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Category: PS2J Show
Tagged as:	3D, 4chan, action, advertising, AI, Alan, Amazon, amplifier, Apple, ar, assassin's creed, augmented reality, battlefield, battlefront II, Bethesda, block, brink bionics, Brotherhood of Steel, bug fix, cd projekt, celebration edition, Censorship, ces 2021, chair, click, coldsnap, collar, console, content, customization, Cyberpunk 2077, daring fireball, data, development, DLC, dog, EA, Epic Games, extremist, Facebook, fallen order, Fallout, far cry 3, first amendment, First Person, Free, Free Games, funding, Galaxy, Gamecube, games, Google, Gundam, hbcu, heads up display, hud, illegal, improvement, impulse neuro-controller, Indiana Jones, Internet, Josh, keurig, learning, lg, license, lucasfilm, Mac, machinegames, Mario Party, mask, massive entertainment, Mobile Suit, monitor, mouse, n95, nazi, Net Neutrality, nintendo 64, north idaho, Obsidian, open-world, ouya, panasonic, parler, PC, petpuls, Play Station, Playstation, port, Privacy, project brooklyn, project hazel, provider, PS4, ps5, quibi, racial equity and justice initiative, Razer, reji, release, republic commando, Resident Evil 4, respawn, Revelations, right-wing, roku, rolling display, s pen, s21, safe, Samsung, scroll, security, sharing, Shooter, smart glasses, soft-serve, South Park, squadrons, Star Wars, stream, terms of service, terrorist, That Dragon Cancer, the division, third person, threat, Tiger Woods, Titanfall, todd howard, tom clancy, Twitter, twitter for iphone, Ubisoft, ultra, Update, violence, vuzix, warning, WhatsApp, Windows, Wolfenstein, Xbox One, xbox series, your t1 wifi, Zaku, Zeon
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Star Wars Battlefront II: Celebration Edition
Third and first person action shooter followup to the Battlefront reboot of 2015 that has you fighting on the ground and among the stars across a variety of maps in the Star Wars universe, with both the multiplayer Battlefield-style gameplay we're used to in the series as well as a single-player campaign
The Celebration Edition bundles it along with a large collection of aesthetic customization content that was available through in-game purchase, all the way from launch up to and including The Rise of Skywalker
CES 2021 highlights
Razer showed off Project Hazel, clear futuristic face masks that qualify as N95 respirators, have a good silicone liner to prevent leakage or foggy glasses, and amplify your voice to help keep speech from sounding muffled
They also have the Project Brooklyn gaming chair, a bucket seat with an integrated keyboard tray and 60" curved display for more immersion
Panasonic has an AR HUD system for vehicles that use eye tracking and projected images on the windshield to show an intelligent overlay including alerts and directions lined up with real-world objects
LG showcased their new rollable display tech, leading to scroll-like devices with a thick rounded edge and an adjustable display size
Brink Bionics has the Impulse Neuro-Controller, a glove that can detect your intention to click your mouse 80ms before your finger moves
ColdSnap wants to be the Keurig of ice cream, aiming to provide pod-based soft-serve made to order in under 120 seconds
Petpuls is an AI driven smart dog collar that will decipher up to five different emotions (happy, anxious, angry, sad, relaxed) and track your pet's activity and sleep
And Vuzix has some microLED smart glasses that actually look like something humans would wear, with the added benefit of cellular connectivity, noise-cancelling microphones, stereo audio, and a 3D HUD shown across both lenses
Lucasfilm Games is shifting their entire development strategy, opening the doors to more studios and ending EA's monopoly on the Star Wars IP
The first big news to come from this is that they're collaborating with Ubisoft on a story-driven open-world Star Wars game, which will be led by Massive Entertainment
You might have seen their name on things like Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Far Cry 3, and Tom Clancy's The Division 1/2
They went on to say that their relationship with EA isn't completely ending though, which makes sense after the great success of Star Wars: Squadrons, and the middling success of Fallen Order
This is some good news for Reddit commenters who brought up a great point- why hasn't Respawn taken their Titanfall chops and made a Republic Commando title?
Though that just reminds me how the Clone Wars TV show put a hard stop on the Republic Commando / Imperial Commando books, and makes me a little sad
But on to more hope- apparently Lucasfilm Games will also be working with Todd Howard, MachineGames (the team behind the new Wolfenstein titles), and Bethesda on an upcoming Indiana Jones title as well!
I'm really looking forward to what Lucasfilm kicking their gaming division into gear will mean for the next few years of releases
CD Projekt's co-founder released an explanation this week of exactly what happened with Cyberpunk 2077's development and release
In the video statement he defended the development teams and said that the decisions lay solely on his and the board's shoulders, and promised they would work to regain the trust of gamers
Apparently the game was initially developed for PC and then ported to consoles, which led to many of the issues running on PS4 and Xbox One as they underestimated the difficulty of the port
And the big reason why review keys for console weren't sent out until right before release was just because they were still working hard trying to iron out all the issues that they had found
More updates are coming with bug fixes, updates and improvements
Once the biggest fixes are out they'll be releasing free DLC packs aimed at the first half of the year, and the PS5 and Xbox Series optimization updates in the second half
So all told we should have the Cyberpunk we were hoping for before the end of 2021, which is something at least. Whether people will start trusting the developers again will remain to be seen
Citing concerns over censorship, a North Idaho internet provider blocked Facebook and Twitter this week
For anyone who isn't aware, Twitter and Facebook banned Trump from their platforms due to violations of their terms of service after he incited a riot that invaded the US capitol building in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results
Keep in mind that this is completely legal, and that the First Amendment only protects speech from being limited by the government
According to emails sent by "Your T1 WIFI" to its customers the ISP determined that this was censorship of their customers and information, so they decided to block access to the sites as of Wednesday
Your T1 WIFI stated that about 2/3 of its customers had called in asking the sites to be blocked because of these concerns, so the next logical step was to censor block the sites from all customers
They've since walked back the decision and made it an opt-in process instead, but the damage may already be done- a spokesperson for the Washington Governor's office said that the attorney general's Consumer Protection Division would be looking in to the matter because of Net Neutrality violations, which forbid broadband internet providers from blocking lawful content and services
In related news, the right-wing social media site Parler has gone dark after being pulled from not only the Apple and Google app stores but also the Amazon web hosting services that the site was running on
Apparently Parler was basically chock full of nazis, radical extremists, and terrorists, with much of the content focused on inciting and coordinating violence or other illegal activity
Daring Fireball described it as "4chan with rightwing celebrity endorsements"
For example Parler investor Dan Bongino, a Fox News commentator and former NYPD police officer, said in a Parler post that the company was "not done with Apple and Google" and encouraged users to "Stay tuned to hear what's coming." One user replied: "It would be a pity if someone with explosives training were to pay a visit to some AWS Data Centers – the location of which are public knowledge."
All of this went against the terms of service of the various platforms it was connected to, so therefore it was kicked out even after being given warnings and deadlines in which to implement some kind of moderation plan
As it turns out, Parler was actually even in direct violation of its own terms of service
Some have taken to screaming first amendment and censorship, but I cannot stress this enough- freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences
And those consequences will be coming- apparently in the wake of the US Capitol riot a researcher began archiving every Parler post to create a lasting public record for future researchers to sift through
Hacker @donk_enby pulled dozens of terabytes of content, including raw unprocessed photos and videos that include metadata like the exact GPS coordinates at which they were recorded
This Week In Gaming History
January 9 – 2000 – Mario Party 2 – N64 (North America)
Mario and a range of well known Nintendo characters, including Yoshi, Bowser, Luigi, and Wario return for some more party action.
The second edition includes 5 new boards, each with a specific theme, such as Space Land, Western Land, Horror Land, and Mystery Land.
Each board includes unique attributes in relation to the theme, but the main goal is the same: complete the board game over a certain amount of moves and be the player to have the most coins and/or stars at the end.
The single player story mode allows one person and 3 CPU controlled players to play each board.
Once you play a specific mini-game (64 in all), they become available to purchase using the coins you collected in your games to play anytime.
Multiplayer allows 2 to 4 people to play the game.
January 10 – 1997 – Obsidian – Windows
The plot of this Myst-influenced 5 CD adventure game involves issues such as nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.
Fortunately, the bundled strategy guide explains the basics of these subjects.
Gameplay is linear and largely based around puzzles.
Obsidian's had an imaginative advertisement campaign.
Combining both printed ads as well as television spots, the campaign was unusual as it portrayed several common situations twisted in a way that defied all laws of physics, nature and logic followed by the tagline "Your rules do not apply here".
For example: a printed ad showing an empty room lit by an overhead lamp, only the lamp produces darkness instead of light.
Yet the most impressive ad was the famed "egg" TV spot, which featured a guy dropping an egg to the floor with unexpected results.
This commercial became a particular object of cult among publicity buffs and won 3 Gold Clio awards and became a permanent feature on the New York Museum of Modern Art, as well as being a regular on TV commercial specials, and a runner-up for a Cannes Golden Lion award.
January 11 – 2005 – Resident Evil 4 – GameCube
Plot:m
Picking up six years after Resident Evil 2, the fourth game in the series follows former cop (now US agent) Leon S. Kennedy to Europe on a top secret mission to investigate the disappearance of the president's daughter Ashley.
As Leon encounters unimaginable horrors, he must find out who or what is behind everything.
Old friends…and enemies…lurk around every corner as Leon attempts to find out who is truly behind the kidnapping of the president's daughter.
Resident Evil 4 is a major change from the previous installments.
Instead of a fixed third person perspective, the game features a new "behind the back" movement camera angle and an "over the shoulder" aiming feature that allows players to control their gun movement for specific body part hits.
It features a brand new AI system and more open environments that allow enemies to work together to capture and corner Leon.
Enemies are now humans, which allows them to climb up ladders, open doors, and use weapons throughout the game.
The entire item system has also been revamped, so that smaller items no longer require an entire item space to hold.
Instead, items take up blocks of space in a briefcase according to their real life size, to allow for many more items and weapons.
Leon can collect treasure from enemies or from the surrounding area, and visit the infamous "merchant" to purchase bigger briefcases, treasure maps, weapons upgrades, and powerful weapons such as the one-shot RPG.
There is also the Mercenaries from Resident Evil 3, which allows the player to play survival scenarios as character such as Hunk and even Albert Wesker himself.
The earliest version of the game was announced for the PS2 under Resident Evil 2 with director Hideki Kamiya.
This build was eventually cancelled as a Resident Evil installment and became the title known as Devil May Cry.
Eventually, development was moved to the Gamecube console and another build emerged.
This was the first version to feature Leon from RE2. The game's main menace was to sport a hook on one of its hands, and the logo for the game reflected this (this can still be seen in the final logo).
More versions were created and cancelled before Shinji Mikami took over and transformed the title into what it is today.
Of all the builds developed, only one of them was never unveiled to the public (it was the one that was being worked on right before Mikami took over).
Early in the development stages the game's setting was Japan, not Europe.
January 12 – 2016 – That Dragon, Cancer – Windows, Mac, Ouya
That Dragon, Cancer is an autobiographical and crowd-funded game created with a small team and based on the experience of the couple Ryan Green and Amy Green, who lost their son Joel Evan Green to cancer.
The game consists of fourteen interactive sequences that chronicle their time with Joel, incorporating their thoughts and experiences, and voiced by themselves and their other children.
It represents a love letter to their son and a way to immortalize him.
Joel was diagnosed with an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor when he was twelve months old, leading to terminal cancer, but he went on to live for four more years until he passed away in 2014.
Each scene shows a different moment of their time together with Joel, both the highs and the lows.
Scenes are often abstract or involve metaphorical interpretations of situations and are played from a first-person or a third-person perspective with small amounts of interaction and exploration.
Sometimes there are choices for the player or optional parts that can be explored or examined.
There are scenes at the pond, playing with a duck, in the playground, the hospital and so on.
Scenes show both the positive moments such as Joel playing or the conversations with the other children, but also the couple when they argue, the moment of the first diagnosis, the conflict between science and faith and so on.
A part of the crowd-funded contributions also involves messages and art incorporated in the game.
Along with the game, a documentary called Thank You for Playing was filmed, documenting the game's development and the last years of Joel's life.
It was released in 2016. The game was released on what would have been Joel's seventh birthday.
January 13 – 2004 – Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel – Xbox, PS2
In a post-apocalyptic future, a society known as the Brotherhood of Steel is born, wielding powerful weapons and armor from the time before the war, they seek to bring some form of order to the wastelands of what used to be the United States.
As a new member(s) to the Brotherhood, you'll soon find yourself separated from your comrades and forced to contend with a variety of missions and challenges alone.
Radscorpions, Super-Mutants and Deathclaws are all in the Brotherhood's way, and bringing an end to their tyranny will certainly make the wasteland a safer place.
Brotherhood of Steel is an action game set in the Fallout universe.
The Brotherhood members are well armed and carry full clips of ammo (which does run out).
New weapons of various nature can be found and equipped to bring new tactics.
Shooting down enemies earns experience points and these points are used to improve the attributes of various individual skills.
Additionally, your character will have to contend with finding keys and other objects, protecting NPCs and jumping over bottomless pits.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel features a product placement for the real life Bawls energy drink.
This may be jarring to fans of the Fallout series, who are used to having Nuka-Cola as the post-apocalyptic drink of choice.
Fan response to this game was so overwhelmingly negative that Interplay actually shut down the official Brotherhood of Steel message board.
It is so hated by the Fallout fanbase, the game's section on the No Mutants Allowed forums (one of the biggest Fallout forum) is called: "Fallout: Piece of Shit (PS2, XBOX, My Lower Intestine)".
January 14 – 1999 – EA pulls Tiger Woods 99 on Playstation for bootlegging South Park
Company recalls PSX version of Tiger Woods 99.
A bootleg episode of Southpark was found on the CD in normally unused space.
The file was only readable via a PC, and was invisible to the PSX console.
Recall was issued since Southpark is offensive to some people.
Roughly 100,000 copies were affected.
January 15 – 2002 – Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front – PS2
Based on the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series.
Ride with the bad guys as you battle Earth Federation forces for independence.
Take control of three mobile suit teams. Use strategy tactics to infiltrate federation bases.
Use a wide variety of Mobile suits equipped to kill.
Strategically set your route to carry out mission objectives successfully
Samsung unveiled their new Galaxy S21 series of phones with edge-to-edge display, 120hz refresh rate, and 8K video recording
The Ultra model also brings a larger display and S Pen functionality for people that miss the Note series
Unfortunately it looks like not even Samsung staff are that into their hardware, with tweets promoting the release being marked from "Twitter for iPhone"
WhatsApp is now in a rush to reassure people that some of their data is still safe after changing its terms and privacy policy to include significant data sharing with Facebook
Backlash from those changes saw Signal and Telegram hitting the top of the free app charts on iPhone as people found other options for messaging
They went out of their way to list the things they don't share like private messages, call logs, and your location, but doesn't mention what they do share like device usage, IP address, and unspecified "other information"
Apple announced a set of new major projects this week as part of its $100M Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, to help dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity and combat injustices faced by communities of colour
This includes an innovation and learning hub both in Atlanta and online, an Apple Developer Academy in Detroit, and venture capital funding for entrepreneur POC's
Roku has purchased Quibi's old content library of about 75 shows and documentaries for well under $100M according to the Wall Street Journal, giving them exclusive rights through to the end of the year and shared streaming rights through 2027
Roku will be offering the content for free with ads, which likely means that a lot more people will see these shows now than would have otherwise
Thank you so much to Dalton. Our longest Patron, we love ya bud, and I hope you are like OMG me? When and if you eventually read this.
And thanks to the rest of our 'fanily' that support us.
We are a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network. Locally grown. Community supported.
Tagged as:	17th century, action, ad, adapter, adaptor, adobe flash, Adventure, advertising, air dodge, AirPods, Alan, along the edge, alt frequencies, antitrust, apocalypse, apology, Apple, Arcade, audio, backdoor, Batman, Bayonetta, bioshock, bird buddy, bird feeder, Blackthorne, bleed 2, Blizzard, Born Into Darkness, Bose, breakdown, bridge constructor, Brood War, browser, Bustin Out, capitol, case, CD Projekt Red, childhood, China, co-op, Coffee Forever, combat, Command and Conquer, commander, conspiracy, construction, corrupted souls, crying suns, cyberattack, Cyberpunk 2077, dark, data collection, Dead Or Alive 4, death to 2020, Diablo, Digimon, Diplomacy, disinformation, DOS, drive cancel, ecosystem, email, empire, emulator, Encryption, end of life, epic, Epic Games, european, ex mode, excalibur, expensive, Facebook, Fantasy, fears, federal, FFX, fighting, Final Fantasy 10, fire, First Person, fleet, Free Games, free internet, Galaxy, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Government, greedfall, hilarious, hyper drive mode, Indian in the Cupboard, information, Instagram, Internet Archive, island, jetbrains, Josh, key, king arthur, King of Fighters, kitchen, knight, lara croft, launch, Law Enforcement, lift, linux, Little Nightmares, Macintosh, maneater, marketing, max, maya, mi10, mi11, Microsoft, misfit, mockumentary, monopoly, mystery, N64, nebula, Netflix, newspaper, Newton Adventure, next-gen, nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, noise-cancelling, nutrition label, obstacle, One, open-world, over ear, overcooked, party, password, Paws and Claws, permission, physics, platformer, playground, Playstation, Pong, power, Privacy, PS4, ps5, Punch Club, puzzle, refund, riot, rise of the tomb raider, rogue-lite, roguelike, RPG, s21, Samsung, sargasso, science fiction, security, senate, Sentry, series, Shadow Hearts, shadow of the tomb raider, shark, Shooter, side scrolling, ski, slope, small business, snowmobile, solarwinds, Sole Survivor, Sonic Battle, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sony, South Park, Space, Star Craft, state, stealth, Steam, steel, strawman, Super Bubble Pop, suppressing, suspend, sword legacy: omen, system shock 2, tactical, Thandor, The Broken Land, the maw, The Sims, tiananmen square, Tides of Darkness, time loop, Tomb Raider, transparency, TRIHAYWBFRFYH, Trump, Tuper Tario Tros, Turn Based, Twitch, Twitter, united states, Update, USB, Vet, video chat, visual novel, void ark, void bastards, wall, Warcraft 2, WhatsApp, When Ski Lifts Go Wrong, whimsical, Whos Your Daddy, Windows, wire, XBox, xiaomi, xiii, zoom
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Crying Suns
Story-rich tactical rogue-lite that puts you in the role of a space fleet commander as you explore a mysteriously fallen empire, uncovering the truth about it and yourself
Overcooked
A co-op party game where you and up to three friends work together in a kitchen to prepare meals, working around fires, shifting floors, and other obstacles
Sword Legacy Omen
Turn-based tactical RPG in a re-imagined King Arthur mythos where you play a vengeful knight in search of the long-lost Excalibur
Bridge Constructor Playground
Classic physics-based bridge building puzzle gameplay, but now with no fixed budget and next to no limitations on building materials
Alt Frequencies
An audio mystery set in a time loop. Record, rewind time and broadcast snippets of radio shows to expose radio hosts, conspiracy theorists, and politicians.
Along the Edge
Interactive visual novel set in the European countryside, where your choices impact the main character's personality and appearance.
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong
Physics-based construction puzzler similar to Bridge Constructor, but this time you're building different contraptions to carry skiers up the slopes with added control over the riders
Science-fiction roguelike first person shooter inspired by BioShock and System Shock 2. Can you lead the misfit prisoners of the Void Ark through the derelict spaceships and myriad dangers of the Sargasso Nebula?
Action adventure game continuing the narrative from Rise of the Tomb Raider, following Lara Croft as she races to stop a Mayan apocalypse that she has unleashed
Action RPG set in a 17th-century style fantasy world where you explore a remote island alongside other settlers, mercenaries, treasure hunters, and invaders, with combat, diplomacy, and stealth
Maneater (PS5)
Open world action RPG where you start as a shark pup tasked with surviving the harsh world while eating your way up the ecosystem
People who recently purchased Maneater on either PS4 or PS5 have reportedly gotten automatic refunds from Sony, giving them free access to the PS4 version, but otherwise it's only free on the PS5
A dark, whimsical side-scrolling platformer that will confront you with childhood fears as you escape The Maw- a vast, mysterious vessel inhabited by corrupted souls looking for their next meal.
