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(02/25/19 5:42pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMwGrOa-iM[/embed]
This week on Pop Tabs Matthew, Jeremy, and Zoey discuss Kim Kardashin's stolen fashion, the newest battle royale game; Tetris 99, and Roger Stones' supposedly unintentionally threatening Instagram post.
Time Stamps:
Kim Kardashin: 00:23
Tetris 99: 12:28
Roger Stone: 21:49
Pop Tabs is Byte's news commentary podcast, focusing on popular culture and how it relates to issues in the media world.
Host: Matthew Yapp
Guests: Jeremy Rogers, Zoey Smith
Executive Producer: Phil Akin
Video Editing: Shannon Borner
Audio Editing: Tyler Wheatley
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm, Sarah James, Luis Pulido, Tt Shinkan
Music: Jack McGinnis
(02/24/19 8:35pm)
(02/24/19 12:00pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM6etcGa7tw[/embed]
Matthew and Jeremy break down how Google "forgot" about putting a microphone in their Google Nest devices.
Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether its video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Jeremy Rogers
Executive Producer: Phil Akin
Video Editing: Kyle Crawford
Audio Editing: Tyler Wheatley
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm, Tt Shinkan, Malia Hutton
Music: Jack McGinnis
(02/22/19 7:17pm)
by Ian Roesler
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte's editorial board.
Machinima was a company that specialized in video game related content entertainment. Let’s start with a brief overview before detailing the decline. Machinima first began in the distant past of January 2000. The name comes from a portmanteau of “machine” and “cinema.” They had a popular Youtube channel that they started in the early days of Youtube. Machinima was important because they helped to popularize video game entertainment that was beyond just playing video games. Many famous Youtubers worked for Machinima, such as Darksyde Phil and Maximilian Dood. In addition they also had their own original shows. I highly recommend Mortal Kombat: Legacy. Check it out on Steam. Machinima was not without its controversies, however.
The biggest controversy concerning Machinima was regarding the contracts its creators were under. Some of the stipulations in the contract that creators signed was that Machinima held the rights to the videos that content creators uploaded for life. Also, in the contract was that they could advertise on videos, but the creators got a percentage of the profits. So, that kinda evens it out in a way. Sure, you don’t have ownership of the content you worked hard to create, but you get a percentage of the profits. Always read your contracts carefully, folks.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1275"] Image from Imgur[/caption]
Currently Machinima has 12 million subscribers and all of its videos set to private. They were acquired by Warner in 2016, and just recently Warner was acquired by AT&T. Technically, Machinima was acquired by Otter Media which is owned by AT&T. But back to Machinima, the reason why all their videos have been set to private is that they stated that new content will be put up on new channels instead. Machinima was on a decline when they were bought. Understandably, creators were not happy. All that content just gone. I don’t have much experience managing a billion-dollar company. Just recently they laid off 81 employees. The website is still up and you can still apply for a job. Some of the perks include dental and activities led by the “Fun Police.” The way that things are it remains to be seen what will ultimately become of Machinima. However, I do have some theories as to what may happen.
The first theory is that Machinima may go the way of the dodo. For reasons that I will discuss later, I believe that this one is the least likely. I don’t see much recent evidence to support this, if this is the case however, they must be doing some hardcore trolling before the end.
My next theory is closely related to the first. Machinima will still exist, however it’ll exist in a sort of limbo. It’ll stay in its current state, never being updated. It’ll be just there, existing like a houseplant in a corner. This is the case of another former Internet big name: StumbleUpon. Nowadays, their website redirects to Mix, which is a similar website. This one I feel has more of a possibility of happening. Maybe Machinima will be forgotten amidst all the other companies that AT&T own. Which is seven major ones at the moment.
