Anthrogamer

A look at games, humans, how the two go together.

[anthrogamer]

Top 5 Games Played in 2015

Later than I wanted, but still earlier than usual, it’s my Top 5 Games Played for 2015!

So, thanks to the site backloggery.com I’ve been keeping a running record of all of the games I played in 2015…and all of the ones I have not even touched yet…there’s a lot. Today, however, I will only be talking about my top 5 games played in 2015.

So, looking at The List:

The List: South Park The Stick of Truth One Finger Death Punch Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Super Smash Bros. 3DS To the Moon The Stanley Parable Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP Broken Age Gravity Rush Enchanted Arms Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Bastion Gone Home deBlob Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy

I completed 19 games. That’s way more than I thought. I guess it helps when you try to complete the shorter ones. And some of those are on my list for the year so with that…

5. South Park the Stick of Truth

There is only reason I would not recommend South Park The Stick of Truth to someone is if they are not a fan of South Park and its humor. This sounds like an obvious reason, however, that really is the only reason. Mechanically, Stick of Truth is a solid game. It looks gorgeous, the soundtrack is fun to listen to, the combat flows well, and at no point did I feel like I needed to grind for levels.

What makes Stick of Truth stand out to me is that it has the heart and soul of South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s fingerprints are all over this game from the hidden references, to the item descriptions, to the abilities characters have in combat. I mean Cartman has a flame thrower ability where the animation is him lighting a fart on fire. As it stands, it feels like an interactive, extended episode of the show. So, if you’re a fan of South Park and you have not already, check out South Park the Stick of Truth.

4. Gravity Rush

I had heard good things about Gravity Rush from some of my friends and with it being one of the earlier games for the Vita I decided to give it a go. If there was ever an example of a launch game to highlight what a system can do, it’s Gravity Rush.

This game makes use of every control available on the Vita from the face buttons to the front and back touchscreens. Even better, while you don’t have to master all of the abilities to beat the game, there are multiple challenges where you can use some of the trickier abilities like the Gravity Slide for power ups. It’s too common for a game to have a gimmicky ability that is used one time and then never again. I applaud those at Project Siren for really integrating all of their mechanics.

One of my favorite parts of Gravity Rush is the main gravity mechanic. It’s so much fun just to zoom all over the city, looking for all the little hidden areas or even just falling up as high as possible and letting your character plummet towards the ground. You can see and hear the acceleration as the ground/buildings/sky/etc come closer and closer and then the crash as you hit the ground and the NPCs nearby just stare. I had a lot of fun with Gravity Rush and I can’t wait to go back to this world and see more…and fall more. That’s fun too .

3. The Stanley Parable

One of the most difficult things about recommending The Stanley Parable is trying to figure out how to say why it is such a great game without ruining the experience for people. After some thought, the best way I can describe the Stanley Parable is that it is an open world game where everything you do matters. In most open world games, you have a large map and while there is stuff to do, it can feel at times like filler and not really important to the game itself. In The Stanley Parable EVERYTHING you do matters. There is a reason this game is praised across the gaming sites so, if you’re even the tiniest bit curious as to what all the fuss is about, go play The Stanley Parable.

2. One Finger Death Punch

This game is so much fun! It’s a fighting game with multiple moves and combos, various game modes, customizable power ups, and all it takes to play are the left and right mouse buttons. One Finger Death Punch is a simple a fighting game as any, but rather than trying to memorize all of the different fighter combos the challenge comes from the different enemies that are always coming towards you, faster and in greater numbers. The fighting is so fluid it almost feels like playing a rhythm game with the fighting sound effects blending into the background music. This a a game where you can play for one round or sit for a whole hour and love every minute of it while feeling like a total badass.

1. Bastion

I first heard of Bastion at PAX East in 2011 and interviewing people there for a project (add link) I was doing. In one of my interviews, the interviewee mentioned a game called Bastion. I hadn’t heard of it before so after hearing about the way the developers were incorporating gameplay narration I looked up a couple of trailer videos and it had been on my radar ever since. Since I was trying to play shorter games than I normally play this year, I looked up Bastion on howlongtobeat.com and after seeing it listed as taking about 20 hours to do everything I made up my mind to finally sit down and play it. 50 hours later I nabbed my last achievement and still wanted more.

This game is absolutely beautiful and the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve ever heard. I’m still not tired of it. What really makes Bastion standout, however, is the narrator. Just picture an older southern gentleman narrating your character’s actions, but not verbatim and not ad nauseam. The narration is weaved into game so that it plays in short bursts and during quiet moments. It varies in content based on what you’ve done in certain areas and pokes fun at some of the habits of players. This narration just pulls you in and keeps you playing just to know what happens. I played through Bastion three times already and could easily go through again.

And there you have it, my top 5 played games of 2015. Looking back at the games I played, nearly all of them are worth checking out for one reason or another. Each game had something different to offer. Some made me laugh, some tugged at my heartstrings, and one was just bad (Enchanted Arms). I think I might try and focus on the smaller games again in 2016 and break up the Triple A titles…at least until I get one of the new consoles ;)

[anthrogamer]

E3 2015

If I had to sum up E3 2015 in a single word, it would be Community. Whether it was the addition of co-operative multiplayer both local and online, the usage of increased online capabilities to allow players to co-create the worlds they will explore, or publishers and developers answering the calls for nostalgia, every press conference focused on adding to or growing the gaming community.

 Co-op has always had its place in gaming. However, during this past E3, Co-op gameplay had a greater presence than usual. Instead of the standard 4 on 4, the new hardware allows for larger teams. More genres of games are incorporating co-op. Some games are even trying to change up the team structure with 4 vs 1 setups. There were even some presentations where the developers highlighted option for local and online gameplay.

 Working with a team of friends in a game has always provided some my best gaming experiences. Even more so when the game has local multiplayer and we can all be in one place. There is a comradery that forms during such times and is echoed throughout the gaming community whether it is a World of Warcraft guild or a Halo team. It is great to see that step back into the living room rather than a push to have everything online only.

 In addition to the traditional idea of co-op, this year we also saw an expansion of co-op in the form of co-creating within games. A great example of this in the past is the Little Big Planet series where you can design levels that other people can play. During Sony’s and Nintendo’s press conferences, we saw this co-creation in the form of Dreams and Mario Maker the former claiming that anything created is a part of one world rather than separate levels.

 As a further expansion of this, there is the greatly anticipated No Man’s Sky which consists of just one universe that all players inhabit. Rather than a focus on fighting, the focus of these games is on creation and exploration; experiences that seem to fall to the wayside in our world sometimes.

 One of the biggest surprises this E3 was the amount of nostalgia peppered into each conference. In nearly every press conference, a dormant franchise was given the spotlight. In some instances, games thought to be long dead were thrust forward as alive and developing towards a release date. Some of the more notable titles include the Last Guardian and the Final Fantasy VII HD remake. Other games announced were part of franchises that have been quiet for years like the Shenmue and the Start Ocean series. The studio Rare is even brining out a collection of 30 games from the past some of which were only released on the NES.

 Usually, the nostalgic factor at E3 stems mostly from Nintendo and its lineup as they have the longest history and longest running franchises. This year, I think Microsoft had the strongest showing of nostalgia by announcing backwards compatibility on the Xbox One. Not only is this coming from the publisher whose former Microsoft Head of Interactive Entertainment Business said “If you're backwards compatible, you're really backwards”, but it does not involve having to repurchase any games. If you own a copy on disc, it will run (*the list of titles will grow over time).

 E3 is a trade show. Its whole purpose is to show off the products and services each company will put out during the next couple years to shareholders and the public. This year, it felt more like E3 was purposefully targeting gamers as well. Not just as sources of funding, but as participants in the industry. I hope it keeps up over the next few years.

E3 2015 Main Press Conferences:

Bethesda

Microsoft

EA

Ubisoft

Sony

Nintendo

Square Enix

�u

[anthrogamer]

My Top 5 Games Played in 2014

I find it amazing how many games I actually play throughout a year after listing them out. There are some games that take up so much of my time that it seems like those are the only ones I played. For some of these games, it feels like it’s been at least a year since I played them. However, between some very long RPGs, I did somehow squeeze in a number of handheld and Indie games…more than I thought I did.