Bleed 2
Side-scrolling arcade action platformer featuring air-dodging, bullet-reflecting, and tons of bosses, like a 2D Bayonetta bullet-hell
The King of Fighters XIII
A significantly modified entry in the King of Fighters fighting game series that removed the guard attack, critical counter, and clash systems, as well as the dynamic zooming camera, in favour of new enhancements to super moves, Hyper Drive mode, and Drive Cancel.
Facebook and Twitter finally locked Trump's accounts this week after his disinformation and incitement led to a riot that breached the US capitol building
After years of being complicit with Trump's hate speech under the guise of public interest, all it took was armed police having to retake the US Senate, killing four and arresting 52, for these platforms to recognize that freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences, nor does it mean you are entitled to a platform or an audience
This is what you get when you have websites dedicated to driving engagement with extreme, polarizing content under the guise of news or social interaction
A couple of sizeable cyberattacks came to light involving software development and network management tools, impacting everyone using tools from Jetbrains and SolarWinds (including the US government)
Security researchers apparently told SolarWinds that anyone could access their update server using the password 'solarwinds123', but since no action was taken hackers used that to push malicious updates to their software
Among the targets were dozens of email accounts and government encryption keys, showing pretty definitively that we can't trust them with the encryption backdoors that they've been demanding for years
Apple stealth-dropped the new AirPods Max, wireless over-ear headphones with all the bells and whistles including a premium price tag
The stainless steel headphones bring the AirPods Pro featureset to over-ear sound quality, and apparently they sound great, but they also cost $780 CAD
They make premium noise-cancelling headphones from Bose and Sony look downright affordable at half the price
They also come with a bizarre headphone-cozy to cover up the earcups and put them into sleep mode, but it's a soft case that only covers the earcups with minimal protection
Also, if you want to use them wired instead of wireless you need to buy a separate lightning to 3.5mm cable specifically from Apple, and unlike competitors like Bose they won't work wired if the battery is dead
US state and federal governments are suing Facebook in twin antitrust suits, looking to split up their monopoly over our digital lives including separating out Instagram and WhatsApp
Considering in the 6 years since purchasing WhatsApp the messaging went from "privacy is coded into our DNA" to "you can get some neat features if you let us connect your data" to now "if you want to use WhatsApp your data will be used for advertising and Facebook products", I think they've got a pretty good shot
It would be great if they would pry Oculus out of there as well, but I haven't seen mention of that anywhere
Cyberpunk 2077 had a rough launch, leading to refunds and even being pulled from digital stores after running abysmally on previous-generation consoles
And I do have to take back some of what I've said about the game- directors and marketing claimed the game was done months ago and the delays were caused by polish, but it just straight up wasn't done. They needed more time, not more deadlines
Apparently even though the next-gen version won't be released till later this year they never showed it running on the Xbox One or PS4 before launch (you know, the consoles that it was released for), leading to a lot of disappointment when people received the game and saw that it looked so much worse than they expected
CD Projekt Red released a statement apologizing for that, saying they should have spent more time making it run better
Hopefully they can continue to develop it into the game it should have been released as, leading up to its actual PS5/Xbox Series launch
Facebook's begun using full-page newspaper ads to slam Apple's upcoming privacy measures, claiming they're standing up for small businesses, titled "Apple vs the free internet"
Taking the Epic Games approach, Facebook's defending their practices by holding up a small-business strawman and saying that they just want to protect the little guy by getting to do whatever they want
The ads say that Apple's changes will limit small and medium sized businesses ability to run personalized ads, leading to less bang for their buck, and that's really all Facebook's worried about. Not the fact that Facebook won't have as much access to data they harvest on everyone to sell those very same ads.
This is very much the same problem that law enforcement is having with encryption and privacy- they've had free access to look through peoples' windows for so long, they can't stand the idea of people installing blinds and being allowed to close them if they want to
The privacy measure that has them up in arms, by the way, is just a popup asking if you want to allow an app to track your activity across other apps and websites. There's a spot where they can explain why they need it, and buttons to either "Ask App not to Track" or "Allow". That's it.
Maybe instead of wailing and tearing their shirts over this, crying to businesses that they have no choice but to comply with the tracking transparency features, Facebook should be convincing users why they should click Allow
Popular video conferencing app Zoom continues to be awful, now accused by the US Justice Department of suppressing calls about Tiananmen Square at China's behest
According to the Washington Post, Zoom executives worked with Chinese law enforcement to monitor calls both within and outside of China for discussions of political and religious topics deemed unacceptable by China's Communist Party
The monitoring lead to disrupting video calls, terminating accounts, and delivering personal information about identified users to government officials in China
This proves pretty definitively that they don't use encryption, your calls are not private, and we as a global community need to stop using Zoom
These Weeks in Gaming History
December 8 – 1997 – Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor – Windows
This game is strictly multiplayer game.
It broke records with the fact that there can be 51 players playing it at the same time.
Every player has only one unit, and only one is to be the sole survivor.
Otherwise, the graphic is same as in original Command & Conquer DOS and GOLD version, with some extra units as a difference.
December 9 – 1995 – WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness – DOS
WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness is a fantasy themed real-time strategy game and sequel to WarCraft: Orcs & Humansset on the world of Azeroth.
With the conquest of the kingdom of Azeroth in the first war, the orcs are now preparing for an invasion of Lordaeron and conquer the remaining human, dwarven and elvisch realms.
In an effort to counter this invasion the humans, elves and dwarves formed an alliance in the hope to avert the same fate the kingdom of Azeroth met.
The game comes with many new features such as fighting not only over land but also over sea and air, SVGA 640×480 resolution graphics with many newly-rendered buildings and units, multiplayer-support with up to eight players, as well as a Red Book audio soundtrack, and a scenario editor that allows players to design and create their own scenarios.
The editor requires Windows 3.1 or greater, even though WarCraft II is a DOS-based game.
December 10 – 2020 – Cyberpunk 2077 – PS4, Xbox One, Windows
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification.
You play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality.
You can customize your character's cyberware, skillset and playstyle, and explore a vast city where the choices you make shape the story and the world around you.
Become a cyberpunk, an urban mercenary equipped with cybernetic enhancements and build your legend on the streets of Night City.
Enter the massive open world of Night City, a place that sets new standards in terms of visuals, complexity and depth.
Take the riskiest job of your life and go after a prototype implant that is the key to immortality.
December 11 – 2001 – Shadow Hearts – Playstation 2 North America
Yuri Hyuga is a young harmonixer: a man who possesses the power of transforming into demons.
He meets Alice Elliot, a young British girl whose father was brutally murdered, and who is chased by a mysterious warlock who calls himself Roger Bacon.
Yuri and Alice travel through the pre-war China, dealing with demons, evil magicians, and Japanese occupation army.
The journey eventually takes them and their friends to Europe, where they have to confront their ultimate enemy, but also uncover the truth about their own pasts.
Shadow Hearts is a Japanese-style role-playing game set in a historical period (China and Europe of 1913, one year before the World War I) with plenty of supernatural elements mixed in.
The game shares plot-related and stylistic traits with Koudelka, to which it can be considered a sequel.
The player navigates a party of characters (up to three active combatants) over pre-rendered backgrounds.
Combat with regular enemies occurs randomly. During battles, characters use regular attacks or cast spells.
In addition to the regular health (HP) and magic points (MP), each character also has a special SP ("sanity points") bar.
Sanity bar is gradually depleted in combat; when characters run out of SP, they become insane and hence uncontrollable, until their sanity is restored with items.
The game implements traditional turn-based combat style for the battles, adding to it a feature called Judgment Ring.
Every time a character performs an attack, a ring with a spinning arrow appears on the top of the screen.
If the player stops the arrow when it is over a critical area on the ring, the attack will be more powerful.
However, missing the larger hit area will cancel the attack completely.
Various types of attacks have rings of various difficulty; usually, the more powerful a spell is, the smaller the hit area is on the ring.
The Judgment Ring is also used for other purposes; it can help the player reduce prices in stores, and is needed to solve several puzzles.
All characters except Yuri learn new abilities automatically when leveling up.
Due to his demon-fusion abilities, Yuri can collect soul energy and use it to acquire various fusion forms.
When Yuri transforms into a demon he gains unique abilities, and continues fighting with the party as a controllable character.
He also has to travel to a graveyard in his own mental realm from time to time, in order to face his own inner demons and clear Malice, negative vengeful energy the party accumulates by killing enemies.
December 12 – 2000- Star Wars: Episode I – Obi-Wan's Adventures – Game Boy Color
Play as Obi-Wan through many levels of battle droids, similar in style to Jedi Power Battles.
You can use your lightsaber, blaster or the force to defeat the enemy and advance to the final showdown with Darth Maul.
December 13 – 1996 – Sonic Blast – Game Gear (Japan)
Sonic Blast was released for Game Gear in conjunction with Sonic 3D Blast (aka Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island) for Genesis/MD and Saturn.
It boasted similarly rendered character sprites and colorful backgrounds.
The game was yet another addition to the series, plus Sega had hoped it would be a boost to the dying Game Gear's title selection at the time.
Brazilian based TecToy re-released the game for Sega Master System in 1997, a year after the initial release (while many may think this is a pirated title, TecToy is indeed licensed to produce and release games under the Sega name).
December 14 – 2017 – Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory – PS4, PS Vita (Japan)
Brand new title from the "Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth".
Set in the near future, the line between the real and digital worlds is blurred, become a hacker and utilize computer viruses called Digimon to tackle the incidents caused by hostile hackers other Digimons.
Scan, raise, train and battle Digimon in classic turn-based gameplay!
「Adventure」…Take on the role of a hacker within the cyber space and resolve the digital woes! Command Digimons and utilize your hacking skills!
「Training」…Seek out Digimons and put them through intensive training before evolving into stronger breeds!
「Battle」…Form your very own Digimon team for battle! Take on fights effortless with mastery of Digimon skills and elements at your disposal!
A total of 320 Digimon variants available and a wide range of brand new support skills effectively expands your battle arsenal.
Team battle simulation & quests such as the "Domination Battle", "Territory Contest" etc. along with enhanced online gameplay elements are added as well.
With just this title, you would have access to all the gameplay elements "Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth" world could ever offer!
Main story from the previous title "Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth" included with cross-save features and special bring-over bonus available as well!
New players could fully enjoy the "Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth" series like any existing players too!
December 15 – 1992 – Batman Returns – DOS
Frigid winter winds swept over an already chilled Gotham City.
Random street crimes were running at an all-time high, despite the holidays.
Down below, in the city's frozen sewers, Oswald Cobblepot, known as The Penguin, planned more mayhem and schemed the take over of the frightened metropolis.
His loyal army of missile-packing Penguin Commandos and the bizarre Red Triangle Circus Gang are energized by the evil genius of the web-footed orphan.
A desperate call to Batman goes up.
Batman Returns is an adventure game with fighting sequences, based on the movie of the same name.
Control Batman's combat style, and help conduct relentless interrogations of The Penguins many allies.
Use the Batcave computer to input clues, analyze evidence, and review enemy bios.
You're in charge of weapons, too.
Stock Batman's Utility belt with enough heat to match the diverse fighting styles of The Penguin and cold-blooded, sewer-dwelling minions.
December 16 – 2003 – The Sims: Bustin' Out – GameCube, PS2, XBox
The Sims: Bustin' Out is the console sequel to The Sims and the second Sims game to appear on the major consoles.
Sims can now leave their house and visit all different kinds of locations.
In the mission-based Bust Out mode, the player starts at Mom's house learning that evil Malcolm Langrabb is repossessing items from all the Sims homes.
Your job is to make enough money to buy back all the goods and eventually evict him from his own mansion.
The game also features an open-ended Freeplay mode.
Bustin' Out's big new features are the ability to visit and move between houses through the single player progression as well as an online multi-player mode for 2 people on the PS2.
The servers for the online mode have since been shut down.
December 17 – 2002 – Super Bubble Pop – GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox
A combination of Tetris and Bust-A-Move, Super Bubble Pop has you controlling a character along the bottom of the playfield, who you use to throw bubbles of different colours towards the other side of the playfield.
As you throw them down the line, they will stack up in piles of six.
Linking three bubbles together will pop them (remove them from the field), and if there is a stack of six, the bubbles on the way will form a new stack in front of it.
The aim of the game is to remove all bubbles from the field, but there is another way of completing a game.
Tokens will appear during play, and by collecting enough, you can move on to the next round regardless of what you have on the playfield.
December 18 – 1998 – Star Craft: Brood War – Windows
StarCraft: Brood War is an add-on for StarCraft (requiring the full version of StarCraft) and a direct continuation of its story.
With the demise of the Overmind on the Protoss home world at the end of the original game, the Zerg are left leaderless.
In an attempt to regain control, a number of cerebrates merge to form a new Overmind. Kerrigan, a human/Zerg hybrid however wants to take control of the Zerg herself.
The Protoss are evacuating what is left of their people from their ruined home world.
Meanwhile the United Earth Directorate (UED) have learned of the recent developments in the sector.
Fearing for the safety of Earth they sent an expeditionary fleet there to secure it.
Brood War brings several changes to the game, altering some gameplay aspects of the game, the most important change being the addition of new units.
The Terrans receive the Valkyrie, a craft with air-to-air fighting capabilities.
They also obtain the Medic, which can heal all non-mechanic units and, through upgrades, can use the Restore (remove all ailments on a unit) and Optical Flare (reduce the sight range of an enemy unit to 1) powers.
The Zergs receive the Lurker, obtained after mutating an Hydralisk, which can, and actually must, burrow to attack.
They also gain the Devourer, after mutation of a Mutalisk, an air-to-air unit, whose acid shots have notably the specificity of temporarily lowering the enemy defense, allowing other units to do increased damage.
The Protoss receive the Corsair, an air-to-air unit, which has access to the Disruption Web power (which, once cast, prevents targeted enemy units from firing outside of the web).
The Dark Templars, already seen in the original StarCraft are now a producable unit.
Their main strength lies in their permanent cloaking, allowing them to deliver their strong close combat attacks unharmed.
Additionally, in the same manner as two Templars can be merged as an Archon in StarCraft, two Dark Templars can now be merged to obtain a Dark Archon.
A Dark Archon has access to several powerful powers: Mind Control (giving permanent control of the targeted unit), Maelstrom (temporarily rendering all non-mechanical units within the target area unable to do anything) and Feedback (removes from a target unit the amount of energy it has available for special powers and inflicts it this amount as physical damage).
Besides the new units, some units already featured in StarCraft can now be upgraded in certain areas.
For instance, the Terran Goliath can have the range of its ground-to-air missiles be tremendously increased. Similarly, the Zerg Ultralisk can now receive speed and armor upgrades.
Other changes include a better AI and some alterations of the cost of certain units.
Three new campaigns are available.
In order, a Protoss campaign featuring 8 missions, a Terran campaign also featuring 8 missions and a Zerg campaign comprising 10 missions (plus a bonus mission if some requirements are met in mission 9).
The add-on also comes with about 100 multiplayer maps.
December 19 – 1994 – Blackthorne – DOS
The planet Tuul was a peaceful place, until the evil warrior Sarlac used the power of the Darkstone to take control.
Blackthorne's father, the good King Vlaros, sent him to Earth just as his kingdom crumbled around him.
Now, twenty years later, Blackthorne is grown and must return to Tuul to free it from the clutches of Sarlac.
Blackthorne is a platform action game played from a side-view with non-scrolling backgrounds.
It has certain similarities to Prince of Persia, being set in maze-like environments and focusing on exploration and occasional puzzle-solving.
Blackthorne fights enemies by shooting at them.
His default weapon, a pump action shotgun, can be upgraded throughout the course of the game.
Various types of bombs can be used to damage enemies, blow open doors, or destroy generations.
Keys must be often found to gain access to new areas.
December 20 – 2013 – TRIHAYWBFRFYH (The Rapture Is Here And You Will Be Forcibly Removed From Your Home) – Browser, Mac, Windows
TRIHAYWBFRFYH is a short experimental game based on the theme of loneliness in the works of H. P. Lovecraft.
Set in a misty setting with fields, hills and forests, the protagonist experiences the last 20 minutes before rapture, the end of the world.
A large alien or celestial shape looms above while time counts down.
The player is free to explore the environment in any direction.
Four type of trails, marked by large vertical columns in a different colour, can be tracked.
When the character gets near one of them, part of a Lovecraft story is narrated and the coloured sphere appears somewhere else.
There are no clear goals in the game except to explore, listen to the stories and hear the electronic music drone on as the inevitable rapture gets near.
At regular intervals lightning may strike or an earthquake may occur.
Movement is done with four keys along with the mouse to look.
The secondary mouse button provides a zoomed-in view.
December 21 – 2000 – The Broken Land – Windows
An RPG game in the dungeon crawl style of Diablo.
The basic story involves you saving Heaven (not Earth) by re-combining the 5 pieces Heaven was split into by a battle with the gods and the forces of evil.
Game play is hack-and-slash with limited interaction with NPCs and merchants.
Characters have limited upgrades available to them as do the weapons and armor.
The game was released with no printed manual (it was included on the disk, but was inaccurate to the actual game play).
December 22 – 1998 – South Park – N64
A comet is heading toward South Park, causing many of the enemies from early seasons of the shows (including cows, aliens, and clones) to rise up and attack.
The player takes control of Kyle, Cartman, Kenny and Stan to fight through the town in a first-person perspective.
Features new dialogue from the original voice actors on the show.
Single player takes the form of a "Story" mode divided into five episodes and fifteen linear levels.
The player will face weak minions (which change based on the episode), plus occasional sub-bosses which will try to escape into town.
The final level is devoted to a unique boss fight.
Players use quirky weapons ranging from infinite yellow snowballs to cow launchers and toxic Terrance and Phillip dolls.
Every weapon has a secondary fire, and players switch between the four main characters when they switch weapons – each of the four kids shares a single life bar because of this.
The kids will comment on game actions as they occur, with heavier profanity censored with bleeps.
The kids will get angrier (and fouler) as their health depletes, until they finally give up on saving the town and go home.
A multiplayer mode lets players take characters and weapons they unlock in Story mode into small deathmatch arenas.
The PlayStation version supports 2 players, the N64 does 4, and the PC version allows players to go online to search for opponents through GameSpy.
Players can set standard victory options like knockouts or time limits.
Voice samples for multiplayer are also included, so the characters will make comments and taunts when hit.
Graphics are rendered in 3D, in a style approximating that of the show.
Draw distance is limited by a heavy fog, with varying severity based on the platform.
None of the environments are interactive, and only enemies respond to weapon hits.
The N64 version supports the Expansion Pak.
December 23 – 2015 – Who's Your Daddy – Linux, Mac, PC
Who's Your Daddy is a two-player versus game in which one player controls a bumbling father, while the other takes the role of his infant son.
The father is responsible for the baby's well-being, and as such needs to work to baby-proof the house.
He can also perform chores that will grant special abilities that help him keep an eye on the child and any hazards.
However, the player controlling the baby is given the goal of taking his own life through whatever means are available, such as drowning himself or ingesting poisonous chemicals.
The baby wins if he is able to commit suicide, while the father wins if he is able to keep his son alive until time runs out.
December 24 – 2009 – Tuper Tario Tros. – Browser
Tuper Tario Tros. is a mash-up of two classic games: Super Mario Bros. and Tetris.
Inspired by the puzzle platforming in Lucidity, this is the first in a series of deep water experiments by the developers to test experimental game prototypes.
The game starts like a traditional Super Mario Bros. platformer clone with the classic elements, enemies and power-ups, until Mario encounters a wall that cannot be passed.
From that point on, it is possible to switch to Tetris-style gameplay with the press of a key to move around and rotate falling blocks to redesign the level, creating lines to make blocks disappear or building bridges to cross gaps.
