Writing A Novel

Writing a novel is one of those tasks where it is very easy to say the words, but it is an altogether different matter entirely to write the words in a structured and understandable format.

To many, writing a novel at face value would appear to be as easy as riding a bike or learning to swim (I can’t swim..), but it isn’t until you try it for yourself that you find out what a technical and time-consuming task it actually is.

For instance, writing a novel includes the below:

- Plotting
- Character arcs
- A fully developed story with believable characters and environments
- Correct knowledge of punctuation, grammar and spelling
- Understanding points of view
- Coffee. Lots of coffee.

This is a tiny part of what is a much larger range of aspects to consider when writing a novel and it is something that I have come to understand on my own journey. For all writers that is what writing is, a journey we go on, and for the true writers, a journey that never stops.

I encourage everybody to start this craft or at least give it a go. Just don’t go into this craft with the idea of getting published and/or making money, the greatest reward in writing is managing your own time, your patience and your imagination to the ultimate completion of your project. You may also learn a few things about yourself in the process..

Do you write in first person or third person?

There are varying ways to write fiction. You can either delve deep into the mind of the main character and perceive the entirety of the book from their perspective, or take a more indirect approach and look at the scenes from a more third person perspective; but which is better?

First person - When writing in first person, you as the writer have one major advantage. Your writing is not your own narrated language but rather that of the character themselves. This can make it much easier to understand and develop your characters conflicts and motivations more precisely but also provide them with their own individual voice.

This can quickly become a problem however because as the creator of the story, we usually have a wider perspective on how the story is going to pan out and to a lesser extent, the characters and environments our character is going to be flung upon. With this knowledge, it can be very tempting during the writing process to deviate from the first person rule. We may want to give other characters more depth for instance or tell the story in part from others perspective. This ofcourse being impossible under a first person persona.

Writing in first person has its advantages but it also has its restrictions.

Third person - The more commonly used writing style, third person writing gives the writer the freedom to write the story from multiple viewpoints and therefore this gives scope for branching story lines and more developed character profiles.

Whatever your choice, its important to choose a writing style and stick to it, no matter how tempting it may seem to deviate. Breaking this rule only opens the story up to confused, disjointed writing which can be hard to follow. Personally, i feel a writer chooses very early on what kind of writing they are better suited for and sticks to that for the majority. For me, it is third person, but ofcourse, it purely depends on the type of book you are writing.

What Is Happiness?

A rather simplistic question when you first hear it isn't it. What is happiness? This clearly isn't as clear a question as first thought, as surely the true key to happiness holds different reasoning to each and every one of us, no?

Modern society certainly gives the insinuation that happiness is defined by two things; power and money.

If you have power and money, you have success, and surely then you have everything you need in life. We all know this isn't true however, one mans riches can be another mans burden.

I believe true happiness can only be obtained from deep within your own mind. You have to experience life's ups and downs, both its perks and its pitfalls, in order to be truly happy. How do you know what true happiness is, if you have never experienced true despair?

Of all the materialistic obsessions the modern life brings. Happiness does not need all of this fancy gadgetry, it merely is within us all, ready to be accepted once we are truly comfortable in our own minds.

Hidden Gaming Gems

You know the ones. The games that we stumble across by accident that actually turn out to be some of the best experiences we have in gaming. A hidden gaming gem that we will play completely to the end several times (maybe on different platforms) just for the fun of it. Or maybe perhaps we find the multiplayer aspect of a game too good to put down? Whether it be from years ago or maybe more recently, there are games out there that grab us and don't let us go. Some that come to mind are:

- Burnout Revenge: The multiplayer in this game as truly immense and it was the first ever game I went online to play multiplayer. It's a real shame this game is nearly impossible to play now due to how log ago it was released. Bring it back! Burnout Paradise was nothing in comparison to this arcade racer.

- Broken Sword: A childhood memory for me and one that will likely stay with me for the rest of my life. I've re-played this game on the DS, the IPhone, Ipad and PC (originally on the PS). A truly all time classic point and click adventure.

- Call of Duty: I agree with some that this franchise is becoming nothing more than a money grabbing  tyrant where they justify a full retail price for the next reincarnation which may not be so different to the latter. This said, they certainly do get the last laugh as the multiplayer is compellingly addictive and buying the next in the series feels a lot like getting the next Apple product.

- Discworld: I'm not sure how popular this game was, but along similar lines as Broken Sword, this point and click adventure is just as addictive. The difference? This game lends more humour but also in a much more fictitious environment and plot. Worth a download!

