How do you do, fellow kids? Are you waiting on me to reply to an email, Kickstarter message, Facebook message, or Tweet? Well, keep on waiting, everyone, because I'm currently faced with an enormous backlog (poo joke?).
Getting more than double the number of backers for Digitiser The Show compared to Found Footage seems to have resulted in a sort of critical mass in terms of people wishing to contact me about different things. I've spent the past week feeling horribly overwhelmed by it all.
Mercifully, I'm starting to come out the other side of the exhaustion and mental knot I'd tied myself into, but it may be a while before I'm back up to full speed.
Anyhow, a surprising number of you - despite my relentless spamming - seemed to have missed the fact I was running a Kickstarter, and realised too late to support it. I will, once the donations have been collected for the Kickstarter - and some of you STILL need to update your payment details, so please do so as currently we're several grand down from what was pledged) - set up some sort of method for you to contribute.
Oh, and I might do a live stream on Sunday night if I'm feeling up to it. If I do, what would you prefer to see: scrolling beat 'em ups, or creepy Japanese "sexy" games?
If you'd like to appear here, or you've something you'd like me to give some attention to in our occasional Plug Zone, please send your filthy emails to this place here: digitiser2000@gmail.com
Getting more than double the number of backers for Digitiser The Show compared to Found Footage seems to have resulted in a sort of critical mass in terms of people wishing to contact me about different things. I've spent the past week feeling horribly overwhelmed by it all.
Mercifully, I'm starting to come out the other side of the exhaustion and mental knot I'd tied myself into, but it may be a while before I'm back up to full speed.
Anyhow, a surprising number of you - despite my relentless spamming - seemed to have missed the fact I was running a Kickstarter, and realised too late to support it. I will, once the donations have been collected for the Kickstarter - and some of you STILL need to update your payment details, so please do so as currently we're several grand down from what was pledged) - set up some sort of method for you to contribute.
Oh, and I might do a live stream on Sunday night if I'm feeling up to it. If I do, what would you prefer to see: scrolling beat 'em ups, or creepy Japanese "sexy" games?
If you'd like to appear here, or you've something you'd like me to give some attention to in our occasional Plug Zone, please send your filthy emails to this place here: digitiser2000@gmail.com
"DEBEETS" OF RAGE
Hey, a little debate has raged recently between myself and a friend over what types of game we should be supporting in the modern gaming era, and I turn to you for a definitive answer.
It all started with the release of Sea of Thieves which seems to be one of the most Marmite games of recent times. I love it to bits, and have sunk way more hours into it than I probably should since its launch; voyaging regularly and making a fair amount of loot per run as a result.
Anyway, the debate began when this friend tried it for the first time and was spawn killed, therefore missing the tutorial (what little of it there is needed). Needless to say the game was immediately trash, and this is the worst kind of game ever and we should not be supporting this rubbish.
So on to the question: what games SHOULD we support? I hate the idea of companies repeatedly milking the COD/Battlefield/Assassin’s Creed cow yearly (or for some now, every other year), whilst games that try to break boundaries or push new gameplay mechanics are sidelined, taunted, or relegated to the “indie” category where they can often be missed.
I also detest the remaster laziness that we all face now and completely disagree that this opens up old games to a new market. There are plenty of ways to play old titles and I feel that this is simply a way for companies to milk old games to new or nostalgic players.
What do you think? New games only? New IPs and new mechanics? Support the yearly COD and FIFA tripe?
HELP!
Steve
Hey, a little debate has raged recently between myself and a friend over what types of game we should be supporting in the modern gaming era, and I turn to you for a definitive answer.
It all started with the release of Sea of Thieves which seems to be one of the most Marmite games of recent times. I love it to bits, and have sunk way more hours into it than I probably should since its launch; voyaging regularly and making a fair amount of loot per run as a result.