The third and final theory is that Machinima will be rebranded or relaunched. I believe this to be the most likely of my theories. The first evidence to support this is that Machinima has changed their logo from their familiar red to a new green logo. I find it unlikely that a company going out of business would make the effort to change a logo. Albeit, weirder things have happened. Another piece of evidence I would like to mention, or more accurately, re-mention is that their videos still exist in a way. They were set to private for a cost-cutting matter. I imagine that it’d be a lot cheaper to either delete the videos or the channel itself. Or leave them up and continue to collect ad revenue, but potentially continue to pay the creators. Another thing, their Twitter feed was still being updated. As of today their last tweet was three days ago, but it appears that their account was deleted between then and now. Prior to deletion they had tweeted random letters of the alphabet. Also, Rooster Teeth announced that they are going to relaunch some of Machinima’s shows. Rooster Teeth is an entertainment company in a similar vein to Machinima. And guess what? They’re owned by Otter Media as well. So it looks like Machinima will exist in some form or another for the time being.
(02/22/19 5:36pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcNRCPsrrEg&t=867s[/embed]
Byte Managing Editor Matthew Yapp sits down with Ball State student and filmmaker Connor Rush to discuss what went into the making of his music video FHL, what inspired the video, and the charitable cause the video promotes.
(02/18/19 1:05pm)
by Tanner Kinney
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte’s editorial board.
If there’s one video game genre that defines the second half of the 2010s, it’s battle royale. Coming out of nowhere with mods of games, like Minecraft: Hunger Games or the Arma 3 mod that later became PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, it quickly became wildly popular. The genre was massive on Twitch, with PUBG having millions of concurrent players despite being a fairly rough game in terms of mechanics. The genre would later completely explode through Epic Games’ Fortnite: Battle Royale, which is certainly the winner winner, chicken dinner of the genre… or is it?
Recently, a true challenger has arrived to take on Fortnite and is actually giving it a run for its money. That challenger is Apex Legends, a game from Respawn (developers of Titanfall) that released out of nowhere and quickly gained quite the audience. The game has found a playerbase of 25 million within its first week, and completely eclipsed Fortnite in terms of viewership on Twitch. Epic finally has a fire under its butt to start delivering on even more player demands, and competition is definitely healthy. And then, even more out of nowhere, Nintendo announces Tetris 99 during their February 2019 Nintendo Direct, a Tetris-flavored battle royale game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS-9Y9apW0Q&feature=youtu.be
Yes, you read that right, Tetris, but a battle royale. And it actually works way better than it has any right to work. It’s honestly incredible to see something so strange as a puzzle battle royale, but it makes you think: what other games/genres would work for battle royale? I’ve rattled my brain and scratched out some amazing ideas, and have come up with a few games that would be perfect as battle royales. And don’t worry developers, if you take my ideas, you don’t even need to call me. We’ll both know where it came from, even if no one else does.
(02/14/19 5:12am)
Second Harvest Food Bank introduced Ball State students to a new perspective on people in poverty by placing them in the shoes of impoverished Americans for two hours at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, 6 p.m., Wednesday.
(02/14/19 2:31am)
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/user-519363288/how-its-played-s3e2-microsoft-strides-towards-accessibility[/embed]
On this week's episode of How It's Played, we discuss an unusual Super Bowl advertisement. That's right, Microsoft released an ad about their newest controller, the Adaptive Controller. How does this controller meet the needs of gamers with disabilities? Will their competitors respond with any similar products? All of this and more on this week's episode of How It's Played.
Hosted by: Eli Sokeland, Isabella Torres, Brad Killion
Edited by: Brad Killion
Graphic by: Daley Wilhelm
Thumbnail by: Isabella Torres
(02/10/19 11:30am)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHOPC-2gKFw[/embed]
This week on Pop Tabs Matthew, Tt, and McKenna discuss the Super Bowl hitting an all time low, Zac Efron's Ted Bundy controversy, and Liam Neeson's brief racist past.
Time Stamps:
Super Bowl: 00:22
Liam Neeson: 14:57
Ted Bundy: 25:33
Pop Tabs is Byte's news commentary podcast, focusing on popular culture and how it relates to issues in the media world.
Host: Matthew Yapp
Guests: Tt Shinkan, McKenna Kolb
Executive Producer: Phil Akin
Video Editing: Malia Hutton
Audio Editing: Tyler Wheatley
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm, Sarah James, Luis Pulido, Tt Shinkan
Music: Jack McGinnis
(02/10/19 4:34pm)
(02/09/19 9:09pm)
(02/09/19 9:07pm)
(02/09/19 9:02pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJgawfaH-pU[/embed]
Matthew and Tt break down the news of rapper 21 Savage's arrest and his potential deportation.
Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether its video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Tt Shinkan
Executive Producer: Phil Akin
Video Editing: Tyler Westman
Audio Editing: Phil Akin
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm, Tt Shinkan
Music: Jack McGinnis
(02/09/19 8:58pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWJeFyWB-6w[/embed]
Matthew and Tt break down why Rooster Teeth fired Vic Mignogna from RWBY.
Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether its video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Tt Shinkan
Executive Producer: Phil Akin
Video Editing: Kyle Crawford
Audio Editing: Phil Akin
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm, Tt Shinkan
Music: Jack McGinnis
(02/07/19 10:00pm)
by David Kurzendoerfer
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte's editorial board.
Piranha Plant has finally been released for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and fans couldn’t be more excited. First teased during a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct on November 1st, fans were split on whether or not Piranha Plant would fit in with the rest of the cast. Now that it is finally here, however, it is widely accepted as a welcome addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster.
Piranha Plant first appeared in World 1-2 of the original Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System all the way back in 1985 as a normal enemy for Mario to avoid or defeat on his way to save Princess Toadstool. Since then, the Piranha Plant has been in most other Mario games in some form or another, but its appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks its first game as a playable character. So far, competitive players are unsure of how good Piranha Plant will be in the meta. From what they can tell, Piranha Plant lacks many vital features of a well-rounded character, such as mobility, reliable combos, and a cohesive moveset. This doesn’t mean Piranha Plant isn’t fun, it just means a Piranha Plant player might have to work a little harder on perfecting their character than most other players
Its moveset consists mostly of completely original moves for its normal attacks, most of which are physical attacks with its head or pot. Its flurry attack, up tilt, up smash, forward smash, up aerial, and all of its throws are attacks with its head. Its down smash, forward aerial, downward aerial, and dash attack are all attacks with the pot. The rest of its normal attacks involve its leaves, such as its neutral aerial, 1-2 jab, and down tilt. The only attack that does not use its head, pot, or leaves is its back aerial, where the Piranha Plant spits a small explosion behind it. This is likely a reference to the many fire-breathing Piranha Plants that appear in the Super Mario series.
Its special attacks originate mostly from abilities it has had in various Super Mario games. Its neutral special, Ptooie, comes from a special attack it could do in Super Mario Bros. 3, where the plant blows a spiked ball into the air and hurls it at Mario. Its side special, Poison Breath, comes from an attack used by a Putrid Piranha in the oft-overlooked Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Its down special, Long-Stem Strike, is likely based on its first appearance in Super Mario Bros., where it would take Mario by surprise by attacking him from within a seemingly harmless pipe. Finally, its up special, Piranhacopter, is based on a Piranha Plant enemy in Super Mario World for the SNES, where a Piranha Plant would completely leave its pipe to attack Mario from far below him. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, however, the plant spins its leaves and carries it upwards, pot and all.
Many fans are still disappointed that a character slot was given to a basic Super Mario enemy instead of a character like Shadow the Hedgehog or Isaac from Golden Sun. While this may be true, it does prove that Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of the Super Smash Bros. series and the director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, is limited by nothing when it comes to what characters he can add. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you can play as an old NES peripheral called R.O.B., whose only attacks back in the day were moving extremely slowly and stacking objects. You can play as Mr. Game & Watch, a character playable on small LCD screens with no face or discernable features. You can even play as a non-unique potted plant with more personality than Corrin. Piranha Plant’s inclusion should get fans excited for the nearly limitless possibilities of future DLC fighters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Piranha Plant proves that nobody and nothing is off the table for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
(02/07/19 1:47am)
https://soundcloud.com/user-519363288/how-its-played-s3e1-activision-bungie-meltdown
Welcome back to this week's episode of How It's Played. On this episode we are discussing the recent breakup between Activision and Bungie. What caused all of this between the two companies and what does it mean for the consumers going forward? Are we going to see more big companies like these two have fallouts like the one here? All of this and more on this week's episode of How It's Played.
