am most excited about.

10// Session

It’s been almost a decade since we have seen a good skateboarding game on console or PC. Skate 3 released in 2010 and since then nothing has been able to dethrone it as the last well executed skateboarding game.

Tony Hawks Pro Skater sure as hell didn’t even come close. If anything that game made us have even less hope for the genre. But then along came Session, announced at 2018’s E3 slated for a late 2019 release on PC and Xbox.

I hope that we get to see more of Session during Xbox’s conference along with a look into a campaign for the game as well as a final release date.

9// Animal Crossing

I am the most excited about this one mostly because of the Switch’s portability and this will be the perfect drop in drop out game to have on the go with you.

I’m really hoping for an Island or vacation themed one this time around, I think that would be so cool.

8// Control

Control looks all kinds of bizarre, creepy, fun and holy shit the physics they have in this game is just absolutely crazy.

Destructible environments, almost everything is interact-able and they really showcased it at the end of their trailer and where she picks up the projector and shoots it at the wall and each of the boxes and papers all act independently.

I am amazed with this game both technically and from a story standpoint, it looks like a descent into madness mixed with a little government conspiracy.

I’m really excited to see where this one goes and it does look like it will be another PS4 exclusive. Sony is KILLIN IT with the single player experiences.

7// Biomutant

I have had my sights on Biomutant for what it feels like years now. I have eagerly been watching and awaiting more news and insider looks for it. It looks like so much fun, it’s got style, zany humor, really funny narration and the game play looks really promising.

Not only that but the world that your creature exists in is really fascinating with all of these spliced creatures all over the place and interacting with each of them to find out how the world went to a over-polluted corrosive wasteland is sparkin’ some interest in me.

I have a feeling we will get another gameplay demonstration as well as a release date but I’m honestly not expecting this one to come out until 2020 or 21.

This is one of those games that I’m fine with if it takes forever to come out just because I really want it to succeed.

6// Outer Worlds

Space is yours to explore, for a price. Impossibly cool looking monster combinations, beautiful unearthly landscapes and a crazy cast of characters on top of that and you got yourself a new favourite to sink only what I can assume will be over a hundred hours.

They showcased some game play for it and the writing is just awesome. The fact that they has the crowd and myself laughing without and voice acting done in the game yet is a testament to their comedic writing.

What I love most about this game is there’s no real good and evil. You play the game how you want to play it. If that means going along with the story and being a boring upstanding citizen you can do that.

If that means literally murdering actors because of a terrible performance and then disintegrating the director you can do that. Either way you are still rewarded in some fashion for your quests and I just think that is so cool paired with all the other face swapping goodness.

5// Pokemon: Sword & Shield

This will be my first Pokemon game in probably a decade. The last one I played was I think was Ruby and Sapphire.

I’m hoping that Pokemon gets some love during the E3 Direct and we get to see a little bit more of the Region and possibly a look at the starter evolutions.

Y’all know I’m #grookeygang for life. Doesn’t matter what it’s final evolution is look at that little bastard.

They look like they are introducing more RPG elements and the Pokemon franchise could use a refreshing new implication of their pattented Pokemon formula. Hence the reason I haven’t gotten a Pokemon up until this release.

Here is to hoping that they showcase more of the technical improvements beyond just content. I do have a feeling some of the millions of Pokemon IP’ currently being released might get talked about instead though.

4// Cyberpunk 2077

This will come as no surprise it’s in my top 5.

It’s in everybody’s top 5.

It’d be doing this game a dis-service to not have it in your top 5.

CD Project Red, the people who made the Witcher 3, have been working on this game for a millennia now and last year it was showcased and said to be playable from start to finish at that point.

I think we will get a final showcase of all the polishing and finishing touches they’ve put on the game and set it up for a release window.

And I mean what’s not to love about this game?

The concept of cyberpunk the style alone is already badass but a whole dystopian world set around that and knowing that Project Red can do with world building, questing, dynamic abilities and interactions.

If you ask me I don’t think it’s going to be coming until late 2020. This is a game that NEEDS to be perfected. It needs to have a good release. People have been anticipating this game for years, including myself.

My wallet is going to be so empty...

3// Astral Chain

This is what I want to see from Nintendo!

No more Sequelitis, finally an interesting fully developed IP and it looks absolutely badass.

The world, the intricate fighting system, badass robo-cop persona’s on leashes, being a cool ass detective.

This game just looks amazing. We need to see more of it. We know almost nothing about the story so far or even how expansive this game is shaping up to be.

YOU GET TO RIDE ROBO-DOG MECHS! whats not to love?

But hey it’s directed by the dude who did Nier Autmoata and that game was a hidden gem for a while. I’m really hoping this game get to bask in the spotlight a little bit more.

I want this game to be successful so bad. As fun as the Mario and Zelda games can be I know that the Switch can have some serious independent releases like this one.

Astral Chain my just be the trendsetter the Switch needs to prove that it’s not just the Mario console, it’s something that can hold it’s own up against the Xbox and Playstation.

2// The Evil Within 3

This is my wildcard.

I know next to no one is anticipating this game but I LOVE THIS FRANCHISE.

I love the world they have created, the resident evil vibes, the terrifying distorted monsters, the twisted visuals that send a chill down your spine.

The ever looming threat of always being hunted, watched or taunted. The Evil Within masters the atmosphere of never feeling truly safe. You are always on guard and that makes for very interesting game play in a horror narrative.

There was worlds of improvements made between the first and second game and I loved each of them dearly. We were left with a couple unanswered questions at the end of the second game and I really want to see the story come to a close and finish off the trilogy.

I’m not expecting and game play or even a release window but at some point during Bethesda’s conference I really really want to see this pop up. We know they’re not announcing the new Elder Scrolls so there is definitely room there for a surprise release.

This is just me being really really desperate for a third game, the second game had such an incredible world and we saw the characters grow so much it would be a shame to see all of that get stuck in just the second game.

Not to mention that this is the most fun I’ve had playing an actually scary game in a long time. Let’s make it happen Bethesda

1// Square Enix: Avenger’s Project

The long awaited and incredibly mysterious Avenger’s project form Square Enix is the cherry on the cake of this E3.

Square Enix is hosting their own panel and while I know majority of it is going towards the 7 remake and possibly a new final fantasy announcement they would be just plain dumb to not have this ready to announce.

With the MCU concluding it’s current phase with Endgame now is the perfect time to showcase this project. It has been two years since we had the teaser and people were going bat-shit then, imagine what would happen now.

The crazy thing is that this will be the first part of a multi-game deal between marvel and Square Enix which means that this game will just serve as the starting block.

We have seen Marvel make an incredible comeback into the gaming universe and they may be doing exactly that. Creating a gaming universe to pair along side their cinematic universe. This one just might surpass PS4 spidey though. It’s got some serious hype going behind it and we might just finally get to see it at E3 this year.

The Wrap-Up

Anyways that is my top 10 list for this years E3. Are they the biggest announcements or releases? Not by a long shot!

But they are the ones that as of right now I am the most excited about!

Are there anything that you think I’ve missed or forgot about? Are you one of the only other Evil Within fans that want a third instalment?

There’s gotta be someone else out there wanting this as bad as I do!!

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dickensmagnusson9-blog · 6 years ago

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The Fallout 76 Beta Announces Its Final Two Slots Session Times And Pre

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mikegranich87 · 3 years ago

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Windows 11 review: Microsoft’s most pleasant OS—until it isn't

What's the point of Windows 11? With Windows 10, Microsoft had to make a big course correction from Windows 8, an ambitious yet flawed attempt at bringing PCs into the touchscreen era. Before that, Windows 7 was meant as a palate cleanser to help us forget about the bloated mess that was Vista. Given that Windows 10 was already pretty polished when it launched, and only got better over time, why the need for a whole new version?

After testing early builds for months, as well as the shipping release this past week (here's how to nab it yourself), it's clear that Microsoft isn't actually trying to fix much with Windows 11. It's basically a fresh coat of paint on top of Windows 10 (and likely a last-ditch attempt at rebranding the defunct Windows 10X.) But the more I use it, the easier it is to see that small design tweaks can go a long way. Windows 10 was laser-focused on productivity; it aimed to make you as efficient as possible. Windows 11 goes a step further: What if being productive was also pleasant and oddly relaxing? Windows, meet mindfulness.

What's new

At first glance, Windows 11 may seem like a radical departure from Microsoft's typical desktop template — an aesthetic that hearkens all the way back to Windows 95. The taskbar is still around, but now all of your icons are centered by default. The Start menu is back with a redesigned look featuring pinned and recommended apps (you can also hit All Apps to see everything you've got installed). RIP, Live Tiles — nobody ever used you.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

This refreshed look extends throughout Windows 11: App windows now have rounded corners; icons, Windows Explorer and the Settings app look sharper than ever; and even the sound effects have been cleaned up. This is Windows at its most refined. To put it uncharitably, though, it also seems a lot like macOS. But fret not, Windows diehards: You can still shove the entire taskbar back to the left side of the screen. (Editor’s note: Where it belongs.)

Microsoft has also reworked system tray, for better and worse. Hitting the date and time brings up your notifications and calendar, while clicking on the volume or networking icons makes the new action center pop out. It’s similar to the system shortcuts in Windows 10, allowing you to change Wi-Fi networks, enable airplane mode and quickly change your brightness and volume. You can also easily reach some accessibility tweaks, like enabling the magnifier or color filters. Everything looks sleeker than Windows 10, though some options are gone entirely, like the ability to turn Night Lite settings on and off.

