Entertainment

All Things Geekery Podcast S3E9 – Unlikely Allies

/ Detached / Leave a comment

In this episode, we are going to cover the news about Microsoft and Sony recent team up and what this could mean for the future of the Console Wars. We will then discuss what our opinions are on the current status of Epic’s game launcher and the hate it receives. Lastly, we will wrap up this episode talking about some of the recent games we have been playing and what about each has kept us playing them.

Click to Listen: S3E9 – Unlikely Allies

Show Notes

  • Microsoft and Sony
  • It was announced in the previous week that Sony and Microsoft are working on AI and cloud technology
  • This move makes no sense due to the continue gaming war the two companies have been in.
  • …then again it is possible Sony and Microsoft are wising up to what Google is planning to bring to the table.
  • When it comes to AI and cloud platforms Sony does not have either so it had to choose between the big 3 – Largest Amazon, Establish Microsoft, or the Youngin Google. It went with its mortal enemy
  • This move also took the PlayStation team by surprise but according to their leadership this has not changed any plans about their future console
  • We could be looking at the beginning of the end for console gaming.
  • We could be coming to a time when if you do want low latency input for competitive gaming then you buy a PC type device….if not you sign up for one of the game streaming services that will be available.
  • Microsoft console announcement could have some of the “cloud gaming attributes” as part of the architecture. – We shall see at E3
  • Side – note our next podcast will be an E3 pre-show where we will be talking about our expectation and wants to happen at this year’s E3

  • Epic
  • Let’s set the scene – Stream has had a monopoly on the digital gaming distribution market and launcher since it’s launch in 2003.
  • For a while it was the only one launcher to rule them all – Steam had a monopoly when it came to a game launcher platform
  • Some popped up but those were only for their own launchers – Blizzard, Origin, Bethesda
  • Then Epic came along and decided to put their massive cash flow from Fortnite to use – Making a universal game launcher to compete with steam
  • Right out of the gate – it was a much better alternative for game developers as Epic would only take 12% compared to the current Steam rate of 30%
  • Some companies immediately started deployment of their game on Epic and Steam but at the same time Epic was immediately paying companies money to gain exclusive or limited exclusive rights
  • And this is where the controversy takes place
  • The hate against EPIC has been extreme….
  • Main points of “HATE” that Epic takes
    • “Unfair” Exclusives
    • The store has less function than Steam
    • Rumor of the “Less secure – security” platform
    • People have been used to the convenient monopoly the Stream produced
  • -Discussion-

  • What Have We Been Playing
    • Victus
      • Metro Exodus
      • Rage 2
    • Detached
      • Division 2

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast with any of your favorite podcast apps. Stop by and drop us a review so we know how we’re doing.

Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

SUBSCRIBE

All Things Geekery Podcast: S3E3 – All Things Anthem

/ Detached / Leave a comment

Welcome to Season 3 Episode 3 of the All Things Geekery Podcast – All About Anthem

In this episode,  We talk about the recent “DEMO” for Anthem, What problems we encountered, Our 1st Impressions, What we thought about the gameplay and we discuss what we think the future of the game will be.