While in Tetris mode, Mario cannot be moved, but the gameplay is not paused.
Enemies continue to move around and the screen also moves forward at a steady pace.
Blocks can also be used to crush enemies.
At the end of the level, there is an additional section where both modes need to be used quickly in succession to complete a time-limited end sequence.
December 25 – 2010 – Coffee Forever – Mac, Windows
In Coffee Forever, you must find coffee!
You begin on a screen that is mostly hidden.
You must move about the screen, revealing more of the screen and finding and gathering cups of coffee.
Once the minimum number of them are found, the level is complete.
You must find the minimum number of cups before your coffee meter, a.k.a. the timer, runs out.
Also, be careful as there are spikes on the playing field. If the time runs out or you hit a spike, you lose a life.
Lose all your lives and the game is over.
December 26 – 2001 – Final Fantasy X – PS2
Tidus is a young athlete who lives in a futuristic city of Zanarkand – "the city that never sleeps".
He plays blitzball, a ball game where players throw the ball while flying around.
Suddenly, a terrible disaster happens.
A huge dark wave engulfs the city, spawning monsters.
Tidus comes in contact with the mysterious creature, and as a result finds himself in a different world, a thousand years into the future.
The civilization he is used to doesn't exist any more.
He learns that the world he knew was destroyed by Sin, a terrible being that is believed to be indestructible.
Tidus meets a young summoner named Yuna, and joins her as a guardian on her quest to put an end to Sin.
Final Fantasy X is Japanese-style role-playing game set in a world somewhat similar to South Asia.
Only individual locations can be physically explored; there is no "world map" in the game, and exploration is fairly linear.
Enemy encounters are random; the game abandons the series' traditional ATB (active-time battle) combat in favor of a Conditional Turn-Based Battle system, in which the turns of the participants are determined by characters' stats and actions, with turn order displayed in the upper corner of the screen.
The game also departs from the usual leveling up system.
There are no character levels in the game: instead, experience points received after battles can be allocated by the player directly to upgrade the characters' parameters.
Each character has his or her special "sphere map", with straight or branching paths containing spots that increase the character's personal statistics, or teach him or her active and passive abilities.
The characters are given distinct class attributes, and it is possible top switch between all the party members during the same battle. Monster summons (called aeons in the game) now behave like playable characters, have their own hit points (HP), and can fight for the party until defeated.
Conversations that occur during cutscenes have voice overs, for the first time in the series.
The game features various mini-games, the most prominent of which are blitzball tournaments.
December 27 – 1995 – The Indian In The Cupboard – Mac, Windows
Inside of a young boy's cupboard, the tiny toy figurine native american named Little Bear has come to life.
Letting the tiny man guide you through several activities will allow you to bring more toys to life and show your accomplishments on your wampum belt.
Some of the available activities include the bead pictures game, where you practice your artistry with carved Iroquois templates and colored beads.
There's also the Music Mimicry game and the Symbols game and several more.
Completing all the activities successfully opens up a new area, the Bedroom 3-D environment and makes available six different quests.
December 28 – 2004 – MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf – Xbox
MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf takes place roughly one year after the original MechAssault game.
This is not a simple extension of the first game.
There are a lot of new missions, vehicles (mechs, tanks, and whatever else the player can find), and worlds to explore.
Jump in and let's go for a ride.
The game adds new gameplay elements to the system used in MechAssault.
In the original game, the player was a Mech pilot and nothing else.
Here, the player is the only pilot in the game world.
This means that the player can now get out of a Mech and drive someone else's Mech.
Want to drive a tank or some of the other vehicles?
Well, now it is possible.
Jump in many of the vehicles and take one for a ride
Of course, the Battlemech still rules the field.
Like the original game, Xbox Live is fully supported for multiplayer gaming.
December 29 – 2005 – Dead or Alive 4 – Xbox 360
The fourth installment in the Dead or Alive series (excluding Beach Volleyball) continues in a similar vein of fighting game.
Delivering another dose of combo heavy action set in a variety of highly interactive locations.
With Helena assuming control over DOATEC an eclectic cast of fighters from all corners of the world all battle each other for some personal goal. Each character has vastly different, and often unusual, motives.
In the main game's story mode each character fights through a series of encounters, often with a bizarre context eg. taking exception to cruelty to a T-Rex and a fight over a fresh lettuce are both examples of the rather odd but still hilarious Japanese humour.
XBOX Live support allows players to watch fights while waiting for their turn in the arena.
VOIP is also supported, as with many Live games.
Featuring a graphical upgrade and an improved fighting system (tested by some top DOA players before release) Dead or Alive 4 is aimed not only at the older DOA players, but enticing new gamers due to the less intimidating control system, and giving slightly less advantage to the experienced.
December 30 – 2010 – Pong Solitare – Browser
Pong Solitaire is a joke game from the web comic artist Steve Napierski.
It is a mix between Pong and Solitaire.
The gameplay is similar to the classic Pong game, except that the opponent's paddle occupies the entire height of the screen.
That way you can only lose, as you grow tired of bouncing it back to yourself all the time.
December 31 – 1996 – Diablo – Windows
Long ago a secret war raged between Heaven and Hell, each using humanity as its pawns.
While the Prime Evils of Hell were engaged in war their lesser lieutenants conspired to overthrow them.
They mutinied suddenly with the combined forces of Hell, overwhelming the three Primes.
Stripped of their power, they were banished to the mortal realm.
Human agents of Heaven, upon discovering this, found the three Primes and sealed them within gemstone prisons, each of them sent to a different corner of the earth and kept under guard to prevent them from escaping.
As years turns to centuries, however, the power of Heaven's agents waned, until eventually not even the people of the town of Tristram knew that buried deep under their chapel was the soul of the Lord of Terror, Diablo.
As the strength of his prison waned Diablo reached out into the world, corrupting the dreams of the land's good king, driving him to attack his neighbors.
The nation of Khanduras fought wars with no intention of winning, desiring only slaughter and suffering.
Now the lands lay scorched, home only to monsters and the dead.
Rumors spread of a way to stop the demons, as well as rumors of great wealth, and both draw adventurers from far to the small town of Tristram.
Players start by choosing their avatar's class: either Warrior, Rogue, or Sorcerer.
Warriors have the highest maximum strength and can repair weapons and armor inside the dungeon, but this will lower the item's maximum durability.
The Rogue has the highest maximum dexterity and can both see and disarm traps on treasure chests.
The Sorcerer has the highest maximum magic attribute and can recharge the charges on a spellcasting staff at the cost of his own mana.
Characters can equip armor, weapons, and accessories found in the chapel's shifting dungeons, but strong equipment will have minimum attribute requirements to be worn.
Most equipment will have randomized stats, but some strong monsters will drop Unique weapons with set stats.
Magic can be learned by finding magic tomes, and leveled up by finding multiples of the same spell tome, but advanced spell levels can not be learned if the character's magic stat is too low.
Upon destroying enough monsters to level up the player is rewarded with additional attribute points to distribute to whichever attributes they wish.
Occasionally the few people left in town will inform the player of a job they would like done, either an exceptionally strong monster that must be slain or a unique item found deep in the dungeon, and will reward the player in kind upon completion of the quest.
Diablo can be played cooperatively with 1 to 3 other players over LAN or BattleNet with the PC versions, or with 1 player locally on the PlayStation.
Players can team up to survive the depths of the dungeons, or turn on each other to steal one another's items from their corpse.
The quest unique zones are removed from the online version of a dungeon, and instead quest monsters will be found wandering the level that would normally lead to their unique area.
January 1 – 1990 – Hugo's House of Horrors – DOS
Hugo's sweetheart Penelope has vanished after visiting a haunted house on a babysitting job.
In order to save her, Hugo must explore the area around, within, and beneath the house and solve its mysteries, while surviving its many perils.
Hugo's House of Horrors is a graphic adventure game, controlled with a combination of the arrow keys for movement, and typed commands such as eat steak to interact with the environment.
Some challenges are puzzles which must be solved by clever use of items found in the house, while others require quick and careful movement, or test the player's knowledge.
This game is the first game in the Hugo's House of Horrors shareware trilogy.
This full game was released as a taster for the full trilogy which includes this game plus the titles Hugo's Mystery Adventure, Hugo's Amazon Adventure, a hint book and an automatic solver which plays the game like a movie.
January 2 – 2010 – Newton Adventure – Linux, Mac, Windows
Newton Adventure is a 2D platform game with a unique feature: in order to get through the 21 levels, the player has to rotate them and change gravity at 360°.
By using this special rotating power, the hero can jump to distant platforms, make enemies fall or move objects.
Divided in four themed worlds (arctic, jungle, Vatican and Egypt), the 20 levels have the same goals: find the door to exit and the key that open it.
The key is an object to be brought by pushing it or by making it fall using gravity change.
Aside from completing the levels, the goals is to make highest scores possible, by killing enemies, collecting items or accessing to special bonus zones.
January 3 – 2007 – Paws & Claws: Pet Vet – Nintendo DS
You Love Animals and They Love You!
Now you can pamper and rescue all of your favorite creatures at your own Paws & Claws Pet Vet.
Nurture and love the animals to grow your business and become every animal's best friend!
Nurse all of your injured patients back to health through 20+ cases
Choose from 10+ different kinds of animals, from cockatoos and guinea pigs to dogs and horses
Visit the 3D clothing shop and choose from 9 cute outfits
Become the best vet and you'll grow your business into the biggest pet clinic in town!
January 4 – 2001 – Thandor: The Invasion – Windows
After the defeat of the Golraths, the Alliance of Averes have collapsed and the allies have turned enemies.
But in the times of turmoil and despair, some faithful Alliance soldiers are planning for a return to the glorious Alliance…
Thandor is a 3D RTS game where you build units and battle other factions for control of resources (to build more units).
January 5 – 2004 – Sonic Battle – Game Boy Advance (North America)
Sonic Battle is a fast paced pseudo-fighting game, akin to Super Smash Brothers from Nintendo.
Rather than being 3D side-scrolling, this game employs a 3D isometric view- not a static, sprite-based field though, it is comprised of actual texture-mapped polygons.
The character sprites are 2D though, and while you think it wouldn't work- it does 😛
You can have 9 characters to choose from, 5 modes of play; Story, Battle, Challenge, Training, and Mini Games; you can link up 4 GBA's to fight your friends, each character has a bunch of moves you can use to beat the you-know-what out of whoever you're fighting.
It has a system of selecting Aerial, Ground, and Guard based attacks, and depending on what type of attack you set for which area (aerial/ground/guard), you have a possibility of 9 total different special attacks to choose from (only 3 at a time in a match though) which you can change each time you lose 1 stock point.
Among the other many features, Sonic Team has also made the game more dynamic with the addition of a trainable character whose abilities and techniques you can raise and add to.
You get to pick and choose every aspect of the robot's style (running, attacking, jumping, dashing, etc etc etc etc etc).
The game takes a moderate amount of time to play through as all the characters, and adds a longer lifespan to itself if you wish to play through and beat it completely (all characters, get all moves for the trainable robot, etc).
January 6 – 2010 – Born Into Darkness – Mac, Windows
Nathaniel Black joins the vampire Amber Blythe on a treasure hunt around the world, where they must follow the clues left on artifacts and ancient tombs to retrieve the lost Shroud of Lazarus.
Born Into Darkness is a hidden object game with adventure elements, where the main objective is to find all pieces of inventory items, to assemble and use them later.
The interface tray at the bottom shows the silhouettes of the required objects whose parts are scattered around the location.
As in most point-and-click titles, the player moves between scenes by clicking on obvious exit hotspots like doors and other openings.
The silhouettes can be selected to show the all the parts necessary to complete the object.
Once assembled, the item can be dragged and dropped from the inventory to a logical portion of the scenery to solve puzzles or perform certain actions.
The inventory is framed by blue and red hint jewels and medallions for each main character.
There are slots for six jewels that highlight the position of one of the required parts when activated, showing only pieces for silhouettes that match their colors.
Extra hints can be earned by selecting one of the medallions to play a mini-game.
On Nathaniel's mini-game, the goal is to find and click on the words listed at the top of the medallion on a pile of juxtaposed text at the center.
On Amber's mini-game, the player has to click on the flying ghost whose portrait appears on slots at the side of the medallion.
January 7 – 1998 – Sentry – Windows
Sentry is a freeware remake of Geoff Crammond's all-time classic, The Sentinel.
Gameplay remains true to the original, in this battle for dominance via height.
Climb higher by building towers of boulders, gain energy by absorbing natural resources and teleport around the strange checkered landscape via robot shells.
Meanwhile, you must avoid the deadly gaze of The Sentinel, who looks out from the highest peak.
Get higher than him, then absorb him and take his place as ruler.
This Windows version includes texture mapping, dynamic lighting, music, an infinite supply of levels and a host of options.
There are even two different stereoscopic modes.
January 8 – 2016 – Punch Club – Linux, Mac, Windows
Punch Club is a sporting management simulation in which the player manages an upcoming boxer in training and preparation for a series of boxing matches at a local club, while searching for clues of who killed their father.
The game was developed as a humorous take on action films of the 1980s and 1990s.
The player controls an unnamed boxer whose father, who helped to train him, was murdered.
The boxer aims to continue his training and become the best boxer at a local league, while following clues to lead him to who killed his father.
The player manages the boxer around the clock through various locations in a city, including his home, the boxing gym, stores, and his work place.
Time progresses when the player is involved in any activity, including moving between these locations.
Apple launched their "Privacy Nutrition Labels" on the App Store, giving you a full breakdown of what information they're collecting when you use the app
If you want a wake-up call just head over to Facebook's or Instagram's listing and scroll through the plethora of info they're harvesting
It begins again- Samsung is deleting posts mocking Apple about not including USB wall adaptors with new iPhones amid plans to do the very same with their Galaxy S21
Xiaomi is in the exact same situation too, releasing ads for their Mi10 phone highlighting the included power adaptor and now removing it from the Mi11 citing the environment
Adobe Flash is officially dead, with support having ended on December 31st
But that which is dead may never die, and you can still see Peanut Butter Jelly Time over at the Internet Archive thanks to emulators
Watch Death to 2020 on Netflix
Hilarious mockumentary about the year we all just got through, with some great actors and excellent writing
A Smart Bird Feeder
Bird Buddy is a Wifi enabled bird feeder
Notifies you on bird visitors
Takes their photo
And organizes it into a collection which is easy to share
It will also track the species and catalog it in a collection for you
What features make it a Smart Feeder
There is a front facing camera, that is equipped with AI that can recognize over a 1000 bird species
The built in microphone will also identify birds by song as they approach or pass by.
The mobile app lets you access these features as well, wherever you are
The module is detachable and upgrade-able from the bird feeder itself.
Very much funded
A goal of 50,000 euro
At time of note taking, over 3 million euro
Fence mount
Suet Ball holder
You are also helping bird conservation
Tracking info on bird species will help with migratory patterns and data will be accessible by experts
Every feeder also includes a guide to bird feeding
Tagged as:	Alan, December Drop, i have some notes, Josh, movie, Street Fighter
http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/http://ps2jshow.fushigiyami.com/podcasts/DecDrop2020-IHSN.mp3
A throw back to when Alan and Josh talked with Scott and Greg, on a movie podcast about Street Fighter.
Check out the link to their site!
Thank you so much to all our Patrons. Have a happy and safe holiday!
Tagged as:	Christmas, december, Emily Missed Out, National Lampoons, Vacation
http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/http://ps2jshow.fushigiyami.com/podcasts/DecDrop2020-EMO.mp3
Get in the Christmas spirit while Breanne and Emily, figure out if Emily missed out on Natal Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
Tagged as:	Alberta Podcast Network, DecDrop, feed drop, Thats A Thing
http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/http://ps2jshow.fushigiyami.com/podcasts/DecDrop2020-TaT.mp3
Check out That's A Thing for your internet education!
Elizabeth takes us back to the good(?) old(?) days to examine the internet artifacts of her youth, and gauge how cringe-y they are now. Jon returns with his customary snark and a dramatic reading of archival Tumblr.
Listen to them on your podcatching app or on their website.
Nostalgia, for kids! | That's a Thing?! (transistor.fm)
PS2J 328 News – Year in Review
Tagged as:	19, 2020, 2d, 4g, 5g, a short hike, action, ad, Adventure, advertising, agency, Alan, all access, allthestreams.fm, amnesia, Animal Crossing, anthem, app store, Apple, april, Arcade, Art, auction, august, backdoor, battery, battlefield 3, Bethesda, BioWare, Bitcoin, Black Lives Matter, box office, Breath of the Wild, bullet hell, Cat, cave story+, cd, CD Projekt Red, cellular, ces, children, China, Chromecast, class-action, Clone High, close to the sun, Cloud, Comic-Con, conspiracy, contact tracing, control, controls, covid, Cyberpunk 2077, delay, derek chauvin, desolate, Detective Pikachu, DICE, digital edition, Disney, distrated driving, diversity, dodge, Doom 64, doom eternal, drift, DS, dualsense, dumpster fire, dungeon, EA, edison, email, Encryption, enhanced, epic, Epic Games, Epic Mickey, expensive, exploration, exposure notification, Facebook, farmville, fast, FBI, february, First Person, Fortnite, Free Games, futuristic, game, gaming, gato roboto, george floyd, giant, global cold war, Google, Government, greykey, hey.com, highlight, historical, hitman 3, hollow knight, Horror, hyperdot, id, Indie, intelligence, Internet Archive, interrogation, iOS, iran, iraq, january, Josh, journalist, joy-con, july, june, juneteenth, juul, keylogging, la, Las Vegas, Law, Law Enforcement, Lawsuit, lost horizon, Luigi, m1, Macbook, magic, Mainframe, Malware, management, march, Mario, May, mech, melee, Metal Gear Solid, metroidvania, MGS, Microsoft, military, minimalist, misleading, Mobile, monolithic, Moon, mountain, murder, Mushroom Men, narrative, narrator, NASA, nintendo, No Mans Sky, north america, october, Oculus, office, oil rush, open library, opressive, Origin, pay, PC, peer-to-peer, performance, performance standards, Personal, phishing, Playstation, point and click, Portable Ops, Privacy, ps5, pull the pin, puzzle, quest 2, quibi, relic, rescue, respect, reuters, rip & tear, robot, roguelike, samsung galaxy note, scam, security, september, series x, Shadow of the Colossus, Shadows of the Empire, Shooter, sigma theory, silicon, sim, simon weckert, simulation, singularity, Smash Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sony, soulsborne, Spam, spectrum retreat, square, stadia, stanley parable, Star Citizen, Star Wars, strategy, Streaming<, subscription, Super, surreal, Switch, Tesla, third reich, tiktok, top-down, traffic jam, Trump, truth, turmoil, Turn Based, Twitch, Twitter, UK, united states, unsettling, ups, vhs, Virtual Boy, war of 2014, Wario Land, Wii, wink, wizard, wizard of legend, XBox, year in review, zenimax media, zoom
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This is our last episode of the year before we take our traditional December vacation, but we'll be running feed drops through to the end of the year of some other great episodes from the Alberta Podcast Network. Hope you enjoy them, have a fantastic holiday season, and we'll see you in January!