Windows 11 also marks a major return for widgets: bite-sized apps that also appeared in Windows 7. You can reach them by hitting the widget button in the taskbar, but frankly, I found them useless. These days, I don’t need a glanceable screen for my calendar, news and mail, not when my smartphone is always within reach.

Microsoft

Less noticeable than the taskbar changes, but still important, is the new Windows Store. It looks cleaner, with a left-hand navigation bar and multiple panes for individual app entries. I'd wager Microsoft just wanted to keep those install and purchase buttons in clear view at all times. Windows 10 is also getting the same Store app eventually, so it's not really an exclusive for the new OS. Eventually, we'll also see Android apps in the Microsoft Store, but it's unclear when that's happening.

Similarly, Windows 11 ships with the latest Xbox app, but that's also available on Windows 10. You'll still want to upgrade for the best overall gaming performance, though, as Windows 11 will be the only way to use Microsoft's DirectStorage technology on PCs. Whenever that does land it should dramatically speed up load times (assuming you have a compatible GPU and SSD) just like the Xbox Series S and X.

Microsoft

Calm from the start... mostly

On a new PC, Windows 11 welcomes you with a series of setup screens that feel like you're flipping through a spa brochure. Log into your Wi-Fi (or plug into Ethernet), enter your Microsoft credentials, and maybe grab a cucumber water while you wait.

As with Windows 10, you can choose to disable advertising IDs, which prevents ad tracking, and opt out of sending diagnostic information to Microsoft. But there aren't many other choices you'll have to make; the setup process basically runs on autopilot until you see the new desktop.

It's worth noting that Microsoft has made setup more restrictive for Windows 11 Home users: Both an internet connection and Microsoft account are required. You won't be able to set up a local user account, or use your computer at all, until you meet those requirements. Windows 11 Pro users won't have that limitation, which is good news for IT professionals and power users. But it could be frustrating for people without reliable internet access of their own.

(As of last year, the FCC said around 14.5 million Americans don't have steady broadband, defined as at least 25Mbps download speeds and 3Mbps uploads. Recent figures from Data Reportal say around 40 percent of the world's population are offline. Microsoft is probably assuming that the majority of its potential customers won't have an issue finding internet, but that goes directly against the company's moves towards increased accessibility.)

I'd expect many consumers will be upgrading their existing Windows 10 systems, rather than setting up a new computer. Unfortunately, Microsoft didn't have a way for me to upgrade my PC with a final Windows 11 release. Based on what I've seen with the latest Windows 11 Insider previews, though, moving to the new OS appears to be very similar to installing a major Windows 10 update. On a Surface Laptop 4 I had lying around, the upgrade process took around 15 minutes after downloading the new OS via Windows update.

You're going to have a tougher time if you own an older PC that doesn't meet Microsoft's hardware requirements. You'll need a compatible Intel, AMD or Qualcomm processor; 4GB of RAM; and at least 64GB of storage. Also, you'll have to enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module), features that should make it harder for spyware and malware to attack your OS. Microsoft's PC Health Check app can help you see if your system is ready for Windows 11.

If you don't meet the upgrade requirements, you can download a Windows 11 ISO and install it manually, a method that bypasses Microsoft's CPU restrictions. Still, you'll need to be savvy enough to create a boot disk and deal with a more complex installation. Another caveat: manual installations may not receive some future Windows Updates, according to The Verge. (It sounds like Microsoft hasn't decided how restrictive it wants to be just yet.)

If you've built your own desktop PC, I'd suggest bracing yourself for additional upgrade complications. Microsoft's Health Check app initially said that my system — powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor, an ASROCK motherboard and 32GB of RAM — wasn't compatible with Windows 11. It turned out I needed to enable the AMD TPM 2.0 module and Secure Boot in my BIOS. But once I did all that, my system couldn't boot into my Windows 10 installation.

After a bit of sleuthing, I learned that I needed to convert my Windows 10 installation disk from MBR (Master Boot Record) to GPT (GUID Partition Table). So off I went into the command line to run some strings and pray for my Windows installation's safety. Five sweat-soaked minutes later, I rebooted and saw my trusty Windows login screen. Whew. From there, I was able to proceed with the Windows 11 Update as normal.

I'm sure I'm not the only one with a Windows 10 installation on an MBR disk — that was the standard on older computers — so I'm hoping Microsoft eventually bakes that conversion into the entire Windows 11 setup process. I can't imagine average consumers trying to figure out command line prompts without wanting to throw their PCs out the window.

Microsoft

In use: A new look, new frustrations

Windows 11 is nice to use. Pleasant, even. Windows 10 wasn't ugly, but Windows 11's focus on design leads to a more refined experience at first. I enjoyed having color-matched themes. The new Settings app is a dream; it's actually easy to find things for once! I genuinely love the new automatic window snapping, which lets you shove an app to a particular area of your screen by hovering above the maximize icon. Even better, snapping a few apps together creates a group that you can easily revisit in the taskbar.

That facelift doesn't come at the expense of performance, either. Windows 11 feels just as fast as Windows 10 on all of my test systems. But I'll be more interested to see how it performs on PCs older than five years, which is about the cut-off for Microsoft's upgrade requirements.

As impressed as I am by the design changes, a part of me feels constrained by the new OS. No matter where you place your taskbar icons, for example, you won't be able to see app labels anymore. Microsoft has been pushing an icon-focused taskbar since Windows 7, but you always had the option to turn on labels, so you could see what was in an app window before you clicked on it. Dealing with that loss is the single biggest hurdle I had with Windows 11.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Now it takes me multiple clicks to find a specific Chrome window, or to locate an email I popped out of Gmail. Icons just aren't enough. I can understand why Microsoft took away labels: They make your desktop look chaotic. It's not nearly as zen as a simple line of high-resolution pictures.

But as a Windows user, I'm used to chaos. I was shaped by the instability of Windows 3.11; I learned to tame Windows XP as an IT admin; and I was there at the Windows 8 launch in Spain (an event that seems cursed in retrospect). Even after all of that, I'm still primarily a Windows user. If chaos can make me more productive, I embrace the madness. Sadly, Windows 11 doesn't give me that option. It just wants me to relax, damnit.

To be fair, I have similar issues with macOS. As pretty as it is, finding a specific app window can be frustrating. To mitigate that, I typically rely on Mission Control to establish hot corners that can either show me every open app, windows within a specific program, or the desktop. Windows 11 lets you set up a hot corner in the bottom right of your screen to show the desktop, but you'll have to rely on keyboard shortcuts to see open apps. (I'm still debating whether Alt + Tab or Win + Tab is better.)

After spending so much time with Windows 11, I'm begrudgingly getting the hang of the new taskbar, at least. I'd bet some Windows diehards will be similarly frustrated with the new Start menu, especially if they're used to seeing all of their apps instantly. Personally, I find the focus on shortcuts and recently added files and apps to be more useful. And as of Windows 10, I just hit the Windows key and start typing to search for specific apps. (I'm glad that's still practically instantaneous on the new OS.)

I’ve only dabbled in the Windows 11 touchscreen experience so far, but in general it feels easier to hit specific targets. Microsoft has also made apps more responsive to touch, so it’s being able to quickly expand and maximize windows feels less frustrating. You still won’t mistake Windows 11 for iPadOS, but I never expected Microsoft to go that far. This new OS is simply better for laptops that have touchscreens, and it’s far more usable for hybrid tablets like the Surface Pro.

While I've found Windows 11 pleasant overall, I'll be interested to see how mainstream users react to all of the changes. Some members of Engadget's staff initially found the new design to be ugly (some warmed up to it later), and at least one was grateful I explained how to move the taskbar back to the left. It's tough for Microsoft to make any major changes to Windows without having users throw a fit. (Remember everything that happened around Windows 8?) So I expect the initial reaction isn't going to be welcoming. Let's just say I'm glad I'm no longer in IT support for this transition.

Microsoft

So, who needs Windows 11?

To paraphrase Thanos, Windows 11 is inevitable. It's going to start rolling out to eligible Windows 10 users today, and it will ship with new PCs this Fall. Aside from re-learning the taskbar and Start menu functionality, there's not much of a reason to avoid it. The new Secure Boot requirements will make it a safer OS overall; gamers will eventually get faster loading times; and everyone can appreciate the clean new aesthetic.

It's a step forward, even if it isn't as momentous as Windows 10. It's also hard to ignore the story behind the new OS, which makes Windows 11 feel more like a way for Microsoft to save face after an embarrassing failure. In the fall of 2019, the company announced Windows 10X, an OS variant meant for dual-screened PCs. Those devices, like the intriguing Surface Neo, failed to arrive. (It's unclear if the complex new hardware was the roadblock, or if PC makers were waiting for Windows 10X to be completed.)

Microsoft announced last year that it was shifting the focus of 10X to single-screened devices, and it put the final nail in the coffin this May, when it said that Windows 10X development had stopped. A few weeks later, we got word that Microsoft was gearing up to reveal the next version of Windows, and shortly after that the Windows 11 leak occurred. On June 24th, with practically all of its new features spoiled, Microsoft officially revealed its new OS.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

In my head, I imagine the frantic meetings around Windows 10X's rocky development like something from The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin. With dual-screened devices a no-show, maybe they could just repurpose that work for traditional laptops, a harried Panos Panay would say. But why even make that a separate version of Windows 10? The PC market is pretty hot right now, perhaps there's a way to capitalize on that? And at some point, someone just said "Why not just go to 11?" A stunned silence. Applause all around.

