The thought came to me after stumbling across some 4K screenshots of Tom Clancy's The Division. Admittedly, the pictures are very nice, but... that beauty also sparks some disappointment. When the first images from The Division appeared, I couldn't stop thinking about all of the rich possibilities for exploration and discovery the game might hold.

I mean, the REAL New York City is one ginormous mystery that can never be fully understood, or known. Even life long residents of the city have remarked how the five boroughs are impossibly complex. You can live there for your entire life, and still not know much of what is actually in the city.

The Division visually hints at that sort of grandeur and scale, but fails to deliver on that promise. I mean, sure, the game itself IS big. You can wander the streets for what seems like forever, but that is a far cry from what I'd been hoping The Division would be. And I doubt that it is any coincidence that I felt the same about Watchdogs.

For the Division, I wanted to be able to enter and completely explore virtually any or all buildings in the city. I thought that at the very least, there might have been the ability to commandeer vehicles, or to hide inside of them. And with the sheer abundance of garbage laying all about in the city, I would have expected that players could freely scavenge random parts, and perhaps use them for crafting tools, weapons, or other items.

Instead, The Division's version of New York basically turns the city into one huge battle arena. How much difference is there between The Division's core gameplay, and... Quake III or Star Wars Battlefront? The game is billed as an RPG. And there is a thin coating of RPG like elements. But the best role-playing games are not JUST about giving you 10 million different options and ways to play. It's also about creating a gripping story, a compelling narrative that draws you in and makes you feel that you are playing a vital role.

Curious... that a 20 year-old game with 2D sprites managed to so much, so well.

Part of the way that you create that sort of compelling narrative is by allowing the player to form connections with not just other players, but even NPC's. If you think of some of the greatest RPG's of all time: Final Fantasy VII, ChronoTrigger, Suikoden, Zelda, what do players remember most about those games? The special weapons and power-ups that could be found? No. People remember THE STORY.

But enough picking on The Division. There's plenty of other games that I could think of that seem to hint at near limitless possibilities, but then fall short. How many games have you played where you find yourself walking past one static building after another? Sure the scenery looks good, but it's inaccessible.

Back in the days of 32-bit consoles, I would have completely understood why this might have been such a daunting task. But now? Stop and consider some of the very best open world games that were on last gen hardware: Skyrim, The Last of Us, The Uncharted Series, The Far Cry series, Grand Theft Auto V, The Saints Row Series, Red Dead Redemption, The Witcher series. Those games truly shattered the barriers of what we knew to be possible on consoles.

Fallout 3 & 4 seemed to deliver on the kind of depth and interactivity that I'd hope to see in The Division. In fact, there's been no shortage of commentary on the sheer scope of Fallout. But, here we are in 2016, and we still have games with buildings with sealed doors and windows. Oceans, lakes and rivers that you can't explore, mountain ranges that you can't climb, and random items that are intangible.

Now, I understand the logical explanation for all of this. For certain games, due to budget constraints, or even just design, creating a game with that kind of complexity may not be practical or even doable.

But...

... Virtual Reality.

That's all that everyone can talk about right now. But how satisfying will VR be if we still see these kind of limitations in games?

For example, say I'm swimming in an underwater level, and I just happen to see a mysterious looking cave. The way games are now, and always have been, you would never be able to explore that cave. You could probably get just past the mouth of the cave, and then find yourself blocked from going any further by an imperceptible wall.

I've become accustomed to these kind of barriers over the years because I always told myself that the technology just couldn't support it. But now? Can I still tell myself that and believe it?

It's the little touches that often make a game great. It's the small things that impress. How long are we going to walk into kitchens where you can't break the dishes, or open the cabinets? How long are we going to see cars and trucks that don't explode after a well-placed shot to the gas tank?

This even applies to the Hitman series which I've probably mentioned wayyy too much. How long will it be before we get realistic physics on NPC's? If I shoot an enemy directly in the knee caps, should he still be walking? If I smack an ordinary enemy in the head with a heavy object, shouldn't that be lights out?

There's so many ways that game developer's could add endless layers of depth to their games, and yet... I'm not seeing it. At least, not to the extent that I've hoped for. Perhaps my sentiments are due to a lack of detailed knowledge on the complexity and challenge of making a modern game. But, what I do know is that it seems like it will still be a long time before I get to play the kind of games I've often dreamed of.

Thoughts? Comments? Let em' rip.

What could I possibly say that hasn't already been said before about this movie? It is frankly amazing how consistent the critiques against this film are. Dawn of Justice? More like Dawn of Disappointment. I feel guilty even saying that because the irony is that I'm one of those weird people who actually LIKED Man of Steel, and I'm not the least bit ashamed to say it. I also like & respect most of the cast in Batman vs. Superman. But, the simple truth is that you can have the most talented actors ever, and that still may not be enough to salvage a bad film.

After watching the movie, I read statements from Henry Cavill and Amy Adams on how any movie review is subjective and should always be seen that way. I agree. So, let me just say that this blog will mostly be about MY personal thoughts on the film. Yours may differ.

Okay, so... this is a movie that we all know has been hyped up for quite some time. This was supposed to be the movie that would show us that DC characters are just as compelling as Marvel's. I can honestly say that even throughout the many trailers leading up to the film's debut, I was never excited to see it.

As soon as they started with the, Superman is the evil alien god that must be stopped stuff, my interest began to wane. There's way too many pretentious theological references in this movie, but I'll get into that later. I also found myself cringing at what eventually became Batman's signature line in the trailers.

"Tell me, do you bleed? You will."

Awful.

That alone should have clued me in to what I'd be in for. But I kept telling myself, "Well, maybe there's more meat to the film. Maybe they wanted to save the best for later."

I was wrong.

I went into the movie with quite low expectations, and despite that, thinking back I realize that I never, ever, everfelt any sort of tension or anxiety no matter what was happening on screen. On the positive side, the movie didn't waste precious time trying to re-tell the story of how Bruce Wayne's parents died, or how he became the Batman.

I grew to like Ben Affleck's portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman only about halfway into the movie, but for the first half of it, I just wasn't convinced. For example, the movie picks up from the near-ending of Man of Steel with Bruce Wayne racing through the streets of Metropolis, watching as Superman and Zod cause mayhem all around them.

It's unclear why Bruce Wayne is doing this. Apparently, he just wants to give ol' Supes the evil eye from ground level, and let him know that he's very disappointed in him. And that, in a sense, embodies what is so... well, stupid about the whole storyline.

Bruce Wayne/Batman, a character well acquainted with being unfairly judged and critiqued for his tactics, seems completely unable to see that Superman has saved earth from certain destruction. About Superman, "He could burn the whole place down, and there's not a thing we could do about it."

Yeah. Because, you know, that's totally what Superman likes to do.

Superman can save as many lives as he likes. He can save Earth from total destruction. But all this Batman can see is that he's an evil alien "god" who must be brought down at all costs. Oh Batman. Jealous much? It is ironic how many times both Bruce Wayne and Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor spit out the word "alien" with passionate disgust.

It makes you wonder what bothers the two most. Superman's powers, or the fact that he comes from someplace other than Earth?

In either case, neither fear strikes me as noble or what we would expect from a "hero".

Then, there's Lex Luthor. Oh boy.

Again, soooo many of the reviews I've found for this movie have touched on the same basic observations. Among them, that Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is little more than an amalgam of his own portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, and Heath Ledger's Joker. And it's true.

I wanted to be impressed by this new Lex Luthor, but I just couldn't figure out what his motivation was supposed to be. There is a brief, and nonsensical explanation. It basically boils down to: Superman is a false god because he won't do what Luthor wants him to do. So... now, Lex is supposed to be the protector of truth and virtue by exposing Superman as a fraud. A sentiment shared by Bruce Wayne.

Throughout the movie, Lex Luthor drops several little lines that I'm certain were crafted to sound clever. They are not. Luthor's lines have nowhere near the cleverness of Eisenberg's in The Social Network, or Spacey's in Superman Returns.

This Luthor says things like, "The red capes are coming. The red capes are coming!", or "Do you know what the oldest lie in America is, Senator? That power can be innocent."

REALLY?

That's the oldest lie in america? This is something that people say all the time? Dumb.

Also, in the course of trying to condescend to Lois Lane, "That is a three-syllable word for any thought too big for little minds." Thank you for helping us count syllables Lex. You're a true genius.

And perhaps the worst, and most annoying... "If man won't kill God, the Devil will do it!"

Really dude? WTF??? What is with all the God and Devil, Heaven and Hell stuff??? This isn't church.

They have this same sort of dialogue in the upcoming X-Men movie, and it feels so contrived and stupid. Didn't this emo/nihilistic/angry at the world/I hate everything stuff get played out with Marilyn Manson and the 90's?

Moving on.

Wonder Woman is probably one of the best things about this movie. She's tough. She's smart. And she isn't walking around with a head full of baggage over her past. At least, not in this movie. In fact, without spoiling anything, I would almost venture to say that Wonder Woman has more balls than Superman or Batman. The lady is definitely not afraid of a good fight.

Doomsday, at least LOOKS mostly like the monster from the comics. Although the movie butchers that storyline beyond recognition.

There's other surprises in the movie, but I'd rather let you RENT it and see for yourself. See what I did there?

Overall, this movie was a hot mess, and I really am sad to say it. They just had waaaaayyyy too much going in this story. And... just as other have said, they tried to accomplish in one movie what Marvel would have done in four or five. The result is sloppy and forgettable.

As we speak, the only thing the news headlines will say is that the movie is "breaking box office records". I am not surprised. It is the movie's first weekend, after all. It will take a while for word of mouth to spread that this movie has Netflix rental written all over it.

I won't even score it. I've said enough.

As the rumor mill continues to churn regarding what will be Nintendo's next console, one rumor seems to have persisted more than others. That bit of speculation being that the NX will debut at E3. Conventional wisdom would dictate that this has to happen, that it NEEDS to happen. After all, Nintendo must be reeling after the brutal beating it took when matched against not only last gen consoles, but even current gen consoles, right?

The Wii U was a horrendous failure and Nintendo absolutely must make a significant showing at E3 if it wants to stay relevant, right??

And... the Wii U has to be more powerful than either the PS4 or Xbox One if it wants to be competitive. No one wants to play a console that won't be able to support 4K visuals and Virtual Reality games, right???

Not necessarily.

If all the gossip and speculation and wild guessing about the NX aren't giving you an extreme feeling of deja vu, it should.

The hype leading up to the reveal of the Wii U was nearly identical to what we are hearing about the NX right now. Looking back, it's almost laughable how far off much of that speculation was.

There were rumors that the Wii U would cost no more than $199, that it would dwarf both the Xbox 360 and PS3 in terms of raw power. It was rumored that Nintendo had aggressively courted third-party development, and that this time they were "serious" about getting it right.

Much of the speculation about the Wii U has simply been recycled for the NX. But, one thing was certain. MANY believed that the Wii U could/would be the console that would redeem Nintendo and restore the success they'd enjoyed with the original Wii, and the legendary NES.

Not one bit of that proved to be true, and I found the whole affair to be quite sad.

In reality, Nintendo hadn't done much of anything to secure deep support from third-parties or indie development. The Wii U did not bring a restoration of Nintendo's old glory. I can still remember the nagging doubts I had when the Wii U was still an unknown element.

I thought the gamepad was a great idea. Ergonomically, it seemed comfortable enough. I loved the idea of it being a tablet/remote/second screen. I was impressed by Nintendo's decision to simultaneously offer the Pro Controllers for the Wii U. I thought that showed a great sense of commitment to "hard-core" traditional gamers. I loved that it was backwards compatible.

A great, though extremely overdue idea.

But... I was suspicious when Nintendo seemed so reluctant to reveal the console itself. When I finally saw the design for the Wii U, I was troubled, and I felt that something was definitely wrong. While the games announced for launch were interesting, a few key titles ended up not being ready for the consoles debut. Never a good sign.

