Watch Dogs Gameplay ~ Preview

The last couple of months have left much of the gaming world speculating over the heavily anticipated release of Ubisoft's next open world game, Watch Dogs. Much of the buzz hasn't been positive with many questioning the integrity of the developer's statements earlier this year which proclaimed that the graphics would not be downgraded by any means. However, much of this was scrutinized with footage being leaked that suggested the gameplay had been drastically downgraded from the much talked about E3 2012/2013 footage. Much of the gaming community was set into a frenzy upon this "discovery" prompting many to liken the latest gameplay to that of early PS3 and even Sims-like graphics. It had appeared that the future of Watch Dogs was uncertain and with the developers suffering a huge blow with over a month til launch. 

Flash forward to late April 2014: Ubisoft releases brand new footage that showcases the multiplayer aspects of the game on the PS4. Many over the past few weeks had speculated that only PC gamers would reap the benefits of true 'next-gen' graphics, as latest news had suggested that the graphics would look the best on PC hardware which would be capable of rendering top notch shadowing and Anti-aliasing. However, with the latest footage showcasing graphic quality just slightly below that of the much acclaimed E3 2012 graphics, the gaming community could finally breath easy for the time being. 

There hasn't been much talk about the multiplayer other than a quick gameplay that suggested gamers could enter one another's game sessions seamlessly without any hiccups. How does this work? Well, the head of development has the 411 on everything you need to know so far. In theory, a gamer could enter the session of another in three separate fashions: 

1: Come into another's session surreptitiously disguised as an NPC and 'hack' into the host gamers in-game cellphone to pull what information they can without being detected/killed. The success rate varies on the ability of the hacker to be stealthy and outwit the other player(s) in a deadly cat and mouse chase around the city. Rewards include new ranks, city information, notoriety increase and other benefits which have yet to be fully detailed.

2: A mobile user who has downloaded the Watch Dogs app can enter via their personal smartphone or tablet and take on all the powers of a faceless CTOS operator, controlling the police, traffic lights and the entire city in theory to trap a console player. How successful you are depends on your wits and the speed of how quickly you tap around a map of the city as you send waves or law enforcement agencies after a player.

Note: I wonder how much this method of gameplay will be utilized beyond just a quick dabble to see how it works. 

3: Players can team up in squadrons to steal information from another groups hacker utilizing both driving skills and gunplay to obtain the sought after information. Again the reward(s) vary based on how well you and your teammates work together to kill or incapacitate the other team members and achieve your goal. 

Note: Unfortunately this was the shortest amount of gameplay that was discussed in the video with some gamers, including myself, questioning the driving mechanics and gunplay. 

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, a quick run down of all the multiplayer has to offer to date. Now for my opinion. While the graphics have me a less weary on buying the game I am still skeptical about the actual gameplay and mechanics. First off I thought the lighting was pretty darn good all things considering, especially since I had seen many videos and testimony that indicated to the contrary. Secondly, I like the idea of other gamers entering your session without you knowing which could prove to be a lot of fun if done correctly, although I can't comment as positively on the silly Taco truck which is about as subtle as a kick in the head (see above video). Lastly, the city looks more alive then some of the gameplay elements of other sandbox games such as GTA V and Saints Row which always bothered me, as driving around with only a handful of pedestrians and cars on the road gets a bit eerie at times. 

Now for the bad. I disliked the way the driving aspect of the game worked, which I imagine you'll be doing a lot of. There didn't seem to be much if any in the way of damage when barreling your vehicle at breakneck speeds down Chicago streets and sidewalks with the front end looking brand new and shiny by the time the chase had ended. The car's also give the impression that driving is almost as smooth as driving a boat or a vehicle in Crazy Taxi which seemed very irritating. I also was a little perturbed by the gunplay which seemed lazy and uninspired at best with lackluster sounds and responsiveness. Hopefully, theses aspects will be ironed out and that the final version will be just as good the early footage promised or close to it. 

In the end I was surprised by the fidelity at which the gameplay looked and while we didn't get to see a whole bunch of the city it's nice to know that there will a lot to explore and figure out for yourself come May. As always please leave all comments or questions that you might have in the section below and feel free to follow me for more relevant and irrelevant news stories! 