Not to sound too cynical, but releasing a new OS is an easy way to encourage people to buy new computers. That's particularly true now that we're relying on our PCs more than ever, as many people are still working and doing schoolwork from home. A new version of Windows is no simple thing, and it’ll surely get more headlines and media attention than a mere Windows 10 update. (Stares directly into camera.)

from Mike Granich https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-review-microsoft-mindful-os-200028040.html?src=rss

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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Deathloop Proves Incredibly Flawed Games Can Still Be Masterpieces

https://ift.tt/3EmwtJd

Deathloop‘s initial reviews have everyone buzzing about this timed PS5 exclusive from developer Arkane Studios (the team behind modern classics such as Dishonored 2 and Prey), but I’m a little worried that the positive buzz surrounding this game is going to give people the wrong impression about what kind of experience it actually is.

When a game starts getting perfect scores, it’s tempting to start telling yourself it must be perfect. Well, no game is perfect, and Deathloop is one of the most imperfect major games I’ve played in quite some time. It’s loaded with obvious shortcomings that will surely chase people away from its inherently divisive core gameplay.

Yet, I too am convinced that Deathloop is a masterpiece not just in spite of its flaws but, in some strange ways, because of them. Because a score can give you the wrong impression about why Deathloop is great, let’s take a slightly deeper look at this game’s problems, greatest qualities, and the strange relationship between the two that shows you just how rare a game like this really is.

Deathloop’s A.I. Is Shockingly Bad

The core of any immersive sim’s gameplay is the thrill you get from finding different solutions to complex problems. Do you go in guns blazing to show off your arsenal and abilities, or do you use stealth, hacking, and subversion to find a more subtle solution? That thrill of finding the perfect path forward (or even just your preferred one) is what makes games like Deus Ex, System Shock 2, and BioShock the classics they are.

Sadly, Deathloop’s terrible A.I. limits the moment-to-moment appeal of its immersive sim gameplay. Enemies will regularly walk straight into their death, ignore bodies dropped inches behind them from great heights, and generally refuse to use even basic combat techniques to try to slow your progress.

Deathloop’s woeful A.I. rarely inspires you to find those creative solutions that should define these types of games. You can still approach a situation however you’d like, but you’re rarely left with the feeling you’ve just found and executed the perfect plan since you’re pretty sure just about any plan would have been good enough to topple this game’s hapless goons.

Deathloop Tries Too Hard to Hold Your Hand

Deathloop is a pretty complicated game built around a fairly unique premise. As such, I can certainly sympathize with developer Arkane’s decision to frontload the game with quite a few tutorial screens designed to explain the basics.

Still, it feels like there was a better way to explain this game’s core concepts without relying on a series of screens filled with tiny text. For a game that does such a great job of subtly relaying nearly every other bit of information while letting you figure things out on your own (more on that later), it’s odd that Arkane chose to rely on such a conventual, straightforward, and often frustrating method of delivery.

In fact, the somewhat sudden way this game pivots from guided gameplay to encouraging you to find organic solutions to complex problems might be too much for some and ultimately negate the good intentions of the title’s opening hours.

Deathloop Doesn’t Feel Like a Next-Gen Game

Most people knew that the Covid-19 pandemic and global supply shortages were going to slow down an already slow next-gen transition process. We probably won’t start seeing a steady stream of “true” next-gen games until later in 2022, and I understand why that’s the case.

That being said, I’m not sure Deathloop is entirely “worthy” of its current PS5 console exclusivity (the game is also available for PC). Aside from a few Dualsense features and quicker loading times, Deathloop feels like a game that probably could have been ported to the PS4 without sacrificing its best qualities.

Considering how hard it is to find a next-gen console, I feel like this game probably should have been developed for PS4 and PS5. Microsoft may eventually offer some kind of backward compatibility once Deathloop comes to Xbox, but this title’s few obvious next-gen features aren’t a good enough reason to limit its initial reach.

Deathloop’s Time Loop Is One of the Best In Video Game History

You probably know that Deathloop is a time loop game, and, thanks to a surprising number of new entries into that formerly niche genre, you probably know that means Deathloop is designed to make you repeat the same time period over and over again until you break the loop.

However, you’ve got to play Deathloop to appreciate just how great its time loop really is. In fact, the way that Deathloop uses the time loop concept to slowly unravel its initially bewildering plot and enhance your understanding of what is possible in this game may just make it the best example of time loop design in video game history.

I’ve already heard some say that having to repeat Deathloop’s basic structure over and over again starts to feel “grindy,” but in my experience, but there was honestly never a time when I felt too disappointed to start the loop over as doing so usually opened up exciting new opportunities or at least allowed me to learn from whatever mistake I just made that triggered the most recent reset.

Games

Future Bethesda Games Like Elder Scrolls 6 Could Still Release on PS5 on a “Case-by-case Basis”

By John Saavedra

Games

Xbox Team Indicates Bethesda Will Retain Creative Control

By Matthew Byrd

Deathloop’s Assassinations Are Some of the Most Satisfying Logic Puzzles Since Portal

While Deathloop’s poor A.I. makes battles against its basic enemies feel…basic, the battles against the game’s Visionaries (your “boss” targets) combine the best elements of Portal and recent Hitman games to form the most satisfying logic puzzles you’ll ever experience.

Identifying your target and finding not just the perfect way to kill them but the perfect way to kill them that then allows you to seamlessly move on to the next target with enough time to spare is quite simply one of the greatest experiences I’ve had in a video game in the last 15 years. The number of possible ways to kill an individual target is bested only by the number of possible ways to kill every target in one perfect run.

It’s an approach that leads to a nearly infinite series of “aha” moments that never fail to provide the motivation you need to work your way through one more loop.

Deathloop Brilliantly Repurposes the Best Qualities of the Roguelike Genre

At first, I was a little worried about Deathloop’s item rarity, skill finding, and progression/regression mechanics. During those early stages when the game is trying to explain so much to you in a short amount of time, the combination of all those roguelike systems started to feel like a bit much.

However, you eventually discover that the reason those mechanics work so well together is that Deathloop brilliantly limits how many skills, weapons, and items you’re able to readily access during each loop. The result is a kind of roguelike experience where you (eventually) get to have some say in what your reset looks like and how close to “zero” you really have to start from.

I love a traditional roguelike experience, but between games like this, Returnal, and Hades that challenge the idea of “starting over,” it’s been fascinating to watch developers play with the boundaries of the roguelike genre and blend that genre with other concepts.

Deathloop’s Multiplayer is a Brilliant Idea You May Choose to Ignore

In case you haven’t heard, Deathloop features a fascinating multiplayer component that allows other players to “invade” your game by controlling Julianna: a rival who will stop at nothing to kill the player and preserve the time loop. Julianna’s unique set of abilities allows invading players to easily disguise themselves and generally make your life hell.

That’s the great and annoying thing about this feature. See, if you choose to disable player-controlled Julianna invasions, the character will still “invade” your game but will instead be controlled by the A.I. Considering this game’s A.I. problems (see above), you don’t really get to experience how brilliant this concept is until you enabled the multiplayer component.

At the same time, the “griefing” nature of this invasion system means that many people are going to find it to be quite annoying and even detrimental to the overall experience. I feel like this problem could have been solved by a stronger A.I. version of Julianna who comes closer to representing the challenge offered by human players without being quite as frustrating.

Deathloop’s Incredible Environmental Storytelling Enhances a Sometimes Weak Narrative

Most of Deathloop’s storytelling is done through audio files, environmental clues, computer exchanges, and…well just about everything other than cutscenes and character-to-player dialog exchanges. Anyone who is familiar with Arkane’s previous works (most notably Prey) will be familiar with this basic approach.

Arkane’s familiarity with this complicated form of storytelling generally results in some of the cleverest and most unexpected bits of narrative design I’ve ever seen, even by this studio’s lofty standards. It’s amazing that Arkane left it up to the player to discover so many vital plot points and character development moments, but that approach ultimately enhances the thrill of finding that one bit of information that puts every other piece of the puzzle in place.

However, the game’s brilliant approach to storytelling doesn’t entirely disguise the weakness of the overall narrative. I won’t get into spoilers here, but once you realize that Deathloop’s plot is more about the little moments and the journey rather the destination, you start to get the feeling that there was a more interesting overall story here that the developers just didn’t quite deliver.

Deathloop Isn’t For Everyone, and That’s What’s Great About It

Developer Arkane Studios has been criticized in the past for making a specific kind of game that rarely meets sales expectations. Some have wondered whether or not Arkane would be better off making at least a few concessions to the preferences of wider audiences just so they could help ensure that they’re able to continue making at least some kind of version of the games they make so well.

Between Deathloop’s PS5 console exclusivity, Arkane-style design, and the fact it’s hard to even offer a basic description of the experience without getting into spoilers, I highly doubt that this is going to end up being a long-term best-seller or even just the studio’s best-selling game to date.

However, that’s kind of what makes Deathloop so great. Nearly all of the problems in Deathloop can be attributed to Arkane’s desire to focus on the things they do so well and not worry so much about whether or not someone who doesn’t really enjoy what this title is fundamentally going for is going to take a chance on it.

I can’t speak to what would have happened if Arkane tried to make a few more changes for wider audiences or even just worked harder to break free of their bad habits, but what I do know is that they came up with a brilliant idea for a game and made that brilliant idea work despite the fact that it could have so easily fallen apart at any time.

