Steve Anderson : End Game
Steve Anderson
The Video Store Guy
| The video game industry has gone from a mole hill to a mountain in no time flat, Chris DiMarco is your Sherpa as you endeavor to scale Mount “Everquest”

August 2016

You are browsing the archive for August 2016.

We're Going to Nuka World!

August 31, 2016

So after a nearly five gigabyte download, the installation of the final downloadable content (DLC) pack for Fallout 4, Nuka World, was in place. Now, join me on an exciting trip to the greatest amusement park the Commonwealth--and most of what's left of the country--has ever seen!

In going to Nuka World, I prepared as best I could, packing a handful of weapons and several thousand rounds of ammunition. Hoping to be a contrarian cuss, I tricked out the Vim power armor found at the Vim plant in Far Harbor. A T-51, it wasn't as good as my tricked-out X-01 armor, but it had that Vim paintjob that I was hoping would incense the locals so gravely that they'd demand my death in a firefight.

Is It Time for eSports to Hit the Olympics?

August 30, 2016

When the Rio Olympics finally came to a close, a little something unexpected happened that might have been better suited to a video game convention. Japan's own Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, emerged from a familiar-style pipe, dressed as a certain iconic plumber, an Italian gent by the name of Mario. Abe then closed with an open invitation to Japan to see the next Olympic games--set for Tokyo in 2020--and that got some wondering. Specifically, whether or not eSports should be part of the Olympic games.

Virtual Reality Translates to Actual Reality With the Dexmo Exoskeleton

August 29, 2016

One of the great problems with VR these days is trying to beat the suspension of disbelief problem. Making the objects perceived in the camera view actually look and feel real is a tough challenge, one that's sometimes addressed with haptic feedback devices. Dexta Robotics, meanwhile, has a noteworthy new concept to try in the Dexmo Exoskeleton glove system.

The Dexmo Exoskeleton effectively works as a simulator of touch by providing resistance to one's fingers according to what's being touched. A soft object will have more give, and a harder object will have much less, thus allowing for a reasonable approximation of whatever is in the virtual hand.

Is Metal Gear Survive Doomed From The Start?

August 24, 2016

As it turns out, I'm something of a minority. A real minority. See, I watched the Metal Gear Survive trailer from Gamescom, and I didn't immediately want to walk into the Konami offices and commit a few atrocities to all the potted plants, just for a start. Based on the reactions I've seen so far, that puts me in an exclusive class of people best defined as "almost nobody." Thus when I caught a newsy bit out at IGN wondering how Metal Gear Survive could actually win anyone over, I was intrigued, and got to wondering: can this game actually survive?

Given that the IGN video in question referred to Metal Gear Survive as "a raging dumpster fire", it's safe to say there's a lot of ill will going into this.

Surprise of the Day: Viewers Actually Like Ads in VR

August 23, 2016

In a move that proves that virtual reality (VR) is such a great new novelty that people will interact with just about anything presented in VR, a new report from Immersv says that people like VR enough to prefer ads shown in VR to the point where they'll increasingly interact with said ads.

Yes, VR is so attractive that people will even interact with ads in VR, and thanks to that point, VR ads are actually more attractive than those found on either desktop or mobile devices. It turns out that ads on Immersv's platform are generating about a 30 percent click-through rate, although here, it's more accurately described as a "gaze-through rate." That beats mobile by a factor of 30 at one percent, and desktop by better than twice that at 0.4 percent. Immersv actually drives 12 new installations for every thousand ads viewed, which beats the one install for 2,000 for mobile and the one for 10,000 on desktop. Users are even vastly more likely to watch the video to completion, with a better than 80 percent completion rate.

These are of course staggering numbers by any scale, though given that VR is largely a new medium--sure, it's been around for decades in one form or another, but this is the first time we're seeing it largely commercially available instead of rented by the minute--that's probably driving the effort.



Bethesda Needs to Learn to Let Go and Let Obsidian, Or Anyone Else

August 22, 2016

Recently, Bethesda's own Pete Hines took to Twitter and dashed a lot of hopes. He noted two key points: one, that the Elder Scrolls VI is not in development, and that Bethesda is "not a vending machine." These points together are bad enough, and the wider look doesn't help matters either.

Essentially, Hines noted that the next big Bethesda game was not in development, at least not at the moment. Naturally, the company plans to "make it eventually," and that's at least something like good news.  It could be that the project's in a state known as pre-production, where development begins ahead of actual production.

Hines went on to note that "This studio is not a vending machine," noting that the crew involved had already made four games that won Game of the Year status, and thus had "...a right to decide what they're interested in working on next and which direction they want to go."

Noble enough by any measure, but not exactly the best from a marketing standpoint.





A Look at the Nuka World Trailer

August 17, 2016

Soon enough, the final Fallout 4 downloadable content (DLC) piece will be in our hands, and the good news is that it looks like it's going to be quite a treat. It's a shame, admittedly, that four out of the other five pieces of DLC can never match it, but with a new trailer emerged, we'll get a little advance look at how it might come out. The good news is that this looks pretty sound, and may be the best DLC there is. What a way to go out!

First, a bit of good news to start off the good news parade: we'll get this one out August 30, which is great news, because we're just a little less than two weeks out from getting to run this one through our systems.

Who Makes More Money: Olympic Athletes or Professional Gamers?

