Well it's that time of the year again: The tail end of the year where I step away from this blog, this computer and indulge in off-time presented by the Christmas holidays.
So 2013: What about it eh? Well in retrospect it is something of a transitory year: the seventh console generation has shuffled off and the eight generation has stepped up to take it's place.
Not that it matters to me: Much of this year has been spent catching myself spending more time on the PC than the console. Indeed, I have found nothing of interest (...yet....) being offered by the Wii-U, XboxOne and PS4 so I think it's fair to say that the console race may continue but it can't make me care.
Continuing on the wavelength, 2013 will, for me, be defined as the year I discovered Steam. I tried my hand at it on an off-chance and found myself enamored off it (So much so I wrote an article on Steam for Muse Culture). Indeed, it is now difficult to imagine how I could've done without Steam. I have found a wide variety of games that I had previously been unaware of, indulged in a game distribution system that actually works and found an oasis when my interest in consoles was drying up.
Other highlights over the past twelve months was knocking down more titles from my Hall of Shame (I'll get on top of it one day!), obtaining the long-lost classic Blade Runner and playing my game of the year The Stanley Parable
So this post will conclude Game Tumour for 2013. So thank you to everyone who has visited this blog over the past twelve months - and I look forward to speaking to you all again in 2014.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Reindeer Games
Here we go with another WoW caption.
Remember this? Well it was begging for a witty caption, so here's what my Facebook friends came up with:
Remember this? Well it was begging for a witty caption, so here's what my Facebook friends came up with:
Monday, December 9, 2013
Riders on the Storm
Here we go with another WoW caption.
So I put this pic up on my Facebook page challenging anyone to come up wtiha funny caption:
And here are the results!:
So I put this pic up on my Facebook page challenging anyone to come up wtiha funny caption:
And here are the results!:
Friday, December 6, 2013
Elf pick up lines
Last week I posted this image on my Facebook page:
I then put forth the challenge of coming up with a witty caption to go with the image and these are the results!:
I then put forth the challenge of coming up with a witty caption to go with the image and these are the results!:
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Ee Ay Redemption
The news of the moment is an announcement from EA Executive Vice President Patrick Soderlund stating that being voted, by The Consumerist magazine, the Worst Company for the second year running is a prompt for a turn around. A turn around of the massive variety as Soderlund intents on being voted the BEST company.
It's a massive task considering the laundry list of mistakes EA have made, namly:
o Swallowing up studios like Bioware and Westwood,
o Mandatory usage of Origin
o Removal of games on Steam
o Mandatory always online-functionally
o Methods of drawing more from the wallet of many a gamer,
o Mandatory Digital Rights Management
o Releasing many games that were barely playable,
o Mishandling of DLC
o Milking franchise’s for all it’s worth
o Kowtowing to shareholders knowing little about games beyond making a profit
o And treating customers poorly with absolutely zero concern to their needs.
Still I'll give EA credit: At least they're acknowledging that there is a lot of contempt for them and they're taking steps to correct it - which is more than can be said for the other despised companies. It may be massive task to be sure, one involving hard effort and sacrifices, but the removal of the Online Pass is a start at least.
But what i find most fascinating is the reaction to this news. There are many gamers outraged by EA, not without good reason of course, and their response has been loud and varied. Many are killing themselves with laughter, others are insisting it will never happen and others still seem intent on making sure it will never happen. I guess when one takes away a gaming geek's punchline, the vengeance is ruthless (Duke Nukem Forever anyone?).
Mind you I honestly would like to see EA turn things around. Yes I have no love for EA having burnt by them before, Yes it would be a near impossible feat to accomplish and yes it could do with more action than talk. But to wipe the smiles off the faces of all the nay-sayers? Now THAT would be hilarious.
It's a massive task considering the laundry list of mistakes EA have made, namly:
o Swallowing up studios like Bioware and Westwood,
o Mandatory usage of Origin
o Removal of games on Steam
o Mandatory always online-functionally
o Methods of drawing more from the wallet of many a gamer,
o Mandatory Digital Rights Management
o Releasing many games that were barely playable,
o Mishandling of DLC
o Milking franchise’s for all it’s worth
o Kowtowing to shareholders knowing little about games beyond making a profit
o And treating customers poorly with absolutely zero concern to their needs.
Still I'll give EA credit: At least they're acknowledging that there is a lot of contempt for them and they're taking steps to correct it - which is more than can be said for the other despised companies. It may be massive task to be sure, one involving hard effort and sacrifices, but the removal of the Online Pass is a start at least.
But what i find most fascinating is the reaction to this news. There are many gamers outraged by EA, not without good reason of course, and their response has been loud and varied. Many are killing themselves with laughter, others are insisting it will never happen and others still seem intent on making sure it will never happen. I guess when one takes away a gaming geek's punchline, the vengeance is ruthless (Duke Nukem Forever anyone?).
