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The Rise of eSports - Pt. 2

When my generation thinks of parents, we typically associate that term with baby-boomers. The technological era in which the baby-boom babies (sounds like a great band name huh?) were born was far less advanced than the one we live in today. Even younger parents in their 30’s and 40’s were born into a completely different era. This leads to an interesting relationship between parents and children actively pursuing video games. Not to mention, there was no such thing close to a “professional video gamer” when our parents were kids. Unless of course, you count being an extremely skilled “Pong” player in the 70’s.

In my house growing up, the internet was only used for checking email or the weather. It wasn’t until nearly high school when we upgraded from dial-up. However, we now live in the digital era. Professional Video Gamer is now a real thing, but this causes some interesting dynamics. Parents who didn’t even believe we would ever have such technology, and an ever-growing number of kids playing video games where the professional players are taking home six-figure paychecks.

My attention was brought to this dynamic during the Dota 2 International Tournament in 2014. In case you missed the last blog (which you can read here), The International is Dota 2’s culmination tournament held in Seattle, Washington. The winning team prize pool topped $6 million in 2015, to put it into perspective.

One of the team’s featured in The International was a North American-based team names Complexity, which was founded by a pair of brothers. In the preceding of each match, they hosts would show a video documentary to introduce each team. Complexity’s video featured these two brothers and both of their parents. To further my surprise at seeing their parents in the video, both Mom and Dad raved about how proud they were of their sons. They went on about how much they appreciated their sons setting their mind to something and going after it.

This surprised me to say the least. Not only because my personal experience would not have had a similar outcome, but because I didn’t expect this response from any parents at all! However, I was reminded that times are changing, rapidly, in fact, and with the changing times comes adaptation. Our culture is experiencing a shift, and becoming a professional video gamer might be the top item on the list of what our kids want to be when they grow up. If you are, or when you become a parent, how will you respond to this change in society, culture, and perception?

You can watch aforementioned video regarding Complexity here.

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The Death of Comedy

The Digital Steam Team talk about comedy throughout the years and how it has changed and evolved into the comedy we know today. For more from Digital Steam be sure to follow us on your favorite social media site listed on the right!

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Should Character’s Die In Children’s Movies?

A little lion cub clings to the branch of a tree in the middle of a herd of stampeding buffalo. His father stages a rescue, but then the cub’s evil uncle steps in. Almost every child alive after 1994 remembers this tragic moment in Disney’s The Lion King. Or the moment in The Land Before Time when Littlefoot’s mother dies.

Character death in movies is hardly a rare thing, and even movies marketed to children that don’t include death tend to contain some intense or heartwrenching moments (Toy Story 3, anyone?). And while a lot of the casualties are villains, quite a few good or heroic characters bite the bullet.

When writers kill characters, there is always a reason behind it. Villains die in order for them to face a come-uppance or to facilitate a happy ending. Good characters die from heroically sacrificing themselves or to make it clear just how dangerous the baddie really is. But should characters die in kid’s movies? Even if they’re villains? Even if they’re heroes?

I think so.

Whenever a good writer sits down to write a piece of media—a book, a movie, a play—they always keep their audience in mind. At the same time, they must also keep the story’s integrity a top priority. Exceptional writers know how to keep each of these qualities in balance. There will, inevitably, be material created for children where a character dies when they probably shouldn’t. There will also, inevitably, be media created for children where the writer didn’t have enough trust in their own story to do it the justice it deserved. It’s a tightrope. And it’s one that companies like Pixar and Dreamworks and Disney have been attempting to walk across for years upon years now.

There is no way of knowing, for example, which of those thousands of tickets sold will go to a little girl who will get emotionally distressed when she sees Mufasa die. There’s no way of knowing which ticket from Lilo and Stitch is going to go to the little one who lost their parents, but finds a strange kind of healing from watching Nani and Lilo navigate the same hurts.

