Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
I have seen 2 of the 6 films in the Resident Evil cinematic franchise. Beyond the actor Colin Salmon getting diced into cubes by some laser grid, I cannot recollect anything specific about those movies. That is how much of an impression they made upon me. My interest in the first film came from George A. Romero’s initial association with the production. However, when he left the project my attention waned. I eventually saw Resident Evil (2002) when it was released to the home media market and that was the end of the matter. It was an adequate, quick fix of entertainment and nothing more. As I had no major association with the video game franchise beyond playing Resident Evil: Code Veronica on the Dreamcast, I subsequently didn’t keep up with the subsequent movie beyond the first sequel. However, the franchise went on to gross $1.25 billion at the box office over the next 14 years.
I have seen 2 of the 6 films in the Resident Evil cinematic franchise. Beyond the actor Colin Salmon getting diced into cubes by some laser grid, I cannot recollect anything specific about those movies. That is how much of an impression they made upon me. My interest in the first film came from George A. Romero’s initial association with the production. However, when he left the project my attention waned. I eventually saw Resident Evil (2002) when it was released to the home media market and that was the end of the matter. It was an adequate, quick fix of entertainment and nothing more. As I had no major association with the video game franchise beyond playing Resident Evil: Code Veronica on the Dreamcast, I subsequently didn’t keep up with the subsequent movie beyond the first sequel. However, the franchise went on to gross $1.25 billion at the box office over the next 14 years.
So it comes as no surprise that after a gap of 5 years that the film series has now been rebooted with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. I’m sure that the success of new video games as well as remakes of earlier instalments have highlighted to the cinematic rights holders that “there's gold in them thar hills”. Like it’s predecessors Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is what is broadly termed as a “medium budget” production (between $2 - 80 million). The cast is largely made up of television actors and the majority of the film takes place in building interiors. Despite it’s $25 million production costs Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City does not look cheap. The location photography is suitably convincing and sells the idea of a remote, snowbound industrial town in the midwest American mountains. Compared to earlier films, this reboot seems to draw far more heavily upon the story and the atmosphere of the first two video games. It is this aspect that is the film’s best asset but also its weakness.
In 1998, Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) travels back to her childhood town of Raccoon City, in the mountains of the midwest. She gets a lift from a trucker who subsequently runs over a woman who appears to just step out into the road. When the pair get out to investigate, the body mysteriously vanishes leaving only a pool of blood. On arrival in Raccoon City, Claire visits her estranged brother Chris (Robbie Amell), a cop in the RPD. The police department consists of a skeleton crew as the town is being closed by its owners, the Umbrella Corporation, who are relocating their business interests elsewhere. It is not long until police officers go missing and the town inhabitants start exhibiting signs of a dangerous contagion. Claire soon discovers that Dr. William Birkin (Neal McDonough), a sinister physician from the orphanage in which she was raised, is involved in secret experiments on behalf of the Umbrella Corporation.
Movies based upon video game franchises do not have the most impressive track record with regard to being creative and innovative cinematic endeavours. My expectations for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City were very low. However, upon viewing I found the film to be satisfactory. I know this sounds very much like damning with faint praise but this is a perfectly adequate horror movie which offers an acceptable experience for those unfamiliar with the source material, as well as a reasonable interpretation of the first two games in the series. There are some clever references such as a scene where Chris is in a darkened room trying to illuminate it with a faulty zippo lighter. Each time it briefly lights it shows zombies getting closer. As the story takes place in the nineties there are some nice pop culture references such as data being held on a PalmPilot. Cinematographer, Maxime Alexandre, lights the proceedings in the style of Mario Bava. Johannes Roberts directs with enthusiasm.
To put things in perspective when I say adequate, I mean moderately entertaining. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City does not reinvent the wheel in any way, shape or form. Characters are painted with broad strokes and some function purely as Redshirts. Performances are okay but this is not really a film driven by acting prowess but by action set pieces and gore. The latter is present and sufficiently entertaining. Although there are CGI bullet hits and blood spray, there are also some quite good physical effects. As I previously mentioned the story focuses upon the claustrophobic elements of the video games and has a very straightforward narrative arc. Hence the story is somewhat simplistic. It may give those familiar with Resident Evil what they want but casual viewers only get a fairly basic linear story. However, it provides enough action and gore to suffice along with a modicum of wit and style. There are far worse horror films to invest your time in.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Broke and down on her luck, Callie Spengler along with her two children Phoebe and Trevor, inherit a farm owned by her estranged Father, Egon Spengler. Earth tremors and other unexplained incidents subsequently occur and Phoebe soon discovers her family heritage. That is the plot of Ghostbusters: Afterlife in a nutshell. If you are looking for innovation and a new take on the existing lore then you will be disappointed. This film is the embodiment of a fan service and a concerted attempt to repurpose an older franchise for a new generation. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is heavily invested in paying tribute to the original 1984 film. Rather than just make a few subtle references to the source material, director Jason Reitman bludgeons the audience with a continuous barrage of recreations of set pieces, callbacks and homages. After the first ten minutes it is quite clear what is on offer and it does at times become a little wearing. It’s a bit like watching a very good quality tribute band. But if this is what you want then you’ll be rewarded in spades.
Broke and down on her luck, Callie Spengler along with her two children Phoebe and Trevor, inherit a farm owned by her estranged Father, Egon Spengler. Earth tremors and other unexplained incidents subsequently occur and Phoebe soon discovers her family heritage. That is the plot of Ghostbusters: Afterlife in a nutshell. If you are looking for innovation and a new take on the existing lore then you will be disappointed. This film is the embodiment of a fan service and a concerted attempt to repurpose an older franchise for a new generation. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is heavily invested in paying tribute to the original 1984 film. Rather than just make a few subtle references to the source material, director Jason Reitman bludgeons the audience with a continuous barrage of recreations of set pieces, callbacks and homages. After the first ten minutes it is quite clear what is on offer and it does at times become a little wearing. It’s a bit like watching a very good quality tribute band. But if this is what you want then you’ll be rewarded in spades.
As you would expect from a tent-pole movie such as Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the production values are very high and the visual effects exemplary. Despite using modern CGI and animatronics, the look and feel of the proton packs, ghost traps and supernatural beasts is very authentic. Muncher, a new variant on Slimer, is clearly in the same idiom and an enjoyable variant. For me, the best aspect of this two hour fan service was composer Rob Simonsen’s loving recreation and adaptation of Elmer Bernstein classic score. Bernstein’s son Peter acted as consultant, providing guidance on the orchestration. Simonsen even includes a ondes martenot throughout the score, played by Cynthia Millar, who also played the same instrument on Bernstein's 1984 Ghostbusters score. Seldom does an iconic film soundtrack get so lovingly reinterpreted.
Any film centred on a cast of young or teenage actors is always taking a calculated risk as far it’s a difficult thing to get right. A few directors such as the great Joe Dante (Gremlins, Explorers and The Hole) have an inherent ability to portray young people authentically. Not everyone else fairs so well. However, in the case of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) carries the film. She is charming, funny and her burgeoning friendship with fellow nerd and social outcast, Podcast (Logan Kim) is quite droll. The teenage romance between her brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and “carhop” Lucky Domingo (Celeste O'Connor ) is not so endearing, being somewhat contrived and formulaic. The ageless Paul Rudd does compensate by providing some amusing leftfield comic relief as Gary Grooberson; Phoebe and Podcast's summer school science teacher.
For many viewers the main attraction of Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the appearance of the original actors. They are together on screen for approximately 10 minutes at the climax of the film. Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson each get a small scene to themselves during the course of the film. Ray Stanz speaks to Phoebe on the phone as a means to expedite the story. Peter Venkman has a mid-credit scene with Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) has a rather portentous post credit scene which heavily implies an immediate sequel or at least further entries in the series. Some may balk at the brevity of these vignettes but I personally found them very enjoyable. However, considering the respective age of all concerned, this was a prudent decision as an entire movie based upon their geriatric antics would have strained credibility.
Is Ghostbusters: Afterlife entertaining? Yes, I liked the majority of the film and the story did pick up after the first 30 minutes. I suspect that some content may have been removed to bring the running time down to manageable 2 hours. The town Summerville is conspicuously empty at the film’s denouement and the missing population is not explained. The humour is dry and at times surprisingly adult but the original 1984 film had a similar tone. However, I did find myself being continuously pulled out of my sense of immersion due to the hamfisted barrage of references to the source material. Fans are sometimes too close to that which they love and can lose their sense of objectivity. I certainly think that is the case here. Hence, be aware of this before watching Ghostbusters: Afterlife so you can adjust your expectations accordingly.
Why Play For Fun When You Can Play to Contribute?
In an open letter released on January 1st 2022, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda, presented a roadmap of the company’s intentions for 2022 and beyond. What made this communication so unusual was not so much the commitment to both NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and blockchain which are the current industry wide flavour of the month, but the language employed to describe the established gaming status quo, its business model as well as player motivation. It also was a timely reminder that multi billion dollar corporations ultimately have no interest in anything that they cannot generate revenue from. And again we return to a recurring problem associated with video games culture. Many gamers still do not see themselves as consumers and still erroneously think that developers and publishers are their friends and they have a different kind of relationship with them. Hopefully this letter will help lift the scales from such peoples eyes.
In an open letter released on January 1st 2022, Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda, presented a roadmap of the company’s intentions for 2022 and beyond. What made this communication so unusual was not so much the commitment to both NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and blockchain which are the current industry wide flavour of the month, but the language employed to describe the established gaming status quo, its business model as well as player motivation. It also was a timely reminder that multi billion dollar corporations ultimately have no interest in anything that they cannot generate revenue from. And again we return to a recurring problem associated with video games culture. Many gamers still do not see themselves as consumers and still erroneously think that developers and publishers are their friends and they have a different kind of relationship with them. Hopefully this letter will help lift the scales from such peoples eyes.
Now it is pertinent to consider that this is a corporate press release and that it was more than likely originally drafted and completed in Japanese. Reading through the English version it is at times a little difficult to parse and fully construe the exact sentiment being expressed. Corporate speak is very similar to political oratory and both are at times intentionally ambiguous and lend themselves to being recanted or “reinterpreted”. That being said, there is sufficient information to be able to determine the overall sentiment of the message. The quote below is especially relevant as it shows quite clearly how Square Enix perceives their customer base and what their mindset is towards them. There is a separate debate to be had about the failings of NFTs and blockchain (and I would recommend that you read Wilhelm Arcturus’ post on this for further insight) but I wish to focus more on the semantics of this statement and what that shows us about the video game industry’s philosophy.
