Category: Video Games

Why The Original Prices Of Games On Steam Are Hardly Ever Reduced Outside of Sales

Published July 22, 2021

I think it’s fair to say that I’m a big fan of PC gaming. The PC is my ~~primary~~ only gaming platform and while I have a few problems with Steam, the platform has become my go-to for acquiring and playing PC games. However, something that I’ve been thinking about for some time (you’ll see later in this article how long that has been) is why the original prices of games on Steam are hardly ever reduced outside of sales.

Interestingly, this question has been on my mind for a long time. I recently remembered that I complained about this very issue in a letter I had sent to Total PC Gaming (anyone remember that magazine) and, after a little bit of searching, I managed to find it in the December 2008 copy! Close to 13 years ago! It actually amazes me to realise how long I’ve been pondering this issue but, thanks to a few recent news stories and a very helpful website, I finally feel capable of tackling this issue.

The letter I sent to Total PC Gaming around December 2008.

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Microtransactions And DLC: A Necessary Evil?

Published July 8, 2021

Microtransactions and DLC (Downloadable Content) are becoming more and more prevalent in the gaming industry and have elicited strong reactions from gamers as a whole, both good and bad. Recently, controversy erupted when documents were leaked that showed how much pressure Electronic Arts are applying to gamers playing FIFA 21 to spend money on loot boxes for gameplay purposes. Taking this into account, I thought it might be worth examining microtransactions and DLC and whether they are a necessary evil in the modern video games industry.

First, we should briefly discuss the history of microtransactions and DLC. The historical precursor to microtransactions and DLC were expansion packs which were typically restricted to the PC platform. These expansion packs would typically add new game mechanics, areas, stories, quests etc. to a game and would usually not work without the original game in question although you did occasionally see the release of stand-alone expansions which could run by themselves. While most consoles prior to the seventh generation of consoles did not have access to online features, a few precursors did exist. Most notable was the Sega Dreamcast which did have built-in internet support and saw several games receive small DLC such as costumes or challenges that were released for free.

The Sega Dreamcast was the first console to see DLC released for its games.

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Why Did Balan Wonderworld Fail So Disastrously?

Published June 17, 2021

The recent news that Yuji Naka has left Square Enix only about a month after the release of Balan Wonderworld has highlighted how poorly the game was received both from critics and consumers. Having previously been cautiously excited for Balan Wonderworld, I thought it might be interesting to share my, admittedly limited, experience with the game, why I was excited in the first place, why I believe that Balan Wonderworld was a fail for both Yuji Naka and Square Enix and why the game was received so disastrously.

I should probably start with when I first heard about the game. Balan Wonderworld was announced in July 2020 as a new game that would reunite Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima, the co-creators of the famous Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. As you might expect, this was quite exciting for many people and I was also excited to see the release of another 3D platformer in a market where so few are released these days. Admittedly, the price tag of €60 was a concern for me as 3D platformers are typically priced more competitively but I was still eager to see more of the game.

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Gameplay Vs Narrative: The Greatest Battle Throughout Video Game Development

Published June 3, 2021

Video game development and design can be incredibly complicated but easily one of the greatest debates is the battle of gameplay vs narrative. Relatively new, video games represent an unusual area of interactive entertainment, in sharp contrast to other mediums such as film, television, books etc. and it can feel like video game designers are still trying to figure out the balance of gameplay and narrative. In recent years, I’ve heard an increasing number of opinions with regards to this debate and I decided that it was worth looking at this topic and share my own thoughts and opinions.

When it comes to video games vs other entertainment mediums, it is clear that gameplay is the single most defining aspect that distinguishes video games. The ability to interact with the world, characters, gameplay systems etc. isn’t possible in more traditional entertainment mediums, excluding board games, and this aspect is what most people will think of when they think of video games. However, as video games have become more and more technically complicated with greater graphics, audio, voice acting, etc., many video games have become progressively more and more story-driven.

Hearts of Iron IV is very gameplay driven.

Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy Remastered is driven by its narrative.

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What Is Crossplay And Why It’s Suddenly Relevant Again

Published May 20, 2021

The recent ongoing trial between Epic Games and Apple has proven to be a treasure trove for those seeking information about the behind-the-scenes of the secretive video games industry. Much of this information has revolved around the Epic Games Store itself but we have also seen some information regarding other video game companies. One of the more interesting discoveries was with regards to Sony and their attitude towards crossplay. This has suddenly shone the spotlight back on crossplay and made the discussion relevant again.

First, I should probably explain what crossplay is to those unfamiliar with the term. Short for “Cross-Platform Play”, it refers to when a game supports players playing together across different gaming platforms. This concept is relatively new within the games industry with the first console games with crossplay support only first appearing around 2000 when several Sega Dreamcast games allowed for players playing on the Dreamcast, Windows PC or PlayStation 2 to play multiplayer together.