Anyway, the debate began when this friend tried it for the first time and was spawn killed, therefore missing the tutorial (what little of it there is needed). Needless to say the game was immediately trash, and this is the worst kind of game ever and we should not be supporting this rubbish.
So on to the question: what games SHOULD we support? I hate the idea of companies repeatedly milking the COD/Battlefield/Assassin’s Creed cow yearly (or for some now, every other year), whilst games that try to break boundaries or push new gameplay mechanics are sidelined, taunted, or relegated to the “indie” category where they can often be missed.
I also detest the remaster laziness that we all face now and completely disagree that this opens up old games to a new market. There are plenty of ways to play old titles and I feel that this is simply a way for companies to milk old games to new or nostalgic players.
What do you think? New games only? New IPs and new mechanics? Support the yearly COD and FIFA tripe?
HELP!
Steve
Hmm. One of my least favourite words is "should", because there is very little in life that anybody "should" ever do. That said, I get where you're coming from, but also... without meaning any offence, it's kind of against a lot of what I feel about the sort of territoriality and tribalism that gamers often stumble into. Support the sort of stuff you like, and ignore everything else. That should be enough surely?
I mean, I quite like my annual triple-A instalments. I'm a trifle bored of Call of Duty's formula admittedly, but I think Assassin's Creed benefitted hugely for having had a year off. Far Cry 5 - the game I'm playing the most of at the moment - is very similar to its predecessors, but that's kind of all I need from it.
There are a few retro-inspired indie games on the horizon, however, which have me tentatively excited. I'm really looking forward to Tanglewood, Streets of Red and Raging Justice. But I'm also playing an enormous amount of obscure retro games that I missed first time around.
So... in short... dunno.
I mean, I quite like my annual triple-A instalments. I'm a trifle bored of Call of Duty's formula admittedly, but I think Assassin's Creed benefitted hugely for having had a year off. Far Cry 5 - the game I'm playing the most of at the moment - is very similar to its predecessors, but that's kind of all I need from it.
There are a few retro-inspired indie games on the horizon, however, which have me tentatively excited. I'm really looking forward to Tanglewood, Streets of Red and Raging Justice. But I'm also playing an enormous amount of obscure retro games that I missed first time around.
So... in short... dunno.
GEORGE CLONE-Y
With Nintendo churning out clones of their older systems every couple of years, and various 8-bit home computers seeing the clone treatment, it feels like only a matter of time before we see another wave of these systems.
Are there any clone systems you’d like to see? As much as I’d like to see an Amstrad CPC clone, I can only imagine it would be done poorly and wouldn’t do a good job of showing off the systems potential.
Best to just stick with the Raspberry Pi and a Motorola Lapdock to create the laptop form factor.
Matt
With Nintendo churning out clones of their older systems every couple of years, and various 8-bit home computers seeing the clone treatment, it feels like only a matter of time before we see another wave of these systems.
Are there any clone systems you’d like to see? As much as I’d like to see an Amstrad CPC clone, I can only imagine it would be done poorly and wouldn’t do a good job of showing off the systems potential.
Best to just stick with the Raspberry Pi and a Motorola Lapdock to create the laptop form factor.
Matt
This is a good question! I'd very much like every single old console and computer to be recreated in tiny form. So long as the hardware is up to the task (which, thanks to the useless joystick, the C64 Mini isn't), I think they're a nice thing to collect.
Ones I really want are a teeny-tiny Mega Drive (not one of those retro systems that are already available; a proper replica) and Dreamcast, a proper teeny-tiny Spectrum, and - brace yourselves - a mini Amiga. No, really. I do.
Ones I really want are a teeny-tiny Mega Drive (not one of those retro systems that are already available; a proper replica) and Dreamcast, a proper teeny-tiny Spectrum, and - brace yourselves - a mini Amiga. No, really. I do.
HOMEWORKER
I have recently had the opportunity to work from home on occasion, and find myself wracked by guilt and doing more than I feel I should. As a much more seasoned work-from-home-guy, can you please suggest appropriate ways of shirking the day job?