Battlefield 3 (on Origin)
First person military shooter set during the fictional War of 2014, taking place in the Iran-Iraq region, with missions framed as flashbacks during your interrogation
HyperDot
Minimalist action arcade bullet hell with one rule- dodge everything
The Spectrum Retreat
First person narrative driven puzzle game set in the near future that has you exploring the peaceful yet unsettling Penrose Hotel, trying to unearth the truth
Wizard of Legend
Indie top down 2D roguelike where players take control of a wizard travelling a procedurally generated dungeon, killing monsters and collecting spells to become the Wizard of Legend
Lost Horizon
Historical point and click adventure game in 1936 where you have to travel the world protecting powerful relics while staying one step ahead of the Third Reich
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War
Turn-based strategy game in a futuristic cold war where you have to run an intelligence agency to secure control of the singularity
Indie strategy and management sim inspired by the 19th century oil rush, that has you drilling for oil to become North America's next big entrepreneur
First person horror adventure game set in an alternate 1897 that has the journalist Rose Archer setting out to save her sister
Cave Story+
The enhanced 2011 release of the 2004 title
Metroidvania style game that has you playing Quote, a robot who has suffered amnesia and must blast his way through cavernous areas to find his backstory. Often considered the quintessential indie game because of its one-man dev team and influence on gaming
290 free games across PC, Xbox, and Playstation platforms
Some highlights I've personally enjoyed are:
Gato Roboto (Xbox) – Streamlined Metroid-style game where you play a cat in an armoured mech trying to save your stranded captain and his crashed ship
Shadow of the Colossus (PlayStation) – Gorgeous remake of the action adventure game that has you taking down a series of monolithic enemies
A Short Hike (PC) – One part Animal Crossing and one part Breath of the Wild, it's a small exploration game that has you exploring an island and (eventually) climbing a mountain
The Stanley Parable (PC) – An exploration game with many endings, that starts with you exploring an office building and going along with the narrator, then can get pretty surreal
Hollow Knight (PlayStation) – Metroidvania by way of Soulsborne, with tight controls and a nice art style
Quibi was introduced at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, but unfortunately its dynamic portrait/landscape video player couldn't keep it afloat among so many other streaming services and it was shut down in October
The Xbox Series X was unveiled, the PS5's logo was shown off, and the FBI kept trying to convince the world that encryption is bad because the only way to stop a bad guy with a lock is a (hopefully) good guy with omniscient, unblinking access to everyone's data
CD Projekt Red pushed back Cyberpunk 2077 for the first time, saying it's done but just needs more polish
Despite that and even though they went ahead with crunch time development, it was delayed two more times but should hopefully be here in another week
Feburary
Simon Weckert managed to simulate a traffic jam in Google Maps by carting a wagon with 99 smartphones around, causing vehicles using the service to avoid his route
E-cigarette maker Juul was sued for predatory advertising, including ads on sites like Cartoon Network and Nick Jr
Bioware announced that they would halt Anthem's seasonal updates in favour of an overhaul, and if they pull it off we could see another No Man's Sky style rebirth
Sonic the Hedgehog achieved the biggest opening weekend of any video game movie at $57M in the US, dethroning Detective Pikachu's $54M
Apple settled with the US class action lawsuit regarding performance throttling on devices with older batteries
A Nintendo PlayStation prototype, the planned CD system for the Super Nintendo, sold at auction for $380,000
allthestreams.fm launched in a weird experiment, playing content from the six major streaming services but not letting you choose what each of them played
The site is still up, but all the streams have been replaced with the old VHS FBI warning
Zoom's video conferencing app had a lot of shady practices come to light, including Facebook data harvesting, bypassing normal installation procedures on Mac, not properly encrypting chats, and exposing thousands of videos online thanks to easily-predicted file names
The Internet Archive shifted its online Open Library to allow two-week book checkouts of any ebooks, regardless of how many copies were purchased by the library or how many are checked out
Sony's DualSense controllers were first unveiled, and it turns out the haptics and triggers are even nicer to use than we were expecting
Apple and Google first announced their joint exposure notification effort to make reliable, meaningful contact tracing easier for the COVID-19 pandemic. This has seen decent adoption, but some jurisdictions are still adamant on using their own home-rolled solutions regardless of efficacy or efficiency
We started to see spam and phishing attacks related to fake COVID exposure notifications, cementing why it's important to have this kind of thing standardized
Wink, a smart home hub manufacturer went from a buy-once system to a subscription model requiring $5/month or your smart home would no longer work with less than a month's notice
Based on the winkhub subreddit, this marked the beginning of the end and had many users migrate to alternatives that don't rely on the cloud
Reports found a new piece of keylogging malware used by law enforcement to trick people into revealing their phone passcode, hidden behind nondisclosure agreements and protective orders
Conspiracy theorists began attacking 5G cell phone towers under the impression that the new frequency was somehow causing the coronavirus outbreak
George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who spent almost nine minutes kneeling on Floyd's neck asphyxiating him while Floyd did not resist, sparking protests and reigniting the Black Lives Matter movement
We can't forget how law enforcement evolved from oppressive practices in white societies, be it union busting, slave catching, or the relocation and elimination of indigenous people, and we need to do better
The tech world tried to show respect by delaying events, posting supportive messages, making donations, and even shutting down online services during the memorial
There has also been a push to include underrepresented and marginalized people in corporate leadership, with the SEC considering regulations forcing diversity
And Juneteenth has become a more widely recognized holiday milestone in the US, celebrating the federal order declaring that all slaves were to be set free and marking a true independence day for the country
Star Citizen became the most expensive game in history, reaching $350M invested and still no release date in sight
And we got our first taste of Apple's new processors, which have since proven to be a radical jump in computing
A reboot of the cult classic series Clone High was announced, but we still have yet to hear many details about what it will look like
Nintendo's president officially apologized for the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift issues
Apple's iOS 14 beta began highlighting just how common it was for apps to access your phone's copy/pasted data without permission, or even use your camera and microphone when you're not expecting it, leading to many updates and "fixes"
High profile Twitter accounts were hacked as part of a bitcoin scam, including Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and Apple
Trump first announced his planned TikTok ban / forced sale, citing security concerns, which has been pretty messy with the US and Chinese governments trying to affect who it's sold to and if the sale will even go through
The original deadline was September 15th, but there's still no end in sight
Epic threw down the gauntlet, violating Apple's App Store guidelines with the iOS version of Fortnite in a seemingly calculated move to look like the little guys getting smacked down but really it looks like they just got greedy and wanted to stop paying the industry-standard 30% on in-app purchases
Their lawsuit against Apple for removing the game from the App Store is slated to move forward in the Spring, but with Apple recently announcing that developers making <$1M a year only need to pay 15% their case doesn't look good
Republicans in the US tried yet again to pass laws against proper digital encryption, trying to make the case for adding backdoors that magically only good guys can use
Microsoft and Sony released all the details on their new consoles, with Xbox All Access looking like a solid choice for a good console with no money down, and the PS5 Digital Edition competing with the Series S on Price but the Series X on performance
Apple announced that they were delaying the cross app tracking prevention features originally slated to be part of iOS 14, much to the relief of advertising companies like Facebook and Google, but we should be seeing them early next year
Facebook announced the Oculus Quest 2, a very, very shiny piece of hardware luring many into the clutches of the social network
There's a reason it's the cheapest VR out there
Microsoft purchased ZeniMax Media for $7.5B, one of the largest purchases in gaming history, and brought a whole slew of IP under their control, including everything from id and Bethesda
Google announced a new standalone ChromeCast model that doesn't need your phone to control it, but were suspiciously silent about Stadia support
The quintessential Facebook game, FarmVille, announced that they would be shutting down at the end of 2020
LA Comic Con announced that they would be hosting their full in-person event in December, but then two weeks later completely cancelled any events for 2020
The UK started closing the loophole in their distracted driving laws that allowed people to play mobile games or record video while driving
NASA announced plans to install a 4G cellular network on the Moon
Cloud gaming on the Switch came to North America, with triple-A titles Control and Hitman 3 announced for the console through a <100MB download
Google revamped their Google Pay app, highlighting peer-to-peer payments, and including a bunch of data-scraping features if you want it to show nearby deals and discounts
The UK set up a ban on misleading mobile game ads, like those pull-the-pin ones that don't actually show the real gameplay of the app
And hey.com gave us all the ability to email a literal dumpster fire
A comment on YouTube summed up what happened since Cyberpunks announcement
https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberpunkgame/comments/k0qloh/lol
Cyberpunk 2077 – Teaser Trailer
Fiii Rahman 3 weeks ago (edited)
Things that have happened since Cyberpunk was announced:
2 Resident Evil Remakes
2 The Last of Us
2 Rockstar open world games
2 Dark Souls
3 Gears of War
11 Call of Duty's
9 Assassins Creeds
2 God of wars
3 Miyazaki games
2 Uncharteds
2 Devil May Crys
3 Watch Dogs
2 games and 1 Kojima demo
2 Nomura games
1 The Last Guardian
Announcement that Final Fantasy Versus 13 became FFXV and launch
Baldurs Gate 3 launched
Diablo 4 has been announced
Kingdoms hearts and a prologue
Announcement and launch of Shenmue 3
Announcement and launch of FF VII Remake
2 Fallouts
Ouya was born and died
2 World Cups
1 entire Star Wars trilogy
Crash came back with a remastered trilogy, won a racing spin off and a mainline sequel.
6 Yakuzas
5 JOJO animations
2 Popes
2 Spider-man reboots in theaters
3 Avengers movies
Death of the Wii U and birth of the Switch
Launch of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
Xbox One and Xbox Series launch
Stadia's birth and his future death
Shingeki no Kyojin was in its first season and now Cyberpunk will launch 3 days after its last season
Skyrim in the Fridge
November 28 – 2005 – Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time – Nintendo DS
The famous Mario Brothers return in this sequel to the humorous Superstar Saga. In this adventure, Princess Peach takes a trip in a time machine, but when it returns, there's only a monster inside!
The heroic brothers travel back in time only to discover that evil alien life forms known as the Shroobs have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom, and no-one is safe!
They soon meet up with their younger selves, and set out to stop the alien menace, not to mention rescue the Princess!
Although the game has turn-based battles, it follows the tradition of the previous Mario RPG games, in that button commands can be pressed during battle to increase your attack, defend, and counterattack, to give the impression of a more interactive battle.
Battling can also become quite hectic, as players now have to control the each of the four brothers with the four different face buttons.
This can make for some very tricky situations when using special power-ups that randomize the brothers' turns.
November 29 – 1975 – Square – Mainframe
Square is a game for two players. Players take turns claiming free points in a grid.
The first player to have four points that together make a square wins the game.
The game allows for multiple grid sizes and an expert mode where the centre position is unavailable to both players.
November 30 – 2010 – Disney Epic Mickey – Wii
Disney Epic Mickey is an action-adventure platforming game for the Wii console that sends Mickey Mouse on an epic journey of creativity and discovery.
As Mickey, the player is propelled into Wasteland, an alternate world made up of Disney's long forgotten characters and attractions, and is given the power to wield paint and paint thinner to dynamically change the world while determining Mickey's path to becoming an epic hero.
Use paint and paint thinner to change the world, interact with friends and enemies and solve challenges
Choose the best path to become an epic hero because "Playstyle Matters" and choices will change the outcome of the game
Explore and solve challenges in an alternate Disney world ruled by Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney's first cartoon star
Travel between lands in Wasteland through classic platforming levels inspired by animated films and shorts
Experience an innovative mix of platforming, action-adventure and light role playing game elements
Collect over 75 virtual Disney pins in the game by completing specific challenges, quests and discovering hidden collectibles
"This game was released right when the rights to a bunch of Disney properties were about to enter public domain. And the new original use of these characters put a reset on everything going free. Disney may have the lawyers to keep him theirs though"
December 1 – 1995 – Virtual Boy Wario Land – Virtual Boy
On a vacation in the Awazon river, Wario stumbles across a hidden cave filled with treasure.
Of course, being Wario, he wants it all to himself.
But the treasure is guarded and soon he finds himself deep within the Earth as the floor crumbles underneath his feet.
Now Wario must find his way back to the surface, all the while collecting the treasure he believes rightly belongs to him.
This 3D style platform game, following the tradition of the Mario and Wario platform games of the Game Boy, will have you using Wario's unique abilities (butt stomping for one) to crash his way through the earth to the surface.
His other abilities depend upon the hard hat he wears, and different ones are available that can come as an advantage.
December 2 – 2001 – Super Smash Bros.: Melee – GameCube
The hit sequel to the N64 smash hit party fighting game.
Made such an impact, people still play it as their preferred Smash Bros.
The game is a Nintendo fighting game with different rules to it. Instead of knocking your opponent's health down, you knock him or her out of the battle field.
You choose from the wealth of Nintendo characters like Mario, Bowser, Yoshi, different Pokémon, and even Link and then either fight through the single-player portion, featuring modes like Classic, Adventure, and Event Mode or battle it out with your friends in a four-player frenzy.
More characters and stages are unlocked as hidden objectives are met, and coins rewarded for playing in all modes can be spent on a capsule toy machine.
The toys in the machine represent games from Nintendo's entire video game history, and each can be viewed in 3D with a brief description.
Also, with the simplified fighting controls, it's pretty easy for even your non-gaming friends to just pick-up and play.
Default characters
Falco Lombardi
December 3 – 1996 – Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire – N64, Windows
Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire tells the story of Prince Xizor's quest to replace Darth Vader as the leader of the Sith, and wipe out the Rebels' chances of victory.
The only man that can stop him is the interstellar bounty hunter Dash Rendar.
The game is based on the novel of the same name, with locations including ice planet Hoth, Mos Eisley and the sewers of Imperial City, all in full 3D.
Levels each have very different objectives, ranging from piloting snowspeeders on Hoth and racing speeder bikes on Tatooine to shooting stormtroopers and droids on foot throughout the galaxy.
Dash primarily uses a blaster with unlimited ammo, but can also find more powerful weapons with limited ammunition.
Each level has optional "challenge points" that are hidden throughout the level, and finding all of them will unlock a cheat dependent on which difficulty setting the save file is on.
December 4 – 2008 – Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars – Wii
In Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars is a 3D platform game.
After a comet passes Earth, narrowly missing it, but leaving a trail of green dust that enters earth's atmosphere.
The dust causes plants and fungi to become sentient and forming tribes in order to survive the harsh human world.
After a period of peace however, a war begins between four mushrooms tribes, the Boletes, Amanitas, Leopiota and the Morels.
The player takes control of a Bolete Mushroom named Pax who travels out into the giant human world in order to find a new meteorite for a mushroom village who's meteorite he absorbed, but soon realizes there is more at stake.
The gameplay includes a platforming, exploring levels, defeating enemies, complete certain objectives and collect normal household items.
Some of these Items can be fashioned into weapons, while others like the green meteorite chunks make the player stronger.
Along the way Players must also avoid obstacles and defeat smaller and boss enemies such as insects, animals and other mushrooms that can easily crush and kill the character.
A telekinetic ability can be used to pick up items and throw them at enemies or to activate switches.
The game can also be played in co-op mode and a number of mini games is included under options.
"I remember this game getting advertised really hard, like it was the next big franchise."
December 5 – 2006 – Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – PSP
The two previous Metal Gear Solid games for PSP, were not the MGS experience people expected like in this game.
Portable Ops was the tactical espionage action, people wanted
While Ac!d was a turnbased card strategy game
It's been six years since the events in Snake Eater.
Snake has been captured and imprisoned in an abandoned missile silo in Colombia, and with no support this time. At least, not at first.
With the help of a fellow prisoner, Snake escapes and the game truly begins.
Portable Ops is a classic Metal Gear game in almost every sense.
The controls will be familiar to anyone who has played previous console entries in the series.
Snake can peek around corners, sneak up behind guards… they even carried over CQC (Close Quarters Combat) from Snake Eater.
Gathering supplies is also essential due to the main new mechanic found in Portable Ops: recruiting.
While Snake starts out on his own, he can enlist disgruntled guards, frustrated technicians, stubborn doctors and more.
These soldiers can be used in your "Sneaking Unit" (the team you take into battle for each mission), or in one of the many support units, with certain soldiers having a more natural talent for certain areas.
If you put someone who has medical bonuses in your Medical unit, they can produce rations, help your troops recover faster between missions and more.
Technicians can create new items for your team, and Spies can steal ammo and give you intel on specific maps, which can open up new side missions or allow you to grab some heavy weaponry.
Missions themselves range from recon to rescue to demolitions and beyond.
You can only take four troops into a mission, and usually one of them has to be Snake.
However, you don't have to always use Snake during the mission, he just has to be present.
You can only control one character at a time, while the rest of the team hides safely inside boxes (usually right by the entry point).
On the field, the soldier you use can make a big difference.
Many times you can totally bypass a building's defenses just by playing as a guard.
If you do not do anything to draw attention to yourself, you can oftentimes walk right past the enemy, plant some TNT, and walk away.
The game supports multiplayer for up to six player simultaneously, over WiFi Ad Hoc and Infrastructure, with game modes such as Team Death Match, Death Match and Capture Mission.
With so many shopping online this year, apparently it's reached the point where UPS told its drivers to stop picking up packages at some major retailers including Nike and the Gap to maintain performance standards
Amazon is even offering small rebates on some products if you select a "No-Rush Shipping" option, to reduce strain
Reuters is reporting that the Samsung Galaxy Note series may be discontinued as early as next year, with styluses coming to the S21 and next foldable phone instead
More than 8.5 months later, Doom Eternal is finally launching on the Switch next week
It will be a 19GB digital-only release, and if you get it before December 23rd it includes the early purchase bonus Rip & Tear Pack, as well as a playable copy of Doom 64
PS2J 327 News – RemindMe! 2191 Days
Tagged as:	action, Adventure, Alan, Amazing Frog, android, Ape Escape, Apple, Arcade, battle royale, Bayonetta, Bizarre, bleed 2, bugsnax, bullet hell, bumbling, chome, click, Command and Conquer, compass, dance, dark cloud, detective, DOS, double fine, Dreamcast. Sonic, Driving, dumpster fire, email, Epic Games, epilogue, episodic, eshop, expansion, Extreme, file, Free Games, gat out of hell, Genesis, go sms pro, Google, grappling hook, hey.comdesert bus, hey.science, Indie, intel, jewel, JoJo, Josh, Just Cause 4, Link, m1, Mac, map, matryoshka, Micheal Jackson, Microsoft, miles morales, MJ, mud, mudrunner, mystery, N64, nintendo, noir, Ocarina of Time, off-road, One, online rocket, open-world, photo, platformer, Playstation, point, pokemon snap, Police, Privacy, ps plus collection, PS4, ps5, puzzle, quake, Red Alert, Reddit, remastered, Rico, rocket arena, rocket booster, russian, saints row, save, security, sequential, series, server, siberia, side scrolling, sim, Smash Bros, Sony, Spider-Man, stacking, stealth, super mario maker, superhuman, swiss, tails, techcrunch, the black hand, the raven, thief, twist, ultimate, universal, upload, url, viva pinata, VR, Wii, Windows, wingsuit, worms, worms rumble, XBox, Zelda
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This is our second last episode of the year before we take our traditional December vacation, but we'll be running feed drops through to the end of the year of some other great episodes from the Alberta Podcast Network. Hope you enjoy them, have a fantastic holiday season, and we'll see you in January!
