July is almost here..

That's right. July is almost here and were officially into the latter part of 2013. Where did the year go? It only seems like yesterday that we were celebrating the new year.

Have you kept to your new year resolution? It's likely the good majority haven't, much like every year (including myself) but there's always next year.

I'm reliably told too that time only his quicker with age, a prospect I find rather scary indeed.

2013 still has some life in it yet however. For me, nothing beats Christmas time. Not to mention the release of the next generation consoles and likely major developments in my own little life. Oh how time flies!

The Last Generation?

With the added functionality within the consoles to be devices that are more accustomed to fulfil multiple media needs, rather than just gaming. Plus with the graphics becoming ever more beautiful. Is there a limit to how many generations of console there can be before they merely start are just re-configure the same formula but only with a few minor differences? (A few examples come to mind).

I think this will surely be the way of the future, as everything has its limit. 

Although perhaps the hardware will not be the focus going forward. Perhaps this will be the last generation of consoles that will actually have a physical unit. With services like steam, I believe it may be much more likely that both Microsoft and Sony will release streaming services (perhaps powered by a relatively low priced device, or maybe none at all). Streaming will also mean the bulk of the power is held remotely, negating the need a high-powered console of your own.

It's a sad thought but I think its an inevitable one. The excitement about buying a new console may be a feeling that will soon be no more.

The Imminent Debate: Xbox One or Playstation 4?

We all know that we are on the brink (if not already fully in the midst) of a battle between the Xbox One and the Playstation 4. Details are still hazy at the moment but which one are you leaning towards at the moment? Lets see what the current state of play is for both consoles at this time.

Xbox One

- Each disc will hold its own licence. This means that it will be harder to use the same disc on another console or effectively buy a used game. The only option to take in this instance would be to make use of their Microsoft's 'transfer system'
- The system resembles a VCR in my opinion (good or bad?)
- The console must connect at least once a day in order for it to play games..
- Ballpark price of $500.00

Playstation 4

- At the current moment, details are much more limited.
- We don't know what the console looks like yet!
- Ballpark price of $450.00
- The Controller comes with a handy touch screen interface (i'm uncertian at this point how useful that will become)

 

Both are stating that the next generation is not all about the games (although they will be much more improved ofcourse) but it is about being an all-in-one entertainment centre; connecting the console with such things as television capability. Both consoles will also come with an Eye/Kinect device as standard, a nice little touch.

Personally, the Playstation 4 is winning this particular battle for me, although the details are still rather limited so you never know what may happen.

The Demise Of The Cinema?

The cinema, a once popular pastime. Every Friday or Saturday night used to be the time you went to the cinema to catch the latest film. Heck, you may not even of wanted to watch the film, but you went anyway. A kind of social gathering.

These days however, the cinema is so incredibly expensive, it becomes more of a special treat than a random outing. This is before you take into consideration the need to buy food and drink (or perhaps buy it from a supermarket beforehand). I understand that the cinema's need to make money too, like any business, but it's saddening to think of how its become.

Is the cinema due to last for that much longer? With the onslaught of on-demand services such as Sky, Netflix and Lovefilm. Each one of these companies striving to get titles released onto their services in as short a timespan as possble after the cinema release. Plus the ever increasing capability of our own televisions at home. Bigger, louder, 3D, super HD. The additions keep coming.

Is it inevitable? Maybe not anytime soon but perhaps in fifty years from now. Will the cinema become a forgotten pastime reserved for the nostalgic?

Fate and Co-Incidence: The Bigger Picture.

Is there such a thing as fate, or co-incidence for that matter? Are our lifes just a pre-set mix of different decisions that are already made for us or do we truly have free will?

Sometimes in life, we all have that ery feeling that if something happens or if for some reason, it co-insides with something else, we will treat this as a co-incidence. This can go to the ultimate improbable extremes and this is how we find ourselves beginning to ponder whether fate is playing its role.

Personally, I dont see fate as being real in any sense. Time will continue to press on and we will all continue to make the right and wrong decisions upon our own free will. The only co-incidences that do occur are when our minds get carried away with ourselves and begin to relate things together. Some interesting theories to bear in mind however, include:

- The Science Experiment. Perhaps were all test subjects in a laboratory somewhere. A splatter of life under the microscope. Maybe even being controlled.
- The Matrix. However improbable this may first appear (and ofcourse im not quoting the film scenario as gospel), when you consider how technology has evolved over the last one hundred years, you could never rule it out.
- Multiple universes. Strangely and perhaps what is more shocking is that this thoery is the most likely of all thoeries to explain the grand expanse of space and everything within it. The prospect of there being millions of universes much like our own, where each decision is played out differently. Maybe even some instances where the Earth fails to exist at all.

Im a fan of the multiple universe theory myself, however, there are probably a thousand more ideas out there and still none of them may proof correct. The world is a strange place, much stranger than we give it credit for.

Chocolate!