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The Growing Popularity of VR Gaming

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The Growing Popularity of VR Gaming

The Rise of VR Gaming

Virtual reality (VR) is a hot topic in gaming these days. Facebook released sixty new games for Oculus Quest this year, and two prominent VR games, namely: Quest 2, and The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, made over $10 million in sales this year alone. Sales of the Oculus Quest 2 headset were reportedly five times higher than 2019’s Quest 1headset. It would seem that VR gaming is finally coming in to its own.

What’s Behind the Sudden Growth Spurt?

Why the sudden surge in VR gamers? Arguably, the global pandemic is one of the main factors that has led to more people buying VR headsets and VR games. Global gaming revenue has seen a huge increase over the last 2 years. Social distancing, working from home, and lockdowns have left many people isolated and bored. What better thing to do then than get stuck into a video game, spin a few reels on an online casino game, or step into a virtual reality game that takes you on a wild ride? And now its just as easy to find an online casino real money game as it is to find an exciting VR game that suits your playing style.

Better Hardware

Another reason that VR gaming is finally starting to take is off is that the price of VR hardware has reached a point of mainstream affordability. In the early days of VR, only hardcore gamers were willing to spend hundreds of dollars on headsets that were, essentially, works in progress. Most people preferred to wait it out until the first few rounds of headsets had completed their cycles, knowing full well that if they bought an early headset, they would have to buy an upgraded version before their first headset even had a scratch on it.

Better Games

The trouble with gamers holding out for better, more affordable headsets, is that software companies are then reluctant to invest in creating VR games. With only a few truly excellent games to choose from, gamers were even more reluctant to invest in headsets. It is this ‘chicken and egg’ situation that has kept VR from reaching its full potential for such a ridiculously long time. Luckily, companies like Facebook have been willing and able to take the risk of making the much-needed investment in both games and hardware. And it’s beginning to pay off.

VR vs Video

Will VR gaming ever reach the heady heights of popularity enjoyed by video games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or Call of Duty, or Fortnite? It’s not easy to predict. Even though there are more gamers throughout the world than there have ever been before, not all of those gamers relish the idea of stepping out of their comfort zone. And to play a VR game is to step out of a comfortable gaming chair and into an unknow vortex.

The difference between a video game and VR game is a matter of control. With video gaming on a PC, the gamer is bigger than the game. There is a comfortable distance between player and game, and the gamer has absolute control. With VR gaming, the gamer has to actually step into the world of the game. The gamer becomes part of the game, and by doing so the gamer can feel small and out of control. This feeling of smallness can lead to the gamer feeling vulnerable and scared. And the truth is that most gamers play games to escape feeling vulnerable and scared. Is VR, therefore, just a bit too real to be truly enjoyable? And on top of everything else, VR headsets are still renowned for causing the gamer to feel nauseous and dizzy.

A Long Road Ahead

There is no doubt, the rise of VR gaming well under way. Online casinos will soon feature a section of VR casino games, and social simulation games are sure to find their way onto the list of popular VR games. But will VR gaming become as popular as other forms of gaming? There’s probably quite a few more incarnations of headsets to come before VR gaming has a place in every household. However, after a pandemic that has fundamentally changed the way we travel and interact, VR headsets could provide us with a viable alternative to having to ever leave the house again.

The War on Drugs Release New Song ‘Change’

Konstantinos Pappis
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The War on Drugs Release New Song ‘Change’

Ahead of its release this Friday (October 29), The War on Drugs have previewed their upcoming album I Don’t Live Here Anymore with the new single ‘Change’. The track follows the previously shared songs ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ and ‘Living Proof’, both of which landed on our Best New Songs list. Check it out below.

I Don’t Live Here Anymore marks The War on Drugs’ first studio album in over four years, following 2017’s A Deeper Understanding.

