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(11/01/17 4:38pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dO5X8meUfY[/embed]
The month of October saw the fall of Hollywood studio executive Harvey Weinstein and the beginning of a greater conversation about sexual assault and rape culture. Matt and Mayzie break down the recent controversy surrounding Harvey Weinstein and the events that have resulted from this scandal.
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Mayzie Brammer
Post Production: Michael Robb
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm
Teleprompter: Alexander Smith
Music: Jack McGinnis
(10/31/17 7:30pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc6veeSh5r4[/embed]
Ever wonder how Ball State's RHPS Shadow Cast puts on such a great show every year? Byte went behind the scenes and interviewed the cast and crew during one of their rehearsals to find out how!
Host: Kaleigh Whitehill
Camerawork: Michael Robb, Sarah James, Alexander Smith, Kaleigh Whitehill
Post Production: Alexander Smith, Michael Robb
Logo graphics courtesy of the Ball State Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadow Cast.
Music: 'The Time Warp', Richard O'Brian (1973)
(10/27/17 8:33pm)
by Tanner Kinney
Gaming is a business that is designed to make money. It’s hard to remember that when you’re out having fun skewering Orcs in Middle-Earth, force choking people as Darth Vader or doing high-octane racing but the games industry needs to make money. This is great, capitalism is great, and developers should be rewarded for their efforts. Games have changed though. It’s no longer about putting out content worth giving hard earned dosh for in high quality DLC quests, maps or characters. It’s about siphoning the customer for as much as possible while exerting as little effort as possible. Thus, from the dredges of the mobile market comes the triple A publisher’s new get-rich-quick scheme: the lootbox.
For those who don’t know, the lootbox is a digital box with randomly selected items that can be used in the game. This can be as simple as a new voice line to a whole new character in some games and the value of what’s in the box can fluctuate wildly. It’s sort of like getting a box of chocolates. Except, in the case of the lootbox, this box of chocolates could contain the most decadent Belgian chocolate you’ve ever had in your entire life or it could contain a fun-size Snickers. And the box cost you five dollars. And the chance of getting the Belgian chocolate is roughly 3% but you aren't told that. Now, assuming there’s a Belgian chocolate in the box, that’s a huge steal. The value of the box was well worth it. If you were to get the fun-size Snickers though, you would feel cheated. I certainly would, at least give me a king size Snickers or a packet of Rolos, not this. That’s the lootbox and if that sounds like gambling and something questionable to you, then you are officially more in touch with things than the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).
It’s hard to really tell where the lootbox started popping up in triple A games. Earliest reports of it I’ve found have been in Mass Effect 3 multiplayer, where the store had packs that gave you randomly selected characters and/or weapons of random quality for upwards of three dollars. The business model has shown up in other games since then but stuck mainly to mobile titles or free-to-play games where it belongs. Of course, when something starts to turn a huge profit, the greedy game publishers can’t help but to put these things in their 40 to 60 dollar games. The biggest, most popular case of this was Blizzard’s Overwatch, who’s lootboxes have turned into both a meme for how bad people’s luck was and a sign for other publishers that people will eat it up. They also realized these people will then vehemently defend it in online forums when people justifiably question why you can’t just straight up purchase what you want directly, instead having to HIT THE LEVER and hope that you get Witch Mercy during the one month it’s available. But hey, at least you got the Happy Halloween D.Va voice line and green recolor Hanzo! Again. Guess you either gotta play a bunch of matches or fork over more cash to try again!
Overwatch isn’t the worst offender though. Technically, you can obtain everything without having to pay a dime. You can use the coins you can ONLY obtain from playing and from lootboxes to buy a specific skin. Nothing that costs real money is game-changing, just cosmetic. Also, Overwatch is only $40 (as if that makes a difference). These are the arguments the community makes to defend their gambling habits like a chain-smoker on the slots at a casino saying they can quit whenever they want and they’re gonna win big eventually.
https://twitter.com/reaperoween/status/923376294821117952
The real problem examples come from the real heavy hitters in the triple A industry. Forza 7 had features that were previously part of the series gutted and put into “prize crates.” Features like racing at night and challenge modes are put behind a paywall that Turn 10 stated would become part of the game. Destiny 2 has powerful weapons hidden inside of lootboxes you can either earn in game or, more easily, fork over cash for. WWE 2K18 will have loot crates that are slated to only be purchasable in-game, and I’m sure the pristine peaches at 2K Games would never go back on their word because of how trustworthy they are. All of these games cost 60 dollars (or more in the case of Destiny 2 which will have expansion packs). Whether it was unlocked through cheat codes or in-game feats, the content in these crates used to be a part of the game. Gone are those days. We now live in the era of the lootbox.
https://twitter.com/CaseyExplosion/status/906149184067166208
But wait, there’s more! Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, the next game from WB Games is working the achieve a brand new low in the lootbox craze. The new feature allows you to open loot crates to get Orcs that are used in both multiplayer AND single player. Not so bad, it doesn’t seem like it’s required at first, just a quick way to gain power of other people or the AI if you like your games to be that easy. Do you want the true ending though? The ultimate final cutscene for all your efforts? Well guess what, you get to either grind or go to the slots to try and get legendary Orcs and gear. Sure, you can get them in game if you are lucky but that’s a long grind to get enough to get the best ending. Don’t even get me started on Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Star Cards, which are somehow worse than all of my previous examples by being truly pay-to-win. Since the game is still about a month away, this system could could be changed before it launches. Let's hope that's the case because the last thing 60 dollar games need to have is another micro-paywall behind the initial paywall so you don’t fall behind in a multiplayer game.