(Other than running fabulously successful Kickstarter campaigns, obviously. Congratulations again!)
Richard
I have recently had the opportunity to work from home on occasion, and find myself wracked by guilt and doing more than I feel I should. As a much more seasoned work-from-home-guy, can you please suggest appropriate ways of shirking the day job?
(Other than running fabulously successful Kickstarter campaigns, obviously. Congratulations again!)
Richard
I've been working from home for 20 years now, and I continue to work far, far harder than I ever did in an office.
I've got slightly more disciplined in recent years; I rarely, if ever, work evenings anymore, and I don't work at weekends (other than to reply to the occasional email - and even then, I try to resist answering). I find it's important to try and set boundaries with people I work with... and with myself. Basically, I try to keep to office hours with responding to emails and phone calls and that.
It's hard, because what I've realised I'll do is I'll cram two days work into one day so that I can finish by 6pm. In order to do that I'll work at double-speed, and then be a complete wreck for the rest of the evening.
What I haven't mentioned, however, is my utter lack of boundaries when it comes to dealing with all things Digi-related. The past month has demonstrated I need to get a better handle on that...
I've got slightly more disciplined in recent years; I rarely, if ever, work evenings anymore, and I don't work at weekends (other than to reply to the occasional email - and even then, I try to resist answering). I find it's important to try and set boundaries with people I work with... and with myself. Basically, I try to keep to office hours with responding to emails and phone calls and that.
It's hard, because what I've realised I'll do is I'll cram two days work into one day so that I can finish by 6pm. In order to do that I'll work at double-speed, and then be a complete wreck for the rest of the evening.
What I haven't mentioned, however, is my utter lack of boundaries when it comes to dealing with all things Digi-related. The past month has demonstrated I need to get a better handle on that...
NO FAR CRY NO CRY
I have been enjoying Far Cry 5 a lot over the last week or so. I am a sucker for open world environments and this is easily one of the best I’ve played.
The whole map just feels real and alive. The huge amount of stuff to do may seem daunting, but because you just stumble across quests simply by talking to people you encounter it never seems like a chore.
My only criticism is the slightly hitand miss looting mechanic - the amount of times I’ve accidentally swapped out my good gun for a rubbish one instead of looting the dead body is annoying. I hope that can be fine tuned in an update somehow.
It’s definitely a game that will keep me occupied for many more hours yet.
I have also been enjoying Octav1us Kitten’s YouTube back catalogue as she was new to me and only discovered her via your Kickstarter campaign. Looking forward to your collaborations. I did enjoy the Blockbusters special you both did with Ashens.
Very well done on the Kickstarter campaign by the way - my money is in your bulging pot. Feel free to spend the money however you like, and make whatever creative decisions you deem necessary. I’m not one of those fuss weasels you hear about these days.
Seam
I have been enjoying Far Cry 5 a lot over the last week or so. I am a sucker for open world environments and this is easily one of the best I’ve played.
The whole map just feels real and alive. The huge amount of stuff to do may seem daunting, but because you just stumble across quests simply by talking to people you encounter it never seems like a chore.
My only criticism is the slightly hitand miss looting mechanic - the amount of times I’ve accidentally swapped out my good gun for a rubbish one instead of looting the dead body is annoying. I hope that can be fine tuned in an update somehow.
It’s definitely a game that will keep me occupied for many more hours yet.
I have also been enjoying Octav1us Kitten’s YouTube back catalogue as she was new to me and only discovered her via your Kickstarter campaign. Looking forward to your collaborations. I did enjoy the Blockbusters special you both did with Ashens.
Very well done on the Kickstarter campaign by the way - my money is in your bulging pot. Feel free to spend the money however you like, and make whatever creative decisions you deem necessary. I’m not one of those fuss weasels you hear about these days.