SASAMI Announces New Album ‘Squeeze’, Shares New Songs

Konstantinos Pappis
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SASAMI Announces New Album ‘Squeeze’, Shares New Songs

SASAMI has announced a new album called Squeeze, which will be released on February 25 via Domino. Along with the announcement, SASAMI has shared the dual lead singles ‘The Greatest’ and ‘Skin A Rat’, both of which come with accompanying visuals: ‘The Greatest’ video is directed by Jennifer Juniper Stratford, while the ‘Skin A Rat’ visualizer was created by Andrew Thomas Huang, who also designed the album’s cover artwork. Check them out below.

“This song is about how often the greatest, heaviest feelings we have for someone are in the absence of the realization or reciprocation of that love,” Sasami Ashworth said of ‘The Greatest’ in a statement. “Like power born out of a black hole. All fantasy.”

Both singles were recorded in Ty Segall’s studio in Topanga, CA and Log Mansion in Mt. Washington. ‘Skin a Rat’ features Dirk Verbeuren of Megadeth on drums and gang vocals from Vagabon’s Laetitia Tamko and actress and comedian Patti Harrison. According to Ashworth, the song is “a soundtrack to cathartic release of anger and frustration with oppressive systems and humans. Very nu-metal influenced. Wrote and demoed the whole song on my iPad with midi drums and hired an epic drummer to perform it live to tape.”

Squeeze will follow SASAMI’s 2019 self-titled debut and includes her previously shared rendition of the Daniel Johnston song ‘Sorry Entertainer’. Revisit our Artist Spotlight Q&A with SASAMI.

Squeeze Cover Artwork:

Squeeze Tracklist:

1. Skin A Rat
2. The Greatest
3. Say It
4. Call Me Home
5. Need It To Work
6. Tried To Understand
7. Make It Right
8. Sorry Entertainer
9. Squeeze [feat. No Home]
10. Feminine Water Turmoil
11. Not A Love Song

Aminé Drops Video for New Song ‘Charmander’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Aminé Drops Video for New Song ‘Charmander’

Portland-born rapper Aminé has shared a new single called ‘Charmander’, his first new music since the release of his 2020 album Limbo. The track arrives with an accompanying video directed by Aminé and Jack Begert. Check it out below.

“After the release of Limbo I took some time to experiment and challenge myself to create in ways I hadn’t before — exploring different textures and tempos without any expectations,” Aminé explained in a press release. “‘Charmander’ was the first product of that period that felt natural while still being at a completely different BPM than any of my previous work.”

Ibibio Sound Machine Share New Hot Chip-Produced Single ‘Electricity’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Ibibio Sound Machine Share New Hot Chip-Produced Single ‘Electricity’

Ibibio Sound Machine have released a new single called ‘Electricity’, which was produced by Hot Chip. Give it a listen below.

“Even in trying times, ‘without love, there’s no electricity,'” the group’s Eno Williams said in a statement about the track. “This one started out as an idea to mix Afrobeat with Giorgio Moroder–style synth vibes. The end section with Alfred’s korego (Ghanaian 2-stringed folk guitar) solo was already there when we got into the studio, but then we added the big kick drum that happens underneath and Owen from Hot Chip’s crazy drum machine percussion at the end, which gave it a futuristic Afro feel when mixed with the more talking drum parts.”

Ibibio Sound Machine’s last studio album was 2019’s Doko Mien, which followed their 2017 record Uyai.

Watch Bruce Springsteen Perform ‘The River’ on ‘Colbert’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Watch Bruce Springsteen Perform ‘The River’ on ‘Colbert’

Bruce Springsteen appeared on last night’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, where he performed an acoustic rendition of ‘The River’. Springsteen also sat down for an interview with Colbert, talking about his friendship with Barack Obama as well as the No Nukes concert film. Check out the performance and clips from the interview below.

Set for release on November 23, The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts captures Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’s benefit shows at Madison Square Garden filmed for the 1980 documentary No Nukes. The film has been newly edited from the original footage and features appearances by Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, and Rosemary Butler.