With how awful and manipulative these glorified digital slots can be, the debate now is over whether lootboxes are actually gambling and should be regulated. The answer? They kind of already are. At least in Asian countries, due to stricter gambling laws, games with similar lootbox systems (called “gacha” games after the popular gachapon toys) are mandated to provide statistical odds on what the player can get. If you’ve played Fire Emblem Heroes, you’ve probably noticed this with the best units given a 3% drop chance. Fair enough, at least you have some idea what the odds are. It doesn’t do away with the gambling but it’s regulated as such. This is not the case in the west. It might even be worse in some respects like during the CS:GO gambling controversy where actual children were targeted by real gambling websites. The battle already seems lost here especially since the ESRB has officially declared that lootboxes are not gambling.
These virtual items do not have real world value so you cannot gamble for them (which means the $100 CS:GO knives are bought with fake money then, I assume). Of course, the ESRB is funded by publishers and having to disclose blatantly anti-consumer business practices would just be a shame for the poor multi-billion dollar corporations to have to do. They might lose sales! How will they ever go on? Right, because I’m supposed to feel sorry for the publishers who’ve been carving up games for the past 10 years.
The only part that really concerns me is giving control over to the government or some third party to start regulating games. Regulating the content of games should not happen and I’m afraid of giving them an inch. After all the battles the gaming community have fought for Grand Theft Auto or Mortal Kombat, we shouldn’t be so quick to give up control of our medium. One part of me sees the obviously greed-fueled lootboxes and wants something to be done about it but the other part of me is afraid to let anyone touch the gaming industry we know and, well, maybe not love but sorta kinda like.
Now, you may be asking, “Why bother complaining about it? There’s nothing we can do to stop publishers from doing it. All you’re doing is screeching into an echo chamber.” You know what? Maybe you’re right. I’ve seen 10-20 different threads online about this topic. All of them say the same thing and the discussion goes nowhere. Is there anything we can do to prevent games from getting progressively more and more anti-consumer? Well, not buying into games that have these scummy systems or at the very least not buying the lootboxes is a start. Getting awareness out about games that attempt this is another way, something review aggregate OpenCritic is attempting.
https://twitter.com/mrfeelswildride/status/918325121109999618
Finally, I would say giving praise to good games from big publishers that don’t resort to a lootbox scheme is a way to discourage publishers from continuing this predatory trend. Publishers may not care, they may keep going like with season passes and microtransactions but maybe, just maybe, the consumer will finally be able to stop them from playing with our hearts and wallets. Then Nintendo will acknowledge F-Zero, world peace will be declared and Capcom will finally announce a new Mega Man game! Call me cynical, but I’m not holding my breath. Horse armor was just 11 years ago, and things have only gotten worse. Let’s see how low we can go, shall we?
Sources: Kotaku, PC Gamer, IGN, OpenCritic
Images: Tanner Kinney, Twitter, YouTube
(10/27/17 7:11pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLrlLpZ-SJU[/embed]
Welcome to Pop Tabs: keeping tabs on all things pop culture. Matt, Tyler, and Daley discuss the latest Black Panther trailer and representation in the movie industry, the Nintendo Switch getting a host of new games (including Skyrim), and the novel To Kill A Mockingbird being banned from a Mississippi school's curriculum. Tune in next week for another episode of Pop Tabs to keep up to date on our entertainment, tech, and culture discussion.
Hosts: Matthew Yapp, Tyler Wheatley, Daley Wilhelm
Production: Michael Robb,
Post Production: Sarah James, Dylan Bateson
Graphics: Luis Pulido, Daley Wilhelm, Sarah James
Music: Jack McGinnis
(10/27/17 7:03pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omZx9qyEx_I&t=54s[/embed]
Matt and Kaleigh go behind the scenes at Indy Scream Park in this special event coverage from Byte BSU! Discover how Indy Scream Park stands out from other horror attractions not only in Indiana, but all around the country!
https://www.indyscreampark.com/ A big thanks to Indy Scream Park for letting us come out and interview their staff members!
Hosts: Matthew Yapp, Kaleigh Whitehill
Camerawork: Michael Robb
Graphics: Sarah James, Daley Wilhelm
Post Production: Michael Robb
Music: Kevin MacLeod
Gathering Darkness by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/
(10/24/17 8:52pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM0WAovSacw[/embed]
Matt and Mayzie break down the future plans for the Netflix streaming service! Netflix original content is planned to reach 50% of the content available by 2018, and the price of having Netflix is being raised as well. Say goodbye to all the classic shows you love- and the money in your wallet!
Special thanks to Angie Moreno for editing this episode!
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Mayzie Brammer
Post Production: Angie Moreno, Michael Robb
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm
Teleprompter: Alexander Smith
Music: Jack McGinnis
(10/21/17 4:02am)
https://youtu.be/rsrOrLa_3cY
Welcome to Pop Tabs: keeping tabs on all things pop culture. Matt, Mayzie, and Sarah discuss recent drama with the Fast and Furious franchise, Googles plans for Pixel 2, the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and Boy Scouts encroaching on the Girl Scouts turf! Tune in next week for another episode of Pop Tabs to keep up to date on our entertainment, tech, and culture discussion.
