I Love Fast Travel.

Have you ever really thought about the significance of fast travel? What an imperative luxury the mechanic is to any adventure? To migrate instantaneously from the snow capped peak of a secluded monastery, buffeted by an incessant snowstorm. To the boundary of some tranquil river. With the sun’s gleaming light reflecting off it’s cool surface, as a delicate cascade of water ripples over the jutted remains of a once rooted tree. RPG’s, in all of there singular variations, imbue the user with a sense of freedom. They portray these world’s as an unfurled canopy. Exposed for you to survey its verdant pastures and replete in unknown dangers. Emphasising this huge interactive terrain that is just aching to be discovered. Only for you to select your preferred destination and completely disregard the journey. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!

I should be opposed to the curtailment of fleeting exploration. It is a very frenetic means of traversal, one that by design circumnavigates the natural fluidity of an open world game. But its such a necessity. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing more satisfying than the fortuitous discovery of some abandoned treasure, guarded by undead pacifists wielding rubber swords, and possessing bone density as brittle as the world’s sanity. But the ability to magic one’s self to a more desirable location at a whim is a most provident means of exploration. Just think about Skyrim, a region bloated with dense, labyrinthine cave’s, that requires a significant chunk of time to explore thoroughly, that even the most dedicated and ardent of explorers would consider utilising an idle method to reduce the labour of forced rambling.

Your mind after a time begins to rebel against the monolithic expanse that’s more intimidating than it is liberating. Besides, if you really start to explore every little nuance, you begin to notice the cracks in the veneer of even the most polished of world’s. Revealing the shallow, surface level autonomy you actually have, especially when you encounter an npc buying groceries from a mage in one town, and the same “individual” lamenting the loss of his goat in a tavern that’s a one minute fast travel away. In many ways the interspersed intrusions of automatic traversal actually illicits greater immersion. It negates the inevitable stagnation that occurs from the repetition of travelling from one errand to another, briefly engaging in a minor grievance, before setting off to some far-flung corner of the map to vanquish the specified adversary. I doubt I would have finished half the RPG’s I have if it wasn’t for fast travel.

The Fallout From Bethesda Being Sold.

I’ve often opined about the stubborn, often prejudicial bias of fanboys. A conceited bracket in the gaming firmament, committed to deliberate ignorance, so entrenched in their own fanatical agenda that it prevents them from acknowledging the promising features of the other. Actively engaging in disinformation in an attempt to deflect criticism away from their own consoles failings, rooted in the arcane perception that you must be stringently aligned with one, and vehemently opposed to the other. As if gaming was some kind of political affiliation. Certainly neither Sony nor Microsoft have ever tried to moderate this social discourse, but rather passively nurtured the burgeoning rivalry. Often the snide, factually questionable conversations that derive from such singularly modest opinions, boils over into spiteful shit slinging. It’s a sad, very vocal minority that spoils such a joyous activity. Being the consummate sitter of fences that I am, it is especially difficult to engage in these kinds of indignant discussions without feeling rather grubby. Though I’m not at all opposed to criticising something I deem immoral.

Take for instance Sony’s decision to remaster the 2 year old Spiderman game. Though an exceptional game, it has no business being remastered in such an untimely fashion. There’s nothing particularly unethical about remastering a celebrated title, with Demons Souls being an acceptable example. But to drastically alter one that’s barely out of nappies yet is not only ludicrous, but ostensibly greedy. Employing such rapacious business strategies only further incites the mobs that remain dedicated to the verbal vilification of their adopted rivals. In much the same way that Microsoft’s sudden acquisition of Bethesda has incited the considerable resentment of its peers.

Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda is huge, generating significant enthusiasm around a console that was beginning to be undermined by the PS5. This was a bold statement of intent, deliberately orchestrated to cause maximum humiliation to a company that was buoyant by its own proliferating arrogance. A declaration that has significant repercussions for the industry as a whole, and not necessarily for the best. Let’s not pretend that this is Microsoft hurling a stone from its sling, directly between the eyes of Goliath. With an annual net income of over $40 billion and valued in excess of $1 trillion, realistically Microsoft IS the Goliath in this analogy! And on the surface purchasing such an illustrious software developer like Bethesda makes perfect sense considering the advantage of exclusivity over popular IP’s curated by them, but there is a few notable caveats.

Firstly, $7.5 billion is a somewhat inflated estimate for a company notorious for releasing unfinished content. No doubt the merger will provide a mutual benefit for both parties long term, but there is still a risk in acquiring a company as recognised for the fallout of its games as well the Fallout games. But also, considering the rather expansive nature of Bethesda games, to retain total exclusivity over previously cross platform games like the Elder Scrolls series really isn’t viable. It’s like making the ultimate “Big Dick” move, but not purchasing enough viagra to maintain the erection! I’m not naive enough to consider this to be a consumer friendly gesture, but more an attempt to monopolise the industry and ultimately consolidate power. Ultimately this decision is more about propegating game pass than anything else, which I expect it will succeed in. But this kind of corporate hubris is concerning.

If you eradicate your competition, strip the carcass of its tender flesh, assimilate those profitable assets for your own benefits, then how is anyone expected to stand a chance.

What do you guys think about the way these next gen consoles are shaping up? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

Don’t Worry About Getting A PS5/Xbox at launch.