“I realize that some people who “play to have fun” and who currently form the majority of players have voiced their reservations toward these new trends, and understandably so. However, I believe that there will be a certain number of people whose motivation is to “play to contribute,” by which I mean to help make the game more exciting. Traditional gaming has offered no explicit incentive to this latter group of people, who were motivated strictly by such inconsistent personal feelings as goodwill and volunteer spirit. This fact is not unrelated to the limitations of existing UGC (user-generated content). UGC has been brought into being solely because of individuals’ desire for self-expression and not because any explicit incentive existed to reward them for their creative efforts. I see this as one reason that there haven’t been as many major game-changing content that were user-generated as one would expect.”
When Matsuda talks about how some people play games to have “fun” there is a palpable sense of bemusement and possibly even contempt. It’s a very odd position to adopt as it is the foundation upon which the video games industry was built. Like any other business, there is an exchange of goods or services for money. In this case it is a piece of recreational software, designed to elicit amusement, mirth and enjoyment. At present Japanese gamers spend $20 billion a year in the pursuit of fun so it seems a little odd to be averse to it. But video game monetisation trends in recent years clearly show that big business per se is done with one off payments. Free to play, microtransactions, loot boxes, season passes and other live services have spearheaded a drive towards recurring monetisation. Hence, Matsuda now wants more players who “play to contribute”.
Video games have a long history of players contributing both to the games themselves and the communities that grow around them. Player created mods add value, fix long term problems and prolong a games lifespan. Guilds and social groups organise events, as well as play through content that some players would not attempt otherwise. Blogs, live streams and podcasts curate important data associated with games, build and sustain communities and often provide free public relations for the video game industry. Yet according to Matsuda “goodwill” and “volunteer spirit” are inconsistent personal feelings and are therefore unreliable. Clearly the human desire to share, help and support others out of a sense of common good is utterly alien to him. He clearly thinks that socially inclined players need a formal framework to work within. If their “goodwill” and “volunteer spirit” is monetised then it will be more dependable. Let us take a moment to reflect on the utterly bleak mindset that harbours such thoughts.
At first glance it seems illogical to eschew an existing business model that has proven lucrative, to focus on something new and untested. Such a sea change is not necessarily going to happen overnight. Gamers have already rebuffed Ubisoft’s ongoing Ubisoft Quartz project to introduce NFTs to Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. However, I would advise extreme caution in so readily dismissing such rapid change. Again I say take a look at the video games monetisation over the last decade. What is beyond the pale to a 50 something gamer is now just the way it is for a 20 year old. Also, consider the iniquities of the triple A video games industry that were frontpage news in 2021. Despite a very vocal public outcry, has it really harmed the bottom line? For every gamer who is aghast, there are two others that either don’t know or don’t give a shit. The industry knows this. Remember what former President Trump said. “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters”. The same thing applies here.
So here we are again at a crossroads. Or if not at a crossroads, at least a very clear indication of the direction that the video games industry wants to take. Turning a popular triple A game into a virtual online sweatshop is not going to be an easy task and I’m sure at some point governments and law makers will get involved. But considering how big business usually gets its way, I don’t see “play to contribute” being wished away anytime soon. If the dystopian dream of working in your leisure time and chasing some get rich scheme does arrive, I shall not participate. But others will and it could become the new normal. Our children and grandchildren may well come of age in a world where they chase a buck in absolutely every aspect of your life, be it work or play. A world with superficial modern trapping but essentially based upon Mediaeval Feudalism.
NB. When I initially read Yosuke Matsuda’s press release, I found his baffled tone in respect to human compassion, empathy and decency very reminiscent of the following Monty Python sketch. Here it is for your amusement and edification. Who said that the decline of human civilization had to be dour. We can at least laugh while it happens.
The Return of the Contains Moderate Peril Podcast
Sometimes in life, you have to stop banging on about what you want to do and just go out and do it. I was thinking, yet again, over the Christmas holidays about how I wanted to get back into podcasting and to create a regular show. Although it is always a pleasure to be a guest on Beyond Bossfights, it is not quite the same as writing and producing your own project. So I decided not to sit around and overthink things but instead to pick a subject as a talking point, start recording and see what happened. As ever, my longstanding co-host Brian was happy to participate and so joined the session. Several hours later, I had a fully edited recording that was good to go. Hence, I am pleased to announce that after a three year hiatus, the Contains Moderate Peril podcast is back. A new episode is now available for download, either via the podcast page of this site or through iTunes and Stitcher.
Sometimes in life, you have to stop banging on about what you want to do and just go out and do it. I was thinking, yet again, over the Christmas holidays about how I wanted to get back into podcasting and to create a regular show. Although it is always a pleasure to be a guest on Beyond Bossfights, it is not quite the same as writing and producing your own project. So I decided not to sit around and overthink things but instead to pick a subject as a talking point, start recording and see what happened. As ever, my longstanding co-host Brian was happy to participate and so joined the session. Several hours later, I had a fully edited recording that was good to go. Hence, I am pleased to announce that after a three year hiatus, the Contains Moderate Peril podcast is back. A new episode is now available for download, either via the podcast page of this site or through iTunes and Stitcher.
The Contains Moderate Peril podcast is intended to be a weekly fixture. The show is currently scheduled to be recorded on a Sunday to be released on Monday. The format is a single topic discussed by either myself or with a guest(s). The show is to be approximately an hour long so there’s not an excess of post production work. Why bring the podcast back you may well ask? Mainly because it’s fun to make and Brian and I have always enjoyed talking about the video games industry, film, TV and other aspects of popular culture. The podcast is an opportunity to expand the reach of Contains Moderate Peril and offers brand continuity. Talking to guests is also a great way to support and cross promotion for fellow content creators. Another reason is because people liked the show in the past. The feedback has always been positive and so there’s a potential audience already out there.
Due to the impromptu nature of the podcast recording, the audio is a little rough around the edges. At present we are recording via Discord using the online recording service Craig. I still use Audacity to edit and mix the show. However, as long as the discussion is clear I think any minor technical failings can be overlooked for the meantime. I’ll do some further sound tests during the forthcoming week. The important fact is that a new episode of the podcast has finally been produced after all the endless talk and brainstorming. For the present, I just want to get back into the habit of producing a weekly show and I’m not going to get bogged down with any plans about its long term future. Overall, I am pleased that Contains Moderate Peril is back and both Brian I look forward to receiving any feedback that listeners wish to provide.
Shatner in Space (2021)
Shatner in Space is a 45 minute documentary about the 90 year old actor, William Shatner and his recent foray into space via Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin sub-orbital spaceflight service. Considering the provenance of this entire undertaking, attitudes in general towards billionaires and the obvious publicity seeking hubris of sending a cultural icon into space, it’s easy to dismiss Shatner in Space as nothing more than a very, very expensive infomercial. However, the quiet dignity of Mr Shatner whose age and experience means that he draws a very different conclusion from his space flight than his fellow passengers, is utterly compelling and possibly a little profound. If you can endure the soulless polish of the scenes with an immaculately staged managed Jeff Bezos, then you’ll be rewarded with the philosophical musings of a man approaching the end of his life who is naturally curious about his own mortality.
Shatner in Space is a 45 minute documentary about the 90 year old actor, William Shatner and his recent foray into space via Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin sub-orbital spaceflight service. Considering the provenance of this entire undertaking, attitudes in general towards billionaires and the obvious publicity seeking hubris of sending a cultural icon into space, it’s easy to dismiss Shatner in Space as nothing more than a very, very expensive infomercial. However, the quiet dignity of Mr Shatner whose age and experience means that he draws a very different conclusion from his space flight than his fellow passengers, is utterly compelling and possibly a little profound. If you can endure the soulless polish of the scenes with an immaculately staged managed Jeff Bezos, then you’ll be rewarded with the philosophical musings of a man approaching the end of his life who is naturally curious about his own mortality.
When you consider William Shatner’s personal arc as a pop culture icon, he has matured from a young successful actor and has journeyed through the pressures of fame and success. He has gone from being reviled by his colleagues to setting aside the past and being reunited with them. He is now a venerable figure who is wiser for their life experience who wishes to do some good with the time he has left. It is therefore fascinating to see his reaction when he walks into the Blue Origin headquarters and realises that pretty much all of the staff that work there share a common dream of space travel due to the influence that he and Star Trek had upon their lives. It is clear that he recognises this and it’s moving to see his reaction. There’s no hint of ego. Just a quiet awe and a hint of pride. It is also a clear demonstration of the immense power of fame and celebrity.
Shatner in Space finds it stride towards the end of it’s relatively short running time, when we see selected footage of the 4 passengers in the capsule during launch and New Shepard’s journey to the Kármán line. During the brief period of weightlessness, the other passengers are immediately enamoured with the strangeness of the sensation. They naturally laugh and caper. 90 year old Shatner pulls himself to the window and stares into the black void of space and then down at the intense blue of the earth. He quietly states “That’s it. I’ve got it”. His personal epiphany is moving and dare I say, beautiful. He is visibly moved upon his return and where the others are vocally elated, his quiet introspection as he processes what has happened is again captivating. When he finally masters his feeling his first thoughts are that everyone should have such an experience as it affords an important perspective. Despite the corporate nature of this documentary, it has a wonderful streak of humanity, thanks to William Shatner.
Stuff to do in 2022
Regular readers will already know my position on New Year’s Resolutions. I think unrealistic, kneejerk commitments to hare-brained schemes that you know damn well won’t ever get done, are crass and tiresome. So let’s not waste each other’s time going down that route. I like sensible, realistic, attainable goals and that is exactly what I am setting myself for 2022. I want to increase my writing output this year because my drafts folder is filled with posts and ideas that haven’t quite been completed. Essentially this comes down to making the time to finish these articles and possibly embracing a somewhat briefer writing style. I’m also going to try and see if I can grow the existing audience for Contains Moderate Peril. I have some ideas as to how to do this and none of them really require any additional resources. It simply comes down to doing the required work and staying motivated. I believe that I meet both of those requirements.
