Anyone Home?

Is anyone home? Are the lights still on?
How long has it been?

Yes I'm making a new post for the first time in a long time. 
In a way, I have forgotten about this blog.
One would say that this blog entered an unofficial retirement. 
One would say my observation that the blog is a dying medium got the better of me.
One would say real life got in the way.
One would say that I have been busy with other projects.
One would say that this blog has run it's course. 
And one would think that all of the above would apply.

So where have I been? Well I have been busy with real life and engaging with the real world. There has been a lot of paid employment involved leaving less time to play games. I have moved house several times and I've been busy with my social life. So yeah: as is often the case, lot's of things to do and not much time to do it in.

Gaming wise? Well I've played a lot of Deep Rock Galactic. I've gotten a hold of a Switch. I've played Super Smash Bros Ultimate to death. I've gone through ESO and back.
Great experiences to be sure but, again, my free time is now at a premium. 

I won't say this blog is completely done. Certainly I still feel that I will speak when I have something to say. But this blog will no longer be having regular updates. 

So this blog is by no means abandoned, just in a state of inactivity. 

So, onto more adventures.....

That was the year it was: 2020

And so we come to the end of another year. And so Game Tumour will go into hibernation, only to emerge in the new year (unless of course there are some last minute surprises between now and the new year). 

It should be noted that this year has seen some milestones for this blog. Not only has it seen a full decade of existence - which, let's be honest, is a millennium in internet terms - but it should be noted that this post is the one thousandth post in this blog! 
Yeah I don't know how I did that either but this is major achievement: Granted this may be a dying medium but to come so far, even when other blogs tend to have a limited lifespan (or at least the one's I have seen) and are written by people who's interest and commitment tends to die off rather quickly, is something to be proud of. 

So to everyone who has seen this blog, who has been following it and who kept coming back to it, through periods of activity, stretches of nothing happening, through posts of both insightful observations and just utter nonsense, I want to say Thank You.
From the bottom of my heart Thank You.

As for 2020, it's become something of a cliché to deride 2020 as a seemingly never-ending year of disaster, where it seemed a challenge to say how things could get progressively worse. 
But it has seen something of a boom time for gaming. Because, after all, when Lockdown has you stuck inside your house, what else are you going to do? Well, personally I completed Borderlands 2, Rakuen and Wolfenstein 3d (at last!). I have upgraded both my gaming chair and the Retropie to the Raspberry Pi 4. I have said goodbye to ESO, was traumatised by Phasmophobia, and viewed the Space Australia that was the Borderlands Pre-Sequel. 
And I swear I have spent more time waiting for games to download than actually playing them. 

So where do we go from here? 

Well the way I see it, there are still plenty of more adventures to be had in this wonderful world that is gaming. So whilst my interest in this hobby and this blog may have quietened down in recent years, I am not prepared to give either up just yet. 

And with that, Game Tumour bows out for 2020.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to speak to you all again on the other side of 2021...

In this corner...

 Here's something that came to my attention recently: Australian current affairs programme Four Corners is doing an investigation on gaming. Or, to be more specific, an investigation in seeing how gaming affects relationships and health (physical and mental). 

If anyone is interested in finding out more, please go here

Transferring over

 On Wednesday, I was watching the Gruen Transfer.
For those not in the know, it's a show on Australian TV which discusses advertising with how it works, the tactics utilised to sell a product.

And on this particular night, they finally discussed gaming.

I say finally because in my mind it has been a long time coming: There have been some brilliant gaming ads made in the past that would have been an inspired choice for Gruen to analyse - 'Michael' anyone? - but perhaps I should be grateful that it's happening. 

Truth be told, there wasn't a lot revealed that I didn't already know. But Russell sure looked awkward...

Selective memory

This week I have been looking back at past issues of CVG and having a major nostalgia trip. It is fun to see gaming of the early nineties being documented in such manner, especially when one considers how many games of that era still hold up today. 

Funny thing however is that I can't help but notice that many games of that era are overlooked. This is fascinating when one considers the games that have entered history in the years since: Final Fantasy 2 and 3 (4 and 6) never get a mention; the undisputed classic Super Metroid gets a score of 91%, 1993 goes by without any indication of something called Doom and the Lunar series, one of the highpoints on the Mega CD, are nowhere to be found.  