The number of quality games available at any consoles launch speaks to several important factors. One, it says that there is significant enthusiasm for the new hardware and it's capabilities on the part of software developers. And let's be clear, raw power is NOT the sole measure of new technology.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Technology is not always vertical. Sometimes, what makes new technology dynamic is that it simply allows us to do things more efficiently. Even as I write this blog, spellcheck is an excellent example of that kind of innovation. Bluetooth devices would be another example.

The number of games available at a consoles launch also speak to the order and planning of the company making the hardware. Announcing at the 11th hour that a game will not be ready at the promised date does not inspire confidence from a consumer's point of view.

Nintendo has now become notorious for delaying significant software projects. Nintendo fans are loyal, so it's rarely been more than a minor annoyance. But, is it possible that this has lulled Nintendo into a state of laziness, where deadlines are of limited concern? Sure, the delays usually mean we get a polished, relatively bug-free experience. But, well... you know.

Another problem I had with the Wii U is that truthfully, it is an extremely bland and ordinary piece of design. The Wii U console could easily pass for an external hard drive or some other generic PC accessory. Aesthetics do matter. Design is important. Nintendo seemed to lose sight of that with the Wii U.

The Gamecube was a quirky and interesting console that is still loved by many to this day. How much of that was due to it's unique design? A simple purple cube with a pulsating, glowing red jewel that might seem to indicate a living, breathing device? The Gamecube controller has frequently been hailed as one of Nintendo's very best. Don't believe me? What controller did Nintendo fans clamor for when playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

Even the Wii was a testament to the power of smart, attractive design. Clean and simple lines in a glossy shell. And the disc drive that featured the soft blue glow. The Nunchuk and Wii-mote gave us clever and functional news ways to play, and were just strange and wonderful enough to capture the interest of nearly everyone.

Even all these years later, ya gotta admit it STILL looks cool.

These are all issues that the NX must overcome. Whether it will or not, I don't care to speculate. It was not a good feeling to be so excited for the Wii U, and to see it become home to an endless parade of LEGO titles, last gen ports and forgettable rehashes for the Virtual Console.

Much has been said, and will continue to be said about the NX. I'm trying to avoid those discussions if I can. But, one thing that I've recently begun to suspect is that the NX will NOT be present at E3.

Why?

Nintendo has already shown increasingly apathy towards E3. And the truth is, they aren't alone.

In reality, an appearance at E3 2016 would have Nintendo facing a skeptical audience with only a smattering of die-hard fans willing to be thrilled by anything. In addition, you better believe that both Sony and Microsoft are just salivating at the opportunity to takes notes on Nintendo's plans for the future, and to undercut them.

The moment that the NX is revealed, I would bet that Microsoft and Sony execs will be speed-dialing their R&D folks to cook up an NX killer. Nintendo knows this better than anyone. Who doesn't remember Sony and Microsoft's overt attempts to cash in on Nintendo's motion-control money train? The NX will be no different.

So, all of this leads to another consideration. If Nintendo decides to skip E3, when will we see the NX?

Well, my bet is that Nintendo will reveal the NX through an exclusive event of their own, or something that is more gamer-centric. E3 is a rather exclusionary event that is mostly exciting for industry professionals. Ordinary folks/gamers have to wait for events like PAX. Also, after enduring the Tomodachi Life broohaha, and now the Allison Rapp poop storm, I think Nintendo has become wary of the press and mass media in general.

This also leads me to suspect that Nintendo may wait as late as this fall to reveal the NX. Everyone likes to assume that they know exactly what Nintendo will do. But I think Nintendo has actually made a firm decision to defy expectations. Whether that turns out to be good or bad, I doubt anyone knows.

What do you think?

Author's Notes: Sorry for the long delay, I had to think of how the next battle would go and how it should turn out. Also, remember when I said I was getting another writer to write an alternate ending? Well, I'm having Blogger, Marco Polo, write it with me. I hope you enjoy what's next in this entry in The Invaders.

The boy is almost to his end...
We shall see if he succeeds in his battle.

***

Pencils, paper, books. they're all levitating in the air. The boy is spinning in the corner like stumbling top. His pencil is moving in a large speed, music is blaring in the background. 

The boy is startled to see his door slide open. A woman with a demon like tale stands in the doorway, staring at the boy. Her helm covers her face, but her eyes linger. "What am I looking at?" 

"Look, the  generals and administrators said I can decorate my room as I please."

"i can see that, but why turn the gravity off? It's a bit... Disorienting."

"It's relaxing."

"It's unhealthy."

"It's awesome."

"It's dangerous!"

"It's therapeutic!" His shout leaves his room. The employees and recruits take a glance in the room. The embarrassment was brief. 

"Do whatever the hell you want."

"Why are you here?" She looks around his room, as if she was looking for something.

"I'm only here to introduce myself. The name is Amnesia."

"Why they call you that?"

"That's classified to you, for now." the longing cling to this memory in Xavier's mind brings light into his faith. The mission may be close to fail, but there might be a chance. 

"Where do you think they are?"

"Who? The two wandering or the three captured?"

"The one's we need to save the captured, Silas." Silas stops. for a moment. He stands frozen in the same place. Xavier is confused until his voice blurts out scanning. A slight relief sets Xavier's mind a flame. 

A roaring sound of footsteps echo within the halls of which he stands. He readies his rifle and keeps his pistols in mind. He'll only use his wrist blade if he's disarmed. The worry that this might lessen his time. It's been two minutes. The thought of leaving the rest lingered in his mind.  The sound get louder. Xavier sets his finger on the hair trigger. The foot steps are generating in front of him. Louder and closer as every second passes until it stops. 

Xavier's guard still at hand, he stands still as the closes his eyes and listens. It gets quieter as he listens for a single sound. Nothing.

"Whoever this is, he can be silent," Xavier thought. A sudden crack echoes in the halls to his left. The crack sounded like a bone. "Sounds rickety, too."

The sound of wind breaking came from behind him. The sounds was clear, someone was striking. Xavier quickly moves his mechanical arm behind him. Luckily he blocked it, but he was strong. The wind was knocked out from the two of them. 

"You little rat!"

"Incorrect." Xavier's opponent rose in clarity. "I wasn't alone." Another drops from the vents above. Xavier laughs hysterically. 

"Were you waiting for your introduction!?" His two opponents look at each other, their swords are drawn. They strike as one, Xavier drops his rifle. He decides to result to sword and sidearm. 

The steel clash, sparks fly across them. Xavier shot only once with his pistol. Him and his two opponents stare soulless at each other. Blood trickles down one of their arms. "Who are you two?" they strike once again. Xavier's wrist blade gazes one of their clothe masks off.

"Bloodseekers? Oh this is going to be an awesome bounty!" One makes a gesture at the other. The masked Bloodseeker approaches Xavier as the other walks into the darkness. "Just one of ya? Lets see how you deal!" Xavier slashes at him, blocking it, they go in an all out battle. Steel clashing to steel, bullets ricochet off the wall, they were almost equal fighters. 

The Bloodseeker tires of the fight, she rams Xavier to the wall, knocking his pistol off his hands with his blade. Xavier pinned to the wall, the Bloodseeker takes her cloth mask off and smiles with a vicious grin. She head buds Xavier causing him to be disoriented and stabs Xavier's hand. 

Xavier was screaming in pain. Pinned to the wall, he couldn't pull himself out without the pain consuming him. The Bloodseeker pulls out two daggers. "I plan to gut you."

"We both do. You impress me sister."

"Thank you my sister."

A rage fills Xavier, his soul burning with anger. Pain was no longer an annoyance. Pulling his arm down the to the blade's grip, he was free. The Blood Seekers were frightened, his rage made him powerful. Xavier slaughters the unmasked Bloodseeker, her own blade was struck into her skull.

In fright, the remaining Bloodseeker flees. Xavier rage took over and didn't want her to leave with him toying with her. "With her sister's blade..." Tareen lingers by Xavier's side. "You will relinquish her..."

Xavier tackles her to the ground, picking her up with his robotic arm, she begs to not kill her as she struggles in his hand. Tareen still commanding him, his voice darkens Xavier's soul. "Kill her, and you will be freed..." With her sister's blade at his hand, Xavier doesn't hesitate to finish her. The blade sinks below her neck, causing her to slowly perish. 

The rage leaves his mind, left staring into the Bloodseeker's eyes losing life. Guilt rushes through him, leaving him feeling sympathy for her. The blade was pulled out from her chest. 

"No. No!" he cries out with pain. He slowly sets her down on the ground as he holds her hand. Xavier removes her cloth mask, under it are tears running down her cheeks. Blood fills her eyes as her last breath leaves her lungs. 

"Scan complete," Silas notices a blood trail leading to Xavier. "What did I miss?" Xavier ignores him. He stts both of the Booldseekers' bodies in a respectable position to honor them. "Who were they?"

"Let's find the rest of the team."

"Alright."

***

The room is humid with blood in the air. Psycho watches Xavier through his surveillance. Jell was with tortured scares around her face. Her breathing was deep and intense, her face looking to the floor, her anger to Psycho was large. 

"What are you planning to do with him?"

"Oh, but to kill him!" a sinister grin forms across his face. " And if I feel the need, I will let you and his friends join him."

"He'll kill you before you get the chance."

"I doubt such a thing will happen. Are you forgetting about your friend?" Zackary's eyes glow as Jell glances at him.  "What am I saying? How can you forget such a face? Now, are you wondering what we did with you sweetheart?"

"What the f*ck are you getting at?"

"See for yourself!" two of his crew pulls Night Crawler's body to the room. She was still conscious, struggling to get up, she was injured. 

"You see, my friend? She's fine! Now let's fix that." Psycho lifts her arm. Jell knew what he was going to do. 

"Don't!"

"What did I tell you last time? It's opposite day!" he lifts his leg and stomps on her arm, breaking it. Night Crawler's screams fill the room. With what power she has left, she hugs her arm, crying from the pain. 

"You see, there is one thing I want to do to you two."

"Go to hell!" 

"No, not that! I want to break your sanity"

For quite some time now, I've been feeling this strange sense of loss, dismay and apathy towards what many call "mainstream gaming", or "hardcore gaming". Frankly, I don't even know what that means to be "HARDCORE" anymore. Sure, the word usually conjures images of someone who spends every waking moment tearing through the latest game releases, or hunting down the best goodies at the local Gamestop, or a person who somehow has every Amiibo ever released.

But is that hardcore?

See, when I think of hardcore, I think of XXX sports. I think of Redbull ads, or musclebound monsters doing a dead lift of 1,000 Ilbs (yes, it's been done before). I think of someone training for months and months on end to achieve one phenomenal task. Ironically, I also think of some of the guys who have set world records on classic games like Donkey Kong, Pac-man, Galaga and others.

So why is it that the term HARDCORE just doesn't seem to fit for today's gaming scene? What I'm about to say is highly subjective, but I think the answer boils down to one word.

LOVE.

No, not the mushy, snuggle with your girlfriend, cuddle with your puppy, miss your parents kind of love. I mean passion, excitement, exuberance, ENTHUSIASM!

People who love anything to any great measure are usually called many things. But some of the most common titles for such folk is "enthusiasts", and more simply... "lovers".

You have car enthusiasts, car lovers, coffee lovers, R/C airplane enthusiasts, music lovers, anime enthusiasts, food lovers, sports enthusiasts, nature lovers and many, many more. What all of these people have in common is that they share common interests that reinvigorate them, give them a sense of purpose, a feeling of belonging to something larger than themselves, and a profound joy not merely linked to material objects, but that stands as a reminder of the endless joys and discoveries of life itself.

If you're a Ferrari enthusiast, yes, it may be thrilling to hear about the latest creation to roll out of Italy (the 2016 488GTB).

But in truth, you and other like-minded individuals may find yourselves lost in endless discussion over the merits of the Ferrari 308GTB.

Either way, with either car, your greater love of the Ferrari brand would not be diminished. In fact, it would probably be deepened.