Hosts: Matthew Yapp, Mayzie Brammer, Sarah James
Production: Phil Akin, Michael Robb
Post Production: Dylan Bateson
Graphics by: Luis Pulido, Daley Wilhelm, Sarah James
Music by: Jack McGinnis
(10/21/17 3:49am)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZebmaKEYpsc[/embed]
Matt and Mayzie are back to talk about the new Star Wars spinoff movie coming early next year. Director Ron Howard recently announced the official title and that filming had finally wrapped up! Will the longer than normal film time and director changes affect the overall quality of the movie?
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Mayzie Brammer
Post Production: Alexander Smith, Michael Robb
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm
Teleprompter: Alexander Smith
Music: Jack McGinnis
(10/17/17 2:41pm)
by Byte Staff
Who doesn’t love haunted houses? They’re an integral part of the American Halloween tradition. The actors, spooky sets, dull lighting and scary sounds hold a special place in the hearts of horror fans and for good reason. According to the Smithsonian, this tradition has brought joyful fright to the masses as early as the 19th century, though not exactly with the time commitment and polish of today’s haunted attractions. Interest in these types of attractions began to boom after Walt Disney opened Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in 1969, making haunted attractions a staple of American Halloween tradition. After it became mainstream for patrons to pay to experience the frightful and spooky, Halloween horror attractions and haunted houses started popping up all over the country.
With this brief background in mind, let’s take a look at a more elaborate, modern example of these horror attractions. Located in Anderson, Indiana is the famous horror attraction, Indy Scream Park.
Originally founded in 2010, Indy Scream Park has become known as Indiana’s Premier Halloween event. When asked about how they go about recruiting scare actors, Indy Scream Park’s Marketing Director, Jon Pianki told us “We start initially in Anderson and then branch out from there, trying to employ as many people as possible. I think we bring in around three to four hundred actors each year. Each night takes around 150 actors to fully staff all the attractions. We just try to constantly reinvest in the park to keep it going.”
So obviously a lot of love and hard work goes into crafting Indy Scream Park. But here's the real question: is it scary? Well let’s take a closer look at the actual attractions. Indy Scream Park features five attractions:
(10/15/17 5:31pm)
https://youtu.be/BKZ8Q-9YarY
Welcome to Pop Tabs: keeping tabs on all things pop culture. In this premiere episode, Matt, Mayzie, and Dylan discuss the recent feminist win from Saudi Arabia, some crazy smart jacket that Levis is working on, and what Trump had to say about NFL teams taking a knee. Tune in next week for another episode of Pop Tabs to keep up to date on our entertainment, tech, and culture discussion.
Hosts: Matthew Yapp, Mayzie Brammer, Dylan Bateson
Production: Michael Robb, Sarah James
Post Production: Dylan Bateson, Sarah James
Graphics by: Luis Pulido, Daley Wilhelm, Sarah James
Music by: Jack McGinnis
(10/11/17 3:20pm)
by Daley Wilhelm
I really never thought I’d have to talk about Nazis this much in the year of 2017. But here we are.
When I was nine, ten, eleven I faced one of my first moral conundrums. You see, in lieu of reliable internet, I spent my time on our clunky desktop pecking out stories in Microsoft Word. They were nothing amazing: the typical formula of a hero, her friends (typically modeled from my favorite stuffed animals) and a villain.
I had issues casting the villain. I loved all animals, Steve Irwin having taught me that even predators could be cuddly. I didn't want to make the bad guy a person either because I knew people and was lucky enough to not yet know the evil in them. So I made robots the baddies for a while until even then that seemed mean to me.
I think Hollywood and video game designers have this same problem sitting on their sleek laptops with a program a little nicer than Word blinking blankly at them. Villains create a message. They tell us who to distrust, abhor and hate so writers should take the utmost care in who they give the title to.
Everyone is tired of stereotypes, and social media gives us a platform to tell writers that, loudly. But it's only recently that there's been outcry against one of the most overused and overdone villains in video game history: Nazis.
Wolfenstein has always been about killing Nazis
Last week the marketing team for Wolfenstein II tweeted the following:
https://twitter.com/wolfenstein/status/916075551382585344
I can understand where it might’ve drawn some fire for co-opting Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” phrase, but you can’t disagree with “Make America Nazi-Free Again,” right?
Wrong, apparently.
https://twitter.com/MiraVylash/status/916095440273182725
This anti-anti-Nazi reaction toward the game first emerged when the trailer went live on YouTube, and as usual, the comment section did its thing. Anti-Semites, actual national socialists and racists came crawling out of the depths to bash Nazi-bashing. For those who didn’t base their arguments against the Wolfenstein franchise’s entire premise on racial superiority, the typical complaint is that the game is either catering to social justice warriors or is too political.
I’m a little fuzzy on where killing Nazis is political.