Mind you I honestly would like to see EA turn things around. Yes I have no love for EA having burnt by them before, Yes it would be a near impossible feat to accomplish and yes it could do with more action than talk. But to wipe the smiles off the faces of all the nay-sayers? Now THAT would be hilarious.
Friday, November 29, 2013
A Eulogy for Winamp
On the 21st of November 2013 it was announced that the long-running media player Winamp will be ceasing all updates and be closing down. And so, on December 20th 2013, updates to Winamp will cease and the program itself will no longer be available for download.
The message posted on the winamp website reads as follows; “Winamp.com and associated web services will no longer be available past December 20, 2013….Additionally, Winamp Media players will no longer be available for download. Please download the latest version before that date. See release notes for latest improvements to this last release. Thanks for supporting the Winamp community for over 15 years."
The news that Winamp will cease makes the end of an era. Winamp was unleashed on an unsuspecting world in 1997, when the rest of world was becoming aware of something called mp3s. It’s timing couldn’t be more perfect and, buoyed by a growing interest in mp3s, Winamp quickly became the most widely used media player around. The reasons for this announcement are unclear but it is believed that due to a lack of activity on Winamp’s part. It should be noted that Winamp was bought out by AOL and nothing of note has happened since – Indeed, many former workers on Winamp have described working with AOL as a disappointing experience. Sure there was the release of an Android device but that release was more a case of too little too late.
I myself was an avid user of Winamp and got a lot of use out of it. I remember when it was around during the afore-mentioned mp3 revolution and have used it many times in the decade that followed. And I never stopped using it: Whenever I got a new computer Winamp was the first thing I installed on it. I used Winamp so much that other media players, like ITunes and VLC player, came across as meaningless to me and inefficient to my needs.
Until the announcement I was unaware of the problems that Winamp had been facing in recent years. So it came as a shock – and I’m not alone. Many people have expressed dismay at this announcement - and it is indeed a surprise to find that so many other people had been using Winamp for the longest time. Indeed, if so many people have been using the same program for a decade and a half, then it says an enormous amount for the efficiency for the program itself and its success.
Personally, I still see Winamp as the best player for my music, and nothing I’ve seen can surpass it. And just because updates will cease is no reason to stop using it – I have the executable file of the latest version and I’ll be hanging onto it for a long time yet. And I can imagine many other people will be going to the Winamp homepage and find the latest version while they still can.
Why? Because Winamp is an excellent program and seeing it go is truly a terrible loss. So I ask you, the reader, to raise a toast to Winamp and fifteen years of magic.
The message posted on the winamp website reads as follows; “Winamp.com and associated web services will no longer be available past December 20, 2013….Additionally, Winamp Media players will no longer be available for download. Please download the latest version before that date. See release notes for latest improvements to this last release. Thanks for supporting the Winamp community for over 15 years."
The news that Winamp will cease makes the end of an era. Winamp was unleashed on an unsuspecting world in 1997, when the rest of world was becoming aware of something called mp3s. It’s timing couldn’t be more perfect and, buoyed by a growing interest in mp3s, Winamp quickly became the most widely used media player around. The reasons for this announcement are unclear but it is believed that due to a lack of activity on Winamp’s part. It should be noted that Winamp was bought out by AOL and nothing of note has happened since – Indeed, many former workers on Winamp have described working with AOL as a disappointing experience. Sure there was the release of an Android device but that release was more a case of too little too late.
I myself was an avid user of Winamp and got a lot of use out of it. I remember when it was around during the afore-mentioned mp3 revolution and have used it many times in the decade that followed. And I never stopped using it: Whenever I got a new computer Winamp was the first thing I installed on it. I used Winamp so much that other media players, like ITunes and VLC player, came across as meaningless to me and inefficient to my needs.
Until the announcement I was unaware of the problems that Winamp had been facing in recent years. So it came as a shock – and I’m not alone. Many people have expressed dismay at this announcement - and it is indeed a surprise to find that so many other people had been using Winamp for the longest time. Indeed, if so many people have been using the same program for a decade and a half, then it says an enormous amount for the efficiency for the program itself and its success.
Personally, I still see Winamp as the best player for my music, and nothing I’ve seen can surpass it. And just because updates will cease is no reason to stop using it – I have the executable file of the latest version and I’ll be hanging onto it for a long time yet. And I can imagine many other people will be going to the Winamp homepage and find the latest version while they still can.
Why? Because Winamp is an excellent program and seeing it go is truly a terrible loss. So I ask you, the reader, to raise a toast to Winamp and fifteen years of magic.
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