Jonny Greenwood Shares Two New Songs From ‘The Power of the Dog’ Soundtrack

Konstantinos Pappis
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Jonny Greenwood Shares Two New Songs From ‘The Power of the Dog’ Soundtrack

Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood has shared two new songs from his upcoming soundtrack to the Jane Campion-directed film The Power of the Dog. Listen to ‘West’ and ’25 Years’ below.

“The main thought I kept returning to was that this film is set in the modern era,” Greenwood said in a statement about The Power of the Dog, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a rancher named Phil Burbank. “It’s too easy to assume any cowboy story takes place in the 19th century. There is so much culture in Phil’s character. He’s well read and it isn’t hard to imagine his taste in music being—alongside his proficiency on the banjo—very sophisticated. The pleasure in a character this complex and emotionally pent-up, is that it allows for complexity in some of the music, as well as simpler, sweeter things for his contrasting brother. Bouncing between these two characters, musically, generated a lot of ideas.”

The Power of the Dog soundtrack arrives November 17 via Lakeshore Records and Invada Records. The film hits theaters on November 17 and Netflix on December 1. Greenwood is also behind the original score for Pablo Larraín’s Spencer, which will be released on November 12.

Album Review: Grouper, ‘Shade’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Album Review: Grouper, ‘Shade’

It is one thing for a piece of music to be aesthetically intimate, and another for it to feel intensely private by nature. Few artists can communicate that interiority as starkly as Liz Harris, the Pacific Northwest artist whose work under the moniker Grouper sounds at once born out of and in dialogue with its own reclusiveness. Because so many of the barriers that normally ground our listening experience dissolve when putting on one of her records, switching from headphones to speakers while someone else is in the room can feel like an act of personal betrayal; and also, strangely, a deep kind of exposure, like being aware you’re in a dream but having no idea what it all means or what others can see. Still, it’s compelling in the purest sense: you succumb to the lulling, aqueous flow of ambient sounds and murky effects but are drawn to the human attributes of Harris’ ethereal voice and the songs themselves, whatever form they may take.

Shade is Grouper’s first album since 2018’s Grid of Points, her second record following 2014’s Ruins that forewent the washed-out soundscapes of her earlier output in favor of greater sonic clarity and lyrical confessionalism. But the effect – of being left in an empty room where each unsuspecting visitor will somehow discover something different – had all but diminished. Shade doesn’t exactly continue that trajectory, serving instead as a loose document of Grouper’s artistic evolution. Its tracks were recorded over a period of 15 years – some on Mount Tamalpais during a self-made residency, others longer ago in Portland, while the rest were tracked more recently in Astoria. More than hinting at the different eras in Grouper’s discography, however, her 12th LP also eschews the distinct sense of time and place that have marked her last couple of albums.

It might seem natural to call this a collection of leftovers and B-sides, but that would ignore just how potently it manages to create that same effect. Though Shade may not feel as complete or wholly striking as some of Grouper’s best material, it almost feels truer to the spirit of her work, which has always evaded conventional structures and narratives to examine the contrasts between dissociation and engagement, distance and closeness, presence and absence. With each release, Harris turns the knob slightly in one direction or the other like one of her effects pedals, but Shade’s presentation feels suited not only to the feeling of displacement and non-linearity that permeates her music, but also her own process. I hear the resonance of something she said in a 2018 interview, where she mentions having 200 songs that had not been recorded: “It’s about a really intuitive sense of when something’s ready. I often feel, more and more so, that things just have to sit for a long time while I think about them and what I’m gonna do with them.”

And so rather than a collection of leftovers, Shade feels like a set of songs that, if not ready to see the light of day, are at least too pervasive to stay in the shadows. The sequencing magnifies those paradoxes that have previously crept through the edges of her music, like the more traditional songs that broke the waves of fuzz in 2013’s The Man Who Died in His Boat, but in a more disjointed and convincingly (if not truly) unintentional manner. Opener ‘Followed by the ocean’, with its mist of white noise recalling Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill as it sways along with Harris’ voice, situates you in some distant room before, suddenly, the sharp intimacy of ‘Unclean mind’ makes you feel like an intruder to someone’s subconscious. It trades the piano of her last records for acoustic guitar, its spare but gorgeous melodies carrying through to ‘Ode to the Blue’ and ‘Pale Interior’ before being disrupted, this time by the chaotic spaciousness and alien pulse of ‘Disordered Minds’.