This is just a small selection of the games that come to mind first but there are many more. I remember the days of playing 'Zelda: The Ocarina Of Time', 'Super Mario All Stars' and to perhaps a lesser extend 'GTA: San Andreas'. What are yours?

Late Night Writing

Whichever day of the week it may be, once the sun has dunked its head into the horizon and the night takes hold, my will to write becomes stronger.

My imagination becomes more vivid and my thoughts become clearer. I'm not saying I can't and won't write during the day, ofcourse this is the case. However it all seems to fit together better under the metaphorical sheet of darkness that night brings, or perhaps the more real duvet.

Why is this? Is it because the internal bodyclock is trying to relax and therefore the thoughts of the day have dwindled away, leaving room for new ideas. Although the silence and calm can also lend well, especially when in a busy home.

Whatever the reason, if writing at night does anything, it eventually sends you off to sleep and if your lucky, some rather interesting dreams!

Modern Society: Have we lost the plot?

I recently learnt of primary schools in the area that actively look to not give their students (children) first place medals. Whether this be for their work, a sports day or whatever else may come by. The reasons behind this? To ensure that the other children who didn't place first do not feel inferior.

Is this the politically correct, 'we can't insult or degrade anyone in society' gone mad? I would think that a child learning the feeling and value of defeat is one of the most fundamental learning curves a child could take. The children who do not learn these essential drawbacks surely do not have a true grasp on what life is really like and the true, sometimes hefty, pitfalls it brings.

With the way the world is developing and has done in the past years, it appears it is only going to get more competitive. So, in order to be able to compete in this modern world, surely we need to expose our children to this, and not 'wrap them up in cotton wool'.

I'm not saying to go hardcore on these children. I just think modern society has it ways of doing what it thinks is right and convinces itself to that fact, when in actual fact, it is only narrowing our children's focus, vision and understanding.

Blogging vs Writing

I realise as I write this of the sheer irony it creates. The difference between the blog and of writing itself can be extreme, but can also be relatively indifferent, I guess it depends on the blogger themselves.

Writing a short story or book requires thought, and lots of it. Teamed with hoards of imagination, willpower and of-course a willing and able skill with the language itself. Writing is a passion, a state of mind. It can take us to worlds that we never thought we could ever imagine. It's liberating, yet screams escapism. It's creative, yet largely private.

Blogging on the other hand is rather different. Blogs do not need a word count or (technically) any kind of structure or thought process. Due to this, they can act more as a distraction and degrade the skill of your writing as a whole (perhaps only in extreme circumstances..). 

Writing is a life-long skill which is never fully mastered, but you can happily blog after a few mere minutes. Can the two work productively together?

Watching A Film Before Reading The Book (or vice versa)

With the continual onslaught of new films coming out on a weekly basis, there seems to be a lack of creativity amongst the ideas and stories that are created these days. Resulting in the creation of films that have predictable plot lines and characters, and a story that I don't feel attached to.

With the exception of many, the majority of films seem like passable filler between more glamourous, thought provoking work. Why is this? Does the sheer volume of films outlaid these days mean that little work still results in a considerable paycheque? If this is so, then who buys into these films?

So brings me to my point. Films that tend to do the best are the films that are based on books. The ideas, the creativity and full plot are all already there, ready to be pixated onto the big screen. From our imagination, we can see for ourselves how near our imagination was to that of the author, or perhaps the film director.

However, does reading the book prior to watching the film create unrealistic expectations and possible imminent disappointment? I have found this recently with 'The Hobbit'. Having read the book I was excited to see how this was conveyed onto the big screen. Although it is a rather good film, I was left feeling slightly deflated about the whole thing. This is purely because i had read before I watched.

The End Of The Bookstore?

Could it be true? Are we on an inevitable course towards the demise of our trusty bookstore?

If it wasn't bad enough for the sole trading bookstore with the development of major chains such as WH Smith and Waterstones, the continuing onslaught of e-books is no doubt harming this sector considerably.

The one and only reason I buy the e-book as opposed to the real thing is for easy reading in bed. Countless times I've felt inclined to read my book in bed but have been unable to. This being because I'm unable to keep the bedside light on, or even use a specialised book light, as this is also too bright for my other half. It also takes up less room ofcourse. The e-book simply works.

Whilst the e-book is the practical choice, the traditional paper version cannot be beaten and its a real shame its being faded out as time goes on.

Is it the imminent end for the bookstore. If not now but in many years time..

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!

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett

I came across this book whilst out this evening and it has immediately grabbed my interest.