Seam
Cheers, Seam. I planned out the content of the individual episodes this week, and I'm very excited by them. The biggest things I'm excited for is some of the VERY obscure gaming hardware we'll be featuring, and an idea I had for Tempest For Real. Remains to be seen if we can afford it, but - dammit - I'm gonna try.
Anyhow... yeah, I'm still loving Far Cry 5, though slightly concerned by how easy it gets. I'm pretty much fully kitted out with perks, and - having cleared most of the map - there aren't many enemies roaming around anymore. Still getting attacked by skunks and turkeys though.
Glad you've been enjoying Octav1us's output. I think she's going to be a bit of a secret weapon on the Digi Show...
Anyhow... yeah, I'm still loving Far Cry 5, though slightly concerned by how easy it gets. I'm pretty much fully kitted out with perks, and - having cleared most of the map - there aren't many enemies roaming around anymore. Still getting attacked by skunks and turkeys though.
Glad you've been enjoying Octav1us's output. I think she's going to be a bit of a secret weapon on the Digi Show...
GMAIL: FIX IT
Why is it your letters page uses a Gmail address? You've got the domain digitiser2000.com so surely you could use letters@digitiser2000.com instead?
If you haven't got the techie know how ask that nostalgia nerd bloke or that Octav1us kitten woman you've started hanging around with recently. I gather they're both good with computers? Do you know why she spells her name with a 1? I can only guess she was pissed on her mobile when she typed it.
Looking forward to your new show.
Matteusbeus
Why is it your letters page uses a Gmail address? You've got the domain digitiser2000.com so surely you could use letters@digitiser2000.com instead?
If you haven't got the techie know how ask that nostalgia nerd bloke or that Octav1us kitten woman you've started hanging around with recently. I gather they're both good with computers? Do you know why she spells her name with a 1? I can only guess she was pissed on her mobile when she typed it.
Looking forward to your new show.
Matteusbeus
It's a Gmail address because it is, and always has been, and I don't know if I can be arsed to change it now. It's the least important thing on my list of things to do.
And you're asking the wrong person about Octav1us' name. Ask her! I did realise recently that pretty much all of the Digitiser Show hosts have a stupid made-up name. Aside from myself and Octav1us, there's Guru Larry, Gameplay Jenny, and Paul "Gannon".
And you're asking the wrong person about Octav1us' name. Ask her! I did realise recently that pretty much all of the Digitiser Show hosts have a stupid made-up name. Aside from myself and Octav1us, there's Guru Larry, Gameplay Jenny, and Paul "Gannon".
AH MATER WANT JET TO ALWAYS LOVE ME
Howdy. Have you thought of approaching the enchanting Diane Youdale, aka Games Mistress off of Games World for Digitiser the Show? That'd be ace because I still carry a torch for her now.
Also, have you ever had a Filet o Fish from McDonalds? My mate reckons they're an urban myth, what do you think?
James Walker
Howdy. Have you thought of approaching the enchanting Diane Youdale, aka Games Mistress off of Games World for Digitiser the Show? That'd be ace because I still carry a torch for her now.
Also, have you ever had a Filet o Fish from McDonalds? My mate reckons they're an urban myth, what do you think?
James Walker
A few people asked about Diane Youdale, aka Jet from Gladiators, but apparently she's a psychotherapist/counsellor now. Having spent two-and-a-bit years training to be a counsellor myself, I've spent more than enough time around those people.
I just looked up her website, and there's a video on the front page which put me right off. I'm not sure visiting a counsellor who you remember flipping around on the telly, wearing a bikini, waving a giant foam cotton bud, is the best starting point for wellness.
But I'm not going to go into that now...
Of course I've had a Filet o Fish; I read somewhere that they're the unhealthiest thing on the McDonalds menu.
I just looked up her website, and there's a video on the front page which put me right off. I'm not sure visiting a counsellor who you remember flipping around on the telly, wearing a bikini, waving a giant foam cotton bud, is the best starting point for wellness.