The Raven Remastered
2018 remaster from 2014
Episodic point and click adventure game incorporating elements of stealth and detective work, it's a noir mystery story that has you playing a bumbling Swiss police constable on the hunt of a notorious jewel thief
Action-adventure open world game that serves as an epilogue to Saints Row IV and is a standalone expansion, featuring the same kind of over-the-top third-person shooter action and superhuman abilities that Saints Row became known for in later entries
Adventure puzzle game developed by Double Fine Productions, created during the development period of Brütal Legend, and based on the Russian stacking matryoshka dolls where you can stack and unstack into other characters to use their abilities and solve puzzles
Worms Rumble
A twist on the classic Worms blueprint, where instead of turn-by-turn strategic combat it's real-time with up to 32 players in battle royale or deathmatch modes
Launching simultaneously on the PS4, PS5, and Steam with full crossplay and planned ongoing content updates including arenas, customizations, game modes, and more
Open world action adventure game where you work to take down The Black Hand, the world's biggest private military, with your wingsuit, grappling hook, rocket boosters, and a variety of weaponry. The game uses a new version of the game engine of Just Cause 3, featuring diverse and extreme weather including blizzards, sandstorms, tornadoes, and more
Online third-person 3v3 shooter where each character has unique abilities and signature rockets, and when you get blasted out of the arena you fly your rocket right back in to the action. Polygon called it a blend of Quake-style combat with Smash Bros violence
Bugsnax (still free this month, too)
An indie adventure game where you explore a mysterious island and attempt to find and capture the titular half-bug-half-snack creatures, taking inspiration from Pokémon Snap, Ape Escape, Dark Cloud, and Viva Piñata
And if you're lucky enough to get a PS5, you'll get access to the PS Plus Collection
20 great games from the PS4 era that can help you catch up if you missed out
Off-road driving sim that advertises itself as the ultimate off-road experience, putting players in the driver seat across extreme Siberian landscapes with only a map and compass as guides
Security alert: Go SMS Pro, a popular Android messaging app, exposed millions of users' private photos and files
Security researchers found a flaw in the app back in August and contacted the developer with a 90-day deadline for a fix before they disclosed the issue, but after no communication back at all for the three month period they went public
Apparently when Go SMS Pro sends a photo, video, or other file to someone without the app, it gets uploaded to the app's servers and lets the user share a web address, so that the recipient can see the file
Unfortunately the web addresses are sequential- any time a file is shared, a web address is generated that lets people browse through all the different files uploaded by other users
Once you know the predictable web address, you can just edit the number and view anyone else's files
And this problem is pretty widespread- Go SMS Pro has more than 100M installs, according to the Google Play Store
TechCrunch even verified the findings, viewing a person's phone number, a bank transfer, an order confirmation, an arrest record, and many explicit photos
While it's not possible to target a specific user, an attacker could create scripts to just grab anything and everything to filter through at a later date
In investigating the story TechCrunch emailed two different addresses associated with the app- one bounced back due to a full inbox, and the other opened the email but did not reply
This definitely isn't what you want in a messaging app, so if you're using Go SMS Pro you might want to consider an alternative
Updates have officially been released for Spider-Man on the PS4 and PS5 to allow game-saves to be brought in to the next-gen remaster
You'll need to load up your PS4 copy first and upload your save from the main menu before you can import it on the PS5, so if you don't have access to your old copy you might need to recruit a friend to help out
Luckily even though I already gave away my PS4 I could still boot up my old digital copy of Spider-Man to upload my save, ahead of buying Miles Morales
6 Years ago, the Apple subreddit thought of what a Phone in 2020 would be like
https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/2n9o7c/predict_the_iphone_in_2020
We browsed the comments for highlights live on the show
This Day In Gaming History
November 21 – 2014 – The Amazing Frog? – Linux, Mac, Ouya
Amazing Frog? is a Hardcore Parkour openworld buffet of bonkers physics sandbox gameplay.
Welcome to the town of Swindon, UK. Home to flatulant super hero, Amazing Frog?
Enter Swindon where you can drive cars, buses and mobility scooters, jump on trampolines, fire yourself out of cannons, into explosions, search for trophies and Tvs and reach the heights and a whole lot more.
Its your Swindon do as you please.
Take a quiet trip to the Swindon fArt Gallery if it pleases you….
Feeling aggressive ? find a crossbow, machine gun or laser and shoot the hell out of each other.
Visit the Fart Gyms for a workout or discover the Zombie filled underground Sewers.
a 20Km Landscape
A whole bunch of vehicles
4 player split screen
Oculus VR support.
Pigging backs… and pigs
ridiculous ragdolls, trampolines, cannons and explosions
Weapons like crossbows lasers and machine-guns
Vicious Sharks
Swimmming ish and Boats in the ocean
Fully fitted Fart Gym
Underground Zombie Frogs in the Sewers
A Giant chessboard
A bunch of test rooms
and a whole lot of mystery…
November 22 – 1996 – Command & Conquer: Red Alert – Windows, DOS
What if Hitler never existed?
Einstein pondered the question and created a time-machine to eliminate Hitler as a young man, thus preventing World War II as history remembers it. However, Einstein stopped one evil only to create another – because Stalin's Soviet Union is now poised to conquer Europe… and Allies must stop them!
Josh says
"This was one game I played a hell of a lot of, I remember making custom maps for my Dad to try out in the skirmish mode."
The German version removes Hitler from the intro and replaces all the soldiers with cyborgs.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
November 23 – 1998 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – N64
A game that needs no introduction, I have some trivia to talk about
Ocarina of Time started life in development for Nintendo's 64DD add-on for the Nintendo 64 (which was a disk drive that was only released in Japan with little fanfare).
The 64DD flopped in Japan and it wasn't even released in the USA.
As a result, instead of being released in disks, the game was crammed into a cartridge (which was the biggest N64 pre-Expansion Pak cartridge released, in terms of space).
Even though it was originally developed and planned for the 64DD, it was announced to much surprise that Zelda would release in cartridge form for the N64 first; further indicating that the disk drive platform was not gaining the traction Nintendo had hoped for.
Due to overwhelming fan requests, Nintendo decided to release the original production releases of the game as a gold-colored cartridge, restoring the 'golden cartridge' lineage that had previously been broken by the SNES version of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for Game Boy.
There are at least three different versions of the game: 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2. The golden (limited edition) carts, as well as some gray carts, are all 1.0.
The majority of the ordinary gray carts are 1.1, and many of the later produced ones are 1.2.
The only notable change between 1.0 and 1.1 is that the Fire Temple music was changed a little bit.
It had a chant from an Islamic prayer looped in the background which offended some members of the Islamic community.
1.1 also fixed some bugs, the most famous of them being the sword-losing bug.
In 1.0, if the player saves the game in the end battle after losing the Master Sword, and restart the game, they don't have the sword anymore, but they can use all items while riding Epona.
Also the final boss originally had red blood which was changed to green in a later version.
Link has always been left-handed, but it is particularly noticeable starting with this game. In the original title, this wasn't always noticeable due to sprite-flipping techniques.
The reason for Link's left-handedness is that his creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, is also left-handed.
The N64 version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
November 24 – 1992 – Sonic The Hedgehog 2 – Genesis
Widely regarded as the best classic Sonic games
10 Zones, most with 2 acts, you can play alone or with a friend
Tail was introduced and made playable, the player can also select what combination of Sonic and Tails to play.
Unfortunately, I though it would be cute to have a big brother mode where the player is Tails being followed by Sonic.
When Sonic collects all seven Chaos Emeralds and transforms from a blue rodent into a fiery yellow powerhouse with insane speed.
It may be a parody of Dragon Ball, the insanely popular flagship work of manga artist Akira Toriyama.
The hero Goku is able to eventually transform into a "Super Saiyan", a form in which he gains immense power along with spiky golden hair.
The first Super Sayin appearance was in Dragon Ball 318, Also known as DBZ 124, which was released in Shonen Jump, March 26, 1991.
The Mega Drive version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
November 25 – 2000 – JoJo's Bizarre Adventure – Dreamcast
This is a compilation of the arcade titles: JoJo's Venture and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
This game adapts Part 4 of the series, Stardust Crusaders.
The game is a one-on-one fighter, similar in gameplay to most of Capcom's other fighting games.
In this game, however, you can call upon your Stand to access an entirely different set of normal attacks and gain additional defense and offensive bonuses.
Your Stand's power is not infinite, however – if you take enough damage, it'll break, leaving you open to a devastating counter attack.
Every character's Stand has their own special powers which can be used to your advantage.
Jojo's Venture has less characters than Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure has a special Challenge mode that lets you unlock playable characters when you complete it with certain characters.
November 26 – 2010 – Michael Jackson: The Experience – Wii
Michael Jackson: The Experience for the Wii is rhythm and dance game based on concepts previously introduced in Ubisoft's Just Dance series.
Unlike most dance games, Michael Jackson: The Experience does not require the Wii Balance Board or other peripherals.
The game is played with a single Wii Remote which tracks the player as they try and perform the onscreen dance moves in-sync with the game.
The Wii version features a training mode with video guides, four player multiplayer, and a Career mode that spans Jackson's career from the 80's onward.
Each stage is inspired by the song's music video and are created in 3D with live action dancers inserted.
This game released 17 months after the passing of Micheal Jackson
November 27 – 2017 – Desert Bus VR – Windows
Desert Bus is back and better than ever!
The 1998 Penn and Teller cult hit mini-game is coming to virtual reality, so you can fully immerse yourself in the thrilling eight-hour trip from Arizona to Nevada.
It's almost like you're driving the "wheel" thing!
Desert Bus VR can also be played in standard digital reality if you don't own a VR headset.
Put the Pedal to the Metal
Show everyone who rules the road as you take the wheel of a commercial passenger bus. With blistering speeds of up to 45mph and a prominent passenger side misalignment, only the hardest drivers can make it to Nevada and back!
Getting Towed Has Never Been More Fun
Experience the realistic consequences of driving off the road with a tow service that takes you back to the start in real time!
Play Non-Stop for Hours of Amusement
Enjoy the action-packed eight-hour road trip from Tuscon to Las Vegas. When you make it to Nevada, turn around and do it all again!
Fill the Crushing, Oppressive Silence
Tune in to a variety of engaging radio programs, including one featuring the dulcet tones of Penn Jillette himself. You can even turn the radio on and off!
Get the Authentic Bus Driving Experience
Learn what it's like to be a REAL bus driver with exciting gameplay that allows you to honk the horn and open the bus door! Tap the fully-interactive air freshener for some hardcore, pine-scented* action!
*Purchase of air freshener required for full effect.
Join Your Friends on This Road Trip
Play with up to four friends in Desert Bus VR's groundbreaking new multiplayer mode. Passengers can sit, wave, and even throw wads of paper at the driver!
Desert Bus VR was made in-part to support Desert Bus for Hope, a volunteer organization that holds the eponymous annual event to raise money for game industry charity Child's Play.
Participants play Desert Bus in a telethon-style stream, with others pledging donations in exchange for incentives that can include everything from prizes to increasing the length of the Desert Bus play time.
Desert Bus VR does not appear in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die
If you're a Chrome user moving to one of Apple's new M1 Macs, you'll want to get rid of your old copy and manually download the right version
In a weird move they're offering two different downloads- one that just works on Intel Macs, and another that works on both Intel and Apple processors
The universal installer is a larger download, but with it running much faster on the M1 chip you'll want to make sure you grab the correct one
Super Mario Maker 1 will officially be removed from the Nintendo eShop on January 12, 2021, and course uploads will be disabled as of March 31st
Owners will be able to re-download the title after removal, and previously uploaded courses can still be played
If you need a little bit of email catharsis, check out hey.science/dumpster-fire where you can send an email to a literal physical dumpster fire
Emails to dumpsterfire@hey.com will be printed off and carried into the flames via conveyor belt on a Twitch stream running 9am to 8pm Central
Thank you for your continued support Karen, we may not be podcasting today without your drive to make a podcasting community in Alberta. Listen to her and her daughter on Thats A Thing?!
PS2J 326 News – Pulling the Pin on Fake Ads
Tagged as:	11, 12, 15gb, 15", 2021, 30%, 4K, 6k, account, ad, air, Alan, Alberta Podcast Network, Alien, Amazon, among us, android, Andromeda, app, app store, Apple, apple silicon, Assassins Creed, backlight, benchmark, big sur, BioWare, Black, bluepoint games, bonus, bridge, bridge constructor, build, clone, compile, construction, cut, DBZ, deal, december, Demons Souls, discount, DLC, dna, documents, Dreamcast, easy, egg, Elder Scrolls, Encryption, end-to-end, epic, Epic Games, epite dangerous, escape, features, federal trade commission, feed drop, fireqwall, First Person, fishdom, flight, forgot, framerate, free end, Free Games, ftc, Galaxy, Gamecube, gaming, garbage, gardenscapes, genesis alpha one deluxe edition, gmail, Google, gpu, Green, grey, gun, Halo 2, Harmonix, hearing aid, high quality, hipaa, homescapes, hotas, immersion, inactive, Indie, infestation, information, intel, ipad, iPhone, john hodgman, Josh, legendary edition, liar, lifehacker, lock screen, lying, m1, Mac, Macbook, machine learning, MacOS, madrid, maintain, Mass Effect, match-3, medieval, Metal Gear Solid, MGS, Microsoft, milky way, mini, misleading, MMO, mms, Mobile, narrative, national security, navigate, Neopets, neural engine, new ip, nintendo, one more thing, open ended, open-world, oracle, original quality, parallel universe, pay, payment, PC, peer-to-peer, performance, persistent, photos, physics, pin, playrix, Privacy, Pro, Pro Display, PS4, puzzle, Reddit, remaster, revenue, Rock Band, rocket star, roguelike, rosetta 2, rug, rumour, sale, security, shade, Shadow of the Colossus, Shenmue, Shooter, simluation, Skyrim, slapple, smart, soc, software, Sons of Liberty, Sony, soul reaver, Space, space epic, spain, speed, Spotify, spring, stalled, Star Citizen, Star Wars, Steam, sweep, Switch, system on a chip, takeout, the world next door, theft, thunderbolt, tiktok, trilogy, Trump, Twitch, UK, under, united kingdom, universal, universal apps, Update, upgrade, usb4, Vacation, valhalla, venmo, Viking, virtual machine, visual, visual novel, VPN, VR, weight, who lies, Xbox One, xcode, xdr, zoom
http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/http://ps2jshow.fushigiyami.com/podcasts/PS2J-326-Pin.mp3
Quick programming update, this is our second last episode of the year before we take our traditional December vacation, but we'll be running feed drops through to the end of the year of some other great episodes from the Alberta Podcast Network. Hope you enjoy them, and we'll see you in January!
Bridge Constructor: Medieval
Classic physics-based construction puzzle game where you use a variety of materials to span different gaps and carry loads without breaking, but with a medieval twist that has you carrying provisions and trying to dump enemy troops
Genesis Alpha One Deluxe Edition
2020 bundle of the 2019 title with an art book, soundtrack, and Rocket Star DLC
Roguelike first person shooter where you have to build, maintain, and navigate your ship through a galaxy filled with hostile alien and human threats. Clone and splice your crew with alien DNA, fight off infestations, and explore the vastness of space
Space flight simulation game that has you exploring a 1:1 scale open-world representation of the Milky Way galaxy with open-ended gameplay, where everything you do can affect the narrative of the persistent universe
It has full VR and flight stick support for added immersion, and has become the definitive MMO space epic
And it's official- this game has now been kickstarted, developed, released, given DLC, and given away free all after Star Citizen was funded but before it was released
The World Next Door
Indie visual novel and match-3 puzzle game where you play a human teenager who was trapped in a parallel universe and much escape before she perishes
Continuing the Epic slApple fight
Apple will now be reducing its App Store cut to 15% for most developers starting on January 1st
The best part of this is that it applies to anyone earning less than $1M in revenue per year, meaning that the small developers that need it will see a boost
As an added, and I'm sure calculated, bonus, companies making more than $1M a year like Epic and Spotify that were trying to use "fighting for the little guy" as ammunition in their case against Apple's App Store guidelines will no longer have that arrow in their quiver
And with this gesture Apple isn't even losing much- analytics estimate that 98% of developers would be eligible for the price cut, but they're responsible for just 5% of the App Store's total revenue
macOS 11 Big Sur is out now
On first blush you can expect to see a bunch of visual changes, but if you use any firewall, VPN, or virtual machine software it'll need an update before it will run on the new OS
Third Apple event in three months
Apple Silicon is here, and it's pretty slick
The fancy new M1 chip combines CPU, security, memory, etc for maximum performance
Now instead of computers allocating x amount of memory to graphics, and y amount to general use, everything is fluid depending on demand
I'm guessing the days of RAM upgrades are gone
Uses a mix of 4 high-performance and 4 high-efficiency cores
It can offer up to 2x the performance of the latest PC laptop chip, or equivalent performance for 1/4 the power
It has an integrated GPU with up to 8 cores, and can run almost twice as fast the hardware in the Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, and faster than the PS4
It's also got all kinds of neural engine and machine learning goodness built right in
And supports Thunderbolt / USB 4 (an improvement over USB3 that still uses USBC connectors
Shiny new design with a bunch more privacy features, all built to maximize performance from the M1
Every app from Apple is optimized for the M1 as well, with things like Final Cut Pro rendering up to 6x faster
Universal apps can be built to run on both Intel and Apple Silicon, while Rosetta 2 gives you backwards compatibility with older Intel apps
Thanks to the improvements some programs are actually performing better on the new Macs under Rosetta than they did natively on Intel hardware
And now iPhone and iPad apps can be run natively on the Mac, if developers opt in
One example shown was Among Us, which could get interesting because it's free on iOS but $5 on Steam
First Mac hardware with the new M1 will be the MacBook Air, 13" MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini
MacBook Air will be 3.5x faster than the previous gen, and up to 5x faster GPU
Faster than 98% of PC laptops sold in the last year
Battery lasts up to 2x as long for video conferencing, offers 18 hours of video playback
And even with all that, they remove the fan making it completely silent
Starts at $999 USD, $1299 CAD
Mac Mini is up to 3x faster CPU, 6x faster GPU
It can even run the Pro Display XDR at 6k resolutions, so you can drive your $5,000 monitor with a $700 computer
And the price dropped $100 from the last gen, to $699 USD, $899 CAD
13" MacBook Pro
All the same kinds of speed improvements, with up to 3x faster performance than the best-selling Windows laptop in its class
Up to 20 hours of video playback, doubling previous specs
Starts at $1299 USD, $1699 CAD
And all of these have education pricing as well, so if you're in school as either staff or a student you can save about $100 USD
Finally, in a cute little throwback, we saw the return of John Hodgman as a PC, talking about how fast he is and how you don't need all that battery life anyway
We're already seeing benchmarks of identically-priced macs pop up, one running Intel and the other an M1 chip, and the M1 just blows the Intel mac out of the water
Even in gaming, on apps not built for the M1, Rosetta 2 translates things fast enough that everything will run faster on the M1
Even with all that, the battery life is ridiculous- I've seen reports online from people that are using it for video rendering and YouTube streaming for hours while still staying above 75%
And developers are saying that creating native apps has been as easy as loading their project into the latest Xcode and compiling. No code changes needed.
Apple Is reportedly investigating issues with some iPhone 12 models, including flickering backlights and greenish or grayish blacks
Internal documents say that technicians should avoid servicing affected phones for now and instead tell customers to keep their devices updated, suggesting a software update is on its way to fix the issue
This is happening even after this week's iOS 14.2.1 update, which addressed issues with some MMS messages not being received from group chats with Android users, some hearing aids having sound quality issues when linked to an iPhone, and lock screen problems on the 12 mini
After five years, Google Photos is ending its offer of unlimited free high quality photo backups
Starting June 1st, 2021, they'll begin charging for storage after you hit 15GB of use
They're also implementing a new policy of deleting data from accounts that haven't been used in the last two years
Apparently all of your photos and documents uploaded before the deadline will not count against that 15GB cap, so you'll have time to decide if you want to migrate or pay up, but if you frequently upload large photos you might be hitting that limit sooner than you think
And everyone's moving down a peg- Pixel users used to get unlimited storage for their original quality photos (as opposed to the high quality photos everyone else got), but now they'll only get unlimited on high quality instead
"High quality" is Google's terminology for photos that they've been allowed to compress for more efficient storage
If you're looking to migrate you'll want to head to takeout.google.com, where you can do a dump of your Google account's data selecting by product, or even in some cases drilling down to things like specific photo albums
Google is entering the Venmo arena with a revamped Google Pay app highlighting peer-to-peer payments
The app can also highlight local deals and discounts nearby and give you a high-level look at your finances, if you feed it all your information
Google has said that when you pay friends it stays private, but for the app's advanced features you'll need to let it scan your Gmail inbox and Photos account for things like receipts
If you're not a fan of Google tracking your every move, but you're a Gmail user, you'll also want to check out Lifehacker's guide to the new smart feature privacy settings that Google has recently released, giving you more control over the data that Google is allowed to scrape from your inbox
https://lifehacker.com/turn-off-gmails-smart-features-to-avoid-tracking-1845691806
A group of Amazon employees was recently arrested for stealing over half a million dollars worth of iPhones
An internal investigation was made after finding that some packages had different weights than expected, and found that some workers at a logistics center in Madrid were slipping new iPhones (like the 12 and 12 Pro) into orders secretly at the last moment
Reports are saying that the orders were placed by an accomplice, so unfortunately it doesn't look like random Amazon customers were getting free iPhones
Four of the five people implicated were arrested, being found with 10 iPhones in their possession, and the fifth turned himself in to police voluntarily
The UK has now proved that they are ahead of modern society as we know it, officially banning those misleading puzzle ads you see all over the place in mobile games
Playrix, the developer of titles like Homescapes and Fishdom, has been pulled up by the Advertising Standard Authority in the UK and told that ads like those with the moveable pins puzzles between a man, water, lava, and a shark are not okay when those kind of puzzles are very infrequent in actual gameplay
All Playrix games that I'm aware of are just match-3 tile swapping games, but they almost seem to go out of their way to hide that fact
The App Store page for Homescapes has seven different images, and only one of them even references the actual gameplay. The first one shown is one of those very same pin removal minigames
These Past 2 Weeks In Gaming History
November 7 – 2000 – Shenmue – Dreamcast
On a November day when the snow turned to rain, Ryu Hazuki arrives home just in time to see his father killed by Lan Di, a man Ryu's father obviously knew very well.