The genre and plot of this book appeal to me. Terry Pratchett has been best known for his tales focused on the Discworld over the last few decades, and this particular book appears to be a slight step away from that world. I feel this may bring new life into his work and will be a welcome change.

Excited to begin reading this one!

New Character in Guild Wars 2.

My new character in Guild Wars 2..

Gran Turismo 5. To buy or not to buy? Is it still worthwhile amongst all the competition.

Is it worth it? I've debated over it for quite some time but ultimately, can it live up to its competition these days. With games such as Grid and Forza (amongst others), does this game still have a unique selling point?

The Casual Gamer vs The Hardcore Gamer

When I say casual gamer, I don't particularly mean the gamer that plays games on easy, nor the gamer that only plays games every so often. I mean the gamer that plays casual games.

You know the ones, the oddly addicting ones, yet minimal skill or even attention is required for the most part. Games like FarmVille and Hay Day, amongst many others.

These games are becoming more and more popular and so more variations of the games themselves are joining the shelves. These micro-management, micro-transaction games seem to be opening up a whole new market to people who would otherwise not game at all.

My concern is simple. As there is so much money to be made in these games and they are a 'safe bet' (due to minimal development/creation costs) with maximum rewards. Does this foresee a bleak future for gaming as a whole?

From the onslaught of casual games a few years ago, we have also seen an onslaught of different factors being introduced to our mainstream (more hardcore) games. Things such as DLC and arcade games. The games themselves seem to be a little easier these days too.

The concern is, will the casual gaming market (with its high consumer volumes) have a negative effect on the core of the very gaming industry and 'dumb down' some of the games of the future. For the time being, it's great that gaming is spreading beyond the tight community it once was, but what does the future hold?

What Is A Hero?

What defines a hero? Is it somebody who has done something significant for mankind? Perhaps somebody who has led in their field of expertise or achieved a great feat, or is it somebody in your personal life? Maybe all of the above.

Whatever your personal opinion may be, a hero can be defined rather differently, sometimes entirely differently, dependant on your own perspective.

Personally, i think a hero cannot be defined in mere words and is more something determined on a very personal level.

For instance, a hero to one person may be a sporting personality (to which I cannot relate), whereby a hero to others could be a leading business mind, historical character, relative or soldier maybe. The list is endless.

Rift: Free To Play Model Coming Soon

So it's been announced recently that Rift will be coming onto the free to play format, much like almost all other MMOs after a certain amount of time (exceptions including Eve and WoW).

This needs to be a very careful undertaking however as we have seen the free to play model crash and burn for games in the past. Yes, there's no subscription, but how is it best to implement factors into the game so the developer can still earn money?

A personal no no for me is buying quest packs, we saw this in LOTRO and I don't think it works too well. Ultimately this kind of DLC means you can't progress without investing (much like paying to be able to go into different parts of the world, or to be able to level up).

I hope Rift does adopt a winning scheme (Guild Wars 2 is testament that it can be done, but I guess that was made from the ground up as a non-subscription game, that could make a difference).

Going free to play can either make or break a game. I guess we'll find out (I'm sure it'll be fine!)

Xbox One: No 'always online' requirement.. for now.

So the Xbox One has been officially announced (from inside a tent) and it has brought with it some predictable expectations, but nothing too radical or game changing.

The main point to me was with the possibility of an 'always online' requirement. I'm glad they have taken the decision to not include this in their new console (maybe they had seen the roaring feedback following the release of SimCity and had changed their minds.. perhaps).

Personally however, isn't this merely postponing the inevitable? With the onslaught of DLC and continual game updates we receive whenever we don't play a game for a week or two. Plus the fact we can now buy full games online, without the need for a disc, it only seems like natural progression that 'always online' will one day be the norm. Whether this be your console, your mobile or perhaps even your touch screen coffee table..

It may not be a requirement now, but in the next generation it may well be. The Xbox Two and PS5 will likely adopt this, just as soon as the public comes around to the idea.

MMO's: Getting back into it.. but there's too much choice?!

Once again, I'm feeling that unmistakable itch within the gaming cortex of my brain (yes, ofcourse it exists..). The itch that continually nags at me to start playing an MMO again, until the inevitable happens and I give in.

My one problem? Which one do I choose? Do I do the unthinkable and re-subscribe to WoW (maybe not). Perhaps Rift, but then again, with the new Star Trek film that has just come out, I also feel drawn to a dabble in Star Trek Online.

This is amongst many other options I could take. Is there just too much choice these days? If so, is this nessacerily a bad thing?

