Titans Terrors and Toys

I've previously commented on this blog about how some technologies that have been hyped as being cutting-edge and futuristic have also been released in some of the cheapest, low-tech ways imaginable to help promote them. For example, the current generation of virtual reality (VR) accessories includes head sets that are dirt cheap because they are little more than plastic or cardboard containers for a smartphone, the device actually has the technology that makes the VR possible. With that in mind, Nintendo is using the power of pre-fab cardboard kits to add new games and features to its hybrid game console, the Switch. The new product line is called Nintendo Labo, a selection of cardboard kits that players can use to build accessories that work in conjunction with the Switch's console display and Joy-Con controllers to provide new kinds of game play. Of the Labo kits that have been previewed so far, the Switch can be modified to look and operate like a variety of different...

For as much as I drool uncontrollably around high-tech stuff, I would never consider myself to be a "first adopter" of technology. I'm more like a "better-late-than-never adopter". Case in point: My recent purchase of the New Nintendo 3DS XL handheld gaming console. I have been eyeing over the 3DS for some time, and for an obvious reason: It's the only video game console ever made that enables 3D gaming without the need for special eye wear or other extra equipment. This isn't like other 3D gaming products that require additional hardware to work (e.g., NVIDIA 3D Vision, Oculus Rift, etc.); instead, everything that's needed to play games in 3D--and games that use augmented reality (AR)--are included in the 3DS. What finally convinced me to make the commitment actually came from the many articles I've been reading about virtual reality (VR) over the last few months. High-quality VR isn't going to be affordable for another few years, and...

It's a common practice in the video game industry to take a popular title from a previous generation and give it an upgrade for re-release on the new gaming consoles and the most advanced PCs. Here's a list of 10 titles from the Nintendo Wii and Wii U that I think would be ideally suited for transition into virtual reality (VR). Some Nintendo games have already made the crossover into VR. There's a VR Mario Kart game in a VR arcade in Japan, and the programmers of the Wii Dolphin emulator have experimented with Metroid Prime and Pikmin games in VR. In alphabetical order, here are some additional titles that I think should be available for play on VR headset in the near future: Bully: Scholarship Edition : Even though Bully was available for multiple consoles during its run, the motion control-enabled Scholarship Edition for the Wii would be perfect for VR. Having this updated for first-person VR would be just like going back to high school, but with t...

2017 witnessed the arrival of three long-awaited entries in three different franchises: Alien: Covenant , Blade Runner 2049 , and Star Wars: The Last Jedi . Despite their different levels of performance at the box office, I enjoyed all three of these movies. Each was well made by talented, creative individuals who added rich new content to their respective franchises. This post is about a trend that I've been observing for years (decades, actually) about the different kinds of reactions fans have when their cherished franchises expand into multiple sequels, prequels and spin-offs, and how the larger media outlets reflect these reactions. Regardless of the franchise, I think that the primary conflict within fan communities is between Purists and Completists. Read on... The word "Completist" speaks for itself. These are the kind of fans who have a much more comprehensive approach to their favorite franchises, collecting and examining as much of them as they can. In co...