Ryu attempts to stop Lan Di, but is effortlessly beaten to within an inch of his life. After recovering from his injuries Ryu sets out to track down his father's murderer, as well as uncover his family's secrets and the mystery of the Phoenix and Dragon mirrors that Lan Di seeks.
Shenmue is a hybrid game that incorporates elements of life simulation, adventure and fighting with light role-playing.
The game is set in a 3D environment that can be freely explored by the player.
Much of the gameplay involves talking to Ryu's friends and the various people around town, hoping to find hints or clues that lead to the next step in the story.
Any details Ryu learns are written down in his notebook for future review.
Ryu can buy items from stores or try his luck with capsule toy machines, but most items that can be bought have no purpose outside of filling his inventory.
Ryu can also visit an arcade and play accurate versions of Hang-On and Space Harrier, as well as games like darts and pool.
Ryu is a trained martial artist, and while a true martial artist knows it is better to avoid a fight, sometimes it is still necessary.
Ryu can train his moves, either by repeatedly doing them while training, or by sparring with his friend Fuku-san, which constitutes the role-playing element of the game.
Fighting system is similar to that of Virtua Fighter, although with toned-down air juggling.
Ryu's training also gives him heightened reflexes, and sometimes during a cutscene the player will have only a moment to press a button (displayed onscreen) to get Ryu out of danger.
Failing an input prompt is not always fatal, but whether Ryu survives or not depends on the danger he was in.
Included with the game is the Shenmue Passport disc.
On this disc players can receive tutorials about various aspects of the game like mini-games or the battle system, watch cutscenes they've already seen in the game, and listen to music from the game.
This disc also includes the option to go online to a special site where players can review world-wide mini-game rankings, get hints for the game from Nozomi, review game maps of Yokosuka, trade uncommon items found in the game for even rarer items only available on the passport, and visit the official homepage.
This service went offline along with the rest of SegaNet, and all online features are currently impossible to access.
Neat Facts:
Shemue appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
In the 2008 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition, the Dreamcast version of Shenmue is listed as the most expensive game ever to develop at $70 million.
Shenmue features the ability to play Space Harrier and Hang-On, the original 80's arcade games made by Sega.
Both games were also created and designed by Yu Suzuki, the story writer of Shenmue
November 8 – 2005 – Gun – GameCube, PS2, Windows, Xbox
I remember loving my experience with this game.
Everyone called it Grand Theft Auto in the Wild Wild West, even though it is made by Neversoft, famous for the Tony Hawk games.
This released 5 years before Red Dead Redemption by Rockstar.
Set in 1870, you are Colton White, a young gunslinger whose father is killed by an Indian tribe led by Reverend Reed.
Just before passing away, your father hands you a token and reveals you are not his son.
Sworn to avenge his death, you pursue the killers and unravel the secrets surrounding the item.
Although you are on your own, temporary alliances can be formed with townspeople, Apaches, and posse members, but watch your back as they can turn against you
November 9 – 2004 – Halo 2 – Xbox
In the sequel to Halo, Spartan-117, better known as the Master Chief, has returned to Earth, where he is promptly needed: despite all precautions taken, the Covenant have discovered the location of humanity's homeworld and are launching their attack.
For some reason, however, their fleet is much smaller than expected.
To solve this mystery, the Chief must return to the stars, learning more about the mysterious Halo rings and their constructors.
Meanwhile, the Covenant Elite who commanded the fleet at the Halo construct is blamed for the destruction of the ring and branded a heretic.
The High Prophets grant him another chance, however: he is made the Arbiter, a special operative for the Prophets, ordered to carry out impossible missions.
He will be dealing with dissent and rebellion among the Covenant – a conflict where he might find himself to be on the wrong side.
The multiplayer component of the game has been greatly expanded.
On the Xbox, Xbox Live is now supported in addition to split screen and system link.
The campaign can be played by two players in split screen.
Competitive game types include Slayer and Team Slayer (standard free-for-all deathmatch), Capture the Flag, Assault (planting a bomb in the enemy base), Territories (controlling sections of a map for a certain amount of time), Oddball (finding a skull on the map and then holding on to it as long as possible) and more.
All types have several built-in variants and can also be customized further.
Players can choose from Spartan and Covenant Elite skins.
Halo 2 appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
In the US and Canada alone, 2.4 million copies of the game were sold in the first 24 hours of its release.
That averages out to roughly 27 copies a second.
The game had 1.5 Million preorders before its release, making it an XBox "Platinum Hit" months before it was even released
Personally: This is the first game Josh preordered the collectors edition and strategy guide.
He remembers leaving high school at lunch to pick it up.
November 10 – 2020 – Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – PS4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Assassin's Creed Valhalla leverages the Smart Delivery technology – buy the game once and play it on either Xbox One or Xbox Series X when both the console and that version of Assassin's Creed Valhalla are available
In Assassin's Creed® Valhalla, become Eivor, a legendary Viking raider on a quest for glory. Explore England's Dark Ages as you raid your enemies, grow your settlement, and build your political power.
Lead epic Viking raids against Saxon troops and fortresses.
Dual-wield powerful weapons and relive the visceral fighting style of the Vikings.
Challenge yourself with the most varied collection of enemies ever in Assassin's Creed.
Shape the growth of your character with each choice and carve a path to glory.
Explore a Dark Age open world, from the shores of Norway to the kingdoms of England.
Personalize your experience by growing your clan's settlement.
November 11 – 2011 – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – PS3, Xbox 360
I remember waiting in line for the midnight release for this game
One of the few Collectors Edition statues I have proudly displayed.
Two hundred years after the events described in Oblivion, the continent of Tamriel is in turmoil.
The Emperor's throne remained without heir; the Blades, Empire's elite guards, have been disassembled; elven nations began capturing territory from the Empire.
The assassination of the King of Skyrim, Tamriel's Northern-most province and home of the Nord race, led to a civil war between those who wish independence for Skyrim and those who wanted it to remain under the Empire's control.
The game contains some features that were introduced in Fallout 3.
Enemy level-scaling is done in a similar way, as opposed to the more intrusive system of Oblivion.
The player may hire other fighters to follow the hero around and lend a helping hand in combat.
Also, the lockpicking system of the previous installment has been replaced by the lockpicking methods of the recent Fallout games.
Conversations with NPCs now occur in real time rather than "freezing" time as in Oblivion.
This games impact is no joke as it is nearly ten years old, and still referenced and refereed to as a great example of adventure games.
November 12 – 2001 – Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – PS2
In 2007, two years after the Shadow Moses incident, Solid Snake – now working for a freelance organization known as Philanthropy – infiltrates the oil tanker U.S.S. Discovery, investigating the development of a new Metal Gear-type weapon.
A confrontation with a Russian military group as well as an old acquaintance from Snake's past adventure leads to a massive detonation, after which Snake is presumed dead.
Fast-forward to the year 2009: the player takes control of Raiden, a rookie agent operating under the order of the Colonel, apparently member of a reformed Foxhound unit.
His initial assignment is to infiltrate the offshore clean-up facility Big Shell and rescue the President of the United States of America, who was kidnapped by members of a terrorist organization known as Sons of Liberty.
However, the matters become increasingly complicated as almost everyone Raiden communicates with appears to have a hidden agenda, and it is hard to tell a friend from foe…
The Snake swap to Raiden is a bait and switch that gamers still reference to today.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
In order to cover up the character Raiden, the promotional trailers for the game showed several scenes with Solid Snake in different scenes.
In the final game, Raiden is involved in the same scenes, but in Snake's place. Hideo Kojima used computer tricks to cover up Raiden and no one knew of his existence until the game was released.
However, the manual spoils the surprise on its very first pages.
November 13 – 2011 – Super Mario 3D Land – 3DS
Super Mario 3D Land is a three-dimensional platformer which takes cues from the series' side-scrolling instalments.
Mario starts a point in each level which he must traverse to reach a flagpole at the end.
Josh loved this game
Josh "This games is what I wanted Mario 64 to be. It felt like the classic Mario but instead of just side-scrolling, it was 3D. And the 3D feature really popped with the bold color palette. I 100% this with joy and might dig it up and play it over the holidays."
November 14 – 2000 – Star Wars: Demolition – PlayStation
Star Wars: Demolition is a vehicular combat game set in the Star Wars universe created by both Luxoflux and LucasArts using the Vigilante 8 game engine.
Luxoflux also made True Crime: Streets of LA and New York
Its premise is that the Galactic Empire declares they've officially banned Jabba the Hutt's podraces. Jabba creates a more life-threatening vehicular combat contest to replace the sport of podracing.
Several combatants enter the competition.
Boba Fett enters, opting to use only his jetpack.
Fellow bounty hunter and occasional partner Aurra Sing also enters, a swoop bike her vehicle of choice.
Other opponents mount various forms of tanks, landspeeders, and even a rancor to compete in this battle to the death.
The reviews are not amazing
Aggregate score for the PlayStation version is 57%
While the Dreamcast version, which was released later, climbed up to 65%
November 15 – 1999 – Neopets – Browser
Neopets is a pet simulation set in the fantasy world of Neopia.
The game's core revolves around adopting and caring for up to six of the eponymous creatures.
Pets can be fed, played with, given medicine when ill, and trained for battle, just to name a few basic activities.
In order to customize a pet and make it truly unique, its owner may use special items to change its species and color, give it a Petpet, and equip it with various clothing items.
None of these activities are mandatory, though some site features may be closed off until the player has done them.
If a user decides they no longer want one of their pets, they can either leave it in a special adoption area for others to claim, or send it to a specific user.
November 16 – 2004 – Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 – PlayStation 2
All the power of DBZ is yours.
A Hall of Fame cast of the greatest DBZ, DBGT and DBZ movie characters meet for first time for some of the fastest paced, highest intensity battles ever seen.
New abilities include, for the first time on PlayStation 2, the ability to fly at will in a DBZ fighting game.
Pummel your foes on the ground and in the air.
It was a fast paced 2D fighter with awesome DBZ flair
You can teleport behind knocked backed characters to counter
Power up while your opponent is stunned
Have epic button mashing when your beam attacks clash
Go into Hyper Mode to rush down your opponent
You can go into Dragon Rush which is a chance game, the attacker secretly presses one of four buttons and if the defender can guess it, they end the onslaught
With 44 characters!
1. Goku
2. Kid Goku
3. Kid Gohan
4. Teen Gohan
5. Gohan
6. Great Saiyaman
7. Goten
8. Vegeta
9. Trunks
10. Kid Trunks
11. Krillin
12. Piccolo
13. Tien
14. Yamcha
15. Hercule
16. Videl
17. Supreme Kai
18. Uub
19. Raditz
20. Nappa
21. Captain Ginyu
23. Recoome
24. Frieza
25. Andriod 16
28. Dr. Gero
29. Majin Buu
30. Super Buu
31. Kid Buu
32. Dabura
33. Cooler
34. Bardcok/Turles
35. Broly
36. Omega
37. Saibamen
38. Cell Jr.
39. SSJ4 Goku
40. SSJ4 Vegeta
41. Gogeta
42. SSJ4 Gogeta
43. Vegito
44. Gotenks
November 17 – 1998 – Eggs Of Steel – PlayStation
In Eggs of Steel, the player takes control of Charlie the Egg, a night watchman at the MOM Steel Factory.
However while on break, the machines start up and it is up to Charlie to stop it by hitting the reset button hidden on the other end of the factory, but to do this Charlies must face hazardous obstacles and bad guys trying to stop him.
Eggs of Steel is a flip-screen platformer, using prerendered 3D backgrounds, a technique similar to Resident Evil.
The gameplay involves jumping onto ledges, climbing pipes and avoid flying obstacles such as girders.
Also Charlie will encounter bad guys along the way that he can take out with his "Egg Roll" and use his trusty wrench to trap and take out the baddies.
There are 43 levels and 12 different bosses along with power-ups such as donuts that will increase Charlie's health.
The story is told through thirty minutes of full screen animation and music composing of jazz, salsa and even Polynesian.
November 18 – 2001 – Nintendo GameCube
The GameCube is the first Nintendo console to use optical discs as its primary storage medium.
The discs are in a miniDVD-based format but the system was not designed to play full-sized DVDs or audio CDs unlike its competitors, and mainly focused on gaming instead.
The console supports limited online gaming for a small number of games via a GameCube broadband or modem adapter and can connect to a Game Boy Advance with a link cable, which allows players to access exclusive in-game features using the handheld as a second screen and controller like a Wii U.
Josh says "Still the best controller Nintendo designed"
November 19 – 2019 – Shenmue III – PlayStation 4, Windows
Shenmue III is an action-adventure game developed by Ys Net, published by Deep Silver for Windows and PlayStation 4 and produced by Shibuya Productions.
Like the previous Shenmue games, it consists of open-world environments interspersed with brawler battles and quick time events.
It features a day-and-night system, variable weather effects, non-player characters with daily schedules, and various minigames.
The story continues teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki's quest to find his father's killer in the mountains of 1980s Guilin, China.
At E3 2015, following years of speculation, Suzuki launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund Shenmue III, with Sega having licensed Shenmue to Suzuki's company Ys Net.
It became the fastest campaign to raise $2 million, in under seven hours, and ended the following month having raised over $6 million, making it the highest-funded video game in Kickstarter history at the time.
Further funding came from Sony and Deep Silver and crowdfunding on other platforms.
Shenmue III was released on November 19, 2019, 18 years after Shenmue II. It received mixed reviews, with critics divided over its similarity to its predecessors; some described it as outdated, while others praised its faithfulness to the franchise.
Retail sales were low, but exclude digital sales and copies sent to Kickstarter backers.
November 20 – 2007 – Rock Band – PS3, Xbox 360
Rock Band, by the original developers behind the Guitar Hero games, takes the concept a step further.
Instead of solely playing the guitar along with songs, this game allows players to start a full virtual band with up to four players, with different sequences for each of the three supported peripherals: guitar (electric and bass), drum and microphone.
Gameplay is based on hitting scrolling notes on the screen in time (scrolling vertically for drum and guitar), and getting the right pitch for the vocals (scrolling horizontally at the top of the screen, along with the lyrics).
Josh says "This game is nothing but good memories. I recently hauled the old hardware from my parents place to play this again. However the guitars are worn out, and the drums are missing a few pieces. Love the memories of playing this with friends."
There's a rumour going around right now that Sony is looking to acquire Bluepoint Games, the team behind remakes like Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls, which would be amazing
People are saying that they would likely be set to work on a new IP, but the reddit rumourmill is speculating on a modern Soul Reaver release (which would be amazing)
TikTok is saying that the Trump administration seems to have forgotten about its planned ban of the service, with approval of the sale to Oracle seemingly stalled waiting at the government's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
The deal has since been granted an extension, but this app that Trump was claiming was a clear and present national security issue seems to have fallen off of his radar completely
Just a reminder for everyone, Zoom is still a lying, garbage company even during the pandemic
The FTC is saying that Zoom has lied to users for years about end-to-end encryption, maintaining the ability to access the content of its customer's meetings and violating health information privacy laws, but instead of any kind of punishment Zoom is just saying that they'll upgrade their security practices
BioWare has announced Mass Effect Legendary Edition, featuring a remastered trilogy (not you, Andromeda) with all its DLC
Players can expect updated visuals and technical features with higher resolutions and faster framerates coming to consoles and PC in spring 2021
PS5 mini review
Damn it's big
The setup process was slick
If you have your PS4 games on an external drive you can just plug it in and any PS5 versions will be automatically downloaded
Astro's Playroom is a fair bit of fun
Demon's Souls is gorgeous and feels great
Load times are almost nonexistent
The controller is pretty amazing, the speaker is surprising, and the haptic triggers are ridiculous
PS2J 325 News – Shadow of Servers
Tagged as:	14.2, 2K Games, 4K, a knight's quest, accessibility, achievements, acrobat, active noise cancellation, ad tracking, adobe, Adventure, africa, age of calamity, airpods pro, airtags, Alan, alliance, Amazon, Ape Escape, app, Apple, apple event, apple one, apple silicon, Apps, aragami, Arcade, assassin, assassin's creed, assassin's creed odyssey, asynchronous, atmosphere, aurion, big sur, bing bong boy, blind, block, brawler, Breath of the Wild, british, bugsnax, build, bundle, Burnout, camera, card, Celeste, charging, cinematic pack, citizen, cloud gaming, cloud version, clumsy, combi, control, control center, crackling, dark cloud, data, dead by daylight, Diddy Kong Racing, DLC, dolby atmos, Donkey Kong Country, dungeons 3, EA, ecg, economix recovery, end of the world, Epic Games, epic slapple fight, eshop, exposure, extreme exorcism, Facebook, fairy tale, fireteams, folklore, Fortnite, Free Games, friday the 13th, full spectrum warrior, Gamepass, gatcha, geforce now, ghost, gothic fantasy, Halo 4, hand painted, hitman 3, hollow knight, homepod, Horror, Hyrule Warriors, iCloud, iMac, impaired, Indie, intercom, iOS, iPadOS, iphone 12 pro, island, j.r.r. tolkein, james harden, Josh, Kickstarter, Kinect, korea, leak, legacy of the kori-odan, legion, Lego, lego indiana jones, lethis, lidar, lootbox, lord of the rings, low vision, luna, Mac, Macbook, magsafe, maid of sker, mark zuckerberg, Master Chief, metroidvania, Microsoft, microtransaction, middle-earth, military, mini review, missing, Mobile, Multiplayer, music, mythology, N64, Nacho Libre, narrative, nba2k, nemesis, night mode, nintendo, Nintendo DS, nintendo switch, note 20, nutritional labels, nvidia, One, one more thing, Online, open-world, overkill edition, pacific blue, path of progress, people detection, performance, phantasy star online 2, Pikachu, platformer, Playstation, Pokemon, pokemon snap, pretty, prevention, Privacy, Pro, PS2, PS4, ps5, psa, puzzle, qi, ram, reader, real time, resident evil 7, retail, RPG, RTS, Russia, safari, Samsung, security, series, shadow edition, shadow of mordor, shadow of war, Shazam, Shooter, simulator, slasher, smoke and sacrifice, SNES, Sony, soulsborne, sound, source code, squad based, static, stealth, steampunk, storage, strategy, stream, super meatboy, Super Nintendo, surround, survival, swimsanity, Tactics, the game, the hobbit, threat, tracking, training, transparency, truth, TV, Twitch, Ubisoft, ubitus gamecloud, ultimate edition, ultra, underground, underwater, underworld, united states, Update, vendetta, victor vran, victorian, viva pinata, voiceover, voidheart edition, wallet, Watch Dogs, watchos, wbplay, welsh, whale, wraith, XBox, Xbox 360, xcloud, zagravia
http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/http://ps2jshow.fushigiyami.com/podcasts/PS2J-325-Server.mp3
Security PSA: Update your Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader software
There have been a bunch of new security threats patched recently, open up Reader or Acrobat and go to Help > Check Updates to make sure you have the latest version
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (free 4K Cinematic Pack is also available)
Assassin's Creed-style action RPG set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings that has you continuing the story from Shadow of Mordor to forge a new ring of power and amass an army to fight Sauron, including an improved nemesis system that has you gathering followers and making lasting enemies
It initially had microtransactions and lootboxes, but they were removed about a year later.