One thing is decided though, I may as well not go back to Rift until the free to play model is put in place in June.

'Silver Linings PlayBook' Thoughts.

The life of a character living with a condition. A condition made apparent from a highly traumatic event which will forever leave its mark.

I think almost all of us can relate in one way or another. A singular event that we will remember for some reason or another, and that has somehow changed us for the worse or the better.

Following the relationship between two characters that have (what can be), aggressive conditions and how they work together in spite of this can be heart-warming. You feel almost as if such a relationship could not work between any other two.

New developments and subplots present themselves at points (the father having a superstitious gambling problem for instance), lend well and compliment the overall story.

Although the end is predictable, it still comes as a welcome and pleasing end. Fantastic acting on all parts, especially Bradley Cooper who handles his role and its challenges well. Making it believable and involved.

Quartet Thoughts.

I have recently watched a film by the name of 'Quartet'. A film centred around the goings on of a country retirement home for retired musicians.

Yes I know, this concept hardly sounds riveting, however, there is a surprising lot to offer.

Firstly, the scenes and the home itself lend well to providing a wonderfully rich atmosphere. This, put together with each character having their own unique characteristics, makes the film addicting to watch to the end (Maggie Smith stands out once again).

You find yourself developing empathy, delight and sorrow at times. The film addresses the well known condition of dementia rather well. It also reminds us all of how fragile life can be and also not to take life so seriously.

Without giving anything away, the ending is happy, yet sad. A 'bitter-sweet' scenario which leaves you thinking; the sign of a good film.

Is Playstation Plus Worth It?

I've been pondering over the Playstation Store recently and have gained an interest in Playstation Plus.

For £39.99 a year, you gain a subscription to play upwards of 30 games a year (changing each month) for free. Some of these are highly rated and popular, whilst others appear to be standard arcade-like games. You also gain 2gb (1gb each on the Vita and the PS3), where you can save game data.

All in all, it doesn't seem like a bad little package and its certainly tempting. Considering you pay near enough the same price just to play online on the Xbox, it seems justified.

Maybe, maybe not, room for thought.

'The Complaints' by Ian Rankin

I have recently finished reading The Complaints by Ian Rankin. A detective thriller, following the path of one Malcolm Fox as he overcomes one obstacle after the next in his hunt for truth and justice.

Ian Rankin really does know how to emphasise the power of the scene. He provides excellent descriptions of the surroundings, without over-encumbering you with too much detail, or heaven forbid, telling the reader what they should be seeing.

Each character is given their own set of distinguished unique personalities, however the reader can hardly trust any one of these characters, even up until the very last few page turns. Questions are asked throughout the book, each one begging to be answered and ultimately ensuring that I personally remained swept up in all the drama.

Recommended read.

Your Preferred Public Writing Hub.

Not all of us have one, some of us only choose to write within the walls of our own homes. There is, however, advantages to writing in a public place.

Not only does it give us new inspiration, as we see life going on all about us. We can also find inspiration in the sounds, smells and characters we may find. It can create added focus and renewed excitement to your writing.

Do you have your own public writing hub, are you that person with the laptop or pen and paper at your local coffee shop?

Perhaps it's Starbucks or Costa perhaps? Maybe it's a quaint little coffee shop or local bookstore around the corner. Either way, it's very much worthwhile, especially if suffering from a lack of new ideas.

Losing Your Handwriting Skill.

With the continued onslaught of technology, making its place into every foreseeable aspect of our current and future life's, where is the place/need for handwriting?

I grew up and learnt to write using a pen and paper and nothing else, however I now see that children are adapting themselves to writing via their technology, negating any need to use the 'old fashioned' pen and paper route. This appears to be happening at an increasingly younger age as time goes forward.

I noticed this myself when having to put pen to paper (on that rare occasion) recently. I had to give the task that tiny but more thought than I really should of needed to, and that's a real shame. The art and the majesty of the written word should not be lost but I fear soon enough we will be so accustomed to tapping rather than writing, that any need to write with a pen will be made exclusively for signatures and the like.

Call Of Duty: Noobs, Killcam and Mannequins!

I feel this may just be me in my own little world, however let me begin.

On the seemingly regular occasion that I do something not all together normal, some would call 'noobish' in Call of Duty. Say for instance:

- Try to walk into an area that clearly is not part of the map and get greeted with an invisible wall.
- Shoot a mannequin in Nuketown, thinking its another player.
- Accidentally slip on the right trigger in panic and try to knife the player from 10 feet away.