World's Apart: Society's Mental Block

'Selfie'. The term has become commonplace among social network aficionados and casual facebookers alike. It is a jargon that has come to represent an entire generation due in part to it's ubiquitous nature. This week the word found it's way into the Oxford Dictionary as the publishers declared it the 'culturally defining word of the year'. While largely looked upon as a throw away pop culture story that typically falls under the radar with most of the 'yahoo' and Huffington post-type articles, it is a story that has more depth and serves to shed light on the inherent flaw of such innovations.

The story is the answer to the often posited question: What have we accomplished technologically to better aid our daily lives and stay more connected as a species? When the smart phone came about in the early 2000’s they were hailed as the dawning of a new age of communication, allowing us a society to close the gap between the disconnected and the connected.  Apple cashed in the biggest on the first of such phones and marketed accordingly with the selling point that their products were essentially the ‘bentley’ of the cell phone universe. With such convenience and new innovations came the rise in social networking domains most famously, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Phone companies caught on fairly quickly the cash cow that could be created with little more effort than an app that would revolutionize how we stay in contact with loved ones and friends with a tap of a finger. Phones had become the gateway to a world of dreams with limitless possibilities.  Little More than a decade later Apple and Microsoft unveiled their tablet companions which substituted as ‘mini laptops’ and their latest in high tech phones accompanied by HD resolution and larger capacity much to the glee of tech wizards and app lovers alike. 

It is now 2014 and it is almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t own some sort of tablet, smart phone, or high powered computer. We are infinitely connected to one another at a click of a mouse or keypad with the world at our fingertips, whether we like it or not. However, in doing so we have become more aloof and alone, losing what makes us human in the effort to create simplicity. Infinite information is an app away and has dulled our minds into accepting the idea that we need not stretch ourselves further than technology allows. As such society has become stagnate in our ability to form electronic relationships that simulate human connection very well without the physical bond that has driven us for centuries. Today’s youth have never known a world without the internet, cell phones or Facebook and thus have little to no appreciation for imagining the absence of such. What we have created are a generation of socially inept individuals who live vicariously through the inter webs and online personas. Distraction levels are at an all time high with the rate of cell phone related accidents on the road climbing and showing no signs of dipping. Schools are forced to combat such issues with little to no avail requiring one more obstacle (and a large one at that) to be tackled on a case to case basis. And with an economy already in the toilet and a limited employment market awaiting our children on the other side of a 4-year undergraduate degree, we have only crafted our own doom. It is not difficult to imagine a world where physical connections are viewed as an inconvenience entirely with large wall screens providing sustenance for any desired human contact. 

In the end it is up to us as a culture to mediate and curb such behavior in our children and more importantly ourselves. It is often posited whether environment or heredity has a greater effect on our upbringing and I feel it could be said at this juncture that the choice is ours as a species and should be taken more seriously than it presently is. 

Music of the Week.

This above is a piece that I wrote using Garageband. Let me know what you guys think if anyone is interested. Cheers!

Video of the Day

Have always loved Julian's solo work. Nice to see him still doing stuff. Check it out.

No Turning Back: Syria in Focus

                                                                                                                         
With the present state of affairs both domestic and abroad, I would say that there is much to be discussed as America once again approaches the threshold of yet another international military debacle that never ceases to captivate both the media and small town diplomat alike. Alas since facts and truth seem to be two very different items these days it is nearly impossible to shed light on anything long enough to see every tooth and nail of whatever monster it is we are hunting.

