Embrace the Digital

Right about now we’re coming to the homestretch. Depending on what speaks to you, most gamers are about to/or have already collected their PS4, Xbox One, Wii U or brand new spanking PC. When that happens we tend to look over the newest, shiniest games figuring on what is going to get our money. It’s OK; it’s nearly Christmas and we’re all likely to pick up a game or two that in retrospect probably isn’t going to be any good. It’s that time of the year again. Because all three consoles will have launched in the last year the quality of the games are going to be… less than we gamers might have hoped. And if you tag on handheld systems as well, things can start looking bleak. Have no fear the dreaded game drought because although neither the Xbox One nor the PS4 gaming consoles have backwards compatibility the realm to look at is Digital.

More than any previous generation digital titles will be the bread and butter of a console. Though they may prove not to be sales Titans, digital sales will drive the consumer base to spend money in-between the big AAA releases. At the very least small digital-only titles will certainly be able to tide you over until the Big Boys start producing quality games again. Banner Saga, Blackguards, and a new expansion of XCOM provide just a few examples of good solid bite sized digital gaming for the PC. The PS4 has Day One digital titles to go along with Warframe, DCUO, and Resogun. Crimson Dragon and Killer Instinct are sure to impress on the Xbox One. This is a new generation. It is a generation that will be marked by what goes on in the digital sphere as much if not more than anything that happens in the traditional brick and mortar store. Embrace the digital.

Welcome to the Digital Age

I just read in the news that Cryptic Studios, the owners of Star Trek and Champions Online have discovered that they were hacked in late 2010. I laughed for a second, when I read it that it taken them so long to realize they had an issue. I've played those games and so I was not surprised to read an email about how my information could have been jeopardized. It wasn't nearly a year ago when a European Commission said that cyber warfare won't be an issue until 2030. Even back then I think the whole internet looked in askance at such a bold and obviously shortsighted statement. Trust the Europeans to be oblivious to reality I thought. 

Then of course came the Anonymous and their rage against the machine. News of US v. Iran cyber-warfare dropped as well. Hacking and its counterpart Cyber Security is becoming big business and certainly big news. Even the video game arena hasn't been unscathed. It seems like every major company has been hit with a hacking scandal. From Sony's PSN, to Microsoft's oddly quiet Xbox Live troubles, to Valve's Steam, and the list goes on and on. Anyone who has read the works of cyber punk pioneers like William Gibson, shouldn't be surprised. In fact the only thing that should surprise us is that it took so long. Still, it saddens me. Getting hacked is like being robbed in a lot of ways, its not just the ordeal of proving your you but the tiredness that comes from realizing that all those hundreds of hours could go up in smoke. When I got my World of Warcraft hacked the first time, I was so angry. Someone had violated my very personal avatars. I'd played the game on and off for years. Luckily Blizzard customer service was really good about. I got a authenticator on my Iphone and figured I was all solid. When I got hacked the second time, there's wasn't even any emotion left. I sort of sighed and then quit thinking about it all together. I had stopped playing months before, and while I wondered how someone got my account activated without paying money, I just didn't care.

I know most of the internet is good for us as a race. The more we know about each other the less we'll eventually hate and fear about each other. But until then, I'll just keep my passwords changing every month. I'm reminded of the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz movie Knight and Day, 'When they say you're safe and secure, that's when you're not'. Welcome to the Digital Age.