Old Man Doesn’t Understand Roblox.

Posted by Karl Weller on February 22, 2025
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My primary responsibility as a parent is keeping my child safe. Of course you have to prioritize their safety in a more general capacity. Ensuring they are fed, clean, have a safe space to sleep and don’t wander into oncoming traffic. Where it’s more difficult to protect them from is social media. Now both my partner and myself agree that she is too young to have, let alone require a mobile phone. Unfortunately as she gets older, as well as being exposed to the fascinating curiosities of YouTube, her natural inquisitiveness has only been expanded. Leading to her eventual migration into online gaming. Specifically Roblox. Another tangent of social interaction I was hoping to avoid. For those blissfully unaware, Roblox is an online game creation network, that promotes community based engagement, trading and level creation. It has also become a ravenous cultural obsession for my daughter.

Though the age demographic is advertised as child friendly, and parental controls allow us to restrict how she interacts with others and what she spends, you’re still not entirely sure what she is being exposed to. You’d think years of gaming would have somehow prepared me for this, but these kind of live service, social hubs is something I can’t quite understand. The graphics are rudimentary, presumably a deliberate stylistic choice to appeal to a younger audience. One’s that have either played or are aware of games such as Minecraft. The sound is very reminiscent of mobile games that douse you in a cacaphony of monotonous sounds, all while bombarding you with ads for its premium currency and items. And though Roblox from my initial understanding at least, isn’t quite as predatory in its plugs, the accumulation of valuable in game items and subsequent trading is evidently an important function of the game. What concerns me is her veracious need to log on all the time.

Now this is probably more indicative of me just being old and out of touch, which is only really a change from being young and out of touch. But her obsessive behavior, general attitude and mood become quite erratic when she plays Roblox. Especially if her friends are playing it too! She becomes all encompassed by it, to the point of becoming quite volatile. Trying to pry her away from the device to eat her dinner or even to elicit a response to very simple instructions is almost impossible. It’s concerning that a game focused on propagating social interaction, has the opposite effect. Again this is probably just a case of not understanding youth culture, but there’s something about this game I simply do not like.

Onimusha Reboot Won’t Be “Impossibly Difficult”.

Posted by Karl Weller on February 14, 2025
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New details have emerged in regards to Capcom’s long awaited, by me at least, Onimusha reboot. Announced at last year’s Game Awards, Onimusha will see a return to a series many, myself included, considered defunct. This subsequent announcement sets out to clarify the difficulty of this classic “hack n slash”. Now I had previously alluded to my reservations about the potential difficulty of the upcoming Onimusha reboot, especially considering that difficulty has become its own innate genre. One I’m not patient enough to appreciate. The overbearing arrogance of a community that insists that you must “Get Good!” in order to enjoy a game, has become a prevalent fallacy since the conception and subsequent popularity of this demanding genre. Now as a firmly established style, one that has inspired many challenge enthusiasts within the community, to implement their own restrictions to increase the difficulty further, I’m pleased games like “Elden Ring” and “Bloodborne” are encouraging such enthusiasm. But as someone who enjoyed the original Onimusha games, that presented their own inherent challenges, I would be disappointed if this follow up decided to adopt the “Souls like” combat.

Mercifully game producer Akihito Kadowaki and director Satoru Nihei have clarified that the ponderously titled “Way Of The Sword” will not be “impossibly difficult”, but rather focus on “thrilling sword fights”. This implies that the gameplay will be very reminiscent of the original series, with updated and dynamic action of a more contemporary hack n slash. Considering the prolonged absence of this series, with other franchises in Capcom’s expansive catalogue, like “Resident Evil” and the emergence of “Monster Hunter” dominating sales. It’s not surprising that Capcom would need to define the difficulty of a game that in today’s market could be confused with a “From Software” styled game. Particularly when you consider that many aren’t as well versed and let’s face, old as some of us are when it comes to this series.

Personally I’m excited for this. A lot more excited than I have been about a game for a shockingly long time. And with the added announcement of a remastered “Onimusha 2: Samurais Destiny” releasing on May 23rd, I think Capcom is perfectly poised to provide an Onimusha experience I haven’t enjoyed for over 20 years.

I Hate Driving

Posted by Karl Weller on February 6, 2025
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Is there anything more stressful than driving? The banality of having to deal with other equally irascisble humans, eager to toot their horns at any minor provocation. I’m lucky in the sense that much of my driving responsibilities are relegated to necessity. My primary usage is travel to work, which is a relatively short venture considering others more exhausting journeys. It’s also an evening routine once traffic has mercifully subsided. My secondary capacity as a driver is often simply that of a chauffeur. Often recruited as the statutory taxi to ferry my daughter and partner to various, often exasperating places. It’s rare that I drive for pleasure, if such a thing exists. More often than not, driving is merely a means to an end. I’d rather inconvenience myself by walking half an hour to a designated place, because I loathe driving so much. And I frequently do.

I find a lot of pleasure in walking. With the destination being a secondary consideration, just the satisfaction of being able to think. A simple reprieve from the strains of, well whatever issues you are facing. Could be work related. Might be the stressful responsibilities of child rearing. Or it might just be as simple as getting out of your own head for a few minutes. Weather permitting, there’s rarely an occasion when a gentle stroll to the shops, park or around the block, doesn’t yield significant reduction in stress. A stress I only find is exacerbated by driving. Perhaps it’s the sense of being trapped. A kind of mobile incarceration. The sterility of it all. Maybe it’s the knowledge that you will have to deal with others that harbour similar resentment towards other motorists? Really though, I think it’s the idea of maintaining a level of concentration for an extended period, so as to prevent the untimely deaths of your family or yourself.