 With that, it is time once again to list the top 5 games I played in the past year. This is not a list of the best games of 2014 or even a list of games release solely in 2014. Actually…now that I look at the list, I did not play a single game that was released in 2014. At the latest, there are a few that came out late 2013. The perks of being on a budget I guess. Let’s get started.

 #5: Thomas Was Alone 

For over a year, nearly every game podcast I had listened to had some mentioning of Thomas Was Alone. The story, the music, the gameplay, all of it was praised so highly that I decided to pick it up this year and see what the fuss was about.

 In a medium that is always pushing for the smoothest, sharpest, most realistic graphics possible with the current technology, Thomas Was Alone stands out as an example of how little realistic graphics are needed for a game to be great.

 All of the characters in Thomas Was Alone are rectangles. By rectangles, I mean no arms, no legs, no facial features, not even bending or shaking movements. Just solid colored rectangles of different sizes that jump. Even the environments look like the bare bones skeleton of a Mario level before the graphics are added. And yet, each rectangle has its own personality and relationships are formed as they work together to navigate through each puzzle.

 For example, the second character you find in Thomas Was Alone is Chris. Chris is smaller than Thomas, however, he cannot jump nearly as high. This makes Chris jealous of Chris even though he can fit into areas Thomas cannot. Each character in this game serves a purpose and it is their abilities, limitations, and their reconciliation with each other that give Thomas Was Alone its identity and ranks it as one of my top 5 games.

 I would also recommend playing through the game twice (it only takes a couple of hours). One to play through the game, and a second to play through the game with the narration turned off and the developer commentary on.

  #4: Unfinished Swan

Unfinished Swan caught my attention back in late 2012. More specifically, the game play mechanic caught my interest. In Unfinished Swan, your character is in a world that can only be seen by throwing paint at it. The twist, however, is that if you throw too much paint at a particular spot, the area will end up looking like a solid mass of that color. Unlike other coloring mechanic games like deBlob, the goal is not to color everything, but to figure out where to throw the paint to keep moving.

 I want to see this mechanic expanded upon and used in another game at some point in the future. Not only does it give Unfinished Swan a unique look and feel, it also adds a puzzle element to keep the player thinking and take stock of the surroundings. To top it off, Unfinished Swan has a beautiful story running through it that is exciting, sad, heartwarming, and even scary in a few sections. Unfinished Swan also, has a fantastic soundtrack that will tap into your inner child and draw you into its world, encouraging you to explore every nook and cranny. It is this combination of sights, sounds, and mechanics that makes Unfinished Swan my #4 game this year.

  #3: Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies

It has been a while since the last Ace Attorney game so when I heard Dual Destinies was coming to North America it was an instant must-have. I remember being so sucked into the previous installments that I would finish them in a matter of days just because I just could not put them down. Dual Destinies was no different.

 Marking the return of the original Ace Attorney protagonist Phoenix Wright, Dual Destinies offers up five new cases to be handled by him, his protégé Apollo Justice, and new comer to the team, Athena Cykes. Full of colorful characters, dramatic moments, and tense situations, Dual Destinies has everything you could hope for in a court drama with a great deal of comedic and air punching “OH YEAH!” moments to keep you hooked.

 With Dual Destinies, the Ace Attorney series moves away from the 2D animation of the previous entries into 3D models that allow for more exaggerated movements and gives each character that extra quirk that sets them apart from one another.

 What draws me to this franchise are the characters and the puzzle elements. I love trying to think my way through the evidence to figure out who the killer is and how to prove it. I want these people to win, to prove the client is innocent, and watch as the true killers see their lies fall apart.

 Watching the killer be revealed and left with no options is one of the most satisfying scenes. Each character in the Ace Attorney series has a set of animations based on how confident or worried they are. The true killers are also given a final defeat animation where they just fall apart in various ways. After the struggle of getting to this point in a trial is one of the most satisfying feelings as they really make you work for that conviction.

 Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies is a fantastic entry in the Ace Attorney series and great to pick up if you’re looking for something funny, dramatic, and challenging. I also recommend picking up the DLC Turnabout Reclaimed. It is an extra case outside of the main game that has a ton of great moments and the most unusual of clients.

 #2: Persona 4

I really enjoyed Person 3 when I played through it. The story and characters were engaging and kept me hooked to my console for long stretches at a time. Not long after, I saw Persona 4 in a store and instantly picked it up. Since playing Persona 3, I heard so many people talk about how much they loved Persona 4, in some cases more so than 3. So, when a friend of mine suggested we both play through our copies I had to say yes.

 Like Persona 3, Persona 4 is divided into two portions: dungeon crawling and socializing. When not fighting monsters in a dungeon, the rest of the game is spent interacting with the other characters in the game, building relationship and making them strong to power up your Personas for the dungeon portion.

 It is these Social Links that make up the heart of the Persona games and keep you going from day to day to day to have another opportunity to see the characters you have a Social Link with and make is stronger.

 While this mechanic is in both Persona 3 and 4, Persona 4 adds in the ability to build Social Links with your party members and have some one-on-one time outside of the plot. In a game that revolves around the hidden feelings of people, having these one-on-one moments adds extra depth to the character. No longer are they defined by the events of the game, but you also have a chance to explore what drives them to act the way they do and the decisions they make.

 In addition, for the marathon dungeon crawlers, leveling up your Social Links with your party members makes them stronger as well. Over time, each character will gain abilities that will aid you in battle. For example, one of the abilities is your party members can take a mortal blow for you. This is a game changer as if your character dies it is game over and any dungeon progress is lost.

 I cannot recommend this game enough. It has everything I love in a game and I spent enough time playing Persona 4 for it to be my #2 game for 2014.

 #1: Mass Effect Trilogy

For years, I have heard almost nothing but great things about the Mass Effect Trilogy and that I should absolutely play it. After borderline having elements of Mass Effect spoiled for me by friends and the Internet, I finally popped in my copy to see what Mass Effect had to offer…I was not disappointed.

After having played Dragon Age Origins the previous year, I know Bioware can craft a great game, a great story, and even better characters. Now that I have played through Mass Effect 1, 2 and most of 3 at the time of this writing, I can see the same amount of love poured into this universe and where the love for this game comes from.

 Mass Effect could have easily been an average third person shooter in space with an ok story. There are plenty of shooter games with similar mechanics set in space. Even the dialogue choice system could have just been a basic good/evil system where you know exactly what choice to pick to get the best stuff. However, one of Bioware’s greatest strengths is giving life and heart to the universes of their games.

 Whether it is Knights of the Old Republic or Dragon Age, I hear people talk about the characters in these games more so than the mechanics or the story itself and this pattern repeats in the Mass Effect Trilogy, setting it apart from other space shooters. The heart of Mass Effect are the characters you meet throughout your journey. These characters are what drives your character to push through mission after mission and what gives you pause at moments throughout the game where your choices can have a huge impact on the lives of these characters. Without that attachment, the choices become meaningless and Mass Effect would not have the fan base that it does.

 I love these characters, and on my journey through the trilogy I feel like I have met people like these characters at some point in my life or could run into in the future. That feeling extends out into the greater Mass Effect universe. There is life in this universe. Not that there are NPC walking around, but that the NPCs have lives. You can imagine what the daily routines of these NPCs are and identify with their issues. It is a human element that in the hands of a lesser writer would not exist. It is this element that makes the Mass Effect Trilogy my #1 game for 2014.

[anthrogamer]

E3 2014-Microsoft Press Conference

Microsoft Games Announced:

Call of Duty: Advance Warfare

Forza 5

Forza Horizon 2

Evolve

Assassin’s Creed Unity

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Sunset Overdrive

Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX plus α

Disney Fantasia Music Evolved

Dance Central Spotlight

Fable Legends

Project Spark

Ori and the Blind Forest

Halo Master Chief Collection

Halo 5

Xbox 2015

ID@Xbox Games 

Tomb Raider: Rise of the Tomb Raider

Killer Instinct

Phantom Dust Reboot

Tom Clancy’s: The Division

Scalebound

Crackdown

Microsoft Press Conference:  

To talk about Microsoft in 2014, we first have to take a look back to E3 2013 and the PR nightmare that was the announcement of the Xbox One. A few weeks prior to E3 2013, Microsoft held a press conference similar to Sony’s for the PS4 announcement. The purpose behind the announcement was to cover all of the hardware specific features the Xbox One would have and to hold off on announcing the games until E3.

