video game culture

Essential Hardware Upgrades for Console Video Game Streaming

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Looking to start streaming?

Having the right hardware is just a part of the overall experience, but it’s an important foundation to have. Without the right gear, your stream could suffer from lag, blurriness, your voice sounding scratchy through a crappy microphone, or any number of other problems that negatively impact your production quality. With so many good streams out there, it’s important to not let your hardware deter others from enjoying your show.

Compiling the lessons I’ve learned over the past two years, here’s a list of hardware upgrades to consider as you build the streaming rig of your dreams!

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Game Soundtracks I Want to See in Concert

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In the past, I have had the privilege of watching Video Games Live twice and The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess once. All were fantastic concerts that brought my favourite video game music to life. If more video game soundtracks went on tour, what would I like to see live?

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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Game that Brought In Third Person and Double Jump Together

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Originally released in 2003, the self-titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube does not have the pristine legacy of Turtles in Time. To its credit, it also doesn’t carry the infamy of their NES debut. Though I don’t know for certain, I get the sense that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) is one of many forgotten games with the Ninja Turtles name that probably deserves to be left behind.

That said, life has a funny way of digging up the past. Join Kris, Rachel, and I as we talk about our separate histories with the game and how they collided in 2018!

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Anatomy of a Great DropMix Song

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Playing DropMix over the last few weeks has gotten me to think about music in a new way. This card game with digital elements allows players to mix bits and pieces of songs together by simply placing instrument cards on the board. Want Ed Sheeran to sing over the bass line of LMFAO’s “Sexy And I Know It”, the synth strings from Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”, and the drums from Rick James’ “Super Freak” while all mixing together in perfect harmony? Simply play the four cards and watch DropMix work its magic.

Having said that, not all DropMix cards or DropMix songs are created equally. In one of the expansion packs we bought, there’s a Beethoven card that’s seemingly impossible to work with. Certain other cards, such as the drums from “Radioactive”, seemingly work with everything. This got me thinking: going beyond personal preferences such as artist and genre, what elements make for a great song in DropMix?

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Streaming and My Lip Sync Battle Part 2

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Remember that time when I told you that I finally figured out what the problem was on my stream? And that I knew how to fix it? Yeah, I was wrong about that last part.

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10 Years of In Third Person: Growing Pains

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2018 was a year of growth for In Third Person. From expanding to Twitch, to ramping up my social media presence, to connecting with friends old and new, to raising money for children in need as part of Extra Life, the In Third Person experience ballooned dramatically. Coming from a place where I created and maintained the blog for the nine previous years with no ambitions of reaching an audience beyond myself, it was definitely a shock to the system.

In fact, it’s a shock that I’m still reeling from well into 2019. Despite the many successes of last year, I can’t shake this sense of unease that has taken over me when thinking about what this passion project has become. After lots of introspection and a private conversation or two with others about this dilemma, I finally think I know the root issue.

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What Video Games Could I Play Well as Part of a Bird Box Challenge?

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Just before 2018 ended, the Netflix movie Bird Box took the world by storm. Set in a world where opening your eyes while outdoors will cause you to end your own life, the people in this movie often move from one place to the next while blindfolded. This has sparked a Bird Box challenge in the real world, where people have done all sorts of stupid stuff while blindfolded. So much so, that YouTube has now banned all dangerous stunts from the platform.

The recent phenomenon of blindfolding yourself while doing an activity got me thinking. What video games could I not completely suck at while blindfolded? The list I came up with is…pretty short.

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My 2018 Game of the Year is…

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What criteria do you use when determining your Game of the Year? Is it the game you played the most? The game with the best story? The game you spent hundreds of hours mastering every nuance of? For me, many factors are at play, including those just mentioned. But the one defining thread between all of them is the sense of lingering impact they gave me in the moment and beyond. In many cases, those games still have an active presence in my mind and heart and aren’t going away.

Mass Effect 2 might have had to share the spotlight with Super Street Fighter IV in 2010 when I used semantics to try and give both the nod in their own way, but I still remember the former fondly as being one of the single greatest adventures I ever embarked on in a game, while the latter was a phenomenal fighter that served as a turning point for my fighting game career. Skyrim was the consensus pick in 2011, but I don’t regret honouring Catherine instead. The latter still holds a special place in my heart for its novel gameplay and a mature story about infidelity; a subject almost never covered in games. Overwatch is a fantastic shooter that has made a resurgence in my life in recent months, but in 2016, Pokemon Go was the easy Game of the Year choice for me based on how much the game shifted my in-game and real life. I don’t write about the game much now, but I still play Pokemon Go every day with a fervour to catch ’em all.

In 2018, there were a number of games that excelled in many different ways. But when I think about this one particular title, it ultimately stood above the pack for the profound impression it left on me. Long after playing it, I still think about the joy I felt in the moment, as well as the message it conveyed through its experience. My Game of the Year in 2018 is…

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Games I’m Excited For in 2019

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Another exciting year of gaming lies ahead! With the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at a mature point in their lifespan, and rumors of their successors looming, this could be the last hurrah for our current gen hardware. Also, with the Nintendo Switch just having gotten Pokemon and Super Smash Bros., where does the platform go from here?

Lots of questions to be answered in the days to come. For now though, here’s a handful of games that I’m looking forward to playing this year!

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Celeste – “Resurrections” Cover by Katherine Cordova

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Part of what make’s the Celeste experience so special is its music. Blending 8-bit chip tune sounds and melodies with acoustic instruments and complex composition makes for a soundtrack that is lush, beautiful, and evocative, all while perfectly setting the tone for the action.

My favourite song of the bunch is “Resurrections”, the track played during the 2nd level of the game. Its melancholy vibe that builds into a panic is one I haven’t stopped listening to long after I set the game aside. The song is particularly effective at being my soundtrack to the moments where I find myself “in my feelings“, as Drake would say. In fact, it’s quickly skyrocketed towards the top of my all-time favourite video game songs list, and may someday reside at the very top. [Note to self, make an all-time favourite video game songs list]

Recently, I discovered this cover of the song performed by Katherine Cordova. Stripping away the synthesizers and downbeat drums, she performs the song with just the piano and still makes it feel just as haunting as the original. I can’t stop listening to this, so I thought I’d share!

Buy the Celeste Soundtrack Now From Amazon.com