My Top 5 Games of 2015

I did so much traveling in 2015 that I didn’t get to play that many games. Still, the few games I did get to play were amazing and it did help that many were short experiences.  In no particular order is are my top 5 favorite games of 2015.

Rocket League

This game is super easy to jump into and always turns into a blast. The concept is quite simple but is great to play with friends. Unfortunately for me, I jumped into this game a little too late so everyone is at an insane level online. Even my friends can do jumps that I could never do. Still extremely fun though because of course driving around in a car and playing soccer is.

Fallout Shelter

While I didn’t have time to play Fallout 4 I did have time to play Fallout Shelter on my phone. This is a great mobile game and without any of the drawbacks of most mobile games like always online or the need to pay to succeed. I haven't spent a single penny but this game has convinced me to eventually get Fallout 4. A great simple game to play go plus I can play on the plane without wifi.

StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void

The original StarCraft is probably one the most important games to have impacted my love for gaming. It should come to no surprise that I enjoyed this game even though I will never be good at any RTS let alone StarCraft with its intense APM required. While nothing can ever replace the memories I had as a child playing StarCraft it did tug at many of my nostalgia strings seeing many characters I haven’t seen in forever. My Life for Aiur (Protoss is my race ^_^) 

Emily is Away

Emily is Away is a game that every single gamer that grew up with AIM should play.  You have no excuse since it is free on Steam and super short. I can’t say anything at all because it will spoil it, but for kids that grew up in the 90’s this game brings back so many memories of growing up using AIM to talk to my friends in school.  YOU NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME!
   
Life is Strange

Life is Strange is amazing. I love games that focus on story and this game does what it sets out to do. Since this is set in a high school this game can get pretty cheesy and I mean cheesy, but none of that mattered to me because I still cared about the characters. Besides my teenage self can’t help but remember how I was back then. Man, I am glad to never have to go to high school ever again.

Other Notable Mentions

The Beginner’s Guide

Can’t really say anything without spoiling besides this game surprised me.

Shower With Your Dad Simulator 2015: Do You Still Shower With Your Dad

This game was stupid in all the right ways

Undertale

Wow, this game gave me the feels and I didn’t even beat it yet.

Traveling, Expos, Learning, Conferences, Exhaustion

When I first started doing blogs I had every intention of writing every major event I went to. This year I privileged to go to way too many that I realized I can’t be writing about them all. I write mainly for myself so I can improve my writing skills but there were months where I was gone every week for an event.

Writing is a good way for me to practice thinking at a more critical level so when I do discuss what I thought about this demo or this news release I can be much more thoughtful. That is the very reason I love going to conferences like GDC and E3 so much. I love meeting professionals in their field and talking to them with their knowledge and experience. Learning more about the inner workings of how the entertainment I love is such a privilege.

Many of the people I meet are surprisingly not bored about the questions I have for them. The VR from the developers of Oculus, Morpheus and Vive all exciting told me about the discoveries they find from making a VR game. I watch more eSports then I do sports so hearing from the leaders in the industry about the challenges they face is so entertaining.  Even the anime industry has been so kind to me even though I am as casual as it gets.

Meeting fans is also a huge blast. Events like Anime Expo, PAX, EVO, Blizzcon, and PSX are great events to go to because not only do I get the chance to talk to professionals but I get to talk to fellow fans. As a fan myself I love talking to people about the entertainment I love to consume. Almost all the time I learn more about games and anime from them because of course, I did, there will be fans out there that know more than I do.

I loved meeting all the people I got to become friends with and learning more about all the entertainment I love to consume. I never felt so exhausted but so happy at the same time. 2015 thank you.

My First E3

I will forever regret not going to the PlayStation Conference. When I am on my death bed I will remember the chance of going to the conference and turning it down for fear of being turned away at the entrance. Still, this E3 was absolutely amazing so congrats to all hard work of everyone in the industry.

This was my first E3 and man was it exciting. It started with getting to see the extravagant Bethesda press conference and ended with hanging out with so many friends new and old. When I got to experience the closed door theater experience for PlayStation I realized I was watching it with Phil Spencer. Once the showcase was done outside was the Uncharted team ready to greet him and to ask him what he thought. So many people in this industry are so down to earth.

