Peter Capaldi is Doctor Who

Peter Capaldi, the man who played the WHO Doctor in World War Z has been announced as the man to play Doctor Who incarnation number 12 by the BBC today. I know there’s no connection, but I thought I’d bring a little conspiracy logic into the picture. I like his physique for the Doctor, and I think he’ll be a good addition to the franchise. Also, here’s a pretty neat letter he wrote to the Radio Times when he was fifteen.

Well, we’ll see him enter the fray this Christmas. Until then, bow ties are still cool.

Related articles

• Peter Capaldi Is The New Doctor Who (thesterlingroad.com)

 

Unsatisfying Endings: The Case of The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

What’s the worst thing that can happen when you play a game? Glitches that make the game unplayable? Bad graphics? Horrendous and groan-inducing dialogue? Characters that offend your moral sensibilities for no apparent reason? An insane difficulty level that can’t be toned down? These are all bad things that can happen, but most of these are problems that a player will know about soon enough in the game. Now, this usually means that a player has still lost $60 on the game. But what about a problem that you won’t know exists until the very end? That’s what my biggest pet peeve is in video game design: an unsatisfying ending that ruins an otherwise extremely enjoyable experience.  Such was the case with The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing.

 

Brief Thoughts: Console Wars II

Renewed, the Console Wars are.

I’m not going to offer any detailed analysis of either of the two major upcoming gaming consoles. Why? I won’t be saying anything that hasn’t already been said. I will say only that the discourses emerging from the competing companies, Sony and Microsoft, remind me of discourses I’ve heard before…back in my youth…when the competing companies were Nintendo and Sega. Does anyone remember “Genesis does what Ninten-don’t”? Compare that with “How do you share games with your friends on the PS4?…”  The Console Wars have returned, and let’s hope that we get a lot of really good competition from game publishers to make the branding meaningful again. Although, given that there are few console exclusives, I doubt it will be as productive.

That said, I’ll be getting a PS4 to start, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll get the Xbox One.

 

First Thoughts: The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

This game has been out for a few weeks, and I have only just gotten started playing it. Why the wait? Well, I was in Europe (Western Europe, sadly not Eastern Europe) when it was released, and I’ve been teaching summer term, which is intense.  Anyway, let’s get to the first thoughts after a few hours of playing this enjoyable gothic-noir steampunk action RPG from NeoCore Games.

Basic Premise:  You play the son of the famous Abraham Van Helsing, monster hunter extraordinaire. Your father has brokered a peace between humans and monsters in Eastern Europe, specifically Barovia. However, now that dad has retired, something has gone wrong to the east that has threatened the peace. So, you have to continue the family tradition and take care of matters. You’re not alone. You have a charming companion in the ghostly noblewoman Lady Katarina.

 

Rift Goes Free to Play

On 12 June, my favorite MMO, Rift, will go Free-to-Play. I’m still reeling from the fact that it was only a few years ago that such news would have been met with a universal response of, “Well, that game’s dead now.”  However, in recent years, we’ve seen how Free-to-Play (F2P henceforth) models have continued and become pretty successful. Trion Games hasn’t fully detailed how everything will work, but based upon what they’ve posted on their website, I’ll offer the following thoughts and opinions.