Media is powerful. How we as a culture and as individuals respond to media is equally so. There are a few movies I wish I hadn’t watched as a child. The Land Before Time is absolutely one of them. There’s nothing wrong with the Don Bluth animated classic, it just was a bad movie for me as a seven years old whose biggest fear suddenly became losing her mom. But I handled The Lion King just fine. I cried, sure, but when the movie was over I was able to process it. After absorbing how it made me feel, I could then let it go.

And that’s really the big issue. Which kid is going to be able to process character death and which kid won’t be able to emotionally handle it is not something a writer or a production house can determine. That’s a parent/guardian/trusted-supervising-adult responsibility. So long as the depiction of the death is done in such a way that the visual is in good taste—Disney likes to have their characters fall from cliffs or towers, most likely to avoid blood—the inclusion of a death doesn’t have to be a bad thing. For many movies, it’s an acceptable plot twist that has the desired emotional impact on the audience.

Even if I’m in my mid-twenties and I still can’t bear to watch The Land Before Time.

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Travel Tips Of The International Variety

Thinking of taking a trip abroad for vacation?  Have to suffer another flight for work?  Visiting family for the holidays?  Fear no more, the guide to traveling with confidence is here and can be purchased for $39.99.  [Not really]

There is nothing that can magically give you the confidence you need to travel outside of experience.  Experience is what separate the world class traveler and those who cower in fear over what kind of drink to get and if they should or shouldn't recline their seat.  

The travel tips I'm about to share have been forged in the fires of fifteen countries and 39 states then baptized through the same number of customs and security workers.  They may seem like common sense, however, one would be shocked how little they are actually used.  

 Dress Nicely

Listen, I understand you are traveling and want to be comfortable, I fully support you, but…. Nobody, I repeat, nobody wants to see you sporting a tank top with yoga pants and barefoot Crocs.  The old saying ‘dress for success’ applies here.  Everyone will treat you better if you don't look like you just walked off of the Walking Dead set.  

 Be Polite.  

 I have said this before in a couple other posts and it still applies.  Being polite is a lost art that needs a revival.  The flight attendants, fellow passengers, and even the pilots will appreciate and respect you more for being polite.  This can literally mean the difference between getting an upgrade or being hauled off by security.  

If you don't fly often you may not understand that flight attendees do not have the power of a god to grant every wish or request.  A lot of airlines are understaffed at the gate and corporate policies keep them from making changes that they would have been more than happy to help you with a few years ago.  

Don't be the person everyone tells stories about to their friends by getting irate and disrespecting someone who is working hard for a living.  I recently was traveling standby from ORD to IAH and just sat down in the last seat available when one of these irate people above screams, “You’re in my seat!”  Turns out she wasn't paying attention when they were calling names for standby and they passed her up.  She made such a commotion about it that they accidentally double booked us after I had sat down.  

I had some spare time during that trip so I kindly obliged and made my way off of the plane only to be stopped by a flight attendant who asked me to stay by the gate.  She continued to tell me that if this lady didn't calm down soon they were going to kick her off of the plane and give the seat back to me.  Her exact words were, “This lady is trouble”.  She calmed down as security was just making its way down the breezeway and I made the next flight.  Speaking of security….

 Be Ready for Security

Have your papers ready before they call you up.  Take your shoes off in advance.  Read online the travel guidelines for liquids.  Be prepared.  Security is now a part of traveling and it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.  In my opinion, you no longer have the right to be shocked when they tell you to take off your shoes or pull your laptop out.  It's been years since this was implemented and ignorance of the law is no excuse.  

 Call your Bank, your Mother, and your Cell Phone Provider

This can be the most important thing before traveling.  Let your bank know where you're going and for how long. They will turn off your card, or come up with a solution that fits your needs. Your mother will also appreciate this information if you are traveling abroad.  Parents are prone to worry.  Call your cell phone provider to see if there is an international package available on your plan.  Most providers have a monthly option for international travel that is great to have in case of emergencies.

 Have Cash

The power of cash is mighty, unless you're renting a car, but that's another story.  Having cash on you will help you get through some sticky situations.  If you can, have a couple hundred packed away in different places of your bags and on your person.  This saved me when my card was shut off in Canada.  I was driving back from Toronto when my card went dead and my bank was closed.  I had enough cash for gas to make it to my hotel that night.  Talk about a close call.  

