The Once in a Generation Gaming Question

As Winter approaches a difficult decision will have to be made.... no, not about lockdown and a Covid Christmas (although that's very important too of course) but as regards the purchase of either the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X (pending availability of course).

Decisions, decisions!

Decisions, decisions!

I'm not sure what I'm going to go for as neither Sony nor Microsoft have shown me any launch titles that have convinced me I need to buy the system on the day it drops. To be honest only Nintendo usually have something as a Day 1 release that make it a system seller which usually makes make me an early Nintendo adopter.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no Nintendo fan boy ( even though I always buy a Nintendo system for its exclusives) as I do also always buy either a Sony or Microsoft system too to ensure I have access to a wider variety and quantity of games, but this time the choice is a little more complex.

I have a PS4 currently as I like the exclusives and the focus on games rather than what Microsoft was pushing this generation initially , which was an all-round media machine with a Kinect focus. This is despite me being a huge Xbox 360 fan in the previous generation as its push on Live Arcade swayed me, alongside an ecosystem that was well integrated with indie titles and online marketplace.

The new consoles coming out seem to offer a bit of a starker choice this time round; 'more Sony exclusive' vs 'Tonnes of games with Game Pass'. It seems like a no-brainer that Xbox seems like the better option, and for many it probably is, but as an aging gamer with limited time I value the amount of time I have available for my hobby. I'd rather spend time playing the games I really wanted to rather than sifting through the sheer number of games that Microsoft will have available. Now some might say, 'Get the Xbox and play the games you want' but having Netflix I know that when there is too much choice I get paralysed and end up consuming not much at all as my mind starts to wander onto my 'pile of shame' watch list and I dip in and out, not committing to anything or racing through it without appreciating it fully. Imagine that with gaming? I'd always be worried about the next shiny thing. Although with the acquisition of ZeniMax and potential exclusives of titles like Elder Scrolls, Doom, Wolfenstein and Fallout is a huge boon for Microsoft, I’m still not sure that they’ll be system exclusives, maybe being timed exclusives or being released multi-platform, so I’m not too concerned about this.

So it's not you Microsoft, it me. At least that's how I feel at the moment but you never know, Sony might bugger it all up like they did with the PS3 and I might go cap in hand back to Xbox. One things for sure, in these unusual times things are as unpredictable as ever and that applies to the gaming space too. However, one certainty is that Nintendo will remain my one gaming constant.

Now to continue working through my pile of shame before the next gen drops.

LINK- My One True Gaming Constant- Nintendo

LINK- Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World- Book Review

LINK- Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK: Preserving the Spirit of Media Past

LINK- Why I Collect

God of War- Video Games As Art

God of War is a stunning game which puts you in the shoes of Kratos, an angry dad who has to take the ashes of his dead wife up a mountain in order to give her a good sendoff. But, he has to take his sullen teen son along for the ride and so we have a crazy ‘Plane, Trains and Automobiles’ style- romp through Norse mythology. Okay, so I’ve kinda tszujed it up but this is very much the ‘middle-aged angry dad looking after a kid’ trope but this is an amazing one. The story is compelling, the voice acting top notch and the graphics are stunning.

Check out my screenshots from the playthrough as this is one of the most gorgeous looking games I've ever played.

Uncharted 3: Video Games As Art

The words ‘cinematic’ and ‘epic’ are overused terms, often used to sell you on a game. By using these buzzwords the hope is that the hype will build and interest in the game will pique. Many games have claimed to be like the movies but few can claim to be as proficient in the art of building a gaming experience that mimics the thrills of a blockbuster summer action movie than Naughty Dog. With the Uncharted series it has perfected the video game blockbuster. I only got onto the Uncharted bandwagon in the PS4 generation as last generation I had the Xbox 360 and Wii U. However, I am making up for lost time and completed the first 3. Here’s to the 4th!

Until Dawn- Video Games As Art

The weather is brightening up, the sun is shining and there isn't a cloud in the sky... so what do I fancy playing? Yup, creepy teen horror inspired Until Dawn! I heard about Until Dawn a while back but just never got around to playing it upon release due to having a massive back catalogue of games (including Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey) but with those games completed I felt like I needed a palette cleanser and this game fit the bill perfectly. Set over the course of one night you control various teenagers who go to a cabin in the mountains to commemorate a tragedy that befell their friends the year before, but something is them thar woods and it's up to you to save the crew from the horrors that lurk in the dark as well as uncover the truth about the area.

The game is great and over the course of 10 hours I was gripped, like cheesy horror trope-y gripped but gripped nonetheless. It's well worth your time if you fancy a mature Scooby Doo like escapade... with more blood!

