There’s been a hush in the conversation surrounding Virtual Reality. The Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR, took up a lot of space in the collective gaming mind last year. And while the devices are a giant leap forward, still the buzz became a murmur, and the murmur became a whisper. Now we’re all back in a holding pattern, waiting for that ‘killer-app’ software that justifies the hardware. But what was the real root of all the excitement? Sure, we’re always keen on new technology, but the expectations surrounding VR are bigger than an incremental console upgrade. I’m wondering if they should be. When we already have 4K fidelity and 7.1 Dolby Surround in our headphones, why are some of us still chasing the fabled realm of total immersion promised by Virtual Reality? Continue reading “Color Me Immersed”
Month: September 2017
Destiny 2: Homecoming
Let’s get the unpleasantries out of the way. For me, and if my Twitter feed is any indication, for millions of others, this was the welcome mat that Bungie seemed to lay at the door of their much anticipated sequel:
This appeared on my screen only after several failed attempts to even launch the application on my Xbox One. Disappointment is an understatement. Of course, my immediate impulse was to vent to the echo chamber that is Twitter. But as I started to craft my scathing indictment of the team responsible for this travesty, my head cooled almost instantly. This release is, I’m sure, a huge undertaking. I have no idea what’s involved, and at that point, Bungie, Activision, et al, had wasted a mere 282 seconds of my time. I felt childish. I adopted a ‘wait and see’ mentality. Sure, I poked that maybe they should have seen the traffic coming, but really, I know that they did, and this was still the result. So I jotted down some thoughts, and some minutes rolled by. I was bummed out. Continue reading “Destiny 2: Homecoming”
On the Eve of Destiny…
Destiny 2, the sequel to Bungie’s stellar shared-world shooter, goes live in just a few hours. As a fan and long-time player of the first game, I am, of course, excited. I am also curious, nervous, and a little bit scared.
I’ve been excited enough for a midnight release plenty of times in the past. Dark Souls 3 was the most recent culprit, compelling me to be there for the beginning, like I was going to bear witness to an event. And it did not disappoint.
But this one feels different, and I don’t think it’s about the game. I’m not nervous about whether or not Bungie can deliver. I never want a game to be disappointing, but I won’t lose any sleep over it one way or the other. Well, maybe I’ll lose a little sleep. That’s part of the problem. This release makes me nervous for me. I’m compulsive by nature. It’s because of this I’ve always politely said no thank you to MMOs in general. My brother isn’t a gamer at all, and I watched as WoW sunk its teeth into him for a while. I know the power of the endless grind. Continue reading “On the Eve of Destiny…”
Mission: Statement!
Life is long and weird. That is the mantra I adopted as I entered my fifth decade sucking air on this planet. I won’t bore you with a life story; everyone’s got their own, most of them are only interesting to a few people. But let’s just say that every time I reached a point that seemed like a destination, a new journey began instead. Most of the time I didn’t even realize it. Suddenly I’d look back and wonder when I had left that other place. Then I’d shrug, and keep on moving. I have no idea whether or not this is true for most people. But I hope it is. Continue reading “Mission: Statement!”
Nerds of a Certain Age 