There's also a free 4k cinematic pack, and the DLC season pass is 80% off until the 21st
Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition
2017 Metroidvania with some influences from the Soulsborne games, where you traverse an ancient plague-infested kingdom, fighting bosses and unlocking new abilities. It's got great atmosphere and tight controls, and deaths aren't overly punishing
Voidheart Edition is the 2018 port of the game to PS4 and Xbox One, including the four DLC packs
Bugsnax (PS5)
Aragami: Shadow Edition
Action adventure stealth game with solid reviews where you take the role of Aragami, an assassin with supernatural abilities like teleporting between shadows
Shadow Edition includes the prequel Nightfall DLC
First person survival horror based on Welsh and British folklore, where it's 1898 and you've been invited by your lover to uncover the mysteries of the Sker Hotel after she notices her family's strange behaviour
Swimsanity
Multiplayer 2D underwater shooter with co-op and versus game modes, and both online and local play
Lego Indiana Jones
Lego-themed action adventure game that loosely follows the first three Indiana Jones films with the same kind of tweaks, humour, and classic drop in/out co-op play that characterizes Lego games
Full Spectrum Warrior
Squad-based real-time military tactics game where you're commanding two fireteams to cover eachother and complete objectives
It was initially developed to be a simulator for the United States military in an experiment to leverage the original Xbox for training simulations, and then was retrofitted into a retail release with improved graphics and sound
A Knight's Quest
Action adventure game that puts you in the role of Rusty, a clumsy adventurer who accidentally sets about the end of the world. Solve mind-bending puzzles, fight challenging enemies, defeat huge bosses and platform your way through a fantastic open world.
Smoke and Sacrifice
Open-world narrative-driven RPG with hand-painted graphics that has you playing a mother forced to give up her son, adventuring into a grotesque underworld on a quest that will lead her to a darker truth
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan
Action RPG that was successfully Kickstarted in 2015 and is based on African mythology, it has you playing a prince betrayed by your future brother-in-law and forging alliances to bring him down, with real-time brawler-style combat that has an emphasis on making combos to defeat enemies
Victor Vran Overkill Edition
2017 port of the 2015 PC release
Action RPG resembling a Gothic-fantasy fairy tale where both magic and science have a place in the world, and it's up to you to help the city of Zagoravia fight off a demon infestation of unknown origin
Lethis – Path of Progress
Old school 2D city builder set in a Victorian Steampunk universe called Lethis, that has you building and managing cities to provide resources for the inhabitants and make your citizens happy
Extreme Exorcism
"A paranormal platformer where every move you make comes back to haunt you"
2D pixel platformer that has you jumping around and taking down ghosts with a deadly arsenal from rocket launchers to boomerangs, but at the end of each round a ghost appears and mimics your every move from the round before. The longer you survive the more extreme the game becomes
A combination dungeon builder and RTS, you're tasked with creating an underground dungeon for creatures to live in as well as defending it against invading heroes from the world above. You can also send units out of the dungeon and take over areas of the world map, RTS style
Epic slApple fight
Plans are in place to get Fortnite back on iOS and iPadOS using Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud gaming service
Apparently Nvidia has developed a version of GeForce Now that works in Safari on Apple's mobile devices, likely similar to what Microsoft's xCloud and Amazon's Luna cloud gaming services are aiming to use
Though there's been no official announcement of the Safari launch, if this is true then GeForce Now will be the one and only way to play Fortnite on iPhones and iPads
I'd be curious to see what the details of this deal are, if Nvidia is getting the 30% cut now or if they're just happy with the subscription cost for the service
Apple's released a bunch of software this week
iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 are here with new emoji, wallpapers, bug fixes, and more
There's a fantastic new accessibility feature included specifically for people with impaired vision, and it sounds like an amazing idea
The feature is called People Detection, in your accessibility settings under the Magnifier, and it uses augmented reality and machine learning to detect where people and objects are around you
Particularly well-suited for the LiDAR sensor in the 12 Pro, it can help blind or low vision users understand their surroundings better, such as knowing how many people are in line at a grocery store or where the end of a subway platform is
It can even tell you if you're within six feet of another person
Users can set up a minimum distance for alerts, and receive feedback though vibrations or through their AirPods
People Detection is fully compatible with VoiceOver, Apple's screen-reader tech
This seems really useful on the iPhone, but with rumours continuing to mount of eventual AR glasses from Apple this could be a gamechanger for people with vision problems
Intercom is here, letting you send and receive messages between HomePods
HomePods can now be connected to the Apple TV 4K for wireless surround sound and Dolby Atmos audio
Built-in Shazam music recognition can be launched from the Control Center
WatchOS 7.1 is out now, with improvements and fixes like notifications if your headphone volume could permanently affect your hearing, and a fix for issues some people were having with their watch not unlocking their Max as expected
They've also added ECG support for the Republic of Korea and Russia
macOS 10.15.7 Supplemental Update is available for download, improving the security of your Mac
Cloud gaming on the Nintendo Switch has come west with two new games for the device
Previously the Switch saw games like Phantasy Star Online 2, Resident Evil 7, and Assassin's Creed Odyssey playable through the cloud, but only in Japan
They were using the Taiwan-based Ubitus GameCloud service so they could run the technically demanding titles on the portable hardware of the Switch
Now they're releasing Control and Hitman 3 on the service as well, this time including the rest of the world in the fun
The games need a <100MB install on the Switch, then they stream gameplay to and from the cloud using checkpoint saves in case you lose connectivity
Control Ultimate Edition – Cloud Version is out now and includes the base game and the first two expansions, The Foundation and AWE. It also includes the Expeditions end game mode, photo mode, and all of the additional updates since the release of the original.
According to early reports, thanks to the cloud infrastructure it can get up to 30fps with ray tracing and 60fps without
Hitman 3 – Cloud Version is the conclusion of the World of Assassination Trilogy. The game is expected to be released on Windows PC as an Epic Games Store exclusive in January 2021. No launch date for the Switch version was offered. Expect the final product to include plenty of sandbox locations to explore, and creative ways to bring down your assassination targets.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor will be losing online features, and thus the access to come achievements, on December 31st
The 2014 title will be losing:
The Nemesis Forge, which means players won't be able to transfer their nemeses from Shadow of Mordor to Shadow of War
Vendetta missions and leaderboard
And WBPay will no longer be available, but the epic runs "Orc Hunter" and "Gravewalker" will automatically be given to all players
Those vendetta missions being removed means that there will be some achievements that it's no longer possible to get, so if you want to 100% Shadow of Mordor you have till the end of the year
Apple has launched a new service program for AirPods Pro sound issues, which had many users hearing static or crackling noises as well as problems with Active Noise Cancellation
I experienced this myself multiple times in a row, with replacements thankfully being smooth and relatively painless through the mail
The biggest issue I saw was when I had the AirPods in my ears and then anything somewhat loud happened, either me clearing my throat or listening to loud audio
The issue may affect AirPods manufactured before October 2020 (so, basically all of them), so if you're having issues it's definitely worth reaching out to Apple Support and having them replaced
October 31 – 1997 – Diddy Kong Racing – N64
It's an island takeover when the evil space wizard, Wizpig, discovers Tiger Island!
After the islands prized racetracks become sealed up, Timber Tiger contacts his friend Diddy Kong to help him reclaim the racetracks and save the island before his parents return.
Along for the ride are the Kremling spy Krunch, Bumper Badger, Banjo (prior to meeting Kazooie in Banjo-Kazooie), pre-sweary Conker, Tiptup Turtle, and Pipsy Mouse.
Diddy Kong Racing is a racing game with similarities to Mario Kart 64, in that you race with a variety of cheery racers while using weapons.
However, the similarities end there.
DKR includes an adventure mode, which features bosses, an overworld to explore, many hidden secrets, the addition of hovercrafts and planes, and a unique way of racing called the "Silver Coin Challenge". In this mode, in addition to coming first, you must also find the eight Silver Coins deviously hidden throughout the courses (some in alternate paths).
The game also features a strategic method of using weapons.
Each colored balloon on the track matches a specific weapon, and collecting the same type of balloon multiple times in a row powers it up (to a maximum of three times).
This gives the player the choice of snatching every balloon available and using it immediately, or storing the existing weapon, and using a more powerful version of it later.
Up to four players can compete in the races, but in order to play new tracks, they must first be unlocked in the single player game.
There are also four battle modes of play – two standard deathmatch maps, a capture-the-flag style battle where you must nab eggs and hatch three of them in your home nest, and another where you must be the first to return ten bananas to your treasure chest (with the limitation of only being able to hold two at any one time).
November 1 – 1994 – Donkey Kong Country – SNES
King K. Rool has stolen Donkey Kong's banana stash, and Donkey Kong needs your help to get them back.
In search of K. Rool, the Kremling horde impedes your progress. Kremlings, crocodile-like creatures, include Kritters (they succumb to a simple jump on the head), Krushas (they are virtually indestructible), and others.
There are also other enemies that block your path, such as beavers, snakes, vultures.
Leading them are dastardly bosses, including Very Gnawty, Necky, Queen B., and Dumb Drum, and they all bar the way with their own special blend of villainy.
Donkey Kong is joined by Diddy Kong: these two primates differ significantly.
For example, Donkey Kong is generally stronger; he can destroy most enemies with a single jump and can lift barrels straight over his head to throw them farther.
On the other hand, Diddy is faster and not as strong as Donkey; he can run really fast and do cartwheels. Diddy carries barrels in front of him, creating a shield against frontal attacks.
The original Super Nintendo game was later released for Nintendo's handheld systems.
The Game Boy Color version has an exclusive level (Necky Nutmare) and additional bonus games, Funky's Fishing and five Crosshair Cranky minigames.
There was also the addition of collectible DK sticker packs scattered throughout the levels.
These sticker packs could be printed out using the Game Boy Printer.
The game also has two more difficulty options that become available after beating the game.
Beating the game once lets the player turn off DK barrels and beating the game a second time will let the player turn off checkpoint barrels.
The Game Boy Advance version also had additional bonus games.
It to has a version of Funky's Fishing but instead of the crosshair themed games, there is now Candy's Dance Studio, which hosts six dance games.
There is also the additions of a time attack mode called DK Attack, a harder difficulty mode called Hero Mode (can only play as Diddy Kong and the game no longer offers Donkey Kong barrels and checkpoints throughout the levels), and the sticker book idea from the Gameboy Color version was replaced with collecting scrapbook pictures instead.
November 2 – 2001 – Burnout – PS2, Later on Xbox
Burnout is an arcade style racing game in the mold of the Test Drive or Need For Speed series.
In this game, you are racing on realistic streets with real traffic to contend with.
There are 6 courses on which to race, 3 of which are reminiscent of Europe, and 3 from the USA.
There are several vehicles to choose from, ranging from compact cars to pickups.
However, they are not based on real makes and models.
One notable feature of Burnout is the "Burn Meter."
The Burn Meter is a gauge that is filled by performing reckless stunts, like racing into oncoming traffic or power-drifting through corners.
Once the Burn Meter is filled, your car gets a super speed boost.
If you crash, the Burn Meter is reset and must be filled again to achieve a boost.
November 3 – 2006 – Nacho Libre – Nintendo DS
Based on the upcoming feature film starring Jack Black, Nacho Libre offers fans comedic wrestling mayhem–exaggerated moves, wacky props and lots of pratfalls delivered with a unique photo puppetry look.
Jack Black stars as Ignacio (friends call him "Nacho"), a cook by day in a Mexican orphanage, who moonlights as a lucha libre wrestler to raise money for the orphans.
Six play modes:
Story Mode (single player, tied to the movie plot)
Vs. Mode, Team Mode (2 vs. 2)
Battle Jam (2-4 player wireless brawls)
Quick Match
Championship Match (multiplayer only)
Wrestle in four different arenas from the movie
Play as 20 different luchadors based on characters from the movie.
Each has his/her own wrestling moves and special attacks.
Take on your opponents with headlocks, grapples, holds and pin moves or create combos for devastating, and comical, results
Use the Touch Screen to play eight themed mini games including Nachoball, Footrace, Bee Swat, Bullrun, Cliff Climber, Chariot Jump and more
Unique "photo puppetry" art style lends the game a distinctive, humorous look
Includes recreated cut scenes from the movie in between the action
Unlock bonus material after playing through Story Mode
November 4 – 2010 – Kinect – Xbox 360
The origins of the Kinect started around 2005, at a point where technology vendors were starting to develop depth-sensing cameras.
Microsoft had been interested in a 3D camera for the Xbox line earlier but because the technology had not been refined, had placed it in the "Boneyard", a collection of possible technology they could not immediately work on.
In 2005, PrimeSense was founded by tech-savvy mathematicians and engineers from Israel to develop the "next big thing" for video games, incorporating cameras that were capable of mapping a human body in front of them and sensing hand motions.
They showed off their system at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, where Microsoft's Alex Kipman, the general manager of hardware incubation, saw the potential in PrimeSense's technology for the Xbox system.
Microsoft began discussions with PrimeSense about improvements in the capabilities of depth-sensing cameras, a reduction in size and cost, and a means to manufacturer the units at scale was required.
Nintendo released the Wii in November 2006, where motion control was the focus.
Microsoft felt pressure from the Wii, and began looking into depth-sensing in more detail with PrimeSense's hardware, but at that time, could not get to the level of motion tracking they desired.
Microsoft also looked to create an equivalent of the Wii Remote, but it was discarded as it was still ultimately Microsoft's goal to remove any device between the player and the Xbox.
Nearing the planned release, the problem of widespread testing of Kinect in various room types and different bodies accounting for age, gender, and race among other factors, while keeping the details of the unit confidential. Microsoft engaged in a company-wide program offering employees to take home Kinect units to test them.
Microsoft also brought other non-gaming divisions, including its Microsoft Research, Microsoft Windows, and Bing teams to help complete the system.
Microsoft established its own large-scale manufacturing facility to bulk product Kinect units and test them.
Somewhat recent Kinect news!
On May 7, 2018, Microsoft announced a new iteration of Kinect technology designed primarily for enterprise software and artificial intelligence usage.
It is designed around the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, and is meant to "leverage the richness of Azure AI to dramatically improve insights and operations".
It has a smaller form factor than the Xbox iterations of Kinect, and features a 12-megapixel camera, a time-of-flight depth sensor also used on the HoloLens 2, and seven microphones.
A development kit was announced in February 2019.
November 5 – 1998 – Hey You, Pikachu! – N64
Hey You, Pikachu! is a Pokémon adventure game.
The game allows you to speak directly to Pikachu via the Voice Recognition Unit (VRU) included with the game, in order to tell Pikachu what to do and help direct the adventures the two of you embark on.
The game features 20 different minigames which you and Pikachu play together.
Some involve you catching water Pokémon, while another might send you search for ingredients for stew.
When the minigame is over, you go back home and sleep, waking up the next day to play another game.
As the game progresses more of the features and minigames are unlocked, and Pikachu's friendship meter will grow.
Pikachu will understand around 200 different words or simple phrases like "come here", "stop that", and "eat it". Voice communication is the primary method of interacting with the game, though the analog stick is used for navigation.
November 6 – 2012 – Halo 4 – XBox 360
The game sets the stage for a new story in which Master Chief returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient awakened evil that threatens all life in the universe.
The main campaign also heavily explores the relationship between Master Chief and his AI companion, Cortana.
Cortana is nearing the end of her life, before devolving into a state called Rampancy in which an AI begins to think itself to death.
The campaign features both first-person shooter and driving elements, and can be played either single player or co-cooperatively (either over Xbox Live or split-screen).
It features new weapons and an entirely new class of enemy characters called Prometheans.
And for some PS2J History
We did our first Live episode on Alan's phone
I made the link ps2jshow.com/halo4 for anyone interested in some of our podcasting history
Development on Friday the 13th: The Game is coming to an end, with its last patch releasing sometime this month
The dedicated multiplayer servers will be shut down, but online play will continue with peer-to-peer hosting
The Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity demo is now up on the Switch eShop, and it looks pretty cool
It includes the first chapter of the game, and progress will carry over to the full release on November 20th
Without getting in to spoilers, they may be settings things up so that the story doesn't end how we're all expecting after seeing Breath of the Wild
There's yet another Apple Event going on this year, scheduled for November 10th
Titled "One more thing", there aren't many clues about its focus but people are expecting AirTags (Apple's new lost item tracking devices) and new computers with Apple's fancy custom processors
We may also see more information on macOS 11, Big Sur
The new Apple One subscription bundles went live this week, offering a few different plans to save money if you subscribe to services like Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and iCloud Storage
Apple's also spinning up their new "nutritional labels" for apps, giving people a breakdown on each app's product page for what data types they may collect, what data may be used to track you, and what data isn't linked to you at all
2K Games and EA are under fire for misleading info when it comes to NBA2K card packs
Apparently one of the players, James Harden, was completely missing from the gatcha packs that he was supposed to be included in for the first 23 minutes of release, and enough whales were trying to get him right away that thousands of dollars were wasted
The source code for Watch Dogs Legion has already leaked, leading the way for mods and cracks ahead of its November 10th release
Mark Zuckerberg is trying to make the case that Apple's ad tracking blocks will damage economic recovery from COVID-19
He specifically pointed the out mandatory notification when an app or website wants to track users, saying that letting people know they can opt out will hurt "small businesses and economic recovery in 2021 and beyond", though I'm guessing this is just a redirect for how hard Facebook itself will be hit by the changes
iPhone 12 Pro mini review
The Pacific Blue is very pretty, and makes me want to use my phone without a case
The frosted glass back feels very nice, but I worry about drops and scratches
The extra RAM (6GB instead of 4GB) is actually noticeable when resuming games
The overall performance has been great too, and according to PhoneBuff tests have it out performing the Samsung Note 20 Ultra (that actually has double the RAM)
The camera is a huge upgrade over the X, especially night mode
It automatically runs long exposures if needed, and if the gyroscope detects it's attached to a tripod it offers even longer options
The extra size isn't really noticeable
Magsafe is slick for chargers, especially if you already use a lot of wireless charging, but from what I've seen online accessories like the leather wallet don't really seem to stick in day-to-day use
Dead by Daylight mini mini review
Asynchronous 1v4 slasher game
Bit of a cash grab with its DLC, but on GamePass it's a lot of fun
Wraith is my boy!
