Liam Bailey, who is a Nottingham based soul musician, is back with a fresh single named ‘Brother, Why You Gotta Love Her.’ The single features known collaborator Maverick Sabre, who delivers a truly stunning performance alongside the star of the show Liam Bailey. Harmoniously, the song will feature on the forthcoming EP by Liam Bailey.
Talking about how the ‘Brother, Why You Gotta Love Her’ song came about, Liam Bailey says, “I was inspired to write the song after getting out of a long and painful situation that I was in with someone. We loved something other than ourselves and it led to a toxic place. I didn’t mean to write the song, I just let things go in the studio and see what happened. I have known and worked with Maverick Sabre for years, and it was a blessing to work with him on this record.”
The single was released via Access Records and is currently available for streaming via Spotify and all other major digital platforms. Additionally, ‘Brother, Why You Gotta Love Her’ was premiered on CLASH magazine.
To say that gaming is an enormous industry would be an enormous understatement, with the industry already well past bringing in more than even the US film box office. This isn’t just in terms of profit either, as gaming also gives those involved some of the widest spreads of genres and forms of engagement in all forms of media. Given this variety, it is only natural that there are elements of contention within the industry, and that’s what we want to look at today.
What parts of gaming most effectively draw battle lines within the community, and why do fans and detractors both remain so steadfast in their defense?
Time Limits
Yes, believe it or not, there are those who enjoy strict time limits within games. While my position is obvious, given the opening sentence, this is also one of those areas where I really can understand and appreciate those in favor of strict time-based systems.
On my side, I find time limits stressful, and I don’t play games to be stressed. The feeling, that cloying at the back of your mind while making any move, is incredibly effective at ruining the experience for many players. It can make sense within the gaming world, it can be logical, but it still brings flashbacks of Sonic underwater, and that’s not even a particularly egregious example.
Players in favor of time limits tend to approach their games with a different mindset, one which is less flustered and more focused on efficient tactics. Acting within a time limit means each move must be measured and enacted with a degree of skill or insight, as a challenge welcome to be overcome, rather than dreadfully avoided.
Regenerating Health
Back in the day, health was collected, not given freely. Whether through mushrooms on Super Mario Bros or medkits with Doom, health had to be measured and planned around, sometimes hugely in advance. While far from the originator of the concept of regenerating health, credit is often given to Halo 2 in popularizing the system for mainstream AAA gaming.
Detractors of the regenerating health system are often put off by how this feature can simplify gameplay to an uncomfortable degree. Instead of planning encounters ahead and winning or dying by your own skill, battles could instead be fought by playing hide and seek. Take a shot? Go into hiding while the much-hated ‘red-jam’ screen effect fades away, after which the process is repeated.
On the other side, we have to take into account how the best-laid plans of mice and gamers often turn to crap. In games without any sort of regenerating health systems, there can be major issues of being stuck in unwinnable scenarios, or at least ones so close to it as to have no real difference. This can be especially problematic with auto-save systems, as many of us have been on the receiving end of being thrown back to saves from which there is no possible recovery.
Fortunately, modern systems have been tackling both sides of these issues, reaching compromises which help reach a comfortable middle ground for many players. Common today are systems which regenerate partial health, meaning that players always have a chance, and manipulated enemy behaviors help further mitigate potential problems.
Of these systems, we’re big fans of what the developers at ID have termed push-forward combat. In this style, health is taken directly from enemies killed in spectacular fashion. Combined with the dodgeable projectile shots for which many Doom games are synonymous, and players are left with a system which inspired those in trouble to get more aggressive, and less cowardly.
Two-Weapon Limit
Another big one, and another one which owes its popularity in no small part to the success of the Halo franchise. Rather than the cartoonishly ridiculous carrying of a dozen weapons at once, games often decide to limit weapons to two or three.
Personally, I’m a bigger fan of the ridiculous Doom method of carrying many guns at once. It makes no sense, but it allows for a huge amount of on-the-fly tactics and problem-solving. Here, each weapon acts a solution to the different problems of monster types, locations, numbers, and remaining ammunition and health. Then, I’m more of a single-player gamer, which could easily color my perception.
The advantage of a few weapon system is also one of tactics and is especially useful when it comes to the world of multiplayer gaming. Here, players can narrow and specialize in certain weapons and weapon combinations, with more emphasis on how to work with what you’ve got, rather than how to throw everything you have. Combine this limited choice with a class-based system, and you have players able to choose their own specific load outs which work the best for them, effectively giving us a way to express ourselves within the digital world.