 Personally, I liked this reveal approach because when I think back to when the Wii U was announced at E3 in 2011, most of the presentation focused on the hardware capabilities rather than showing off the games we could expect. By having a hardware reveal beforehand, Microsoft and Sony could dedicate their whole E3 show that year to the games.

 Unfortunately for Microsoft, the gamer community did not respond well to this initial message. The takeaway commenters had was that all Microsoft talked about was the Kinect and how the Xbox One could be used to watch TV. Before and after the reveal, there were unsettling rumors running throughout the Internet about not being able to play used games or having to be online constantly. Microsoft did a terrible job addressing those rumors. Additionally, there were a few comments made by Microsoft employees that gamers (Microsoft’s audience) found insulting and upsetting. One comment in particular from the then head of Microsoft’s Interactive entertainment Business Don Mattrick read, “If you’re backwards compatible, you’re really backwards.” 

Many people sat down to watch E3 ready to assume the worst from Microsoft’s press conference.

 As promised, Microsoft did dedicate their entire E3 conference to the games that would be available for the Xbox One such as Ryse: Son of Rome and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Unfortunately, the Microsoft presenters also mentioned a number of features that confirmed the rumors circling the Internet during and after the conference. The Kinect camera would always need to be connected. The Xbox One would need to be connected to the Internet when installing a new game and somehow would need to check into the Microsoft servers once a day. Physical copies of games would be locked to the system they were installed on. To top it off, the whole system would cost $499. Many Internet commenters speculated that a large portion of that $499 was attributed to the Kinect camera.

 Things only got worse after the press conference. When asked to clarify various features/services  and what they would entail, the Microsoft executives interviewed each had a different explanation or they would try to dodge the question, which made it look like they were hiding something. This resulted in quickly loosing trust with the gaming community. 

“"We are designing the Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GamesBeat. “We’ll have more details to share later.”

As we mentioned earlier, a Wired report quoted a Microsoft representative who claimed that gamers have to pay a fee to activate used games on a second account.

But later the Xbox Support Twitter account said that there is no fee:

"Again, there is no fee to install the game. Your friend will not pay a fee. ^BA"

But Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison told Eurogamer that there is in fact a fee:”

  The final nail in the coffin was the smackdown Microsoft received Sony delivered during their press conference later that day.

*GIF from Coedmagazine

Not only was the PS4 price a hundred dollars less than the Xbox One, but everything featured during their conference was about providing gamers with the best, most player friendly experience (see Sony article for more details/add link to Sony article). It was revealed earlier this year that Sony had tweaked their conference back then to capitalize on the backlash Microsoft received. 

Over the next year, Microsoft would put out post after article after interview relaying the changes they would be making to the Xbox One before and after its official launch. These changes are referred to by Internet users as the Xbox 180 since many of these changes were the reversal of their E3 proclamations. These changes have resulted in the Xbox One no longer requiring the Kinect to be connected to the console in order for it to function, the Xbox One did not have to be constantly connected to the Internet, and even going so far as to release a new Xbox One bundle Kinect free and priced at $399 (like the PS4).

 Which brings us to E3 2014. The word to summarize Microsoft’s presence at E3 is games. Their whole conference was demo after trailer after clip of games and developers talking about their favorite games, essentially a rebranding of Microsoft as the company with the games…and it worked! From known games to new IPs there was something in Microsoft’s conference for everyone to get excited about. For me, I now want an Xbox One at some point to play the catalogue of Indie games showcased. 

Another major point to note was the lack of Kinect at this year’s E3. After the initial reveal of the Kinect in 2009. Microsoft has always dedicated a portion of their E3 presentation to games and features that can be used with the Kinect. As mentioned above, the whole of Xbox One was meant to center around the Kinect being connected and on at all times. I think I heard the name Kinect one time in the entire 2 hours and that was in passing as a part of a list of features the new Indie games would be taking advantage of.

 Regarding the games themselves, except for a few of the 3rd party titles coming out, nearly every game showcased features or revolves around multiplayer whether it is team versus team or co-op. The presence of multiplayer has been an Xbox staple since the original Xbox, culminating in the Xbox 360 being heralded as the pinnacle of multiplayer networks in terms of stability and features such as party chat where you can chat with people on your friends list even if they were playing a different game. Over the years, Sony has been playing catch-up in this field so it will be worth watching to see what innovations arise out of this competition.

 Another defining feature of the games shown was how nearly every set of characters was military based or at least carried around military level fire power even if it was in the form of a crazy looking weapon like in Sunset Overdrive. This military theme has also been a staple of the Xbox image. Looking back, this is why for me the Indie games stand out from the Triple A titles in the Xbox lineup. I generally do not play shooters or military games so the variety of Indie games is a big draw for me and I’m sure for others who are not usually interested in shooters. It is a plus for any console to offer a variety of game genres to draw in a more diverse community.

After this year’s E3, I am excited to see what promises are kept and the final forms of the games showcased. Now that Microsoft and Sony have left E3 on a more even footing and the Wii U has a stronger game line up, the 8th generation of console wars can truly begin! This is going to be fun.

[anthrogamer]

E3 2014-EA Press Conference

EA Games Announced:

Star Wars Battlefront

Dragon Age: Inquisition

New Mass Effect

Sims 4

EA Sports-UFC

EA Sports-NHL

EA Sports-PGA Tour

EA Sports-Madden NFL

Dawngate

Mirror’s Edge

Battlefield Hardline

 EA Press Conference 

There is one word to sum up the EA press conference: underwhelming. Out of all the major press conferences this year, EA had the most boring and least passionate. Even their host Andrew Wilson CEO of EA had zero stage presence. During his first few minutes he says,

 “Everything we’ve got here for you today is tied together by a common thread: a commitment to put our players first, a commitment to create amazing games, games that connect, inspire, challenge and entertain us, a commitment to lead with creativity and innovation, imagining new ideas for a new generation, and a commitment to listen to you, it’s about putting the games into your hands and inviting you to help us make them better. This is the foundation for Electronic Arts and the inspiration for what we have for you today.”

 If Wilson’s speech was an English essay where each commitment fulfilled counted as 1 point, he would receive a 1.5/4. By listing out those four commitments, Wilson committed himself to providing us, the audience, strong examples of how EA fulfilled or planned to fulfill those commitments. He did not.

"a commitment to players first"

I did not see anything in particular in this presentation that showed how EA has taken an extra step for players or that EA has done something that another studio has not for players. Ergo, this commitment to players first has not been met by the content of this presentation.

 “A commitment to create amazing games…”

This commitment is the core of EA’s conference. Except for Dawngate and a new untitled game from Criterion, the games announced are all eagerly anticipated releases from both established franchises and old IPs that have not had a recent installment. The adoration of franchises like Mass Effect and the Sims has led to the creation of countless mods, stories, videos, etc by players and there is something new added every day. Commitment kept.

 “a commitment to lead with creativity and innovation, imagining new ideas for a new generation”

This commitment is a mixed bag. From the announced games there are examples of innovations within the games themselves such as the personality aspects of the Sims 4. However, I did not see anything that struck me as a new idea for a new generation; more so a continuation of existing ideas.

 “a commitment to listen to you, it’s about putting the games into your hands and inviting you to help us make them better”

I also did not see any examples of Wilson’s final commitment during the conference. Unlike Sony’s press conference featuring fan letters and what those fans wanted to see, nothing in EA’s press conference had an element of being derived from player demand or invited player feedback or input.

 Almost no new IPs were announced and the behind the scenes developer videos shown did not generate the excitement promised. In addition, compared to the other press conferences I saw no evidence that EA is listening to us or of an invitation to participate. Many of the games shown are the third, fourth, etc installments of established franchises and even one of the most anticipated titles, Mirror’s Edge, had little substance other than the developers coming out to say how they plan on evolving the franchise which, for a time, seemed to be a one hit cult classic.

 EA’s conference was not a total disaster. For their Dragon Age Inquisition presentation they had a live cellist playing the theme that evoked the sense of adventure and adversity that is the essence of the Dragon Age universe. It was very reminiscent of the full orchestra Nintendo had for the Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary in 2011.