While the Wolfenstein games have always been about killing Nazis, all the way back to the original 1992 Wolfenstein 3D, this new game does come at a time where we’re talking about Nazis in the present tense rather than past. But unlike some half-assed plot lines (which you’ll find below,) Wolfenstein II embraces the implications its marketing brings to the here and now.
https://twitter.com/wolfenstein/status/917162715684016129
But it’s unfortunate that a Nazi-fied America with Klansmen walking around has become something that could be construed as political. Echoing this in an interview with Gamespot, creative director Jens Matthies said, “That was definitely not something we anticipated. We started writing the script in 2014 right after we released the first one. Somehow things have gotten strangely topical. Which of course is not something we anticipated or feel especially good about. That's the way it is, I guess.”
The New Colossus comes at the heels of the current debate of whether or not it is okay to punch real, living Nazis advocating for ethnic cleansing. If you can obliterate a Nazi in-game with a LaserKraftWerk, isn’t that just the same as advocating for the violence against the Nazis running around in public?
https://twitter.com/nickspencer/status/822591535158034432
"We're certainly aware of current events in America and how they relate to some of the themes in Wolfenstein II," said Pete Hines, Bethesda’s VP for PR in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz.
He goes on to say that while Bethesda does not aim to be political--which opponents of the #NoMoreNazis hashtag have claimed--they’re not backing down from their distinctly anti-Nazi stance. Like sane human beings.
"In Wolfenstein's case, it's pure coincidence that Nazis are marching in the streets of America this year. And it's disturbing that the game can be considered a controversial political statement at all." he said.
https://twitter.com/Evropa2016/status/910265055408738304
It might go back to the hackneyed argument that violent video games can cause players to become violent. Nazis walking among us have become more visible than ever, showing up at their various rallies, college campuses, and online, thus leaving them more punchable than ever before. Personally, I don’t think this comes down to white supremacists being afraid of being punched, rather they’re afraid of being persecuted and called out for what they are.
Hines said that, “There's a risk of alienating customers, but people who are against freeing the world from the hate and murder of a Nazi regime probably aren't interested in playing Wolfenstein."
Why Nazis are Bad
There's no shortage of games that feature Nazis as antagonists. This is nothing to say of other media, with all the superhero origin stories taking place amidst WWII. (And there's a significant reason for that).
There's also a really good reason for continually making players shoot Nazis in the head: they're the ultimate villain. On a fundamental level they represent the worst that mankind is capable of, and there should be something cathartic in destroying that.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1800"] Image from Digital Trends[/caption]
So when people call out Wolfenstein II for encouraging the lurid killing of Nazis, they're missing the point of killing Nazis.
A favorite quote of Inglorious Basterds: “Nazi ain't got no humanity. They're the foot soldiers of a Jew-hatin', mass murderin' maniac, and they need to be dee-stroyed.”
I could go on, but the atrocities of World War II certainly speak for themselves. I will have utterly lost faith in humanity if I feel I have to say, “Hey guys, remember the Holocaust? Millions of people slaughtered? Gas chambers, human experimentation and genocide? Yeah, well all that was very bad, and it was the Nazis' fault.”
But today’s Nazis say they’re not like those Nazis. Neo-Nazis hate Jews, advocate for ethnic cleansing and, like the Twitter account above, advocate white supremacy through “white pride” or “Identity Europa,” a campaign that has touched Ball State’s campus.
Neo-Nazis are different because they haven’t gotten to the point where they’re able to open concentration camps.
However, amid Neo-Nazi outcry against #NoMoreNazis, you can find plenty of support, which just might restore your faith in humanity.
https://twitter.com/gritfish/status/875176308828811264
https://twitter.com/Blublud02/status/916095380114329600
When it’s okay to say #NoMoreNazis
Obviously the Internet, wonderful and monstrous thing that it is, served as an incubator for the current alt-right and Neo-Nazi ideologies that have come to the fatal forefront of the national conscience. However, as I mentioned before, the media has a hefty power in deciding what we think about Nazis.
If anyone has an obsession with Nazis, it’s the History Channel, but recently it is Marvel that has begun to explore a staggering amount of Nazi-involved plots. Of course, Captain America was born out of World War II propaganda, but the difference this time around is that he’s not about punching Hitler on the chin. Captain America is apparently a Nazi.
This is an example of when not to use Nazis.
There’s honestly a significant amount of examples of when not to use Nazis, but superhero comics have recently been serving as a strange kind of “what not to do.” Marvel amassed some serious ire over it’s “Secret Empire” campaign. In this storyline, Steve Rogers was actually working for the fascist organization Hydra, and with a magical Rubix cube, was able to rewrite history so that Hydra (Nazis) won World War II.
When the image of the all-American Steve Rogers saying, “Hail Hydra,” came out over a year ago, people were understandably upset. Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, Captain America’s creators, were Jewish. The very first issue of Captain America features the man in the star-spangled uniform punching Hitler. Kirby and Simon were often threatened via phone calls to their office at Timely Comics (later to become Marvel) by Nazi sympathizers.
The man behind the Secret Empire series, Nick Spencer, tried to ride out the wave of internet hate by asking audiences to be patient. Wait and see. Oh, and that Hydra is not technically a Nazi organization. Only some parts are.
https://twitter.com/nickspencer/status/839312065412026368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inverse.com%2Farticle%2F30458-captain-america-hydra-nazi-marvel-nick-spencer-response-secret-empire
Disregarding that Hydra has always been a stand-in for the Nazis, this plotline wrapped up in the cliche of two Steve Rogers--one a fascist, the other the Captain America we know and love--duking it out. All the grimness and Nazi-imagery ended with a limp message and the creation of symbolism that real life Nazis reveled in.
