Film

Will you put Your Money Where Your Mouth is? The Importance of Crowdfunding in Gaming

February 26, 2019 Editorials

Crowdfunding has become somewhat controversial as of late. For every story about a successful crowdfunding campaign, there seems to be a tale about a crowdfunding recipient running off with their spoils and leaving backers high and dry. That being said, crowdfunding may still be precisely what the gaming industry needs right now. Before we delve into the nitty gritty of crowdfunding, let’s look at another aspect of the gaming industry. AA developers are about to be in high demand. Within the world of gaming, the industry did away with the term “blockbuster” years ago in place of calling massive, highly funded, world-class games “AAA.” Still, the meaning is analogous to blockbuster. Some AAA developers include Bethesda, DICE and Infinity Ward. The issue with AAA gaming is that it has reached a level of success similar to film. A blockbuster film requires massive sums of funding to produce. Consequently, the films…

We desperately need more AA Developers

July 17, 2023 Editorials

The recent hype around Obsidian Entertainment’s new The Outer Worlds title has drawn an interesting point. AA developers can still lure the attention of the video game industry’s exponentially growing video game audience. It’s a good thing too, because we need those developers now more than ever. First off, before breaking down why we need smaller developers, let’s dig into why The Outer Worlds is getting so much attention right now. Obsidian Entertainment includes members of the development team involved in the original Fallout franchise. Video game titan Bethesda purchased the rights to the franchise before producing Fallout 3, Fallout Shelter, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. Obsidian was later contracted to make Fallout: New Vegas, however. Bethesda has been receiving some heat from fans as of late. Many hardcore fallout fans were seemingly underwhelmed by Fallout 4 following the critical success of Fallout 3. Beyond that, the release of Fallout…

What’s so Wrong About Being Elitist?

January 27, 2019 Editorials

No doubt about it: “elitist” is an ugly world. Its connotation brings to mind concepts such as exclusion, snobbery, gatekeeping, and general nastiness… … okay, so maybe there’s a lot wrong with being elitist. It might be worth taking a look beyond the obvious negatives and examine what makes someone elitist in the first place, though. It can clearly be an ugly behavior, but there are two sides to every coin, so what could possibly make elitism sympathetic, and what can cause it in gaming? Across any form of media, but often games, there are people who will shut out others if they don’t feel like they are “true fans” of a franchise in question. We have probably all been guilty of this, to some level, but when it’s taken to an outspoken measure that aims to block a sizable audience from enjoying the product, that’s when the elitism issue…

‘Call of Duty’: Movie in the Works

January 23, 2019 News

I will be 100% transparent. I don’t even remember the last Call of Duty game I have purchased. I used to be a loyal fan, building up anticipation for the new release every November, but at some point, I couldn’t justify buying it anymore. Each game seemed to be worse and worse than the previous, and I vowed that I wouldn’t buy another unless it was worth it. Now I played alongside some friends because when someone needs a partner to take on zombies, you aren’t going to say no. I feel like the franchise became about pumping out games and setting money records with every release instead of making quality ones. I honestly have no idea how they made four Black Ops games. I never got the same feeling I had gotten when playing any of the Modern Warfares or World at War. The newer releases didn’t do it for me. A movie is…

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

January 22, 2019 Opinionated News

When I first heard of the concept of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu I didn’t know what to think. The title says it all. There is a Pikachu in a world full of pokémon who happens to be a detective… and he talks. Based off of the 3DS game, a boy has to track down his missing detective father with the help of his partner, Detective Pikachu. To make matters even more interesting, the boy can somehow understand what the Pikachu is saying. It is an interesting take for sure. Then I saw the trailer, and I have to say, it piqued my interest. Never in a million years would I expect to recognize the voice of a Pikachu. But when I heard Detective Pikachu speak, I immediately knew who it was. There was no doubt in my mind the hilarious, handsome Ryan Reynolds is the voice of Pikachu. I thought it…

Is 2019 DC’s Year?

January 22, 2019 Opinionated News

With Aquaman being a solid success for DC Comics, it seems only natural that DC will try to capitalize on its momentum in 2019. The acclaimed Gotham series will air its final season this year, and Titans (the new darker take on the Teen Titans) seems to be making waves as well. This leaves many of us wondering – is 2019 finally going to be the year for DC? In past years, DC Comics has taken a backseat to rival Marvel. Marvel beat DC to the punch by creating its own cinematic universe and DC has been playing catch up ever since. The Batman Vs. Superman movie was not well received by critics, although fans seemed to like it. It seemed like Jesse Eisenberg didn’t know the character of Lex Luthor at all, and instead was playing the Riddler or the Joker. Next the Justice League movie was a pretty big swing and…

Uncharted Territory – The ‘Uncharted’ Movie

January 17, 2019 News

A few days ago, it was announced that the new Uncharted movie found itself a new director. At the helm of the project will be Dan Trachtenberg, most well known for directing 10 Cloverfield Lane and the well-received Netflix drama Black Mirror. This Uncharted movie has been in development for over a decade, with several high-key names attached, only to fall apart like dust in the wind. There have been several high-profile names set to don the role of the treasure hunting Nathan Drake, including Mark Wahlberg and Chris Pratt, both of whom probably could have done the role a solid service. However, I find myself asking why Nathan Fillion’s name has never been brought up in conversation about playing the rugged hero. First off, he looks exactly like Nathan Drake and has played similar characters in the past. Secondly, he has expressed the desire to play the character! In…