That kind of love, that kind of passion, seems to be waffling lately.

Sure, the rocket-like sales of the PS4, and the incredible excitement and push for Virtual Reality may seem to say otherwise. But, there is another side. There IS something else growing alongside the technology that seems to promise so much. And, I would argue, there is also something MISSING from modern gaming.

I know a group of ladies who get together every year to go on crafting getaways. They reserve a block of rooms at a hotel along with a meeting space. They'll spend an entire weekend sharing ideas, trading tips, having endless conversations, drinking wine, laughing, and generally having an awesome time.

I've never once heard them complain, or get a sour face because they didn't spend an extra $100 on a "premium sowing machine". I've never heard them say they were "so over last year's fabric designs". The LOVE of the hobby always, ALWAYS seemed larger than any one thing, and I'm convinced that's why it endures.

To me, gaming seems to be increasingly predicated on this notion that you AREN'T really having a good time unless you've made certain crucial investments. And, I feel that there is a growing helplessness that comes with that and pervades the gaming scene today.

Company A releases a broken game, or delays it, or axes it completely, and BOOM! Instant buzzkill. The recent news of Sony and Microsoft developing upgraded versions of their existing consoles feels like a silent admission of a strategic mistake.

"We thought these systems would be good enough as is, but... OOOOPS!"

And for any piece of bad news that gamers get, they really can't do anything about it. They have to just sit and take it. They're only options are to grit their teeth and bear it, or to opt out. And most of the companies involved in gaming know that gamers are too attached to the hobby to be able to just "walk away" from virtually anything.

There are a few people, a few companies in the industry that I personally still respect. Sean Murray, lead developer for No Man's Sky is one of them. I admire his humility, his commitment to quality. I like that he has not created a super-sized hype machine to promote his game, but rather let it stand on it's own merits. I REALLY like that he was able to create such a seemingly fantastic piece of software with a small, dedicated, PASSIONATE team.

In the world of Game Development, this guy is a class act.

By what ratio would you say Ubisoft's development team for The Division dwarfs No Man's Sky?

It's a bit shameful, isn't it?

I find myself drifting further and further away from any notion of being a "hardcore gamer". I find myself increasingly looking for new ways to play, new platforms, new ideas. I'm an enthusiast, because I LOVE the hobby, not the stuff required to engage the hobby.

I think anytime you find yourself making several substantial investments JUST TO GET STARTED in any given hobby, the love will suffer.

If you're an aspiring mix DJ, and you go shell out big bucks on a premium mixtable, computers and software, how often are you going to want to do that?

If you love to cook, how many times do you want to buy a new stove, or a new oven? How many times do you want to switch brands of flour or butter, because the brand you've used keeps cheapening their product, or outright ruining it?

For a time, I truly thought that the answer to moderngaming's woes was the Indie Game scene. But all of the crowd-funding scandals utterly crushed that notion. I am now convinced that the overall structure of Kickstarter regrettably attracts con-artists and people of scant moral and ethical fiber.

So what is the answer? I honestly don't know. The answer to that question often raises more "chicken and the egg" like questions.

Which came first? The love of games, or games that made us love them?

Maybe this cute ball of fluff knows the answer.

How many of you saw the Karate Kid 2? Remember the scene where Daniel is getting the snot beat out of him by Chozen Toguchi? Until... Mr. Miyagi reminds Daniel of the "Drum Technique". Then, Daniel musters up his last bit of strength and beats Chozen into submission. What makes that single moment most noble, though incredibly cheesy, is what Daniel says as he prepares to deliver the death blow to Chozen. You know it?

Daniel:"Live or die, man? Live or die?"

Chozen:"Die."

Daniel:"Wrong."(Honks Chozen's nose)

Again, yes, 80's flicks like the Karate Kid had more cheese than Velveeta. But, one of the things I loved is that many of them contained subtle themes about love, life, or the struggle to be courageous in life.

Movies like E.T., Goonies, and Back To The Future all seemed to silently convey that big courage often comes in small packages. And, that doing the right thing is always perceptible.

Now, some may say that those films were born of a much more naive time, and that in fact, doing the right thing is not always easy to know. Perhaps. But, well... I suppose that's a conversation for another time.

What I will say is that no matter how much time passes, courage never loses it's appeal.

What got me on this train of thought is a new anime series that I just happen to LOVE. You may have heard of it.

It's called "One-Punch Man".

Who am I kidding. You KNOW this show. It's ONLY the best anime to come along since Wolf's Rain.

It's easy to root for Saitama. Saitama alone is a character ripe for discussion.

Why is Saitama so powerful?

HOW did Saitama get so powerful?

There's one episode where Saitama tells his disciple, Genos, how he was once just a normal guy like him. And, how he trained endlessly, with fierce determination to be the best, to be unbeatable.

But, when Genos takes the advice to heart, Saitama exhales heavily, and says to himself, "I can't believe he bought it!"

So, the true source of Saitama's power is always a mystery.

But nearly as interesting as Saitama himself is the cast of other "heroes" in City Z, where Saitama lives. The "Hero Association" is much like The Justice League, or X-Men, only substantially larger.

Among the heroes that I've developed a new found appreciation for is the one who is probably considered the least of them.

Mumen Rider.

If you're thinking Mumen rider looks unimpressive, you're right.

If you think Mumen looks like he can't do much, you're right.

If you think Mumen Rider is weak... you are wrong.

In an episode where City Z is assaulted by the Sea King and his people, nearly every highly ranked member of the Hero Association gets their @## handed to them. City Z is literally on the verge of being wiped off the map. Citizens huddle together in stark terror as they gaze upon a beast that will either slaughter them, or eat them.

Even Genos, whose powers have become dazzling in their destructive capability, is swatted down as though a mere fly. Three more powerful heroes are murdered with ease.

And then...

Through all the madness and chaos, speeding along on his bicycle, is Mumen Rider.

Mumen Rider folks.

A character who is usually to late to save anyone because A) he rides a bike, and B) he has NO POWERS.

With nothing but his cycling helmet, and very, very light body armor, Mumen Rider confronts the lumbering nightmare, The Sea King. And while everyone else has cowered in fear, Mumen is somehow unafraid. He is absolutely determined and without fear.

For a moment, you get so caught up in the spectacle of Mumen's fearlessness, that you actually wonder if he can pull it off. Can he? Can he do it? After all, wasn't Saitama once a regular guy? Anything is possible right?

I won't tell you how it ends. Because truly, you need to be watching this show. Seriously.

But Mumen Rider is truly, TRULY a hero for our time. He's our Daniel Larusso. He's our Marty McFly.

And, as great as Saitama is, Mumen Rider gives viewers one more layer of thought about the nature of heroism, what it means to be strong, the importance of not letting your size diminish your spirit. I love it. And I love this show.

Not even three years from the date of the release of the Xbox One and Playstation 4, both Microsoft and Sony are prepping upgraded versions of their existing hardware. Depending on who you are, and how much money you've spent to date, this will either excite you or enrage you. For me, I exist somewhere in the middle. It frankly confuses me.

Now I must say that honestly, I never had a moment in my life where I looked at my console of choice and thought, "Gawd I wish I could upgrade this thing. These games blow."

It just never happened.

I never had a game play poorly because the hardware couldn't handle it. That's because any game developed for a console usually begins with a general awareness of what the machine can and cannot do.

Now to be fair, throughout gaming history, their have been those random titles that were ported over from far more powerful platforms. Neo Geo to Sega Genesis conversions come to mind. And there have been countless arcade to console ports that turned out poorly.

The beauty of consoles has always been that they simply worked. There are little, if any settings to tweak. Setup usually takes 20 minutes or less. And you never have to worry about compatibility.

This approach may sound familiar to you. At least it should. After all, it is nearly the exact same approach Apple has taken towards computing for well over 30 years.

I hadn't thought about it until I attempted watching the 2015 biopic film, "Steve Jobs". In that movie, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are essentially having an argument about what people "want".

Jobs points out the aesthetic appeal of what is then his baby, the Apple II.  

"What if the computer was a beautiful object? Something you wanted to look at and have in your home. And what if instead of it being in the right hands, it was in everyone's hands?"

And then,

" You see how this reminds you of a friendly face? It's warm and it's playful and inviting and it needs to say, 'Hello!' "

Steve Jobs built a billion dollar corporation from devices that were attractive, simple, and featured closed architecture.

Now consider Steve Wozniak's counter argument:

"I came here 'cause you're gonna get killed. Your computer's gonna fail. You got a college and university advisory board telling you they need a powerful work station for two to three thousand. You priced NeXT at sixty-five hundred, and that doesn't include the optional three thousand dollar hardrive which people will discover isn't optional, because the optical disk is too weak to do anything, and the twenty-five hundred dollar laser printer brings the total to twelve thousand dollars, and in the entire world you are the only person that cares that it's housed in a perfect cube.

You're gonna get killed. And I came here to stand next to you while that happens 'cause that's what friends do... that's what men do. I don't need your pass. We go back, so don't talk to me like I'm other people. I'm the only one that knows that this guy here is someone you invented. I'm standing by you because that perfect cube - that does nothing - is about to be the single biggest failure in the history of personal computing."

Ladies and gentleman, this simple exchange embodies nearly everything that is happening with consoles right now. There are several traditional tenets of business that are being challenged right now.

Traditionally, in business the idea was that you had to come up with a product that appealed to the needs and desires of the public. But the simple truth is that their is only so much that any one person can NEED.

Nowadays, most companies do not wait for a consumer need or desire to become evident. It has been a long-standing practice to create the necessity. Make a product, and convince people that they can't live without it.

And it has worked. Very well.

When it comes to the idea of modular consoles, this is where my confusion sets in. On the one hand, I get it. I totally get it. Why not prolong the life of the hardware through subtle upgrades?

Only, that's not what Sony and Microsoft are doing.

I would be a lot more enthusiastic if the PS4 or Xbox One were getting hardware expansions that could improve the performance of the console. Nintendo toyed with the idea on the N64, but never really pursued it in any meaningful way.

A simple add-on would leave the concerns over performance to the discretion of the consumer. Those that felt they need it, could experience a new layer of polish on their favorite games. For those who remained uninterested, they could continue enjoying their console without any feeling of being cheated.

I personally see little difference between something like the N64 expansion cart, and slapping a couple larger sticks of RAM, or a new video card in my PC. I also feel that if anything, the ability to customize actually DEEPENS a consumers feelings of ownership and loyalty to a product.

This is one area where I really have to praise Microsoft. I have always liked how they've offered a plethora of options with their gaming hardware. And I think it's fairly safe to say that the "special edition" Xbox consoles have been some of the most compelling purchases a gamer could make.

But, based on what we've heard about the PS4K and the next upgraded Xbox One, expansion is not what they are doing. Instead, gamers who have already spent a hefty sum of money will now be expected to do so again, IF they want to have the "premium" experience on their platform of choice. Somehow, that doesn't seem right to me.

Of course, it should be quite obvious as to the question modular consoles would undoubtedly raise.

"If I'm going to upgrade my console, why not just get a PC?"

That's not a question that can easily be waved aside, either. For the current generation of consoles, there has been many claims that the new hardware has not yet clearly demonstrated it's superiority.

Of course, this generation of consoles is not yet 3-years-old, and any long-time gamer can tell you that you rarely see the best that a console can deliver so early on. In fact, it usually isn't until the final two years of a consoles lifespan that you truly see the hardware being pushed to it's limits.

I am confused.

On one hand, I AGREE with Steve Wozniak. People do want things that they can personalize and tinker with. People form DEEP attachments to possessions that they can tweak and modify, and make uniquely their own.

But then again, what if Steve Jobs WAS right? What if after all is said and done, people just want beauty and simplicity?

And why do we have to choose? 

Personally, as a gamer on both consoles and PC's, I can say that being a PC gaming enthusiast is probably not for the faint of heart. As fun as PC gaming can be, the other side to that is spending many frustrated hours wondering why your graphics card is incompatible, why you can't overclock your processor, or why the new drivers you installed seem to have turned your rig into a useless paperweight.