In a world where nothing is perfect, it’s hard to withhold the masterpiece label for something that somehow manages to get everything right. Like many of the most innovative and greatest games before it, Deathloop was made by a team of people committed to getting their biggest and best ideas right above all else.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

It’s easy enough to see how Deathloop could have been a better game, but I’d rather be left with a series of nitpicks acquired in the pursuit of something original than another perfectly fine Triple-A game that ultimately justifies its existence through sales figures alone.

The post Deathloop Proves Incredibly Flawed Games Can Still Be Masterpieces appeared first on Den of Geek.

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it1776 · 3 years ago

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https://it1776.com Free shipping from USA! Buy cheap affordable gamepads, gaming keyboard, headsets, gaming mouses, sound bar, sports headphones, wireless headphones

- Hey, guys, this is Austin.

This is the brand new Series 2 Edition

of the Xbox Elite controller, which has got me thinking.

Kevin, what is the best controller that I can buy right now?

- Well, we got a different couple options to talk about here

so let's round 'em up and see.

(imitates music)

? Kevin Kenson music, Kevin Kenson music, ?

? Kevin Kenson music, do do doo ?

The benchmark that I compare every single controller to

is the current generation Xbox One.

Now, it's seen some updates over the last few years,

like Bluetooth and an audio jack,

you also have the Design Lab.

But this is always what I compare things to.

Kev, why am I wrong?

- I mean, look, the standard Xbox One controller

is a great controller.

When it comes to just the baseline models

that come with systems

this is honestly my my personal favorite as well.

- [Austin] Same, yeah.

- But there's a lot of room for improvement still

and there's a lot of things that have kind of become more

common and popular amongst pro controllers

that aren't necessarily feasible

in an affordable regular baseline like this one.

- Such as.

- Such as Microsoft's own Xbox One Elite 2.

Honestly, we could talk all day

about the special features and things.

I think the main kind of take away points

aside from just general build quality,

multiple sticks you can use, multiple D-pads, back paddles.

Which are pretty common across a lot of these ones.

The big stuff for this too though

is the unique customization features

that are in the Xbox Accessories app

where you can do things like button remapping,

adding a Shift button options, stick acceleration,

lots of crazy in depth stuff.

- And of course, this works across the Xbox

as well as the PC and those settings that you sync

will actually work across consoles as well.

Or across, did I just call PC a console?

I mean, across systems, across platforms.

- Identity crisis.

So aside from the Elite 2

the other one we have here is the Prestige.

Now, this is the newest one from Scuf

I'd mentioned earlier

and the main thing with this

is that this is a modified Xbox One controller

so it still has the same core base in it,

which is really cool actually

'cause that means you can use it with the Xbox One,

the upcoming Project Scarlet, PC, whatever,

if it works with Xbox controller it'll work with this.

One of the cool things about it

is how you can further modify it.

If you wanna change the sticks or anything

you actually just pop off the faceplate.

- That's cool.

- And this is how you can swap out the sticks.

You can also switch out the D-pad,

although I think you can just do that

from having this faceplate on as well.

So this one has four adjustable paddles,

you can take them off if you don't wanna use them.

- [Austin] The problem though

is that this is expensive, right?

this is actually around the same price

as the Elite controller?

- So, it's 20 bucks cheaper

if you just buy the base model unmodified.

But one of the big things about Scuf

is how you wanna customize it to make it your own design

so depending on if you want certain colors,

special designs, different sticks,

depending on all the things you modify and do to it

it can end up adding up to being quite more money.

- So I get that you're really excited

about your controllers and everything

but really everyone knows the superior way

to play any kind of game is using a mouse and keyboard.

Which I so helpfully have provided

with the Razer Turret.

- [Ken] You said this was controller video.

- This works with an Xbox, I can control my games with it,

I think that counts.

- [Ken] What is wrong with you?

- Can I bring in a racing wheel next then?

- There's a cursor inside the game.

It's almost as if I'm playing on a PC called the Xbox.

- Now to be clear, this is because the Xbox

actually does support keyboard and mouse,

it doesn't have to necessarily be the Turret

but the Turret is an awesome controller design

specifically for the Xbox in mind.

- 'Cause essentially you're getting

like a proper Razer keyboard

that's built into this little platform.

And then you have the mouse which is magnetic

so you can actually kind of.

You have a little like mousepad.

So if I was sitting.

- Come on, do it, yep.

Yeah, squat work out!

- This is the way all true gamers play.

So the Turret is certainly not cheap.

At $250 this is probably the most expensive thing here.

So the thing with the Turret is that

you really shouldn't use this

as purely like an Xbox controller.

I mean, you can use it like that, certainly.

But it sorta makes more sense

if you have like a PC and an Xbox

and you wanna have everything

kind of unified into one setup.

- Or if you just really love playing

just Fortnite all the time

and you wanna keyboard and mouse set up.

- And you don't wanna use a PC.

- Yeah, that's really popular.

Now over on the PlayStation side of things

we of course have the DualShock 4.

A perfectly respectable controller, it's good, fine,

but it's not really great, it's really super impressive

which is why I'm really curious,

especially to play with this Raiju.

- So actually, real quick before focusing in the Raiju,

I think something that's interesting about PlayStation

is that on Xbox you saw some similarities

with the two controllers we were trying,

they were both based on the standard Xbox design.

All three of these are very different.

All three pro controllers we're looking at

are very different approaches

of how to make a pro controller.

- This doesn't work.

- Does it not work or did you not log in properly to...

- You would be correct, I didn't log in correctly.

- There you go.

- Kevin Kenson, PlayStation expert.

- So the deal with the Raiju is that

at least out of the different pro controllers

we're looking at today,

it's the least physically customizable.

There's a little bit you can do,

you can swap out that D-pad, it does have some other sticks.

But the really heavy focus is on

just straight up the build quality.

- It's so sturdy, this to me out of all these controllers

is the only one that feels on par

with the Xbox Elite controllers

as far as just like, it's beefy, it feels heavy,

it feels like this is something I can throw across the room

in a fit of rage after I lose in Fortnite

and it'll be just fine.

- The table that it hits won't be, but yes,

the controller will survive.

- Now, you know, I totally get that customization is great

and for some people, especially with like the Scuf stuff

you can go really over the top.

But for me, I'm one of those guys

who wants to walk into Subway

and order the sandwich just as it comes.

When I go into Blaze Pizza I'm like,

I just want a pizza with pepperoni on it.

I get overwhelmed with too much choice and you know what,

this doesn't have too much choice.

I just pick up the controller, I'm like,

look, someone smarter than me designed this.

Sweet, I'm on board.

- Of the controllers we have out here today

I think this the only,

is this the only one that we're talking about?

- [Ken] Yeah.

- This is the only one we're talking about

that is actually not available normally in North America.

You can get it, you just have to import it

which also means you're probably gonna spend

a little more money than the actual MSRP lists.

- How much is it if I wasn't importing it,

like say if I'm in Europe,

how much does this controller cost?

- Well you know, that was something I planned on checking

when we weren't filming earlier and hold on a moment please.

- That's fine, I gotta kill some droids.

- Now the Scuf Vantage, really almost the opposite

of what the Raiju is.

While the Raiju is focused on minimal physical customization

but having lots of just high build quality,

the Vantage is all about modular design.

Kind of like what we saw with the Prestige,

you can take the faceplate off.

- That's cool.

- But on this one you can swap the sticks, the D-pad,

and even take out the rumble motors if you want.

Kinda like we were talking with the Prestige earlier,

with Scuf things are so customizable

there's not really one set price.

There's a starting price.

If you get a wired version of this it starts at 170.

If you get a wired wireless version it's 200.

- I will say that so far this is still my favorite.

- I will admit, personally, that's my top as well,

for the PlayStation at least.

And actually let's go ahead and talk about

this last guy then.

- [Austin] So, you need a screwdriver

to work on this guy I see.

- Yeah, so there's a faceplate that locks in,

it keeps all the modules, as they pop out.

So you can do things like, lets say you like offset sticks,

you can have this set up.

Or if you don't, take that off, swap 'em,

and now you have symmetrical.

But I like offset so I'm gonna put it back.

- [Austin] I'm afraid to ask,

how much does the Astro C40 cost?

- Well the C40 is $200 for the base design

and it does not include all the different swappable parts.

So if you wanna get all the different D-pads

and all the different sticks it's gonna be a little more.

We have fewer controllers to talk about for Switch

than we do for Xbox and PlayStation

so I came up with a solution, I got one more.

- Okay, I mean, you've done a video

on every like Switch controller ever so.

(electronic music)

What is this slime thing?

- That, my friend, you are holding the one, the only,

HORI Slime controller for Switch.

- [Ken] I love that!

- Why? - It's adorable.

- This is not meant for human hands!

- It is not comfortable but it is amazing.

I should note that I guess kinda like the Raiju

we were talking about earlier,

this is a Japanese exclusive so if you want one of these

you are gonna have to pay top dollar to import it.

- How much is this really?

How much did you pay for it?

- I wanna say I paid 80.

- Oh.

After these $200 stupid controllers

$80 for a joke is, well, it's actually wait,

no, that's still a joke.

Can we look at some real controllers now?

- How dare you, how dare you. - Insult me.

So for the Switch when it comes to pro controllers

I think the one that really comes closest

to kind of at least capturing the idea right now

is the SN30 Pro Plus from 8BitDo.

