MrKniceGuy.com

Category: Television

  • DRM – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    DRM isn’t a new term, but it sure has been gaining popularity as of late. DRM stands for Digital Rights Management and to put it simply, it is the tool that manages how an end user accesses digital content. DRM takes on many different forms; from encryption, to license checks over the internet, to limiting the number of installations. When a user encrypts their data, they are employing a form of digital rights management (something you should be happy you are able to do!). An encrypted DVD is using DRM to prevent illegal copies from being made without permission. Or a video game technology with empty blocks used to prevent duplication.

    ServerDRM usually has a bad reputation, and to be honest, it’s earned it fair and square. Seasons of DRM content becoming unavailable due to a management server being shut down, or rootkits employed on CDs to prevent distribution have plagued users since the inception of DRM. And DRM is in a constant struggle over controlling digital media that is quite easy to copy and distribute (commonly called “pirating” media). There is a very real tension between trying to make content easy to access, but not too easy.

    Book publishers are in the midst of learning how to distribute digital media right now. Amazon has a pretty heavy-handed DRM approach to books, but users don’t have a problem with it at all. Why? The make it incredibly easy to access their content. Most of the devices they sell  to use the content (like the Kindle) can get it anywhere they have a 3G connection. Amazon is also a huge company with arguably some of the best servers in the world.

    Music has had a rougher go of it. During the time span between 2006 and 2008 several major music distribution services shut down servers that allowed users to listen to the music they bought. Not being able to access music that users paid for was, to say the least, frustrating to honest consumers. The growing pains of DRM has caused many people to be bitter about the whole process.

    Movies have yet to settle on a good method, although some are trying to make access easy and long-term. Services like UtlraViolet, Amazon, Google Play and Apple iTunes allow access to movies and TV, albeit heavily tied to DRM.

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  • To Digital or Not To Digital – Musings on Mediums

    The buzz around the internet today regarding Xbox One and PS4 has me thinking more about this new age of downloading. It’s quickly becoming the prefered medium to obtain entertainment and tools. Just last week I downloaded  several ebooks to read on my Nexus 7, my prefered reading platform. On Saturday I streamed 3 new albums to my Galaxy Nexus via Google Play Music All Access while I mowing the lawn (by the way, the new August Burns Red is awesome). And in the last week, I’ve watched a ton of new stuff via Amazon Prime, YouTube, and other options.

    The last time I bought a CD was sometime in 2009. The last time I bought a film on disc was a year before that. I still buy physical books, but only reference pieces that I want on the shelf. And many of those I have digital forms that are searchable, which I honestly use more often.

    Microwaved-DVDSo today I’m thinking about all this as it relates to video games. I love video games. I’ve been playing the for close to 30 years now. I’ve had floppies, carts, CDs, DVDs and now… digital downloads of games I’ve loved to play. So what does the future hold for video games in relation to the trends we’re seeing in music, movies and books?

    I believe the future of digital is download. Who likes going to the store to buy a piece of digital content stored on a disc, when you can download it while you make a sandwich? Especially if you can purchase it for less than the hard copy available at the retailer? The last time I was at my local Gamestop they were terribly understaffed and overstocked with junk games. It really wasn’t a very pleasant experience overall. Who wants to deal with that?

    And the trends of the digital age are easily tracked. Nearly 3 years ago CNet was commenting on the trend in regards to PC games. And it hasn’t slowed down.

    Just look at the promotional material after the PS4 reveal. How many clips show people going to the store to buy a game? None. They’re all using their devices to download.  And Xbox is offering all their titles with digital download options as well as some disc based options (both systems have chosen to go with Blu-ray as their physical media of choice). But they’re both touting the age of downloads. And that’s because it’s the way of the future.

    But some may ask, what about “ownership.” Disc ownership is something that Sony mentioned was a benefit to the new Playstation. The reality is that people don’t really care anymore. The trends of “ownership” to licensed content is obvious, especially in the age of Netflix and Spotify. Millennials especially don’t really care about the ownership of things, they just want the easy access. Apple sought to provide this with the introduction of iTunes Radio on Monday and to compete with Spotify and Google’s All Access. No ownership here, just convenient access… for a fee.