PlayStation in Concert- Review

This evening I was lucky to be at a world premiere of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing the music of PlayStation games at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

I purchased the tickets a couple of months ago as I love the Royal Albert Hall for its acoustics and atmosphere, and the chance to hear some of my favourite video game soundtracks performed in such a space by arguably the foremost orchestra in the world, was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Me, chilling outside the Royal Albert Hall before the concert.

The day before the event I received an email notification to download a free app called EnCue, which provides information on the track being performed and details about the composer and the game. I was a bit reluctant as I thought it would take me out of the moment but I did download it, however on the night I didn't use it, preferring to let the music take me on a journey... and what a journey it was!

The ceiling of the Royal Albert Hall is a thing of beauty. The sound dampeners look like magic mushrooms!

The presenter for the performance was Jessica Curry, one of my favourite video game composers who, as well as soundtracking 'Dear Esther' and 'Everyone Has Gone to the Rapture,' hosts the Classic FM video game soundtrack show 'High Score.'

Her compering was short and brought context to the pieces, an amuse-bouche for the ears if you will. She encouraged audience participation via Tweets and read a few out between pieces after the interval. Her witty repartee and jokes at the expense of Hastings and Shropshire were hilarious and endeared her to an already enraptured and enthusiastic audience.

My rather blurry panorama of the Royal Albert Hall.

My rather blurry panorama of the Royal Albert Hall.

The music itself was exhilarating, to hear some of my favourite pieces performed by a full symphony orchestra with a sympathetic light display was magical. The pieces took me from the deepest depths of the oceans to vast desert vistas to the post apocalyptic near future where robotic dinosaurs ruled the world.

The music was played roughly chronologically from the ps1 era right through to the current PS4 and the tracks were:

CRASH BANDICOOT- Medley
WARHAWK- Theme
RESIDENT Evil- Medley
MEDIEVIL- End Titles
ARC THE LAD- Victorious Fanfare/ Main Theme
ICO- Castle in the Mist and You Were There
DARK CLOUD- Main Theme
flOw- The World of Flow
LITTLEBIGPLANET- The Gardens
ECHOCHROME- Prime #7
SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS- Suite
MOSS- Quiet As A Mouse... With A Sword
KILLZONE 2- Birth Of War
WONDERBOOK- Book of Spells
JOURNEY- Apotheosis
THE LAST OF US- The Last of Us
BLOODBORNE- The First Hunter
HORIZON ZERO DAWN- Years of Training and Aloy's Theme
EVERYBODY’S GONE TO THE RAPTURE- The Light We Cast
THE ORDER 1886- The Knight's Theme
BLOOD AND TRUTH- Ryan Marks
GOD OF WAR- Main Theme
THE LAST GUARDIAN- Overture: Lore
UNCHARTED- Medley

Some of the tracks, like 'The World of Flow' from 'Flow' and 'You Were There' from 'Ico,' were intensely emotional and touching whilst the 'Dark Cloud' theme and the 'Little Big Planet' track were playful in a big band kind of way, full of jazzy brass and swagger. There were definite highlights for me, the tracks from 'Ico,' 'Shadow of the Colossus' and 'The Last Guardian' were particular favourites as they are some of my most listened to soundtracks ever and also because the rose tinted nostalgia I get from recalling when I played those games at certain times in my life. The choral piece from 'Everyone Has Gone to the Rapture' was enthralling and deeply touching and the encore, an 'Uncharted' medley was a fitting way to end this celebration of PlayStation.

I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and hope that it is the start of something annual as it is a great way to bring a lot of people, who may not traditionally visit places like the Royal Albert Hall or attend classical music performances together for a magical, almost otherworldly experience. Also, events like this bring the music of video games to the forefront, challenging the misconception that video game music is all bleeps, bloops and chiptunes and that all games are inherently violent wastes of time. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra might be solving the problem of reaching new, younger audiences via video game soundtracks and I for one am glad. The beauty of the music shows that there is another side to video games; an artform. I only wish that Sony had got their act together and sorted out some merch as they would have made a killing and the fans would have gone away with a momento of a magical night.

The Last Of Us: Left Behind- Video Games As Art

I've already spoken about how wonderful the The Last Of Us was as a gaming experience and as an art form. The DLC, Left Behind tells us more of Ellie's backstory, illuminating us as to her motivations and worldview. At just over two hours the game is not long but it is still beautiful and filled with moments of awe and wonder. I won't spoil it but check out some of the gorgeous screenshots below.

The Last Of Us- Video Games As Art

The Last of Us is an action-adventure post-apocalyptic video game developed by Naughty Dog. The game was first published by Sony on the Playstation 3 but I only recently played the remastered edition on the Playstation 4 and what an amazing experience it was. You play the role of Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic America as she might hold the key to saving humanity against the virus which has turned most of the world's population into rage zombies. So far so stereotypically game trope-y, but what sets the game apart is the excellent story, voice acting and gorgeous visuals. The whole game plays like a movie and some of the visuals are truly cinematic. Have a look at the gallery below and see if you agree.