Regular readers will already know my position on New Year’s Resolutions. I think unrealistic, kneejerk commitments to hare-brained schemes that you know damn well won’t ever get done, are crass and tiresome. So let’s not waste each other’s time going down that route. I like sensible, realistic, attainable goals and that is exactly what I am setting myself for 2022. I want to increase my writing output this year because my drafts folder is filled with posts and ideas that haven’t quite been completed. Essentially this comes down to making the time to finish these articles and possibly embracing a somewhat briefer writing style. I’m also going to try and see if I can grow the existing audience for Contains Moderate Peril. I have some ideas as to how to do this and none of them really require any additional resources. It simply comes down to doing the required work and staying motivated. I believe that I meet both of those requirements.
I’m 5’11 and weigh 189lbs (13st 7lb/85.7kg). According to the UK NHS BMI calculator I have a BMI of 26.4 which is a little too high. For a person of my height, age and ethnicity I should have a BMI between 18.5 and 25. My weight theoretically should be between 132lbs (9st 6lb/59.8kg) and 179lbs) (12st 11lb/81.1kg). However, BMI index is a disputed and inaccurate measure of body fat content as it does not take into account muscle mass, bone density and overall body composition. Yet the reality remains that at present, my clothes are all a little too snug and the “extra weight” which I carry on my chest gets in the way and has an adverse effect upon my physical activity. Hence I shall be changing my eating habits in the months to come and aiming to lose about 14 to 21lbs. I’ve done this before and I need to do it again. Structured meals, no snacks and a substantial reduction in my alcohol consumption is the way forward. No excuses, just adherence to a sensible regime.
Mrs P bought me a pair of walking shoes as a birthday gift a few weeks ago. Specifically Men’s Trailstorm Mid Waterproof Walking Shoe from Columbia Sportswear. Due to life getting in the way, I only just got around to walking any distance in them. Thankfully my research paid off and they have proven to be a good fit and offer exactly the sort of support that my feet need. Most of the walking that I do is through woodland and grassland, hence I didn’t need heavy footwear for rocky trails and mountain hiking. The Trailstorm is robust, comfortable and able to keep out the elements. Also, having opted for a black pair, they can be worn with a wider variety of clothes without looking too out of place. I intend to do at least one major walk each month this year. I am currently looking at existing trails and paths in my immediate vicinity. London is fortunately filled with plenty of open spaces and parks, so I’m spoilt for choice.
Looking back at last year’s plan I did manage to broadly adhere to it. My writing routine did improve when I got up at a fixed time each morning and started preparing posts for the day ahead. Unfortunately real life messed up my schedule. Keeping a physical “to do” list in a journal certainly paid dividends. Admin tasks and paperwork were kept under control in 2021. Mind you a lot of it was the sort of bureaucracy that you can’t afford to ignore. I even found a podcast to gatecrash and I’m very grateful to both Braxwolf and DJ Pimp Daddy for allowing me to appear on Beyond Bossfights. Sadly my dream to adapt The Golden Voyage of Sinbad into a West End musical still remains unrealised. Obviously this is still due to the pandemic and has nothing to do with my lack of musical ability. This idea remains on the proverbial back burner, along with Twister on a duvet cover and travel kabaddi.
Goodbye 2021
When I wrote Goodbye 2020 a year ago, I endeavoured to be philosophical and sanguine in my approach. It was a challenging year for all of us and for me it was further compounded by a bereavement. However, I strove to keep matters in perspective and tried to look at things in a broader context. I cannot be as even handed this time. 2021 has been a very difficult year for myself and my family and I will be glad to see the back of it. Nationally speaking, things haven’t been much better. I feel that we’ve squandered the initial progress that the COVID-19 vaccines offered. Obviously, I cannot do anything about the problems that the UK faces in 2022. However, I certainly intend to address some of the issues that I and my immediate family are facing. I am going to tackle some specific problems that need to be laid to rest and set myself some tangible goals to achieve. 2022 isn’t going to be something that just happens and I passively sit back and watch.
When I wrote Goodbye 2020 a year ago, I endeavoured to be philosophical and sanguine in my approach. It was a challenging year for all of us and for me it was further compounded by a bereavement. However, I strove to keep matters in perspective and tried to look at things in a broader context. I cannot be as even handed this time. 2021 has been a very difficult year for myself and my family and I will be glad to see the back of it. Nationally speaking, things haven’t been much better. I feel that we’ve squandered the initial progress that the COVID-19 vaccines offered. Obviously, I cannot do anything about the problems that the UK faces in 2022. However, I certainly intend to address some of the issues that I and my immediate family are facing. I am going to tackle some specific problems that need to be laid to rest and set myself some tangible goals to achieve. 2022 isn’t going to be something that just happens and I passively sit back and watch.
Rather than focus on the negatives, let’s reflect upon the positives. One of the best things that did happen in 2021 was the Blaugust Festival of Blogging. I really do find this yearly event to be very motivating and it is always a pleasure to see new writers starting out and absent friends return. Trying something new, especially something creative is always a lot easier if you have a community to draw upon for advice, support and friendship. It’s also very encouraging to see over 40 blogs in my RSS feed, still actively writing on a regular basis, sharing their thoughts and ideas. It certainly counters that persistent and erroneous narrative that blogging is dead. Furthermore the Discord server created for Blaugust continues to be active throughout the year, which is also very gratifying. A community that continues talking and sharing after the event is clearly a success.
I managed to maintain a fairly regular writing regime this year although that went awry in December due to illness in the family. I intend to increase my output in 2022 as I still feel that I have things to say on a great many matters and that all too often I miss the opportunity to do so just through poor time management. I shall therefore attempt to return to a morning writing schedule, as that seems to be the optimal time of day for me. I have also planned some side projects that I will be announcing in due course. Often it is all too easy to become more enamoured with planning a project rather than actually starting it. I intend to avoid this pitfall this year. I shall also try to be more encouraging to others. I know so many talented people with interesting ideas, who sadly never follow through on them for one reason or another. Perhaps a little nudge will provide the impetus needed.
Usually the closing paragraph of these sorts of posts are either philosophical, motivational or sarcastic. A pithy summation of events of the previous year and one’s hopes and aspirations for the forthcoming one. Frankly, I’m just keen to draw a line under 2021 and move on. I recently hit 54 and I’m very conscious that I am now embarking upon a very different phase of my life compared to that which has gone before. There are important matters that I need to sort out to ensure that life is both manageable and tolerable. I certainly feel motivated at present and so I need to capitalise upon that. Best wishes to all who have supported Contains Moderate Peril over the last twelve months. It is satisfying to know that I’m not just yelling into the void. I’m going to just keep going. I hope that you do the same.
A Year in Technology
Getting older does have a few benefits. One of them, if you are fortunate enough to embrace the concept, is a degree of self awareness and the ability to be honest with yourself. Over the years I have tried to adjust my technological habits but ultimately I am a creature of habit. My use of technology and consumption of content has been determined by the decades I grew up in. Therefore, I am a PC user and prefer to sit in my office where I write, play games and peruse the internet. I have my desk set up in a way that suits my needs and I can go about my business in comfort. When away from my office, I rely heavily on my phone as an alternative platform. In some instances phone based apps offer a superior experience to the desktop or browser based PC alternatives. Banking being one example. For better or for worse this is how I do things and I am comfortable with these choices.
Getting older does have a few benefits. One of them, if you are fortunate enough to embrace the concept, is a degree of self awareness and the ability to be honest with yourself. Over the years I have tried to adjust my technological habits but ultimately I am a creature of habit. My use of technology and consumption of content has been determined by the decades I grew up in. Therefore, I am a PC user and prefer to sit in my office where I write, play games and peruse the internet. I have my desk set up in a way that suits my needs and I can go about my business in comfort. When away from my office, I rely heavily on my phone as an alternative platform. In some instances phone based apps offer a superior experience to the desktop or browser based PC alternatives. Banking being one example. For better or for worse this is how I do things and I am comfortable with these choices.
At present, possibly the most redundant piece of tech hardware I own is my Amazon Fire HD 10. It’s a nice size tablet and the specs were fairly robust back in Autumn 2018 when I bought it. But on a day to day basis I simply don’t use it. The Kindle book function was its main selling point but Audible has lured me into the world of audiobooks which I prefer. I would hazard a guess that I’ve probably only turned on this device 3 times during the course of 2021. I suspect I may sell this device in 2022, not because I’m averse to mobile “culture” per se but because my phone already meets all my needs in this respect. My Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, which I had since December 2019, is the most robust handset I’ve owned. It has a large screen and a powerful processor and outperforms the tablet in every respect.
Looking back over the last twelve months most of my technology based purchases have been either replacements or upgrades to existing items. I’ve written previously about how I seem to kill PC peripherals and 2021 was no exception. I had to replace an Xbox controller and a USB microphone this year. Sadly the latter still hasn’t been used in conjunction with the Bluetooth Earbuds. However, I am very pleased with the Soundbar I bought in the Summer and am impressed by the quality of the audio. It has certainly improved the cable management of my office desk. My recent acquisition of a laptop has also proven beneficial as I have had to spend an increasing amount of time at my parent house this year. I must reiterate my surprise at how much laptops have improved in recent years with regard to specifications, performance and weight.
As I write this post, the elephant in the room actually resides on the left hand side of my desk. The jury is still out as to whether the Nintendo Switch was a good purchase or not. It gets used for social gameplay, when we have guests (usually my granddaughters). I relocate the device to the lounge and connect it to the TV. However, I seldom use it for handheld gaming and I’m not even sure if this is down to not finding the right game. Fundamentally, I think that playing video games in this way just isn’t for me. Furthermore, if I were to obtain any other form of console, I suspect that I wouldn’t really get on with them either. For me gaming is done on the PC, predominantly with a keyboard and mouse. Anything else just doesn’t feel “right”. However, I shall keep the Switch and possibly buy a few more social games in 2022. Although I don’t use it that often it is very well received by my grandchildren.