    I actually think Microsoft is seeing this trend. They’re making ways to actually share and trade digital content on the new Xbox One (if the publisher allows it), something you can’t do many other places and nowhere in video games. That’s actually a more liberal approach to digital content than we’ve ever seen on a console before. Trade and sell digital downloads? Amazing! While the method may not be perfect, I think they’ve thought about this a lot more than they’re getting credit for.

    Whether the next generation of consoles can keep up with the digital trends or not remains to be seen. Either way it appears that the medium shift is in full swing, and here to stay. Hopefully, the consumer comes out on top.

  • Defiance – An Epic Struggle for Earth’s Rescue

    DefianceOverview

    If you haven’t heard about Defiance yet, let me take a moment to tell you a few things you need to know. Defiance is the first ever video game and TV show taking place at the same time. Now, I can’t imagine the logistical nightmare this is from the development side, but from the users side, I’m stoked. The TV side of things is being handled by the SyFy Channel, known for great shows like Battle Star Galactica, so I’m pretty confidant that the show will be something worth checking out. The first episode comes out April 15 so you can bet I’ll be tuning in.

    Defiance on SyFy

    The video game is being developed by Trion Worlds, known for the Rift series MMO. Trion has really got something special on their hands here and what I’ve played so far of the game really has me excited for what they are going to do with the game over the coming years. That’s right, because this game is meshing up with the TV series, the game will track and even influence the TV show over the coming seasons. But enough about all that. What is Defiance?

    Story

    Defiance is set in the year 2045, after the world was invaded by the Votans in 2013, a collection of alien species looking for a new home after the destruction of their own worlds. After peaceful negotiations break down between Votans and humans, a bitter conflict breaks out and what’s known as the “Pale Wars” change the Earth forever. Post conflict  the  world is virtually unrecognizable and the clashing races have to band together to survive.

    Defiance ArkfallWorld

    Defiance is set on earth, in the year 2045 when the entire terrain is changed to do terraforming technology unleashed during the “Pale Wars.” The once familiar cities are now almost unrecognizable aside from landmarks that lay broken and ruined. Characters living in both St. Louis and San Francisco seek alliances and work together to survive the many obstacles the new world has unleashed.

    Weapons and Vehicles

    The world of Defiance brings with it alien technology that is customizable and quite varied in it’s usage. From common weapons like pistols and shotguns, to specialized grenade launchers and bio-magnetic weapons, there are plenty to collect, try out, and equip for victory. I spent several hours so far just working out the best combination for my human character. Weapons that play to a particular strategy and strength are readily available and fun to use.

    The world is so massive that you even have a persistent vehicle to help you get from point A to point B. Just press a key and an ATV, car or dune buggy pops up and you’re off. Navigating the terrain is made easier with a built in nav system, boosts on the vehicles and an easy to access world map. I’ve played several hours now and haven’t even come close to exploring the whole world. It’s huge.

    Defiance Vehicle - ATV

    Gameplay

    Trion has developed a third-person shooter that utilizes a multitude of weapons, shield mods, grenade options, skins, and other customizations. It’s a shooter first, an RPG second and an open world third. Stories tie into the TV show, the main stories of the game, and more side missions than you can shake a stick at. The action is quick paced, frenzied, very team based, and everywhere. You can’t drive more than 2 minutes before you find a road-side conflict between some mutants and marines, ready for you to jump in and help them in battle.

    Multiplayer Goodness

    Defiance MPIf all the above isn’t enough to convince you, now imagine all this with hundreds of people all around you doing the same thing. Coming across a road-side conflict just the other day I was joined by 4 other real-life people helping to battle back the mutants and save a group of soldiers. It was unreal! While the game has had some issues with servers in the first week, the developers are working around the clock to make the game a fun experience for all. An average MMO would have trouble in the first week getting servers going and making everything work. Trion is doing this on three platforms and making it work. Unbelievable! And so far every fix they do makes things a little bit smoother.

    Final Thoughts

    The massive world, filled with thousands of people, leveling characters up, shooting Hellbugs and mutants, driving like madmen, and all while blending story with the SyFy show. You’ve got to experience this. Take it from me. I’m ready to jump in a experience some more.

    Defiance airs on the SyFy channel April 15th and the video game is out now on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

    Defiance Arkfall Boss