Hosted by: Eli Sokeland, Jeremy Rogers, Brad Killion
Edited by: Eli Sokeland
Graphic by: Daley Wilhelm
Thumbnail by: Alexander Smith
(02/06/19 9:16pm)
In hopes of starting a conversation about today’s perception of mental illnesses, junior theatre production major Lauren Aldaba submitted the play “Sunday, Sunday” by Sandra Fenichel Asher as a possible performance for the Department of Theatre and Dance last year.
(02/05/19 8:06am)
by Jeremy Rogers
Video games are a unique medium; the physical act of using a controller creates an instant connection between the player and the player’s digital character.
Because of this ability to connect players to their characters, there are many opportunities for immersion and collaboration between different players. Taking advantage of these opportunities is a part of the design philosophy that went into crafting the 2012 game Journey.
[embed]https://youtu.be/vwDlyQ-fL6s[/embed]
Experience the wonder in this anonymous adventure where you travel on a life’s passage, with the chance to connect with companions along the way."-ThatGameCompany, JourneyIn the game, the player controls a lone figure as they travel through various biomes. There is no dialogue, and the game’s mechanics focus on 3D platforming. Despite having a relatively short runtime of 90 minutes, Journey released to rave reviews, being hailed by many gaming outlets as their 2012 Game of the Year.
The people at ThatGameCompany decided that, when making Journey, they would focus on making the emotional center of the game about making connections with other players by letting one player appear in the game of another online. No chat or emote functions. Just two travelers walking in tandem yet each cultivating their own unique experience. The president and creative director of ThatGameCompany described the game in an interview with Geoff Keighley saying, “Journey: It’s about people connecting with each other.”
That is not where Journey’s impact has stopped. The game’s composer, Austin Wintory and the Chicago-based chamber music ensemble Fifth House Ensemble are touring different venues and playing the score of the game in front of live audiences. But unlike ensembles that play film scores live, Wintory and Fifth House Ensemble play with a live player on the stage playing the game with them. And on January 25, they invited six Ball State students to volunteer to play Journey with them on the Emens Auditorium stage.
Ball State is the latest stop on a live tour that began at MAGFest in Minnesota, making stops along the way at The Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Florida Atlantic University, The nonprofit National Sawdust venue in New York City, and several others.
One of the student volunteers, Matt Stark, described their experience playing on stage. “I expected it to feel less interactive than playing at home, but it was surprisingly more immersive... I got chills more than once when something cool happened in-game and the music responded to it right on cue. The music lined up perfectly with the action, and it felt like I had a part in the ensemble in some minor way.“ Through this performance, the volunteers were not the only people making new connections.
After the game was completed, Austin Wintory took to the stage to answer questions from the audience. One attendee approached the mic and said, "You are my inspiration. In 2012… my dad passed away… When I picked up the game and I started playing through it, the music… it was just so, so captivating. It was a big part of my life... Tonight was just absolutely fantastic. I cannot thank you enough."
Wintory replied, "I can only say thank you, except that it falls so short of how that makes me feel, because it's not even what we were trying to do. It goes beyond the actual goal of the game. So again, I just really appreciate you sharing something that personal."
According to Wintory, the development team has been inundated with similar messages since the game released seven years ago. Throughout the Q&A session, he emphasized how many people have commented saying that Journey was the perfect game to accompany them through some of their lives' most arduous times.
Austin Wintory hasn't just composed the score for Journey. Series like Assassin's Creed, The Banner Saga, and Leisure Suit Larry have had contributions from Wintory. He has also worked on a number of indie titles such as Tooth and Nail, Abzu, and Absolver. Wintory's work has received several awards, including the first Grammy nomination for a video game score.
But aside from the awards, Wintory underscored how special Journey is to him. "This game definitely changed who I am as a person and awakened me to a totally new way of thinking... Journey will always have a very special place in my heart."
(02/02/19 10:57pm)
Ball State students jumping into a pool of cold water have helped hit a new milestone for Special Olympics Indiana (SOI).
(01/31/19 11:15pm)
A flooding was reported around 5 p.m. Thursday at DeHority Complex at the main entrance.