Click To Listen – S3E3: All About Anthem

Show Notes

  • Our Snapshot Opinion of the Game
    • Anthem feels like Mass Effect made a child with Division and they were raised by Iron Man in the world of Monster Hunter
    • This game is not Destiny, it is not The Division, it is not Warframe.  The one thing we can comment on is the quality of the game.
  • Publisher Concerns
    • EA – Need we say more
    • VIP weekend DEMO didn’t have a good start
    • Will they learn, and correct the issues presented during the demos – It seems like they did with the Open DEMO as server problems were much less but we did experience issues the first day
    • There will be microtransaction but only for cosmetics and all cosmetics in the game can be bought with a certain in-game currency – 0 items in the market currently affect your gameplay
  • Technical Issues
    • Not a technical issue but the naming could have been changed from DEMO to BETA and a lot of the PR would have been addressed – Community would have been more forgiving
    • Server problems
    • Connection Issues – for the VIP demo only
    • Lag – Mostly in VIP demo
    • Audio problems
  • Overall Feel
    • Combat
      • Good mix of strategy and learning needed
      • Teamwork oriented
      • Solo queue play is very challenging as you really need to be able to communicate with your team
      • Some mid-level tier enemies were extremely tanky.  EA will need to look at balancing the enemies vs. player shield levels
    • Loot
      • One massive key to a shooter-looter is the LOOT and it’s got to be good
      • The loot in this game was exciting and fun to get your hands on
    • Weapons
      • Good mix of weapons to use
      • Depending on what types of weapons you prefer there could be a bit of learning curve with the weapons
      • Situational
      • Each class should have a special weapon they can use, which I think would give just a bit more edge and hone in each class for specific fighting styles.  Would allow players to have a bit more customization with how they choose weapons for each of the slots
      • A lot of the weapons had the same look, sound and feel which made it hard to figure out what to use
    • Skills
      • Learning curve
      • Some skills felt very underwhelming in specific fights
      • Situational
      • Skills are somewhat customizable
    • Movement
      • Really felt like a console game that was ported to PC with how the controls were laid out
      • Flight and Underwater Movement was a massive learning curve
      • Overall movement was top notch and felt very smooth for the most part
    • Environments
      • Beautifully made worlds
      • Challenging to navigate first time in as most new worlds are
      • Exploration and hidden items
  • Playing The Javelin
    • Each Javelin is unique – Each has a unique feel
    • Our Opinion of each Javelin
      • STORM
      • RANGER
      • COLOSSUS
      • INTERCEPTOR
  • The Future of Anthem
    • We now have a road map which shows a plan with new strongholds, loot, quality of life changes, & GUILDS!
    • The core Bioware team is making this game
    • The End game has Legendary missions which are enhanced versions of the missions you get from quest givers. The drops from these missions will also be of a higher tier to match difficulty.
    • For the ultimate test in skill and squad cohesion, you can increase the difficulty of the mission to Grandmaster and above.   
    • It looks like we will have Diablo style loot in that there are rolls which will sync better depending on the play styles you are going for.  FARMING NEEDED!

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast with any of your favorite podcast apps. Stop by and drop us a review so we know how we’re doing.

Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

SUBSCRIBE

All Things Geekery Podcast S2E10: The Age of Cloud Gaming

/ Detached / Leave a comment

ATG Podcast S2E10 - The Age of Cloud Gaming

Welcome to Season 2 Episode 10 of the All Things Geekery Podcast

In this episode, the Geeks went bonkers with the recent announcement of Google and Microsoft jumping into the cloud gaming streaming world.

Show Notes

Google’s project stream

  • How does it function
  • Gaming inside of a browser
  • Only game currently available is Assassins Creed Odyssey

Project xCloud

  • Currently being developed
  • When released streaming will be available on consoles, PC, and mobile devices

First types of cloud gaming

  • Onlive – 2012
  • Game streaming via desktop client or using a home device with Onlive controller
  • Multiple modern games available
  • Instant 30 min trails
  • Instant gameplay
  • Company was bought out by Sony and later closed

Geforce Now 

  • Grid – Beta in 2013 under the Grid name
  • Full release in 2015 to “Shield only hardware”
  • In 2017 Geforce Now was released –  allows PC and MAC to stream as well
  • 1080p60 cloud-gaming service
  • Using data centers of their high-end non-consumer grade GPUs
  • Currently in Beta, free, and can use approved games from your Steam or Uplay library
  • In 6 data centers in the world
  • Keyhole into the future of gaming
  • Due to the geographical location of data center, latency will change from user to user
  • Will be a subscription-based service when it gets out of beta

Playstation Now

  • Streaming games to PS4 and PS4 pro and also PC
  • Beta in 2014 full release early 2015
  • Originally allowed PS3, Vita, Playstation TV, and some other Sony devices to stream
  • Discontinued in 2017
  • Benefit of allowing “backwards compatibility”
  • Streaming at 720p
  • Current games library of 600+  PS2, PS3, PS4 
  • Subscription based service

Google’s project stream

  • Plays inside Chrome
  • Testing Assassins Creed Odyssey – 1080p
  • Will run on any laptop, or similar device that has Chrome and can achieve 25mps download speed
  • Not a full release but a technical test

Project xCloud

  • When released streaming will be available on consoles, PC, and mobile devices
  • Probably in the best position to address latency concerns
  • Current word is servers will basically be multiple Xboxes in each blade – limiting impact to developers
  • Recommended 10Mbps internet

Click Below to Listen via our Youtube Channel

Click the link below to listen to the direct audio

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast and gaming network with any of your favorite podcast apps. Stop by and drop us a review so we know how we’re doing.

Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

SUBSCRIBE

ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter @detachedgaming
Twitter @victus_darkaero
Twitter @allthingsgeekry
Blog @ http://www.allthingsgeekery.com
Blog @ http://www.ahobbitsjourney.com

Writing Something a Bit Different – Stranger Things Season 2

/ Detached / Leave a comment

BlaugustRebornLogo2018Hello again fellow bloggers!

I can’t believe we are almost wrapping up with our first week of Blaugust already.  Today’s post is a bit off from my normal advice type write up as I just felt like doing something different.

This post may not be completely directed towards making a better blog, or writing in a more creative way….but it’s about something I love and have a passion for and that’s great quality Sci-Fi / Horror that sucks you into the show!

My best advice for you all is if you want to write about something then jump in and do it.  Don’t worry about whether you think someone will read it or not, because I can almost guarantee you someone out there will enjoy it.  Stepping out and writing something you enjoy and are passionate about makes a world of difference as the readers pick up on that.

I meant to do a review of this show months ago when it came out, and completely forgot about it……so here is my review of Stranger Things Season 2!  If you have never seen the show then you are missing out!

Stranger Things Season 2 Trailer

 

With the Sci-Fi / Horror genre it is already a tough market and the first season of Stranger Things did it beautifully.  Click here to see my review on Stranger Things season one.  Even though season one was a massive success it doesn’t guarantee that the writers can reproduce that for future seasons.  With excellence and a massive crowd following comes the pressure and expectation to deliver something not only equal but surpass what you did the previous year.

With all the perfect that season one was, it was hard to believe that season two could ever live up to that standard or even come close to being better.  Stranger Things Season 2 had so many things working against it, including some saying that the ambiguous ending in season one was the perfect place to end the show.

The Duffer brothers had a huge task ahead of them and they chose to ignore all the naysayers and jumped right in and started working hard.  They have an insane universe they have built and one that the fans can’t get enough of and that is what make this show so good.  Stranger Things Season 2 was an absolute hit with the fans as it continues to build upon the rich story, incredible cast and expands the world of Hawkins into an epic great of it’s time.

What has made this show a success so far and why do the mix of kids they have playing these parts work so well?  It’s extremely rare for a series like this, especially one dealing with kids, to dive deep into the mental aspect of what going through a traumatic event really looks like.  The Duffer brothers do this so well though as from a shows standpoint it would just be easier to pretend like the events with the Demogorgon, Eleven’s disappearance, and Barb’s lack of justice didn’t happen; forgetting all of those essential stories would have been simpler, but not nearly as compelling.

The writers did an amazing job of adding a ton of depth to the story and characters this season.  Right from the beginning, we know that there’s something not quite right with Will…one of the main characters, who was stuck in another dimension for most of Season one. His classmates call him “zombie boy,” since they all believed he was dead and now he is just the weird kid that got lost in the woods. For a kid who went through what Will did, this isn’t an easy thing to hear or live every day at school now.

All the boys are back in season two again with a lot more screen time which is always great as we get to learn a lot more about each of them this season.  Dustin is still my favorite character out of the crazy boy club and a close second is Mike’s character.  Though Mike this season is really struggling with Eleven’s disappearance and the actor does a great job of showing the mental wear and tear it’s causing him.

It wouldn’t be a new season of the show without some new blood added to the mix and Maxine (Sadie Sink) or Max as she calls herself in the show is just what the show needed.  She gives the boys a tussle for their money in this season and quickly becomes a part of the group.  They added a few others to the mix but Max is really the one that stood out to the most for the story and character development.  Eleven also makes her return and the Duffer brothers didn’t disappoint one bit with her entrance back to the screen. Again, the Duffer Brothers are expanding the Stranger Things universe beyond the confines of Hawkins, so expect to journey to new locations.

So what about that giant monster in the trailers….what the heck is that thing?  Yeah, it’s scary and huge and makes the season one Demogorgon look like a teddy bear. This ominous shadowy demon is the main antagonist, and let’s just say the gang has their hands full in dealing with this crazy creature. The Upside Down is alive and well here, but with a villain this big, more of Hawkins is getting pulled into the madness.

One of the great parts of this season that makes it so captivating is it’s not just physical dangers lurking around every corner.  It’s the mental aspect that draws you in that are played so well by the kids and parents….it’s all the stress points in the show that make you sit on the edge of your seat and wonder whats next.  Though this season is a massive success it also has it’s faults as well, and there are moments when the tone of the show changes abruptly which I thought hurt certain episodes.  Even though the show does have some hiccups and strange pace in places it was overall a favorite in my book. I can’t wait for season three and what the Duffer brothers are bringing to the screen.

