My reaction when I first saw the Nintendo Switch was something like this: “Here we go again. Nintendo trying to push innovation and continuing to abandon the standard console model.” Since the release of the Wii, Nintendo has placed more value in designing innovative systems instead of adhering to the standard box top set that Sony and Microsoft have. The Wii utilized motion sensor controllers instead of the generic double stick gamepad, the Wii U upped the ante by giving the controller a screen to second the one on the television set. Because of their desire to be the black sheep of the console family they have trouble attracting third party support and instead, rely on their own household names like Mario, Zelda and Pokemon to fill their library. Their constant efforts to push ingenuity and be different has resulted in Sony and Microsoft being the first choice of consoles for developers to build their games. Despite all of this Nintendo has remained competitive in t...

On September 6, 2016 I attempted to log into PlayStation Network (PSN) only to discover that it was offline. This isn’t surprising for me and many others users who have faithfully stuck by Sony as its online services have gone down time and time again. PSN is a paid for service and users have to sign up for a paid subscription called PlayStation Plus in order to play online games.  What makes this most recent outage more frustrating is the fact that it was recently announced that the cost of an online subscription is increasing, making customers pay more for a service that is inconsistent at best. It is true that Sony has not raised the cost of PlayStation Plus in quite some time but why should users pay more for a product that lacks features and is unreliable? As far as I know Sony is offering no new features that warrant a price hike which is a shame because there are plenty of improvements that can be made. It would be nice if Sony would allow users to change their PSN user...

This past weekend Respawn Entertainment released their “ Multiplayer Tech Test ” for Titanfall 2 . The test is open for everyone to enjoy regardless of pre-orders. It showcases some of the new features players can expect to see when the new game is finally released in October. Two new maps are playable, as well as a new game variant called “Bounty Hunt”. There have been some tweaks for gameplay classes and Titans. Respawn Entertainment stresses that the test is a “pre-alpha” model of the game, meaning that the game is still in development there are known problems so it does not reflect the final product. Overall, my time playing this weekend was enjoyable but I did make notes of certain aspects of the game that may need some heavy tweaking. The two new maps, Boomtown and Homestead were fun to play on but large in scale. Homestead is a rural sprawl with a large circular tower (perfect for snipers) front and center in the middle of the map. Boomtown has a more urban setting, allowin...

After four years of waiting and delay after delay, No Man’s Sky has finally launched. The initial release has been successful, and has not had the same server crashes that have become a signature of launch day titles. Created by Hello Games, No Man’s Sky puts you in the shoes of an explorer traveling the vastness of a seemingly endless galaxy. Throughout your journey you will need to find minerals and other items used to craft upgrades for your ship. Doing so will allow your ship to continue traveling until you reach the end game goal. But the games enjoyment lies in what you do in between reaching that goal. Discovery is the major driving force behind my enjoyment of No Man’s Sky . Finding and exploring new planets is loads of fun. You truly feel like the first person to step foot when you land your ship on an alien planet. You can also find and travel to planets that other players discovered. The developers of the game pride themselves on the fact that the game contains 18 quin...

One of my favorite games of the year is Firewatch which puts you in the role of Henry as he spends his summer in a lookout tower in a Wyoming, watching for fires. His only means of communication is a walkie talkie he uses to talk with fellow firewatcher Delilah, who is your only guide as you investigate the vast wilderness. You begin to build a relationship with her but soon events begin to unfold that bring both of you to your breaking point. Firewatch is a game that is as much about its own narrative as it is about the player’s personal experience within the game. Because of this some players have felt that the ending was bad. I do not believe they feel this way because they didn’t like the game, or because they failed to immerse themselves within the story. I believe that today’s gamers have become so focused on the “end” as the most rewarding experience that they have failed to see the “journey” through the game as the most important one. Recently in an article about the end...

One of my favorite games to play is Rocket League . The game consists of controlling a high speed car with rocket boosters attached, flying around, blowing up other cars all the while trying to hit a large ball into a goal. Just imagine playing soccer with rocket propelled cars and that’s the game. Rocket League has servers spanning most of the world in order to maintain consistency with multiplayer connectivity. It is fun and addictive with each match being an action packed five minutes. Since multiplayer games are competitive, anger and rage among players is not far behind. Matches can quickly turn into an exchange of toxic slander, bigotry and bullying. I do not have a problem with this because I believe anybody can say what they want, and trash talking and competition go hand in hand. What does bother me is how often it happens when playing in American servers compared to European ones. If I took the time to record how many times I have seen or been on the receiving end of abu...

Before the release of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, I was considering purchasing a gaming PC. It made sense, a larger selection of games, upgradable hardware and free online competitive multiplayer. But old habits die hard so I caved and purchased a PS4. I would have been happy with this decision if the current generation of consoles adhered to the old rules of the previous generation by remaining current for close to a decade. But both Sony and Microsoft have decided that in order to remain competitive they needed to release upgrades nearly at the beginning of the current console lifecycle. Essentially anyone who purchased an early generation PS4 and Xbox One have wasted their money. The Xbox One Scorpio and the PS4 Neo promise to bring upgraded hardware to improve the overall experience. The PS4 Neo will support 4k televisions, have better graphics, better processing power and cost more . While a new system is nice, there are multiple problems that arise from this. Firstly, wh...