But I'm not going to go into that now...
Of course I've had a Filet o Fish; I read somewhere that they're the unhealthiest thing on the McDonalds menu.
UKRAINE IN THE MEMBRANE
Was pleasantly surprised to hear that you have been to Ukraine. I wonder what else have you visited and/or seen apart from Chernobyl.
Meanwhile I also can't help but continue to think about that line of yours about what beat 'em up set up in the streets of a typical UK town could look like: with mattresses, KFC cartons and free office chairs. I really love to gaze at abandoned derelict objects found on the streets (I also often film such objects) and it always was kinda odd for me how much such objects can tell (especially if you see them on an everyday basis), and yet how much mysteries you have if you pay attention to detail.
There was a derelict car near the house where I currently reside, a ZAZ 968 M Zaporozhets was evident for a few months. Zaporozhets is that special brand of Soviet car which was, at the time, inexpensive, a bit ridiculous and yet somehow worked. It clearly had no proper maintenance for some time and yet it looked like it could have been a working car... Before winter struck that, is, and it was under a ton of snow at least three times, all of the three piles clearly melting into the car, effectively making everything rusty.
The most mysterious aspect about that car, though, was a cylinder from a washing machine on the passenger seat. It was just there all the time clearly making too much questions in my head then it really should. The car vanished a week ago or so but I still think about why there was a washing machine cylinder in it.
I feel like I should have had some punchline or a witty conclusion to it, but that's just it: some objects on the streets puzzle me. And it is kinda weird that not many people pay any attention to their surroundings whatsoever.
Yours sincerely,
Nikolay Yeriomin.
Was pleasantly surprised to hear that you have been to Ukraine. I wonder what else have you visited and/or seen apart from Chernobyl.
Meanwhile I also can't help but continue to think about that line of yours about what beat 'em up set up in the streets of a typical UK town could look like: with mattresses, KFC cartons and free office chairs. I really love to gaze at abandoned derelict objects found on the streets (I also often film such objects) and it always was kinda odd for me how much such objects can tell (especially if you see them on an everyday basis), and yet how much mysteries you have if you pay attention to detail.
There was a derelict car near the house where I currently reside, a ZAZ 968 M Zaporozhets was evident for a few months. Zaporozhets is that special brand of Soviet car which was, at the time, inexpensive, a bit ridiculous and yet somehow worked. It clearly had no proper maintenance for some time and yet it looked like it could have been a working car... Before winter struck that, is, and it was under a ton of snow at least three times, all of the three piles clearly melting into the car, effectively making everything rusty.
The most mysterious aspect about that car, though, was a cylinder from a washing machine on the passenger seat. It was just there all the time clearly making too much questions in my head then it really should. The car vanished a week ago or so but I still think about why there was a washing machine cylinder in it.
I feel like I should have had some punchline or a witty conclusion to it, but that's just it: some objects on the streets puzzle me. And it is kinda weird that not many people pay any attention to their surroundings whatsoever.
Yours sincerely,
Nikolay Yeriomin.
I saw many things when I visited Ukraine, including a man covered with birds in a park. Kiev is an amazing city; as you enter it the place looks like City 17 from Half-Life 2, the roads are in a terrible state, and there are stray dogs and little old women carrying chickens wandering around everywhere.
However, it's paradoxically one of the most beautiful cities I've visited. And that Motherland statue is MASSIVE, yet nobody in the West ever mentions it. They all bang on about the Statue of Liberty, but when I visited that years back I was disappointed by how small it is.
Come on, Ukraine; start telling people about your enormous statue of a woman waving a sword!
Also, when I was there the place had recently switched over to a democratic model, but every single person I spoke to wanted a return to dictatorship. So... that was interesting, and sort of made me realise that we shouldn't really be dicking around, telling other countries what they "should" or shouldn't be doing.
