Gaming News Roundup
Once again, here are a handful of gaming news stories from the last ten days or so that caught my eye. I have refrained from writing an entire blog post on each, either because they are too trivial and cannot sustain an article in their own right, or because they might fuel a rant of some kind. I’m too old for that kind of nonsense nowadays. The video game industry really has transitioned from the unique independent position it enjoyed three decades ago, into just another corporate business. Rife with all the usual iniquities and failings. But it’s not all doom and gloom as one story indicates. Ridiculous character crossovers can still bring joy to gamers who love such things.
Once again, here are a handful of gaming news stories from the last ten days or so that caught my eye. I have refrained from writing an entire blog post on each, either because they are too trivial and cannot sustain an article in their own right, or because they might fuel a rant of some kind. I’m too old for that kind of nonsense nowadays. The video game industry really has transitioned from the unique independent position it enjoyed three decades ago, into just another corporate business. Rife with all the usual iniquities and failings. But it’s not all doom and gloom as one story indicates. Ridiculous character crossovers can still bring joy to gamers who love such things.
Alex Hutchinson and Streaming.
Alex Hutchinson, creative director of Stadia Games and Entertainment's Montreal studio thinks that “streamers should be paying the developers and publishers of the games they stream. They should be buying a license like any real business and paying for the content they use”. As you can imagine, these comments were not well received by streamers and some video games companies that have a close association with such platforms. Once again we have to endure the spectacle of someone opening their mouth and holding forth, without the benefit of engaging their brain. It’s becoming tediously commonplace these days. Mr Hutchinson’s arguments are flawed and lack any critical thinking. The benefits of having your products streamed are immense and most of those doing such things are far from “high rollers”. But stupid is as stupid does. However common sense prevailed from Google's global head of gaming for YouTube Ryan Wyatt. He tweeted that "publishers and creators have a wonderful symbiotic relationship that has allowed a thriving ecosystem to be created. One that has mutually benefited everyone".
Whatever Happened to VR?
Popular gaming website Massively Overpowered raised an interesting question recently. “Are we going to see a VR revolution and do you care?” This got me thinking about my own experience with this specific subset of gaming. A few years ago I bought the game Star Trek: Bridge Crew. The nature of the game is self-evident by the name. It was specifically designed to be a VR title but possibly due to poor sales, it was soon patched so it could also be played on the PC in a conventional, non VR fashion. And therein lies the inherent problem with VR. As of yet there does not seem to be a “killer game” that has a universal appeal and incentivises consumers to buy a VR headset. I am reminded of Wii Sports which in many ways played a major role in making the Nintendo Wii a success. VR lacks at present anything like this. Another reason I suspect the uptake of VR in its current form will always be limited is the need for the headset itself. The prospects of having something bulky and cumbersome over my eyes for any length of time, is not a good one. I suspect it is why 3D films have come and gone so many times.
More Exclusive Content for Consoles.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is to offer an exclusive Zombie mode on both the PS4 and PS5 for one year. Zombies Onslaught has two-players facing increasingly difficult waves of zombie hordes. The goal is naturally to kill the undead and survive. Zombie Onslaught mode will deploy players to locations from various multiplayer maps. Both participants have access to the custom loadouts as they do in existing Zombies and Multiplayer modes. Sounds fun for those who dig such things. But once again it highlights the divisive nature of exclusive content. It is often perceived by gamers not so much as a case of offering something bespoke to one particular group but as taking something out of a game for a significantly bigger group. I think exclusive cosmetics are a much more benign method of marketing and less likely to divide the player base.
Celebrity Guest Characters in Gaming.
Mortal Kombat has always been a shamelessly commercial franchise but because it has made no bones about this since the game’s inception, I don’t really have a problem with developers NetherRealms Studios. You know where you stand with them. As they have the publishing muscle of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment behind them they are quite creative in their choice of “celebrity guest characters”. So far the game has included Robocop (voiced by original actor Peter Weller) and The Terminator (based on Arnie’s image but without his voice acting). The next iconic screen persona to be added to the game is John J Rambo (with Stallone providing the voice). You’ll be able to do some fancy knife work, fire explosive arrows and rip out your opponents throat as a finishing move. It’s harmless fun and if I may quote Cupid Stunt “all done in the best possible taste”. And they say that creativity is dead.