“Disordered” might be a fitting description for the kind of feeling Harris attempts to evoke here, but all the songs have a certain shine to them that makes them feel connected, like long-held thoughts cohabiting the same space – a spontaneity that has stood the test of time. Drifting away from the temporal and spatial focus of past releases, Shade instead touches on more abstract experiences and relationships – Harris describes it as “an album about respite, and the coast, poetically and literally,” according to press materials; “how we frame ourselves in a landscape, how in turn it frames ourselves.” The songs are soaked in a deep blue, like the one that consumes her on ‘Kelso (blue sky)’, or the “blue of your mind” she can’t quite get a grip on, or the kind that “moves along the edges/ to the hiding place where clouds align.” It’s solitude and melancholy and the vastness we all conceal.

Shade is an ode to all those things, and in deftly weaving together not only the elements within a song, but the fragments of memory they each convey, it foregrounds Harris’ impeccable ability as an arranger. As the above quote suggests, the framing here is key: landscapes can mean not only the literal ones the music was inspired by, but the internal ones it represents. Even lyrically, Harris seems to be grappling with her role in presenting that landscape: ‘Unclean mind’ is a song about a relationship that doubles as a reflection on her art, with a plea like “Send an empty bottle to sea/ In a hollow and interior disguise/ Rearrange me.” ‘Pale Interior’ is even more direct, addressing the question of relating to a world where people “sit in hidden places waiting for the world to die.” In the stillness, she captures something remarkable: “Listening along as the clouds play through the tempo/ Time is pulling back a beauty so abrasive I can’t sleep at night.” So she lays there, like all of us, waiting.

Dating over 40: what do you need to know?

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Dating over 40: what do you need to know?

It’s not a secret that with age, not only the idea of how relationships work changes but also the way we love. But what exactly is so different when you are older?

Having a marriage experience behind, many singles over 40 have absolutely different wishes compared with those from younger years. Above all, they wish to have someone by their side to go through the following phase of life together. Still, starting dating again might be pretty challenging with such expectations. Not only the demands towards the potential partner are depressing, but the fear of being hurt again. Together with a lack of free time, family issues, and career hopes – it makes getting to know new people harder. The specialists of https://uadates.com/ have therefore brought together essential facts about partner search when dating over 40.

  • Singles over 40 have more options.

For young people, such nuances as age differences often play an important role. When you are over 40, though, you have substantial room to maneuver. You must agree: for older men and women, five years of age difference is less significant than, for example, having common interests. Simply said, you can take a look at singles both: younger and older. That certainly gives you more options to choose from. 

  • The opportunities to meet someone change. 

Do you remember how dating worked when you were 20? You had a chance to meet other singles almost every weekend: hanging around in the nightclubs, bars, and so on. And what do you have now? Notwithstanding, you may often have the feeling you hardly get to know new people – it doesn’t mean it’s true. Maybe you don’t expect the cinematic moment of finding the dream lady at the supermarket checkout, but you still have other opportunities! Thanks to the various online dating platforms – you can fall in love without leaving your house! And don’t forget about events for singles and clubs for like-minders. Just look around to make sure it is so. 

  • Singles over 40 feel no time pressure when choosing a partner.

While men and women over 30 in a particular panic try to find the right partner as soon as possible, singles over 40 are more relaxed when they start going out again. They don’t feel the biological clock is ticking since they already have children. In addition, this so-called middle-of-life stage involves clarity in career perspectives. It is not so crazy anymore so you can plan your free time in advance.  

  • The expectations towards potential partners are not the same anymore. 