August 16, 2016

Now that's a question that will probably leave some scratching their heads most vigorously. After all, we're talking about Olympic athletes, the pride of any nation, those who every four years go forth and attempt to throw things and run fast for a couple weeks at a clip. With an intro like that, you've probably puzzled out the answer to the question, as it turns out that pro gamers actually make more than their Olympic counterparts.

The reports make it clear that Olympic athletes aren't exactly super well paid, though that varies based on location. For instance, in the United States, an Olympic gold medal is worth a $25,000 stipend to its winner, while silver rates $15,000 and bronze $10,000.

Firefly Games Lands Big Investment to Focus on Movie Tie-Ins

August 15, 2016

We all know, and in many cases, from years or even decades of practical experience, that movie tie-in games seldom go well. They go almost as well as movies based on games, and anyone who's seen more than a half-dozen of them knows how well that goes. Firefly Games, meanwhile, has managed to not only land investment in its plan to bring more Hollywood to gaming, but a new report suggests that it's managed to pull in a second round. That second round was worth $10 million, at last report, and that's big news.

Interestingly, this time, one of the biggest investors in this $10 million round was an unusual source: China Construction Bank International Holdings.

Ottumwa Opens Up Video Game Walk of Fame

August 10, 2016

Admittedly, Ottumwa, Iowa isn't what most people think of right away when they think of video game heavy cities. Some might think of Redmond, or Seattle, or even New York or Chicago. Me, I think of Schaumberg, which is pretty close to Chicago anyway. Ottumwa has a little more claim to the video game city title than some might expect, and that just got augmented thanks to a new landmark, the Video Game Walk of Fame.

Already home to the Video Game Hall of Fame, and the self-described Video Game capital of the world, the newly minted Video Game Walk of Fame will feature some of the biggest names in the field.

What's Stopping Universities From Teaching VR Development?

August 9, 2016

Virtual reality (VR) development might seem like the wave of the future, and not without reason. This is the technology that may well open up a future where we can go just about anywhere and see just about anything right from the comfort of our own living room. It's a technology that will bring new meaning to the word "Staycation." Meanwhile, the next generation of developers in VR is facing some unexpected shortfalls as universities are proving unable to teach VR development. What's stopping them?

808 EarCanz Wireless Earbuds Review: Finicky But Worth The Struggle

August 8, 2016

Earbud headphones don't always work the greatest for me. I have large and unusually-shaped ears--a lot like my deceased grandfather's, actually--and so slipping a module directly into my oddly-shaped ear canal doesn't always end well. The 808 EarCanz wireless earbuds--a set of which 808 sent out for review--worked a little better than the ordinary, and despite some finicky little issues, produced a sound audio experience that's highly portable and barely noticeable to the user.

The 808 EarCanz wireless earbuds offer a built-in battery that allows for six hours of continuous operation on one charge, a set of different-sized earbuds to allow the best, closest fit complete with optional rubber protrusions known as "ear fins" for different sizes. There's also a travel pouch, a USB charging cable to recharge the batteries, and the ability to take calls on a hands-free basis with an included microphone.

"Finicky" is actually a great way to describe these.



A Wait and See Attitude with VR Won't Cut It

August 3, 2016

It's tempting, when a new technology emerges, to be aloof and let cooler heads prevail. Why go plunging off after the latest possible fad only to discover that it is indeed just another fad, the kind of which has been in play for years? The problem with that notion, of course, is that it cedes first-mover advantage to other firms, and also delivers other unpleasant side effects.

The initial reports suggest that virtual reality--one of the biggest new potential fads around--won't really be a profitable market until 2017 and beyond, thanks to a combination of high prices and few software items available. Those numbers are changing as more early adopters get into the field, but it's still fairly slim.

Stop Laughing: Konami Wants to Win Gamers' Trust Back

August 3, 2016

It was easily one of the most hilariously sad moments of the 2016 presidential race, when Jeb Bush got up on stage at an event and, in mid-speech, stared out into the audience and mournfully requested that the audience "please clap." Recently, Konami got a look at just such a phenomenon as it took to Reddit and sought to "win gamers' trust back."

For those who remember the recent goings-on with Hideo Kojima, the pachinko scandal, the canceled games and plenty of other developments, Konami's plan to win back gamers' trust is about like thalidomide winning pregnant mothers' trust back. This led to Konami's social media manager heading over to Reddit in what has been, so far, a month-long campaign to help drive gamers back to Konami after a series of middle fingers directly to the gamer. So far, said manager--a gent named Ben--has been waging this war with the kind of dogged determination that almost makes you respect him out of sheer bravado, fielding complaints and answering pointed questions with all the poise of a master politician.

Ben's also tipped the hand on a few new developments, including some upcoming Metal Gear Solid titles, though admittedly that's about a big a surprise as saying that I have exclusive information that says the sun will come up tomorrow morning.



Shutdowns, Shutdowns, Shutdowns: Gaming Pulls in on Several Fronts

August 1, 2016

As is the case in any industry, sometimes new products show up, and sometimes old products die off. Recently, the dieoff side of the coin seems a bit stronger than normal, as two major new efforts were announced shut down by their owners.

First, BioWare announced that it was shutting down the forums around some of its biggest properties, including those for the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. Though noting that it wasn't an "easy decision" to shut down the forums, BioWare effectively took official notice that Facebook and Twitter exist. Plus, apparently, fans also enjoy connecting on Tumblr and Reddit, so BioWare seems to have figured that developers and fans can talk better on platforms that BioWare isn't directly paying the bandwidth costs to operate.

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