Monthly Archives: July 2015
British Culture Minister: ‘Video Games As Important As Cinema’
Video games are as culturally important as film, says British Culture Minister Ed Vaizey.
"It was easy for me to become a champion of the games industry, and push for games to take their rightful place alongside some of the more vocal creative industries like film," said Vaizey, speaking during a keynote speech at the Develop Conference in Brighton reported by The Guardian.
Arrow’s Emily Bett Rickards Hopes Felicity Stops Crying
If you felt Felicity was too mopey and crying too much in Arrow Season 3, Emily Bett Rickards agrees with you.
During Comic Con's roundtable interview with the Arrow star (via io9), Rickards expressed her disappointment with all of her character's crying and hopes for a more stronger portrayal of the character in the upcoming fourth season.
Apple Puts Fresh Face on Entire iPod Line
Apple revealed a brand new iPod Touch today, and announced a gaggle of new color options for its entire iPod line.
The new iPod Touch includes an 8 MP camera and an improved front-facing HD camera, along with the Apple-designed A8 processor. The A8 is the same processor currently found nestled in the innards of the iPhone 6.
The new colors for the iPod line are "space gray," silver, gold, pink and blue. The announcement from Apple confirms an earlier report that Apple may have accidentally revealed its new iPod lineup in a stock image in iTunes.
Rocket League Review
Excelling in sport means knowing when a moment is outside of your control and recognizing when an opportunity is there to seize. In Rocket League, both events occur countless times in any given match--not surprising for a game heavily inspired by soccer. It caters to the competitive realist who thrills in having sole control of the ball for a few seconds despite knowing it can be snatched at any time. The best part is that you get to kill opponents' dreams and agonize in your own losses from the comfort of a very, very fast car.
Every moment in Rocket League demands split-second judgment. Are you the assertive type who takes control of the immediate situation at the risk of being in the middle of a chaotic, unpredictable scrum? Are you more of a long-term planner, one who watches your cohorts fight over a ball in a corner with the confidence that the ball will inevitably escape. When this happens, are you ready at the top of the penalty arc with the hope that the loose ball will roll between you and the goal? This echoes Wayne Gretzky's words of wisdom: "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be." Rocket League offers countless opportunities to be Gretzky--or Nostradamus.
Rocket League thrives on speed and momentum. This is best exemplified by the gravity-defying excitement of driving up the side of any of the game's arenas. This ability is useful as well as thrilling. Without the curves along the edges of the pitch, cars would simply bang into the wall. Constantly having to reverse and make three-point turns over a five-minute match would be a disappointing series of momentum-ending buzzkills. Rocket League has none of these obstacles. The curved corners means you do not lose momentum. Your tires will smoothly caress these bends as you ride the walls horizontally, chasing the ball in parallel with rest of the cars on the pitch. Given that the ceiling is also fair game, every player will feel compelled to attempt a gravity-defying loop across the width of the roof. The game's physics and your limited boost will prevent you from completing such a stunt, but you'll attempt it anyway.
The ball in play is comparable to that perpetually bouncing beach ball you find at every music festival, only slightly less buoyant. It bounces and flies in unpredictable directions when touched by two parties at the same time. This is where fortune favors the Rocket League sportsperson who embraces chaos. Transcendence comes when you realize you don't have to be in control of the ball at all times; you should chase it only when you think you can make a difference.
A goal scored ends the fleeting, yet fulfilled, existence of a ball. In its death, the ball's life is celebrated with a literal bang. It's a colorful, smoke-filled explosion that sends all the cars flying away at heights and velocities that would kill any human in real life. It is so spectacular that you can't help but savor the blast, even if you weren't on the team that scored. Rocket League is that rare kind of video-game sport where you're compelled to play your best, even when you're being blown out 5-1 and there's only a minute left on the clock.
There's no shortage of advanced ball handling in online multiplayer. In Rocket League, experience leads to tactical thinking. Tactical thinking leads to performing with finesse. You cannot open car doors to use them like arms; that would be the equivalent of a handball in soccer. Instead, you can spin your car forwards, backwards, and sideways, which is analogous to bicycle kicks and headers. Once you learn to use these moves to advance the ball, you are soon ricocheting shots on goal. Over time, you also discover that your chances of scoring are boosted by hitting the car closest to the ball rather than the ball itself. It's all obvious highlight reel material, which is why the replay save option is so welcome. Learning and mastering these advanced moves makes playing Rocket League endlessly absorbing, even after you've logged over 50 matches.
The joy of Rocket League rests on the countless plans that are conceived and discarded every other second in any given match.
Playing a single-player season in rookie mode is as useful a practice ground as the training mode itself. Without real-life competitors ruthlessly charging to the center of the field for the drop ball, you can practice making spectacular goals from midfield. The drawback is that imperfect A.I. applies to both teams, meaning that your computer-controlled squadmates will average at least one incompetent move per match, whether it's taking the ball to the far side of your end of the field or blocking your path to the ball.