At present, I have no immediate plans to buy any more tech in the New Year. A new television may well be required at some point in the next twelve months as the current one is reaching the end of its lifespan. There is also the possibility of our existing Internet Service Provider offering Fibre to the Premises in April. My dreams of a 100Mbps connection could become a reality. Apparently, I’m eligible for a mobile phone handset upgrade in February. A decade ago this would have thrilled me and I would have spent hours pawing over reviews and comparisons websites. At present the prospect elicits no more than a roll of the eyes. All of which is indicative of a shift in my relationship with technology. A relationship which I am now truly comfortable with. After all “the tail doesn’t wag the dog”.
A Year in Gaming
Usually in a post such as this, my primary focus would be writing about the games that I’ve played over the last twelve month and what it was about them that I specifically enjoyed. However, this year I feel that I must address the wider issues that have dominated the news regarding the video games industry. Simply put, several very high profile and successful triple A video game companies have been beset by scandals over the last twelve months. And these have been of such a nature that they have finally laid to rest the myth that some still cling to, that working “in video games” is somehow different from working in more traditional industries because it’s “cool”. It turns out that it has all the same failings as TV, music and film. The people at the top are abusive and broken and maltreat those at the coalface who do all the real work for precious little reward.
Usually in a post such as this, my primary focus would be writing about the games that I’ve played over the last twelve month and what it was about them that I specifically enjoyed. However, this year I feel that I must address the wider issues that have dominated the news regarding the video games industry. Simply put, several very high profile and successful triple A video game companies have been beset by scandals over the last twelve months. And these have been of such a nature that they have finally laid to rest the myth that some still cling to, that working “in video games” is somehow different from working in more traditional industries because it’s “cool”. It turns out that it has all the same failings as TV, music and film. The people at the top are abusive and broken and maltreat those at the coalface who do all the real work for precious little reward.
Hence, I feel that there is now a moral dilemma in buying games from certain companies and that their products are in a way “tainted”. The same way as there is shopping at certain stores that are known for their unethical practises. However, a consumer boycott is not always the most effective form of protest and on occasions can do more harm to those parties one wishes to demonstrate a degree of solidarity with. However, one can still voice one’s unhappiness with the situation and that is what seems to be happening at present. Negative PR seldom goes unnoticed and as and when it impacts upon share prices, the message eventually reaches the top of the food chain. Action gets taken sooner or later but what the Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft and Bungie scandals highlight are a wider societal malaise. The abhorrent behaviour that we’ve read about seems to be ingrained in specific socioeconomic stratas. Fixing that is a much harder issue than just replacing a few managers and CEOs.
Moving on from how shitty the video game industry seems to be, personally speaking this has not been the most exciting year for my relationship with video games. As 2021 draws to an end my PC’s hard drive is filled with games that I’ve abandoned and become bored with. Cyberpunk 2077, GreedFall and Days Gone are a few examples of games that showed promise but became somewhat routine and pedestrian. I did enjoy my first major foray into the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Black Flag proved to have an engaging story and an unusual setting, hence I completed the game. My gaming mainstays, the MMORPGs The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online, also kept me busy this year. This was mainly due to the way this genre lends itself to “quick fix” gaming. STO in particular continuously runs events that afford the player a reason to log in and undertake a quick task. Yet despite this engagement, I don’t feel I’ve done anything significant in either game.
The jury is still out as to whether my Nintendo Switch has been a good or bad investment. It gets used mainly when my granddaughters come to visit and then Mario Kart is a firm favourite. But personally I have yet to find a game that enthrals me. I think I’m just culturally conditioned to do my gaming on a PC. And in other news, my love hate relationship with Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout continues. There is fun to be had playing this game but the moment specific races and events appear, they instantly kill my passion. I have still yet to win a crown. This failure to achieve this particular goal bothers the heck out of me. I suspect that overall, my relationship with gaming is shifting. As a pastime it is becoming very much like mainstream cinema. There’s no shortage of content but it’s all rather generic, formulaic and mediocre.
As for 2022, well for the present I shall just continue to push on with LOTRO and STO. I have nearly finished the new expansion in LOTRO, Fate of Gundabad and have reached the current level cap of 140. I finally got on top of the new Legendary Item system and have managed to create a rather robust new weapon. I think I may soon make a return to The Elder Scrolls Online and see what content I have waiting for me. I usually enjoy playing for a few months continuously and feel that subscribing improves the overall experience. I shall also keep a weather eye on the video game industry to see if and how it bounces back from the recent scandals assailing it. It already looks like the player uptake of NFTs is not going to be as easy as some publishers have anticipated. Maybe I’ll chance upon some hidden video game gems in the next 12 months and my enthusiasm will be restored. Time will tell.
A Christmas Carol (1954)
This 1954 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a distinctly studio bound US television production. It was in fact the fourth episode of an anthology variety show called A Shower of Stars. Originally filmed and broadcast in colour, only black and white prints now survive. The production boasts a script by noted American playwright Maxwell Anderson. Due to the 48 minute running time (without commercial breaks) the narrative is heavily abridged and often it is only the story’s most basic themes which are dramatically interpreted. It stars Fredric March who plays Scrooge as a cool and indifferent man, rather than the usual shrill old miser. However, despite his presence his performance cannot save the production. Most of the other cast members are far from accomplished and at times their acting borders on the amateur.
This 1954 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a distinctly studio bound US television production. It was in fact the fourth episode of an anthology variety show called A Shower of Stars. Originally filmed and broadcast in colour, only black and white prints now survive. The production boasts a script by noted American playwright Maxwell Anderson. Due to the 48 minute running time (without commercial breaks) the narrative is heavily abridged and often it is only the story’s most basic themes which are dramatically interpreted. It stars Fredric March who plays Scrooge as a cool and indifferent man, rather than the usual shrill old miser. However, despite his presence his performance cannot save the production. Most of the other cast members are far from accomplished and at times their acting borders on the amateur.
Music and song plays an integral part of this version. Although not a full blown musical, there is an itinerant group of carol singers that seem to grow in size, who regularly regale the viewers with expository songs. Plus many characters sing at some point. Others do not. It’s all rather inconsistent and confusing. The songs are mainly designed to underpin the story's themes. At times they are used as a means to bridge scenes or expedite the story without an excess of dialogue. Unfortunately the songs, also written by Maxwell Anderson, are weak and superfluous. Some are actually annoying. However, the orchestral score and incidental music by the great Bernard Herrmann is striking. At times it has a very eerie and foreboding quality, with its use of strings and choir vocalisation. But alas, there’s far too little of it.
There are very few original ideas featured in this adaptation. The Spirit of Christmas Past and The Spirit of Christmas Present look like Scrooge’s lost love Belle and nephew respectively. This is because they are played by the same actors. I initially thought this was a visual conceit used for narrative reasons but it is more than likely due to the budgetary restrictions. The screenplay attempts to focus on Scrooge’s failed relationship as the main cause of his abhorrent nature. Unfortunately, it dwells a little too long upon the matter. There’s an excruciating song that Belle and Scrooge sing at Fezziwig’s Christmas party. The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come is not even shown. Scrooge merely “looks within himself” and has a revelatory vision of a graveyard with both his and Tiny Tim’s names upon the tombstones. This proves sufficient shock therapy to reform Scrooge’s nature.
Despite the presence of quality actors such as Fredric March and Basil Rathbone who plays Marley’s Ghost, this is a rather poor adaptation which is actually quite hard to sit through. Rathbone, covered in cobwebs, rambles through the poorly condensed dialogue. “I come out of torment. I come to help your soul avoid eternal misery”. Well, not watching this particular adaptation is possibly a good place to start. The contract TV actors chew the low budget scenery and incessantly assail you with tedious and never ending songs. And then to utterly mitigate the underlying theme of poverty, Scrooge invites himself to Bob Cratchit’s meagre Christmas Dinner. It is as illogical as it is risible. Hence, there is precious little to recommend about this version of A Christmas Carol. I would only suggest watching it if you are a completionist or a consummate fan of the two main leads. Casual viewers should seek out a more competent adaptation.
A Year in Social Media
I can’t speak for others but my relationship with social media has certainly changed over the last two years. Whenever new internet technologies emerge, there is a brief period when it feels like some sort of new frontier. Often such innovations become a means of empowering the marginalised and the voiceless. For a while new platforms can even be a force for good. But eventually commercial interests creep in along with rules and regulations. Hence, it all inevitably takes a turn for the worst. The frontier is finally tamed and ends up being just another corporate space. Social media is certainly not a forum for discussing social issues or politics, instead being a medium for tribalism and rancour. Because of these factors and others, I have moderated my use of social media and it has proven extremely beneficial to my state of mind.
I can’t speak for others but my relationship with social media has certainly changed over the last two years. Whenever new internet technologies emerge, there is a brief period when it feels like some sort of new frontier. Often such innovations become a means of empowering the marginalised and the voiceless. For a while new platforms can even be a force for good. But eventually commercial interests creep in along with rules and regulations. Hence, it all inevitably takes a turn for the worst. The frontier is finally tamed and ends up being just another corporate space. Social media is certainly not a forum for discussing social issues or politics, instead being a medium for tribalism and rancour. Because of these factors and others, I have moderated my use of social media and it has proven extremely beneficial to my state of mind.
A decade ago, I thought that using social media to promote my writing would be an invaluable tool and have positive results. Reflecting upon that now, I can't help but raise a wry smile at such naivety. Over the last twelve months, the amount of traffic to Contains Moderate Peril which is directly attributable to social media is just over 1%. Thus as a promotional tool, for me at least, it isn’t really worth the bother. Occasionally a Tweet about a game specific story may get a degree of traction with its player community but even then, it will only result in 100 or so additional visits to the post. Google is the primary source of people finding my writing and social media promotion has proven ineffective. Plus writing a blog doesn’t really lend itself to a presence on TikTok or Instagram. Platforms geared towards brevity and the concise delivery of targeted content, don’t really suit long from written material.
So after dabbling with instagram, I’ve ceased to actively participate on the platform. I mainly use it now to keep up to date with what my immediate family are doing, especially my granddaughters. Facebook is another medium I no longer use or check. I think the main reason I stopped using it was because rather than being a means to cross promote material, it simply became its own ecosystem which wasn’t especially helpful. As for older forms of social media such as forums and subreddits, they seem to be rapidly falling by the wayside. Many of the ones that I’ve used over the years, associated with specific games or types of fandom, have either closed down or dwindled into insignificance. Or they just become monopolised by a small cadre of dedicated posters who treat it as their own personal fiefdom. It often leads to an extremely partisan environment and hardly a suitable medium for debate and discussion.
