video game culture

I’ll Be at Hamilton Comic Con Today!

JettLeave a comment

Excited to be hopping in the car this morning and driving over to The Hammer for my first ever Hamilton Comic Con! I’ll be there primarily in support of my wife and sister-in-law, as they’re set to compete in their first ever cosplay masquerade. Wishing them both the best of luck! However, when they’re not in the heat of competition, I’ll definitely enjoy everything the show has to offer, from the shopping, to the panels, and more! In particular, I’m still debating whether I want to get a picture taken with one of my all-time favourite wrestlers, Rob Van Damn.

I’ll try my best to post images and video from the show on my Instagram so you can follow along. Maybe I’ll see you there even? I’m gonna guess no, but who knows!

Acceptance and Empathy in Gaming Culture

Video JettLeave a comment

Towards the end of the Pikmin 3 massacre (R.I.P.), a conversation between Rachel of Double Jump fame and I triggered a rant about acceptance and empathy in games. With a bit more of both, I think the greater discourse around games could be a much more positive experience for all. Don’t have a magic wand to make that change in the world overnight, but I’ll try my best to be respectful of other people’s opinions, having healthy discussions around differing views without resorting to personal attacks, and prevent myself from acting as a gatekeeper to others.

My Favorite Overwatch Characters Version 1.0

JettLeave a comment

In a world that’s currently enamored with Fortnite and the battle royale flavour of shooter, I’m just catching up to 2016 with a fierce obsession to Overwatch. During its heyday, I was too busy trying to be a Street Fighter V champion. Only now am I really giving it the time of day and I’m smitten with it. Yes, I’ve played Fortnite, but I much prefer the hero shooter style of play. I prefer playing as a predefined character with a unique personality and wildly varied tools that you must master the pros and cons of in order to succeed. In that sense, it’s a much closer parallel to fighting games, my favourite genre.

Odds are my feelings will change with time, but I wanted to document how I feel right now about the cast. Here’s a list of my favourite characters in Overwatch!

Continue reading →

My Failed Attempt at Upgrading My Streaming PC

Jett3 Comments

For months now, I’ve been preparing to upgrade my PC. Though I’ve never done anything of the sort, I’ve had friends coach me on what parts to buy and how to install everything. As soon as all of the parts came in, I cleared off the kitchen table, got a screwdriver, and got to work. This is my story of PC upgrading failure.

Continue reading →

The Closing of Telltale Games

JettLeave a comment

Pioneers of the modern adventure game genre and makers of one of my all-time favourite titles is no more. Hours before we got official word from the studio, news spread like wildfire of the company’s demise. Before they can even put the finishing touches on the final season of The Walking Dead, the company let go of hundreds of employees and is no longer in a position to finish any of their existing work. My heart hurts at the thought of all of those negatively affected by this news, as well as the thought that the story of Clementine will never be completed. [UPDATE: “Potential Partners” might finish the season after all]

Continue reading →

Streamer vs. Video Producer

Video Jett2 Comments

Back in 2010 when I started the YouTube channel for In Third Person, Twitch didn’t exist, and the concept of game streaming was still in its infancy. I figured that someday, when I finally got the equipment to do it properly, I would make video game related content for YouTube. Years have passed, the world of streaming is born, and now I have more to think about.

Continue reading →

Boss Rush: Episode 8

Video JettLeave a comment

Kris and Rachel from Double Jump make their Boss Rush debut! Games discussed include Spider-Man, Pokemon Fire Red, Skyrim for Switch, The Sims 4, Stardew Valley, Street Fighter EX3, Destiny 2, Hollow Knight, and Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King! Also, in the game show segment, the crew inducts video games into the hall of fame for shot at the Boss Rush championship belt!

Spider-Man, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and My Approach to Tackling Multiple Hot New Releases

JettLeave a comment

With the busy season for video game releases in high gear, it’s inevitable that you’ll run into a scenario where you’ll end up with multiple games you want to play at about the same time. Generally speaking, this is awesome! For me, I got Spider-Man and Shadow of the Tomb Raider within a week of each other. But how do I split my time between a number of games at once? I don’t.

Continue reading →

Acer Predator Thronos and my Frivolous Gaming-Related Purchases

JettLeave a comment

At IFA 2018, Acer revealed what might be the most insane gaming chair of all-time. The Predator Thronos is an elaborate gaming chair that supports up to three 27″ monitors, has a kick-out leg rest, lights, vibrates along with the games, and is motorized so that the whole apparatus can rotate 140 degrees if you feel like playing while lying down. Before we even talk about the chair’s weight (400lbs!) or its price tag ($1,399 USD!!!), the very conceit of this chair is certainly above and beyond a more “reasonable” gaming expense.

I may not have spent $1,400 on a chair, but I have spent my money on gaming-related items that were frivolous in nature. Here are a few of them!

Continue reading →

The Bottoming Out of Pocket Rumble

JettLeave a comment

Pocket Rumble was never going to usurp the likes of Street Fighter V or Tekken 7 at the top of the fighting game throne. However, I truly feel like the game had a chance to be bigger than it is today. The game had a lot of positive buzz when it was announced as a console exclusive for the Nintendo Switch a year ago. Nowadays, the game has been largely left behind by almost everyone that ever had any interest in it.

Roughly two months after launch, the game has fallen out of the Nintendo eShop top 30, the online leaderboards have tapped out around 10,000 players, and my recent online sessions felt like there were only a handful of people in the world still playing it. Despite how much I enjoy playing it, I’m reluctant to stream it anymore, as I tend to run into the same players repeatedly because they’re seemingly the only ones online with me.

What went wrong? And is there any way to get the game’s momentum back?

Continue reading →