However, it's paradoxically one of the most beautiful cities I've visited. And that Motherland statue is MASSIVE, yet nobody in the West ever mentions it. They all bang on about the Statue of Liberty, but when I visited that years back I was disappointed by how small it is.
Come on, Ukraine; start telling people about your enormous statue of a woman waving a sword!
Also, when I was there the place had recently switched over to a democratic model, but every single person I spoke to wanted a return to dictatorship. So... that was interesting, and sort of made me realise that we shouldn't really be dicking around, telling other countries what they "should" or shouldn't be doing.
THE DUNNING MAN
Once again, I see you on Twitter panhandling for letters. Kind you, you do that so much that I expect that you make up most of your letters anyway.
I bet you even made this one up.
All the best,
Paul Dunning
Once again, I see you on Twitter panhandling for letters. Kind you, you do that so much that I expect that you make up most of your letters anyway.
I bet you even made this one up.
All the best,
Paul Dunning
SPOILER ALERT: I made up your entire life, Paul.
50 Qs OF WHYTE
1. What, in your opinion, is the definitive mobile game so far? My favourite is probably Peggle, but Angry Birds is probably the most iconic.
2. I remember you saying that you like playing football computer games despite not really liking football - are there any other sports that you don't enjoy but like the games of?
3. What was your opinion of the God of War games, if any? The first two (original especially) are still two of my favourite games ever so I'm genuinely excited by the new one - did you enjoy any of them?
4. Bayonetta is perhaps my favourite game ever, but even I, who usually doesn't care about this sort of thing, feels that the character is on the edge of being over-sexualised. The character was created and modelled by women but does that make it any more acceptable in principle?
John Whyte
1. What, in your opinion, is the definitive mobile game so far? My favourite is probably Peggle, but Angry Birds is probably the most iconic.
2. I remember you saying that you like playing football computer games despite not really liking football - are there any other sports that you don't enjoy but like the games of?
3. What was your opinion of the God of War games, if any? The first two (original especially) are still two of my favourite games ever so I'm genuinely excited by the new one - did you enjoy any of them?
4. Bayonetta is perhaps my favourite game ever, but even I, who usually doesn't care about this sort of thing, feels that the character is on the edge of being over-sexualised. The character was created and modelled by women but does that make it any more acceptable in principle?
John Whyte
1. Yeah, it's probably Angry Birds, just because everyone played it. Whatever happened to Angry Birds? There was a film and everything. Apparently the studio behind it, Rovio, shut its London office last month. That's not good.
2. I absolutely love tennis and snowboarding games for some reason. I'm currently playing a lot of Super Tennis on the SNES. What a shame that was never included on the SNES Mini. It remains brilliant; incredibly simple, yet deceptively deep. Never got along with basketball games for some reason, though.
3. I've loved all the God of War games, and the reviews for the new one have got me right stoked up.
4. Oh, man. That's a big question. In all honesty, I don't feel sufficiently clued-up to really have an opinion about it. Not without putting my foot in it anyway. Oddly, I've never really considered the character as over-sexualised, because she's so stylised as to not even really register as human to me. But then... having just looked up some of the key artwork, a lot of it appears to show her "presenting" her anus.
2. I absolutely love tennis and snowboarding games for some reason. I'm currently playing a lot of Super Tennis on the SNES. What a shame that was never included on the SNES Mini. It remains brilliant; incredibly simple, yet deceptively deep. Never got along with basketball games for some reason, though.
3. I've loved all the God of War games, and the reviews for the new one have got me right stoked up.
4. Oh, man. That's a big question. In all honesty, I don't feel sufficiently clued-up to really have an opinion about it. Not without putting my foot in it anyway. Oddly, I've never really considered the character as over-sexualised, because she's so stylised as to not even really register as human to me. But then... having just looked up some of the key artwork, a lot of it appears to show her "presenting" her anus.
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