Discord continues to be somewhat of a paradox, from my perspective. It’s a great way to chat and answer immediate enquiries. It’s also a solid foundation for a social group. However it is not exactly useful for archiving discussions and information. I feel it is a medium that deals in the here and now and although very useful it ultimately is very ephemeral. Yet many traditional gaming communities are moving to this platform, which I find somewhat confusing. Because it doesn’t offer the range of services that a traditional forum does. You can organise and manage events perfectly on Discord. But you cannot curate information and easily search for older content. I also feel that a Discord community over a certain size of active contributors is too hard to keep up with. You either follow it 24/7 or it eludes you.
As the year nears its end, I find myself using Twitter as my primary social media platform. I stopped following numerous twitter accounts earlier in spring, especially those associated with political and social commentary. I find that not having vast amounts of controversy and daily brouhahas flooding my timeline is extremely good for my psychological equilibrium. I mainly use Twitter now as a means of staying in touch with my online friends whose company I enjoy immensely. Overall, I’m finding the novelty of social media to be ebbing away and its practical benefits are overrated. Reaching large groups of potential customers is fine for business. Being exposed to excessive amounts of random members of the public is neither edifying, desirable or fun. I suspect that I shall continue to refine my social media experience in 2022.
Caring for the Elderly Part 14
It has been over a year since I’ve written about this subject. The last post was about my late Father’s funeral. Since then life has gone on and my Mother’s ongoing care has become a fixed and somewhat uneventful regime. There are benefits to be gained from such a routine as it offers stability and certainty for both the carer and person being cared for. However, recently there has been a significant change in the status quo that warrants writing about. As always, my desire is to share some points and present my personal experiences in the hope that they may prove useful and informative to those in a similar situation or who may be just embarking upon their caring journey. The main subject of this post is a difficult one and something that is very hard to come to terms with. It is dementia. A medical condition that affects 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 in the UK.
It has been over a year since I’ve written about this subject. The last post was about my late Father’s funeral. Since then life has gone on and my Mother’s ongoing care has become a fixed and somewhat uneventful regime. There are benefits to be gained from such a routine as it offers stability and certainty for both the carer and person being cared for. However, recently there has been a significant change in the status quo that warrants writing about. As always, my desire is to share some points and present my personal experiences in the hope that they may prove useful and informative to those in a similar situation or who may be just embarking upon their caring journey. The main subject of this post is a difficult one and something that is very hard to come to terms with. It is dementia. A medical condition that affects 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 in the UK.
Dementia is a term used to describe a spectrum of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with a patient's daily life. It isn't a specific disease per se. Several diseases can cause dementia. Though dementia generally involves memory loss, such symptoms have many different causes. Having memory loss alone doesn't mean you have dementia, although it's often one of the early signs of the condition. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of a progressive dementia in older adults but there are a number of other causes of dementia. Damage to or loss of nerve cells connected to the brain is the most common. Depending on which part of the brain is damaged, dementia can affect people differently and cause different symptoms. Depending on the cause, some dementia symptoms can be reversible. Others are progressive.
Due to my Mother’s lack of mobility she spends her days confined to one room. Each day she is washed and dressed with the assistance of carers and then transferred from her hospital bed to an orthopaedic chair in her room. Reading is her main form of entertainment. Due to her failing eyesight and hearing she has abandoned TV and music. She sadly reached this state of health just as the pandemic started in early 2020, so most of the home support services that usually are available have not been accessible. Hence visitors, day trips outside of the home, access to activity groups and physiotherapy have not been a regular option. Hence her engagement with the world is limited to myself, my sister and a handful of carers. Occasionally there have been visits from wider family but most of her peers and her own family have died. At the age of 91, my Mother has found herself socially isolated by ill health and circumstance. Her days are long, uneventful and she has nothing but her own thoughts and memories to reflect upon.
We all talk to ourselves from time to time when alone, and so I did not think it unusual when my Mother initially started doing this. Considering her environment and routine, it seemed quite logical. However, last weekend I noticed that it was a far more complicated dialogue that she was having. Instead of making the odd comment to jolly herself along like “oh you’ve lost your place in the book again. Where did I put that bookmark”, her conversations started becoming clearly addressed to third parties. Furthermore, these conversations were clearly upsetting her. Then this week, the morning carers started noticing that my Mother was agitated and engaged in arguments with people who were not there. She would become quite upset and cry. So when a convenient opportunity presented itself, I decided to broach the subject with her when she was having a calm moment. I was both heartbroken and fascinated by her comments.
My Mother is currently hearing voices. It would appear that her inner monologue and her subconscious thoughts are manifesting themselves as external voices. You or I may sometimes think when we’re down “have I made the right choices in my life” or “what will become of me”. For my Mother these thoughts manifest themselves as voices, external to herself. Often they will be the voices of deceased family members and friends. Often the conversations are very negative. It would appear the voices are encouraging her to be distrustful and are misleading her. What made this all the more troubling is that as my Mother told me this, she was lucid and clear. She paused from time to time because she was hearing another conversation in parallel while explaining things to me. Furthermore, she knows that this situation isn’t right and suspects that she is unwell. When I suggested she may have an infection she said quite candidly, “No, this is my imagination talking to me and I can’t stop it. I’m old and broken”.
Needless to say I called the family Doctor’s Surgery and a GP came to the home and thoroughly examined my Mother. No signs of an infection were found and subsequent tests have proven negative. My Mother may have had another stroke but the diagnosis is currently pointing to dementia. It does run in my Mother’s family. She has been referred to the Frailty Clinic. This specialist team conducts a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment process to understand a person’s health and social care needs. The assessment enables early interventions to be tailored-made to the individual, to optimise their health and ensure a better quality of life. Interventions can include changes to medication, referral onto other services as well as discussing preferences for future care. The appointment is followed with a letter to the GP, summarising the clinic assessment outcomes and any recommendations. As present this service may be reduced due to current COVID-19 precautions but it does sound hopeful and interesting.
If my Mother is confirmed to have dementia and that the long term prognosis is that it will get worse over time, then the immediate practical question is how does this impact upon her ongoing care at home. Initial discussions with the Doctor focused upon whether my Mother is a danger to herself. At present this is not the case therefore, if we set aside for a moment my Mother’s auditory hallucinations and the upset it causes her, her daily care needs can be met. The carers are used to dealing with patients with such symptoms and so far my Mother’s eating and recreational habits have remained the same. However, one cannot ignore the emotional trauma that both my Mother, myself and my sister feel about the reality of the situation. I think the most harrowing aspect at present is that my Mother knows that she is not well.
I count myself fortunate that I live in a Borough where the NHS support services are quite robust. My local Doctors Surgery are also invaluable. So far everything that has been discussed as far as treatment has been done. A District Nurse came earlier today to take bloods to do comprehensive testing. I don’t feel abandoned in any way by the authorities. Maintaining a positive outlook, supporting my Mother and keeping an eye on my Sister’s wellbeing is a harder task. I find that if I engage with my Mother she stays relatively calm. However, I cannot be with her all day, everyday as I have other people dependent upon me. At present I am adopting a very “here and now” approach to this situation and I feel that is the best policy. Deal with things as and when they occur and don’t worry about what may happen a month or two from now. Writing about things is also a useful means for me to come to terms with them. In the meantime I shall keep concentrating on supporting my Mother.
Ubisoft and NFTs
Yesterday, Ubisoft announced Ubisoft Quartz, an NFT initiative which allows players to buy artificially rare digital items in-game, using a bespoke cryptocurrency. According to the press release, by using Ubisoft Quartz players can purchase “Digits”. “Digits” are items such as in-game weapons, vehicles and cosmetic items. Players can acquire these via limited drops and can either collect or sell them, via crypto wallets. The items have serial numbers to validate their unique or limited status. Ubisoft Quartz utilises Tezos, a proof-of-stake currency. Ubisoft plans to launch Quartz in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint on December 9th, 2021. The first three of the “Digit” drops will be free to players who then sign up to the service via the company’s app. These items will be limited-time in their availability.
Yesterday, Ubisoft announced Ubisoft Quartz, an NFT initiative which allows players to buy artificially rare digital items in-game, using a bespoke cryptocurrency. According to the press release, by using Ubisoft Quartz players can purchase “Digits”. “Digits” are items such as in-game weapons, vehicles and cosmetic items. Players can acquire these via limited drops and can either collect or sell them, via crypto wallets. The items have serial numbers to validate their unique or limited status. Ubisoft Quartz utilises Tezos, a proof-of-stake currency. Ubisoft plans to launch Quartz in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint on December 9th, 2021. The first three of the “Digit” drops will be free to players who then sign up to the service via the company’s app. These items will be limited-time in their availability.
Ubisoft have stated that their NFTs will be sold outside of their own ecosystem so that players are more in control “than ever.” Unlike the Steam marketplace, where items such as trading cards, CS:GO skins and Team Fortress 2 cosmetics only exist and can be sold within Steam’s own bespoke ecosystem, Ubisoft Quartz “Digits” can be traded on a distributed blockchain outside of the publisher’s own environment. Tezos, the decentralised, open-source proof of stake blockchain network which Ubisoft has chosen to go into business partnership with, have made the following statement about “Digits”. Because ownership is tracked on the blockchain, a piece of art might become valuable based entirely on who’s owned it in the past”. Thus highlighting not only the collectible aspect of these NFTs but positioning them also as memorabilia with authenticated provenance.
In many ways this is a watershed moment for the gaming industry. A milestone where a so-called premium triple A publisher finally declares without any misdirection or obfuscation, that their primary focus is making money and quality video games are much, much further down the list. Now it’s hardly a revelation to learn that any company wants to make money but to do so you usually need a good product to begin with. However, monolithic corporations like Ubisoft seem to have strayed beyond this point. Rather than generating revenue from a high quality product, games are now a host for a more inherently parasitic source of revenue. Introducing NFTs into mainstream video games will ultimately change their overall dynamic and certainly impact upon their playerbase. Virtual worlds could become sweatshops and gaming communities could see entrepreneurs and commodity speculators joining their ranks, What times we live in.