- That actually really surprises me

because it's obviously a Super Nintendo style controller

but it has the grips as well as you have the sticks.

And this also works with a pretty wide variety

of different devices, right?

It's not just a Switch controller.

- Yeah, so 8BitDo controllers are designed to work

with the Switch, with PC, Mac, and Android.

- But you said this is 50 bucks, right?

- I believe so, yeah.

- That's not bad, especially considering, I mean,

I've got like $1,000 worth of controllers

on the table right now.

- Yeah, and in terms of what

kind of makes it a pro controller versus say,

using the official pro controller from Nintendo

is that this does offer some of those

special features that people equate with pro controllers,

like you can do things like actually remapping

what all the buttons are.

So if for whatever reason you really want B

to actually be the right trigger button

you can set that up if you like.

- [Austin] Now, obviously this is not as full featured

as the proper pro controller

since you don't have NFC for Amiibo

and you don't have rumble, or do you?

- [Kevin] No, this does have rumble, that's right.

- [Austin] Oh, that's awesome, okay, cool.

- You do have motion controls though.

- Oh, that's cool, okay.

- So this is the Split Pad Pro from HORI

and it's meant to be an alternative to Joy-Cons.

Now, because it is a third party option

it doesn't actually have all the features

that you might get used to seeing in a Joy-Con.

You don't have rumble, you don't have the ability to use

Amiibo scanning, you do have the motion controls still.

But the big trade off for that

is that you actually have a longer--

- It fits your hands. - Yeah.

It's a longer controller that's actually designed

to fit in your hands.

- I mean, look at the difference, right,

it's not even close.

Now, that doesn't necessarily fit in a bag as well

or anything like that but these,

to me the Joy-Cons are fine for a quick game

or if you wanna do some like Just Dance or whatever

but this is not a super comfortable way,

especially when you're using them

even in like a Joy-Con grip.

It's not that great for long periods of time.

- Well, and especially being used in handheld mode

I gotta say that it's not just a matter of the size,

it's not just that the thing is simply bigger,

it's that it actually does have contoured grips

and is designed to fit in your hands a specific way.

It does have remappable buttons on the backside.

Because these are each individual units

you can only remap buttons that are on the same side.

But still, that's better than not having

any remappables at all.

And because it's a HORI controller it has a turbo function.

- Because turbo is what we need.

You can't non-turbo game.

- I mean, if you like turbo, the slime does it.

Wanna use that slime, it's got a turbo button.

- I'm good, you have at it.

Now, if you actually want to use some of these controllers

you might find the sponsor of today's video useful.

This is the brand new Optoma CinemaX P1.

This is a 4K ultra short throw projector

which can go all the way up to a full 120 inch picture.

And the cool part about this

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Even if you have a smaller room or apartment,

you can still get the maximum out of the projector

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The picture quality is incredible too.

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for a projector but it even supports HDR10.

You're also getting an integrated Dolby Digital 2.0 soundbar

with a full 40 watts of power.

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to a full speaker set up,

but honestly just the way it comes,

it actually works really well

as an all in one entertainment center.

It also supports a variety of streaming services,

you have voice control using Google Home as well as Alexa

and you can also take advantage

of the Info Wall app to fully customize the experience.

If you're looking to up your home theater game

then you should definitely be sure

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and again, huge shout out to Optoma

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you can feel free to subscribe to his channel

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Kev, can you please play us out with a little tune maybe,

a song and dance, perhaps an ode to the slime?

- [Kevin] I can set things on fire.

- That's a great alternative.

- [Kevin] Oh, this doesn't have

super reactive environment, I forgot.

- Are you complaining about the Witcher on Switch?

The greatest port of all time

according to everyone on YouTube?

- [Kevin] I mean, it does run great considering.

- It does look like Vaseline was smeared on my TV though.

#Youtube

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blazehedgehog · 4 years ago

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I want to play NiGHTS. I'm thinking of getting the PC Version, but I don't like the HD graphics. Do you know of any mods to restore the original graphics of the game?

Good news! NiGHTS HD comes with that kinda-sorta already built in. On the main menu, you’ll find something called “Sega Saturn Dreams.”

This will restore the original Saturn graphics, though it’s a little haphazard.

Your options are 16:9 as you see above, or you can even drop it back down to 4:3 with a really embarrassing clipart border that needs a trapper keeper unicorn or something.

If those images are too tiny for you, I’ve rehosted them on Imgur here.

There’s a big long explanation here that kind of spoils a video I’ve been lazily working on for a few years now, but essentially, NiGHTS HD is only a passable way to play NiGHTS. It’s a cheap HD port of a wobbly remake that was put out for the PS2 in 2008. That PS2 port was exclusive to Japan.

There’s tons of minor changes to controls and things that may or may not only really matter to hardcore NiGHTS fans. On top of that, the Xbox 360/PS3/PC version breaks some effects and stuff from the PS2 remake. Again, nothing show-stopping, but it starts to add up after a while. Though it should be noted that I own five different versions of NiGHTS, so I’m probably one of those “hardcore fans.”

This does, however, pertain to the PC version of NiGHTS and “Sega Saturn Dreams” mode.

On the PS2, “Sega Saturn Dreams” mode does a pretty good job of approximating what it looked like on the Saturn -- more or less, anyway. It uses the Saturn assets, it turns off texture filtering, it shortens the draw distance, and it drops the rendering resolution down from 640x480 to 320x240. It did not look exactly like the Saturn version, but it got close enough.

For NiGHTS HD... making sure Sega Saturn mode looked accurate was obviously an afterthought.

For starters, the PS2 version achieved its low resolution by simply dividing the current output resolution in half. Since the PS2 version outputs at 640x480, it divides those two numbers in half and gets 320x240 as I stated. The HD version keeps this quirk. So that means if you set NiGHTS HD to render at 1920x1080, when you pick “Sega Saturn Dreams” mode, it will cut that resolution in half and output at 960x540. Which the Saturn obviously did not display at.

“Sega Saturn Dreams” mode on the HD port also leaves texture filtering enabled, making the low-resolution Saturn assets look closer to an N64 game. So this is what a real Saturn looked like:

Here is the PS2 version in “Saturn Mode”:

And here is the HD version running in Saturn Mode:

And right about now you’re probably noticing other small rendering differences between the real Saturn version and the remake and all I have to say to that right now is: YUP

Unfortunately the only way to get the pure, real, accurate NiGHTS experience is to play it on an actual Sega Saturn. A real console is well and good, but if you know how to work RetroArch, the “Beetle Saturn” core will run NiGHTS just fine, though I had a little trouble setting up the analog controller. But once I got it dialed in, it’s worked flawlessly.

But, as I said earlier, I am also probably considered a “hardcore fan” of NiGHTS. The HD version really isn’t so bad, the game is still playable, and I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say it’s as bad as what happened to Sonic Adventure DX... but it is different, and it’s in ways that are a bummer.

#questions #NiGHTS into Dreams #Sega #Saturn #Sonic Team #remakes #ports #updates #Anonymous

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deebormzone · 7 years ago

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Deeborm’s Pointless and Unrealistic Smash Bros. Wishlist

It’s Smashbro season once again, and that means it’s wishlist time. I’d better get in on the predictions now while the market’s hot.

Regular predictions aren’t any fun, though. The characters Nintendo are most likely to add are the least interesting. Instead, I present you with a list of great characters who definitely won’t get in at all. In this minigame, I win if any one of the following make it into Smash. Wish me luck!

First, here’s the Pile of Honorable Mention Smash Bros. Newcomers. These aren’t heartstopping legendary additions, but would be nice surprises. (These do not count towards winning the wishlist minigame, but are worth bonus points.)

Krystal

Staff plus magic is a good fighting style. Plus, it’s nice to have more representation for Nintendo’s non-main franchises, even if it is just Krystal.

Geno (Super Mario RPG)

A good star spirit who deserved better. C’mon, throw him a bone. No, Mii outfits don’t count.

Amaterasu (Okami)

A good dog from a good game. Already appeared in Marvel 3, so not a huge surprise, but definitely welcome.

Simon Belmont

A nice whip-based moveset and a strong history on Nintendo platforms would make Simon a welcome sight, if Konami would let him.

Crash Bandicoot

Crash skipping Playstation All-Stars to join Smash Bros. instead is enough of a joke to make his inclusion worth it.

Shovel Knight

He’s a cool enough guy, but the main benefit of having him in Smash is his music.

Quote (Cave Story)

The little robot that could. He even has a sword! It’s been a while since he’s been relevant, but he did appear on Switch recently.

Hades (Kid Icarus Uprising)

The whole game was great, and Hades was still the best part of it. I don’t really know what his moveset would be, but it doesn’t really matter.

Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

I’ll take any Kingdom Hearts content anywhere it appears, but the draw of his series is the action and stupidity, not the main character, so this wouldn’t be a bombshell announcement for me.

Black Mage

How about a Final Fantasy character who actually appeared on NES? Good design, good spells, good inclusion.

Zelda (Breath of the Wild)

They didn’t make her playable in Breath of the Wild because they’re cowards, but they can redeem themselves here. (Only applies if she has a unique playstyle.)

Professor Layton

The most powerful gentleman is a pleasure to see just about anywhere. He even qualifies as an anime swordsman since he appeared in an anime wielding a sword. He’s practically guaranteed to get in.

Actual Ganondorf

Due to time constraints, the Smash Bros. devs decided to ignore the entire Zelda series and depict Ganondorf as Captain Falcon with a large shoe. There’s still time to set things right.