How many people are really down for that?

A loud crash cut through the usual cacophony of Hunci's Tavern as several large flaggon's shattered in one swift motion. The barmaid Liselle shuddered as an unusually large elf towered over her, fists clinched tightly with rage.

"You lazy, thieving witch!!!" he roared. "I asked you to bring me and my men your finest beverage, and you bring me this swill? Are you TRYING TO INSULT ME?"

The elf raised his massive arms high into the air, and brought them down with force, smashing the long table before him in half and shooting splinters of wood in every direction. And even as the barmaid screamed and shivered, clutching her knees in wide-eyed terror, the remaining patrons had scattered to the farthest corners of the dank building. Only the barkeep Hunci, a sturdily built man with greying hair and a sensible face, stood silently. Watching, but never moving.

The large, red elf placed his hand on his scabbard, his back half-turned to Liselle.

"I tire of this place." he said. "I tire of this pathetic, dead place, and it's weakling inhabitants. I swear by the Old Gods I will die of boredom in this place."

He turned and crouched before the now weeping Liselle.

"What... IS a warrior to do..." the elf spat to his side, "... when hard-earned rupees will not get him a proper drink?" The elf's eyes were ablaze in a crimson red.

"Or do you perhaps think you deserve gold-- peasant?" He spat the question with contempt."

The sound of grating steel cut through the silence as the elf began to draw his sword, his eyes fixed on the terror-stricken barmaid.

A single reply came from seemingly nowhere.

"You've had your fun, pig. Now sheath your sword before you get hurt."

The voice came from a small table just behind the barkeep. One cloaked figure sat calmly with a mug in hand, face obscured by the dim light of the tavern. But the eyes beeming from within that cloak seemed to gather and reflect all of what little light there was.

The red elf's corded muscles tightened, and in an instant he hurled a dagger at the cloaked figure's head. For a moment, time seemed to slow down. And in another, the hooded figure, still seated, twirled the dagger with playful ease.

The room seemed to get smaller as the cloak dropped to the tavern floor, to reveal a lean and powerful woman who stood with purpose and a certain regal air. Her face hardened.

"You know who I Am. You KNOW what I can do. If you want to continue living, you will leave this girl alone." Her hands began to glow with a bright blue light and fill the room with a freezing chill.

The red elf, Craaj, laughed wickedly. "Impa!"

"Impa... Impa... Impa. Sole remnant of a dead and forgotten kingdom."

Craaj turned to his men, "Shall I fear this... this insect?"

Craaj's men laughed nervously.

There was no warning. In less time than one could blink, Craaj had crossed the space between himself and Impa, sweeping his sword up high, then down towards her.

But Impa was fast. And as Craaj's sword sliced through the table and bit into the tavern floor, Impa had launched into the air and delivered a kick that caught Craaj's throat. The red elf reeled backwards clutching his throat.

Craaj bellowed with fury and charged Impa. "RAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" But then he withdrew his sword arm and brought the back of his other massive arm forward. The blow caught the side of Impa, slamming her into a wall.

Craaj beat his chest and hissed. "Filthy Hyrulian vermin. The Queen was too lenient with your kind. She should have let us kill you all."

Impa hands began to glow with the same bright blue light until the entire tavern was filled with it. Until she spoke one word.

"Enough."

The blast was deafening. A sound like a thunder clap, and a hundred strands of brilliant blue-white energy leapt from Impa's hands like a cannon, and struck Craaj.

The clothes on his body seemed to evaporate even as his massive form was sent crashing through the tavern doors, and into the muddy streets of the night.

Impa stood in the damaged door frame of the Tavern, flashes of lightning illuminating a ghostly white face, eyes as clear and white as the moon.

"There will not be a second chance, brute. Gather your men now, and leave."

But Impa had not seen the blow coming from behind her, and the weight of it lifted her up and dropped her to one knee. Impa muttered a spell, and was suddenly ten steps from the tavern entrance. A crackling white light surrounded her form. Impa clutched her side.

Craaj rallied to his feet. "My dear Impa, have my men hurt you? You look tired. How long do you think you can fight all of us?"

Craaj wiped blood away from the corner of his mouth and pointed his sword towards Impa.

"Kill her."

Craaj's band descended on Impa like a pack of hungry wolves, their eyes ablaze with fury and bloodlust.

Too tired and weak to fight, she closed her eyes and focused on maintaining the thin shield protecting her from certain death. The blows from Craaj's fighters could barely be felt. But Impa knew that once her shield of light began to fail, all hope would be lost.

Each blow was like an explosion of sound in her head. Like the knocking on a door, growing incessantly louder. And the pain. The pain grew sharper as the sound grew louder. She could feel herself weakening. Her mind began to drift. She could feel her focus waning as her thoughts drifted.

How had the Kingdom come to this? These beasts, Craaj and his merry band of madmen, they had overtaken the land. And a wretched land it had become. Nothing of beauty would grow. And food itself would barely grow. The old ones, the remaining ones of old Hyrule all believed the same. The land was now cursed. What hope was there?

No hope.

No hope, no hope, no hope, no hope.

The banging was louder now. Impa looked at her battered frame and could now see cuts and gashes. The blows were beginning to make it through the shield. She felt tired. So, so tired. Where did things go wrong? How did things go so wrong?

And then...

It felt like standing in front of a furnace. The heat warmed her, and surrounded her. There was a flash of pure, pure enveloping light and in an instant... they were gone. Craaj, and his men were all... gone. The ground beneath her and where Craaj and his fighters had stood was blackened and engulfed in flames. But the fire did not seem to burn her. Flames danced about wildly, waving too and fro, rising and descending.

Impa looked up, and could see something in the distance. What was it? Was it a Horse? Was it... a man? No... no, no. It was a man with a horse. It looked like a man.

The figure was moving closer. She see could him better now.

He was dressed almost completely in black. Except for his boots. Brown leather boots. A thin vest of chain mail, and a single golden gauntlet. His hair was white, as was his beard. His face was strong, but somehow sad.

But his eyes. Somehow his eyes stirred a memory in Impa. Eyes of cerulean blue. Where had she seen eyes like these? So much time had passed.

And then, the memory came. And a flood of emotion began to wash over her. Impa felt herself shaking uncontrollably. The hairs on her skin stood straight. Tears came to her eyes as the figure drew closer. Impa cocked her head to the side, daring to ask the question. The answer to which she was almost too filled with emotion to know.

She whispered, "L-l-l-link? Link? Is it you?

The white-haired man dressed in black was now in front of her, his horse snorting and looking at Impa with pity.

"It's me." Link said.

Impa struggled to her feet. The flames surrounding her had dyed down to mere embers. The ground was covered in ash and soot. The air was thick with smoke. Impa coughed.

"Link..." she stammered. She could not find the words.

"Link, where... where were you? Where have you been? Do you even know what's happened here?"

Linked look at her with eyes of stone. "I do."

It was then that Impa noticed the scar. A scar that went from Links chin to his cheek, and stopped just short of his throat.

"What happened to you?" She looked around her. "And where... where did you learn... magic, like this?"

Link looked at Impa as though she were a child. "I could ask you the same. There's a difference between magic, and power."

"Magic is for children and fairy tales. This... is power."

Impa looked at Link with questioning eyes. He was so much colder than she could ever remember "Did you have to kill them?"

Link turned and glared at her with eyes that seemed to pierce through her and into the black, night sky.

"I know you saved me. And I am grateful. But, Link... you never... you were never like this. You... You've changed."

Link's voice was a growl. "Yes. EVERYTHING has changed. Zelda is dead. And these monsters have turned this kingdom into a place of death. Nearly everyone we know and have loved IS DEAD."

It seemed as though Link was vibrating as he spoke.

"So I have changed Impa. And perhaps not in the best ways. But I am not here to be the hero. I am here to avenge what has been taken from me, from you, from all of us"

Impa touched Link's shoulder. "What... is your plan?"

Link looked towards the mountains where a black silhouette sat against the night sky. Sharp black spires and towers reaching up from all sides.

"I will destroy the Shadow Queen, and avenge the death of Zelda."

... And thus begins the game.

If I think back to the very first time I joined Game Informer Online, it was a very, very different place. Game Informer magazine, and Game Informer Online have always had some of the best, if not THE best coverage on the game industry as a whole. But, when I first joined GIO way back in 2008/2009, I hadn't discovered the fun of blogging yet.

I used to mainly peruse the forums, searching for interesting threads, and trying to start a few myself. I liked that. It was like a tame version of a chat room. I was aware that there was a blog section, but I simply couldn't understand how anyone could devote their time to such a thing, or why? I couldn't imagine what there could be to blog about. I'll admit that I had always imagined blogs to be long and boring.

But, in 2011 I was going through some personal stuff, and I felt like I needed to do one of the things that I'd seemed to enjoy most throughout my life. Write. Throughout school, I naturally gravitated towards the subjects that nurtured my love of books, science, history, reading and writing. I loved the process of creating ideas, and testing the limits of what I could imagine. Those were good times.

But somehow, somewhere along the way, I got sidetracked by life (as many do), and I gradually stopped doing the things that had brought me so much joy ever since I was small. It's a strange feeling when you have that kind of realization.

For a time, the absence of those hobbies and activities did not bother me so much. But then, I started to have this powerful, almost desperate feeling that I HAD to get back to the things I loved. This may sound like exaggeration, but I felt as if I was choking on oh so many words that had gone unspoken, or unwritten. There were so many things that had been left undone. And why was I so apathetic for so long?

I had to write. I NEEDED to write. And so, I did.

Yeeeessssssss!!!! LOL.

Some of my experiences on GIO (before they redesigned the site) had been pretty brutal and discouraging. Have you ever read the comments section for nearly any video on Youtube? Yeah. Like that. I don't think GIO was as well moderated then, and some of the forums were positively toxic, and filled with obnoxious clowns looking to vent their discontent on others.

At least twice, my threads were bombarded by a little clique of idiots who must have imagined they owned GIO. Just really nasty, hostile, unfriendly stuff. Why I never reported it, I honestly don't know. I guess it wasn't worth the effort to me.

So... going into blogging was a HUGE step for me. But it was something I was more than ready for. I was finally in the right mind set. Whatever I did, it was going to be for the love of writing. Not for any other reason.

If people read it, fine. If they hated it, fine. If they loved it, even better. But the motivation was the same. This was something that I needed to do for me.

Someone could have told me that I sucked, which I was fully expecting to happen. My blog could have been ignored. I expected that too. But, the reward for me was like going up in your attic and finding your comic book collection that you thought had disappeared. It was rediscovering lost treasure.

So what's the point behind all of this?

Blogging did something great for me. It gave me my voice again. That's the power of writing, and I wish more would explore it.

On any given day, I usually see about 4 to 6 user blogs appear. Usually, each blog gets between 150 and 250 views. About half of those blogs receive 2 comments or more. That same half usually get a rating as well.

But what has given me pause is that we have an average of at least 150 regular readers of blogs whose voices are not being heard. I'm not just thinking of comments. I want to see more blogs!

Aren't there GIO members out there with a different take on some of the hot button issues that occasionally come up?? Where are the bloggers writing about obscure games they love that no one  has even heard of? What about mobile gamers? Any out there? What's good? What should we know?

I just have this feeling that there's whole sea of thought out there that just churns about, but is never heard. Maybe you've hated every Mario Bros. related game and were nervous to say it. I'd actually like to hear why?

Around the time I started blogging (2011), looking back, those were halcyon times. There were so many good blogs being pumped out every single day. And don't get me wrong, I really dig our talented bloggers who treat us to new ideas now. But, I would love to see more. I know there are others out there who could mix things up.

People who love video games literally come from every walk of life, and it's a mighty big world out there. I think it would be huge to have those people tell us their stories in their own unique way.

Where are you bloggers???