I find that for the brief second or two after this moment, I'm almost that tiny bit reluctant to kill anybody I see in my line of sight. Mainly due to the fact that my foolery will then be paraded in front of them in widescreen from my killcam. The shame.

Not that this stops me ofcourse, when a noob has his/her chance, he/she must take it.

We have all been noobs once though surely.

41 Seconds..

Today i played SimCity for 41 seconds. Thats right, 41 seconds, as its currently down for maintenance. That is all.

SimCity: What's The Problem?

Taking away the fact the release was a disaster, the always online requirement and the DRM. The actual game is in fact rather good.

Ofcourse, this is only my opinion.

Buying A Game And Your Partner Actually Plays It More..

I've found that in some games that I buy (and that I introduce to my otherwise none-gaming partner), is that they end playing the game more than me!

Examples of which:

- The Sims 3
- Spore
- Modnation Racers
- Far Cry 3
- Call Of Duty: Black Ops (?!)

This is to name but a few but I find it amazing that they spend more time on these games than me. I guess it's if there is a creative element in this situation (apart from Black Ops ofcourse).

It's worth noting that in no way am I complaining.. It's great to have a hobby you can share with your other half.

Ill be getting Simcity soon, we shall see what happens.

One Project Or Many?

When writing a novella, short story or even a fully fledged novel, what is your approach? Do you centre your focus onto the one sole project do you tend to have many different projects going on at any one time?

Personally, due to my limited attention span, I have various projects going on at any one time. I feel this may be a bad thing. Yes, I get to delve into different genres, different ideas and create my own stories individually, but where is my focus?

Focus is a primary factor when writing and having the ability to commit yourself to an idea, a plot or a scene is the foundation for your entire project. Although, having many projects at any one time may also bring a wealth of new ideas which you could 'mix and match' between your works.

I guess creativity and how we tackle this is a personal preference and everybody works in their own way. So what is it.. one project or many?

Far Cry 3: The Map Editor

To anybody who hasn't given the Far Cry 3 editor the time and little effort that is required, I highly recommend it.

The editor can be as complex or as simplistic as you wish and cater to only one game mode, or be multi-purpose and adhere to all needs. Such an in depth editor which can then be used directly in the multiplayer element lends to some interesting creations and interesting multiplayer matches.

Want more maps but don't want to pay out for map packs.. make them yourself!

Dirt 3. Hang on a minute..

So I decided to have a go at Dirt 3 and attempt to fully complete the single player campaign. What is incredibly frustrating and annoying however is the fact that DLC plays such a fundamental role in the game. So much so, that if i want to be able to 100% the game and achieve all the points from each of the 'triangles' it sets out, I have to buy an add-on/DLC to do so.

I would think if you buy a game, you should at least be able to 100% complete the game and any DLC will come as a bonus which is optional. The sheer fact that the DLC comes as part of the 100% completion raises the question.. why was this content not included with the disc content?

The era of DLC has begun and I fear this may only be increased ten fold in the next gen due out at the end of this year.

Bioshock Infinite. Would You Stay?

Say, perhaps, you ended up living amongst the clouds in the much more heightened version of Columbia. Life is great.. everybody is happy and everyday seems to be as bright, sunny and full of cheer as the last. Life is much more interesting. One problem, severe racism.

 

Your only way to escape from this world is to destroy all the apparent happiness and community and in the process, escape aboard an airship to the solid ground far below; risking your life. Alternatively, do you merely accept that everybody around you is a racist and decide to live in the seeming paradise for the rest of your life instead?

 

Likely death or possible escape and the destruction of an outlandish community, versus reluctant acceptance into a morally wrong community for a life of peace and no worries. Which one would you choose?

Imagination.

Someone who claims to have no imagination should try to write just a single chapter for a book. The results may surprise you.

What are you doing with your bank holiday?

Anything interesting?

Unfortunately not anything too drastic for me, just possibly going to see people, a bit of writing and perhaps a bit of gaming.

My Top 10 Games..

Ten games is quite hard to come up with. Games that come immediately to mind are:

1. Burnout Revenge (multiplayer was the best I've seen in a game to date, its just too bad it's not a popular game anymore.
2. Broken Sword.
3. Discworld
4. Super Mario: All Stars
5. Tomb Raider (although very much dated now.)
6. Half Life (series)
7. Rift
8. Simcity 4 (yet to play the new one)
9. Far Cry 3
10. Guild Wars 2 (subject to change)

From this, I feel I hold a lot of nostalgia for games gone by. What are yours?

Holiday Books..

In need of a book to take with me on holiday. Always prefer a traditional book to an e-book when abroad. Now to decide which one..

The Witch And Wizard Series by James Patterson

I have recently finished reading the 'Witch and Wizard' series from James Patterson. I must say, the sheer fact that I managed to complete this trilogy is of immense credit to Mr Patterson as I have the attention span of a goldfish at the best of times.

Following our two main characters, Whit and Wisty Allgood, as they become embroiled in an adventure which only becomes more and more intense. The book itself would appeal mainly to a late teen I feel. The writing is very fluid and moves from page to page with little effort or even realisation.

How Time Flies..

Before I know it I'm racking up to 80 hours of gameplay on Far Cry 3, from a game that I just bought on a whim. The other option I considered at the time was Forza Horizon, I doubt I would of got as much value for money for that instead. Good choice I'd say!

Gamerscore or Trophies?

Which one is better. Do you like the thought of all of your achievements being held into an accumulative score, or do you prefer the random mix of bronze, silver and gold trophies which ultimately determine your current user level (I guess this is more similar to people who play MMOS or any game with an RPG development side to it).

Ultimately, as I dive between the two, I don't see that one is better than the other. I just see them as an additional element to each individual game that can make the game that little bit more addictive or replayable.

To consider trophies or a gamerscore as a reflection of your gaming prowess could be considered ignorant. You may completely dominate a certain genre of game, whilst not as much with another. Plus the fact that some achievements/trophies are insanely hard to get, or require you to invest a lot more time than you would ideally like to.

I think this system would work a lot better and mean a lot more to us if we actually saw real rewards from it (i.e: reach 20000 gamerscore or level 10 and we will give you *** store credit/points). This would create a whole new buzz around the system and make people, hopefully, invest more time in their games, rather than moving onto the next big thing.

Bioshock Infinite and COD..

Can these two even be compared into the same class, even though they are considered to be in the same genre? The depth and complexity you find in a game like Bioshock cannot be compared to the stale reinvention of a game franchise that has failed to truly progress game after game in many years.

Bioshock Infinite is very different to its predecessor and lends a unique art style, imagination, humour and emotion that can be rare to find in today's first person shooter selection. Games are sometimes mainly considered to be a source of viable income for developers, but occasionally, some can still do this but can also strive to take considered risks to make their games even more unique and fun, and this is how the industry will truly progress.

Too Much Choice!

Do you ever feel we may have too much choice these days? Personally, I say this from a gaming perspective as the sheer overwhelming number of games available can sometimes make it impossible to make a decision. This, ofcourse, can be the same for other things such as books, music and films, amongst others.

Is this a good or a bad thing though? The sheer choice could be considered as a wealth of possibilities that we, as a modern society, have become accustomed to expect. Boredom will never be an issue again it would seem!

On the other hand however, if you simply can't buy everything, then this leaves you feeling more pressured to buy the right thing and also reluctant and hesitant to make a purchasing mistake. Also, even if you can buy everything you want, are you then getting the value for money from what you buy?

For instance, if you buy an item but then something else grabs your eye, it can be so easy to move on and forget your previous purchase without even a second thought. This item you bought for £** is then condemned to the darkest corners of your attic, never to be seen again. We as consumers have then actively bought something, not seen it to its true potential and are therefore effectively somewhat chucking our money away.

Shopping used to be so much simpler.

Is it just me or is Skyrim that bit harder than its predecessors?

I feel Skyrim has taken a leap up from its most recent outing on Oblivion. Either my gaming prowess has taken a nose dive or there has been a considerable rise in difficulty this time around..

Games That Suck You In..

No matter how hard you try, some games can get their grubby little claws into you and you'll be hard pressed to be able to let go. These are games that either have so much content, addictive gameplay or rewarding goals that we all play them time and time, and time again.

To name a few:

- The Elder Scrolls Games.. Oblivion being particularly greedy with my time.
- WoW
- Fry Cry 3
- Fuel
- Just Cause
- Simcity
- Anno

I'm sure we can all name our own few games that seem to of stolen many hours of our lives without us even realising it. This is likely to be the future of gaming and we are likely to see much more addictive 'RPG' like factors applied to almost every style of game going forward; for better or for worse (very much for worse with concern to things like DLC).

Xbox vs PS3

The Xbox and PS3: Is there an overwhelming winner in the battle for console supremacy?

Personally, I think it ultimately comes down to which one you happen to like that tiny bit more at the time of purchase and it has nothing with regard to specifics. You may also happen to be a fan of one in particular from the start and that may be the sole reason you continue to stay loyal. Putting these aside, is there any real benefit from having one and not the other?

I'm currently having this debate as I own both consoles and am thinking about moving from the Xbox to the PS3. This is due to differing social circles and also the fact it's nice to have a change.

- Exclusivity. As much as a single game can affect your console preference, exclusivity is a minor concern for me. There are games which ofcourse are exclusive and remain that way for the duration of the series (i.e Gran Turismo, God of War), but the majority of games will now port over to the other console in due course. It just requires a little patience.

- Functionality. Both work in different ways, the PS3 has its scroll bar, whilst the Xbox has its tiles. Both work as they should with no issues. There is no plus from having one over the other. One thing I would note however is that the Xbox applies updates/downloads extremely quickly when comparing it to the speeds of the PS3. You may find yourself unable to play a PS3 game for an hour or more, merely because of a compulsory update that needs to be applied upon booting up.

- Graphics. Yes, yes. The PS3 trumps the Xbox ever so slightly, but its nothing that can't be overlooked at a glance.

With the PS4 and Xbox 720 just around the corner, the debate will likely become fearsome once again soon enough.

Is there any reason for debate. What ultimately made your decision?

Separating The Impossible From The Improbable..

What is impossible? What defines such an absolute term of phrase in this day and age.. I feel this term has changed its meaning and become less used and needed in today's ever evolving world.

Two hundred years ago, if I were to say that we would be flying around in metal machines, travelling hundreds of miles in mere hours and travelling into the heavens where the stars reside, each of these possibilities would of been met with immediate ridicule and be dismissed as impossible by the high majority.

Here we are however, in the age of technology and at the pinnacle of development in our current civilised status. The world now, with the influence and expansion of science, industry and technology has become a very different place. This is now a place where the term impossible is met with curiosity and wonder instead of dismissal.


Will we be able to create a robot that could operate exactly like a human? Possibly.

Will we be able to exceed the speed of light? Improbable, not impossible.

Many more questions reside in this category and as we develop, we have begun to have a whole new concept of what is possible and what really defines 'impossible'. The faith we have in science has risen to a point where almost anything cannot be 100% ruled out. Science fiction today may one day become science fact, and there can be no definitive rule that could categorically say otherwise.

Call Of Duty: What About Aliens?!

Call of Duty has been going for many many years now and there clearly isn't a financial, or any real reason to change a winning formula (rather than the imminent tweaks and little additions year on year).

I'm also aware that Call of Duty seems to like to keep itself within the possible (or at least the normal, bar the zombies addition of-course).

What would everyone's stance be on the Call of Duty franchise delving into a sci-fi feel. For instance, the inclusion of an alien invasion in one of their future games. Fighting am alien bombardment rather than merely just another country. A step too far perhaps?

Personally, I feel with all the maps and story lines, there is room for new originality. A company with such a large wallet, thanks to the success of this franchise, is a company that surely should be pioneering into new things. It should be one that is able to breed originality into the gaming industry. The smaller developers lack this as they cannot financially undertake such risk as its too consequential to their entire operation.

You may say that aliens is hardly a new and original concept in any regard. It's at least something new to try and something I think would be just as addictive, if not more so, with the Call of Duty mechanics running in the background.

Tomb Raider..

As much as I love the old Tomb Raider games, from the very first, to the most recent concoctions. Tomb Raider has evolved to meet the needs and wants of the modern gamer and has done this incredibly well.

Think Far Cry but with a Tomb Raider edge. The game incorporates many of the things that are the frequent additions to most games of this genre.

- Open world
- Collectibles
- Levelling up
- Personalisation
- Weapon Levelling / improvements

One point also to mention is that the narratives and characters are much more 'human'. You can relate and feel for them in a much more refined way.

Overall, the whole premise of the new Tomb Raider takes it away, completely, from what we expect of the series. An open world? I don't think anybody would of expected such a turn in this series five years ago. The change from an adventure to what is, in essence, more of a role playing feel, is a highly positive one. This has certainly brought new life to an old and tired formula and ensures that the series will continue for many years to come.

What Is The Formula In Making A Long-Standing MMO?

There are various different aspects that affect the longevity of an MMO and when it's date with imminent death is. These include:

- The game becomes stale (same old stuff, just remade in a slightly different way)
- No user support or very little
- Playerbase never takes off so it doesn't last outside of a year
- Competition
- No unique selling point

Take a look at the below article which tells us more about what Guild Wars 2 is planning to do going forward to try and maintain their playerbase. The factors they discuss are fairly common sense, however, even with the best laid plans it may still prove futile.