Snake

Snake is great and everyone loves him, but reclaiming him from Konami is harder than infiltrating Shadow Moses.

Crono

The legend from the SNES. He’s been gone a long time, and seeing him again would be fantastic - if they can work out a good moveset for him. Good meaning, more than anime swordsman.

Those are all great characters, so it’s unlikely any of them will get in.

But the REAL unlikely characters start here! Presenting Deeborm’s Pointless and Unrealistic Smash Bros. Wishlist!! Loosely ordered from least to most hype.

I’ll briefly explain why each of these is a favorite of mine and a good character to add to Smash Bros., and also why they definitely won’t be. If any one of these losers actually makes it in, I’ll be absolutely stunned, but in a pleasant sort of way.

The Missing Piece - Banjo-Kazooie

The big B-K ought to have been in Smash from the first damn one. They’ve got platforming moves (jumping, gliding, flight), they’ve got mobility (Talon Trot, forward roll), they’ve got a wide arsenal of attacks (eggs of all sorts, Breegull Bash, Beak Barge), defensive options (Wonderwing, Shack Pack), and they’re fun characters to boot. Whenever I get asked to pick one person to add to Smash, this is my answer.

Of course, it won’t happen because of Microsoft. Nowadays, Xbox doesn’t seem to have many compelling exclusives, so it’s hard to imagine them letting Banjo do cross-company work, even with no games planned. There’s also the risk of them using the unnerving Nuts & Bolts models, which would leave a foul taste in my mouth even if they did get in.

Sometimes I think they were planning on adding Banjo-Kazooie in Smash 4, but they couldn’t make a deal with Microsoft, and the character got re-purposed into Duck Hunt. Those back-mounted bird attacks look a little familiar... and so does the brown and red color scheme.

The Surliest Psychic - Neku Sakuraba

Neku’s a cool kid. He floats around and has loads of weird psychic powers. Giving him a unique moveset would be simple. His game, The World Ends With You, is coming to Switch fairly soon, so there’s even advertising potential. His fans rarely get anything new, so he’d be nice to see.

Of course, he’s Square Enix, which makes him harder to add. A third-party, minor franchise (barely even a franchise! ...sorry) doesn’t seem likely to make it in when the only third-party characters so far are the heaviest of heavy hitters (Sonic, Snake, Pac-Man, Mega Man, Ryu, Cloud).

And I hate to admit it, but it’s been so long since I beat that game, I don’t even have a clear memory of Neku’s moves anymore. That’s mainly why he’s down here on the list. He still qualifies as bombshell, though!

The Rythmic Ringleader - Marshall

There was barely any Rhythm Heaven content in Smash 4 at all! I was so disappointed.

I know, it’s not so easy to add Rhythm Heaven, especially as a character. First of all, it’s a teeny tiny series on par with Warioware. Then there’s the problem of adding rhythm-based content. It could be like Donkey Kong’s Final Smash, completely unusable online due to lag, or it could be hard to implement around the game’s huge soundtrack.

Also, the series doesn’t really have any strong lead characters. Karate Joe is just Ryu. “Rhythm Girl”, who appears on the title screen sometimes, doesn’t even have a name. The pink guy from Megamix is alright, but he doesn’t actually do anything.

Marshall here might be the best pick. He offers moral support in Fever, probably the best game in the series. His design is a bit more unique than Joe and friends, and he can even stand in for one of the Chorus Men as needed.

Since the odds of getting any Rhythm Heaven rep are so low, I’m considering it a win for me if anyone, not just Marshall, makes it in.

The Legendary Yell - Dragonborn

Skyrim is on Switch, Cloud is in Smash, and all bets are off.

The main reason Dragonborn would be a great edition to Smash is because they represent the whole Elder Scrolls series. A crusty old RPG series, exclusively for PC, making it into Super Fuckin’ Smash Brothers. That’s my kind of joke.

They might seem a bit similar to Link in terms of playstyle, but if the devs put the work in, they could craft something really cool. Big two-handed weapons plus magic, and maybe a hint of archery. They could use a skill system in reference to that RPG history, where the moves you use grow stronger as they connect and unlock different playstyles, resetting between lives.

As a bonus, the Dragonborn’s signature power is Unrelenting Force, a Shout that does little damage but blows enemies away. That move would work especially well in Smash Bros., and would also be a great ability for Kirby to steal (”Fus... Ro Dah~!”).

Of course, this is only possible if Bethesda plays along... and if Nintendo is willing to accept a big Western hero in a game that, currently, has none. I have a feeling that this inclusion is more likely than the rest, but there are some major hurdles in the way.

The Orange Warlord - Andy

It’s been too long since Advance Wars has been a thing.

Every so often, you’ll see an Advance Wars character on somebody’s Smash wishlist. There’s potential there to add a moveset based around indirect combat, with military-themed summons and projectiles. Advance Wars did make it into Smash as an Assist Trophy, so it’s not a completely ridiculous idea!

Andy is probably the best pick for a representative. He’s pretty basic in terms of design, but he’s more or less the main character. The runner-up is Sami, but she specializes in infantry. Infantry uses real guns, which tend to be forbidden in Smash. In fact, Sami usually carries a big, real-looking gun whenever she’s depicted. Andy, however, carries wrenches and specializes in repair. Nothing violent about repair, even if you’re repairing tanks and bombers! 100% family-friendly.

Sadly, not even Andy has much of a shot. Worse than the existence of real guns, his series is basically dead. But I still remember him and his advanced wars, and I’m leaving a spot on my wishlist for him, just in case. I’d call it a win if any Advance Wars character makes it.

The Fountain of Fury - Fawful

The Mario RPGs are (were?) pretty great, but they rarely get any representation in Smash. It’s understandable- those characters would count as yet another Mario representative, and from a lesser spinoff at that. But this list is all about recognizing games I loved, and the tiny hope that they might shine once more.

Fawful is probably the best rep here. He’s popular for a spinoff character, owing to his broken English and oddball machinations. He appeared in three Mario & Luigi games, twice as a major player. Usually, characters from Mario RPGs get completely abandoned, so that’s saying something.

It’s tough to pin down his moveset. Most of the time, he fights with his jet-powered vacuum hat, but it varies. He’d have a unique playstyle for sure, if the devs can figure one out.

And here’s an interesting fact- both of Fawful’s games are getting remastered. He actually qualifies as “has an upcoming game,” which Master Sakurai says is an important factor in deciding who gets a spot. Maybe, just maybe, this angry beanman has a real chance.

The Arsenal Absolute - Doomguy

Talk about a long shot.

The new Doom came out on Switch recently, taking Doomguy’s odds from “completely impossible” to “extremely unlikely”. The real draw of Doomguy, though, is his history. Smash Bros. is all about gaming’s greatest mascots (and whatever Nintendo wants to advertise this console generation, but let’s ignore that). Doomguy is the FIRST First-Person Shooter, and it’s hard to get more prestigious.

The two big obstacles keeping Doomguy out are the fact he’s third-party, and the fact he uses lots of guns. For the first, he could maybe come as a package deal with Dragonborn thanks to Bethesda, and for the second, his new game features a lot of energy weapons. Maybe enough to keep him from using anything forbidden.

But that raises a question. If Doomguy loses bullet weapons, like the Super Shotgun, is it really Doomguy anymore? Can he focus on bombs and lasers and berserking, and still be Doomguy? Maybe this one’s simply a lost cause.

Besides, they’d probably call him “Doom Marine” or something, which is no fun.

The Nightmare Neighbor - Porky

The Mother series hasn’t done too well in Smash Bros. Ness and Lucas use a whole bunch of PK abilities they don’t actually have in the games, which bugs me just a little. I’d like to see some more well-done Mother stuff to take the edge off. Magicant in Smash 4 3DS was a good start, but how about something... more substantial?

There are a few good characters that could show up still. Flint, with his mighty 2x4, would be a cool addition, as would Duster and his staples. I’d like to see Paula or Kumatora, but guess what? Ness and Lucas already took their moves. Grr.

So how about the big man himself? Pokey Minch, the piece of garbage everyone hates. He’s a great villain with great tools. It could be Pokey or Porky, spider-bot or on foot. I’m not picky! Give him a final smash based on the ever-popular Giygas battle, and I would definitely feel happy.

But as always, he’s not likely to get in. The Mother series is basically done. Worse, Pokey’s spider-bot, his signature weapon, might be just a little too big (somewhere, Ridley cries into his cup of Phazon).

The Overwhelming Otaku - Travis Touchdown

What a cool game! No More Heroes for the Wii, using Nintendo’s gimmicks in a fun and stylish action game, starring Mister Travis here. Although his games came out on other consoles later, for a while he was an unlikely Nintendo star. And guess what? He’s coming back on Switch for a new game.

Besides being from a fairly low-profile series, I think the main issue with Travis in Smash is his sheer vulgarity. If I’m remembering right, his first spoken line in-game is “FUCKHEADS!” as he does a backflip off a motorcycle and decapitates five people, which is great, but might be frowned upon by Papa Nintendo. They could tone down that part of his character for Smash, but vulgarity is baked into him on every level. His laser sword recharges by pretending to jerk off, and his signature pose is taking a shit to save the game. Also, there’s the above image.

But although Travis seems like an unlikely addition to Smash Bros., you could easily compare him to Bayonetta, a similarly low-profile, high-violence character. And Bayonetta made it in, guns and all. Anything’s possible, right?