 Another highlight for me was the Sims 4 announcement. It was colorful and crazy and showed off the new tools available to players in the Sims world; most notably the personality feature and how personalities can clash. Only in the Sims can you get someone to laugh themselves to death.

 Ending in a bang, EA’s last announcement was for Battlefield Hardline which is essentially cops and robbers if both sides had military weapons and an empty city to go crazy in. Hopefully it works better than Battlefield 4 which up to the time of this writing still has some game breaking glitches that just seem to be irreparable.

 As I’m looking at the list of games announced by EA, it occurs to me that many of these games have not been given a year for release let alone a release date. A great example of this was the Bioware interview after Dragon Age which was just two of the developers saying they are working on a new Mass Effect game and another new IP. Almost a waste since they had nothing to really show and build excitement for it.

 Another dead spot in the conference was anytime EA Sports were mentioned. Even the audience had almost no reaction to it. For each sport listed the script was the same, “look at how the avatars are more lifelike in their movement and features”. Nothing against sports games, but I have never seen an announcement for one that made me excited to play one. I will say that PGA Tour came close when it featured an exploding battleship on one of their golf courses. That was at least entertaining.

 I do hope that next year EA has more to show and will keep the sports to a minimum. A different host would help too. EA has a strong catalogue of IPs to choose from for new games and new IPs are always welcome. I’m sure we will at least see more Mirror’s Edge and maybe an official announcement of the new Mass Effect next year.

[anthrogamer]

E3 2014-Sony Press Conference

Sony Games Announced:

Destiny

The Order 1886

Entwined

infamous First Light

Little Big Planet 3

Bloodborne

Far Cry 4

Dead Island 2

Battlefield Hardline

Disney Infinity 2.0

Magicka 2

Grim Fandango Reboot

Devolver

Broforce

Titan Souls

Not a Hero

Hotline Miami

The Talos Principal

Let it Die

Abzu

No Man’s Sky

Mortal Kombat X

New Ratchet and Clank

Last of Us Remastered

Metal Gear 5 Phantom Pain

Grand Theft Auto V Remastered

Arkham Knight

Uncharted 4

 Sony Movies/TV Shows:

Powers

Ratchet and Clank The Movie

Sony Press Conference:

Sony’s press conference is one of my most anticipated E3 conferences and they did not disappoint. Sony came out swinging with a strong balance of Triple A and Indie titles, old and new, with representation for just about every genre. There was also talk of upcoming Playstation exclusive features, content, and hardware. Like the Ubisoft article (add link), I’ll be going over my impressions of the conference, over-arching themes, and stand out moments.

To talk about Sony’s 2014 press conference, we first have to take a look back at the Playstation 4 announcement and what Sony announced at their E3 2013 conference. In the February prior to E3 2013, Sony made the official announcement of their highly anticipated PS4. The announcement of a new console set the internet was abuzz with speculation as to how the supposed new features of the PS4 would be incorporated into future games and how players would use their consoles. A February announcement also meant that unlike Nintendo’s Wii U announcement at E3 in 2012, Sony would be able to dedicate more of their time at E3 to the games that would be coming out for the PS4.

And games we got.

Not only were Sony’s launch titles featured, but we also saw upcoming exclusives, a slew of new Indie game titles, and status updates on long awaited games. Everything gamers clamor for during a show like E3.

There was another important aspect of Sony’s 2013 press conference that plays into 2014; the smack-down given to Microsoft for train wreck of a PR nightmare they were facing after their press conference (more on that in the Microsoft article) resulting in a widely applauded mic drop by former Sony Computer Entertainment America’s (SCEA) President and CEO Jack Tretton.

These two aspects of Sony’s 2013 conference heavily weighed in on their message to gamers during E3 2014.

With these aspects in mind, Sony continued with their message of being the best console for gaming in terms of available library and gamer friendliness. Not only was there a lineup of highly anticipated titles, but also a strong Indie game presence, casting Sony as a more Indie friendly company in addition to gamer friendly. Just looking at the list of games announced, I can say that there is at least one game for anyone who plays games whether you prefer the gory brawl that is Mortal Kombat X, the lighthearted wonder of Little Big Planet 3, or the infinite exploration promised by No Man’s Sky.

If I had to summarize Sony’s message this year it would be, “we’re listening”. Whether it was new content, experiences, or services Sony’s conference was all about listening to player feedback and using those comments to make their next steps. In fact, Sony had a whole segment dedicated to letters received from players and the games that are in development because of these letters (see minute 35:17 on full conference). Due to these letters, Playstation users will be seeing Dead Island 2, exclusive content for Diablo 3, Battlefield Hardlines, and Disney Infinity 2.0, Magicka 2, and a rerelease of Grim Fandango.

In addition to its game library, Sony also had a couple of announcements regarding its TV and movie endeavors. Of note was an announcement of a Ratchet and Clank movie slated for a 2015 release based off of the Ratchet and Clank games. In addition, the first of what Sony hopes to be many console exclusive TV shows was announced; a TV show derived from the Powers comic series. To encourage viewership of Powers, Sony announced the first episode would be free to download for Playstation Network users and the entirety of season one would be free to Playstation Plus members. 

As mentioned above, Sony’s message to its players was and still is “we’re listening”. The lineup of games for PS4 has a diversity I don’t see as much of on the other major consoles and having the first episode of Power free to download is a great way to invite people to check it out while testing the waters as to whether TV shows on consoles can work.

If Sony can keep this, we as players and participants can look forward to more new and diverse experiences that make gaming such an amazing medium!

[anthrogamer]

E3 2014-Ubisoft Press Conference

Well, E3 2014 has come, gone and left us looking at the calendar with our most anticipated games release dates circled. I think I can safely say that my future wallet is a lot lighter after seeing all of the new games that are in the works for this new generation of videogame consoles; not to mention that I still need to pick up the new consoles.

Decisions. Decisions.

Since E3 by itself is a 3 day affair with even more news coming out weeks after the actual event, I’ll be dedicating at least one post to each of the major press conferences and maybe a few to stories that gain traction afterwards. In each article, I’ll provide providing a general overview of the major press conferences and highlight the parts that stood out to me whether it was a particular game, piece of hardware, or new method of play possible with today’s technology.

Due to work responsibilities, I could only watch a few press conferences live and caught up with the rest later that week. To capture my thoughts at the time, I’ll be discussing each conference in the order viewed. With that, let’s see what Ubisoft had to show this year.

Ubisoft Games Announced:

Far Cry 4

Just Dance 2015

The Division

The Crew

Assassin’s Creed Unity

Shape Up

Valiant Hearts

Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Siege

Ubisoft Press Conference: 

I think the best way to sum up the Ubisoft conference is multiplayer. Every game presented had some form of multiplayer whether it was online, local, or drop in/drop out where someone without a copy of a game can join your game through your friends list or with the aid of companion apps.

One example of this was Ubisoft’s announcement of Just Dance 2015. One feature they are adding is Just Dance 2015 will have a free companion app for smart phones that allows other people to join in without the need for a controller or to be in view of a motion camera. The app can also keep track of how well a player dances and announce a winner at the end as demonstrated by what can only be described as flash mob of audience members all armed with the app and smart phones dancing to “Applause” by Lady Gaga.

Even Ubisoft’s traditionally single player IPs allow other players to drop in. For example, in Assassin’s Creed Unity, you can be joined by up to 3 additional players as you explore the streets of Paris during the French Revolution. Far Cry 4 takes this concept of co-op a step further and allows someone from your console friends list to drop in even if they don’t own a copy of Far Cry 4.

Another twist on the drop in/drop out option involves the use of peripheral devices like an iPad. In Tom Clancy’s The Division, players can use a tablet companion app to control certain aspects of the environment, like controlling drones, as other players work through missions on their console versions.

For me, Ubisoft’s conference lacked some of the energy from last year. I say this because a fair portion of the games featured were announced the year prior; their appearance this year more of a status update and some release dates. Last year Ubisoft showed off the different modes of play for these games and the different ways online play was incorporated. This year they just showed a few clips from these games making them appear uninteresting to some friends I was watching with who did not see Ubisoft’s 2013 conference.