I got to play many different games and demos like Star Wars Battlefront, For Honor, Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus. I was actually surprised by how much I got to experience given that I wasn’t press. I have so much respect for the press that has to work not only during E3 show floor hours but in morning and night too especially since so much happens at night too.

In terms of announcements, it goes without saying Final Fantasy 7 remake announcement is what blew me away. I honestly didn’t think this would ever come out and I was proven so incredibly wrong.  Like I said one of the regrets I will carry with me until I die. Still, Nintendo brought news for their fans and Microsoft showed that they are ready to turn the ship like Sony did with the PS3.  

Couldn’t imagine a better first experience at E3 then this year. I am super excited for Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Horizon, For Honor, Fallout 3, and Star Wars Battlefront are all games I am super excited to play hopefully soon. I know not to hold out hopes for no delays but I am ok with delays for these games if it means they do it right.

Developing for Project Morpheus

I was fortunate enough to attend Sony’s Project Morpheus panel and it was delight learning about the challenges developers face with VR. Normally when I hear developers talk about creating games it is about adding new features but this was something new. VR makes even a basic action such as picking up and interacting with an object a surreal experience.

Even though VR changes so much about how to design a game many of the basics are still important. Just like how motion control was really intuitive, looking around as a control is just as intuitive. It was so interesting seeing all the fundamentals that could still be used and all the stuff that couldn’t due to VR.

The developers openly talked about the restrictions of having the limited technology of the PS4. Morpheus you are not unable to walk around in your real body. That single restriction creates such a disconnect pulling many players away from the very immersion and presence that VR is supposed to provide. It was really impressive to see all creative ways the developers created solutions to try to keep players lost in the virtual world given their limitations.

Doing simple tasks in virtual reality can be really fun. It was really cool to see all the creative ways the developers created interactive worlds. Many of the demos they were showing were very simple but brought laughter and smiles to everyone in the room. That is exactly how companies need to think when introducing VR to the public.

It was really cool seeing PlayStation try so many ways of creating experiences. No one really knows how to fully utilize VR yet because we are just at the beginning of this amazing journey. It is so exciting to see the development of such game-changing technology and hearing from those leading the charge.

GDC eSports Summit

I was fortunate enough to attend eSports Summit at this year's GDC. I was most excited to attend the League of Legends panel since I am currently playing it religiously but I was surprised about the amazing Counter Strike panel “Community Level Design for Competitive Counter-Strike: GO”. As just a consumer of eSports, I was surprised how influential the designs of a game 15 years old has had on eSports and gaming.

I grew up playing Counter-Strike as a kid after having played the first Half-life. Counter-Strike was the first person shooter I ever played online and man did I play a lot of it. I was never good at the game since everyone was at a such a high level when I played plus the barrier to entry was not great compared to today's online shooters. Even with all that taken into account I thoroughly enjoyed playing online with my friends because winning didn’t really matter.

Learning how the iconic De_Dust 2 was designed made me understand why Counter Strike is the premiere first-person shooter game that is still being played over a decade after it was created. The map was designed with such attention to detail to create the ultimate competitive map. By making sure the location of the choke points were in the right locations to having a minimalist aesthetic allowed for players to best showcase their skills.

I knew this map was designed extremely well since it was the most played map but I had no idea how much of the map design I took for granted. The designers knew so much about what I and my friends wanted in an online shooter before we even knew what we liked about online shooters. Not until Xbox Live can I say most of my friends really started realizing and picking which shooters we liked to play online.

Counter Strike is game over a decade yet it created so many fundamentals in not only online shooters but any competitive online game. I saw design choices used in this game that is still being used even in games like Call of Duty and League of Legends. It probably wasn’t the first but it is the most popular game that revolutionized competitive online play which is why it is still professionally played in the eSports scene.

My Top 5 Games of 2014

2014 was the first full year when all next-gen consoles have been in the market in the United States. While I didn't get any next-gen consoles yet, (man did I want to play Transistor on a PS4) the effects that they are having on the gaming industry is apparent. As always I became way to busy to play any large AAA games completely. Though that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them though.

It's ironic that since I became more involved in the video game industry with my time at ShowDown, which hosts a gaming bar, that I got to play even less video games. I know it's pretty common in game development due to the massive amount of time required, but I help ran a place where gamers go to play video games with there friends.

This list is just my personal list of favorite games that I got to play this year in no particular order.