 Try to travel Tuesday through Thursday

Avoiding the busy days will often lower your airfare and increase your travel experience.  If your schedule allows, try flying on these days. The airport and staff even feel different when it's not the hustle and bustle of work travelers fighting tooth and nail over the last seat on an oversold flight.  

 Knowledge is Power

If you are traveling abroad look up current exchange rates, recent events, and the basics of their language.  This will take you all of ten minutes and will be worth that weight in gold.  You always run the risk of being cheated when you travel, the more you know ahead of time the lower that risk gets. Always learn how to ask where the bathroom is in their language. This really helps you not to be embarrassed by doing the ‘potty dance’.  

 Have the right plugs.

Alright, here comes the most powerful travel tip that can save you phone.  If you can't replace you battery, (sorry Apple fans) don't charge your device without a converter.  Even then, do so sparingly.  I have fried more batteries charging overseas than I would care to admit.  I finally wised up and have two batteries for each device.  One for in the states and another for travel. Just because most chargers are capable of working on 220v without a converter, doesn't mean they should.  I find that switching voltages shortens my battery life and causes problems.  Have one battery for 110v and another for all the rest.

 All in all be safe.  Use wisdom when you travel and remember to enjoy the journey even if you are in the back of the plane.  Life could be worse than sitting back there.  

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The Rise of eSports

Part one of this blog will cover the numbers side of the rise of eSports, part two will investigate the changing parent-gamer relationship.

The typical parent to child conversations regarding video games has always been, “video games are a waste of time”, and “go outside and play!” But things have taken a turn in quite a different direction in the last five years. With eSports on the rise, professional eSports players are becoming household names. Teams like Cloud9, Fnatic, Na’vi, and Virtus Pro becoming just as popular as the Lakers, Yankees, and Patriots in some homes.

eSports is undeniably on the rise. Firstly, let’s talk money. Professional eSports monetary prize pools have continually grown, especially over the last five years. Take a look at Dota 2, the game which has paid out over $51 million since 2011. In 2011, Dota 2’s culmination tournament, The International, paid out $1.6 million spread over the top eight teams. However, by 2015, the International prize pool topped $18 million and the winning team, Evil Geniuses, took home $6 million by itself. This was the largest prize pool in eSports history.

Secondly, let’s talk numbers. Video gaming, professional and casual, is on the rise as a whole. In America alone, 155 million people play video games. Per theea.com, Four out of every five households has a dedicated video game console, and each game-playing household has an average of two gamers.

However, it is not a small leap from casual to professional gaming, but take a look at eSports participation: In 2014, 205 million people either watched or played some form of eSports. In 2012, eSports viewers spent 1.3 billion (yes, billion) hours watching eSports worldwide, and just two years later, 2014 saw fans watch over 3.7 billion hours. And to top it all off, the 2014 League of Legends Championship beat out all other sporting events in the world (Including The Masters, the NBA finals, and the World Series) in viewership, second to only the Super Bowl (ESPN.com).

eSports is growing extremely quickly, and it shows no signs of stopping. With increased viewership, participation, sponsorship, and prize money, professional video gaming is becoming an increasingly enticing arena. This shift in our society and how eSports is matching up against “real” sports leaves us with the question: Will eSports overtake all sports? And will The International become the new Super Bowl? Only time will tell.

To be continued…

In part two of this blog, we will dive into how parents are reacting to the rise in eSports, how lucrative the eSports industry is, and are professional gamers able to support a family on their income alone? Stay tuned to digitalsteam.io for more.  

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Are You Supporting Stealing By Using Facebook?

“You wouldn’t steal a car.” Those early 2000s’ anti-pirating ads encouraging you to not buy bootlegged dvds are fully engrained into my brain and many others. Ironically, even the creator of that anti-piracy ad stole the music he used.  

Today, most of us know that buying content from an unlicensed distributor or straight up downloading copyrighted materials we didn’t pay for is stealing. However, I was recently reminded about one of the most prolific forms of stealing, which happens every day right in front of our eyes. The sad part is, we rarely notice.