Internet Service Providers and Choice
I would like to make my point by recounting a tale that hopefully demonstrates it. Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin. I am trying to find a new Internet Service Provider for my Mother’s home. The existing one, British Telecom, cannot meet the parameters of the service contract that’s in place. Simply put, the existing fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) connection is unstable and drops 40+ times a day. We’ve had 6 engineer visits in the last 3 months and the problem hasn’t been resolved. It probably won’t because the issue is specifically at the cabinet and I cannot see BT making major changes to such a major piece of infrastructure for the benefits of just one customer. The problem with trying to find another ISP is that they mostly provide FTTC connections, so any new internet connection will still include the “troublesome” cabinet that then links to my Mother’s house. Hence I will more than likely just be swapping one poor quality internet connection for another.
I would like to make my point by recounting a tale that hopefully demonstrates it. Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin. I am trying to find a new Internet Service Provider for my Mother’s home. The existing one, British Telecom, cannot meet the parameters of the service contract that’s in place. Simply put, the existing fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) connection is unstable and drops 40+ times a day. We’ve had 6 engineer visits in the last 3 months and the problem hasn’t been resolved. It probably won’t because the issue is specifically at the cabinet and I cannot see BT making major changes to such a major piece of infrastructure for the benefits of just one customer. The problem with trying to find another ISP is that they mostly provide FTTC connections, so any new internet connection will still include the “troublesome” cabinet that then links to my Mother’s house. Hence I will more than likely just be swapping one poor quality internet connection for another.
If I want to bypass this problem, I need a fibre to the premises (FTTP) connection. That means running an additional fibre optic line from the cabinet to my Mother’s home which is two streets away. No ISP in the area currently does this for home connections, due to the installation costs. They will for a new business connection and a long term contract but the price for this is prohibitive for home users. However, cable TV provider Virgin can provide a fibre connection but to do so means digging up the drive in front of the house to connect their network. This is a significant amount of work with a similar cost implication. Plus for ethical reasons I try to avoid doing business with Virgin. The only other alternative is a mobile internet solution using 5G. It has been rolled out in South East London but the coverage is “patchy”. Hence it would appear that no company can provide me with a stable 50Mbps internet connection at present.
Because I live in Greater London it can be argued that I have far more choice with regard to Internet Service Providers compared to other parts of the UK. In principle that is true. I have friends and family that live in more rural areas and they are often stuck with just one possible supplier and that is BT. Often this means that the only services available are low grade ADSL connections and nothing else. However, as my situation demonstrates, the so-called choice available in urban areas is often an illusion, amounting ultimately to nothing more than “same meat, different gravy”. Until fibre to the premises and other wireless solutions becomes commonplace, many ISPs will remain reliant upon legacy BT infrastructure and therefore at risk of being hamstrung by issues arising from it.
What makes this matter far more galling is the fact that the UK allegedly has one of the largest and competitive markets for domestic home internet services in the world. A Google search shows that hundreds of ISPs exist in this sector offering a growing number of alternative network platforms as well. However, although I do not doubt this, many of these companies seem to be concentrated in specific parts of the UK due to population density and existing infrastructure and therefore aren’t accessible to customers elsewhere. It’s the same situation we’ve endured for years with regard to rail, bus and postal services. Businesses naturally favour areas which have the most lucrative potential return on investment. Hence for me and many other UK customers seeking stable, functional internet access at acceptable speeds, choice is still a loaded term and isn’t necessarily available despite advertisements to the contrary.
LOTRO on Consoles
When EG7 bought the Daybreak Game Company over a year ago, they mentioned in a subsequent investor report that a console port was being considered for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. This was met with a degree of scepticism by the player community who saw it mainly as speculative marketing. However, one year on and EG7 has referenced a potential console version yet again. Their Q3 2021 investor report lists a “release on consoles” as a medium term goal. The fact that this idea has been mentioned twice within a 12 month period is interesting. Investor reports are public information so EG7 no doubt knew that this “talking point” would find its way into the wider gaming press. It certainly means that the concept now warrants some serious consideration from LOTRO players.
When EG7 bought the Daybreak Game Company over a year ago, they mentioned in a subsequent investor report that a console port was being considered for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. This was met with a degree of scepticism by the player community who saw it mainly as speculative marketing. However, one year on and EG7 has referenced a potential console version yet again. Their Q3 2021 investor report lists a “release on consoles” as a medium term goal. The fact that this idea has been mentioned twice within a 12 month period is interesting. Investor reports are public information so EG7 no doubt knew that this “talking point” would find its way into the wider gaming press. It certainly means that the concept now warrants some serious consideration from LOTRO players.
From a technical perspective porting an ageing Windows based MMORPG from 2007 over to the latest generation of consoles is a major project. The UI as it exists in the game at present is cluttered and doesn’t scale well for higher resolutions. Plus the layout of skills is designed for point and click mouse access. The game textures also do not fare well at 4K plus the character models and animations are somewhat dated. Then there are issues regarding lag, hitching that are zone specific. Also tearing, the draw distance, the environmental “pop in”, clipping, loading times and possibly a hundred other issues. And if you are fixing all of these fundamental issues, wouldn’t it be wise to also address LOTRO’s long standing lack of comprehensive voice acting? Will a modern console audience want to play a game that still heavily relies on text driven dialogue?
Then there are further issues stemming from a successful conversion to both the latest Playstation and Xbox consoles. It is doubtful that crossplay is going to be implemented as it hasn’t been done so for other MMOs that have been converted. Both Star Trek Online and The Elder Scrolls Online have separate servers to accommodate console players. Thus a port for LOTRO would also require a new server system to support the game which no doubt comes at a significant cost. It can be argued that LOTRO’s PC server environment is lacking at present which raises the question as to whether there would be any changes to this infrastructure. In fact the more one thinks about this “project” the more it seems like a very capital intensive undertaking. Such an investment would have to be driven by some pretty compelling financial predictions. EG7 has referenced several times the potential interest the IP may receive due to the Amazon Prime Middle-earth television production that launches next year. Is that itself a big enough incentive?
However, there is an alternative train of thought to consider inlight of the choice of words EG7 have used in their latest investor report. Specifically “a major revamp to upgrade the visuals, modernize the experience”. Modernizing the experience may simply mean making the games overall graphics and systems work on the consoles. Cryptic have successfully done this for Star Trek Online by condensing menus, automating some skills and decluttering the UI. Their port to consoles has not essentially changed the gameplay or radically altered experiences between those playing STO on a PC and those on an Xbox or Playstation. Yet, there is scope to interpret “modernize the experience” as something akin to Star Wars: Galaxies New Game Enhancements (NGE). A revamp of that classic MMO that profoundly changed the game by taking a reductionist approach. Are EG7 implying that to port a game such as LOTRO it needs to be overhauled at source IE PC level first and then converted? Such a prospect is potentially troubling.
In the meantime, a console conversion remains a “mid-term” goal for EG7. One that I’m sure will be dependent upon ongoing revenue growth and senior staff being invested in the project. Something else to consider is that EG7 owns several game development studios such as Big Blue Bubble, Piranha Games and Toadman. A project of this kind would involve more than just Standing Stone Games. Although SSG have managed to keep the LOTRO alive and ticking over in the last few years, they have not exactly taken the game forward or in any way improved its standing. Bringing the game to a new player base such as console players presents a perfect opportunity to reset community relationships. However, all of this is a long way off, assuming that it ever comes to fruition. For the present the prudent LOTRO player would be best served focusing on playing the existing game and keeping an eye on the more immediate situation.
A Christmas Carol (1977)
This BBC production from 1977 packs a lot into its 60 minute running time. Succinctly dramatised by Elaine Morgan, this adaptation focuses on the essential themes and key scenes of Dickens’ book. Shot on video, as many BBC dramas were at the time and confined entirely to studio sets, this low budget production makes use of chroma key visual effects. The snow bound countryside, the dark staircase in Scrooge’s apartment and the London skyline are all line drawings, with the cast composited in the foreground. Hence this version of A Christmas Carol feels like an episode of Doctor Who from the same decade. However, the production has one trump card to play with its robust cast of British character actors from the era. Fine performances from the likes of John Le Mesurier, Bernard Lee and Zoe Wanamaker more than compensate for the budgetary restrictions and short duration.
This BBC production from 1977 packs a lot into its 60 minute running time. Succinctly dramatised by Elaine Morgan, this adaptation focuses on the essential themes and key scenes of Dickens’ book. Shot on video, as many BBC dramas were at the time and confined entirely to studio sets, this low budget production makes use of chroma key visual effects. The snow bound countryside, the dark staircase in Scrooge’s apartment and the London skyline are all line drawings, with the cast composited in the foreground. Hence this version of A Christmas Carol feels like an episode of Doctor Who from the same decade. However, the production has one trump card to play with its robust cast of British character actors from the era. Fine performances from the likes of John Le Mesurier, Bernard Lee and Zoe Wanamaker more than compensate for the budgetary restrictions and short duration.
Michael Horden brings an element of befuddlement to his portrayal of Ebeneezer Scrooge. He is also petty, acerbic and somewhat cowardly. All of which feels very authentic and in the spirit of the source text. His interaction with Jacob Marley (John Le Mesurier) is very faithful to the book and Le Mesurier brings a genuinely weary element to his performance. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Patricia Quinn) is depicted very much as described in the text, with bright light emanating from them and carrying a hat similar to a candle extinguisher. She focuses on Scrooge’s abandonment at school and his failed engagement. Fezziwig is more of a footnote to this part of the story. Similarly the Ghost of Christmas Present (Bernard Lee) wastes no time and quickly highlights Bob Cratchit’s poverty and Tiny Tim’s ill health. Nephew Fred’s party is distilled down to its bare essentials. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to come is depicted as a traditional hooded figure. The cleaning woman and undertaker discuss Scrooge’s failing while his dead body is laid out on the bed, rather than at the pawnbrokers.
The time limitations of an hour mean that some elements of the story are lost. Yet despite the efficiency of this summarisation, some minor embellishments still make it to the screen. Marley’s face appears in the tiles surrounding the fireplace. We see Belle happily married years later on the night of Marley’s death. Mankind’s children, ignorance and want, are briefly depicted. And there’s a scene in which a family in debt to Scrooge learns of his death. All of which add to the character of this production and make it feel more than just another arbitrary adaptation. It is a shame that the commissioning editor did not see fit to make this a 90 minute production, so it could have taken a little more time to savour its emotional highs and lows. As it stands this is a quaint but engaging TV version, which may appeal more to the Dickens aficionado or those wanting a quick fix of the classic story.