Castlevania: Season 1 Review

/ Detached / Leave a comment

Castlevania-Netflix-Logo-and-Vlad-1-750x422Hollywood isn’t known for adapting popular video game franchises to film or television that ever become fan favorites.  For the most part over the years video games that have come to the big screen have flopped at best.  Every once in a while though you have a little gem like Castlevania come along that brings life back to this genre.

If you are an 80’s baby you probably played Castlevania as it is one of the most iconic video games ever created!  With the series based off the Castlevania games it draws very heavily from the 1990’s Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse which follows Vlad Dracula Tepes (voiced by Preacher and Outlander’s Graham McTavish) has returned and unleashed a horde of demonic monsters against the peasants and clergymen of 15th Century Wallachia, and only a motley crew band of monster slayers which includes a discraced nobleman Trevor Belmont (The Hobbit’s Richard Armitage), magician/scholar Sypha Belnades (Alejandra Reynoso) and Dracula’s half-breed son Alucard (Battlestar Galactica’s James Callis) have the power to restore peace to the land.

Overall the Castlevania games are exploration in the world than story and plot, and this story isn’t one you’d think of when it comes to making an animated adaptation of. So why makes Castlevania different, and why did it have success? A lot of it had to do with who ran the show and who was in charge.  Executive producer Adi Shankar has sort of built a second career out of crafting unauthorized, adult-oriented reboots of popular franchises, including 2012’s Punisher: Dirty Laundry and 2015’s Power/Rangers. If you want to craft an R-rated overhaul of a popular video game franchise while still retaining the core appeal of that franchise, Shankar is the man you call!

Good shows come down to not only directing, producing, and people in charge but an amazing team of writers as well!  Writer Warren Ellis, a man known for blending high-concept science fiction and black, nihilistic humor in his stories, but he’s primarily known for his comic book work (Planetary, & Transmetropolitan).

Seeing the teaser for Castlevania immediately had me excited, but also cautious at the same time as adaptations like these are almost never done well!  So I waited, and waited, and waited some more before finally parking in front of the screen to hit play and Castlevania starts off on the right foot by focusing not on the Belmont family, but Dracula himself. The series opens with a fateful encounter between the reclusive vampire king and an aspiring scientist named Lisa (The Mentalist’s Emily Swallow). That opening scene nicely sets the tone for the series, establishing Dracula’s tenuous connection to the human world and giving him real motivations for terrorizing the land of Wallachia. While Dracula has little overt presence in the series after the first episode, it’s satisfying to see Ellis treat his main villain with depth.  Dracula has at least a shred of tragedy about him in any incarnation, but that angle is really played up here, and it’s done very well!

In addition to creating a sympathetic villain in Dracula, the early portions of the show help establish the general themes that dominate the episodes.  This adaptation is as much about fear and the reasoning of people, as it is man and monster.  Both Dracula and the monster hunters are forced to choose whether they believe humanity can rise above the dark age this show thrusts you into.  I love how the show pulls you into the live of Trevor Belmont which is the last surviving son of the disgraced family, one who’s tempted to simply sit back and let those who wronged his family suffer their just fate.

Netflix pulled out the stops and spared no expense to get some amazing actors for the voice cast, forgoing the familiar names in the voice acting world in favor of some very big-name actors. For the most part, the actors do justice to their characters. McTavish and Callis in particular stand out as they channel the pathos and suffering of their undead characters. There are times when the actors (Armitage especially) speak too softly and become drowned out by the music and sound effects, but there is a passion to the performances that you don’t always find in projects like this.

Amid all the crazy character drama and clashing between science and superstition, Castlevania never loses sight of the classic appeal to the game series. There’s plenty of action to go around, even though we don’t get to see a lot of the monsters from the game. The series does an amazing job of pulling the world of Castlevania to the screen for our eyes to see. This series may draw mainly from Castlevania III in terms of plot, but it’s far more influenced by games like Symphony of the Night when it comes to the lovely art style.

 

All Things Geekery Podcast S2E3: Journey To Infinity War

/ Detached / Leave a comment

ATG Podcast - S2E3 Journey to Infinity War.png

In this episode:

We cast our thoughts about the latest installement for the MCU and The Avengers Infinity War! We breakdown some of our favorite characters, delve into the Infinity Stones and talk predictions!