About a week ago, I was standing outside on a perfect summer night, staring up at the sky. It was a clear night. One where practically every star in the universe seemed to be visible to the naked eye. And, my mind began to just... drift.

I was looking up at the sky, feebly trying to imagine just how far even one star might be. It was amusing to consider that despite them appearing to be ever so close, I could never reach one even in several lifetimes. Needless to say, I felt small.

It made me think about the nature of modern life here on earth. It made me think of how far humans have come, and how so very far we have to go. I thought about how we repeat patterns, repeat history, repeat mistakes, and are often oblivious to it.

I finally went home and sat down to playing "Brink", an older, but surprisingly entertaining game. I don't know if there was some subliminal vein of thought that compelled me to play the game, but the themes in "Brink" seemed relevant to the thoughts I'd had while stargazing.

In fact, in recent months, the three games I've been enjoying the most have been Brink, Dead Space 3, and Rage. Two of these three games never received any noteworthy acclaim, but I've had fun with all of them. All three games are rooted in bleak visions of the future. And, it began to dawn on me how many of my favorite games are like this.

Truth be told, out of my entire library of games, across multiple platforms, most of them involve me dispensing death and destruction in some form or another. And I would not dare be so hypocritical as to say that I don't really enjoy such games, because I do. I really do. Some times, you just crave a little mayhem, ya know?

But as I grow older, I look at the world as I know it, one that at times seems so relentlessly chaotic, and... I wonder if things could ever be diffirent.

I've heard the "scientific" answers. That humans are merely animals like any other. That we are driven and compelled by instinct and powerful biological drives whose sole purpose is the perpetuation of life. That the need to complete, the desire for power and dominance, and the use of force are all unchangeable components of humans nature.

Our world is both complex and ridiculous.

It's clear that humans constantly ponder their future and ultimate fate as a species. What is H.G. Wells "Time Machine" but a speculation on mankind's future based on his questionable tendencies? I've read many, many science fiction novels over the years. But, I've never found even one that could believably, authentically portray a future without conflict.

Some have said that such a future canot possibly exist. There is no such thing as a "perfect peace". Only a peace that is fragile and tentative.

But then, something like Pokemon GO comes along.

At this point, you may think I've taken leave of my senses to attempt to draw a connection between Pokemon and the social dynamics of human life in the 21st century. Perhaps.

But Pokemon GO has proven to be quite the phemenon in more ways than are currently being discussed. Sure, the franchise generates an unfathomable pile of money. Sure, it has compelled people to get outside, breathe fresh air, and exercise. But there is more.

Pokemon GO stands as an easy reminder of what is and always has been one of Nintendo's most potent secret weapons. Good, simple, innocent child-like fun. In the same way that Disney anchors millions to beloved childhood memories, Nintendo continually manages to tap into and preserve what many of us probably miss from our own youth.

It didn't even really dawn on me until I saw a heart-warming Japanese commercial for the upcoming Pokemon Sun & Moon. In that commercial, it shows children playing the game, with intermittent clips of them running and playing in wide open, beautiful green spaces, riding bikes, jumping in a lake, playing with sparklers. You get the picture. LOVING LIFE!

Throughout the years, as many of us outgrew cute mascots, or developed tastes for more decidedly "grown-up" games, Nintendo has had to bear up under criticism for being too kid-centric. I know, because I myself have been guilty of saying that very thing. And the paradox is, I don't even regret my words. But, I can say that I have been suddenly reminded of why Nintendo is still special, and why neither Microsoft, nor Sony can ever replicate or replace their unique brand of magic. Is it any wonder that Nintendo will be capitalizing on that magic this holiday season with a "mini-NES"?

In an age of shooters like Call of Duty, Battlefield and ARMA, Nintendo offers us soft and cuddly games that seem entirely incompatible with anything remotely violent. Even in games like Pikmin, where you frequently see a delicate balance of life and death, the violence is never gratuitous, but rather a statement about the nature of the universe itself. That things do live and die.

A couple of nights ago I went for a late-night wlk, and at least 3 or 4 times passed clusters of people staring intently at their phones and wandering about. Upon greeting them, I expected a zombie-like response, or perhaps irritation that I dared interrupt them. But instead, IN EVERY INSTANCE, they would lift their heads and give a broad smile.

I would perfunctorily ask, "Pokemon GO?", as thought it were even necessary to do so. And then they would reply, "Yeah. You play?" My response always being, "I'm waiting till the servers improve."

Consider my mind blown.

This is not a game with headshots, decapitations, dismemberments, fatalities or upgradeable weapons. And yet, people are going NUTS over it. And, this is the second time that Nintendo has demonstrated this sort of pseudo-clairvoyance of what people really, really want.

Say what you like about the Wii, but it was a hit. And, it connected with an incredibly large number of people across the entire globe. When observing the success of Pokemon GO, I am often reminded of how people scratched their heads at the success of Carnival Games on the Wii.

I think that sometimes we are so firmly entrenched in our ideas of how certain things ought to be that it becomes a bit of a mental crutch. We stop challenging ourselves. We settle into the idea of being merely "animals", creatures of instinct.

But perhaps the greatest aspect of Pokemon GO is that it reminds us how much we enjoy sharing, warm greetings, and...  simple friendship. We CAN embrace those things. There may yet be hope for us humans.

By years end, it will be quite evident what two games dominated news cycles in 2016. Pokemon GO, and No Man's Sky. Interestingly enough, the two games are more alike than one might imagine. Both involve exploration, and endless collecting. Both have faced challenges anticipating and servicing the players for each game. Both have enjoyed phenomenal publicity.

However, while Pokemon GO's explosive popularity appears to have plateau somewhat, No Man's Sky has grappled with the burden of the expectations placed upon it. I am bit surprised by it's post-launch reception, but at the same time, I shouldn't be.

Even before No Man's Sky dropped, the basic premise behind it's gameplay began to remind me of another game that did not fare so well.

Godus.

The challenge that both games undertook is one that has never succeeded. To challenge the entire connected world with the ultimate puzzle, the unbreakable cypher, the question that can never be answered.

That's a tall order folks.

If there is one constant about the human race, it's that we LOVE a good challenge. Ever since the first humans made use of fire, all of human existence has about surviving in sometimes hospitable, but frequently hostile environments. To paraphrase from Jurassic Park, we "stand on the shoulders of giants" in order to propel us forward.

There's is an interesting dichotomy about human life. On the one hand, it behooves us to have a healthy measure of humility when confronted by the endless void of space. On the other hand, humans are quite marvelous in our potential, and our tenacity.

If you pluck any one of the most gifted human specimens from history, what you find is frequently amazing. But what humans do together is even more profound.

It has often been noted that Rome was not built in a day. This is undoubtedly true. But humans were able to accomplish collectively is what made Rome what it is to this very day. Man loves to challenge the notion of what is possible, to reach beyond it.

Sailing across vast and deadly oceans? Done. Turning deserts into cities with grass and running water? Done. Flying through clouds on wings of steel? Done.

So when Sean Murray dangled the irresistible challenge of a nearly limitless, digital universe in front of the entire world, I couldn't help but wonder what that would lead to. And in turn, my wait for an answer would be short.

Early, and unauthorized leaks of No Man's Sky's gameplay revealed a game easily compromised by one... just one... very tenacious gamer. And even despite Hello Games essentially wiping all progress from the game's servers, and making thorough changes to the core game, two early players FOUND EACH OTHER.

Now just imagine what happens when people really begin to communicate.

I strongly suspect that this is why No Man's Sky is NOT a multi-player game. If the game allowed live and direct communication between all players, how long would the secrets of that virtual universe hold up?

No Man's Sky is essentially a proverbial Tower of Babel, with Hello Games collectively acting as... God? Only, instead of confusing languages, interaction of any kind is blocked. Now it seems clear why Sean Murray so cautiously indicated that players would probably never encounter another player. Because they simply can't.

For what it is, No Man's Sky is still intriguing in concept. I suspect that over time, it could become much better. Heck, people are still playing Ultima Online! Rome wasn't built in day. If you believe in evolution or the Big Bang, both took much longer. If you are theologically inclined, the creation of Earth took seven days. The real point being that good things usually take time.

But the true challenge for Hello Games will be to deepen and expand it's universe in a way that will compel players to support it for the long haul. Unlike our universe, No Man's Sky runs on servers. Servers whose functionality rely heavily upon a consistent flow of revenue, and human interest.

The gauntlet has been laid down. The bets have been placed. We see your Universe, Hello Games, and we raise you.

For the past few months or so, I've struggled with a dilemma. I love games, I love the culture, I love the GIO  community. But, there are several things in gaming that are just REALLY bumming me out. I've struggled with thoughts of whether it was something that I should even blog about. I can practically hear the voices of so many of my grade school teachers.

"If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all."

But then again, as an adult, I realize the imperfect nature of such advice. Not every statement and every thought can be nice. Not in an imperfect world.

On my own, I LOVE games. I know what I like. I never feel confused about what to buy. It's increasingly rare for me to accidentally buy a game that I end up hating. But, I still try to minimize any unpleasant surprises by doing my homework. That's where gaming media comes in. I use numerous magazines, websites, and forums to stay current on what I want to play right now, and potentially in the future.

But, the success of my efforts to stay informed rely heavily on the sources of my information. That's where the problem sets in.

Now, to be fair, those working in gaming journalism are in a bit of a bind themselves. When performing their jobs in earnest, they can only report the facts. And many times, the various entities they have to report on, or cover, are less than forthright.

I've seen several news items covered by the Game Informer staff, where I felt that they were trying to achieve a delicate balance of fairness, while not compromising journalistic integrity. With several other sources, I've often been less than confident.

Nonetheless, journalism as a whole has changed over the past 15 years or more. And as things currently stand, it is frequently difficult to discern the difference between news and marketing. I frequently see little blurbs about games that are given such glowing praise, and are so lacking in objectivity, I can't help but question the motivations behind said pieces.

To be sure, the business of covering, reviewing and reporting on games can't be easy. If you're too tough and you excoriate the latest hot game, you spark a never ending flame war, along with no shortage of hate from hardcore fans. If you're too soft, you will be accused of being complicit in some conspiracy to promote awful games, AND that you must also be on the dole, accepting bribes in exchange for a favorable word or two.

Even worse, if you are merely FAIR, you run the risk of being perceived as dull and uninteresting. After all, news media will be the first to tell you that sensationalism sells! So, while we occasionally lament how awful the news has become in ANY form, our actions do nothing to fix the problem.

So, what do we do?

My enthusiasm for gaming has taken some pretty big hits over the past year or more. For one thing, I'm tired of perpetually being caught up in the hype cycles for any given game that is the "flavour du jour". I hate spending weeks, even months being fed with gorgeous screenshots, carefully edited gameplay footage/cutscenes, and grand promises, and for that to almost inevitably culminate in crushing disappointment.

Is it our fault???

"Well, you shouldn't have expected so much. No game could live up to all that."

You've heard that one, right? Okay, so two simple questions. What should I expect? What should I believe?

Hell, let's go DEEPER.

Why is everything always about tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow?

Hey folks, check out the new console coming out NEXT YEAR! Check out the new video card coming in SIX MONTHS!! You'll want to upgrade to this new TV hitting stores by year's end!!!

I understand that part of gaming is getting excited about what may potentially come in the future. But, I am reminded of a lyric from an old song titled "Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen".

"Don't buy beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly."

Amen to that.

But, how different is gaming media? As a gamer, when you choose a gaming platform, you want to believe that you're choice was thoughtfully made. Perhaps you don't expect to always be on the razor's edge of modern tech, but almost certainly you expect that your purchase will have appeal for more than just a few seasons.

But gaming media works at cross purposes with such thinking. In fact, it seems to me that with many media outlets, they are expressly trying to convince you that the entertainment you enjoy is in direct proportion to whatever is the latest thing to be sold. I think that this is why the line between news and advertisement has become so blurry.

It also seems that the game industry has picked up one truly awful practice that began in the film industry. Just as a movie can be universally loathed, but commercially successful, so too can video games. A game does not have to be GOOD, or have SUBSTANCE to make money.