Overall, Ubisoft was a mixed bag for me. The only game I know for sure I will buy is Assassin’s Creed Unity. The rest I would be more inclined to look into if I have some friends who would also be playing for the online capabilities. What really impressed me were the different ways Ubisoft has designed their games to allow for more people to play. I’ll be keeping an eye on these games to see how well the technology works and players’ reaction. The better these games do the more likely that same technology will be adopted by other developers allowing for more game options.

[anthrogamer]

Top 5 Games Played in 2013

Happy April Fools Day!

Well, it’s a new year (at least according to the Julian Calendar) which means new games to look forward to. Before diving in to the new games though, I thought it would be fun to think back on all of the games I played in 2013 and tease out a Top 5. Now, I only played a small handful of the games that came out in 2013 so instead this will be a Top 5 of the game I played during 2013. With that, let’s take a look at the Top 5 Games that I played in 2013.

Number 5: 

Bioshock Infinite

      It was a tough choice between this and Heavy Rain as my top 5 for 2013. However, I had a lot more fun with the powers in Bioshock Infinite and I remember just staring at the screen at the end of it all with my mind blown. Bioshock Infinite is the 3rd installment of the Bioshock series and in this entry we are taken out of the underwater city of Rapture from Bioshock 1 & 2 into the high flying cloud city of Columbia which is about as early 1900s America as you can get; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Unlike the previous Bioshocks, you get to visit Columbia at its peak before the fall that plagues many dystopias. For the first hour or so you get to walk around and talk to people while having the luxury of being able to look around the world without the threat of being attacked. It’s almost a bit unnerving.

What really makes the game, however, is the story. When not mowing down enemies, you as the character Booker DeWitt are trying to escape Columbia with a girl you were sent to retrieve, Elizabeth. As you make your way through Columbia, more and more of who Elizabeth is and why you are tasked with getting her out of Columbia is revealed; culminating in a climax that left me just sitting in my chair as the credits rolled putting it all together in my head.

While I enjoyed the game as a whole, one issue that kept bothering me with Bioshock Infinite is the game play mechanics. They are the same mechanics as in the other Bioshock games, but they seem out of place in the world of Columbia. For example, a part of your weapons set includes Vigors which are like your magic powers in the game. Vigors allow you to throw fire, electricity and even crows at your enemies while firing with the various guns you find laying around. However, you almost never see an enemy make use of Vigors. There are a few types of enemies that do use Vigors, but a great deal of the combat revolves around mowing down wave after wave of enemies coming at you with the same guns you use. In the previous Bioshocks, the Vigors (known as Plasmids) are so integrated in the world that as you progress through the game you run into more and more enemies using different Plasmids.

Despite my feelings about the gameplay mechanics, Bioshock Infinite is a great game and I enjoyed playing it immensely. Columbia is a wonder to traverse and the story and characters will keep you pushing through until the end. It’s definitely worth a look even if you have not played the other Bioshock games.

Number 4: 

Dragon Age Origins

I entered 2013 in the middle of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. After all was said and done I think I have 200+ hours invested in that game. So what do I do? I pick up a new RPG a few months later…although the time investment was significantly less. That game is Dragon Age Origins. I had heard many good things about the Dragon Age games and with a new one coming out I figured it would be worth looking in to. That and it appeared this would be an RPG under 100 hours which is more uncommon these days.

Being a Bioware game, Dragon Age Origins’ story relies heavily on the choices you make during the game. Whether it’s the back story you choose or which faction you side with in a conflict, your actions will affect dialogue options, how the NPCs treat you, and how the ending will ultimately play out. The best part about these options is it’s not always easy to determine what the “right” choice is and many times someone loses out. There was even a point where I was called out by the character I was talking to for trying not to pick a side. That almost never happens in choice based games.

One of my favorite parts of Dragon Age Origins is the characters in your party, which can also change depending on your choices. Each character is unique and as you get to know them, you get to learn about who they are and get some one on one time with them. They will also banter about with each other while in your party. Unlike some games, this banter is not a repeating loop of comments, but almost a continuous discussion that picks up again and again as you place certain characters in your party. These conversations vary depending on who is in your party, but a common thread of these conversations is they let you get to know the characters even more. For instance, there are some characters who have very different ideologies. When they are together, this difference becomes the focus of the banter and it is from the clashes back and forth that you learn more about those characters.

For instance, one of your characters is a member of the religious entity in the game while another is a witch who has grown up in the woods away from society for to be captured would be certain death. While in your party, they constantly question each other’s perspectives not in a preachy “my way is best”, but more out curiosity as to why they each think the way they do. There are also characters who just make fun of each other when together and that is always fun.

All of this combines into a fantastic adventure that you’ll want to play over and over again just to see how the various decisions you make impact your gameplay. I know I’ll be picking it up again in the future.

Number 3: 

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask

  I love puzzle games and the Professor Layton Series is one of my favorites. Miracle Mask is the 5th and latest installment of this franchise and it is my favorite in the series; a spot previously held by the 3rd game The Unwound Future. In Miracle Mask, Professor Layton and friends are invited to the town of Monte d'Or by an old friend to solve the mystery of the Masked Gentleman who has been terrorizing the town with increasing intensity.

As with any Professor Layton game, the people you meet are obsessed with puzzles. Want to cross this bridge? Solve this puzzle. Need some information? Solve this puzzle. The building is collapsing! How do we get out?! Solve a puzzle. What's great about all of these puzzle enthusiasts is that they offer many styles of puzzles so if you're not great with slider puzzles you can still get through the game by doing all of the logic based puzzles. It is the variety of puzzles available that makes a game like Professor Layton accessible to all players. Of course there is always the Internet if you get stuck on a story puzzle.

Not only were the puzzles in Miracle Mask the most well designed I've seen in the Professor Layton games yet, the mystery surrounding Monte d’Or took you through the critical point in Layton’s past that ultimately led to him being the Professor of today. Upon reflection, it is the focus on Layton’s character in this game that really makes it my favorite and it was this same focus on Layton and also his apprentice Luke in Unwound Future that made it my initial favorite installment.

Challenging puzzles coupled with great visuals, soundtrack, and characters, the Professor Layton games are always a joy to work through while leaving a smile on my face and Miracle Mask has proven to be the best of them all.

Number 2: 

Rayman Origins

  I remember seeing the initial trailers for Rayman Origins during E3 and thought it looked like it would be so much fun to play. The art style was bright and cartoonish, almost a rarity at E3 showings, the music was catchy, and it was a local multiplayer game (again almost a rare feature at this point) meaning I could get a bunch of people together in one spot to play together.

I picked it up a few years later and not long after that had some friends over and we decided to try it out. Rayman was everything that was promised and more. The levels are challenging, but fun and there’s an added challenge in that while playing with other people you can accidently on purpose knock each other around. The animations were funny to watch and when you throw in the music you cannot help, smile even after playing the same level over and over again.

The best part though is being able to play Rayman with friends locally rather than online. So many games feature online multiplayer, but there is the anonymity with so many of them where if you don’t know who you’re playing against then it might as well just be a computer AI. With local multiplayer, there is just this great energy when my friends and I play together and try to get all of the Lums in each level. Even at in a difficult stage there is a unanimous push to get through before calling it a day…even if it’s our 10th time doing it. Because of this, we only play Rayman Origins when we are all together so we can keep that energy going. It's our game rather than just my game to beat and I would not have it any other way.

And my Number 1 game for 2013 is…

Back to the Future The Game

  Easily my top game for 2013, Back to the Future by Telltale games was a joy from start to finish and combines the best elements of all of the games on this list. It was only a few years ago that I had finally watched all of the Back to the Future movies and the next step after that was to pick up the recent Back to the Future games by Telltale. Consisting of 5 episodes, these Back to the Future games are set after the events of Back to the Future III. Doc Brown has been M.I.A. in Hill Valley so his house and belongings are being sold in auction, which hits home with Marty that Doc is gone and may not be back. However, when Marty hears the iconic noise of the DeLorean coming out of a time jump and with a letter from Doc asking for help, the adventure begins, taking Marty back and forth in time and, of course, causing some trouble along the way.

The story is fantastic, something fans and non-fans will enjoy the whole way through. It has a lot of the charm and humor from the movies and strikes a good balance between new material and references to the movies. Some of the actors from the movies also come back to voice their respective characters like Christopher Lloyd coming back as Doc Brown. While the controls to the game might be a bit wonky, the game itself is a point and click type adventure game where you have to tease out who to talk to next or who needs what item to progress. Some are more challenging that others, but providing the wrong item or information can lead to some funny moments.