Sure, this might be the most cowardly Team Fortress 2 loadout ever created, but it’s also a perfect fit for my playstyle.
Walking Simulators
Certainly not the most generous of terms, but probably the one which is so far the best understood. Walking simulators is the unofficial term given to games like Dear Esther and Gone Home – games which focus on telling a story through straight observation more than direct interaction. In this, they could be seen as a lot closer to video than a game, and in this, the level of contention within the gaming community can be incredibly high.
Detractors of this genre, if you want to call it that, often focus on the lack of actual gameplay in these games, with the idea being that games should place interaction as the foremost important component. There are also many who turn against these for the fact that they often take remarkably little actual time to finish compared to their more mainstream contemporaries, yet come out at prices which do not reflect this limited length.
Personally, while these don’t hold a special place in my heart, I’m a big fan of the variety these bring to gaming as a whole. These seek to expand the definition of video games, rather than adhere to some nebulous ruleset created by internet commentators, which I fundamentally believe is good for the evolution of gaming into something more.
While the price has certainly put me off purchasing many of these at release, it should be noted that calculating entertainment or personal value as a metric of time and money is an enormous disservice for what story-telling can offer, and only serves to impose arbitrary limitations on what is still an industry with considerable room to grow.
It should also be understood that this is one of the genres which stands to gain the most with the upcoming mass-validity of virtual reality device. One of the many reasons people dislike walking simulators is their inability to feel engaged, often through no fault of their own, so these involving devices offer huge promise in creating more relatable and realistic worlds.
What Makes You Mad?
These might not even be in your top ten of what you consider the most divisive parts of gaming, so let us know your feelings below. Whatever your view on these aspects of gaming, at least we can find joy in the fact that gaming is so widespread that there will always be alternatives which avoid the annoyances which tap our frustration buttons.
It’s also important to remember the subjectivity which comes with each of the ideas in this article. While there are often black and white areas in life, this is most certainly not one of them. Just because we like or hate something doesn’t mean it is right or wrong, and the more people accept this the healthier the gaming community will become.
Happy Cat Jay ‘Blame Game’ feat. Frances Waterbury
Entering first on this edition of Sound Selection is the very exciting Happy Cat Jay with his song ‘Blame Game’ featuring Frances Waterbury. In this song, Happy Cat Jay delivers a groovy production that drives on its pleasant-sounding synths and resounding vocals. If you’re looking for a song for the weekend, this is it.
Night Lights ‘Talk To Me’
Coming in with riveting energy and silver-toned vocals is Night Lights with their tuneful song ‘Talk To Me.’ This song marks the first release for Night Lights in 2018, which only gets us enthusiastic for what is to come soon. This one is for the playlists.
Broods ‘Peach’
Another tuneful song to enter this Sound Selection is by Broods named ‘Peach.’ In her latest melodious chart-promiser, Broods delivers a vocally dynamic performance that will keep you listening for weeks to come. Deservingly, the song also features on the recently released FIFA 19 video game which will have many football fanatics excited.
CARDS ‘Right Time’
Our final song of the selection is by CARDS named ‘Right Time.’ The solo-act known as CARDS combines euphonic production with mellifluous vocals that turn into a popping tune. With this song released, we are thrilled to see what is next for CARDS.
Sample Magic bring a wave of lo-fi oomph with their ‘Abstract Beats’ sample pack.
The beloved Sample Magic make a comeback with their ‘Abstract Beats’ pack. The pack contains hard-hitting dusty drums, raw underground-type melodies and a range of effects samples that will take your sample library to another range.
Additionally, the pack also includes MIDI files for the music loops which makes everything that much quicker when one is in the studio. Also, for every lo-fi and experimental producer that is looking for vinyl crackling sounds, you won’t need to download low-quality MP3 samples anymore as this pack has six oscillating vinyl samples that run around twenty-four seconds each.
Overall, ‘Abstract Beats’ is a superb sample pack. It has a solid range of samples and will give you inspiration for your next project if you need some. Undoubtedly, Sample Magic deserve a medal for their prolificacy in the work they produce. For an abstract sample pack, it’s not abstract in the slightest in its presentational arrangement, which is accommodating for any music producer that likes to create on the go.
Patrycja Podkościelny, an illustrator based in Poland, creates effective editorial illustrations both beautiful and attention-grabbing.
While one may enjoy looking at her work for its beauty the fact that there is an underlying message and meaning is very clear which makes these pieces more engaging and a great company to the text. Furthermore, Podkościelny is not afraid to use all the elements at her disposal, colour, composition, shape, line and texture so decisively within each illustration it is clear as day that each piece has been thought about and well planned out.