What’s striking is that this series could have been good. It could have had deeper meaning about America. But Marvel specifically refused to associate this storyline with what’s happening right now in today’s political climate, whereas the original 70’s Secret Empire series was explicitly tied to Watergate. Instead, it just made readers angry, alienated those who love what Captain America truly stands for, and wound up being the second worst-selling series in Marvel history.
https://twitter.com/nickspencer/status/792129388078780416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inverse.com%2Farticle%2F30458-captain-america-hydra-nazi-marvel-nick-spencer-response-secret-empire
Secret Empire was not a story about the dangers of blindly clinging to one definition of the large and complex identity that America as a young and diverse country has, or of the worrying climate of authoritarianism given rise through that very “patriotism.” It was a callous money-grab of edginess and shock that backfired. At worst, it proved that somehow we can forget that Nazis, and yes even those associated with them, are unforgivable.
We need to remember why Nazis are typically chosen as the bad guys. They were the worst of humanity, they inherently destroyed humanity by systematically destroying the weak and marginalized: weakness is often what defines our humanity. This is why narratives of the hero beating up Nazis is so appealing, because the hero is protecting the weakest among us, which sometimes is us watching through the screen.
Nazis have evolved, maybe our portrayal of them needs to as well
The new Wolfenstein game paints a picture of the Third Reich on an American main street--swastikas flying overhead and goose-stepping Germans flanking your neighbors. This is not what Naziism is in America; right now. Make no mistake, there is Naziism in America at this very moment, but it’s appearance is much more subtle, insidious.
Naziism in America is personalities like Richard Spencer raising his arm in salute and shouting, “Heil Trump!” to an ecstatic audience.
Naziism in America is the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, the tiki-torch wielding white men there who chanted, “Blood and Soil” and eventually did spill blood during their protest. Which happened again this weekend, by the way.
https://twitter.com/bigotbasher/status/909541916194201600
Naziism in America is some guy in Seattle feeling comfortable enough to ride public transportation with a swastika on his arm.
Naziism in America is someone reading Secret Empire and saying that Hitler-trained Red Skull gives a great speech about anti-immigration ideology and is very inspiring.
The Naziism currently infiltrating America is not skinnheads with thunderbolt tattoos bringing violence to peaceful protests. It’s the slow, insidious movement of young white men on the internet feeling disenfranchised and threatened by “PC culture” and “affirmative action” among other things. It’s an average college student trawling 4chan, someone with a Reddit account and a subscription to r/TheRedPill.
So maybe we won’t be so numb to Nazi imagery if we use what is more closely associated to the villains of today than of the past. Naziism is no longer an extremist movement from decades ago, sprung out of Germany. It’s here and now in our own backyards, so slapping on a pepe meme here and there on new Nazi mobs you’re meant to run and gun through would better represent how Naziism has evolved to be more hip with the kids.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1120"] Image from The New Yorker[/caption]
This generation does not feel the chill of the close brush with fascism and genocide that the generation who actually killed Nazis did, therefore it's perhaps harder to capture that same terror by presenting it in green uniforms and skull-adorned officer’s hats. Familiarity makes things scarier. That’s what developers need to take advantage of now more than ever.
Media helps to demonstrate precisely what the wrong side of history is. The Ku Klux Klan lost momentum when popular radio actively mocked them.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus comes at a time where the merciless killing of Nazis is more relevant, and I’d argue more needed, than ever. Personally, I’ll find a welcome catharsis in finding that submachine gun from the trailer and using it liberally when the game comes out the 27th.
Sources: Twitter, Gamespot, GamesIndustry.biz, Haaretz, Independent, Ball State Daily News, Cracked, Inverse, The Daily Dot, The Washington Post, and The Virginian Pilot
Images: Twitter, The Verge, Digital Trends, The Nerdist, The Daily Dot, The New Yorker
(10/05/17 6:50pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7klayMjCB0[/embed]
Kaleigh and Matt break down some of Marvel's recent TV mishaps! It's not looking so good for their newest TV-Movie hybrid, Inhumans. What do you guys think?
Anchors: Kaleigh Whitehall, Matthew Yapp
Post Production: Phil Akin, Michael Robb
Graphics: Tt Shinkan, Daley Whilhelm
Crew: Dylan Bateson
(10/04/17 10:03pm)
The first Ikea in Indiana and the closest Swedish superstore to campus will open next week.
(09/25/17 11:09pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtV30jM8dYk[/embed]
Matt and Tt talk discuss Brett Ratner's comments on how Rotten Tomatoes is affecting the movie industry! Is the tomatometer to blame for low box office numbers? Or are bad movies the cause?
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Tt Shinkan
Post Production: Michael Robb
Graphics: Tt Shinkan, Daley Whilhelm
Crew: Dylan Bateson
(09/22/17 9:03pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMcgLGWQQfY[/embed]
Matt and Tt delve into two new products in development for Amazon: smart glasses and a home camera security system! Both of these projects will be linked to Amazon Echo's AI assistant Alexa.
