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Need For Speed? - Die in your Livingroom, not on the Road!

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I reminisced about the 90s and early 2000s gaming era in my previous post (Re-resolution), reflecting on an ad that celebrated the relentless dedication of gamers while capturing the camaraderie and passion of our community. But as I cast my mind back to that era, I realize that wasn’t the only ad campaign  that’s stuck with me all these years. There was another campaign that managed to embed itself in my memory—one that, rather than coming across as a lecture or nag, masterfully blended entertainment with a subtle public service message. The ad revolved around arcade-style racers with the tagline: “Die in your living room, not on the road.” It’s a phrase that lingers in my memory, much like the vivid image it accompanied - a sleek, adrenaline-pumping racing game playing on a CRT TV, the moment frozen mid-crash, as the gamer’s car spirals into oblivion. The implication was clear—yes, you can indulge your need for speed and risk-taking, but do it where the only consequence is a gam...
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AI Driven NPCs - Yay or Nay?

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Where do you stand on the rise of AI in our daily lives? Some fear a Skynet-like future, while others are excited about the endless possibilities. One area that's particularly fascinating is the use of AI in video games, especially for creating more lifelike NPCs (non-player characters). Whether you’re cautious or optimistic about AI, the idea of AI-driven NPCs is intriguing. Unlike main characters, AI-enhanced NPCs can enrich a game without replacing creative storytelling. Imagine NPCs reacting to you in surprising ways, making the game feel more alive. Take Assassin’s Creed Origins, for instance. I've spent hundreds of hours in this game, but hearing the same NPCs repeating lines like "sejeriat", “henheriat” (whatever that means) and "please, we’re innocent!" gets frustrating and breaks immersion. Even in the DLC’s afterlife areas, these voices follow me. My son really enjoyed Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen but he was left with a blacksmith’s NPC line living r...
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The Vanishing Ninja

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  The Vanishing Ninja: A Lost Era in Gaming Who remembers and looks back fondly at the ninja craze of the 1980s and early 1990s, both in video games and movies? When I think of those times, I recall the iconic hooded images of Sho Kosugi’s intense eyes as he played ninjas in movies like "Enter the Ninja" (1981), "Revenge of the Ninja" (1983), and "Ninja III: The Domination" (1984). It also brings back memories of video games like "The Last Ninja" (1987) for the Commodore 64 and the Shinobi games on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. Let's not forget Scorpion and Sub-Zero, standout ninja characters introduced in the first Mortal Kombat (1992). But where did they go? With the exception of characters in fighting games like Dead or Alive (1996), ninjas in classic outfits resembling the old movies largely disappeared from video games from the late '80s with Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden all the way through to Sekiro in 2019 – and even then, Sek...
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Re-Resolution

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There is a type of charity that wants more people to suffer like this The gaming epoch from the late '90s to the mid-2000s was a transformative period, marked by consoles like the PlayStation, Xbox, and the earlier influence of Nintendo and Sega. This era set new standards in technology, storytelling, and player engagement, shaping the future of gaming. During this time, companies often used divisive marketing to distinguish themselves. Sega, for example, marketed itself as the 'cooler' choice compared to Nintendo, targeting older kids with Sonic and more mature themes. Similarly, Xbox and PlayStation highlighted their exclusivity and unique features, creating distinct identities within the gaming community. While this fostered brand loyalty, it also emphasized the differences between gaming platforms and their players. Fortunately as the industry evolved, we began to see more cohesive promotional messaging. Instead of focusing on rivalry, these campaigns celebrated gaming ...
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