Catch Us If You Can (1965)
Catch Us If You Can is a very curious cinematic vehicle for the popular sixties band, The Dave Clark Five. At first glance, especially during the opening credits, it comes across as a zany comedy in a similar idiom to The Beatles’ A Hards Days Night. However, within 15 minutes the plot takes an unexpected turn and the film becomes a rather well observed analysis of sixties youth marketing and the perennial subject of “the price of fame”. The songs are not played by the band on screen but are instead just part of the overall musical soundtrack. It’s a very different approach but that seems to be the defining quality of the film. It is not as expected, which is both its primary virtue and its main failing. The fact that this film was released under the title of Having a Wild Weekend just makes things more confusing. It is certainly not for everyone but that can be said about many of the films directed by John Boorman. Catch Us If You Can marks his cinematic debut.
Catch Us If You Can is a very curious cinematic vehicle for the popular sixties band, The Dave Clark Five. At first glance, especially during the opening credits, it comes across as a zany comedy in a similar idiom to The Beatles’ A Hards Days Night. However, within 15 minutes the plot takes an unexpected turn and the film becomes a rather well observed analysis of sixties youth marketing and the perennial subject of “the price of fame”. The songs are not played by the band on screen but are instead just part of the overall musical soundtrack. It’s a very different approach but that seems to be the defining quality of the film. It is not as expected, which is both its primary virtue and its main failing. The fact that this film was released under the title of Having a Wild Weekend just makes things more confusing. It is certainly not for everyone but that can be said about many of the films directed by John Boorman. Catch Us If You Can marks his cinematic debut.
A group of London stuntmen are contracted to work for an advertising agency that is shooting a commercial for the Meat Industry at Smithfield market. Steve (Dave Clark) finds the arthouse approach to the filming tiresome and after a take, decides to drive off in an E-type Jaguar that is being used for the shoot. The actress and model starring in the commercial, Dinah (Barbara Ferris), decides to come with him in defiance of her mentor, the advertising executive Leon Zissell (David de Keyser), The two go searching for some meaning to their lives. Steve seeks out his mentor Louie who trained him in Judo when he was a youth. Dinah wants to go to a deserted resort island off the coast of Devon. Meanwhile, Zissell sees an opportunity to turn their impromptu excursion into a major publicity stunt and claims Dinah has been kidnapped. Steve’s friends attempt to keep Zissell’s henchmen and publicity machine away from the couple while they make their journey.
Over the course of an hour and a half, the story veers from the superficial to philosophical self examination. This ranges from scuba diving in a London open air pool, to debating counterculture with a group of hippies living in a Ministry of Defence village. There are times when you ponder whether you should be laughing at events and dialogue, or whether it is all in earnest. I can’t help but think it’s the latter and that Boorman was trying to give audiences something different. A critique of the very culture they consumed and were part of. Hardly surprising when you realise that the screenplay is by the playwright Peter Nichols. The ending of the film is rather poignant but also somewhat bleak. Those expecting the traditional boy meets girl, boy gets girl narrative will need to look elsewhere. This is more of a case of girl leaves boy, for older controlling man because they’re locked in a strange interdependent, symbiotic relationship.
Another noteworthy point is that this film isn’t scared to fly in the face of the squeaky clean image that the Beatles perpetuated in their feature films. It touches upon drugs, although the lead character doesn’t use them and there’s an undercurrent of unrequited love. There’s a curious vignette where Dinah and Steve meet an eccentric married couple played by Robin Bailey and the marvellous Yootha Joyce. There is a strong element of concealed passion as they flirt with their young counterparts. Is it sexual or is it a longing for youth and its accompanying optimism. Again the dialogue takes an existential turn as the cast reflect upon the nature of hope. “The young are callously hopeful. I’m Not. Then you should be, to set us an example”. These subtle adult themes appear not to have escaped the notice of the contemporary ratings board. Hence the current UK re-release of the film is rated 12 by the BBFC.
Setting aside the rather bespoke nature of the film the essential question one inevitably has to ask is does it work? Yes it does within the confines of its remit but it makes for ponderous viewing. I’m not sure that fans of The Dave Clark Five expected or wanted a film of this nature. It’s not unreasonable to assume that they wanted a wacky comedy in the idiom of Help, where the band play exaggerated and witty versions of themselves. Instead they got a drama about a group of stuntmen, a possessive advertising executive and an oppressed model. Dave Clark is filled with existential angst and is brooding but it hardly makes him a compelling lead. The rest of the band make sardonic quips but have far less screen time. However, sixties cinema was open to experimentation and Catch Us If You Can is certainly a horse of a different colour. It wrong foots viewer expectations in the same way Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter does.
Old Bexley and Sidcup By-election Part 3
The Conservative Party successfully held onto their “safe seat” of Old Bexley and Sidcup in yesterday’s closely watched by-election. However their overall majority was reduced by more than half amid a very low voter turnout. Conservative councillor Louie French becomes the country’s newest MP after winning 11,189 votes, more than 50 per cent of those cast, in the seat previously held by the former cabinet minister James Brokenshire. Mr Brokenshire died in October from lung cancer aged 53. The closest challenger was Labour’s Daniel Francis, who secured 6,711 as the Tory majority fell from nearly 19,000 to 4,478, the equivalent of a vote share swing of 10 per cent to Labour. Turnout in the constituency was just 34%, down from the almost 70% who voted in the 2019 general election.
The Conservative Party successfully held onto their “safe seat” of Old Bexley and Sidcup in yesterday’s closely watched by-election. However their overall majority was reduced by more than half amid a very low voter turnout. Conservative councillor Louie French becomes the country’s newest MP after winning 11,189 votes, more than 50 per cent of those cast, in the seat previously held by the former cabinet minister James Brokenshire. Mr Brokenshire died in October from lung cancer aged 53. The closest challenger was Labour’s Daniel Francis, who secured 6,711 as the Tory majority fell from nearly 19,000 to 4,478, the equivalent of a vote share swing of 10 per cent to Labour. Turnout in the constituency was just 34%, down from the almost 70% who voted in the 2019 general election.
The results subsequently saw positive statements made by both the Conservatives and Labour. Mr French stated that such a victory for a sitting government was “almost unheard of”. Ellie Reeves MP, Labour's political lead for the 2021 Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election, remarked “There’s been a 10% swing over to Labour this evening”. Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, came third with 6.6% of the vote, with the party's leader and candidate Richard Tice describing it as a "massive result". Speaking after the results were announced, Mr Tice claimed “The reduction in the Conservatives’ majority in Old Bexley and Sidcup is a rejection of Boris Johnson personally because the Prime Minister is now viewed as a liability, not an asset in Tory heartlands”. The Green Party and Liberal Democrats both lost their deposits as they polled under 5% of the votes.
Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election 2021 results:
Louie French (Con) 11,189 (51.48%, -13.06%)
Daniel Francis (Lab) 6,711 (30.88%, +7.40%)
Richard Tice (Reform) 1,432 (6.59%)
Jonathan Rooks (Green) 830 (3.82%, +0.62%)
Simone Reynolds (Lib Dem) 647 (2.98%, -5.31%)
Elaine Cheeseman (Eng Dem) 271 (1.25%)
John Poynton (UKIP) 184 (0.85%)
Richard Hewison (Rejoin) 151 (0.69%)
David Kurten (Heritage) 116 (0.53%)
Carol Valinejad (CPA) 108 (0.50%)
Mad Mike Young (Loony) 94 (0.43%)
Although the retention of the constituency is a relief for the Conservative Party, the reduction in majority and the dismal voter turnout cannot be ignored. It is extremely disheartening to see two thirds of the electorate deciding not to bother to vote. COVID-19 and poor weather are convenient excuses but both those factors did not deter voters two years ago in the General Election of 12th December 2019. Brexit was a pressing political issue at the time but the demographics of a constituency such as Old Bexley and Sidcup means that they usually make an effort to vote. Hence such voter apathy is food for thought. Doorstep canvassing by all parties discovered a growing sense of disillusionment with the lack of political direction of the government and the inadequacy of the Prime Minister himself. Yet that despondency did not translate into votes for alternative parties.
As a floating voter who has no strong political attachment to either of the two main parties, I have reached a point where none of the choices available on the ballot paper seem appropriate or desirable. I did vote in this election but it had zero impact, due to the “winner takes all” approach that is entrenched in the UK’s political system. Unless you live in a marginal seat, voting against a majority incumbent is effectively redundant. Therefore, with a vote that feels meaningless and a paucity of parties to choose from, I fully understand why people turn their backs on politics. Especially the under 30 year olds. All the canvassing that I saw taking place seemed to be undertaken by the over 40s and pitched at a similar age demographic and above. All too often, UK politics just seems to be a form of lobbying for specific socioeconomic groups. Sadly, I do not see the situation improving anytime soon.
As for Louie French, it will be interesting to follow his voting record in parliament in the months to come to see where he fits within the spectrum of modern Conservatism. At present, as a new MP he is naturally focused upon the needs of his constituents. In his victory speech Mr French stated he will “work tirelessly to repay the trust you put in me”. But I am more intrigued to learn what his position is on several major forthcoming pieces of legislation, such as the UK Online Safety Bill and the new Policing Bill with its potential restrictions regarding the right to protest. I think his voting intentions along with the way he conducts his MPs finances will provide a measure of the man. I also suspect that despite the current drop in the overall majority for this MP, this may well increase in two year’s time when the next General Election is held.
Forza Horizon 5: The Joy of Segregating Players
Sometimes ignorance can be bliss. Certain games are a lot more enjoyable when you play them with the minimum amount of prior knowledge and little or no expectations beyond looking for fun. Having recently watched Chris “Wolfy” Neal stream the open world driving game Forza Horizon 5, I created an Xbox account and installed it. Furthermore, thanks to fellow blogger Wilhelm Arcturus, I secured a deal on the Xbox Game Pass. The first month of the subscription was just £1. So for the last week I’ve been driving around a virtual representation of Mexico, indulging in all sorts of vehicular shenanigans. My driving skills are negligible beyond a basic understanding of how to accelerate, brake and steer using a Xbox controller. I am oblivious of the back story of this franchise and unfamiliar with the game’s seasons. But I’ve managed to figure things out as I go along (a major coup). And most importantly I’m having fun.