It's truly an odd paradox when that which is sub-par, or medicore, can in fact thrive. It reminds me of the glaring contradictions in Darwin's "survival of the fittest", which in my opinion, is a very narrow way of thinking.

Individually or collectively, perhaps no one can truly bare the blame. But what is REAL, is the effect. Broken promises damage trust. Baseless hype leads to apathy. Marketing entertainment purely based on it's most superficial aspects (i.e. graphics) is a lot like turning to Twinkies in search of nutrition. And yet, a lot of what passes for entertainment doesn't even carry the same guilty pleasure that a Twinkie might offer.

So, how do we fix all this?

I think it would be arrogant of me to try and answer that by myself. I've got my opinion. Tell me yours.

I can't help it. I can't bring myself to stop thinking about this game. Despite all complaints, I am still intrigued by the potential of what it could be. After all, at it's root, No Man's Sky is a beautiful game. It has such a nice aesthestic. I actually love that it doesn't attempt to achieve stark realism. I love the soft, warm pastel and bright neon palettes.

But for all of the things that No Man's Sky gets right, there is vast room for improvement. Here's my simple little collection of ideas that I feel would add more depth to one of the most intriguing, if not controversial games of the year.

#1 Categorized Organisms

No Man's Sky uses procedural generation, and that randomness sometimes results in truly stunning discoveries. And other times, not so much.

Personally, one of the things I find so disturbing is that there doesn't seem to be any order to how organisms are generated. For example, here on good ol' planet earth, animals with gills typically live in the ocean. That is, after all, the purpose of gills. To facilitate breathing underwater.

Even according to the laws of natural selection, creatures of every sort have patterns, features, and behaviors that are linked to their natural habitats. So... there would really be no need for a dog-like creature to have mandibles. Or for a giraffe-like creature to have the head of a Saint Bernard.

The coding for No Man's Sky seems to have no limits on what feature combinations one might see in living organisms, and those combinations frequently seem to lack any discernible purpose. That lack of purpose adds a comic element to the game, but not in a good way.

Most gamers understand that No Man's Sky is not trying for realism, but that doesn't mean that it couldn't benefit from having some scientific authenticity.

#2 Capture, Catalog, Cross-breed

I am frankly surprised that Hello Games missed out on this one. Collecting is an activity that is deeply ingrained in human behavior, as is the need to study and experiment with our environment. So then why, in what is arguably the biggest virtual playground ever, would not be able to capture life forms, or breed them at the least?

What is Pokemon but proof of how we love to collect?

Humans are masters of using tools, but we also use animals AS tools. Horses, cows, elephants and falcons are all examples of animals that are used to serve the needs of their owners. I would love to see creatures that you could tame, or ride, or perhaps use to find crucial resources.

And for those of us who have an inner mad-scientist, imagine being able to build your own laboratory, and mutating or cross-breeding a planet's indigenous creatures and plant-life? Imagine being able to sell those "creations" in some bizarre intergalactic marketplace?

#3 The Exo-Suit

The visual representation of the "exo-suit" is not really a suit, but a backpack. It's as though Hello Games was so determined to not let the player see themselves that they couldn't even allow a more complete depiction of your suit. Is this a  philosophical exercise designed to nullify the players ego or perception of self?

In my opinion, the exo-suit and all possible upgrades would benefit from a display much like that in Syndicate and Syndicate Wars. The way we adorn ourselves is a crucial part of human nature and communication. I see no reason why this couldn't be part of No Man's Sky.

#4 Tools, Tools, Tools

Why wouldn't a space explorer have a rover, or a drone to assist in his explorations? In my opinion, No Man's Sky could truly stand to benefit from the ability to craft. Whether it's weapons, tools, or whatever, there's no way you can make a game about being an explorer without crafting elements. Not in 2016.

Maybe in the days of games like Oregon Trail, or the earliest JRPG's, it would have been sufficient to have players merely buy, sell, or trade whatever they needed. But now? If there's one thing that Minecraft proved, it's that an awful lot of players love the complexity of crafting.

#5 Conflict

Exploration without conflict is simply boring, and truthfully, it does not reflect reality. The first astronauts encountered conflict at every turn. The first european sailors to set foot on "The New World" experienced endless conflicts. Yet, apart from survival, No Man's Sky is lacking in any real conflict.

Not a single player has discovered a sentient race of beings. We see freighters and starships aplenty, but have no clue as to the identity of those inside them. Isn't it at least conceivable, that in the expanse of space, there would also be planets in the midst of a geological crisis?

Imagine seeing something like this in No Man's Sky.

You never see volcanoes, or earthquakes, or even tidal waves as so fantastically portrayed in Interstellar. There are no hail storms or tornados. There are no solar flares. There are no space stations in the midst of a fierce battle. There simply is no conflict.

#6 Cartography

The earliest explorers couldn't have accomplished much without the aid of skilled map makers, otherwise known as cartographers. It's already been stated that No Man's Sky does not allow you to mark planets you've been to. But why wouldn't you be able to create and save at least a few maps for the planets you really, really want to explore?

#7 Planetary Diversity

I see lots of planets in No Man's Sky, but few as diverse as our own solar system. Does that seem right? Where are the gas giants like Jupiter? Where are the planets with rings of ice? The landscape of the various planets is usually quite diverse, but I rarely feel a sense of absolute awe when approaching near-orbit of most planets.

#8 Spaceship Armaments

Okay, I get that No Man's Sky is about EXPLORATION. That's where Hello Games wanted the emphasis to be. But, they did include combat elements. Your ship is equipped with lasers to help you engage any pesky pirates that may appear.

And yet, you're ship carries no missiles? No "photon torpedoes"? In Wing Commander, understanding every single weapon on your ship was CRUCIAL. You had to know what weapons were best for any given situation. Understanding that balance added another layer of depth to it's gameplay. I certainly don't think it would hurt No Man's Sky to incorporate this.

#9 Terraforming

Isn't this really the big, big reason why humans dream of getting out into space? I can't remember ever meeting anyone who breathes methane, ammonia or hydrogen. Which means that any planet humans select for habitation would have to be viable for terraforming.

Even if not for personal consumption, the ability to farm plant life would substantially add to the depth of the core game. Again, this goes back to the ability to capture organisms, or breed them. What if a harvesting process could result in better fuels for your ship, or further expand any crafting elements?

Well, I'm spent. That's my ideas. Tell me what you think. Share, share share.

Gaming has been my particular brand of medicine for a very long time now. Whether it was stress, anger, heartbreak, or just depression, games had the amazing ability to transport my mind away to a place of comfort. My very first console, an original model Sega Genesis already has deep sentimental value to me. And in truth, until my dying day, I will never sell it.

My mother, who sacrificed much for me, did not always view video games kindly. Her greatest concern was that they would make me mentally lazy, and did nothing to nurture creativity. But, eventually after much nagging, she finally caved in.

Now even then, I would have expected her to just avoid the living room whenever I was playing some game. I would have expected her to just resign herself to the notion that I insisted in indulging that perfect waste of time. But, she surprised me.

My first game was the Genesis pack-in Sonic The Hedgehog. And I literally played the hell out of that game for 6 to 8 months until I knew every single nook and cranny of the game. And to my surprise, every single time I played, there my mother would be. Faithfully watching every minute with a smile on her face. She loved Sonic. She thought he was "cute". And she loved all of his little animations as he ran about.

That silent approval meant the world to me. For my mother, who is really a no non-sense sort of woman to enjoy a video game... was just huge.

Throughout the years, she watched me play many, many games, and remained enthused even as she did so. Oddly enough, she shares my love of the Hitman series. She didn't care for the Grand Theft Auto games though. Too much criminality. She loved Harvest Moon. She'd ask questions about every single game I played.

And now... I find myself going through the single most stressful, crushing time of my life. My mother is now fighting for her life.

So many of the sounds that I've become accustomed to are now replaced by silence. I am suddenly aware of the absence of those sounds. The flapping sound of cards shuffling in Solitaire. The muted sounds of her watching YouTube videos. The little chimes and dings as her tablet updates various apps.

It's feels like time has stopped. Only I'm all too aware that it hasn't, and it won't. I feel lost and uncertain of everything I've ever thought I knew about life. But most surprising, I have not once picked up a controller in all this time.

It feels somehow selfish too enjoy anything, let alone a video game. I think about it, and immediately feel disgusted with myself for doing so. The only escape I allow myself is simple little strategy games on my phone or tablet. The problems solving aspect of those games helps me to continue believing I am capable. That I can endure.

And as I go through all of this, perhaps in a way like never before, I am made aware of how many people are struggling with their own issues, like mine, every single day. And I find that I have empathy in a way that perhaps I did not before. This life. It's a miracle to be sure. But man, it kicks your butt.

When a crisis hits your life, it is amazing how everything snaps into focus. Primarily, time. There's not nearly enough of it.

I've followed the announcements for the PS4 Pro and Slim. I've seen the arguments over which is better. I have to just laugh at it now. As if it matters. As though it's that complicated. It's not. Pick what makes you happy, and enjoy the hell out of it while there is time.

I don't know how long it will be before I pick up a controller, or grab my mouse and keyboard. My mind just can't go there now. But I'm always playing in some form. Video games will always have a special place in my heart if for no other reason than it being something that my mom and I have shared.

I don't have any deep point to make. I don't have any wisdom or insight to offer. This blog is simply my catharsis for a very, very hard time in my life. I hope none of you will be bummed out by this blog. Keep gaming, and enjoy your life. CHERISH your loved ones no matter what.

Shortly before the launch of Metal Gear Solid V, the gaming public started to receive hints of turmoil brewing within Konami. Despite a history of much-loved games dating back to the original NES and earlier, the new word on the street was that Konami was a nest of evil. There were rumors of an abusive work environment, Orwellian spying and monitoring of staff, and a curious and determined shift away from making the console games that had defined the company... in favor of gambling machines.

It may be hard to get a sense of exactly how bad things were. But consider this excerpt from an article on Forbes.com, detailing the extent of the abuses:

Finally, Konami has no patience for employees they deem “useless,” shuffling their responsibilities around not only to other jobs within their division, but sometimes moving them out of game development entirely and into working at their pachi-slot factories, turning them into security guards, or even making them janitors at their fitness facilities. One of the most incredible instances of this involves an employee posting to Facebook he was leaving the company, and other workers who “liked” the status found themselves reassigned to one of these “punishment” jobs. Reportedly, this affects both junior employees and senior staff.

A perfect storm of anti-Konami sentiment began to swell. The story dominated much of 2015, and culminated in Konami being booed at the 2015 Game Awards, while Hideo Kojima received overwhelming sympathy and support.

If the internet is a living, breathing hate-machine, eager to devour the next poor fool that ruffles it's feathers, than Konami was it's next meal. Countless online forums were ablaze with the surging rage against a once respected studio.

Worse yet, was the creeping suspicion that MGS: V never truly realized it's true potential in narrative or gameplay, due to the stifling work environment Konami had fostered. That was probably the last straw. Konami could have decided to shift all of it's business and assets towards making toasters, and most gamers would have eventually, perhaps resentfully adjusted.

But DON'T mess with OUR GAMES. DON"T piss on our hobby.

Was it the game Metal Gear fans deserved?

It probably didn't help help matters that all of the news about Konami tended to paint a picture of a corporate bully, and an arrogant one at that. Despite Kojima staying mum on the details behind his split with Konami, the general public felt they had a firm understanding of what had taken place. One of the game industries greatest geniuses had been betrayed and smeared for the sake of greed.

Ultimately Kojima would have the last laugh, getting his freedom and a unique opportunity to build his own development studio from the ground up, with hand-picked staff and talent. And even as Kojima revealed the logo for his new studio "Kojima Productions", his support only grew, as did the loathing of Konami.

But then, a curious thing happened.

At E3 2016, Kojima revealed the first trailer for Death Stranding, his first "post Konami" development project. And the response... was positively lukewarm.