What is evident is that no one seems quite to know what is going on and would rather lob accusations and shake fists because you know, that's what civilized governments do. Today's world is one that resembles more of a 'cowboys and Indians' manner of dealing with international relations rather than aiming to root out a problem before brashly yanking it by the stalk. But then again, this is nothing new so I suppose I shouldn't be too heavy handed in my critique of the Obama Administration's course of action. However, once again I must again admittedly give some leeway to our shirtless friend in the East, President Putin, who surprises me with his rather well thought out look at the situation in Syria. Mr. Putin recently released a statement that stated that it would be smart to disarm the country of any chemical weapons rather than facilitate any unnecessary military incursion, a statement that even President Obama admitted was a 'potential breakthrough'. In other words, "why didn't I think of that?". Which raises another important question, why are we so gung-ho to get involved in what would most certainly turn into another mass deployment of troops and UN peacekeepers when there isn't hard evidence to really suggest that Al Asad himself ordered the usage of chemical weapons on his own people? Am I saying that it's not very likely that he did give the military permission to utilize such weapons against Syrian citizens? No. Is it also likely that the rebels might have done it themselves in the hopes that the US would and at this point probably intervene and usurp Al Asad out of power? Yes, I think it is. But is this discussed on the nightly news across our country? I think you know the answer to that my friends.

Nope, not even a little. Instead we are bombarded with bullshit small town America Q&A's that seek to illuminate the hidden political geniuses that blue-collar workers at crummy diners possess. At this point I guess I shouldn't be too surprised as American's have enjoyed sucking at the teat of the misinformation hub that is broadcast news. But that's a story for another day and another drink.

While this situation most definitely is in it's downward spiral towards almost certain disaster, I would like to hope as I always do, that the fine people who lead our beloved country can surprise me by doing something that I have yet to see become a trend: Common Sense. Don't fall into the trap of living beyond your means America, you're a deadbeat, a broke and an economic cripple, don't go taking a swing just because you're angry and need someone to fight.  With that I leave you with the following advice Mr. President.

 There is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing.

Note: Photo originally published on usatoday.com

'America' Or Why You Can't Fix Stupid

In the wake of the recent 'not guilty' verdict for the Trayvon Martin murder, I felt it necessary to comment on the general state of affairs rather than a case anatomy that many professional and non-experts feel so inclined to do at the drop of a hat.

With every big media trial that occurs, usually for murder or the occasional infanticide, it appears that every person; male or female, black or white, and self proclaimed expert alike come out of the woodwork to lay their opinion on the table for all to hear. What usually amounts to this potpourri of (mis)information, is biased and nonsensical arguments that devolve into hours upon hours of quarrels and 'he said, she said' statements that make the 'highlight reels' of the web. As per usual, the media will of course hyper-inflate what could easily be considered junk swept under rug of the chopping room. In the end those precious few who opt to take a neutral stance on such issues are greeted with a circus that seems to grow only stronger as fuel for minute to minute updates run dry. Rephrasing and repetition become ubiquitous as news stations are forced to use recycle footage and old 'post 9/11' terminology to strike fear in the hearts of the less attentive viewers. Thus those on the lower end of the spectrum get a 1st grade book report summary of the 'truth', which takes liberties with the facts and turns opinions into causes and bullet points into long winded odes to justice and civil rights. The point I'm trying to make is that many of American's tend to take what should be obvious social problems and run with them to the point where they plateau into matters of 'race' or 'gender'. While these issues are good and all, at least for social media, they don't strike hard at the matter at hand which is something more serious and socially unacceptable. Cases like the Trayvon Martin case highlight such issues and shed light on human's inherent ability to leech off social issues and use them as a soapbox of sorts to bandwagon their own opinions which they tout as research or fact. It's a shame because it discredits those who really do look at both sides of the coin and formulate well educated responses to the social failures that are looked upon as social norms. Violence is so widespread that it has been relegated to the 'inner city' and minorities in the lower income neighborhoods. The media for all it's power and expert analysis has been directly responsible for the dumbing of America and the novocaine for an ailing citizenry that forgets the uneven plane it stands upon everyday.

We are a nation of the contrary, a country that looks through all the grim and grit and looks for reasons to disagree with social reform. Gun control is a serious part of this as is abortion and the improvement of daily life. On one hand we push for reform and call those who seek to block such changes fools or lazy. Then on the other hand, when reform or change does take place that can really make a difference we disagree with that and shout blasphemy or sacrilege when it threatens our faith or moral fiber. We are stuck in this hamster wheel of progress that amounts to nothing in the end. History is unfortunately written by the victor and as of late, the winner is awfully good at pretending that mediocrity is an achievement. With every verdict and with every bill we lose a sense of where we are and where we are going, and thus are forced to wander through this endless desert of misdirection. Progress only comes to those who with the desire to be progressive.

