Zen Pinball 2 ~ Bethesda (PS4)

When a gamer hears the name "Bethesda" more often than not thoughts of retro, and modern day gaming come flooding into their minds as the company name is synonymous with titles like Wolfenstein, Doom, and the Elder Scrolls series. In fact some of us grew up in the earlier days of gaming playing games like Wolfenstein, or Doom on the PC. Others of us who are newer to the gaming hobby have even adopted the new adaptations of each ongoing series in re-release, or re-imagined form. I think it's safe to say one of the key attractions of Bethesda's growing library of releases has been the more mature themes included. That, and the mods that Bethesda willingly allows.

As both a Zen Studios and Bethesda fan I was excited when I first heard Zen Pinball 2's development staff was going to brave the odds, and take on the daunting task of making a noteworthy pinball table set in the likeness of Fallout, Skyrim, and Doom. Having followed Zen Studios efforts throughout the console versions of their pinball franchise, and having played and owned each of the games by Bethesda I knew they could do such tables justice. When I finally got my hands on them I was not disappointed in the least. After playing, and streaming the tables for my followers I came to realize this set could possibly be the best set the studio has released, to date. In fact I think it is. I found all three tables to be open, and inviting as well as beautifully crafted. The attention to detail is far greater than what I'd hoped, and imagined.

Let's Talk - BETAs & ALPHAs

In the past several BETAs I've participated in I've noticed a disturbing trend. That trend being the dissection of the games at the hands of modders, and hackers. It seems that these lowlife scum are constantly testing the waters looking for exploits, and are finding them through their misplaced efforts. With early access to a game via a BETA or ALPHA they can easily break it down, and manipulate it long before the game launches. The EULA, or "End User License Agreement" that is in place to stop this does f**k all to deter these delinquents though, because they are hiding behind several layers of anonymity which includes everything from faked IP addresses to multiple modded accounts. Do you seriously think a EULA, and it's legal technicalities are going to stop someone who can hide from the law. Nope. Therein lies the problem. How does a developer, or a publisher deal with such a threat?

E3 2015 - Thoughts, Opinions & Realism

E3 this year has been a virtual cornucopia of surprises, and advancements in gaming. While I didn't dare to stay up past 10pm to catch all the juicy details I did go back, and watch the Youtube trailers, and videos about the E3 events. Like everyone else (mostly everyone else) I found myself pleasantly surprised at many of the future gaming titles that were showcased. In light of the mind blowing spectacles though I noticed that hardly anything new, or of significance to the gamer was announced for this year. There were plenty of 2016, and beyond releases hinted at, but some of these projects will take so long to complete that we may not see them for a few years. What worries me about this, and the many kickstarters that are promising the best of games is that the future is uncertain. I don't mean "uncertain" in the sense that none of us are promised tomorrow, but more so in the sense that the world is on the brink of an economic collapse, and possible war. Even gambling on a year ahead is not a safe bet. Sure I'd like to see these games come to fruition, and be able to play them, but reality dictates what can, and cannot happen.