While the trailer was fascinating and beautiful, it was also baffling. It was hard to be excited for a game which left you with absolutely no clue as to what it was actually about.

Since then, there has been relative silence from Kojima and his production company. Most recently, there have been hints that Death Stranding may feature a female protagonist. It will be interesting to see how the game is accepted, considering that it will be Kojima's first game with such a change.

It is clear that gamers eagerly embrace strong female characters and leads (think Lara Croft), but there is another consideration. In the world beyond games, there had been a palpable push back against any form of media that is "perceived" as challenging traditional roles for the sake of political correctness. The recent backlash over Tony Stark passing the mantle of Iron Man to Riri Williams, an African American female, comes to mind. How would this dynamic affect Death Stranding?

Then, there is the question of Kojima himself. Despite receiving tremendous love and support from the gaming community, he is not without his detractors. There was a brief whiff of controversy over the animosity between Kojima and Metal Gear's David Hayter. And though many regard Kojima as a creative genius, there are many who dismiss his work and question the legitimacy of his popularity.

More recently, it was interesting to watch the response to his Kojima's verbal jabs at Konami's new Metal Gear title. There seemed to be a mixture of surprise and irritation with what some perceived as hypocrisy, Kojima stating that he couldn't see where zombies fit into the Metal Gear universe. Zombies were featured in Metal Gear Solid V.

At this point, the true question seems to be whether the love and support for Kojima will hold. Undoubtedly, the answer will be highly contingent upon Death Stranding and it's reception by the public. Kojima enjoyed a tremendous swell of support while he was perceived as the underdog, and Konami the bully. Now, Kojima and his production company will be judged on their own merits. The other element, or x-factor is Konami and whatever future projects they may have in the pipeline.

While most maybe fully prepared to continue despising Konami and their work, much of that will be based on the assumption that Konami will now produce terrible games in the absence of Hideo Kojima. But, what if they don't?

The final nail in Konami's coffin, or a taste of good things to come?

If Konami somehow manages to turn a corner, and create compelling and memorable games, it will be hard to continue beating the Konami hate drum. No matter what favor Kojima has enjoyed until now, that favor is still predicated on what he produces.

One can easily envision the fallout that would ensue, if Death Stranding is rejected by gamers and critics alike. "No wonder Konami got rid of him!"

Regardless, it seems clear that Hideo Kojima most important work of his career may very well be his most recent. Death Stranding has the potential to either confer vindication, or... humiliation.

What do you think?

For much of this year, and as far back as 2013, it's been a very uneven year in game development. Although there have been numerous issues plaguing the game industry, it seems that the primary issue that has affected and enraged many gamers is widespread lack of quality controls.

It seems fairly routine now for games to be released in a buggy state, only to be patched and "updated" over time. It is rarely clear as to why this has become so commonplace, although the typical explanations usually reference the immense scale of modern day video games.

Budget constraints, limited resources, impossible benchmarks and deadlines, lack of crucial testing, all these things can ruin even the most fantastic game concept. These are legitimate problems. And you can have all the talent in the world working on one project, but it won't matter if the fundamentals for a successful project aren't in place.

Even so, the frequency with which we've seen these stories about failed Kickstarters, broken game releases, and flawed development, appears to have increased dramatically. And perhaps the next most logical question would be, why?

Go grab a cup of coffee, and let's discuss.

Ready? Okay.

So, it wasn't exactly earth-shattering news, but it was certainly surprising. Earlier this month, it was reported that the Department of Education had revoked ACICS recognition as an accreditation agency. As a result, one of the nation's largest for-profit, andACICS accredited schools, ITT Technical Institute, was no longer eligible for federal funding. Since roughly 70 percent of ITT's funding is reported to have come from federal financial aid funds, it is not at all surprising what followed. ITT declared bankruptcy, and closed it's doors.

The collapse of ITT was just a smaller part of a crackdown on for-profit schools by The Department of Education. Undoubtedly, numerous other schools will domino as a result. Several already have. The schools affected by these actions are not limited to the field of technology. And the students whose educational goals have been interrupted, represent nearly any demographic you could imagine.

The impetus for this sweeping action was the contention that an increasing number of for-profit schools were found to be engaged in unethical business practices such as deceptive marketing, private loan programs, and retention and job placement rates.

There are numerous news references indicating that U.S. military personnel, and veterans were also directly targeted and aggressively pursued due to G.I. funding. Whether civilian, active duty, or veteran, the recent developments in for-profit education are nothing short of a crisis. Millions of students have been left buried in student loan debt. And for students of ITT, many are left with a worthless educational reference.

It has been stated that the goal of many for-profit schools, was to seek the poorest, most desperate, most disadvantaged prospects to fill their seats. These were the students most likely to be drawn in by big promises of success, money and prestige through education. These were also the easiest targets that could guarantee a steady stream of federal dollars. The saddest irony is that many of these "schools" were more expensive to attend than a run-of-the-mill community college, but cost significantly more. In the case of ITT, nearly 3 times as much. To add insult to injury, the credits received at many of these same schools were non-transferable.

So, here you have an entire generation, hell, perhaps GENERATIONS, being screwed over for the sake of the almighty dollar. And why? Not because they were greedy. Not because they dreamed about getting rich from flipping houses. No, they got screwed for simply hoping that they could better their lives through education.

Now here's the real travesty of this.

EVERY generation of youth dreams about their future. Everyone wants to succeed, to do well in life. And in today's pop culture, it often seems that fame, lifestyle and money are the ONLY things deemed as important.

So... take your average kid, about 19, who's thinking, "I want to set the world on fire and be the best _______________ anyone's ever seen." This kid knows he's going to need some crucial skills in order to realize his dreams.

Imagine what happens after this kid, and millions like him, look around and realize that trying to do things the right way results in absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, the CEO's and executives running institutions that lie and cheat, are rewarded handsomely.

All our lives, we are taught "study hard, stay in school, and get good grades so that you can get into a good school, AND get a good job." That's part of the American dream, right? So what happens when that dream falls apart?

Well, maybe for some, what happens is that you start to shrug. "Screw it", they say. "Whatever makes money."

Maybe if you're a game developer, you forget why you loved games in the first place. Maybe you start to resent the fans. Maybe you just tell yourself that at the end of the day, you just want everyone to get paid and be able to walk away from the project at hand. Screw quality. Screw the fans. "I have bills to pay." Is this possible?

Sincere, innocent motivations become tainted and eventually lost. Moral and ethical apathy set in. And something that was once great, is ruined.  Environment CAN do that.

It is often queried as to what causes any number of social dynamics. Nature, or nurture? When considering the current state of game development, I'd say it is the latter.

If you've read just a few of my blogs, there's probably one theme that comes through quite frequently. I am often irritated by the future-focused nature of gaming. While I love new gadgets and technology as much as anyone (and probably a bit more), I tend to wish that certain things could perhaps last longer.

I have often felt that there is so much technology that is wasted. Rather than thinking of ways of refining existing technology, it seems that the current approach is to scrap whatever has been done before, and to head back to the drawing board, starting from scratch.

Let me illustrate:

Consider a scene from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. When E.T. needs to communicate with his home planet, he crafts a rudimentary "satellite" from random items found in Elliot's house. Among them, a record player, a Speak & Spell, an umbrella and a coffee can.

Now, it is probably quite improbable that a communication device could be constructed from those few items, BUT what I loved was the concept nestled within that scene. The idea that a creature with advanced intelligence and knowledge could use a few basic items to accomplish something that humans had only mastered in the past century.

Imagine if many of the very things that we regard as "useless" have hidden purposes that have yet to be discovered. But, have we as a species challenged ourselves in that way? I have frequently stood on my little soap box and loudly professed that technological progress is not always a straight line. This is why I stubbornly maintain my interest in Nintendo.

Yet and still, gamers have this strange form of myopia, where progress can only be defined by what hardware manufacturers tell them. Think about it. We ACTUALLY fell for the "blast processing" pitch that Sega used in the 90's. We're hooked in by catchy terms like "Mode 7 Scaling" and marketing hooks like "The FX Chip"

But, we're past that now, right? Sure. Because soon we'll be playing with "6 teraflops of power." Huh?

Granted, gamers seem to go out of their way to understand what these various specs seem to mean. And gamers also seem to love nothing more than fantasizing over how all of that RAW POWER will be used. That's what troubles me from time to time. Too much faith has been put in the hardware, as if almost nothing else matters.

Let me give another example.

I once knew a woman who worked as a professional photographer. I had an opportunity to see some of her work, and needless to say, I was highly impressed. Around this time, I didn't really know anything about cameras, or film quality, or the artistry that goes with any of that. All I knew was that there were, and are, and always have been certain sights that MOVE me. There are certain things that never cease to stir my soul.

I LOVE a good sunset. I LOVE thunder and lightning. I love rainy nights. I love driving along old country roads. These places and things conjure imagery in my mind that I never grow tired of seeing. These are things that I want to remember forever.

So when I bought my first $98, dinky little point-and-shoot camera, I didn't imagine myself to be the next Annie Leibovitz. I had no illusions or delusions of grandeur. I just snapped pictures of things that carried deep meaning for me.

Anyways, as I took more and more pictures, I started to get curious as to how one goes about composing a "good" photo. As a novice, I naturally assumed that the secret to better pictures must be a better camera. The next time I met with my photographer friend, I asked her what camera she thought might be best for a beginner, and how much should I spend.

She paused and looked at me, and breathed deeply. Her eyes flicked up a bit, and she said, "Ohh. Well, you could spend a lot on a good camera. There's just so much to consider. And it even matters what you're shooting, or when. but you know, I've always liked Canon."

"Should I get, like, a DSLR, or... what?"

She smiled easily and said, "You know, it's really not about the camera, or how much you spend. I mean, a good camera is going to give you certain results based on what it can do. But, I've seen people take award winning pictures with a little $10 disposable camera."

And that was it.

No fancy equipment needed. No expensive classes at the local university. All you really needed was a little luck, good timing, and a good eye. That brief exchange stuck with me ever since.

Do I even know what a teraflop of power is, or what it might mean to me? No.

Will I have some sort of awakening, or grand epiphany after experiencing the cutting edge of visual technology? Doubtful.

Why is it that I can go back to games older than many GIO members, and still have great fun? You know, The Last of Us is hailed as one of the greatest games of all time, but I guarantee that somewhere in the next ten years, SOMEONE will try to discount it's importance on the basis of it's age.

Someone will say, "Gah. I remember TLOU. It was a good game back in the day. But compared to today's graphics? I can't even play those games anymore. I just have no interest."

Yeah. I mean, everybody is entitled to their opinion.

I've heard it said that the measure of a society's greatness is in how they treat the very young, and the very old. In our modern society, I think neither is treated as well as they could be.

Is this perhaps the reason why we obsess over the unknowable future, or discount the past? Is there ever such a thing as "good enough"? Are we too quick to discard things whose full purpose and potential has yet to be realized?

I wonder.

Right now, the video game industry is a bit like Europe during "the dark ages". Fraught with endless conflicts between various monarchies and fiefdoms, vague ideas of order and propriety, and a general population standing confused and overwhelmed in the midst of it all.

Gone are the days of two or perhaps three business entities jointly controlling an industry perhaps more lucrative than that of cinema. Video games have been splintered and divided into hundreds of different markets and demographics.Games are becoming increasingly pervasive on practically any device you own.

And rather than sparking a war with other forms of media, video games have essentially swallowed those other forms of entertainment, and assimilated them as part of a modern-day Colossus. Video games are now as ubiquitous as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and other icons of the 20th and 21st century.

It goes without saying that the birthplace of video games was the computer. Computers are where the first games were conceived, designed and given life. And, in truth, even modern consoles are little more than optimized computers.

Though many gamers cut their teeth on classic hardware from the likes of Atari, Coleco, Mattel, Hudson Soft, and more famously Sega and Nintendo, computers have always been home to some of the most unique, and entertaining games of all time.