The God Suppository: Side Effects May Vary.

Assuming that my absence has been greatly noted and that the multitude of my readers have avidly been searching for any substitute to satisfy their well developed palette for brilliant insight (you're welcome), let me say that I sincerely apologize for the shortage in recent posts. However, today I have a spicy subject that I hope riles even those of you who have a strong stomach for controversy and salty language. Let me begin by saying, that I again do not propose to have all of the answers to the inner workings of the universe and would not expect of any of you to argue that I am some sort of genius on my behalf, although the thought is well received. I am going to maintain my staunch stance on religion and the notion that it poisons the well of society to a point that exposes even the most reasonable individual as a 'god fearing' cretan that acts purely out of self preservation. 

I want to start my article, which will continue into future segments on religion and the supernatural should cooler minds prevail when the dust settles. So let's dive into it shall we; Do we need God to exist to make our existence significant? I think most of the individuals that attend church on a daily basis would agree with that notion whether it's internally or vocalized. Why do I say this? Mainly because many of the weekly churchgoers* these days and years before like to think themselves as the highest form of intelligence bar none and thus are worthy of the term 'god's greatest creation.' Now these are the same individuals who will argue that the birth of a child is a 'miracle of life' thus drawing a line that separates the sacred from the rest of the world's inhabitants. How is childbirth a miracle? If we were the only sentient being that could reproduce at will then perhaps I might argue on the side of the 'pro lifers' that have to turn every cause into a bumper sticker. However, we know that this is not the case, in fact animals were producing millions of years before humans even existed and managed to survive without the means of any sort of 'lifelines' that support our own existence. I would say that the fact that evolution is a reality that any idiot with half a brain that paid attention to 6th grade biology could figure out, I would say that the ability of dinosaurs and ocean dwelling creatures to adapt and survive for millions of years qualifies as more of a 'miracle' than say,  a species who consciously reproduces in the hopes of having their own 'mini-them'. Plus if life is so sacred than why do we relegate the word 'sacred' to only human life? The same people that will argue for the sanctity of a human embryo are the same individuals that ingest young calves by the quarter pound patty and subsequently argue over the evils of experimenting on unborn fetuses. "Two different things!"you say as you spit out chunks of processed meat across the table? Are they really? I call bullshit on that two faced view of 'sacred life'. 

Do you know why humans take precedence over other creatures? It's for the simple fact that humans are the only creatures that can talk and present a personality through language. Human beings view animals as menial creatures that eat and overproduce and thus need to be tapered back, this is a common argument used to describe the need to hunt deer. Hmm an overpopulated, over eating species that serve no purpose other than it's own self preservation? That sounds an awful lot like umm... humans? Do animals have the potential to destroy ecosystems and become over populated? Yes of course they do, were you not paying attention in 6th grade biology again?! But let me say this: no other animal outside the human race has ever consciously made another creatures life miserable in the hopes of some sort of personal gain. We are an inherently destructive race that knowingly feels the need to piss our name in every inch of grass we see and plaster concrete over any low lying swamp land that could be better utilized as a 'housing complex' for minorities. And all in the name of religion and 'progress'. I'd like to pinpoint the exact moment when progress stopped being about helping others and more about a nice car and a paycheck. I guess those guys in the flat earth society who wrote the bible forgot to do a little bit surveying before they decided to build a religion out of the human misery around them. 

So in closing, Do we need God to exist for us to feel important? For the puritan that needs that reassurance whenever they look in the mirror before they go out into the world, I'd say the answer is indisputably yes. But for those of you who have no need of fairy tale mythology to explain why your neighbor is fucking your wife beyond the fact that she's a whore, than good on you for not following the rest of your species of the cliffs of delusion. 

*Let me clarify that by churchgoer I mean those that make the conscious effort to go to church every week. Not like those once a year fucks that hog the pews on Christmas Eve.