The other day a good friend of mine shared an amazing video from a relatively small band I like. They have had their successes in the past but nothing I would describe as a major breakthrough. When I read the message and clicked the link, my first thought was to smile, but then my heart sank.

After a short inspection, I could clearly see that the page sharing the video was not the band nor did they have any connection to the band. Instead of sharing the band’s original upload of the video to YouTube, the page admin decided to download the video and then reupload it to Facebook to share as he pleases.

What frustrates me the most is this horrifying fact: The illegal upload racked up twenty four million views, millions more than the original video. We live in a world where thieves can steal twenty four million impressions worth of advertising by having the unsuspecting do their bidding. Instead of those views promoting the band, an undeserving Facebook page got an incredible amount of exposure, which was the perpetrator’s intention.

This is a practice I’ve found has permeated on Facebook. In this world of digital media, we have to be mindful of what we share. It’s not acceptable to download someone’s video, song, or even image and share it. Instead, use the sharing link they provide or directly link to their website.

There will never be a fool proof system to prevent pirating, but negligence is not an acceptable course of action. Educating the public has always been the biggest obstacle in the pursuit of eliminating piracy. I hope we can spread the word and continue to develop the internet into a place where content creators of all types and sizes can share their creations and make the living they deserve.

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William Shakespeare's Star Wars

At first, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars seems like an odd mutation of two concepts that shouldn’t work together either in theory or in execution. Written by Ian Doescher, William Shakespeare's Star Wars is exactly that: Star Wars as Shakespeare could have written it, complete with iambic pentameter. The Original Trilogy consists of three “plays”: Verily A New Hope, The Empire Striketh Back, and The Jedi Doth Return.

The reason this concept works becomes more and more obvious the more it’s examined. The grandiose nature of the story. The family drama, the battle scenes, the duels, even the themes explored throughout the narrative feel distinctly Shakespearean. R2D2 and C-3P0’s comic-relief escapades feel reminiscent of the kind of comedic characters Shakespeare would employ. The ghost of Obi Wan Kenobi could have been taken right out of Hamlet.

The entire three “play” collection boasts a host of references to Shakespeare’s plays. My personal favorite being a reference to a famous bit of stage direction in The Winter’s Tale. “Exeunt pursued by bear” becomes “Exit pursued by wampa.” But the references don’t stop there, and they range from obscure allusions to ones that bring to mind the Bard’s more famous lines.

The words Han and Leia exchange during their literal star-crossed romance are filled with references to Romeo and Juliet. Meanwhile Luke’s paternal drama brings out a host of similarities to Hamlet and Macbeth. (Complete with a picture of him holding Vader’s helmet as if it were Yorick’s skull.)

In-jokes for die-hard Star Wars fan’s are not absent either. During the infamous scene between Han Solo and Greedo, the stage direction merely reads: [They shoot. Greedo dies.] But in the very next line, Han says: “Pray, goodly sir, forgive me for the mess. / And whether I shot first I’ll ne’er confess.”

But is Doescher’s Shakespearean galaxy far far away worth your time? You’ll probably find yourself enjoying the plays even if you aren’t a Shakespeare fan. I personally found them a very easy read. They are the best things about the bard without the cultural and linguistic barriers that often make his plays so confusing. By keeping Shakespeare’s style while removing the need for Sparknotes, these books really demonstrate just how Shakespeare was so popular and entertaining in his day and age.

Doescher is such a clear fan of both universes that the amount of love and dedication he has to this project clearly shines through. I haven’t had the opportunity to read the prequels, The Phantom of Menace, The Clone Army Attacketh or the Tragedy of the Sith’s Revenge, but I look forward to enjoying them soon.

If you’re a Star Wars fan, definitely check these books out. If you’re a Shakespeare fan, this is a cool look into the bard as he could have been. If you’re a Shakespeare and a Star Wars fan, what are you waiting for? The force is strong with this one.