This was also a great game to play with friends. Though it is a single player game, Back to the Future is just as much fun to watch as to play. It’s even more fun to watch after you’ve played the game yourself so you can pick up on the subtle references to past/future episodes or the films that can be missed the first time. They are easily games that are worth a replay once in a while especially if you know Back to the Future fans who have not heard of the games.

This game just provided my friends and I with so much fun and entertainment it really is no contest as to what my favorite game of 2013 is. It makes me excited to see what gaming experiences I’ll have in 2014 whether it’s from new games just coming out or from diving in to my backlog for a hidden treasure.

[anthrogamer]

An Unexpected Journey

Not too long ago, I picked up the latest game from thatgamecompay, Journey for the PS3. I first saw the game announced at E3 2011 and knew in a heartbeat it would be on my list of games to play. Having played other titles from thatgamecompany I had high hopes for this latest installment and was rewarded with more than I could imagine.

  In Journey, you play as a traveler working your way to this mountain off in the distance topped with a beacon of light beckoning you towards it. If you are connected to the Internet, the game will pair you up with someone else who is also playing journey. The hitch is the player you are paired up with is completely random and anonymous. It is this partnership that separates Journey from other multiplayer games and allowed me to have two very different experiences while playing.

  For my first trip through the world of Journey, I only knew that the game took place in a desert setting and that the goal was to head towards the mountain. As promised I was eventually paired up with another player and together we explored the landscape discovering exotic creatures and ancient ruins that all told a story of the land we were traversing. It was apparent to me this was not just my first time, but also my partner’s so there was much to explore.

  *Warning: Spoilers ahead!*

  Eventually, we made it towards the final stretch of the game…the climb up the mountain. This climb is one of the most powerful parts of the game that leaves you sitting back in disbelief when you first come across it. The terrain is all snow and wind so half the time you’re blown around and your powers drain even when you are not using them. Along the way, my partner and I discovered that staying close to each other we were able to keep each other’s energy up not unlike sharing body warmth to beat the cold. However, even this could not help us in the end for the mountain area is unforgiving in its wrath.

  Eventually we both toppled over in the snow and claimed by the mountain.

  After a couple of weeks, I decided to work my way across the desert and up the mountain again only this time I was given a surprise along with my new partner…for you see this player was dressed in a white robe.

  As far as I knew, all Journey players were dressed in red robes so I assumed this player had done something to unlock this new robe at some point. In addition to the new threads, my partner also had what appeared to be unlimited power while I had to use mine sparingly. It became clear this player was a veteran of the game and had been rewarded as such. The best part was along the way my partner made it a point to show me where hidden objects were including those that would earn me my own white robe.

  It was like having my own Gandalf or Dumbledore to guide me along the way, to show me where secrets were as well as to give me a hand to reach some of the trickier hidden objects. Despite all of this, however, even with all of the extra power, my partner and I were once again claimed by the cold fury of the mountain at the end of it all.

  With Journey, it’s like picking up a book or watching a movie again and though the story is the same, what you get out of it is different. You feel different reading or watching it, maybe picking up on something you missed the last time or just interpreting a character relationship differently. That every replay of Journey can be a completely different experience is the reason I look forward to the day I return to the desert sands and make my way to the mountain again. 

References: http://journey.wikia.com/wiki/Journey_Wiki

[anthrogamer]

The SOPA Blackout

If you have not noticed today, some of the website you may visit on a daily basis such as Google or Wikipedia have content censored in various ways with messages stating "Tell Congress: Please don't censor the web!" or "Please call your senator or representative".

The purpose behind these changes is that today was suppose to be the day the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was to have a hearing on the House floor today. Though the hearing has been delayed until February, the Internet has declared today to be SOPA Blackout Day to show what the internet would be like if SOPA passes into law.

In addition to SOPA, the Senate has its own anti-piracy bill the Protect IP Act (PIPA) which is set to have a vote on the 24th. Both bills have the same goal.

A great summary of these two bills can be found here: http://vimeo.com/31100268, but essentially the goals of these bills are to give corporations the ability to shut down any site or its funding that they say is guilty of copy right infringement even if it is just one link in a comment post.

The problem with these bills is many of the sources of pirated material are outside of the United States and its law, so instead the creators are going after the targets they can...us and what we post on the internet.

These bills are a misguided attempt of the entertainment industry to regain the control they believe the should have over their content; absolute. I agree that it's wrong to pirate a movie, song, etc if you have the ability to buy it. These people put a lot of effort into their craft and are entitled to the benefits.

However, it is wrong to punish someone because they recorded themselves singing a pop song or if they made a montage of all movies featuring their favorite actor. It is not piracy that will be affected, but fair use, innovation, and our desires to express ourselves that will suffer.

Therefore, please call or email your representatives and tell them to not support this bill for the sake of the Internet and its Users (that's us).

Please use the link bellow and show your support:

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

[anthrogamer]

My New Old Fashion Blackberry

This week we were asked to take inspiration from William Powers book Hamlet’s Blackberry and for a week implement a change in our digital lives from the inspiration taken. In Powers’ book, he mentions a number of strategies taken by famous figures in history to make sense of the information overload experienced in their respective time periods. One strategy I found relatively prominent between all of them was the use of writing down their thoughts, ideas, notes, etc to refer back to at the end of the day. Whether it was Shakespeare’s Hamlet using his tables or Seneca writing a letter to a friend, the act of writing helped these people to collect their thoughts and block out the distractions of the rest of the world.

Now, I have a number of notebooks that I have either tried keeping as a journal or just used occasionally to write down important information when I feel it necessary to have it written down for future reference. The closest I have come to truly keeping any written documentation of information has been through my planners for school. I have kept everyone since freshman year because somewhere in those planners I have random pieces of information such as books to look into or directions to a location that I wanted to visit. I really should go through those planners and consolidate those notes that I have felt compelled to save. I know in at least one of them are directions to a Thai community in Tampa and I have friends who are big fans of Thai food.

Anyway, I have noticed over the years that by keeping up with my planner I did not lose track of assignments that were due or appointments that I needed to keep. If I forgot to write it down though, chances were I would either not remember or have an oh $#!@ moment as I was getting ready for bed. Thinking back on this, I realized that I have similar issues with ideas that I will have at random points of the day. If I do not write it down, I might not remember it until after doing something that required it or when I remember it again I don’t quite remember it the exact same way, meaning I sometimes lose what made want to remember that particular idea so badly.

Therefore, I took a page out of Powers’ book and decided to keep a special notebook to write down ideas in either in word form or in the form of sketches. If this iMedia program has taught me anything it is the use in being able to sketch out one’s thoughts and see it on paper rather than in you mind. Anything works in your mind, but not always when it is given a form.

Now the results of this week (dramatic drum role):

After making this resolution, I have not only increased by planner usage to include errands I need to take care of on certain days, but I have already written down a number of new ideas in my special notebook ranging from future research ideas to ideas for a blog posts to changes that will make my capstone project better. I have also found some new tools and websites from looking in how to implement those ideas.

What is nice about using the notebook is I no longer place my thoughts onto sticky notes that end up taking up space on my desk and are just jumbles of different pieces of information that ended up together because those were the closest pieces of paper to write on.

Best April Fools joke ever pulled on me :)

In the future, I plan on keeping up this habit. Now if clothing designers would only make the pockets on girl jeans bigger so I could keep my notebook in my pocket. (That is a hint to any clothing designers who happen to be reading this).

[anthrogamer]

Games, Games, they're everywhere...sort of.

If there was one issue that was probably not touched on as much as it should have been in this iMedia class I would say it is the rise of gamification.

In general, the world of gaming is growing, especially as more and more people adopt smartphones and tablets. On top of that, companies like Zynga, the Farmville creators, are showing how lucrative even the simplest of games can be. Also, many studies on gaming are now showing how game elements make people more engaged in what they are doing. Earning 100 points for completing an assignment makes doing the assignment that much more fun and is a lot more motivating than simply getting it done.

These factors and many others are inspiring companies to incorporate game elements into their business plans or “gamify” their product or service.

Think about all the rewards cards businesses are offering customers. Sometimes there is a fee, but others are free to take. All you have to do is remember to give it to the cashier when you pay for whatever and, BOOM, you get points for something you were already doing.