Sometimes ignorance can be bliss. Certain games are a lot more enjoyable when you play them with the minimum amount of prior knowledge and little or no expectations beyond looking for fun. Having recently watched Chris “Wolfy” Neal stream the open world driving game Forza Horizon 5, I created an Xbox account and installed it. Furthermore, thanks to fellow blogger Wilhelm Arcturus, I secured a deal on the Xbox Game Pass. The first month of the subscription was just £1. So for the last week I’ve been driving around a virtual representation of Mexico, indulging in all sorts of vehicular shenanigans. My driving skills are negligible beyond a basic understanding of how to accelerate, brake and steer using a Xbox controller. I am oblivious of the back story of this franchise and unfamiliar with the game’s seasons. But I’ve managed to figure things out as I go along (a major coup). And most importantly I’m having fun.
There are various types of races to undertake as you journey through the open world environment in Forza Horizon 5. Urban street races, formal events at race tracks and cross country competitions through multiple environments. Then there’s the story campaign. There are also accolades to acquire, vehicles to collect and customise. The cars themselves feel authentic and handle realistically. Their respective stats are easy to understand, so it doesn’t take long to find a vehicle that suits your driving style and needs. You even get XP points just through randomly driving around, going off road and causing mayhem. If you are a high end player then you can immerse yourself in the game data and crank the difficulty up to maximum. But if you favour a more casual approach, then you can dial it down and dive right into the game without having to digest tons of instructions. By and large Forza Horizon 5 doesn’t punish you for being a bad driver. If you mess up a checkpoint while racing and don’t want to endure the time penalty, you can simply “rewind” the race and correct your mistake.
Forza Horizon 5 has a great deal going for it. The graphics are superb, especially the draw distance. You really do get a sense of the size of the open world. The story is quite satirical if you feel disposed to apply yourself to it. It seems to gently mock large scale, prestigious sporting events. The radio stations are also rather droll and have a fairly broad spectrum of musical styles. But for me, the best aspect of the game is its live and let live attitude. The gameplay caters to everyone's needs. Über competitive players can do all the things that they get off on and can confine their online, multiplayer experience to those of a similar mindset and skill. I can happily splash about in the proverbial shallow end, free from hassle. The races I participate in are sufficiently taxing for me. Sometimes I win and others I fail. I don’t even know for sure if I’m racing other players or bots at times. There’s no chat, so there’s no bragging or trolling. Or perhaps there is and I just haven’t discovered it yet. The thing is I’m doing things my way and no one is interfering. It’s such a pleasant change.
When driving around, I see other players but again I’m not sure whether they’re real or not. I don’t have to compete for XP nodes (which are signs that you have to destroy to obtain the benefit from). Nor do I have to worry about someone else discovering a “barn find” before me. I did several tag team races recently which were part of an event, so I was definitely with other players but it was not a problem. I suspect there is some sort of skills based matchmaking going on behind the scenes, so I wasn’t participating with other players that were markedly superior. Simply put this game works so well because it gives each player what they want and that is effectively segregation from those better or worse than you. If you want to improve, you crank up the difficulty and you’ll find yourself mixing with those who are seeking to do the same.
I’m not sure if Forza Horizon 5 is going to be my new long term game of choice. I suspect that it will keep me amused for a few weeks and then I’ll move on. That’s fine with me and one of the benefits of the Xbox Game Pass. It means I can try something else. So far this has been an interesting deviation out of my standard gaming comfort zone. I certainly think a lot of other game developers could learn from the way Forza Horizon 5 handles difficulty, player interactions and how to keep someone busy in an open world without pissing them off. I can dabble with the main campaign, tinker with my favourite car, race in a way that I don’t have my fun spoiled by others or my own lack of skill. If I do multiplayer activities then it seems to be in an equitable fashion. And I stumbled into this fortunate situation through a mixture of chance and whim. It’s all been a welcome reminder as to why I love gaming when it’s done right, while at the same time highlighting that the genre’s Achilles Heel is all too often its own community.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition (2014)
This December marks the 20th anniversary of the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first instalment of Peter Jacksons' adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic novel, The Lord of the Rings. To celebrate this occasion, I shall post new reviews of the extended edition of all three films, as well as those of The Hobbit trilogy, which were made a decade later.
The Battle of the Five Armies is noticeably shorter than it's two predecessors, mainly because there is insufficient narrative to sustain the proceedings. Even the extended edition which adds a further 20 minutes to the running time, increasing it to 164 minutes, is mainly driven by one ongoing action sequence which is the titular battle. After the somewhat languid pace of the first movie and the bloated excess of the second, this further change of pace seems somewhat perplexing. Despite the more economical running time, events occur very rapidly. Perhaps a little too rapidly. It can be cogently argued that it somewhat diminishes the impact of some of them. Perhaps the biggest issue being the demise of Smaug. It comes promptly at the start of The Battle of the Five Armies and although spectacular, it quickly negates a major plot element.
This December marks the 20th anniversary of the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first instalment of Peter Jacksons' adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic novel, The Lord of the Rings. To celebrate this occasion, I shall post new reviews of the extended edition of all three films, as well as those of The Hobbit trilogy, which were made a decade later.
The Battle of the Five Armies is noticeably shorter than it's two predecessors, mainly because there is insufficient narrative to sustain the proceedings. Even the extended edition which adds a further 20 minutes to the running time, increasing it to 164 minutes, is mainly driven by one ongoing action sequence which is the titular battle. After the somewhat languid pace of the first movie and the bloated excess of the second, this further change of pace seems somewhat perplexing. Despite the more economical running time, events occur very rapidly. Perhaps a little too rapidly. It can be cogently argued that it somewhat diminishes the impact of some of them. Perhaps the biggest issue being the demise of Smaug. It comes promptly at the start of The Battle of the Five Armies and although spectacular, it quickly negates a major plot element.
Smaug is killed by Bard but his body falls on Lake Town leaving it in utter ruin. The survivors of Esgaroth are aided by the Wood Elves and both parties subsequently seek restitution from the Dwarves. The men of Lake Town hold the Dwarves accountable for their current situation and the Elves who harbour a longstanding grudge regarding outstanding debts that the Dwarves have not paid. However, Thorin refuses to help which leads to a diplomatic impasse. He summons his cousin Dain from the Iron Hills to provide reinforcements. In the meantime Azog then springs his trap and lays siege to Erebor and all camped outside, resulting in the battle between Dwarves, Elves, Men and Orcs. The film does resolve the major storylines, yet it does feel both a little rushed and contrived. Again the screenplay feels the need to reference and link to future events featured in The Lord of the Rings.
Lore purists will find The Battle of the Five Armies the hardest to stomach because Peter Jackson really does indulge his penchant for narrative simplification, restructuring events and the fetishization of weapons, armour and fantasy combat. The Fili, Tauriel, Legolas love triangle and associated fallout is simply too contrived and unengaging. The White Council's assault on Dol Guldur featuring a 92 year old Christopher Lee beating seven bells out of the Ringwraiths, although thoroughly amusing, does raise an eyebrow. The fact that you can conveniently ride from Lake Town to Mount Gundabad in a day and that Middle-earth is populated with Frank Herbert style giant worms, may also come as a surprise to the faithful. The less said about Beorn free falling from an eagle and turning into a Werebear on the way down, the better.
As I have mentioned in my previous reviews, the depiction of Thorin in these movies is woefully lacking, turning him into a broody, pouting, inaccessible caricature. This time round for want of a better description, Thorin goes a bit "Macbeth". I'll give credit where credit is due and state that Richard Armitage does provide a good performance. But the screenplay doesn't really do the character justice and the plot device about the "Dragon's sickness" is arbitrary to say the least. Yet every now and then, there are sequences and passages of dialogue that come directly from the book. Once again, for everything that Peter Jackson gets right, there's also something that is way off the mark. The pivotal point of the movie should have been Thorin's death but it lacks any emotional impact and is only saved by the presence of Martin Freeman.
Dain Ironfoot (Billy Connolly) makes an impressive entrance riding a War Boar and has an expanded role in the extended version. Beorn and Radagast appear briefly but serve no major purpose than to provide reinforcements to the climactic battle. And what on earth possessed Peter Jackson to kill off Stephen Fry so quickly in the story and yet keep Alfrid Lickspittle as some crass source of so-called comic relief? Mercifully, we still have stalwart performances from Martin Freeman and Sir Ian McKellen who do much of the heavy lifting. Lee Pace proves to be a more interesting character this time round, as Thranduil's motives prove to be less binary than those of Thorin Oakenshield. He tempers his desires for restitution when he sees the extent of the Elven dead and sees the folly of his actions.
As ever the set pieces are immaculately produced and push the violence levels for this kind of movie to the limit. They stay on the right side of the ratings board mainly because the bulk of the decapitations, impalements and bludgeonings happen to non-humans. The death of more central characters tend to be more discrete. The main problem with the frenetic action is that it strives to continuously outdo itself, resulting in scenes that tax the audience's credibility even for this genre of movie. For example Legolas climbs a flight of stone steps leading to a crumbling tower, literally as they fall away beneath him, proving that Elves are indifferent to the laws of physics. A better director would restrain themselves, rather than allow such self indulgence and excess. Also some of the mutilated Orcs and Trolls seem more at home in Clive Barker’s Hellraiser than in Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
If you like the aesthetic that Peter Jackson has created over the years, as well as grandiose spectacle, then The Battle of the Five Armies will prove to be an entertaining diversion. If you want anything more, then prepare to be disappointed. I find it ironic that a trilogy of movies about the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, seems so content to include so little of him on screen. By changing the shift of the story from his perspective, to that of the wider events in Middle-earth, something very important has been lost from these sprawling adaptations. Peter Jackson and his team may well be very knowledgeable in the works of Professor Tolkien but I do wonder if he has fully understood them. As I've said before, these movies are very much Jacksons’ interpretation of The Hobbit. I wonder if there would have been a greater emotional depth and perception of the source text, if these films had been directed by Guillermo del Toro as they were originally intended?