Show Notes:
– First off we discuss the Infinity Stones, and where they came from and what we did and didn’t like about the MCU introductions vs. the comic introductions.

– We take a quick look at the history of Thanos and breakdown where he came from and why he is trying to destory the universe!

– We talk about our favorite Avengers!

– We give our overall pre-review and predictions of what we think is going to happen in the film!

 

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast with any of your favorite podcast apps. Stop by and drop us a review so we know how we’re doing. Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

SUBSCRIBE

ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter @detachedgaming
Twitter @victus_darkaero
Twitter @allthingsgeekry
Blog @ http://www.allthingsgeekery.com
Blog @ http://www.ahobbitsjourney.com

 

See more of our episodes on Podbean:  http://allthingsgeekery.podbean.com/

All Things Geekery Podcast S2E2: Shing Shing & Looting Booty!

/ Detached / Leave a comment

ATG Podcast - S2E2 Shing Shing and Looting Booty Background.png

In this episode:

We jump into some of the biggest games of 2018, and breakdown the PRO’s and CON’s…..plus we dust off some old backlog games, talk gaming community, movies, and a whole host of other items!

Show Notes:
– First off the introductions of course

– We look at one of the years biggest hits to date…Monster Hunter World and talk about what it has done for the gaming community and filling a void for the GRIND!

– We plunge into Sea of Thieves and LOOT SOME BOOTY!

– We talk about one of the #1 games that came out of left field….being FORTNITE…and discuss what it has done for the gaming community and bringing the interest of streamers and content creators back!

– Plus we dive into our backlog and uncover some old crusty games that have recently turned into little GEMS

– We also chat Thor Ragnarok and all of it’s GLORY, and a whole host of other things!

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast with any of your favorite podcast apps. Stop by and drop us a review so we know how we’re doing. Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

SUBSCRIBE

ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter @detachedgaming
Twitter @victus_darkaero
Twitter @allthingsgeekry
Blog @ http://www.allthingsgeekery.com
Blog @ http://www.ahobbitsjourney.com

See more of our episodes on Podbean:  http://allthingsgeekery.podbean.com/

All Things Geekery Podcast: E11 – The 2017 Year in Review

/ Detached / Leave a comment

The All Things Geekery Podcast - E11 2017 Year End Review YT Thumbnail

In this episode:

We breakdown our highlights of 2017.

Show Notes:
First off we discuss our top 3 games we’ve played this year.  What we liked about and disliked about each of them.

We talk big life events that both of us have had, from moving, homes, new season of life and more.

We review Destiny 2, what we thing about the state of the game currently, and we also talk Guardian Con and our experience of the first ever Con we got to be a part of.

Lastly, we discuss Star Wars The Last Jedi – ATTENTION: Their are spoilers at the end of this episode, so if you have NOT seen the  movie you will want to skip over this section.

Wrapping up 2017 was a blast, and both Victus and I have experienced a ton of change in both locations of where we live, to time we get to game.

 

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast with any of your favorite podcast apps. Stop by and drop us a review so we know how we’re doing. Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

Subscribe

All Our Social Media

Twitter @detachedgaming
Twitter @victus_darkaero
Twitter @allthingsgeekry
Blog @ http://www.allthingsgeekery.com
Blog @ http://www.ahobbitsjourney.com

See more of our episodes on Podbean:  http://allthingsgeekery.podbean.com/

All Things Geekery Podcast Episode 4 – Stranger Things

/ Detached / Leave a comment

In this episode:

  • Iogro talks about some new changes that will be happening to the podcast over the next few months.
  • We talk Netflix and some of it’s original series
  • **Spoiler** about a new Destiny Lore series coming this year
  • We take an in depth look at Netflix’s original series Stranger Things

 

 

Be sure to subscribe to the All Things Geekery Podcast with any of your favorite podcast apps.  Stop by and drop us a review  so we know how we’re doing.  Thanks for listening, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

Subscribe

 

Social Contacts

Iogro Merrybelly / Victus Darkaero

Twitter @iogromerrybelly
Blog @ http://www.ahobbitsjourney.com

Twitter @victus_darkaero

ATG Podcast

Twitter @allthingsgeekry
Blog @ http://www.allthingsgeekery.com

Music Credit Erik Skiff