Drone Racing: A Sport of the Future?

Drones are everywhere. In the past couple of years the commercial availability of drones has risen whilst their prices have dropped, this has led to this past year being the Year of the Drone, with the gadget high on many people's Christmas list. As a teacher and the Future Technology lead at my school, charged with preparing our pupils for the future and potentially disruptive technology which could change the way we use and think about technology, I have been following the emergence and rise of drones closely and thinking about how they could be used in an educational environment.

As an avid gamer I think it was the game Wipeout which first attracted me to the idea of racing through tech-filled landscapes in futuristic hovering machines in fluorescent colours, it may have been F-Zero on the SNES but Wipeout on the original PlayStation was the game where I was first woken to the possibility of such a sport.

I am obviously not alone as the past year has seen a huge interest in drone racing as a sport, with the Drone Racing League, the National Drone Racing Championships and the Dubai World Drone Prix forming. In fact the Dubai World Drone Prix had a prize winning pot of $1 million, a record for the fledgling sport, which was won by a British 'pilot'. Many entrepreneurs are seeing the potential of the sport and are staking their claim to be the next Bernie Ecclestone whilst others see their chance to make money from their hobby, much like e-sports.

As teachers we should encourage our pupils to take part in whatever interests them and so in this spirit my school purchased 3 Hubsan X4 H107C to develop their basic piloting skills, 2 Hubsan X4 Mini FPV to develop their first person flying skills, 2 Boblov Eachine FPV flight goggles and a few air-gates to practice our skills. The whole package came in at under £500 and was researched to be the most cost effective and accessible way into the sport. 

I have been testing some of the equipment myself over the past few days but tomorrow will be working alongside my colleague to get our Digital Leaders, pupils with an interest in Computing and all things tech, to look through our resources and plan a course of action of starting our own Drone Racing League, with the intention of starting an inter-school competition sometime in the near future.

Flying drones whilst wearing FPV (First Person View) googles is an unsettling, dreamlike experience but once you get used to it truly immersive and engaging. I hope that this sport does take off and by providing our pupils with the resources and skills needed to compete in the sport maybe we will inspire our pupils to engage with the sport and maybe create future pilots.

Using the PSVR in School

I've spoken recently about how at my school we recently purchased a Playstation 4 and a VR headset. The PSVR headset arrived a couple of weeks ago and there was a sense of excitement amongst the pupils and teachers, although for many of the teachers there was also a sense of trepidation of another thing to learn, another potential 'hot new thing' that would be gone soon. To try to get the teaching staff on board I organised an after-school demo session where they had a chance to experience the technology for themselves. The results were extremely positive and many of the teachers were converted, seeing the possibilities such technology could bring into the classroom to excite and engage the pupils.

I have used the headset with my own class, connecting it up to the interactive white board with relative ease. This way the whole class could see what the individual could see within the VR headset and they could also be part of the experience. VR is here to stay I believe and to get on board it needn't be prohibitively expensive. The PS4 and PSVR cost just under 600 pounds in total and with time I'm sure it will get cheaper, which may make it one of the best ways to immerse children in an interactive and immersive digital world.

A few of the Digital Leaders, children inspired by and advocates of the use of new technologies, researched what software was available and carried out inquiries on how they could be used to be a art of the curriculum. I will be sharing their research and lesson plans here at a later date but what they did find was very intriguing, they saw possibilities of its application in software I hadn't even considered.

Personally I have used the platform to play Resident Evil VII (out of school time obviously and not with any children present) and the game is unnerving and immersive. The experience was unlike any other I have had in VR and has sold me on the possibilities of its use in gaming.

Using PSVR as a Writing Stimulus

At school we recently purchased a Playstation 4 and a VR headset. The PSVR headset just arrived today, after meeting the huge backlog in demand and Christmas rush, but we hope to use it as a contextual hub for learning. I've spoken many times before about how video games can be used as an instrument to hang learning on but with VR you can BE there, in the world.
I have been using the past few weeks since the PS4 purchase to play and record a few games which I feel can be used as a writing stimulus and will be working alongside my colleagues in creating exciting and fun lesson plans based on these soon. Today, with the arrival of the PSVR I played the demo disc, which contained several experiences of varying quality, and again hope to be using these to assist in developing the English curriculum.

VR could be an integral part of education and PSVR seems to be one of the most affordable commercial ways to get in on the ground level. Whether the potential is realised is to be seen but at my school we'll be giving it a good shot!

The PSVR does require a lot of wires.

The headset itself is extremely comfortable and adjustable, even for a glasses wearer like me.