I suppose much of CVG is through a British perspective as it was the magazine's country of origin. And it is likely that many of the console games were handled in it's sister magazine Mean Machines (which I never read and therefore have no attachment to). But it is fascinating to see a) a history that has since proven to show a narrow view of the story and b) a perception that isn't from Japan or the US. 

How does the saying go: That history is written by the winners?

Playing Up

In the last post, I mentioned going through old editions of CVG (circa 1992). In one of them I found this tidbit:

Source (page 17)

True this was written in the wake of the Sony/Nintendo deal falling through but hindsight makes this too funny for words.

A Distinct Lack of progression

When I was a young lad in the early nineties, I was an avid reader of a magazine known as CVG (Computer and Video Games).
I can imagine that, having said that, many veteran gamers are now getting misty eyed with thoughts of nostalgia. It never fails to impress me how many people read this magazine back in the day and how many of them think highly of it years later. Granted the magazine in question had a very long shelf life (1981-2015) but for me, this was an important source of information in my tentative steps into the world of gaming. 

For this post, I would like to share with you all, something from the December 1992 edition. A reply to a reader's letter whom found a lot of Atari 2600 seemed more challenging when compared to the 16-bit era:

...Technical wizardry isn't necessarily a substitute for a good idea, and many of the games we're seeing today are substandard rehashes of ideas which are ages old. Why is this? Have all the good ideas run out? The simple answer is no. There are still plenty of good ideas out there, the the wrong people have them. 

I'll try and explain: in the old days a programmer would come out with an idea, sit down and bash out the code on his machine. He didn't have to work for anyone, didn't have to worry about so-called quality control and could work whenever he liked. That was how the all-time greats like Manic Miner were born. So what's gone wrong now? Computer game shave become such big business that programmers are forced to work in teams to compete, often writing specific projects dictated by software houses. These projects are dictated by business - will the game make money in the long run? - and very few people are prepared to to take any risks with the result that many good ideas are left on the drawing board. The upshot of all of this is what when a truly great game like Streetfighter 2 comes along everyone jumps up and down and makes a huge fuss, when there was a time when people were banging out brilliant software left, right and centre! 

At the end of the day, though, it's all up to you lot. If you go on buying the same old games the software companies will just go on producing them. If, however, you demand something decent then maybe the right people in power will take a long hard look at the future and realise that something has been lost. When was the last time ANYBODY wrote anything nearly as good as Defender?.... 

Unless you lot - the buying public - decides you want better more playable games you simply won't get them. Personally I'm sick to the back teeth of sub-standard licensed games and I for one am not going to tolerate it much longer. Start shouting for your games NOW! 

Source (page 48)

This may seem like a echo of the problems facing the current gaming industry but the thing is, this in 1992 - nearly three decades ago. It may be abused to think that such problems have grown to a monumental scale but they have. 

And the more things stay the same.....

When there's something strange...

 Recently I got talked into trying an early-access game that is doing the rounds on Steam: Phasmophobia.
And it seems that I am not the only one as this has been generating quite a lot of buzz on Steam, with it's use of atmosphere and horror as well as it's multiplayer aspect. Well, I'm certainly one for trying something new so here we go.....

What we have here are the players being a group of ghost spotters: They start by gathering equipment and then entering a supposed haunted location to find evidence of ghosts and other paranormal activity. It's a simple concept but whilst it's one thing to have an idea, it's another thing to make it work. 
And boy, does Phasmophobia make it work: The strength in this game is purely in the atmosphere and the building of suspense. I found myself being put at ill-ease upon entering the location. I felt a sense of relief upon leaving said location. I found myself dreading every small noise and unfamiliar sound. I found myself uncertain to enter any new location. I began to panic upon seeing signs of a threat approaching.

But if this is the reaction I get from an early access, imagine what reaction the fished product would inspire..

Lost Gold

One surprise that emerged from the 60 years of Sega, was a prototype of a new Golden Axe game that emerged for public viewing. It went under the name of Golden Axed (ha) and was available to play for a limited time). Being the Sega fan that I am, of course I took a shot at it. 