Lethal League

This was a game I got to play a lot with my fans at ShowDown’s SF Game Night. Whenever I had some time to play games I would turn to Lethal League. Super easy to pick up, but a game that is fun to play with anyone with any skill level. Fast paced and fun, this game was simple enough to pick up but with the depth to make every game a unique experience.

The Wolf Among Us

The Wolf Among Us has a unique blend with fantasy and film noir elements to deliver a suspenseful game. The comic book style design works perfectly with this game. As expected from a Telltale Game the choices you make are complicated and very engaging. This game feels exactly like playing a film noir detective tv series except that it also adds an intriguing layer of characters from childhood fable stories.

Super Smash Bro. Wii U

8 player Smash. All I really need to say. That was such a great idea by Nintendo. In no way is this balanced by any means, but it is without a doubt super fun.  Hectic and out of control it brings the right amount of mindless party fun. Whenever I play games at a friends house that has a Wii U I will always recommend Smash 4 since I know it is something that all my friends will enjoy.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The 100 year anniversary of the start of World War I was in 2014. Every major issue today is in part connected to the seminal tragedy that raged across Europe that slowly spread it’s effect to the entire world. Valiant Hearts is the WWI game to play to best learn a little more about WWI and to artistically portray one of the saddest periods in human history. If you love history during the WWI play this game.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Addicting is the best way to describe Hearthstone. I had so many friends addicted to magic and I understood why, but to have a card game that has hooked me is absolutely amazing. Hearthstone utilizes all the benefits of being a digital game, but retains everything that makes card games fun. Easy to pick up and hard to master this game truly fits the saying that Blizzard motto “easy to learn hard to master.”

Other Notables Mentions

This War of Mine

Wow did this game make me feel miserable. Though nothing can ever replicate the horrors of war, but This War of Mine at least made the gameplay struggling and desperate. A great tool to remind us that the civilians are always suffering in horrible ways and most don’t ever get to see.

Goat Simulator

This took all the best parts of an open sandbox world like Grand Theft Auto and put you into the body of an indestructible sheep, enough said. Can’t ask for a better mindless game of destruction than when you are doing it through a goat. The online MMO that they have for Goat Simulator is just as amazing. Who knew walking around a world with fellow goats doing quests of destruction could be so fun.

Child of Light

The art done in Child of Light was absolutely breath taking. The artistic level of detail wasn’t just done in level design, but also in the gameplay. Like whenever Aurora get’s hit she reacts like a little girl would be severely knocked back. Though not completely helpless it is important to be reminded that this is just a little girl. What sold me though was when you gain a certain ability right off the bat though I won’t spoil anything.

Important Video Game Trends In 2014

Some of the largest internet companies in world spent millions if not billions buying video game companies last year. Gaming is already a huge industry, but these purchases by these large companies was great news for the industry. Many of the changes that Twitch, Oculus, and Mojang brought are now given the resources to test their limits even further. When Microsoft bought Mojang for $2.5 billion dollars it showed how viable the indie game path was. Here is a game if 10 years ago you suggested to a publisher would have thought you were crazy. Now it has become one of the popular games of all time and it hasn't even hit it's stride yet. It has introduced a new way of playing games where the objective of the game is limited by your own creativity. The best part is that this audience of new type of gamers are all young, which means that when they grow older, game companies will have a whole new way of making games to tap into a completely different market.

Oculus being bought by Facebook for $2 billion dollars gives hope to the potential that VR might be able to bring. Having tried Oculus Rift myself I was sold on VR when I played a demo of Dark Deception. I screamed like a little girl since I felt that I was there when I walked down a maze to be jumped by a monster. I want VR to be successful and I think Facebook is a great company to become partners with. Facebook understands that VR is much more than just gaming, but can also be a gateway to new world that the disabled, less fortunate, and those with illnesses can experience.

Amazon buying Twitch for $970 million threw me off a bitch.  I thought it would be Google not Amazon. I can understand why Amazon would want Twitch with the enormous amount of potential of streaming video games can offer.  Still what matters is that everyone is taking video game streaming very seriously. Who would have thought watching someone else interact with a product that was designed to be to interactive would draw such a huge audience. Many games especially eSports games are now taking into account how interesting spectating a game is into their game design.