The Seeker of the Stars - Goombella

In ages past, I might have requested Paper Mario in Smash Bros. Those times have long passed. Paper Mario is no longer the symbol of cheerful adventure and exciting battle, but the harbinger of stickers, Toads, and despair.

The only way to make sure the first two paper Mario games are appropriately enshrined in Smash Bros. is to add a character who is undeniably not related to stickers in any way. To that end, I propose Goombella. She’s the first partner you meet in Thousand-Year Door, and sets off the plot. She also narrates the post-credits scene. Yeah, I know that’s not much! I’m trying my best, here! She’s more interesting than Goombario, at least!

Ideally, she could represent the whole game by summoning the other partners for varying attacks: Kooper’s shell for a forward-B, Vivian for spot dodges and low attacks, Bobbery for a powerful forward smash, the baby Yoshi for dashing, maybe Flurrie for grabs. That sort of thing. Doopliss could do something similar as a playable character, transforming between characters, but I’d rather give the slot to the real heroes.

This is probably even less likely to happen than Doomguy, but this list is about games I loved getting one more moment of glory. I know the real truth in my heart: Paper Mario will get in, he’ll be covered in stickers, and I’m just going to have to deal with it like a rational adult. Now that’s a “Smash Attack”! Ha-ha.

The Blockbound Builder - Steve

Speaking of being a rational adult, here’s Minecraft. No matter what games I play over the years, I always come back to Minecraft sooner or later. Someday, I ought to actually beat the game, huh?

Anyway, Steve in Smash is possible because Minecraft came out on Switch with bonus Nintendo content, and he’d make a good addition to the cast because he looks ridiculous in third person. Well, that, and I guess he could also have a creative moveset.

Minecraft in Smash Bros. arguably makes sense from a game history perspective, too. It’s new compared to Mario or Pac-Man, but hugely impactful. It would also make a good stage. I know everyone hates autoscrollers, but a procedurally generating destructible stage could be great fun to play around in.

There are two main problems with Steve in Smash. First, he’s another Microsoft rep, so Nintendo might not be able to cut a deal. Second... he doesn’t have any good battle music.

The Best Defense - Phoenix Wright

Phoenix in Smash is basically the pinnacle of wishful thinking. He’s a third-party character from a series about reading lots of dialogue who doesn’t even fight. I’d say he had no chance at all if it wasn’t for the fact that he made it into Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a headliner, but even then he had a really gimmicky fighting style that made him hard to use. Still, I guess Smash Bros. is the ideal series for gimmicky fighting styles.

Why is Mr. Wright a good fit for Smash? No reason at all, besides the fact that I like him and his games a whole lot, and so do others. Sadly, he doesn’t even have any games coming out, so I can’t give him the advertisement bonus.

However you look at it, Phoenix Wright has almost no chance at all... but isn’t that how his trials usually go?

The Coolest Dude - Papyrus

Let me clear a couple things up first. It’s been said that it would be bad to have Undertale in Smash Bros., because it would rile up the terrible fanbase. Is that true? Probably. But I don’t give a single, solitary fuck. The only thing, and I do mean the only thing that matters here, is having interesting characters in Smash Bros.

It’s also been said that Sans should get into Smash Bros. I appreciate the commitment to memes, but he actually shouldn’t. Sans’ main character trait is that he doesn’t do anything, which is not a good trait for a fighter to have.

Papyrus, meanwhile, does a lot of things. He has bones. He has deadly traps. He has spaghetti. He has dating power. He is pursued by dogs. He’s got great music. He could easily have a wacky moveset befitting Undertale. Imagine his blue attacks in Smash Bros., a projectile you have to hold still to avoid!

Still, I only mentioned Undertale at all because people have been throwing these kinds of speculations around. Realistically, a shitty GameMaker game that isn’t even out on Switch yet has zero chance of seeing Smash Bros. The idea is thrilling, though, so I have to mention it. You know how I’d get a kick out of Elder Scrolls or Phoenix Wright being represented in Smash? The idea of some crappy game poorly thrown together by some guy in his basement somehow making it into Nintendo’s top-tier premium exclusive celebration is, essentially, the Ultimate Joke. And then I could take that joke and use it to beat people online!

Whew. That’s my, I mean, Deeborm’s Pointless and Unrealistic Smash Bros. Wishlist!! I hope you enjoyed my delusions, and I wish everyone good luck with their own Smash hopes. In the end, all newcomers are good newcomers, so let’s wait and see what happens!

#Smash Bros #Super Smash Bros

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britesparc · 4 years ago

Text

Weekend Top Ten #463

Top Ten Tweaks I Want to the Series X Experience

I got an Xbox Series X for Christmas. Well, more accurately, I got one on launch day, but for Festive Reasons it remained boxed up till Christmas. Anyway, since then, I’ve been able to play the sexiest of new Xboxes, plugged in to a moderately-fancy 4K TV for the first time too; this is my first proper taste of 4K gaming and certainly the first time I’ve ever played a game at 120fps (it was Star Wars: Squadrons, fact-fans!). So despite the dearth of exclusive content the “next-gen difference” has been very real for me.

I could go on about all the things I like about the console: how fast it is, how quiet, how genuinely aesthetically pleasing I find it when it’s sitting there on the floor, all hard angles and funky green holes (I do genuinely worry about my kids spilling apple juice into its vents however). Playing on the new Xbox is transformative in the sense that things just kinda work; it’s a smooth and painless experience navigating the dash, switching users, booting a game, etc. True, the fact that the dashboard itself is unchanged means it doesn’t jump out at you as being all-singing, all-dancing, but it’s like upgrading a phone or a PC within the same OS ecosystem; what you know, but better. Games look gorgeous in 4K, they run like butter, 120fps gaming is a treat, and HDR is transformative. However, there are a few areas where I feel improvement is needed, and that’s what I want to talk about today.

This post isn’t criticism; for the most part, these are work-in-progress areas of an always-evolving UI and general experience. Like I say, actually playing games on the thing is a joy, and its technical grunt can’t be denied (I’ve not encountered a single performance issue in Cyberpunk 2077, for example, although I have come across some amusing glitches, such as a character doing finger guns throughout an entire shootout, turning a tense combat experience into a scene from Spaced). But as we go forward, taking advantage of the power of the machine (and perhaps moving away from having to support the “old-gen” Xbox One family of consoles), here is a list of tweaks, improvements, and features I’d love to see added to the Series X/S down the road.

Manage Quick Resume: Quick Resume, when it works, is a marvel; jumping instantly to the last moment you were in a game, with virtually no loading. It feels responsive, it feels fast, it feels next gen. When it works. Understanding that there are some games where this isn’t supportable (live service games, for instance), there are too many games where it either doesn’t work right yet, or where it will spontaneously “forget” a Quick Resume. So I’d like it improved and refined. Plus, open too many games in the interim, and your Resume will likewise be “forgotten”. But how many? I dunno. I think it varies. So why can’t we see how many? Give us a Quick Resume button on the dash or in Settings, let’s see how much space is allocated to it, see what games are there, etc. Maybe a warning if one is about to be “pushed out”. Maybe we could pin a game, so it’s always in Quick Resume? Or maybe we could increase or decrease the SSD space allocated to it? Basically, it’s a terrific feature that needs streamlining.

Improved Achievements: back in the 360 era, Achievements were amazing. They really changed how I played games like Crackdown or Gears of War, and there was much friendly rivalry over Gamerscore. Since then, they’ve kinda been forgotten. Finding them now is actually a chore, and the navigation interface is almost non-existent; it’s like Microsoft don’t care. Meanwhile, Sony have overhauled their similar Trophy system, with meta-games and multiple kinds of rewards. Microsoft kinda tried this when the Xbox One launched, with time-limited “Challenges”, but it was a bit of a damp squib. However, they really need to improve Achievements. Give them their own tab on the Guide; make them really easy to view and filter, not just as a social thing, but as a reward all on their own. Use them to track game progress, give us loads of stats about each achievement! Let us pin them to our profile, or have a trophy cabinet of ones we’re most proud of. Make them relevant again, basically.

Improve the App: the Xbox app has had a lot of improvements and refinements recently, but it’s also lost a lot of functionality. There are now at least three Xbox apps anyway – a “normal” one, a Game Pass one, and one that lets you fiddle with Family settings. How about just one that does it all? View your game library, including Game Pass, and let you download and purchase games, as well as play them (I must say, the app is brilliant when it comes to cloud gaming – the touch control layout is really good too). Searching for Games on the Store but not being able to buy them feels a bit weird, and other functionality seems buried in menus. What do I want to do in an Xbox app? In order, probably view achievements, purchase and download games, and see what my friends are up to (oh, and cloud gaming, obvs). It seems weird to me that so much of this is obfuscated or impossible. I do like the ability to download games you don’t own, however (useful for pre-installing a game, especially a disc-based game), and I love the “Rewards” aspect of Game Pass; but it feels the most basic functionality is what’s missing.

Improved Guide Customisation: the Guide has improved a lot during the Xbox One’s lifetime, although I’d argue it’s still not quite the dashboard-in-miniature that you had with the Xbox 360. I like the fact that it’s now customisable, but I’d like it even more if that went further. Yes, some of this is “make it easier/better to view achievements,” but also I’d like to decide which features can be part of the Guide. Jump straight to Netflix, or a particular game? Have my Quick Resume management there? Game Pass? Oh, and make it easier to get into settings; it should be as few button presses as possible. I mean, if they essentially stuff Achievements, Games & Apps, the Store, and Settings in there, I’d be pretty happy.