Given that this is a prototype, it is expected that this will be nothing less than a glimpse into game that may never will be. There's only one playable section, the whole thing runs for less than five minutes and are bugs abound. But as a glimpse into a Golden Axe game that never was, it is effective. It plays very much like it's arcade progenitor- only with more modern graphics - and the character designs are still retained. 
It is indeed frustrating that this all we're getting of a new Golden Axe (to say little of the behind-the-scenes dramas that came with it). There was indeed some potential but it won't be going anywhere. 
I for one would welcome a new Golden Axe game and it is exasperating that Sega is doing nothing with such an IP (as they have been doing with many of their other IPs).

But then again, perhaps no new Golden Axe has more appeal than a crummy new Golden Axe game....

Barring None

Last weekend, I visited a local gaming bar. Now this time, it was different to the one from last month as I was in a different city at the time. This time however, this was in a city with a larger population and no attendee restrictions (as far as I knew). 

So I head into the place. Once inside, I was greeted with neon lighting and some early eighties rock music. I see a bar and a whole line of pinball machines. What is surprising about the latter is that they are more current models with a complete screen - which was new to me as I recall pinball machines having small LCD screens. But here the screens are larger and cover more action? How times have changed. 

The bar served drinks (of course) and offered some cocktails with names lifted from various games (Ocarina of Lime? Bad Fur Day?). Obviously playing to the crowd.

But the real meat were the game available. There were some restored arcade games boasting the likes of Mortal Kombat 2, Streetfighter 2, Pac-Man, Galaxian, Space Invaders and others. There were even small booths that feature consoles with the Megadrive, SNES, P1 and the N64. Of course, all these weren't running on the original hardware: they were done up with some modern emulation tinkering. The credits on the arcades were infinite and the Megadrive games I played weren't running off an original console. 

There were a lot of people there and they provided the arcades with some use. And as the night wore on, the music changed to some 80s synth, including the TRON: Legacy soundtrack. 

So yeah, the bar was an interesting experience and I will certainly take a shot at a later date. I have no idea if all gaming bars are following the same template but it clearly works. 

Pushing Sixty

 This year marks sixty years of Sega. At time of writing, there are numerous details circulating bearing the Sega name (Sonic 2 going for free on Steam being one such example) and the artwork of the Sega games in my Steam account have been changed to reflect this.

It may be no challenge to sneer at Sega. They who dared to challenge Nintendo in the early nineties. They who had a pure fluke with the Megadrive/Genesis. They who had IPs that were few in great and countless in terrible. They who made some mind-boggling blunders in the mid-nineties. They who gave us Sonic the Hedgehog and his legions of clones. 

But I however spent my youth as more of a Sega fan than a Nintendo fan - call it an effect of being in country that isn't the U.S. Granted this meant that I ended up backing the wrong horse but it also means that I have a loyalty that just won't lay down and die. 

It may sound bizarre that I am more willing to give the time of day to Sega games than Nintendo games but that's the way it is. Would I rather go to the effort of digging up the gems on the Mega CD and the Saturn? I would - because it offers a history of gaming that is often hidden from the public eye. And, as is often the case, it's the losers who have the more interesting stories to tell. 

So here's to you Sega. Happy sixty years and hope you last for another sixty. 

The open gate

 And so it happens: Baldur's Gate 3 enters early access. I can now play the latest iteration to this legendary saga. Excited does not began to describe it....

That was until I realised that I have a super-huge download to get through on a crummy internet connection.

Zelda being the heroine

 As the Legend of Zelda games keep on being made, it is fair to say that they will keep building on the success of previous games as well as pushing the envelope as to what games can do (provided there is plenty left to do and all ideas haven't been exhausted yet). Yet even with such innovation, the PC will continue to be Link and Zelda will remain out of reach, regardless of how great the demand from the players to control her for once. 

But it remains unlikely to happen because, as dictated by the Triforce, Link represents courage and Zelda represents wisdom. Meaning that Zelda will forever by the type that won't get her hands dirty and Link will forever be guided by the PC because he can't be courageous anyway else. So it will be the same no matter how much Nintendo alters it - so we may as get used to it. 
Why the closest we have, thus far, to controlling Zelda was Sprit Tracks - and that was due to player demand - but even then she was reduced to allowing Link to handle the heavy lifting. 