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Tt Shinkan
Post Production: Michael Robb
Graphics: Tt Shinkan, Daley Whilhelm
Crew: Dylan Bateson
(09/21/17 10:53pm)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rYCei1I8vo[/embed]
Matt and Tt are back with Checkpoint to give you the latest updates in the entertainment world! Trump recently took to twitter once again to bash the Emmy awards for having less than stellar ratings this past weekend. Also, Donald Glover and Julia Louis Dreyfus won Emmy's as well, so it's not all bad!
Anchors: Matthew Yapp, Tt Shinkan
Post Production: Michael Robb
Graphics: Tt Shinkan, Daley Whilhelm
Crew: Dylan Bateson
(09/15/17 6:51pm)
by Emily Reuben
On September 15, 2015, the P.C. game, Undertale, took the internet by storm. The pixel styled RPG game created by Toby Fox has become quite the internet sensation spawning a massive fan base, countless pieces of fan art, official merchandise, albums, and various console releases. It’s literally become such an important part of video game creation and pop culture that a copy of the game was given to the Pope.
https://twitter.com/tobyfox/status/750443785889411072
Today marks the two year anniversary of Undertale’s release. Featuring various endings, Undertale begins with the player falling into the Underground inhabited by monsters. The player must find a way to return to the human world. Along the way the player will meet interesting characters, battle various monsters, and solve puzzles to return home. The simple premise that separates Undertale from other RPGs? The player does not have to kill anyone. Everything comes down to choice. For those who have not yet played Undertale, saying anything more about the plot would be a huge disservice.
To celebrate, we are going to discuss why exactly Undertale is a success and why it resonates so strongly with so many people.
Undertale creator Toby Fox had dabbled in game creation during his high-school years using RPG Maker 2000 to make RPGs and also created a few Earthbound ROM hacks. However he was more widely known for his music compositions. Some of his more notable works include music compositions for the 2009 webcomic Homestuck and various covers posted to the MS Paint Adventures forums. Toby’s music is also set to be featured in Hiveswap, a Homestuck video game.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Image from IGN[/caption]
Fox started Undertale as a Kickstarter on June 25, 2013. The project quickly garnered interest and eventually raised a total of $51,124 by 2,398 people. When asked in an interview with Outermode what sparked his desire to create Undertale, Fox stated that, “It originated when I decided to create a battle system in Game Maker. Then I made a game around it.”
Fox’s passion for music also played an integral role in the game’s creation. In the Outermode interview, Fox mentioned that “Over 90% of the songs were composed for the game. I always wrote the songs before I started programming those parts, besides the credits song. Having music helps me decide how the scene should go.”
Fox’s work immediately paid off upon the game’s release. Undertale was met with instant praise from Youtubers, critics, and fans alike that spread the popularity of the game like wildfire. IGN ranked the game 10/10, Metacritic gave a 92%, and it holds at 10/10 rating on Steam. When summarizing the game, IGN reviewer Kallie Plagge states that “It might not be pretty, but Undertale is absolutely a work of art.”
Despite the popularity of the game, some criticized the hype arguing that the style was simplistic. Various message boards on Steam and other gaming forums indicate irritations at the game’s popularity.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="975"] from Steam[/caption]
Even with some negative reception, Undertale swept the 2015 Game of the Year Awards and continues to be a talking point of the gaming community.
One of the most important aspects of the Undertale is the fan base that resulted after the game’s release. A community of those who loved Fox’s game instantly began crafting fan covers, fan art, and merchandise.
For Angelina Moreno, a senior in Ball State University’s Animation Program, her Undertale fan animation led to a viral response.
When asked what inspired Angelina to make the animated short she replied:
“I was inspired to make my Undertale animation by another fan of Undertale. This other creator, who I credit in my video, is a voice actor who, during the Undertale craze, was making fan voiced stuff for fans of Undertale... I remember hearing the dialogue and falling in love with the voices because they reminded me so much of the characters! And of course the script was hilarious as well.”
This is just one example of how one’s work can spark inspiration in others. Obviously Toby Fox inspired fans with the original product, but the fan base continues to plant new seeds in the minds of content creators.
Currently Angelina’s video has a total of 1,597,232 views on Youtube and has appeared in various Undertale animation compilations. When asked about the popularity of her work, she said the following:
“I was surprised my animation was so popular, especially since now that it’s been a couple of years and I can see now it’s not very good. I was surprised at the positivity actually. Most comments were about how good the animation was or the voices being amazing.”
Alongside the incredible art made by fans, many great examples of fan-made Undertale music have been released as well. Interestingly, outside fandoms such as the Steven Universe have heavily influenced the fan made musical pieces inspired by Undertale. A great example of this is the popular “Stronger Than You” Undertale animation and song cover.
As a testament to the popularity of Undertale, this rendition of the song has a higher view count than the official Steven Universe version.
The Undertale fan base is full of creativity and is often quite positive. However, just as in any fandom, there is a very vocal, toxic group of members.
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the fandom revolved around Youtube comments directed at those playing the game. Big Youtubers such as Markiplier were often attacked for playing the game the “wrong way”. In Markiplier’s case, this made his playthrough so devoid of fun that he dropped it altogether after two episodes. Markiplier stated,“I’m not having fun making these videos because I know that no matter what I do, everyone will think I’m wrong.”
