Kamis, 01 Juni 2017

Why today's biggest game franchises are failing

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The Curse of Monkey Island is as good now as it was twenty years ago

I feel pretty comfortable in stating that most of us at some point in our youth had a fascination with pirates. I don’t mean web surfing digital downloaders, I mean the real, historical wave-riding pillagers. Romanticized, of course, so that they’re less smelly and more noble. 

My interest started around the time of the release of the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. I entered the cinema unwilling and uninterested and left with a mission to (legally) shove all pirate-related media into my eyes and mind. Naturally, this included games, and that meant The Curse of Monkey Island.

A cursed monkey island and a cursed black pearl... you can see where my mind was making connections.

A pirate's life for me

Looking back, it seems ridiculous that before 2003 I hadn’t ever come across The Curse of Monkey Island considering by this time of my life I already enjoyed gaming, especially point-and-click games, and it was the third game in an extremely successful series. 

Still, the hours I spent curled up in the uncomfortable plastic chair in front of the family computer playing through the third adventure of Guybrush Threepwood are some of my fondest memories. 

It was when considering whether or not I should buy tickets to go and see the fifth and latest Pirates of the Caribbean film that I decided a more pleasant and more affordable use of my weekend would be to revisit The Curse of Monkey Island and see whether it stands up as well as I remember, or whether its peg leg has rotted from underneath it. 

Largely, my memory did not fail me. Those steel drums still sound as good as they did the first time. 

In 2017, 20 years after it was first released, The Curse of Monkey Island is still a very good game. In fact, I think I actually enjoyed it more this time around now that I’ve played the first two games in the series and could understand the numerous character and scenario throwbacks. 

This time, for example, I wasn’t utterly bemused as to why the first time we see Guybrush in the game he’s sitting in a busted up dodgem. How I managed to just skim over that the first time I played I don’t know. Talk about a lack of critical engagement.

A time of change

The Curse of Monkey Island came around at a kind of funny time for games animation – we weren’t quite at the days of full-blockish 3D but we were long past the lovely but relatively basic pixel graphics of The Secret of Monkey Island. 

Curse treads a kind of awkward middle ground, making use of cartoon-like visuals and interesting perspectives to create busy environments with more depth and interactivity than we’d seen in either of the previous Monkey Island games.

Oddly enough, as simplistic as they are, the cartoon visuals of Curse make me inclined to say it’s actually aged the best out of all of the Monkey Island games. It’s very clearly the product of a very specific period of graphical transition when you look at it in the context of the the releases before and after it. But taken on their own, the colorful visuals are still gorgeous and they suit the silly sense of humor and puzzles whose logic often actually veered into cartoon territory anyway. 

Seriously, those puzzles. Many of them were clever and well thought out but there were more than a few that could drive you to a elicit a piratical “arrrggghhhh.”

That’s in a large part because The Curse of Monkey Island is not willing to hold your hand or even give you a guiding prod, particularly if you elect to play in hard mode. 

This game was made long before the days of in-game prompts and though it’s one of the best things about it, it’s also the worst. On my first play through I can only assume I was used to that point-and-click mindset of attempting to pair everything and talk to everyone repeatedly in the hopes that it was a possible solution.

This time, though, I was out of that habit and I genuinely worried that I’d grown more dense over the last 14 years. I spent way too long conversing with a barber called Haggis McMutton, and considering I grew up in Glasgow I feel my perspective on what constitutes 'too long' for this is more skewed than most. 

Pass the grog

It turns out my problem solving has just become more reality-based, which is actually kind of sad in its own way. I think it’s safe to say video games like The Curse of Monkey Island encourage us to be creative in our thinking if nothing else.

That said, despite the many extremely clever puzzles such as crossing the roasting hot sand using towels dipped in ice water that just required some considered and creative thought to solve, there are still those like the gold tooth hidden in a bubble gum balloon to balance it out. 

What demented person thought this was a reasonable solution to a problem, LucasArts? Who wrote this puzzle? You thought your way out of the box and then violently destroyed it. 

No matter how frustrating a puzzle becomes in The Curse of Monkey Island, however, it’s still a game that will coax you to the end of the plank using its relentless charm. You have to get through that puzzle you’re stuck on because if you don’t you won’t get to hear the next excellent joke or terribly excellent pun. 

The Curse of Monkey Island is by far the funniest game in the series and though this has a lot to do with the writing, it’s undoubtedly helped by Dominic Armato’s voice acting. He just is Guybrush and he makes the character relentlessly likable by making even the most obvious gags feel fresh.