Gaming News Roundup
I like to keep abreast of what’s happening in the video game industry, along with new releases and community news. So I subscribe to websites like Kotaku, GameIndustry and Massively Overpowered via Feedly. I also watch YouTube channels such as Gameranx and shows such as the Jimquisition. Often these platforms will highlight stories and issues that pique my interest. Sometimes I will feel the need to express an opinion or write a rebuttal but these talking points do not always warrant or require an entire blog article. So once again, I’ve decided to start another recurring blog post where I can highlight several of these news items and then briefly explore them. The Video Games Roundup is not meant to be a comprehensive summary of all current news. Merely items that I’ve found interesting, unusual or controversial. Sadly the latter is all too common these days.
I like to keep abreast of what’s happening in the video game industry, along with new releases and community news. So I subscribe to websites like Kotaku, GameIndustry and Massively Overpowered via Feedly. I also watch YouTube channels such as Gameranx and shows such as the Jimquisition. Often these platforms will highlight stories and issues that pique my interest. Sometimes I will feel the need to express an opinion or write a rebuttal but these talking points do not always warrant or require an entire blog article. So once again, I’ve decided to start another recurring blog post where I can highlight several of these news items and then briefly explore them. The Video Games Roundup is not meant to be a comprehensive summary of all current news. Merely items that I’ve found interesting, unusual or controversial. Sadly the latter is all too common these days.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum.
This game first appeared on my radar in March 2019 when a press release caused quite a stir among Tolkien fans. Until recently not much has been known about the gameplay apart from the fact that this is an action-adventure game, with a stealth element. Last week developers, Daedalic Entertainment, released a trailer showcasing their visualisation of the iconic character, along with a press release providing further details of the mechanics featured in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. It would appear there is a focus on a branching narrative and major story choices, The player chooses whether Sméagol or as Gollum is the dominant persona. With regard to gameplay, lead game designer Martin Wilkes stated there are similarities with Prince of Persia. All of which is very intriguing. I’m certainly curious to learn more prior to the 2021 release.
Fall Guy “Grabbers”.
Although you may think that Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is just a fun diversion in these dark days, I regret to inform you that it is the centre of a major moral, social and game development controversy. During gameplay, you can run, jump, dive and grab. The grab is designed to allow players to pull themselves up to ledges and over obstacles. It is also used in specific team games, such as the one where you have to grab a foxes tail from other players. However, humans being what they are, the grab function is also used in other more nefarious ways. Some players actively attempt to grab other players as means to prevent them from making progress and qualifying in a game. You’ll often find such players hanging around at the finishing line or loitering around obstacles in courses that are known to be difficult. Now grabbing in this fashion is part of the game and so is officially sanctioned. But it bitterly divides the playerbase. If you require further evidence of this, read the comments on this article about grabbing on Kotaku.
Text to speech “adverts” in live streams.
Many live streamers use text-to speech services to allow viewers to send them a message. Usually the message system is dependent on a donation. I’ve used such facilities before to send a humorous quip to a friend who is streaming. However, recently an advertising agency started using this text-to speech service to spam offers currently available at Burger King. As you can imagine this hasn’t gone down especially well with some streamers who do not like the idea of this messaging system being usurped for corporate advertising. From my own perspective, I don’t care for advertising per se nor the culture associated with it. I find adverts invasive and often intellectually insulting to begin with. The prospect of there being more in live streaming, which is a medium I’m already struggling to come to grips with, is essentially just another reason for me to give up and go elsewhere.
Register “for an opportunity to be one of the first to pre-order your PS5”.
There’s a lot to unpack in this statement. Essentially, Sony is anticipating a great deal of interest in their forthcoming new console but may not be able to satisfy the demand. Questions have been raised as to whether the global pandemic will impact upon manufacture and delivery of the PS5. However, a potential shortage can also provide a cunning marketing ploy if handled correctly. Which has led to Sony inviting US customers to register for the chance to pre-order. Just to clarify, that’s the “chance” to pre-order and not a guarantee of doing so. Yes, this is a campaign couched in hype, elitism and FOMO. All things that bring out the best in a gaming community, courtesy of a big, multimillion dollar corporation. The dynamic that exists between the vendor and the customer is a curious symbiotic relationship. Despite the customer having the upper hand, the opposite is often portrayed. Companies have things that you need, that they sell to you out of the goodness of their heart. Only now you have to apply to buy them. It is truly risible. What makes it sadder is that Sony will probably get away with it.