So the 'Link = active and Zelda = passive' dynamic is effectively rock solid in that it doesn't seem likely to change. But can it? 
One possibility I saw mentioned somewhere online (I forget where) is that Link should have previously tried to defeat Ganondorf but failed. As such, he lacks the courage needed as befit the representation of the Triforce of courage. So when a PC-controlled Zelda encounters him, Link has no confidence and no sense of trust. So it is up to Zelda to give him a kick up the arse and get him back on track, so he can complete his own quest - a quest that is, of course, independent of Zelda's own and eventually converges in the final showdown.  

It could work but considering that Ocarina of Time pioneered this whole 'Zelda sets up path for Link to follow' formula I want to see such a journey play out. A journey that follows the Zelda formula but with less combat and more problem solving.

Could work....

Bethesda Buy out

 Perhaps the biggest (read most inescapable) news in the gaming world is that Zenimax has been bought out by Microsoft. Meaning a lotta gaming studios (Bethesda, id and others) has taken refuge under that (quite enormous) Microsoft Gaming umbrella.  

'tis a big move to be sure and will result in some IP exchanging hands. The only question is, what is going to happen next...

Barred entry

This weekend, i went to a gaming bar.

Now that gaming has well and truly grown out of it's niche interest and into the juggernaut it is, you see this type of thing a lot: A place where gamers can gather, interact, drink grog and play some games (although not necessarily in that order).

I was told of the place beforehand and instructed to turn up early so i don't get left out. But when I did show up at the opening hour, there were very few people there. 
Upon entry, I noticed a number of arcade games (Golden Axe, Galaga and TMNT among them). There was beer available and the staff were friendly.
But there were few in the way of other patrons - which was surprising as this was a Saturday evening. Therefore, one expected more numbers and more rowdiness but that was not the case. 

Still, at least i can say I have been to a gaming bar

Come on in the water's lovely

 I was going through some of my Steam achievements on Age of Empires 2 and came across this:

Cause for concern maybe?

Forever going backwards

Apparently the upcoming PS5 will not be backward compatible with the PS3, PS2 or PS1 (Source).

I will, however grudgingly, accept that the PlayStation is built from unique hardware that would be difficult to replicate but seriously, do Sony want my money or not?

810 Man

 Well it happened: On the weekend, I made it to Level 810 on Elder Scrolls Online. 

This means that, after so long, I have achieved the level cap and unlocked all the champion points for all my characters. 

So I've done it: I've achieved what I set out to do. I declared that I will commit some key gaming time to ESO for the sole purpose of getting to level 810 and I did it.

But now I face a new problem: Where do I go from here?

It has been observed that once you reached the level cap in ESO then that's it: The game is over and there's nothing left to see or do. And I do agree with that: In order to reach level 810, I went through countless dungeons and traversed through all available areas (all in correct chronological order) - only to come out the other side with a sense that there's no more places to visit. 

It also can't be ignored that ESO is, by far and away, the game I have sunk the most hours into. According to my Steam account it is the only game that boasts an investment of over a thousand hours. But that distinction has come because I have been playing ESO near exclusively - often at the expense of the other games in my collection.

Much like WoW before it. 

So perhaps it is fitting that with nowhere left to go, the time has come to move on. I guess there was a degree of finality and inevitability to ESO once I made it to level 810 but at least i can say that this time I ended this MMORPG on a positive note (as opposed to loss of interest (WoW) or bitterness (Star Trek Online)).

So to that end I should be grateful. 

Come to Australia / You might accidentally get killed

 So what happens when you complete everything in Borderlands 2? Well, you take a shot at the Pre-Sequel of course!

The Pre-Sequel is of interest to me: It was the final game by 2K Australia and as such, goes for an Australian setting. The music of the Vines features prominently in the opening cinematic and there's tones of Australian Accents and in jokes all around. Considering how much the Borderlands series indebted to the Mad Max movies, perhaps it is fitting that it would have an iteration built off of an Australian setting. 

The problem with this game being a prequel (as indicated by the title) is the same with any prequel: We know what's going to happen. So of the Vault Hunters available, it's difficult to choose between them due to knowing beforehand what fate awaits them in Borderlands 2. So I settled for the DLC character Aurelia because a) I knew next to nothing about her and b) sniper rifles and ice powers - what's not to like?

Which is ultimately a fancy way of saying she's the only selectable character that interested me. 

So here we go into the Pre-Sequel....

R.I.P. William English

R.I.P. William English