Lately it feels like the games industry has an inventory capacity similar to Guybrush when it comes to pulling out remastered classics. We’ve seen remasters of Full Throttle, Grim Fandango and even the first two titles in the Monkey Island series; I firmly believe the time is right for a remaster of The Curse of Monkey Island. At the very least I’d like to see it on GOG.

I did end up going to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean, by the way. Suffice it to say time has been less kind there. 

Emma Boyle is taking a look back at games gone by (some of them older than she is). Follow her time traveling adventures in her weekly Throwback Thursday column. 

Got any games you'd like to see her try? Let her know on Twitter @emmbo_


June 01, 2017 at 05:42PM
Emma Boyle
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Sony might be going for gold with a new PlayStation 4 color

Outside of special editions tied to specific games or competitions, it’s not often we see PlayStation consoles released in colors other than white or black anymore. That could be about to change, however, if there’s any truth behind recent images of a gold PS4 Slim that have appeared online. 

Sony hasn’t announced any plans to release a gold 1TB slim console, but an image posted on Reddit by a Target employee certainly makes it look like a release isn’t all that far away, in the US at least.

According to the Reddit poster, the console will actually go on sale as soon as June 9, just a few days before Sony’s E3 press conference. That doesn’t leave much time to make an announcement. 

Gold standard

Of course, you can already purchase a gold PS4 controller (alongside many other colors) on its own but the opportunity to get a console that matches is no doubt appealing to many. 

If the images are real could this be a sign that Sony is planning to release more console color options to match its various controllers in the way it did for the PS2? We wouldn’t be averse to that.

It’s slightly surprising that the different color option wouldn’t be available for the PS4 Pro, but then again this could be Sony taking an iPhone 5C approach with its consoles – affordable and colorful options for those that don't aren't interested in the top-of-the-line gear.

Of course, nothing has been confirmed and when we reached out to Sony for comment they replied that they do not comment on rumor and speculation.

One thing’s for sure, if a gold PS4 console does go on sale it might make those Taco Bell special editions from 2015 feel a little less special. 


June 01, 2017 at 05:31PM
Emma Boyle
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Computex's existential crisis: life after Moore's Law

Moore's Law had a good run, but 52 years after Intel co-founder Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors on integrated circuits would double every year (later revised to every 18 months), Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang took to the stage at Computex 2017 to talk about life after Moore's Law.

Despite Intel celebrating half a century of Moore's Law two years ago, many tech firms have been talking about its death for a few years now – and Nvidia has been vocal in the past about us living in a post Moore's Law world.

The idea that the steady technical progress we've seen, with computers and smartphones getting ever more powerful and smaller while our homes become smarter, will now slow down – or even stall – is an alarming one.

As I roamed (and sometimes staggered thanks to the joys of jet lag) the halls of Computex this week, it struck me that many of the tech companies that had descended on Taipei, Taiwan where the event is held, were gripped in an existential crisis, looking for their place in a post-Moore's Law world.

Faith no Moore

The prediction behind Moore's Law is that the number of transistors would double every 18 months, making processors and the computers running on them twice as powerful. This was accurate for a long time, which benefited both consumers and the manufacturers of devices.

For us consumers, it meant we were constantly getting ever more powerful machines that came with features that made our lives easier.

Meanwhile, device makers were enjoying a sort of built-in obsolescence – while their devices would continue to work, every couple of years they could release a faster, lighter and more desirable model to entice early adopters into dropping their current gadget for the newest one.

With that regular upgrade power now in doubt, many companies are looking at other ways to make us upgrade addicts part with our cash for the next fix.

Some companies seem to be embracing this, such as Microsoft, which promises that devices running its locked-down Windows 10 S operating system will perform just as well on day 1,000 as it does on day one.

This is great news for consumers who don't want to feel like they need to regularly upgrade their laptop. However, it may not be too appealing to device makers.

Wanting Moore

Without the constant progress of Moore's Law, companies have shown off other ways they are improving their devices at Computex 2017. Many laptop makers are now working on making their notebooks slimmer and lighter, rather than ever more powerful.

This can be seen in the announcements made by the likes of Asus, with the ZenBook Flip S, the world's thinnest hybrid laptop, and Acer with its Predator Triton 700 ultra-thin gaming notebook.

Meanwhile, Nvidia, the company that has killed off Moore's Law more times than George R.R Martin has killed off our favorite Game of Thrones characters, announced its Max-Q platform that allows PC manufacturers to make ever more slim gaming PCs.