PS2J 324 News – Facebook Game-Vertisement
Tagged as:	30%, 360, 4, 5, action, ad, adaptor, Adventure, advertising, Alan, alex hutchinson, Amazon, among us, anker, antenna, antitrust, app, app store, Apple, Arcade, assassin's creed, asynchronous, battery, beta, Bethesda, bill murray, black hills forest, Blair Witch, break, brick, broken, browser, bullshit, cable, Canada, CD Projekt Red, Charger, cloud gaming, console, control, controller, court, creative director, cross-platform, Crossplay, Cyberpunk 2077, dan aykroyd, day 0, default, delay, department of justice, developer, dsl, EA, elite, Elon Musk, Epic Games, ernie hudson, Facebook, fair use, Fallout 3, fanart, farmville, fees, fibre, fifa, file, first amendment, Free, Free Games, free speech, Gambling, game pass, gameplay, gaming, Ghostbusters, gizmodo, Gold, Google, Government, Grand Theft Auto, Graphics, GTA, harold ramis, headphone, hello games, Horror, improvements, infrastructure, Internet, iOS, jacksepticeye, jason rubin, Josh, journalist, journey to, judge, keyboard, latency tolerant, legion, liability, liberty, license, lock, loot box, low earth orbit, luna, Marvel Super Heroes, Microsoft, missing child, Mobile, moderate, moderation, money, monthly fee, mouse, needful things, netherlands, network, new york city, next generation, next-gen, nintendo, No Mans Sky, Oculus, optic, packaging, parapsychologist, patch, platform, play, Playstation, port, positive, power, profit, project, protection, PS2, PS3, PS4, ps5, psychological, publisher, quest 2, real time, Reddit, remastered, ruling, s, sales, Samsung, satellite, savage planet, save, search, section 230, senate, Shooter, signature, Simpsons, slow, Sony, Soulcaliber III, SpaceX, sports, stadia, starlink, stealth, strap, stream, streamer, Streaming<, subscription, Super Mario Odyssey, support, survival, Switch, terrorist, the occupation, the video game, third movie, third party, threat, Timeline, touchscreen, turtles all the way down, Twitch, Twitter, Ubisoft, ultimate edition, united states, upgrade, uplay, USB, valhalla, Vice City, vice president, waste, Watch Dogs, watermark, Wii, Windows, would you like to know more, X, XBox, Xbox One, xbox series, xplornet
http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/http://ps2jshow.fushigiyami.com/podcasts/PS2J-324-GameAds.mp3
Stealth game that takes place in a government building in real time over the course of four hours, advancing with or without player input, where you play a journalist researching a controversial government act threatening civil liberties in the wake of a terrorist attack
Psychological survival horror game set two years after the events of The Blair Witch Project, following a former police officer searching Black Hills Forest for a missing child
Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered
Third-person action adventure game where you play a new recruit to the team of parapsychologist ghost hunters two years after Ghostbusters II, that has you working with the original cast to investigate paranormal activities in New York City
The developers worked in many details from the Ghostbusters III script that Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis had been working on, leading Aykroyd to consider this as "essentially the third movie"
Facebook is jumping on the cloud gaming bandwagon, aiming at AAA free-to-play on browsers and mobile
The idea is that anybody can play for free, as long as they have a Facebook account (so much like Needful Things, you don't pay with money)
Facebook's vice president of play, Jason Rubin, says their initial focus will be games picked to be "latency tolerant", so they don't need rock-solid infrastructure or connections to be playable
Much like the days of Farmville, people can start playing games by clicking an ad in their Facebook timeline
And Rubin was quick to point out this isn't a game streaming service, and they won't be releasing a first-party controller. Everything will be played with mouse and keyboard, or with your device's touchscreen
They also won't be bringing in big name console titles from publishers like Bethesda, CD Projekt Red, or Ubisoft
And, ominously, Rubin said "No investment, no promises", presumably meaning that there's no monthly fee or contracts, but also seeming to imply that they'll do whatever they want with this platform as they've done with all of their other products
And theoretically the games won't be locked to the Facebook platform- every game at launch will allow users to take in-app purchases with them to other platforms to play elsewhere. They don't care if you stay on their platform, because you've already clicked the ad to launch the game
Rubin said "…ultimately, we ran the ads, the ads are more effective. And we're an advertising business. That's how free-to-play games find people."
Facebook makes money by keeping you on their platform, so if they can get you playing games there too they win regardless of if you're paying
Interestingly enough, in this era of pushback on app store fees, Facebook is reportedly taking a 30% cut of purchases on the web, though purchases through the Google Play store will see that 30% going to Google instead
They'll apparently be skipping over iOS this time around though, due to the rules we've reported on regarding cloud gaming on Apple devices
The Android Beta of Facebook Gaming launches this Monday
Heads up for anyone planning on taking their Control save file from the current generation of consoles to the new ones in November, you need to buy and play the current Ultimate Edition first
According to 505 Games support, you can't just import your base PS4 or Xbox One save into the new Ultimate version on the PS5 or Xbox Series
Using the Playstation as an example, you need to buy the Ultimate Edition for PS4 and then play it at least once to upgrade your save files. At that point they'll be compatible with the PS5 Ultimate Edition
So if you just own the base game on PS4 and the Ultimate Edition on PS5, you're stuck losing progress. You need to buy the Ultimate Edition on PS4 instead so that you can update your save.
At least the Ultimate Edition includes a free PS5 upgrade?
CD Project Red is under fire for once again delaying Cyberpunk 2077, this time to December 10th
Even though the game has gone gold and has all its content, this new delay is related to day 0 patches to try and improve the quality and gameplay
Day 0 patches can lead to some sizeable changes and improvements, as we saw with No Man's Sky, but can also cause issues for those without great internet that are hoping to just buy a disc and play it
On one hand I, like many others, want them to take the time to release a great game that they can be proud of, but on the other they probably shouldn't keep announcing new release dates and crunch times over and over again
This is an especially bad look when not even a full 24 hours before the latest announcement they were on Twitter telling people that the November 19th date was fully confirmed and 100% on track
The game was initially announced over 8 years ago
A trailer at E3 2019 gave a release date of April 26 2020
Then it was delayed to September 17
Then November 19
Now December 10
And this is all even with the crunch development that they promised they wouldn't do and are doing anyway. Developers are working upwards of 100 hour weeks, and things are still slipping
At this point it feels like they've prioritized the release date over actually finishing the game, but keep letting it slip regardless
That said, there have been reports of people sending death threats to the developers over these delays and that is NOT okay
Alex Hutchinson, a Google Stadia Creative Director, had a spicy take this week saying that streamers should pay developers and publishers extra licensing for the games they stream
Funnily enough this is a man using uncredited fanart of JackSepticEye's Savage Planet playthrough (a game Hutchinson worked on) for his Twitter banner
He even cropped out the signature
And many were quick to point out the positive impacts that streaming and let's play videos can have on game sales, as well as the fact that in a world where publishing executives make millions a year developers wouldn't even see any of that money anyway
Plus it's literally fair use- these people are adding commentary and personality to the gameplay, not just silently playing a movie
SpaceX is sending out the first invites for its public beta of Starlink, the low earth orbit satellite internet network
Currently limited to some areas of the US and Canada, it will be offering 50-150Mbps with an estimated latency of 20-40ms by summer 2021
It also comes with an iOS app that can help you install the antenna, check for obstructions, and help troubleshoot and test your connection if you need support
Initial buy-in is $500USD for the antenna and router, with a subscription price of $100/month, which honestly isn't that bad if you don't have cable, DSL, or fibre internet in your area- services like Xplornet offer slower speeds with much higher latency for about the same price
Following up on their huge Origins update, Hello Games has announced their next update for No Man's Sky: Next Generation
Update 3.1 will being a graphically enhanced and smoother experience to the next generation of consoles and PC, with bigger bases, lusher planets, more players, faster warp speeds, cross-generation crossplay, and more
Xbox One saves are automatically compatible, and PS4 players can upload their save data in-game for download on the PS5
Best part is, it's another completely free update!
I'm looking forward to loading up my original save from 2016 and trying out all this new stuff
October 24 – 1995 – Marvel Super Heroes – Arcade
Marvel Super Heroes is a 2D fighting game and the second Capcom title to feature characters from the Marvel comic universe.
The gameplay is very similar to X-Men: Children of the Atom, but with a simplified Super Combo gauge and the addition of infinity gems.
Each character starts with a set of gems.
These can be activated during a fight to improve speed, power and defense, or provide special abilities to create crushing stone walls, open up a rift in space, or reverse the opponent's controls.
The use of the gems is inspired by the The Infinity Gauntlet comic book series.
There are ten playable characters.
Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Psylocke, Spider-Man and Wolverine.
The villains are Blackheart, Juggernaut, Magneto and Shuma-Gorath.
Anita from the Darkstalkers series is a hidden character in the Japanese version.
The bosses are Doctor Doom and Thanos. During the boss fight Thanos steals all the player's gems (except for mind) and uses them with new effects.m
October 25 – 2005 – Soul Caliber III – PS2
In ancient times, a powerful weapon known as the Soul Edge existed, and tales of it's power lured many.
But Soul Edge was an evil weapon, and when Siegfried claimed it, he was turned into a creature named Nightmare.
As time passed, Nightmare rampaged across Europe leaving a path of destruction, despite the efforts of other fighters.
One day, a mysterious man carrying a scythe confronts Nightmare and splits Siegfried from his cursed form.
He then resurrects the Azure Armor to carry on as the "Nightmare" creature.
At the same time, a young girl Tira pledges herself to Soul Edge's dark power, and a woman named Setsuka swears to avenge her master.
All the while new rumors of the Soul Edge spread across the world, causing many who had searched for it before to once more venture out…
Soulcalibur III is a 3D fighting game featuring a variety of characters, each carrying a distinctive weapon and unique fighting style.
The basics of the combat is a derived, in different stances, from a combination of Horizontal Attacks, Vertical Attacks, Throws, Kicks and a Soul Charge.
Characters engage one another in 1vs1 fights that end when the energy of one side is lost, removed from the ring or run out of time.
This game added the Character Creation Mode
This allows the player to choose from several classes, clothing and armor, and physical features.
Most of the classes can use up to five disciplines, three of which are unique, and two of which are "Soul of …" disciplines: an exact replica of a main story character's moves.
The created fighter's personality can be altered, which influences their quotes and their actions during battle.
Unfortunately, the personality is chosen by the equipment the character wears, and not directly by the player.
In the first ever Spike Video Game Awards in 2003, SoulCalibur II won in the category Most Addictive Game. The original releases on MetaCritic, are 93% on GameCube, 92% on PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
I got some of these notes from PS2J 233, when I did the history of Soulcaliber.m
October 26 – 2000 – PlayStation 2 – North America
A sixth-generation console, it competed with Sega's Dreamcast, Nintendo's GameCube, and Microsoft's original Xbox.
Announced in 1999, the PS2 offered backward-compatibility for its predecessor's DualShock controller, as well as its games.
The PS2 is the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold over 155 million units worldwide.
Over 3,800 game titles have been released for the PS2, with over 1.5 billion copies sold.
The PlayStation 2 offered some particularly high-profile exclusive games.
Most main entries in the Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, and Metal Gear Solid series were released exclusively for the console.
Several prolific series got their start on the PlayStation 2, including God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Jak and Daxter, Devil May Cry, Kingdom Hearts, and Sly Cooper.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the best-selling game on the console.
Random PS2 Fact:
People in Brazil could actually boot up Netflix on their PS2 consoles.
This service also required a disc plus a memory card.
Netflix support for the PS2 was officially ended in 2012, which angered a user on the Gamespot forums.
However, Googling the subject, it seems some folks were able to circumvent this and keep watching House Of Cards and BoJack Horseman long after official support was pulled.
Reference for this: https://kotaku.com/until-2012-you-could-watch-netflix-on-a-ps2-in-brazil-1837331353
October 27 – 2017 – Super Mario Odyssey – Switch
Explore incredible places far from the Mushroom Kingdom as you join Mario and his new ally Cappy on a massive, globe-trotting 3D adventure.
Use amazing new abilities—like the power to capture and control objects, animals, and enemies—to collect Power Moons so you can power up the Odyssey airship and save Princess Peach from Bowser's wedding plans!
Thanks to heroic, hat-shaped Cappy, Mario's got new moves that'll make you rethink his traditional run-and-jump gameplay—like cap jump, cap throw, and capture.
Use captured cohorts such as enemies, objects, and animals to progress through the game and uncover loads of hidden collectibles.
And if you feel like playing with a friend, just pass them a Joy-Con™ controller!
Player 1 controls Mario while Player 2 controls Cappy.
This sandbox-style 3D Mario adventure—the first since 1996's beloved Super Mario 64™ and 2002's Nintendo GameCube™ classic Super Mario Sunshine™—is packed with secrets and surprises, plus exciting new kingdoms to explore.
Explore astonishing new locales like skyscraper-packed New Donk City to your heart's content, and run into familiar friends and foes as you try to save Princess Peach from Bowser's dastardly wedding plans.
Find something interesting? Toss your cap at it and see what happens! There are lots of fun and surprising ways to interact with your surroundings.
Be sure to bring any coins you find to a Crazy Cap store, where you can exchange them for decorative souvenirs for the Odyssey and new outfits for Mario! Some destinations have very exclusive dress codes, after all…
Hand a Joy-Con™ controller to a friend to enjoy simultaneous multiplayer: Player 1 controls Mario while Player 2 controls Mario's new ally Cappy.
Use Snapshot Mode to freeze time while playing the game and take screenshots that you can customize using various options and filters. Screenshots can be shared via social media or uploaded to PCs and smart devices* using all of the Nintendo Switch™ system's built-in screenshot tools.
A special edition Nintendo Switch™ hardware bundle will launch alongside the game. This special edition includes a download code for the full game, red left and right Joy-Con™ controllers, and a Super Mario Odyssey™ themed Nintendo Switch carrying case.
Controls are the best in the series. Ratings are generally perfect across the board.
First Mario game with a pop song as the main title.
Jump Up, Super Star was released worldwide on October 20, 2017, on the iTunes Store, while the short version was downloadable for free until January 31, 2018.
October 28 – 2008 – Fallout 3 – PS3, Windows, XBox 360
The game that made Fallout the way everyone knows it now
Bethesda Softworks started working on Fallout 3 in July 2004, but principal development did not begin until after The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and its related extras and plug-ins were completed.
Bethesda made Fallout 3 similar to the previous two games, focusing upon non-linear gameplay, story, and black comedy.
Bethesda pursued an ESRB rating of M (for "mature") by including the adult themes, violence, and depravity characteristic of the Fallout series.
They shied away from the self-referential gags of the game's predecessors that broke the illusion that the world of Fallout is real.
Fallout 3 uses a version of the same Gamebryo engine as Oblivion, and was developed by the team responsible for that game. Liam Neeson was cast as the voice of the player's father.
Neat Fallout 3 things I have from PS2J 216, the History of Fallout
There were originally at least 12 versions of the final cutscene, but, with further development, this expanded to over 200 possible permutations in the final release, all of which are determined by the actions taken by the player.
Game director Todd Howard confirmed that, in addition to thematics about slavery and cannibalism, there would be the presence of splatter scenes and exposition of evident mutilations on enemies with release of gibs.
The inspiration to include scenes with such explicit violence came from the "crash mode" of the driving simulator series Burnout.
Instead of cars that disintegrated because of the damage, the idea of applying kinematics on bodies who suffered wounds and mutilations due to ballistic trauma or beatings.
The game fell into some controversies with a world wide release.
Fallout 3 was refused classification by the Australian Classification Board, thus making it illegal to distribute or purchase the game in Australia.
According to the board report, the game was refused classification due to the "realistic visual representations of drugs and their delivery method [bringing] the 'science-fiction' drugs in line with 'real-world' drugs".
A revised version of the game had to be released without the animations of administering the drugs.
In light of cultural sensitivities, the game was not released in India.
Although the specific reason was not revealed in public, it is possible that it is because the game contains two-headed mutated cows called Brahmin, or that Brahmin is also the name of an ancient, powerful hereditary caste of Hindu priests and religious scholars in India, or its similarity to the spelling of brahman, a type of cow that originated in India.
The side quest "The Power of the Atom" in the Japanese version of Fallout 3 was changed to relieve concerns about depictions of atomic detonation in inhabited areas, as the memory of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remains strong in the country.
In non-Japanese versions, players are given the option of either defusing, ignoring, or detonating the dormant atomic bomb in the town of Megaton; in the Japanese version, the character of Mr. Burke is absent, making it impossible to choose the detonation option.
Also in the Japanese release, the "Fat Man" nuclear catapult weapon was renamed "Nuka Launcher", as the original name was a reference to Fat Man, the bomb used on Nagasaki.
According to Tetsu Takahashi, responsible for localizing Fallout 3 to Japan under his company Zenimax Asia, the available actions prior to localizing "The Power of the Atom" and the ability to kill civilians almost got the game banned by CERO before it received an Adult Only Rating.
October 29 – 2002 – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – PlayStation 2
The follow-up to the game that changed gaming
Tommy Vercetti is a gangster who just got off a fifteen year prison sentence for not squealing on his friends.
Because he didn't rat out his "family", Tommy's sent to work with Sonny Forelli, his old boss.
Sonny gives him an easy drug job, but everything goes wrong, and Tommy loses everything.
Upon returning to Sonny, he gets mad and wants his money back.
Unfortunately, everybody in Vice City, from gangsters and Cubans to bikers and politicians are in his way, and it's up to Tommy to clear a path.
The 80's aesthetic makes this game so special to me
I love the era, but love the internet so wouldn't want to live in that time. Just visit, which this game lets me.
My favorite part of the description is about the soundtrack.
To effectively capture the mood of the 1980s, the soundtrack has been altered to fit the time period.
Players will listen to an estimated nine hours of music (nearly three times the amount featured in the previous game) across ten radio stations.
The eclectic mix features such noteworthy titles as I Ran by Flock of Seagulls, The Message by Grandmaster Flash, You've Got Another Thing Coming by Judas Priest, and Out of Touch by Hall & Oates.
October 30 – 2007 – The Simpsons Game – PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, XBox 360
This at a glance, would the game for The Simpsons Movie that came out the same year
I remember playing all of it up the end, and enjoying it.
I do not remember finishing it or not
Bart Simpson goes to a video game store and buys a new ultra-violent Grand Theft Scratchy game, which is promptly confiscated by his mother Marge.
Suddenly, a video game manual lands right in front of him.
Miraculously, after having read the manual, the members of the Simpsons family discover that each of them possesses a unique superpower.
Toying with these, however, attracts the attention of the aliens Kang and Kodos, who decide to invade the Earth.
Now the unlikely superheroes must not only protect the town of Springfield from an alien assault, but also find the true reason behind their newly acquired powers, and perhaps their very existence.
The Simpsons Game is a 3D action game with platforming and light puzzle-solving elements, based on the long-running cartoon.
The game is divided into sixteen episodes, each containing cutscenes reminiscent of the original Simpsons TV series.
Every episode is set in a different environment; some of the scenarios are based in Springfield, while others take the player into meta-virtual worlds.
Some of the episodes parody a popular game or genre, having names like Medal of Homer or Neverquest. Each stage features two members of the Simpson clan working together to achieve the goal.
Players must switch back and forth using each family members' unique powers to complete the level.
Most of the game's versions allow two-player cooperative play.
The four controllable characters have their own unique abilities, which are used for combat, puzzle-solving, or exploration-related purposes.
Homer can expand into a rolling blob or inflate himself with helium and float for a while; later, he learns a few other transformation abilities.
Bart can become Bartman, using a grappling hook to access certain areas, as well as move upwards in air streams with his cape.
Lisa's main ability is called "Hand of Buddha", which is used mainly for moving around large objects; she can also play her saxophone to stun or confuse enemies.
Finally, Marge can gather people with her megaphone and control their actions, as well as send the little Maggie into crawlspaces only she can access.
Some of these abilities have limited uses and must be either recharged or replenished with special items, while others are available only at specific trigger points.
The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions also contain free-roaming gameplay – exclusively in those versions player characters can leave the Simpsons' house between missions and freely wander through virtual Springfield.
Familiar landmarks (such as Moe's Tavern, etc.) are present and can be explored as well.
These locations may contain additional dialogue and events. It is possible to use the bus to travel quickly to various destinations.
After openly mocking Apple for removing charging bricks from new iPhones being sold, Samsung is reportedly considering the exact same move
This isn't really anything new, after they pulled advertising focused on Apple removing the headphone port when they did the exact same thing in the Galaxy Note 10 series
It kind of makes sense though- it leads to less packaging and e-waste, while also driving people toward reliable and cheaper companies like Anker for their power adaptors
With reports of broken Quest 2 Elite straps continuing to mount on Reddit, users are saying that Oculus Support is being overwhelmed and pushing response times further and further back
In a case related to the FIFA games, a judge in the Netherlands has officially ruled that loot boxes are a form of gambling, and since online gambling is strictly regulated there they have given EA three weeks to remove them or be subject to up to €5M in fines
Ubisoft's UPLAY+ has morphed into Ubisoft+, launching a multi-platform subscription model with a beta on Amazon Luna and later on Google Stadia
PC subscribers get unlimited access to 100+ games for $15/month, including premium editions and upcoming titles like Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Once Luna and Stadia support are brought in you'll be able to play all of the included games on one of those streaming services at no additional cost, so you won't need a powerful gaming PC to play brand new AAA titles
As part of the antitrust lawsuit against Google that we talked about last week, it's being reported that Google currently pays Apple an estimated $8-12B per year to be the default search engine
This is believed to be the single biggest payment Google makes to anyone, and accounts for 14-21% of Apple's annual profits
Gizmodo's breakdown of the US senate's proposed changes to the laws that protect online platforms against liability for content uploaded by their users and how the platforms moderate it
https://gizmodo.com/senate-republicans-bullshit-talking-points-on-their-sec-1845430280

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl