GameGeekly

Welcome to your geekly update on all things gaming! https://gamegeekly.wordpress.com/

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A Beginner's Guide to Anime Conventions

Tips and Advice for first time con-goers. Music by: Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/refresh License code: KNDP4ABCCS6AIYQM

Tips and tricks for first time anime con goers from seasoned cosplayers.

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Return of a Nightmare 13 years in the making, Alan Wake 2.

With spooky season right around the corner, it is the perfect time for Remedy to promote their new upcoming game, Alan Wake 2. To help hype up some new fans and refresh some old ones, let’s talk about Alan Wake.

Released in May 2010, we were introduced to our unexpected hero, world-renowned writer Alan Wake, who decided to travel with his wife Alice to the small town of Bright Falls, Washington, at the encouragement of his friend/agent Barry Wheeler. Everything seemed lovely in this small town as they celebrated the 68th annual Deer Fest, that was until, of course, a dark presence kidnaps his wife. Now, it is up to Alan and those he meets along the way to unravel this twisted tale to find and save his wife. With the help of your handy flashlight and firearm, the player sets out as Alan as you discover more secrets around the town and slowly solve the mystery of Cauldron Lake. Players will find manuscripts written by Alan scattered about depicting previous scenes and those yet to occur. We learn more about who our hero is through the fears and strengths shown in this multilayered game’s incredible storytelling mechanics.

Alan Wake 2’s official site created by Remedy gave us this little insight into what happened to our hero’s fate, “Alan Wake is not dead, although he has wished he was many times. For 13 years he’s been a prisoner in the Dark Place, where his nightmares, his fears, and his stories manifest as reality around him. For 13 years, he has been fighting to stay sane and write a story that would change reality around him in order for him to escape. So far, he has failed.” A small but well placed detail that Remedy uses is not only did the fans have to endure 13 unknown years but so did Alan. Moving on we are introduced to a new character, Saga Anderson, that we know very little details besides she is reputable FBI agent who is on a case placing her in the small-town of Bright Falls. Fans have gotten the feeling that history is about to repeat itself as Remedy showed gameplay during the Summer Games Fest where we get a first look at Saga equipped with a flashlight and handgun fighting back the dark presence all while discovering a mysterious horror story manuscript.

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The dark, mysterious, and downright scary ambiance and detail this new game presents shows how much of a passion project this game truly is to those who worked on it at Remedy. It also shows how well their skills have been honed and improved in over a decade. Senior Community Manager Vida Starčević discussed in a behind the scenes Remedy’s storytelling dedication, “Remedy’s really found its niche. We know our strengths. We know what we are good at. We know that that is world building, that is atmosphere. And we keep building on these strengths and we keep investing into all other areas and seeing how can we do more, how can we go bigger, how can we go bolder?” From what fans have seen so far Alan Wake 2 has definitely improved in a bigger bolder way. Now we can only hope that continues with the full release. There is currently two options for pre-order that fans can select from.

Standard Edition: Includes the Alan Wake 2 digital base game

Deluxe Edition: Includes the Alan Wake 2 digital base game and the following exclusive content: 

Expansion Pass (Night Springs Expansion and Lake House Expansion) 

Nordic Shotgun Skin for Saga (Part of the Expansion Pass) 

Parliament Shotgun Skin for Alan 

Crimson Windbreaker for Saga 

Celebrity Suit for Alan 

Lantern Charm for Saga 

Both editions of the game offer a pre-order bonus that gives players the following:

Ornate Revolver Skin for Alan 

Survival Resources Pack for Saga 

Oh Deer Diner Sweater for Saga

Players are able to purchase this new installment on PC (Standard edition $49.99 and Deluxe edition $69.99), Playstation 5 (Standard edition $59.99 and Deluxe edition $79.99), and Xbox Series X/S (Standard edition $59.99+ and Deluxe Edition $79.99+).

Happy Spooky season and remember to always carry a flashlight.

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Video Games in the Classroom

The Oregon Trail, a game that entered classrooms in the 70's, allowed children to immerse themselves in a world that followed the footsteps of Lewis and Clark. This was the beginning of video games in educational settings and would continue to evolve over the next fifty years. 

With the evolution of educational games and their increased use within classrooms, even the White House took notice and, in 2014, held a game developer conference. The White House invited one hundred top game designers to show off their skills and ideas to better progress gaming in the educational field. This was dubbed "game jam," the developers ranged from big names like Red Storm Entertainment to smaller, less-known teams. They showcased games that simulated the creation of planets, the effect of prey vs. predators on population and environment, and so much more. With all these new games in the works and being introduced in classrooms, many changes in how children are taught are being altered. A noticeable difference with using video games in school is how more children get involved when some form of stimulation is involved. 

Interview with Viera High School staff members.

Brandon Hare was asked the following questions during an interview with a Viera High School human geography teacher.

How do you feel games can benefit a child's education?

"I think games provide an outlet and allow differentiated engagement among students. Those who may not enjoy school often enjoy this time because they can apply concepts while playing video games. I think finding new ways to engage students is essential for classroom success." said Mr. Hare 

He isn't the only one to have this view, either. In another article, Games in the Classroom: What Research Says, 694 K-8 teachers were surveyed and asked a similar question to Mr. Hare's. They had seen similar success with student engagement, with 65% of the teachers saying lower-performing students started to show some form of engagement when games were involved.

How do you utilize games in the classroom, and what game do you use most?

"Civilization Six is a game we play in AP human geography to show how countries and civilizations change over time. We start in the ancient era, and we work forward from there. Each student selects their civilization and chooses their own paths to better understand why certain civilizations and cultures are known for certain things…," said Mr. Hare. 

He discussed how he keeps track of his student's progress and how much time they spend on the game weekly. 

Mr. Hare also shared how he has "…seen a dramatic growth in student engagement…Students do seem to have a better grasp of course concepts since we began playing."

Mr. Hare was very kind in sharing his experience and knowledge of utilizing video games within his classroom. He was not the only interviewee able to speak on the topic, though; Carolyn Hale, the Viera High School ESE Contact and previous Merritt Island High School Special Education in Science and Social Studies teacher for over twenty-six years, also spoke about her experience with using video games within the classroom. 

What video games do you use in the classroom, and how do you monitor student progress?

"The games we most frequently would use were Kahoot for reviewing course materials, and other learning strategy games like Boom Learning and Flocabulary…I was able to monitor student progress and how they were retaining information with Boom Learning and Flocabulary with the report tab that was provided and checked weekly." Said Mrs. Hale

Can games benefit a child's education?

"Yes, the games benefited the children's education because they felt more confident in their knowledge and began to engage more and ask questions. It also got children who normally would not interact in class to participate because it was in the format of a game and not a lecture." Said Mrs. Hale.

The way children are taught is ever-changing, and with video games on the rise more than ever with new technology, this is also changing in a way that can benefit each other. It will be fantastic to witness what the future holds for educational gaming.

References:

Clark, C. (2022, November 28). 5 reasons video games should be more widely used in school. Texas A&M Today. https://today.tamu.edu/2021/09/06/5-reasons-video-games-should-be-more-widely-used-in-school/

Shapiro, J. (2014, June 27). Games in the classroom: What the research says. KQED. https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/36482/games-in-the-classroom-what-the-research-says

Toppo, G. (2014, September 16). White House “Game jam” lures top video game developers. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2014/09/12/white-house-video-games/15393169/

Infographic created with Visme

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All you need to know about Minecraft Live and the 1.21 update.

Another Minecraft Live is upon us, and with the fast-encroaching 15th anniversary, Mojang announced plenty of brand new updates that will leave fans on the edge of their seats in anticipation. Between update 1.21, the new mob vote, and plenty of other new materials announced there was a little something for all Minecraft fans this year. 

Update 1.21

Agnes Larson, the Game Director, reveals this year’s 1.21 update and discusses how the development team is leaning more towards combat adventure and tinkering. Agnes takes viewers into the game to view the newest addition, Trial Chambers. Trial Chambers is a randomly generated dungeon players can find in the world that offers a different style of spawners, loot, and block designs. Matthew Dryden, level designer, walks players through the entrance to the trial chambers update, “The corridor leads to different rooms, and it can lead to supply chests. You can find things that will challenge you but also things that can help you.” Some of the trial spawners and mobs showcased are the stray spawners; what makes these spawners different than usual is they consistently release mobs onto players until defeated, to which it will undergo a cool down so they can always be farmed. The spawners also adapt to the number of players that join the fight. After defeating a spawner, it will release enough loot for party members. The newest mob is called the breeze, a funny, inconvenient mob that pushes players around using a wind attack that doesn’t cause damage and has an ability that does harm. For those more interested in crafting, they have added the Crafter. Oscar, a game developer at Mojang, elaborated on what the Crafter does, “…With the Crafter, you can automate crafting with Redstone. It’s pretty similar to a crafting table except pulling the items out yourself; you can use the Redstone pulse to get it out.” 

The Mob Vote

Every year, the developers release three concept mobs with a brief explanation of what they can offer or do for players, where to find them, and what they will look like. Mojang will then place a pull on their website, Twitter, etc., to get fan’s opinions, and during Minecraft Live, they announce the new mob. This year’s mobs were the Armadillo, Crab, and Penguin, each offering unique contributions to the game that, if you click the individual mobs, will take you to the Minecraft YouTube page for those particular mobs. After a few hours of the polls being open, Minecraft Live began, and they finally announced this year’s winner…The armadillo, now why some were extremely happy to see these armored buddies that will help their canine friends, while others were devastated to see the others disappear into the missed mob abyss. 

Additional Announcements

Minecraft also announced the release of Star Wars Path of the Jedi. This interactive game allows players to play as a padawan on their path to becoming a Jedi with the help of Yoda and other familiar faces. Players can battle monsters and dual other Jedis, all while wielding a lightsaber and using the force. There is no concrete release date, but from what players could see during the Live, the animation looks very sleek and well done.

Minecraft Legends has also announced an update during the Live, and here are a few things players can look forward to on release. Their most significant announcement is that players can finally pet the animals, which fans have asked for since their early release. They also announced a new mount, which is the frog, and the ability for players to play as the llama. Two new mobs were showcased: the witch for non-hostile and the piglin clanker as an enemy. There were a few other announcements for Legends that should excite fans for the update.

BBC Earth will release its last installment of Planet Earth 3 in 2024; this interactive experience allows players to see the world they live in a new, close, personal light. Players will see a brand-new ecosystem, animals, and more with the final installment. Minecraft Education has been highly praised and used in many personal and academic settings; the new installment has fans excited to dive back into the world around us. For more information on the updates announced above, click the link to Minecraft’s game page and peruse the plethora of new material for yourself. 

Minecraft Live has always offered plenty of new material to get old and new fans excited to immerse themselves into the game for the first time or dive back in again. Seeing these updates and how fans react to them when they are finally released will be exciting. Stay tuned for more Minecraft talk and happy mining.