Nvidia also looks set to combat the end of Moore's Law with its focus on Deep Learning – a revolution in artificial intelligence that takes inspiration from the way the human brain works. 

This means not necessarily making machines more powerful – but making them smarter. In a world where it all too often feels like power trumps intelligence, this is a hugely exciting proposition.

What now for CPUs?

Arguably the companies that dominate the processor market; Intel, AMD and Qualcomm, have the most to lose from the end of Moore's Law. However, each one showed off a compelling alternative for its post-Moore future.

For AMD and Intel, they are both relying ever more on parallel processing. So, if they can't keep making their processors increasingly powerful, they will instead cram more processing units (cores) onto the same chip.

That's why AMD unveiled its 16-core monster CPU Threadripper, while Intel refused to be outdone by announcing the new Core i9 range, which includes an 18-core CPU.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm wisely decided to sit out this core arms race, and instead brought its Snapdragon 835 smartphone System on Chip to mobile PCs running Windows 10. 

In a collaboration between Qualcomm, Microsoft and laptop manufacturers such as Asus, HP and Lenovo, we will soon see laptops that bring some of the best features of smartphones – such as instant wake times and always on mobile internet connectivity.

These devices will also be – you guessed it – incredibly slim and light.

Moore's Law might be dead, but Computex 2017 has shown that innovation won't be getting buried with it.


June 01, 2017 at 05:13PM
Matt Hanson
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PlayStation Plus June 2017: these are the free games you can get this month

One of the biggest perks of being a PlayStation Plus subscriber is that each month you’re given a range of free games across the PS4, PS4 Pro, PS3, and PS Vita platforms.

This is a great way to try games you might not otherwise have played, whether because they're indie titles that slip under your radar or simply because you don’t have the funds to buy several games a month.

Even if you don’t plan to play them straight away, or you’re not sure if they’re your kind of game, we’d say it’s always worth claiming them while you can get them for free. 

You'll then have access to them for as long as you have an active PS Plus account. 

Since this is a monthly event, we’ve decided to create a one-stop shop where you’ll be able to find the newest free games, as well as scroll back and see which games were featured in previous months. That way you’ll know whether it’s worth holding out for a game to appear in an upcoming PlayStation Plus haul or if it's already been offered. 

So without further ado, here are the free PlayStation Plus games in North America, Europe, and Australia for June 2017, which will be available to download within the next few days.

June 2017

Life is Strange – PS4 – (usually £13.99 / $19.99/ AU $25.95) 

First released in 2015, this five-part episodic adventure game that follows the story of time turning teenager Max was a runaway hit. If you enjoy your games with great stories with an element of choice in the vein of Telltale then this is one you should check out. Developer Dontnod has confirmed that a sequel is in the works so if you've yet to play Life is Strange now is the greatest opportunity you'll have to do so. 

Killing Floor 2 – PS4 – (usually £29.99/ $39.99/ AU $54.95)

Killing Floor 2 is a first-person shooter than can be played alone or cooperatively online with a team of up to 12. Its story follows directly on from the events of the first game, in which a disease outbreak from a biotechnology lab results in a zombie infection spreading across Europe. 

This time the infection has spread beyond Europe and players must fight waves upon waves of zombie enemies with a well-balanced team of different classes.

Abyss Odyssey – PS3 – (usually £11.99/ $14.99/ AU$22.95) 

Looking for a side-scrolling action adventure platformer? You might be interested in Abyss Odyssey. This game has a gorgeous Art Nouveau style and allows you to work alone or with a friend to fight through procedurally generated levels with a crew of three heroes.

WRC 5: World Rally Championship – PS3 – (usually £29.99/ $39.99/ AU $49.95)

The premise of WRC 5 is simple – it's a rally racing simulator. Hone your driving skills, perfect them in career mode alone or compete against up to 7 other drivers online. 

Neon Chrome – PS Vita/ PS4 – (usually £11.99 / $14.99/ AU $22.95)

Neon Chrome is a cyberpunk-style top down shooter than allows players to fight through a variety of procedural levels. Cooperative play means that you can also play with 2 to 4 other people to make things more chaotic and fun. 

Spy Chameleon – PS Vita/ PS4 – (usually £3.99/ $4.99/ AU $7.55)

Spy Chameleon is an arcade path finding puzzle game. What do chameleon's have to do with puzzles, you ask? Well, in this game the player must use the chameleon's color changing abilities to avoid being seen by enemies across 5 missions and 75 levels. 

Make sure to check back next month for the free PlayStation Plus games of July 2017! 