The best part is if you get enough points you can earn rewards. A free sandwich here, a half off coupon there. In the case of credit cards you could and still can earn appliances like refrigerators or free vacations.

Regardless of how it is done, all these companies ask in return is that you keep coming back. The more you use that product or service the more rewards you get. Now let’s take it up a notch.

One of the more popular usages of gamification is the program Foursquare. With this app all you have to do is check in to a place and if the place is participating you may receive a reward. Starbucks is one such participant; giving away coupons here and there on certain days or if you become the “Mayor” by checking in more than everyone.

Now these are just some of the more prominent examples of gamification today. Some would argue that there are better things that could and should be gamified such as the education system or to work place. Instead of being rewarded for buying more and more stuff, we should be making school and work more engaging. After all, school is meant to prepare the next generations of society and we spend most of our lives workings. Why should we not work towards making those activities engaging? There is no reason.

Some might worry about making those aspects of life games or confuse gamification to mean playing games instead of “working”. To clarify, gamification is just the addition of game elements such as leveling up or getting achievements to an existing aspect of life. Why do we work so hard, in hopes of a promotion; of “leveling up” in our job. How about those awards for employee of the month? Those are achievements. However, some of these elements are too long term to be great motivators or in our current economy far from coming due to hiring freezes and minimal job growth and/or movement.

For now gamification is not huge, but it is on the rise. So watch out for it and encourage its usage outside of marketing. (I’m running out of room for my reward cards).

P.S. For more on gamification check out:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2985-Gamification

[anthrogamer]

What is an Internet meme?

(Information provided by www.whatsameme.com)

Apparently it is when something on the Internet goes “viral” and people remix it. Examples include Star Wars Kid, Rebecca Black, and Zangief Kid. In all of these instances, video went viral and then people took those videos and made various parodies of them.

When I say these videos went viral, I mean that thousand if not millions of people have watched them. It is not uncommon for videos to go viral. Other examples include Charlie the Unicorn, Bonsai Cat and Sneezing Panda.

What makes a viral video a meme however, is whether or not people take that video and remake it in various forms instead of merely viewing it. In the case of Zangief kid, many people took that video and added Street Fighter elements to it.

While the examples listed so far are all videos, a meme can be anything on the Internet. Photos, speeches, audio, anything has the potential to become a meme. LOL Cats, Youtube, College Humor, all of these are sites that reflect the potential for something to become an Internet meme.

Why do some things become memes vs just going viral? Why do some reoccur over and over?  Why do people take the time to create some of the remixes of content that become memes? The answers to some of these questions can give us insight into our society today.

For example, the last question I listed, “Why do people take the time to create some of the remixes of content that become memes?” looks into people’s motivations to work on these. After being in the iMedia program I can say from experience that video editing, sound editing, creating graphics, can all take hours of work and require programs that may not be standard on a computer. Also, all this work does not mean the new products will also become memes or go viral and there is no money in doing it.

I think Clay Shirky says it best in his book Cognitive Surplus where he illustrates how personal motivation can be an is more powerful than an expected benefit. Essentially, the people who make these remixes have a passion within them that is fulfilled by just creating something without expecting a reward.

In the realm of the Internet and in the time of cheaper and cheaper technology, people can now access tools that were only available to professionals and use them to further their own passions and ideas. In away, we as a society are like Peter Gibbons in the movie Office Space where he tears down the walls of his cubicle physically and mentally. No longer trapped in those walls, he is able to explore his life and find a new path for himself.

Memes are another way people are using to make new paths for themselves. No longer trapped we can now explore new things. Sometimes they may rock the world for a time, others may just shine in their own niches. The point is that regardless people are taking the opportunity to create and/or express themselves. Even if it is just putting a funny caption on a photo of a cat.

Links mentioned above:

Star Wars Kid

Rebecca Black Friday

Zangief Kid

Charlie the Unicorn

Sneezing Panda

Bonsai Kitten

LOL Cats

College Humor

Youtube

[anthrogamer]

To my iPhone...

Hello iPhone. You are looking well today. No new scratches and your applications are working well too. In our class discussions this week, your role in my life and the lives of those who have your siblings and cousins has been quite the talking point. As a tool you are extremely useful; keeping me in contact with my friends, family, and peers. Hosting various applications to keep me informed of the world around me all with a few hand gestures. There are some, however, who see this connection in a negative light; arguing that by being connected all the time we as a society are becoming disconnected. For example, in William Power’s book Hamlet’s Blackberry, Powers states that it is through being constantly connected that we end up becoming distracted and unable to experience a “gap” or a period of reflection that he sees as more fulfilling and deeper than the interactions we have with our “screens”, the computer, the TV and, yes, you my iPhone.

I have had you now for a little over four months now…and other than my initial fascination when I first got you I am curious as to why there is an issue of people who feel compelled to pull you or your counter parts out and constantly check their various apps. Maybe it is because I am relatively new to the smart phone scene or maybe I just hold a different mentality than others when I look at you, but I do not feel that compulsion. I do admit that I check my weather app a lot more then I probably should, but other than that all I do with you is make phone calls, text, use you as an iPod and play games. However, even I am not so drawn to the games available on your system...and I am a gamer. They are good for a couple minutes of distraction, but I have beaten the ones I have and I am not drawn to download more. At least I have not heard of any that are good that are also free, but that is another topic for another time.

I did a count just now. It turns out that including all the apps that you come with, I have downloaded 92 different apps; most of which I could delete because I never or almost never touch them. If I were to be truly honest with you, currently you are a more of a novelty and a curiosity to me than the leash that compels me to be connected to everyone all the time. This is not to say you have not been useful to me and will be so in the future; of that I have no doubt. But I must ask, what is it about your ability to keep people connected all the time that compels users to follow through on the temptation you present?

Well, let’s take a look. As I type this post, I also have Facebook opened and minimized on my dock. Before writing this sentence I took a look at the news feed to see if anything has changed. Since we have been talking about distraction this week, I took a second to ask myself why I did it. My answers were because I was curious and because it serves as a minor procrastination tool.

Now, my dear iPhone, if I were to look at my actions involving you my answers would be similar. Why do I check my weather app a lot? I am curious as to the current temperature so I know if I can start taking off the layers I have been ready to stop wearing since October. However, it also serves as a method to kill a few seconds of time. The same goes for when I use a number of the other apps. So let’s stop here for a second.

I have named two reasons I have for looking at my iPhone other than functionality: curiosity and minor procrastination. By nature, humans are very curious creatures. It is why we as a species know as much as we do and it is why we continue to research and learn about the world around us and about the past, present and future. Perhaps, iPhone, your very nature encourages and enables our curiosity more so than some other technologies. Yes we can do a number of similar tasks on our computer. However, you weigh much less than them and fit quite snuggly in one’s pocket or purse. In addition, because of your ability to be constantly connected either through my network or through WiFi, you allow people to satiate their curiosity whenever it strikes. This could be one of the many factors that draws us to you. However, it is not the only one.

The other factor I mentioned was minor procrastination. However, I was getting this idea mixed up with another one. While procrastination may be a force that causes us to bring out our phones, I wonder if a little bit of game theory cannot also be applied to the draw of our connective devices. Going back to my reason for checking Facebook, I stated that it was to see if anything had changed. What if we considered change as a reward for checking Facebook or Twitter for that matter? What if there is something in our minds that is compelling us to keep checking our e-mail, our social networks, our phones in general because of the chance that we will be rewarded for our attentiveness. In other words, the Skinner Box theory, which is the same compulsion that can be found in video games where you repeat and action over and over again because something has told us that we will be rewarded for it. For example, leveling up in World of Warcraft or in the treasure hunter games on Facebook.

iPhone…are you secretly my controller for a world wide game that no one knows about?

[anthrogamer]

A little bit of everything

This is the second book by Clay Shirky I have read in the past year. While I enjoyed his book Here Comes Everybody, his new one Cognitive Surplus comes off to me as a combination of his previous book and the book Free by Chris Anderson of Wired Magazine.  It resembles Here Comes Everybody by reiterating how the Internet has lowered the barriers that initially prevented people from connecting with one another; creating the potential for people to work together in new ways that were inconceivable a few decades ago.  Where it touches on the premise of Free lies in where he discusses how even a small percent of a vast amount of users can maintain a website. Something that, again, would have been impossible without the connectivity we have today.