In the 90's, there was a near perfect convergence of  events that propelled PC gaming into what many consider "the golden age". Millions of consumers were not only buying their first personal computer, but also experiencing the meteoric rise of... the internet. By the end of the 90's gaming was already a vastly different creature from it's earliest days.

Throughout those years, the longetivity of PC's and consoles was frequently debated. A surge in sales for either market was typically viewed as the tolling of the bell for the other. In both cases, the prophecies of doom and collapse were false.

Although both markets have struggled at some time or another, a delicate balance has endured, allowing both to co-exist in a manner of speaking. However, it almost goes without saying that the divisions between PC and console gamers have been deep, long, and frequently bitter.

With all of this history, it is perhaps surprising then, that one of pillars of PC gaming may eventually be the cause of it's demise. Or, at least it's decline. I speak of Microsoft.

As the world becomes smaller, Microsoft continues to try and forge a new path ahead in a time where technological trends change almost daily. In a time where practically every electronic device has it's own operating system, Microsoft cannot rely on selling Windows to meet it's bottom line. With the rise of Linux and Google, as well as Apple's impressive popularity, Windows loses more and more relevance each year. It's no wonder that Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be the last major revision of the popular operating system.

Much as was the case in the 90's we are witnessing yet another convergence of events in technology. Like it or not, mobile devices, apps,  and the internet have delivered a sort of one-two punch to traditional gaming. People now want technology that blends seamlessly with their lifestyle and personal habits. This is particularly evident when observing the rapid evolution of mobile phones.

Though many gamers are turned off by mobile devices as a gaming platform, the reality is that those same devices have infiltrated perhaps every aspect of modern existence. We carry our phones everywhere, and we expect them to do everything. That kind of thinking has bled over into our homes and workplace too. We expect most of our machines to do several things, rather than just one. The trend has shown no signs of abating.

Now consider Nintendo. The company who destroyed mainstream ideas of how to capture market share with the simple, yet ingenious Wii. Casual gaming had always existed in some form or another. But it wasn't until the appearance of the Wii, that the game industry truly realized the importance of this market.

It could almost be said that the whimsical rise of casual gamers also helped to nurture the growth of independent game development. As Nintendo scooped up millions of fresh new devotees, the traditional lines of demarcation were being blurred or erased altogether. What did it mean to be a gamer?

Even as Nintendo stumbled with the Wii U, and Microsoft and Sony continued their triumphant stride, electronic entertainment would never be the same. Once again, the internet disrupted the industry with sites like Steam and GOG. That ofcourse, does not even begin to calculate the effect of browser-based gaming, MMO's and MOBA's.

And yet and still, surprisingly, most gamers devote the majority of their time to one of two platforms. PC's or consoles.

But among Microsoft's many strategic maneuvers of late, there may be just one could change everything. I found that change neatly contained in two simple headlines:

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Xbox One to Receive Keyboard and Mouse Support

and...

Xbox One May Receive Hardware Upgrade in Future: Microsoft Corporation

Now at first glance, one might say, "So what? The Playstation 2 had a keyboard and mouse. So did a bunch of other consoles."

True, but we're talking about Microsoft here. As the Xbox brand evolves, it becomes quite clear that it is slowly morphing into what the Steambox so desperately wanted to be. With Windows serving as their unifying magic ace, the Xbox stands in a prime position to be all things to all parties.

Is the Xbox One simply a console? As time passes, it looks more and more like a decently powered gaming PC/media station. Microsoft has already injected it with a customized version of Windows 10, and I have little doubts that bigger developments are on the horizon.

If you are a PC Gamer who's routinely spent hundreds, even thousands on maintaining the best PC setup, imagine the appeal of a console that eliminates all that fuss, because it is essentially... a gaming PC. Are you still going to spend $800 on a new graphics card for a negligible bump in performance?

And what's more, if Microsoft really does follow through on their plans to offer upgrades to the Xbox, why wouldn't that appeal to the average PC gaming hobbyist? The days of the "PC gaming Master Race" could be numbered.

It's clear that Microsoft is in search of greater synergy between all of it's devices. Is it a stretch to imagine that the Surface tablet may be incorporated into Microsoft's plans in the gaming sector? After Nintendo's recent reveal of the Switch, I would consider it a strong possibility.

And that leads to my final point. Isn't that where a great deal of this started? The big N?

Nintendo has been trying to find a way to establish true "connectivity" ever since the Gamecube. The Nintendo Switch could potentially be a perfect amalgam of Nintendo's most successful  hardware platforms. I have quite a few ideas about what other plans Nintendo could be working on, and if I'm right, it will be a permanent game changer.

It was interesting to observe the handling of both Sony and Microsoft's upgraded consoles, the PS4 Pro, and Project Scorpio. Sony chose to launch when it was expected that the Nintendo NX (now the Switch) would be announced. Microsoft has cleverly chosen to delay any substantial reveal of the Project Scorpio, probably until early 2017. Is it a coincidence that their timing coincides with Nintendo's scheduled launch of the Switch?

My take is that Sony has grown a bit complacent with it's success, and frankly, are running out of fresh ideas. I think both Sony and Microsoft are very aware of Nintendo's ability to pull off the seemingly impossible, and dominate the consciousness of every breathing video game lover. Either way, 2017 is going to be one hell of a year.

So... tradition says that if you're going to make a major electronics purchase,this is the time to do it. Retailers love to promote an air of urgency for holiday sales, even though we get them every year.

DON'T MISS OUT!!! ONE DAY ONLY!!! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!!! HURRY!!!

And, who really wants to wait another 52 weeks for something you want right now? But that's not what makes this shopping season stressful. It's never about whether you want it or not. Rather, the sticking point is timing, as in "Am I really getting a good value?" To answer that question fairly, there'd probably be a number of questions to consider.

For some items, holiday sales are just a warm-up for price drops that were going to occur anyways. That's certainly been Microsoft's pattern. So, if you were thinking, "Wow, I'll probably never see an Xbox this cheap again.", think again. You probably will see the same deal, and even better ones throughout the following year.

But for me, another question I always ask myself is, "How long am I going to get to enjoy this?" I like the idea of buying things that last. I always have. I don't like feeling that my spending habits are being dictated by external influences through a sort of subliminal, commercial coercion. I even set an ideal period of time that I believe to be reasonable before I make a similar purchase again. But I have noticed that exercising such caution is becoming much more difficult.

For example, 4K.

4K, 4K, 4K! This is one of the biggest selling points for Sony and Microsoft's new hardware. 4K, as Mike Myers' character, Linda Richman would say, "Is like butta!" Though it's still pricey. Surprisingly, I thought that getting a decent 4K set would set you back a couple thousand dollars. So it REALLY took me by surprise when I saw 60" inch UHD 4K display in all it's glory. Even better, several of the very best displays were just a tad under $1,000. Not exactly cheap, but within range.

Oh man. Decisions, decisions.

I've wanted a newer HDTV for two years. And I've skipped each year because of some nagging feeling that maybe if I held out, I'd get a better deal. Certainly this year seemed like the right time to take the plunge. Did I even need a 60" inch??? Especially when I spotted a 50" inch for roughly $700??? Yaaaaasss! I could get by quite nicely with a brand spanking new 4K display sitting in my living room. Yet and still, I decided to wait. And, just like clockwork, my anticipation was quelched upon stumbling into a little article about what might be the next generation of televisions.

Samsung claims its latest TV breakthrough outshines OLED, and it’s cheaper

That was the headline. G'head. Read it, and weep. Your 4K TV's days are numbered.

I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft throws out some hints that Project Scorpio was designed with Quantum Dot Displays in mind. And I also wouldn't be surprised if such news prompts Sony to make adjustments in their hardware strategy. This might never end. Eh, who am I kidding. It WON'T end. The only question is how often consumers will be compelled to make these "upgrades"?

Then, there's the crucial issue of content. Okay, so fine, 4K is officially here. But mostly on Blu-Ray movies, and streaming video. When do we get the actual games? Personally, I won't be convinced 4K has fully arrived until four development studios start supporting it. Those studios would be Crytek, Naughty Dog, Rockstar Games, and Ubisoft. Well, maybe not Ubisoft. Yeah. Definitely not Ubisoft.

The other studios I mentioned have proven that they have the skills and commitment to squeeze the best performance out of new hardware. But even then, we have come to a point where the sheer size of one average game is daunting for even large development teams. Uncharted was a marvel of a game, and painfully gorgeous. But at what cost? How many labor hours went into THAT game? Uncharted 4 was first teased in 2013, which means it had probably began the planning phases at an even earlier point.

Will it be three to four years before we really get to enjoy 4K? Will we even care in that time, or will we already be moving on to the next thing? 

So what was my final conclusion? Meh. Buy whatever. Enjoy your egg nog, cranberry sauce, turkey and stuffing. At least food doesn't change every two years. And, it never disappoints! Oh, and hug your loved ones. That's always good too.

The opening scene of Ronin probably encapsulates everything I love about classic spy thrillers. A group of mercenaries making their way through the fog of night, down cobble-stoned streets, converging on a lonely cafe in Paris France. The cafe is filled with a soft yellow light, the walls and fixtures are old and dreary, and yet oddly comforting.

In that opening scene, very little dialogue takes place, but there is this ever present tension that saturates nearly every moment. There is the contrast of the eternal charm of old europe, and the looming vulgarity of sudden, ruthless violence. Ronin, directed by John Frankenheimer, is one of the most perfect spy movies ever. But, that's just my opinion.

I started with talking about Ronin because, in a very real way, it is what I have only dreamed of experiencing in a game. It perfectly blends the imagined romanticism of espionage, and the thrills of darting about the world, engaged in clandestine acitivities.

"Well, at the end of the day, we are likely to be punished for our kindnesses."

There are only a few movies that really manage to convey the stifling tension, paranoia, and excitement that we imagine would be part of spycraft. For example, despite a few low points in the 007 films, Goldfinger remains one of the very best of it's kind, although there are a few cheesy moments.

The Bourne Identity, Casino Royale, North by Northwest, The 39 Steps. These are all films that give you that "edge-of-your-seat" feeling. There is the ever present danger that each move the protagonist makes could very well be their last.

There's only two games that even came close to making me feel that way. One was Hitman: Contracts, and the other was Hitman: Blood Money. I just loved that feeling of paranoia that seemed to be woven through those two titles.

Ironically, the first time I played Flashback on my Sega Genesis, I had a similar feeling. It wasn't just the action, or the intricacies of the gameplay. It was the atmosphere.

In Flashback, there were several moments were there was no background music. Just the soft padding of your feet, the white noise of machines and devices within your vicinity. The whirring, clicks, and whooshing sounds of elevators, doors and locks. There's that "uh oh" moment when you realize that you have been spotted by enemies, and the game cues you with subtle sounds.

Ahhh memories.

Despite having very linear gameplay, Flashback has always been one of my very favorite games.

Earlier, I mentioned The 39 Steps, a classic Alfred Hitchcock film. That is important because Hitchcock movies have so much influence on a variety of genres in cinema. But, there are two things that Alfred Hitchcock understood about the nature of fear and tension. He understood how to use silence, only occasionally punctuated by sound. He also understood that the implication of danger is often times more terrifying than actually seeing it.

It's strange to me that I've yet to experience a game with intrigue as perfect as Ronin. Imagine a game where the success of your mission heavily depends on the quality of the information you possess. Imagine a game where NPC's can mislead you, or can be persuaded to work with you for the right price.

Imagine shadowy meetings in dark alleys and empty parking structures, or stumbling into hit squads determined to kill you. Moments of relative silence suddenly interrupted by sharp violence, gunshots, screeching tires, pounding footsteps. Imagine a game with AI advanced enough that it can play mind games, manipulate YOU to achieve it's own ends, or trick you into making terrible mistakes. A game like that would almost be guaranteed critical success.

It seems like we have the technology to make something like this happen. I guess I'll just have to keep hoping.