Few games spark as much passion as Undertale. Due to the depth of gameplay and characters, players often become connected to the game. This connection prompts them to make other players play the game in the way that they deem it to be the best, but this is never what Toby Fox intended. In response to all of the negativity stemming from the fan base Fox tweeted:
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1174"] Image from Twitter[/caption]
With this in conjunction with incestuous fan art, Undertale has gained a bit of a negative reputation based on the fan base. This is a shame, as a few bad apple shouldn’t reflect the entire community or the game itself.
Luckily, this negativity has not stopped Undertale’s growth. Earlier this year the game was ported to the PS4 and PS Vita, opening up more opportunities for new players to pick up and play the game.
https://twitter.com/PlayStation/status/874429667662471168
So why exactly did Undertale leave such a mark on the gaming industry? Angelina chimes in:
“I think it’s had such a huge impact because so much love, time, and thought went into making this game and people can tell. The characters and the narrative speak on a lot of levels about the human condition. The game makes you feel for the characters. But also. The soundtrack. The soundtrack is so important to any and all forms of media. Undertale’s soundtrack is a masterpiece.”
And many critics and fans would agree with her. The characters have been praised for their shining personalities and lovable demeanor.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Image from MonsterVine[/caption]
Many modern games simply the love and consideration found in Undertale. Toby utilized his love for music to make an engaging, energetic soundtrack that practically tells a story of its own. Music is often underrated or forgotten. Instead of being a main component, more often than not a game soundtrack serves as background noise. Toby Fox created much of the game around the music he composed, thus giving the Undertale soundtrack a life of it’s own. Fox’s music has proved so popular that various soundtracks have been released as official Undertale merchandise.
In regards to the characters, Undertale manages to make monsters so loving and relatable that it is no wonder so many fans become dramatically attached to the game. There is humanity in each and every monster you see, from the NPCs to the monsters you fight, there is personality attached to each and every encounter. The choice allowed in Undertale drastically changes these character interactions on each playthrough, which makes them all the more real. So few games fail to make pixelated images into seemingly real beings.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image from The Escapist[/caption]
After two years, Undertale is still a masterful example of modern gaming. It proves that you don’t need the latest and greatest technology to craft a good game. Gamers flock to play Undertale for the story, character, and dialogue, elements of gaming that can be hard to come by. There is so much heart behind Toby Fox’s work that it is impossible not to feel immensely connected to the Underworld.
Ironically, LOVE is behind what makes Undertale a success.
Sources: Outermode, Engadget, Kotaku, IGN, YouTube, Twitter
Images: Twitter, IGN, Steam, MonsterVine, The Escapist
(08/28/17 5:25pm)
by Ryan Fine
Another year, another VMA. From a show that usually gives us spectacular performances like Britney Spears performing with a giant, live python in 2001 or unexpected moments like Kanye West’s infamous Taylor Swift acceptance speech hijacking in 2009, this year’s awards show seemed fairly run-of-the-mill in comparison. But as always, some nominees and performers left The Forum with a heap of Moonman awards and others left disappointed and empty-handed.
The biggest winner in last night’s categories was the Compton hip-hop juggernaut Kendrick Lamar. He opened the show with a medley featuring two songs from his critically acclaimed new album DAMN., a performance in which a man was literally ignited into flames. His video for the song “HUMBLE.” went on to win a grand total of five awards including Best Hip-Hop Video, Best Visual Effects, and the coveted Video of the Year award. Interestingly, he ended up losing the Artist of the Year award to Ed Sheeran.
The other winner of the night was Taylor Swift, who used the opportunity to premiere the music video for her new single “Look What You Made Me Do”. Despite not actually being at The Forum, she picked up as much attention for the video as she did for the song itself, as it features Taylor Swift as a hybrid zombie snake queen while inviting all of her past personas into the fold. She even ended up nabbing a Best Collaboration award for “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”, her duet with Zayn Malik for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack.
The genre categories also picked up a lot of one-time winners, such as Alessia Cara, Fifth Harmony, and Twenty One Pilots, and P!nk was awarded the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award for her well-documented music video legacy.
But when one person wins, another must lose. Katy Perry, who hosted the show, did not end up with any awards despite her nomination in five categories. Though her performance of “Swish Swish” was as dramatic as one would expect from her at this point, most of the social media attention went to Taylor Swift, with whom her infamous feud is still ongoing.
Lorde sits somewhere in the middle of conquest and failure. In spite of a pestering flu, she performed “Homemade Dynamite” from her summer hit album Melodrama, powering through the song with understandable awkwardness. On a night that tended to be politically charged and angry, minor triumphs like this one ended up being highly charming, and although the raw excitement was toned down, there were a number of nice moments that shone through the fog.
Sources: Video Music Awards
Image: Lokál
(07/19/17 9:25pm)
by Jeremy Rogers
On July 18, 2012 Arin Hanson, animator and voice actor, and Jon Jafari, online entertainer, posted their inaugural episode to their collaborative let’s play YouTube channel, Game Grumps. The game was Kirby Super Star, which took 19 videos to complete, but it was just the beginning.