After Microsoft’s tumultuous Xbox pre-orders, following PlayStations clandestine arrangement, it’s safe to say that even though the technology we’re buying has progressed, the retailers distributing them haven’t. Whether a company made a concerted effort to notify customers in advance, or curiously allowed the product to just spontaneously materialise hours before it’s originally scheduled release, it appears the entire process is as unreliable as its ever been. The whole sordid business has left many frustrated, reciprocated by the cacophony of disgruntled fan’s on social media. Its no surprise that the limited availability, distrubuters assigning more consoles than they have allocated and online congestion has left many unable to secure their desired console on day of launch. But there are now growing concerns that retailers may not be able to fulfill promised demand. With many issuing discretionary emails to preempt this potential shortage. And of course people aren’t happy.

Having successfully secured my preorder, largely because of one online retailers rather impetuous actions, I felt assured that my order would be fulfilled on time. Now as personally inconvenienced as I would be by missing out on the PS5 that I’ve been desperately saving for on day of release, I would be more upset if delivery of this luxury item took priority over, say, hospital supplies. Now I realise this isn’t necessarily the way the postal service or private couriers operate, though it could be argued that they don’t operate at all, but considering the way 2020 has stagnated you’d think people would have gained a little more perspective. Perhaps attained a little humility. If nothing else this year has proven that gaming is a placating refuge from 2020’s execrable malaise, not a cure. So if you were one of the privileged few that successfully pre-ordered your preferred console, be appreciative that you were in a advantageous position to not only secure one, but also afford such a opulant commodity.

Just Because You Don’t Believe Covid Isn’t Real, Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Happening.

The world, as well as its many indigenous creatures have had to endure tremendous adversity this year, the likes of which I have never seen before. Most notably the global proliferation of Coronovirus. There isn’t one person today that hasn’t been affected, directly or peripherally by the destabilising encroachment of Covid 19. More than likely you know someone that has contracted the virus, perhaps even fatally. With vulnerable family members isolated from their relatives for fear of exposure. My partner and daughter were suspected of having the disease back in March, before tests were readily available to confirm its validity. But judging by the malicious nature and associative symptoms that they experienced, I don’t doubt that they suffered from the effects of Covid. I myself am convinced that a prolonged, dry cough that afflicted me for several weeks back in January was the result of Covid. With the subsequent social distancing, furloghs and self isolation, as well as the fluctuating malignancy of the disease that is likely to be exacerbated by the seasonal chill, we all have to remain vigilant and most importantly safe. Even when others willfully attempt to undermine our safety.

I can’t tell you the number of people, couriers mostly, that ignorantly profess their skepticism about the severity or even the existence of Covid 19. That these so called “cases” are being conflated by the government to scare and suppress the population for their own nefarious deeds. That the 2 metre rule is not an effective deterrent and face coverings offer no discernable protection from infection, which I have to agree with. Face masks are entirely useless when draped across your chin! Because such drastic prohibitive measures have been put in place, largely to protect communities and limit the rate of infection, some people seem to believe that mandatory face coverings in public places are somehow a breach of their human rights. That their civil liberties have been compromised by regulations that enforce the use of obligatory face coverings, all because they feel a little uncomfortable wearing them.

The fact that the nation is taking the necessary precautions to ensure that the spread of this virulent infection is prevented from being exposed to those most susceptible is something to praise, not criticise. Whether you believe that it’s a conspiracy, conceived as some elaborate communist agenda by the Chinese government for some elaborate, political gain or not, surely any chance of prohibiting transmissions, whether you doubt is existence is worth doing. Especially considering the contradictory attitude of a government that is so quick to turn on those that will be effected for the longest: The youth. Certainly the welfare of the most vulnerable in our community is our priority. But its the young that will suffer long term, so perhaps the government could stop trying to blame them for the increasing rate of infections. And just for the record: You don’t devise the eat out to help out scheme, an initiative that by its very design encourages social exposure, then criticise those that were motivated by the government to exploit.

After yesterday’s address to the nation, detailing further non-measures that attempt to diminish the rate of infections whilst also protecting the economy, yet ultimately hindering both, its evident that this pandemic is far from over. Relying on the discipline and resolve of the British people is like entrusting the security of a blood banks reserve to a vampire. So please, stop risking the lives of others simply because face coverings are starting to hurt your ears!

PS5 Pre-Order Disorder.

Well that, as the Ron Burgandy GIF that kids these days are so fond of using, escalated quickly. The barrage of traffic that has beset online retailers with gamers desperately trying to acquire a PlayStation 5 for day of release, has become as problematic as attempting to get a Covid test. Both confounding and infuriating, Sony’s negligent decision to loosely indicate a time frame for the pre-orders, to better prepare your intended audience, has left many reeling from Sony’s absence of clarity. Considering that Sony had earlier addressed speculation concerning a prior rumour that falsely claimed pre-orders where inbound, an incident that subsequently duped a number of eager gamers to queue outside their local stores.

Sony responded by insisting that they wouldn’t just “drop” pre-orders without notifying fans beforehand. Though much of this disarray can be attributed to the rather premature actions of some online retailers, the lack of communication demonstrated by Sony is a major oversight. With demand far exceeding capacity, you can’t help feeling that this could have been handled better.

I was profoundly fortunate to have secured my PS5 in the small hours of the morning, after a rather fortuitous Tweet alluded to the immediate procurement of the console from “Game”. A now dwindling high street store that also operates in an online capacity. Admittedly not my preferred retailer, but beggers can’t be choosers considering the high demand. Crucially, with the pre-order not requiring an immediate deposit, I still have time to bolster my finances before I’m deprived of significant savings.

The release of the PS5 is something I have been eagerly anticipating. And the satisfaction of finally procuring one maybe the only, solitary delight of what has been an historically nut flicking year!

Did you manage to secure a PS5? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Cheers.