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The Art of Ordering Fast Food

Whether you are a billionaire or a homeless renegade we are all brought together by this one simple act we must all do to survive: eat.  Living in the modern world has given us some amazing opportunities to experience great new tastes and textures that intrigue and captivate our senses.  Let’s be honest though most of the time we end up at McDonalds.  Fast food is an experience in and of itself no matter which of the well-established franchised names you enjoy the most.

Just the other day it was late and I didn’t want to cook so I hopped into my car and bought myself a juicy quarter pound of beef with delectable onions and ketchup, a side order of golden heaven fried to perfection, and the nectar of the gods (Sweet tea).   I made it back home rather quick, since I live unashamedly five minutes from this perfection, opened my bag to find that the fries were soggy, the tea was mostly ice, and my burger looked like it had been on display at Navy Pier for the summer season.

We have all experienced both the expectation and my recent reality when ordering fast food.  Here are a few tips to make sure your experience is the best it can be:

Be. Polite.

Nothing will help you more than being polite to the people who are making your food.  We have all seen irate people at the order windows and most of the time they are making fools of themselves.  It seems like common sense but I would never want to piss off the guys back there that are making my food.  You know, where I can’t see what they are doing.  

Ask for unsalted fries

Unless you live in a trendy area like Seattle there is a safe bet that the fast food giants don’t have unsalted fries at the ready.  When you ask for unsalted fries it usually means they have to make some fresh.  You need to be prepared to wait a little longer for this to pay off and remember point one, be polite.

Don’t just order the standard

During busy times a large number of fast food chains will pre-make some standard order items so they are readily available.  Switching to a mustard and pickle only burger will mean the difference between one that has been sitting there to one that is made for you.

Ask for guacamole on the side

Always remember fresh is a relative term that can mean a ton of different things.  Ordering Guac and condiments like it on the side will let you see how ‘Fresh’ it actually is.  This also means you will usually get fresher Guac because they know you are going to look at it before you eat.

Ask for light ice

We have all ordered drinks and within five sips start wondering where all of my soda went.  Asking for light ice will make sure that you get more drink for your dollar.  This really only applies to drive through, but is still good to keep in mind.

Take advantage of these tips to your hearts content but please be polite.  These tips were written by my hope to live in a world where food is always amazing and readily available.  I also dream of world peace.  

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The Force isn't with The Revenant

The next chapter in Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-less career comes this December in the form of the new Alejandro Iñárritu film The Revenant. Unfortunately for DiCaprio, most likely one of the biggest films of this decade is premiering exactly a week prior. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the seventh installment of George Lucas’ widely popular Star Wars saga, and airs in theatres on December 18th.  While viewership and attendance are not requirements for an Academy Award, DiCaprio may go unnoticed by moviegoers this coming winter.

Per IMDB, DiCaprio plays an 1820s explorer/hunter, exploring the uncharted American wilderness with his group of hunters. After being attacked by a bear, and being left by his friends, Hugh Glass - DiCaprio’s on-screen counterpart - must survive the wilderness and after doing so, sets out to seek revenge. Needless to say, similar to Glass, the odds are stacked against the surprisingly star-studded cast of The Revenant.

When I say surprisingly star-studded, that is to say that three of the main characters are portrayed by at least fairly well-known actors. Including DiCaprio, The Dark Knight Rises and Mad Max’s Tom Hardy stars in a supporting role, as well as The Maze Runner and We’re the Millers’ star Will Poulter. Ironically, the cast of The Force Awakens only sports one notable name in Harrison Ford.

Not surprising, however, will be the amount of Star Wars fans, myself included, who will undoubtedly (and for good reason) flock to their local theater on December 18th. But being the type of moviegoer who attends a new movie about two or three times a year, I can understand how The Revenant might be getting overshadowed. In fact, last year marked the lowest number of ticket sales in the past twenty years. But, while ticket sales have been declining, revenue has not. Ticket prices are also on the rise, with 2014 peaking at an average of $8.17 per ticket.

With the direction the numbers are headed, I can only assume most Americans tend to head to the movies at the same pace as myself, and that certainly does not include seeing two movies this December. Sorry, Leo.