Better use of Avatars: Avatars are a bit controversial I think; they’ve never been as loved as Nintendo’s Miis, and as time’s gone on their stock as only decreased. But they exist, so why not use them? It’s okay that we can get them as a sort of “live picture” when viewing a friend’s profile, but how about making it into a kind of interactive “room”, showing off Avatar Awards and with our top Achievements framed on the wall? And make more games like Joyride Turbo or A Kingdom for Keflings that make use of Avatars. MS could really do with some kind of party game, Nintendo-style, that incorporates their multiple franchises/characters, and lets you play as your Avatar. But to be honest the thing I think they should do the most is redesign them again. They’re a bit too uncanny valley at the moment; too much details but all smooth and bland, like a CG cartoon character from twenty years ago. Either allow us to make them more gnarled and grotesque like a Sea of Thieves character, or go entirely the other way and make them really stylised, like someone from Ooblets or Untitled Goose Game.

Managing Games from Dashboard: one of the things the PlayStation 5 does that sounds quite cool is the ability to jump to specific points in a game, straight from the dashboard. Whilst I don’t think it would be quite as useful, long-term, as Quick Resume, I do like the idea of “right-clicking” a game and saying “resume last checkpoint” or “go to multiplayer lobby”. At the very least I’d like the option to skip all the launch logos and go straight to the main menu. I’d also like the ability to tinker with aspects of the game right then and there; choose which elements to uninstall, say. This is sort of possible, but although a game like Gears 5 will ask you which bits to install (single-player or multiplayer components, for instance) you don’t appear to be able to uninstall separate sections, at least not from the dash. I’d like to see this implemented system-wide; imagine being able to choose exactly which games – and game modes – to install in Halo: The Master Chief Chronicles, for instance.

Customising the Home Screen: the Xbox isn’t really that customisable, which I think is a bit strange, because I spent a large part of my teens making Windows look really hideous with its vast suite of personalisation options. You can create “Groups” of games and apps, but I’d like it also if you could make your actual Home screen look more you. Instead of (or as well as) recent games, how about pinning one or two biggies? Maybe having folders that expand instead of scrolling down to other lists? Or being able to resize icons? Or how’s about we look up the list a couple of spaces and incorporate our Avatars a bit more, if we so choose?

Simplify Sign-In: I still miss the 360 controller’s little green quadrants; you always knew who you were. Nowadays, because the whole console is tied to a particular account, it can be hard keeping track if there are multiple users signed in, to the point where it’s possible to lose progress or accidentally kick a game from Quick Resume because you weren’t aware that – despite switching user – for some reason the controller was still assigned to someone else (I know it’s possible to sync a controller specifically to one profile but you shouldn’t have to rely on that). Some kind of system-level way of warning or asking who the user “is” – without changing a game’s status – would be nice, as would a permanent on-screen notification visible on the dash. Either that or rejig the controller and bring back the quadrants!

Track Game Usage: the Xbox sort of does this, but like Achievements it feels a bit half-hearted and almost forgotten about. Basically, I like to know the date I started a game, the date I last played it, how long I’ve been at it for… as well as other useless game-specific data such as how many headshots I’ve scored, how many miles I’ve ridden Roach, how many times I’ve chainsawed some dude in two, that kinda thing. They could tie all this in with the “Avatar Home Screen” idea and improved Achievements to allow you to deep-dive how you play on the Xbox!

Share Account Across Family: now most of what I’ve been talking about here as been, essentially, tweaks or redesigns of their UI; features that I’d love to see on the dashboard, either system-level or essentially as new apps. Some of these are more realistic than others, I know; some are probably of interest only to a small proportion of users who share my weird tastes. This last one is more of a re-evaluation of how Xbox views their accounts and their notion of “Family”. Basically, I’d like it if everyone in my family – that is, the four of us who live in this house and use the same Xbox, and who are all joined as an official “Family” according to Microsoft – could share all products and services in perpetuity. This doesn’t seem that unfair; if we were only using disc-based games on a pre-internet console, then there’d be nothing stopping my daughter playing my copy of Forza on another Xbox in another room whilst I’m playing Halo at the same time; or my wife theoretically playing Civ on the PC. Because games are increasingly digital and tied to an account – to say nothing of being playable only through that account’s subscription – it makes it more restrictive. I’d like it if I could install the Game Pass app on a tablet and allow my daughters to play it with their accounts, so I’m essentially sharing the service with them. Similarly, I’d like it if digital purchases could be shared among family members, not just on the “Home” Xbox (in this case my new Series X) but also on the household’s other hardware (my old Xbox One). Could they do this by requiring some kind of online handshake? Or having, I dunno, three consoles designated as a family’s machines? I think all of this may be a bit pie-in-the-sky, but you never know; Microsoft are pushing at the fringes of digital ownership and cloud gaming, so maybe acknowledging that people in a household will want to play all their games everywhere at once might mean that we’ll see some of these features sooner or later.

So there we are; ten things I’d like to see Xbox adopt going forward. As is hopefully evident, none of these are fixing glaring problems, just improving existing features, or adopting new ones that I think would be quite good. But let’s start with that Quick Resume thing, because there really are an awful lot of logos and menus at the beginning of Gears 5.

One final thing: I have a sneaking suspicion I’ve used this gif before. Oh well.

#top ten #xbox #gaming #microsoft #xbox series x #xbox series s #next-gen

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brothermouzongaming · 7 years ago

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So.... this Fornite thing...

Holyshit this game has legitimately taken over the world. The mobile version of the game is in beta and it made a million dollars in its first three days. Mother of God, people are still needing invites to this thing. It’s popularity somehow spiking again, after the absolutely monumental rise this game has been on through the past several months. I wanted to take a look at this game and some of the factors that may be leading to its mind-boggling popularity.

1) FREE ninety-nine

I was going to put the availability of the game as the number one reason why this game is popular. I do believe that such a large platform access has a Shaq-sized hand in this games rabid popularity. Once I backed up from that personal perspective, I realized plenty of games have come out across many consoles and devices. None have seen the heights that this game has, and I had to put the number 1 reason as that sweet sweet price tag. Above all, I have to say that such an irresistible fee is only leaves out the people without the means or the time. Which at this point, the former is getting fewer and fewer by the day.

2) Playing off PUBG (who’s playing off H1Z1 blahblahblah)

PUBG (on paper) is great, it’s a great game that is engaging and intense with an atmosphere that only mounts as time goes on. Where the realistically stylized version falls flat is the at times unforgivably poor performance. Especially for a game trying to make the leap from PC to console. This is where the Epic-backed Fornite capitalizes on the fact that this game is more of a spin-off of their existing “Save the World”. A game bound for consoles, a game that seems to be the best reworking of assets since the god-damn Orange Box. Fornite is smooth and even if the cartoonish art style isn’t your favorite; the bottom line is it runs very well and it’s done so essentially since launch. This is a game that just so happens to have all the necessary pieces to copy the latest craze made popular (but not started) by PUBG. Tie that in with the fact that Fornite was already coming out for all consoles from the jump, and the above price, this was going to be popular but holy shit no one saw this coming.

3) Divide and conquer

PC has been the home of PUBG for a really long time until their recent jump to the Xbox. It was a slow move, one that is definitely a snag in the games progress. Again, this is where Fornite is capitalizing. The even spread of platforms is obviously going to allow the largest audience. Hell, just the console players alone would dwarf the PUBG player count. Bluehole probably put themselves in a toehold with their exclusivity deal with Microsoft. I don’t know how they thought this would be the best move for them. I’m sure it had something to do with money. In the end, it was only going to limit their success. It doesn’t seem to be doing wonders for the game’s development, especially for Xbox players. What a mess.

4) Moar2cum

Epic games are allowing Fornite Battle Royale to totally take precedence and priority. They shut down the underperforming Paragon to bring those devs over.The rapid expansion onto mobile is further proof that this game is their focus because they see the rampant popularity its garnered. I imagine now that literally everyone and their fucking dog has access to this game, it will be updated fairly regularly. I expect new guns, the addition of vehicles and obviously maps.

5) Backing that ass (and that game) up

The backing these games have is ultimately the final biggest separator between these games. Bluehole has done next to nothing else outside of this (Terra, Ascent: Infinite Realm). This is the first game of theirs to hit it big like this. A game I doubt they anticipated to be quite so lucrative and popular despite its design requiring that exact public response. Epic, on the other hand, has quite a few titles. Some you may have even played (Unreal Tournament, Gears of War, Shadow Complex) this reputation and funding is a crazy-huge influence. With this developer backing, all efforts and eyes can be on Fornite and what it does best: making money.

___

It’s only a matter of time until this game takes me, I’m holding out both because Monster Hunter is devouring my life and Far Cry is coming out very soon. It’s really only a matter of time. I get on my PS4 and at any given time up to 8-10 people on my list will be playing Fornite. That’s fucking crazy to me. At the peak of MHW’s popularity I think I got maybe 3-5 players. Honestly I can’t remember the last time so many different people I knew played the same game. I look at my friends list and see my Batlefield bros playing with my RPG gang playing with my fucking FIFA friends what is going on?!?! I’m glad a game can come into peoples lives and move mountains the way this one is. More proof gaming is for everyone in one form or another. Just gotta find the right one.

#Fornite #fornite battle royale #video games #gaming #bluehole games #epic games #PUBG #player unknown battlegrounds

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