4×4 Evo was one of the first games to offer crossplay, allowing Dreamcast, Windows and Macintosh players to play together.

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The Difference Between Video Game Remasters and Remakes

Published May 3, 2021

If you’ve been following the video game industry for the past few years, you’ve probably noticed the dramatic rise of video game remasters and remakes. While there is legitimate criticism for retreading old ground, I’ve personally been enjoying the chance to revisit video game classics whether they be remakes or remasters. However, with this rise, I’ve noticed that there’s been plenty of confusion between the two. Therefore, I thought it worth looking at the differences between video game remasters and remakes and where the confusion may stem from.

First, let’s start with what a video game remaster is. A remaster uses the original content of the game but might allow the game to run in a higher resolution, perhaps with higher frame-rates, improved textures and gameplay and UI tweaks. An excellent example is the upcoming Total War: Rome Remastered which has seen a variety of graphical and gameplay upgrades but is running on the original game engine with a lot of the original scripting.

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Intriguing Reasons Why Games Are Removed From Steam

Published April 19, 2021

The Steam store is known for becoming increasingly cluttered with an estimated 52,115 games available at the time that I’m writing this article. However, it’s interesting to note that not all games continue to exist indefinitely on the platform. Occasionally, games will be removed from the Steam store, although they typically continue to exist in the libraries of players who bought them, for a variety of intriguing reasons and I thought it might be worth looking at a few of these reasons as well as the games that have been affected.

First off, one of the more common reasons you will see a game removed from Steam is the expiration of a license. A pretty popular example would be the removal of the 2010 game, released on Steam in 2012, Alan Wake. In 2017, it was announced that Alan Wake would be removed from both Steam and the Xbox store due to expiring music licenses. It wasn’t until over a year later that Alan Wake returned to storefronts as the music rights were renegotiated. This also happened more recently to Alpha Protocol in 2019 when it was removed due to expired music rights and has yet to to be made available again on Steam.

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Why Reviews Are Important When I’m Picking Media To Consume

Published April 8, 2021

When I was in secondary school, I began to become fascinated by the worlds of anime, manga, movies, TV shows etc. while also doubling down on my passion for video games. However, as you might imagine, this was quite a lot of media to juggle while I had to attend school and do homework. I had to try to determine what was worth spending my precious time and money on and one of the ways I could determine that was to watch and read reviews. When I spoke to my friends about this, I distinctly remember them saying “Ignore the reviews. Just watch what you want”. While I partially understood their reasoning, I thought it might be worth discussing why reviews remain important to me when it comes to picking the media that I consume.

I probably should emphasise that when I began to explore these media, I wasn’t entirely sure where to begin. I had watched plenty of movies and TV shows and played many video games as a kid but I was entering a new world of more mature media and had no idea where to begin. Not to mention that I was practically clueless about where to begin with anime and manga. While I did ask friends and family what some of their favourites were, I wanted to learn even more and find some hidden gems. To do that, I sought out reviews of media that I found interesting to see what the reviewer’s thoughts were and whether I should check them out.

A picture of my horror film collection in October 2020. — When I discovered horror films in secondary school, I had no idea where to begin and I turned to online reviewers to find out what movies I should seek out.

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PC Vs Consoles: Which Is The Better Platform?

Published April 5, 2021

The recent announcement that Days Gone, a game that was exclusively released on PlayStation 4 in 2019, was coming to PC this year along with a “slate” of other Sony games was, to me and others, a cause for celebration. I even wrote an article about which Sony games I’d love to see come to PC! However, some fans of PlayStation were upset by this announcement and, while the reaction has been relatively tame compared to the announcement of Horizon Zero Dawn for PC, this vocal minority remained visible. This has made me ponder the differences between the platforms and why some people may feel more attached to one over the other and so, I decided to take a look at PC vs consoles and which is the better gaming platform.

However, I should preface this article by stating that I have made my personal preference for PC as a gaming platform clear in the past. However, I intend to look at the advantages and disadvantages of both PC and consoles when it comes to gaming and I hope to discuss the topic as impartially as I possibly can. It’s also important to note that the conclusions of this article are my personal opinion and that you are free to agree or disagree with me.

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The Template of the Hero’s Journey

Published March 25, 2021

It has been argued that, despite the enormous amount of stories told throughout the world and media, there are only a limited amount of “frameworks that are recycled again and again in fiction“. Easily one of the most popular would be the template of the “Hero’s Journey”, also referred to as the monomyth.

The secondary name for the hero’s journey, “Monomyth” comes from James Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake” and refers to the fact that numerous myths and stories from cultures all around the world use this structure for their storytelling with classic examples such as King Arthur, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Yamato, Beowulf and many others falling into this category.

An illustration of the hero’s journey by Reg Harris

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