Rocket League's replay value lies in the draw of constant participation, not in a progressive system of unlockable advanced abilities or shoehorned novelty modes. All the arenas are uniform and consistent in shape, without any bells and whistles like the terraces in its predecessor, Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars. The only variables are the team sizes, A.I. difficulty, and season lengths. This lack of flexibility adds legitimacy to the sport, mirroring the steadfast traditions within many professional sports, some of which are over a hundred years old.
This thoughtfulness extends to the studio's crafting of a convincing world where Rocket League is the number one sport. You see it in the multi-tier, sold-out arenas and you hear it from the indistinct chants of allegiance from the fans. The crowd goes 'Oooohhhh!' or 'Aaaaahh!', whether it's a goal or a key ball hit at midfield. These sprinkles of realism aren't strictly necessary but are greatly appreciated; for instance, the pitch itself features blades of grass that all move independently. These manicured fields are best admired during the pre-match camera shots, but you can't be faulted for staring at them in the middle of a game. They are complemented by the myriad customization parts, from wildly swinging antenna flags to neon-blue engine exhaust trails.
The joy of Rocket League rests on the countless plans that are conceived and discarded every other second in any given match. Trying to predict where and how the ball will bounce next is a game within the game. Despite the use of cars, Rocket League emulates the emotional surges typical of The Beautiful Game, such as the rush of an unexpected fast break or a well-timed header into a goal. With Rocket League, the promising concept of combining two wonderful things--cars and soccer--is equally magnificent in execution. You can't say the same thing about, say, combining cake and fruit to make fruitcake, as the comedian Jim Gaffigan observed.
New Poster Revealed for Fear the Walking Dead
After revealing a beachside poster during Comic Con, AMC has pulled back the curtain on the main key art for Fear the Walking Dead, which features a pair of guys playing basketball, completely unaware of the danger that looms in the distance.
Give it a look below.
Goat Simulator Coming to PlayStation Soon
Goat Simulator is coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 on August 11.
According to the announcement on the PS Blog, "GoatVR" will debut on PlayStation editions of Goat Simulator. "GoatVR is the most authentic 'simulated GoatVR experience' that doesn’t require a helmet or anything," says the post.
"Although it’s not quite ready yet we felt it better to stay ahead of the crowd and let it out into the wild. We still need to do that part where it connects to an actual headset but for now you can enjoy a simulated GoatVR experience without it."
A score multiplier has also been added, and local co-op allows for two players on a PS3 and four players on a PS4 to join in on the wacky action.
The Imperial City Dated For Elder Scrolls Online
The Imperial City DLC game pack for Elder Scrolls Online has a release date.
It’s coming to PC and Mac on August 31, closely followed by Xbox One on September 15, and PS4 one day later, on September 16. Price-wise it’ll set you back 2,500 crowns. If you’ve got an active subscription, you’ll be able to access the Imperial City content without having to pay anything extra.
On the content-front, new PvE and PvP areas come in the form of six Imperial districts, as players face off against Molag Bal’s army and other alliances. Also coming are new dungeons, some of which take place underground in the Imperial sewers. Other areas mentioned include the White-Gold Tower and Imperial Prison, both of which are PvE areas with Normal and Veteran difficulties depending on the player’s level.
Here’s The Scientific Logic Behind Why Kryptonite Can’t Exist
As it turns out, the possibility of creating Kryptonite isn’t possible, so if Superman ever does invade, we’re screwed.
The boffins over at iO9 have the chemistry worked out. As we have the element krypton, and molecules which end in ‘ite’, surely combining the two would result in kryptonite?
According to the site, each part of the name – in this case ‘kryton’ and ‘ite’ – tells us something about what it is and what it does. The name ‘kryptonite’ indicates that the molecule is an oxyanion (a negatively-charged molecule with several oxygen atoms attached).
“Most of the time, when you hear about these oxyanions,” writes Esther Inglis-Arkell “you hear about ‘ates’ not ‘ites.’ Nitrate (potassium nitrate makes smoke bombs) is NO3- , sulfate (potassium sulfate makes fertilizer) is SO42-, and carbonate (calcium carbonate is in shells and chalk) is CO32-. “Ites” have the same negative charge as “ates,” but have one less oxygen atom. So nitrite is NO2-, and sulfite is SO32-.”
PlayStation Now Entering Open Beta Today in UK
Sony has announced that PlayStation Now is entering open beta today in the UK.
PlayStation Now is a service for streaming PS3 games to your PS4 that has been in closed beta since spring. During the beta, games will initially be offered for rental only, but a subscription service will be coming later this summer.
The prices on rentals will range from £3 to £8 depending on the game, and you will be able to rent games for periods of 48 hours or 30 days. Some games included in the beta are Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, The Last of Us, Dead Space 3, Bioshock Infinite, and Mirror's Edge.
DoA 5: Last Round Getting 2nd Season Pass
Koei Tecmo has announced that Dead or Alive 5: Last Round will be getting a second season pass.
According to this tweet from Koei Tecmo, the second season pass will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One from July 22.
Those who purchase it will receive an exclusive Honoka Secret Agent outfit, pictured below.
The PC version of Dead or Alive 5: Last Round is still missing some features that are present in the console versions.