LOTRO: The Producer’s Letter is Now Quarterly
On the 31st December 2021 (nine days ago), Oleg Brodskiy (AKA Raninia) posted his latest Producer’s Letter for the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online. As ever, it wasn’t exactly promoted with any enthusiasm, being mentioned just once by the official LOTRO Twitter account. So I only discovered it yesterday when it was referenced by Justin Olivetti in a post over at Massively Overpowered. The letter mentions broadly what is coming to the game in the not too distant future. No one was surprised by what’s on offer as much has already been alluded to or openly discussed over the course of last year. A new raid, housing in Erebor, the new Legendary Item reward track and a new zone in Southern Trollshaw; the Angle of Mitheithel which has level 40 to 45 content. However, one important change is that the Producer’s Letter is now to be a quarterly publication.
The Mezzotint (2021)
In 1922, middle-aged University Don Edward Williams (Rory Kinnear), is sent a somewhat “indifferent” mezzotint (a monochrome print made from an engraved copper or steel plate) on approval from one of his regular art dealers. On arrival the mezzotint features an unidentified English country house and has no distinguishing features to merit its price. Later that day, Williams shows the print to Binks (John Hopkins), a colleague he plays golf with. He comments that the moonlight is quite well done and there appears to be a figure just on the right of the image. Williams is puzzled that he hadn’t noticed it before. That evening Garwood (Robert Bathurst), a fellow academic, studies the picture and comments on a “grotesque” figure. When Williams checks again before going to bed there is now clearly a shroud covered shape crawling across the lawn in the mezzotint. Williams confers with his friends as to what they have seen, as it becomes clear that the picture is trying to show them something.
Wordle
Over the Christmas holidays, I started noticing lots of people posting images of some sort of grid composed of coloured squares in my Twitter timeline. Then the hashtag #wordle provided a name and it became apparent that all this activity was to do with some sort of game. Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I did a Google search and discovered the exact nature of Wordle. The game was originally created by software engineer Josh Wardle for his partner, Palak Shah. Family and friends played the game and it proved popular. So Wardle then decided to make it available online, last October. By November 90 people were playing Wordle. However, after a share online button was added to the game the audience rapidly grew. As of 2nd January it had over 300,000 players with several high profile celebrities among that number.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.