The Rocky series is carrying on as the fans are treated to two new posters.
‘Creed 2’, the sequel to ‘Creed’ and the eight film in the Rocky franchise, has just received two eye-pleasing posters which illustrate Rocky played by Sylvester Stallone and Adonis Creed played by Michael B Jordan.
The posters come just before the new trailer for Creed 2, which has been announced to be released today, the 26th of September.
The film has been directed by Steven Caple Jr. who has previously directed the 2016 film ‘The Land’ and the 2013 film ‘A Different Tree.’
If you haven’t been keeping up with gaming news recently then you might not have heard about the significant controversy surrounding so-called loot boxes. The general idea of these boxes is that they act as gift packs, with the items contained within being randomized and hidden until opened. Normally this would be of little concern, but the crux of this controversial matter revolves around two key points which turn this from who cares into a major concern.
First and foremost – these can be purchased with real money. Given that this is absolutely an area where the law is only now playing catchup, the unmistakable reality (at least from those not peddling them) is that this constitutes unregulated gambling.
The second, and not an always applicable issue, is that the less than scrupulous publishers (such as EA with Battlefront 2) can lock actual gameplay advantages within these loot boxes.
The end result is that this system not only takes advantage of youngsters and those who suffer from gambling addiction, it can also do so in an incredibly sinister way which effectively forces people to take part in systems of unregulated gambling in order to stand a competitive chance.
Of course, every single step of the way, those who use these systems claim they do not believe this is gambling.
Unfortunately for them, Belgium has recently set a precedent where loot boxes are considered gambling under the law, and the response by these multibillion-dollar publishers has run the range from cloying to unashamedly pitiful.
“FOREST // BATTLEFRONT 2” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Skall_Edit
We can’t forget EA, who wear their avarice on their sleeves and have learned nothing from what was one of the biggest PR disasters in modern AAA gaming. So eager is Electronic Arts in protecting this practice that they are actively ignoring Belgian law, keeping their loot boxes in even though it means a direct facedown with the Belgian Gaming Commission. Naturally, their defense of this is just as steady and vacuous as it has always been, parading platitudes regarding ‘player choice’ instead of making any serious attempt to engage. The real reason EA puts up such a stalwart defense is a complete mystery if you’ll forgive the obvious sarcasm, but it definitely has nothing to do with the fact that the games which include these systems, like the now maligned EA Sports Ultimate Team modes, brought in around $650 million in 2017 alone.
It’s about the bottom line, we know that, they know that, and they’ll claw tooth and nail to maintain and build these profits, despite the obvious moral repugnancy. After all, it’s just our interpretation which marks these as exploitative gambling. Well, that and Belgian law, with 15 other gambling regulators from the European Forum taking part, including the UK, France, Ireland and Spain. Oh, and also a study by the Australian Environmental and Communication Reference Committee which links loot box gambling and gambling addiction.
Where do we go from here?
That depends on the level of power which these companies can exert over national and international regulatory commissions. Thankfully moneyed corruption here is minor, so the chances of bribery and corruption laying the framework for the way forward is minimal at best. What we do expect to see, and what we hope to see, is the law finally catching up with those who have so far taken advantage of a system still its infancy.
The big publishers will cry, they will play the victim, and they will lay threats as to the future of what is ostensibly necessarily over-expensive game development with some of their most popular properties. Really though, if your only way to succeed in video gaming is by manipulating and taking advantage of the young and those suffering from gambling addiction, then you’ll understand our sincere belief that the market is better off without you.
The first song to this edition of Sound Selection is ‘Are You All Good? by the wonderful breathe. who give us a drift of stunning vocals and dynamic-production that will keep you hooked for weeks to come. With this song released, we are eager to see what is next for this truly exciting duo known as breathe.
Magnus Foss ‘With Me’ feat. Hawen
Another terrific song to enter this edition of Sound Selection is ‘With Me’ by Magnus Foss featuring Hawen. In this song, Foss presents us a well-produced commercial chart-promiser that drives on its ear-pleasing melody and lovely production.
Out Loud! ‘Keep on Moving’
Bringing us more brilliant energy is the fantastic Out Loud! with their latest song ‘Keep on Moving,’ which with its vibe brings us back to the energetic summer parties and long days of fun. This one is for the playlists.
Road Kahan ‘Close’
The final song to enter this Sound Selection is by Road Kahan named ‘Close.’ This song features fabulous vocals and silk-smooth production that makes it a perfect song for the weekend.