One part I did find interesting was his chapter on intrinsic motivation vs extrinsic motivation. In a number of academic fields, there is a school of thought focused on the theory that humans are rational creatures. For example, we are more likely to do something if there is a reward in it for us. Otherwise known as extrinsic motivation or being motivated by something outside of oneself.

To counter this thought, Shirky cites what is known as the Soma experiment. In this experiment, participants were asked to solve a Soma puzzle. At one point the participants were told they could take a break. While being monitored, it was observed that the participants kept working on the puzzle for part of the break time even though there was nothing to get out of it (intrinsic motivation). They repeated the experiment again only this time they paid some of the participants money for every time they solved the puzzle. During observations, it was noted that the paid participants kept working longer during the break. For the third session, using the same participants, no one was paid again. This time those who were paid last time worked during the break less than what was recorded the first time.

From this study, Shirky claims that people are willing to work on things out of their own motivation rather than requiring a reward. Wikipedia is a current example, and for a time people were baffled by how something like it could exist. I agree with Shirky in that with there are many things that can be accomplished through intrinsic motivation and that we as a society have only just started to tap into the possibilities. Looking at this study again though, I noticed something a little disconcerting.

When the extrinsic motivation in the study was removed, the interest in the task itself diminished, by half of what it was before the extrinsic motivation was introduced. Right now the whole world runs on extrinsic motivation. We work at our jobs to make money so we can take care of our basic needs as well as take part in things we want. My concern here is the depletion in motivation that would occur should extrinsic motivation be removed. Possibly, this would be temporary and as people found their intrinsic motivation it would no longer be an issue. However, temporary could be a few years to a few generations. The closest thing to an experiment about this change that I can think of is the adoption of Communism; or at least the failed attempts at Communism. Technically there has never been a true communistic society.

However, in a much smaller setting this could prove to being an interesting experiment. To create a small community where people work on things because of their own motivations. Not only would it be a test to see if people could adapt, but also a chance to see how they solve daily problems; providing new insights into new modes of thinking.

[anthrogamer]

Evolution vs Adaptation?

For this week’s class, we looked at articles, videos, etc related to Nicholas Carr’s book What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains: The Shallows where Carr analyzes how our surfing of the Internet is physically changing our brains and what the consequences of that are. According to Carr, society’s use of the Internet has increased our capabilities to skim and scan information. However, the cost of these enhanced abilities is the loss of our ability for deep thought and analysis of what the information we are exposed to. In my last post, I stated that I found Carr’s view to have a fearful tone about it, which has caused a number of responses against his argument.

One of those rebuttals comes from Nick Bilton who is a proponent for the Internet and what it can do for society. In his talk on PopTech, he mentions that when he spoke to specialists on how they brain works they immediately said that the brain does takes thousands of years to evolve as opposed to adapt. Both Bilton and Carr agree that the Internet does affect how we think and that our brains are physically changing. However, to me, their opposing tones could be classified as evolution vs adaptation. Carr has a more evolution based tone and Bilton an adaptation tone.

While both of these terms refer to a change of some kind, the kind of changes they refer to differ. Evolution is a process that takes millennia to occur. For example, the species Homo erectus was around approximately 2 million years before Homo sapiens and it was not an over night change. Over that 2 million years changes occurred in the species that eventually made us what we are today. Adaptation, however, can happen fast. For instance, if it is cold outside, we can grab a jacket or sweater to keep ourselves warm.

In other words, the tone Carr takes towards the changes created by the use of the Internet is evolution in thought because he phrases the changes as if they were irreversible. That if we build up or skills at skimming information we will ultimately lose our ability for deep thought. Bilton, on the other hand, depicts these changes with a more adaptation tone in that these skills are growing out of a need to take all of the information thrown at us. The difference here is that Bilton does not believe we will lose our existing abilities. We might need a little retraining, but we can still use those skills. It is like riding a bicycle.

Another theme that has come out of the discussions regarding Carr is that we are leaving the era of time called “Gutenberg Parenthesis”. Named after the inventor of the printing press, the Gutenberg Parenthesis is the period when the written word was the dominant source of information. Some experts say that we are out if not almost out of this time period as we embrace the digital age. Either way, at the beginning of the parenthesis it was feared that oral traditions would be lost as people began recording information in books. Yet, as we see today, oral culture was not lost, but adapted to the new society. The same will happen with the culture created in the Gutenberg Parenthesis. All of that will not just go away. Instead all of the dominant media of the past will adapt to the new environment in new forms. We are still in a transition period so it will take some time for things to find their niche. It will happen though.

[anthrogamer]

What The Shallows does to our brains

I am not sure if I agree with Carr or not.

He says that as we use the Internet, our brains change biologically to accommodate the information we gather online as well as how we process it. People love the Internet because it allows us to search through more information than ever, faster than ever and we can connect with people anywhere in the world. However, when we find an article on a topic of interest, we only skim and scan said article for what is important and move on. Or there are a variety of alternate information paths hosted by said article to draw us away from the information.

According to Carr, when we browse through information at such a rapid pace, we do not allow our brains a chance to fully absorb what we were looking at. Biologically, this reduces the amount of information that becomes long-term memory and does not allow us the chance to think about what we have observed. There is no time for contemplation. Also, according to some of the studies cited by Carr, when we use a part of our brain for a task over and over again that region of the brain grows stronger; making the task easier. However, areas that are not being used begin to fade over time. It is like keeping one’s body in shape. If you work out on a regular basis, the exercises one does become easier and the muscles being used grow stronger. However, if one stops exercising for a while, the muscles become weaker and the exercises are tougher to do. The same rule applies to the brain.

It is this rule that I think makes me want to disagree with Carr. Dr. Makemson said that there has been a lot of controversy around this book. I can understand why. When we put so much faith in something and glorify it to the point of godhood it feels as though the very foundation of our current existence is falling apart. With the Internet as omnipresence as it has become, to think that it could have a dark side terrifies people. It is not a pleasant thought, but one I think we need to contend with the truly get the most out of all the new technology being thrown at us. We cannot have good without evil for it is through the knowledge of one that we understand the other. I forget where I read it (I am pretty sure it was in Milton’s Paradise Lost), but I believe the reason the tree of knowledge was called thus is not because its fruit bestowed knowledge but because by eating the fruit Adam and Eve understood the difference between good and evil because they now had something to compare too.

That being said, I will return to why I disagree with Carr to a point. Part of the fear Carr imposes on his readers is not just from his revealing of the dark side of the Internet, but also from his belief in a zero-sum nature of how the brain works. In the world of economics, a zero-sum game means that if someone wins someone loses. In this book, Carr phrases the changes in the brain as though for one area to grow, one must shrink. However, I think that it is possible for multiple growths to occur in the brain. Arguably, if one spends one hour surfing the Internet and then one hour in contemplation then that is an hour of exercise two different parts of the brain have received resulting in the strengthening of both areas. As with the body, just because one spends an entire day working the lower body does not mean the upper body turns to mush.

Ultimately, Carr brings up numerous points that should be considered regarding the Internet and how it is integrating itself into our brains and our lives. However, just as there is a dark side there is also a light side and when put together we find numerous colors representing hundreds of pathways unseen before. One of these pathways I am seeing is that part of why we do not spend time in deep contemplation is the time does not seem to exist. Because of the recent recession and even before then, people are working more and more hours. In some cases it is so they can keep their jobs. In other cases money is so tight that either businesses can only have skeleton crews on hand or people are working more than one job. Another time stealer is the amount of information available to us on the Internet. There are so many junk websites or repeat websites that regardless of how Google structures its search engine some of it will come up. I think the amount information on the Internet has reached a point where it is no longer helpful to have access to all of it. For example, in a system, as one adds more workers the output of that system increases. However, there is eventually a point where more people reduces the output. Bottom line, I think society and all the fields it touches has just given us more than people can take the time to comprehend. It can be seen in all fields. There is this rush to do as much as possible. Maybe it is the inspiration for the movie “Limitless” that is coming out next month. Either way, there are a number of factors to consider and to fully grasp the whole picture we cannot pick a side, but learn from both sides.

IMDb-Limitless