The Grump channel skyrocketed to the forefront of Youtube culture when the site’s algorithms started prioritizing channels that had more minutes watched, a perfect storm to put let’s players front and center on the site. The Grumps became known for their personal chemistry and their amusing rants about the subpar qualities of certain titles.
After a year, Jafari left to focus on his own YouTube series: JonTron, and was replaced by Danny Avidan, a member of the comedic music duo, Ninja Sex Party. Spinoff shows under the Grump name include Game Grumps VS, and Guest Grumps. Since the Channel’s inception many more people have joined the Grump team to host their own webseries including Steam Train and Doodle Doods, both of which were created and hosted primarily by Ross O’Donovan.
The Grumps have also collaborated with many other famous YouTubers and even non-YouTube personalities over the years. Fellow content creators who have appeared on the Game Grumps channel include Markiplier, the Completionist, Jacksepticeye, and many more. Other notable people who have made appearances on their shows include Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard, Game of Thrones actor Jacob Anderson, and BoJack Horseman voice actor Paul F. Tompkins.
The Grumps, in addition to making appearances at conventions and similar events, have been hosting a string of live shows for fans to attend. They have toured from coast to coast and have even brought their unique brand of video game comedy to foreign nations.
At five years the Grumps have nearly 4 million subscribers and 3.3 billion views on their channel. To mark the occasion, the Grumps have made limited edition shirts available for purchase. The Grumps also released a collaborative animated episode of Game Grumps featuring animations by multiple online artists.
Additionally, the Grumps will be launching a dating simulator, Dream Daddy, this week, marking the creator’s first attempt at game creation.
Source: Twitter, YouTube
Image: Facebook, YouTube
(07/17/17 8:04pm)
by Sarah James
Disney’s annual expo, D23, wrapped up yesterday. There were plenty of massive announcements that came out of the event, so here’s some of the things you may have missed.
Movies
Two animated sequels got lots of love this past weekend. Incredibles 2 now has a release date of June 15, 2018, and will take place immediately after the events of Incredibles. Wreck it Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet, which will premiere November 21 of next year takes the concept of the first film and expands it on a massive scale, and includes a sequence poking fun at the Disney Princesses. The original actresses for the Disney Princesses were cast to reprise their roles for the film- a move that is sure to “break the internet.”
A trailer was also released for the live- action adaptation of the children’s book, A Wrinkle in Time. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the film stars Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon, and Zach Galifianakis. The film is set to release next spring.
Speaking of live-action, Disney is not shying away from its live-action adaptations of its animated classics. Tim Burton is directing a live-action Dumbo which is already in production. The live-action adaptation of 1994’s The Lion King will animated in the same vein as 2016’s The Jungle Book, with photo realistic animals. Spectators were shown the opening sequence of the film and were blown away at the animation. The cast of the live-action Aladdin was also announced after rumors swarming the internet that Disney was having difficulty finding a cast. The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, will star Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine, and Will Smith as the Genie.
The two heavy-hitting, Disney-owned franchises, Star Wars and Marvel also had major announcements over the weekend. A behind the scenes trailer from Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released, as well as a series of new posters featuring the cast in red to prepare for the movie’s release in December. Not to be outdone, Marvel surprised everyone by bringing the cast of Avengers: Infinity War on stage. A teaser trailer was shown at the event and is expected to be released to the public this weekend at San Diego Comic Con. In this trailer, fans saw the meeting of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well of plenty of footage of Thanos beating down on our heroes. The third film to the groundbreaking Avengers story line is set to come out May of 2018, and with SDCC this weekend, the studio is sure to have plenty of updates.
Television
After its success in 2014, Big Hero 6 is getting an animated series for the channel Disney XD. The majority of the cast for the film is coming back to reprise their roles for the series. Disney released the opening title sequence, which showcases the entire team in a two-dimensional animation style as opposed to the three-dimensional animation of the film. The first season will premiere this fall and will have 21 episodes.
Games
After the release of gameplay footage at E3, Kingdom Hearts III, now has a trailer. The twelfth installment of the popular video game franchise will feature areas based off of Hercules, Tangled, Big Hero 6, and Toy Story. The game sees the return of Sora as the protagonist, along with Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and Riku as they continue their search for the Guardians of Light. After years of waiting, fans can expect the game to be released some time next year for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Parks
Last but not least, Disney announced a whole slew of new attractions and resorts for their parks. The upcoming Star Wars area now has a name - Galaxy’s Edge - and a scale model of the area was showcased at the expo. The land is set to open in 2019 in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Disney is also building an interactive Star Wars resort near Walt Disney World, where guests will be able to be a part of the Star Wars story. Two new rides are coming to EPCOT in Walt Disney World - a Guardians of the Galaxy themed ride in Future World which will be replacing the Universe of Energy ride and pavilion on August 13, and a Ratatouille dark ride in the France pavilion. The Great Movie Ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is officially closing August 13, but Disney announced its replacement; Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will show guests the process of creating Mickey Mouse cartoons. The popular TRON roller coaster that debuted in Disneyland Shanghai is also coming to Tomorrowland in WDW’s Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is also getting a brand new theater off of Main Street USA, which will house live entertainment.
D23 has been a wild ride for Disney fans, and the juggernaut entertainment company has a lot on its plate for the coming years.
Image: Inside the Magic