2014 was a great year for games and I can't wait to see what 2015 brings.

Naruto: The End Of The Anime That Revived The Industry

Wow I can't believe Naruto has finally ended. Naruto has been in my life since the days when I started breaking out of my awkward teenage years. It was also the perfect show too, since its theme of hard work with determination, being yourself, and friendship is one that can easily be forgotten in years of going through high school.

That is what I loved about Naruto. Though anime tends to cover pretty serious topics, Naruto did it in a very entertaining way with a great plot, characters, and setting. It is what brought me back into anime and made me much more open to more types of anime expanding my openness to all types of shows I glad I kept an open mind to. It is also how I learned to binge watching series.

Even though Naruto in the later series did not live up to the quality that I enjoyed when I first be I will forever be grateful for all it has done for me. I know it is quite silly to hold a show to the standards as life changing, but I can't deny that it helped shape many views I have about the world now. For that I am not ashamed since I truly think Naruto was an amazing piece of art.

I will wait until the anime completes to explain what I thought was so amazing about it in another post.  Who knows maybe the anime will make of changes from the manga that will change certain opinions I have. For now I just needed to write a thank you to a great series that brought me much enjoyment.

League of Legends Worlds Championship 2014

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WorldsTop2014

Astounding, the word to describe the League of Legends Worlds Championship 2014. Not just the finals, but the entire year for League of Legends. Who would have thought that a mod of a Warcraft III game would turn into a phenomenon big enough to sell out a stadium built for the most popular sporting event known to humans, FIFA.

I was fortunate enough to be able to watch Worlds in at the OC Fairgrounds Hangar hosted by SoCal eSports with over 1800 other League of Legends fans. It was a extremely fun to be able to watch such a big event with such an awesome crowd. All the exciting moments in the finals were charged much more by the amazing crowd.  Even as late as the finals were I had just enough energy for the last match.

SoCal eSports also gathered an impressive amount of fun activities to partake in before the championship actually started, which considering how late it was being shown on the Pacific meant they needed quite a bit. From cosplay to companies having fun giveaways there were quite a bit to do.

The game itself was awesome pretty fun to watch too. I don't have the analysis or the depth of knowledge to give you any input that other sites would do much more superbly. What I can say is Samsung White was just too good of a team which is expected of a team from South Korea.  The fact they decimated their sister team Samsung Blue was a testament to how insane Samsung White was.  Though Star Horn Royal Club did have some great plays and matches.

Looking for a great next year and to see what Riot Games can accomplish with League of Legends.  Every year they improve the game and show what the advantages of being an eSport can be.  The video game industry is thriving great thanks to eSports which beyond what anyone could imagine thanks to League of Legends. Here is to Worlds 2015.

WinningSweepstakes

League of Legends arrives in Asia

League of Legends World Championship has finally arrived and kicked off this weekend in Asia. Arguably the biggest game in eSports is finally hosting their World Championship in the capital of eSports.  The group stages will be held in Taiwan and Singapore. The final match will be held at the Sangam Stadium, the same stadium where the 2002 FIFA world cup was held at.

What a way to show how big you are than by having an event held at the same stadium for the largest sporting international championship, FIFA World Cup. Football (soccer) is an amazing game and has the largest following in athletic sports. Extremely popular in over 200 countries and watched by over 3 billion people, football popularity is the dream of any sport.

While League of Legends is not anywhere near that level, having your finals at a former FIFA World Cup stadium is a very strong statement. Also they don't need compete, just like how many people love to follow multiple sporting leagues, many can enjoy both eSports and physical sports. They are different games offering different and intriguing levels of strategies, offering much great spectacle for those to enjoy.

Riot hosting Worlds in Asia is long coming, but well worth the wait considering the bang they are making. South Korea is a great choice since eSports was the birthplace of professional competitive gaming thanks to Starcraft back in the day. A global phenomena should get the global treatment. While it does mean late night game watching for the American audiences, increasing the international popularity of League is much more important.

I wish so much I could have gone to Worlds this year in Korea. Having studied abroad in South Korea and watching my 1st eSport event at the Yonsei University, GSL Finals for Starcraft II, I know first hand how amazing eSports is in Korea. Loving Seoul and eSports that would have been a trip of a life time. To all that will be there have fun and I recommend checking out the nightlife in Hongdae.