They lied to us

A couple of days ago I ran into a Youtube channel called Lindybeige.

The owner is a historical re-enactor, live role player, gamer etc. The thing I find most fascinating about his channel is the experiments he does with armor, weapons and amongst other things, torches.

As it turns out, media such as TV, movies and games have lied to us for years. Take torches as an example. A medieval torch was most likely made from pitch. If you set fire to pitch the first thing you're going to notice is the smoke, and there's going to be a lot of it. Outside that's not much of a problem, but if you're inside, or even worse, under ground, you're not going to have to worry about orcs, smoke inhalation is going to get you first.

He also demonstrates what drawing a sword sounds like (it's not a metallic schiing sound), how wearing a full helmet affects your vision and hearing and many other things.

So if you, like me, find stuff like that interesting, go check it out. The link is up above, and I'll ad a sample below.

I'm a bit rushed today, so you'll have to settle for this. If you do go to the channel, you'll be busy as well.

Until next time, have an interesting week!

More gaming news

Hello there, it's time for more Eccentric Spheres!

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Microsoft's plans for their Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and the plan to erase the walls between PC and Xbox gaming.

Well more information is available and it's not all that good. I did mention that games bought from the Windows Store are locked to borderless full-screen and that LSI is disabled, but it goes deeper than that.

The problem is that the .exe game files are essentially apps, and as such are locked down and can not be modified. In essence this means that games bought from Microsoft can't be modded! One of the biggest elements of the PC gaming scene is disabled. Microsoft please...

If this persists they have completely lost their minds. Another aspect is that games can't be recorded by traditional means, which means that Let's Players and streamers can't and (most likely) won't use these games. This in turn will kill any chances Microsoft has of becoming a major retailer of games. Why should anyone buy their games from them when other retailers don't have these limitations? You tell me, I can't figure it out.

Microsoft did say there would be 'growing pains' but this is worryingly dumb. Get your heads straight guys.

Interestingly, speaking of MS, they have suggested to Sony that it would be interesting and cool of Xbox players and Playstation players could play together, and Sony has agreed, at least in theory. These talks are very much in their infancy, so time will tell.

Finally, Creative Assembly, the team behind the beloved Total War series, have pushed back the release date for Total War Warhammer by a month. Considering how messed up Total War releases have usually been, this is a good thing.

Other interesting things about Total Warhammer are that the Vampire Counts have finally been released, and it looks fine so far, but many essential elements are still absent.

They have also revealed that the sieges will be different from previous Total War titles. Where you could previously attack all four sides of a city, you can only attack two in Warhammer. This is to aid the AI in using functional strategies, something that has been lacking in previous titles, I'm told.

Again time will tell if Total Warhammer will be a good game, and in that vein I have decided to adopt a wait and see strategy instead of getting the game upon release. I love the setting too much to take the risk of getting my heart broken.

That is that. Until we see each other next time, have a lovely week!

Cats and flu

OK, so a nasty flu has absolutely kicked my ass.

It's a 'good old fashioned' one too. Stuffy nose, increased temperature etc...

But come hell or high water, Eccentric Spheres gets updated on Mondays.

Since I can't really think straight and I don't want to deal with anything stressful, please enjoy this documentary on cats. They're cute and cuddly.

Hopefully I'll have recovered by next time. So until then, have a great week! 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVVN_7zZNf4

 

Windows 10 and Xbox

I recently read an interesting piece of gaming news.

With the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft has repeatedly stated that they're committed to gaming. Well, companies have made statements and promises before that hold about as much water as the average politicians promises. But now things are getting interesting.

Microsoft is blurring the lines between PC and Xbox. It's already possible to stream games from your Xbox via your PC, but the lines are getting even blurrier. The plan is to start selling triple A games on the Windows store much like Steam or GOG, but for both PC and Xbox. So far there aren't more than a small handful of games there but that will no doubt change soon.

Case in point: Quantum Break.

This games was originally an Xbox exclusive, but it will also be released on PC. This is a good thing. I have always hated exclusives. It's wasteful and does nothing but foster resentment between the user of the different platforms.

Example: Bloodborne. I would love to play this game, but it's a PS4 exclusive and I'm not buying a Playstation to play one game. No way. There is, or rather was, a petition to bring Bloodborne to the PC. It got 49,708 signatures. Likewise there was a petition to stop this and keep Bloodborne a PS4 exclusive. It got 819 signatures. Why? Because of the “I'm a special snowflake” syndrome that some people get when they have tied something like a console or a car to their identity, and need to defend it.

Now, we could argue the merits and flaws of exclusivity until the cows come home, and yes I get why companies do it, but I still hate it. If Microsoft's plan works, there won't be any real differences between PC and Xbox games anymore. It'll only be a question of how you like to play games. On the couch in front of the TV or at your desk with keyboard and mouse? When a game is released on one platform it also comes out on the other. That only leaves the Playstation on it's own. And technically Nintendo, but they have always done their own thing regardless of the other industry giants, so they don't really count here.

This might make Sony even more defensive and isolationist, but it may also force them to open the gates and exclusivity will be but a distant memory. And frankly gamers shouldn't have to choose “sides”. You should be able to play any game you want, with the people you want (or alone), on the platform of your choosing. The platform wars are ridiculous, juvenile and only serve the companies, never the consumers.

Microsoft has admitted that there will be “growing pains” with this Universal Windows Platform, or UWP. An example of this is Rise of the Tomb Raider. If you buy it from the Windows Store you are force to play it in borderless full-screen mode and you can't turn off SLI. The same game on Steam allows you to change these things. Or so I'm told. And the game costs the same in both shops. Sure, I'm willing to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt and time will tell. Either way there is a slim chance that this will allow gamers to have an even wider choice of games to play, and that is a good thing.

Here is some further reading:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2972866/software-games/how-the-xbox-one-and-windows-10-come-together-and-where-they-fall-apart.html

http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/649991/Windows-10-gaming-Xbox-One-update-Phil-Spencer-UWP

If that doesn't sate your appetite, Google 'Windows 10 gaming'. That should do it, and that does it for me. Until next time, have a great week!