To make it easy to keep track of what titles are coming up, we’ve rounded up the last few months of PlayStation Plus titles as well as current prices on the PlayStation Store. 

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

February 2017

 January 2017 

December 2016 

November 2016 

October 2016 

September 2016 

August 2016 


June 01, 2017 at 04:39PM
Stephen Lambrechts,Emma Boyle
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The best PS Vita deals in June 2017

So you're looking for a cheap PS Vita deal? Well, it would seem that Sony has unofficially ceased production in the West for the PS Vita as we rarely spot any brand new stock at RRP. Many places are charging a small fortune or only selling preowned/refurbished models, so don't expect any Black Friday deals. We regularly sweep the net though to find the best prices around so check out our comparison chart below to find the best price on a PS Vita.

The PS Vita is a brilliant handheld gaming console, certainly the most powerful and graphically impressive handheld ever. It can even be used to stream games from your PS4. 

Hardcore gamers with cash to spend should feel confident in snapping this monster up and fire up some of the big launch games with great haste. For anyone else, it's a case of working out if you think it's worth it. If you just want to play 99p puzzle games, by all means stick to your mobile phone or tablet. But don't be fooled into thinking that your iPod is anywhere near capable of what the Vita can offer, because it's not. Vita is one of a kind.

If you've decided to buy one, you've come to the right place because we've got all of the cheapest PS Vita deals all in one place. If you're more interested in a full-sized console, check out our cheap PS4 deals.

ps vita deals

1. Sony PS Vita Slim (2014) deals

The most recent PS Vita model is slimmer and has better battery life

The latest model of the PS Vita is 2014's 'Slim'. Sony made some subtle changes with this model, both internally and externally, but they're mostly welcome improvements. The design tweaks make for a more portable, comfortable system, although it does come at the expense of the OLED screen which has now been replaced with an LCD. The console is around 20% slimmer (about 3mm) than the original, bringing it down to 15mm. It's also 42g lighter, which is the most immediately noticeable thing when you pick the Vita Slim up.

ps vita deals

2. Sony PS Vita (original) deals

The original PS Vita has a better (OLED) screen

There are a few reasons why you might opt for the 2012 original PS Vita over the 2014 redesign. Firstly, if you can find a great deal there's absolutely no reason not to pick one up. It's every bit as powerful and plays all the same games. Plus, this version has a much-vaunted OLED screen which is better than the LCD unit in the 2014 model. Admittedly this older model doesn't have the same impressive battery life, but it all comes down to price. If the current deals are just as good on the 2014 model we'd recommend you go for that one. If you can see a super cheap original model, go for it!


June 01, 2017 at 06:36AM
TechRadar deals
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Rabu, 31 Mei 2017

Corsair unveils two new concept PCs and a handful of new tech

Following the flurry of announcements that we saw from AMD, PC accessories maker Corsair announced a couple of decent concept PCs along with some new technologies. Known as the Concept Curve and Concept Slate, Corsair reimagines some of its popular PCs with a unique new touch.

Concept Curve

The Concept Curve features a carbon fiber handcrafted body with tempered glass surrounding it for increased durability. This concept is based off the Corsair Graphite 780T and features an impressive curved design, almost reminiscent of a sports car. Thanks to the almost transparent body, users can have a good look inside the CPU which houses the liquid cooling system. 

Concept Slate

This PC comes with two water-cooled systems under the hood, and ample fan speed to keep the heat to a minimum. The Concept Slate is built with performance in mind. This is what a dream super-tower PC would look like, featuring the best hardware that you can imagine. There’s state-of-the-art RGB lighting control built into the system. The Slate comes with a monolithic frame, which adds to the appeal of the PC.

Liquid Cooling

The company unveiled the new RGB Hydro Series liquid CPU coolers which offer enhanced performance and bolstered appearance. It offers magnetic levitation fans and a pump which is quieter and more efficient. The system also comes with 360 degrees RGB lighting. The company also unveiled its own custom liquid cooling water blocks, radiators as well as fittings. This is capable of cooling the CPUs of both the Concept Curve and Slate. Needless to say, the new fittings are the best in the business and come with Corsair’s promise of performance and quality.

Syncing

Using this handy feature, the user can coordinate RGB lighting between RGB case fans, Hydro Series CPU coolers, light strips, keyboards, mice, mouse pads, headsets as well as a handful of motherboards. This will allow users to offer a streamlined look to their PC by synchronizing the lighting of all components.


May 31, 2017 at 09:18PM
Chethan Rao
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