At this point, singles over 40 realize that having a failed relationship or an unhappy marriage has certain benefits. It means you already know what you want to see in your future partner and what is absolutely inexcusable. Does it make things easier? Not really. It increases your chances of meeting a perfect girlfriend instead. 

We bet you want your next relationship to fit into your current life routine. It’s okay to be less willing to compromise in essential matters and pay more attention to your own needs. On the one hand, this gives your woman clarity about what you can give her and your expectations. On the other hand – it prevents starting a new romance with false illusions. Bear in mind: knowing how you imagine your future life and how you want to spend it saves your partner from love traps and relationships with a lack of prospects. 

Follow these four tips to realize it’s never too late to fall in love. The world has changed – why won’t you do it either? Open your heart and mind for new opportunities and be happy! 

Bingo on the Big Screen

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Bingo on the Big Screen

Bingo is loved by many: there is no denying that its simple appeal has made it one of the most popular games ever. Nonetheless, unlike other more glamorous casino games, such as poker or baccarat, most people think of bingo as a less glamorous and cinematic table game. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth as bingo has been featured in several popular movies and even TV shows.

Let’s go over some of the movies that have featured prolific bingo scenes.

Bingo Hell (2021)

As the quiet neighbourhood of Oak Springs is slowly being gentrified, a small group of elders team up to fight against it. Led by the stubborn and determined Lupita (Adriana Barraza), the group of long-time neighbours are forced into action when their beloved local bingo hall is sold to a mysterious businessman known as Mr Big (Richard Brake). From this point, nothing will ever be the same.

As their traditional bingo hall changes dramatically, an evil force begins to lurk around the town and with each new winner deadly consequences arise. Soon, some of Lupita’s close friends start to turn up dead and she decides to investigate. The result is a hellish ride with lots of victims and many lucky winners.

The film’s premise is particularly interesting as it presents bingo from a never-before-seen perspective. Bingo Hell gives bingo, a simple and relaxing game, a bit more of an edge and suspense. In fact, on some virtual casinos gaming sites, players can already enjoy bingo games online that challenge conventional bingo playing. In certain cases, bingo can be played in customised virtual rooms that feature innovative themes that give the game a whole new personality. There are also various themes too if in case you want to try out something different.

Babadook (2014)

This psychological thriller, who marks the directorial debut of Jennifer Kent, tells the story of Amelia and Samuel, who are coping with a recent bereavement and simultaneously dealing with the latter’s fear of monsters. After finding a mysterious book, Samuel starts acting strange and claims that a monster is out to get him. Soon Amelia realises it’s not just his imagination and the viewer is taken on a journey in the search of answers.

In one of the scenes, Amelia, who works in a nursing home, sets up a bingo game for the residents, in an attempt to liven up the atmosphere. While the attempt is mostly successful, the film cleverly incorporates the game, giving the viewer a chilling view of the lives of some of those characters.

Babadook was released in 2014 and was met with raving reviews, with critics calling it one of the best horror movies in the history of the genre.

Rampage (2009)

In Rampage, Bill Williamson (Brendan Fletcher), a young man troubled by events in his past, builds a full body armour and takes on the streets searching for revenge.

While the premise is simple this film is full of high-intensity moments, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. In one of these moments, Bill, already wearing his high-resistance armour, enters a bingo hall looking for trouble.

However, in what turns out to be an incredibly hilarious but accurate scene, no one appears to notice him. Players are so immersed in the game that they fail to notice Bill’s presence. As the scene plays out, the young man tries hard to get reactions from the staff in the bingo hall and later from the players themselves, but the numbers keep being called and the audience ignores him completely. Disappointed and somewhat embarrassed, Bill ends up leaving the bingo hall incapable of disturbing the peaceful environment.

If you haven’t watched any of the films above, we recommend you do, especially if you’re a bingo fan. If you are still looking for some more bingo scenes in films and tv shows you should also check out Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013), Big Momma’s House 2 (2006), or Better Call Saul (season 1, episode 7).

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