Dollars to Downloads

I’ve been feeling gratified of my writing output recently, maybe more so in reference to my abysmal output years prior, in what seemed like a misplaced attempt at an early retirement. If not that, then it at least seemed like due to my lack of activity, I had embraced the notion of what others had done before me, and join the the Hutt Palace Collection as my new aspirational goal in trying to get out of the game.


It really ties the room together

While my goal to write consistently was true indeed, it was certainly *not* aiming to the lofty heights of the every day, which I have successfully ended up doing so. I am, more so than most, deeply aware of just how untenable this schedule will be in the long run, and represents a laughable effort in terms of continued sustainability, but I will keep on striking while the creative irons are hot, and until I completely run out of Steam.


Speaking of which…note to self: writing ideas=Valve?

Since I have recently reacquired a laptop after an embarrassing amount of time of not being computer capable, even going so far as to having written posts earlier this year on a phone and a Bluetooth keyboard like an absolute mad lad, it was clear to me then at that point the writing hunger had grown monstrous, and the beast needed to be fed thusly. Since ATE has always represented a bastion of a gaming variety, the fuel to my fire is indeed gaming itself, in all of it’s humdrum glory. Not every game nor lived day can be an absolute banger though, so we have to take the good with the bad as they come…


Word on the Gotham streets ain’t promising these days, I hear

Also coming to terms now that since this isn’t a compensated gig anymore, obtaining titles is all on me, and could be quite the schlep, in terms of finding new titles to play and write about, especially when one is flat broke. The PS4 has had a mini-fest of sorts to that point, which has shined a spotlight on many of their free to play titles, which has helped ease the burden of finding some interesting writing material in which to be inspired by. The first of which was attempting to get invested in the Warner Bros backed game Multiversus, which was kind of a Smash clone involving big name characters beating the ever loving crap out of each other.


It’s always Rabbit Season when you’re playing Multiversus

The game had a predictable pedigree about it, as the gameplay ended up being competent, if not a touch too floaty. Inspite of that, the design machinations of the moment to moment were fine enough however, enjoyment of Multiversus was mucked up more so by the the GaaS proclivities that ended up being the biggest wedge of enjoyment, as most of the unlockables, including the majority of the roster, were hiding behind a grindwall, and only a load of hours or money poured into the experience would net you new goodies. I realized after my write up I hadn’t done too much of a follow up to Multiversus, which is essentially required in this day and age for a myriad of technical reasons, especially those of the GaaS variety, as what was true at launch may no longer be true down the road. Hell, even a major update in some instances can completely morph the entire experience into something wholly transcendent, GaaS game or not.


Speaking of a game that greatly benefitted from
a good old fashioned phoenix down…

Which is a double edged sword of course, as it allows devs to get product out the door more quickly, which cuts down on crunch and improves quality of life for them as well, making the triple A model of gaming somewhat rational in the idea of possibly sane sustainability. The downside is games often launch in an incomplete fashion, or limp from launch to only a competent crawl in the first six months, to mostly polished but somewhat rough around the edges by the end of year one in a lot of cases. Other factors prop up as well, as rotating content and updates can change the very nature of the title at the drop of a hat. For example, even the starting roster I wrote about when initially playing Multiversus just a week ago has already changed it up, which could very well affect a person’s decision to even touch the title, based on their biases and preferences there in.


Rotating rosters=head spinning

That last note of concern is a big one, and certainly a point of contention I hope Player First Games irons out sooner than later. Even aside from the unfortunate amount of time and or money involved just getting the base level of content for the game, they haven’t a snowballs chance in hell in being a viable alternative to Smash as long as they let their overbearing transactional nature rule their player bases day. Even something as simple as having considering buying the Iron Giant last week, now to get to try him for free and realize I wouldn’t have liked him that much as a playable character is just one of many follies that comes with a roster hidden behind a grind wall.


EA: Record holder for most downvoted comment of all time

Even Nintendo has jumped on the bandwagon in some fashion, with many of their free to play titles coming in the form of multiplayer only iterations of some of their biggest hits (F-Zero 99, Tetris 99, Super Mario 35). Of course, they’re still doing it in Nintendo fashion, so the titles core gameplay is left intact, with no need for battle passes being involved, nor digging deep into your pockets for skins and the like to milk you like the cash cow you are just to have a cool looking fucking hat or something. Though I maintain that Nintendo remain cowards for having taken down Super Mario 35 some time ago, which remains baffling to me to this day. The server costs to keep it up couldn’t have been that grandiose, could they? Hell, that was one example of a free to play game being so good, I would have happily coughed up some dough to keep that whole project going, and I’m not even saying that because I did the impossible and even one once.


Why do you hate money sometimes, Nintendo?

There is no ultimate point I was trying to make here, whether it be free to play games, or more transactional heavy GaaS titles, the gaming industry keeps evolving, and has to continually find new ways to refine the market, as it were. Whether it be from the quarter swallowing machines from the arcade yesteryear, to mobile games and their micro transactions, to season passes to unlock the newest updated content, we as consumers will always have to navigate the minefield of intolerance, to see where the traps lay hidden.

~Pashford

Nothing Burger, hold the interest

Following a long string of articles detailing a fair bit, but mostly involving Zelda and dancing, today felt as if a reprieve of sorts…


Dance as if there is no tomorrow

Even though I was going to enjoy some down time entirely, I did attempt to still gather some writing ideas with which to delight you, but I mistakenly looked within the realm of GaaS gaming in order to do so. I downloaded The First Descendant, which turned out to be as much of a bog standard third person looter shooter as you can imagine. So much so to the point that beyond these two sentences, I’m not sure there is much more to comment on the title of any interest whatsoever.


Staring at this screenshot simulates the about the same amount
of fun when playing the game

It did get me thinking about who the game would be for, in theory. With so many on the market as is, and so little appeal or unique and standout features to differentiate itself in a sea of interest, what kind of person would be attracted to this sort of experience? Any who are interested enough in the premise of looter shooters are surely deeply invested in one they’ve been playing for ages, why would they just abandon all of the time and energy to try out a lesser experience and start all over again? Maybe I am just too much of an alien to these sorts of playing habits, but even within the realm of enjoying some time of playing games online at night with your friends, there is still no shortage of better ways to do so.


It’s destiny you find something more interesting…

And yes, I know we are deep into the content updates involving the sequel at this point in time (Destiny), but the picture was chosen with intent. They may not be the *exact* same sort of game, but it’s really not a stretch of the imagination to imply that even with outdated gameplay elements and a lack of support, even a title as antiquated as the first Destiny may provide you with a more appealing base of interest than First Descendant does, with it’s complete embodiment of that nothing burger lifestyle it is rolling with. I know the old saying goes don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but the inverse to that in gaming has to be something akin to “trust the first hour of gamplay”. Just like people on some level, you should trust a game, much like a person, and believe them when they show you what they are the first time…and sometimes, that’s nothing short of disappointment.

~Pashford