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/03/07/how-guild-wars-2-plans-to-survive

This is because the MMO genre can be very fickle, purely because there are so many options available. It's very easy to be able to move onto different adventures.

So what makes an MMO stick? What do you love about your favourite MMO that means you aren't easily deferred onto something else?

SimCity!

Although it has already been released in the US (anybody in the US or with a UK preorder already let me know what it's like), SimCity will be here tomorrow and I must admit I'm rather excited. It's a game that has been due a sequel for quite some time and hopefully it will live up to expectation.

I know there have been aspects which have caused uproar, such as the DRM , the constant need for an online connection and the matter of having several different smaller city areas; rather than a large expanse. I'm prepared to look beyond these as long as the game is as addicting and involved as the previous ones.

We shall see.

Typing Errors In Games..

Whether it be within dialogue, random text or through any other means. Finding a spelling mistake in a game when just starting out can have a considerable affect on your first impressions, especially if its joined by errors two and three shortly thereafter. It doesn't in anyway reflect the final product necessarily, however it doesn't bode well.

I have been recently playing Anno 2070 and have come across many instances in the few short hours I have played. When you consider the mainstream MMOs have page after page of text to check but don't often make errors, you find yourself thinking there wasn't much attention to detail during development and testing.

Can you think of any other games where you have found the elusive, or sometimes, obvious error?

On another note, if there does happen to be any spelling errors in this post.. please ignore.

Rant: Pointless, Attention Seeking Statuses!

To the people who update their social networking profiles with statuses with the likes of:

'OMG I don't believe it'

'Did that really happen?'

'Thats never going to happen again'

Or amongst many other incarnations.. Why! Why even spend your time writing the status when it clearly has no new information. Not a lot, if any, of the people on your friends list will know what your talking about and the only persona you therefore create is one of an attention seeker.

To the people who comment on the said status and actually ask further.. ... ...

Rant over.

Review / My Thoughts: Far Cry 3

Is this game worth paying out for at the moment or is it something to find in a bargain bin in the near future? Ultimately, this purely depends on the type of gamer you are. If you are looking for a engrossing single player adventure then Far Cry 3 should be your choice without doubt. If you are looking for a multiplayer gunfight, then your best option is probably with Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2.



Graphics/Gameplay: Graphics aren't the be all and end all of a game but they help tremendously to a games appeal and sticking power and especially when it comes to this game. The main reason it is so important here is because the environment is an active part of the game itself. It feels alive. You could be hunting anything from a tiger, to a pig, or a Komodo dragon, or be on the verge of storming an encampment when suddenly something random happens that changes your plans. The game surprises you.

There are certain aspects that you may find repetitive and tedious, however there are many different options and ways in which you can play so it is very easy to move onto something else should you wish. There is the main storyline, but then you can also storm encampments, hunt animals, do time trials or go around collecting things. Your attention can be grabbed by something new quite easily.

Co-op: Good for a mess around and a nice little adventure but this can get highly repetitive. Kill pirates, move along a bit, kill pirates. Kill more pirates. The thing is, because you don't have the different things to do than what you do in single player, this gets old rather quickly. It's nice to have the option for split-screen however as most games do not include any kind of local splitscreen support these days, which is a real shame.

Multiplayer: Standard stuff really. No real difference from its predecessor and so it results in being a rather dated feeling affair. With the mechanics that we find in Battlefield and in Call Of Duty, it feels subpar, but it still stands as an adequate experience none the less.

Overall: Buy it if you liked the previous one as it has only improved, and if you like games such as Just Cause for their single player experience. If its multiplayer that you seek, seek elsewhere.

Defying Gravity.. Is It Possible?

As crazy and unlikely as all of science fiction may seem to us, there is a fundamental force at play that if able to be controlled, could make those stories and shows a thing of the here and now and within the grasp of our lifetimes..

Gravity. If we ever found a way of manufacturing ways to control it and bend it to our will, then we may have control over many more things that would vastly change the prospect of humanity's future. For example:

- Space travel. This could be done without the concern of long term damage to our bone structure.
- Space travel again. Being able to bend gravity itself may make lightyears condense down to much smaller units of time, as we may be able to understand more about how to bend space around us, rather than us fitting into space.
- Time Travel. You never know, these could be linked and from various sources it would appear they could be.
- Weight will have no value. If gravity were turned off in a sense, a once heavy item could suddenly be manageable. This would work also for vastly large structures.

On a more negative note however, if possible and if discovered, due to the implications of such an ability, this could spell dire times ahead for all of us if handled wrongly.