This may seem like a morbid contemplation to a routine staple of society, but these are often the things I think about when I get into a car. Now it’s true that you can have an accident just about anywhere and that worrying about careening off the road into a petrol station, and being engulfed in a fiery blaze that’s intensity is only matched by that of the sun, is about irrational of a fear as one could have. But the road, specifically the idiots that have somehow managed to obtain a license, presumably by some sort of government funded lottery, is so unpredictable. It only takes one person, suffering an emotional breakdown, rushing to a destination, because in that moment it’s vitally important that they get to the hairdressers on time, to cause an accident. And then you are just another statistic. A footnote in the local news. Yeah, I think that’s why I hate driving.

Could GTA VI Cost More?

Posted by Karl Weller on January 23, 2025
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The price of gaming software has always been a considerable hindrance in anyone’s decision making ability. It’s a financial risk. It’s an expensive hobby, one in which you have to consider whether the price offsets the quality. A difficult question to answer when you have no idea if the game is worth it to you. Just because you’ve read every published review that corroborates your opinion that a game is worth investing in, doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to enjoy it. For instance “Baldurs Gate 3” achieved universal acclaim from both critics and the discerning general public alike. And though it is an objectively great game, it simply isn’t one I personally gelled with. My loss I suppose, but it comes at a cost. Everyone has their own idea of what a game should retail at. There are of course many intricacies that go into a decision like this. Triple A games having higher expense, boast significant graphical enhancements and naturally demand a greater price tag. Though that doesn’t always yield a profitable result. Indie games, cost less, have fewer staff but generally can’t afford to charge as much. Is the game multiplayer. Is it a single player game. There are so many variables that determine what people are willing to pay for a game. But the question that has always burdened the industry, is how much is too much.

It’s fair to say that the price of games has remained pretty consistent. Though other markets have seen a huge rise in costs, game software has been able to circumvent inflation. But now the debate in raising prices has once been ignited by industry “analyst” that “hopes” GTA VI will be priced as high as $100. Which to my British compatriots is roughly £82. But of course the conversation rate is always inflated for us, you are probably looking in the region of about £90. Now Rockstar has not confirmed any pricing on GTA VI as of yet, though I’m a little sceptical that it will in fact be released this year anyway. But that’s beside the point. The problem isn’t speculating on whether or not that it will, but rather if they can. And the answer is a resounding Yes! A game series as prestigious as GTA could almost command any price it desires, knowing full well most would pay for the privilege. Potentially igniting an industry wide inflation. The difference however is that Rockstar are in the unique position to demand more money for their IP, that others simply can’t.

Could you imagine Ubisoft trying to capitalize on software price hikes, by increasing the price of an “Assassin’s Creed” game and turning a profit? A decade ago maybe, but now, with the state of the IP, as well as the company relying on the success of “Shadows”, it would be a risky maneuver considering they would likely allianate what dedicated followers it still has. I can’t think of a single studio, however successful, that could secure such a rise. So yes, GTA VI could cost more at launch than most third or even first party games. And may inspire others to do the same. But it’s unlikely that anyone else would succeed. Not yet anyway.

Could The Switch 2 Fail?

Posted by Karl Weller on January 15, 2025
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As the gaming industry braces for the imminent announcement of the Switch successor, the tentatively titled Switch 2. Nintendo fans continue to speculate on the specifications of the hybrid console, with some commentators determining that the rumoured power of the console achieving the equivalent of a PS4, as being a detriment to the console’s success. Now anyone suggesting that power and graphical superiority equates to success, retains little knowledge of Nintendo’s values and storied history. As a perennial Nintendo gamer since I was old enough to recollect such things, as well as a firm advocate for their strategy in focusing on software as opposed to hardware, I can only foresee the Switch 2 as being an overwhelmingly successful machine. One that may dictate the future of console gaming.

Of course much of this success will hinder on a number of variables. With the sales disappointment of the “Wii U” still a lingering concern for any potential hardware release, Nintendo will be keen to avoid a similar disaster that afflicted them after the monumental success of the “Wii”. So to begin with calling it the Switch 2 will avoid any potential confusion that inhibits the Wii U’s success. Affordability is always an incentive, particularly for those with families that may feel an upgrade isn’t a necessity. So it’s important that Nintendo compliments its new hardware with desirable software that will entice consumers to upgrade. Thankfully this is traditionally where Nintendo has been very astute. The Switch launched with the humble little title called “Zelda: Breath Of The Wild”, accompanied by the likes of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”, “Arms” and “Splatoon 2” soon after. And if rumors are to be believed, the Switch 2 could be looking to launch with an even more impressive catalogue. Though it will probably just be a new Mario Kart.

With all that being said, the innovation in graphics isn’t the impressive leap that it once was. I’d go so far as to say that graphics have plateaued over the decades. Everyone of age remembers the distinct graphical superiority when consoles went from 2-d to 3-d. The same could be said between the PS1 to the PS2. Those were true generational leaps. That simply isn’t the case now, or perhaps just not that important. And really, how much more polish do games like Mario and Animal Crossing really need? These kind of games would lose a certain sense of identity if they were graphically motivated or framerate focused. Not to mention expensive and time consuming to develop. Ultimately what will drive the Switch 2 ‘s success will be what has made Nintendo the industry stalwarts they are; games. And with new content in development, coupled with supposed backwards compatibility and a back catalogue that Nintendo is proud to utilize, there may be more than a few looking to upgrade, myself included.