Do you love money, but not all that annoying work that comes with it? Well why not take Cloud Imperium Games‘ approach, with Guinness World Records listing the sum of US$39,680,576 in 2014 as the highest amount ever raised for a game (2014 also being the first of many release dates promised), fast forwarding to 2018 they now have US$186,783,531, but still no game, nor signs of a release date.

Star Citizen has been compared to No Man’s Sky during the early days of their campaigns and rightly so, both were space exploration simulators that promised massive scopes and then delivered huge delays, however No Man’s Sky has actually come out, with an approach more similar to Canon Films, No Man’s Sky raised money for a pitch, developed aesthetically pleasing promotions and then released a sub par product to the disappointment of everyone involved (unfortunately lacking the Canon Films unintended charm), since the release the game has been worked on and re-released on consoles, with each new version being closer to the original promise, what a stupid move, Hello Games (makers of No Man’s Sky), didn’t know what they had, and the clever people over at Cloud Imperium Games’ have picked up the slack, draining money from eager fans, wanting to believe their perfect game will come to them.

Another, somewhat closer comparison to be made is between Star Citizen and Frontier Developments’ Elite Dangerous, Kickstarted 6 months or so before Star Citizen, Elite Dangerous promised a massive open world, space simulation, but they made one serious mistake, they hired people with a vague understanding of how to make games, so when the promised time came, they had a playable game and their hands were tied, they would have to release the game and say goodbye to the crowdfunding revenue stream, they fought valiantly with some DLC releases, but alas they fell into the same pitfall, with both major DLC updates providing more actual gameplay instead of just the hope that Star Citizen provides.

But the main difference between these three is that, Star Citizen isn’t a game, it’s an idea, it’s hope, it’s a religion, you donate money for the idea of something greater than yourself, helping them build and grow, putting your trust with a higher power (developer Chris Roberts, or should it be Christ Roberts?), without the expectations of a personal gain, in favor of the spiritual gain you receive from knowing you’ve helped these fine people achieve something, not something you can use, but something.

But how can you continue to help these people fund their sweet lives doing nothing but crowdfunding and making hollow promises, sorry that was a type, I meant helping them create the future of space simulation and the most glorious game of all time, well you can buy plots of land in the virtual world for the mere pittance of US$100, but that’s not really enough, you can dig deeper, for only the cost of a reasonable car (US$27,000) you can purchase all the DLC for the game that doesn’t exist, why not jump over there and take a look now? Oh wait, you will need to donate US$1000 for the privilege to view this amazing deal, or you could send a message to CIG’s staff and they might be nice enough to give you a free look at how much money you could have the chance to give them.

[/EndSarcasm]

How much is Stan Lee‘s likeness worth?

A legend in the world of comic books and an icon in pop culture, Stan Lee is arguably more famous than some of the characters he created in collaboration with several artists, including Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created fictional characters including Spider-Man, the Hulk, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Black Panther, the X-Men, and, with the addition of co-writer Larry Lieber, the characters Ant-Man, Iron Man and Thor, so how much is his likeness worth?

Today was the first day I ever did a tweet myself. Before today, my account was done by others. I still do not have control of my Facebook. Someone else is doing it, NOT me.

— stan lee (@TheRealStanLee) May 13, 2018

Well based on a lawsuit filed against POW! Entertainment, 1 Billion dollars (USD), Lee claims in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, that the company he co-founded POW! Entertainment, used his name and likeness to close a deal with a Chinese company, the details of which were not disclosed to Lee.

Lee alleges that the signed document held by POW! CEO Shane Duffy and co-founder Gill Champion, was obtained fraudulently, this document which signs over the rights to Lee’s likeness and the overseeing of his social media presence, Lee claims to have no recollection of the document being read to him and due to his advanced macular degeneration was unable to read it himself.

Thank you twitter. I finally learned how to post a video thanks to you guys. pic.twitter.com/SiSqnNakd9

— stan lee (@TheRealStanLee) May 16, 2018

This lawsuit isn’t the only one filed by the comic book legend, Lee is also suing his former business manager Jerardo Olivarez who he claims was stealing his blood to sell comic books.

With an estimated $50 million USD net worth, Lee isn’t strapped for cash, so neither of these suits appear frivolous, rather they appear like a sad tale of an elderly man being taken advantage of, a sad state of affairs, we’ll need to watch and see how it all turns out.

As a gaming-orientated radio station whose listener and staffing base incorporates many people with disabilities both physical and mental, we at Sanitarium.FM champion any attempt by a major corporation to create technology that caters for the less able user. For that reason, when we heard that Microsoft have unveiled an Xbox One controller designed with the differently-abled in mind, we knew this was something we had to take a look at.

Officially named the Xbox Adaptive Controller, Microsoft’s latest creation – which will actually support both XBox and Windows PCs – is billed as ‘the most flexible adaptive controller made by a major gaming company’. As Microsoft tells it, When a customised controller from non-profit veterans’ organisation Warfighter Engaged caught the eye of a Microsoft engineer back in 2014, Microsoft decided to create its own disability-friendly controller for the following year’s Hackathon, which is where this project began. Refinements followed a year later; but it was the release of the Copilot function – which allows two Xbox One controllers to be treated as a single controller – that led Microsoft to declare their new controller concept ready for launch.

In fact, Copilot is actually the key to how this new controller becomes adaptable for a wide range of disabilities. Designed to be used on a desktop surface, the Xbox Adaptive Controller features all number of ports to allow additional controllers, headsets, switches and other assistive devices to expand on its base capabilities, allowing a user to create a custom gaming solution whereby a user can combine many different controls into a workable solution for their own body. The ports are labelled such that the user doesn’t need to turn or pick up the device to see what goes where; and each controller can function as one or more physical buttons according to the user’s needs. The Adaptive Controller itself sports two giant buttons, mapped to the A and B of a standard Xbox controller and with enough spacing to allow a hand to rest in between; along with a D-Pad and other smaller control buttons to the left side.

Microsoft have explained the full story behind the controller on their Story Labs, which also gives further details about the upcoming product. The Xbox Adaptive Controller will launch later this year, and will retail for $100 in the US, which is likely to translate to around £100 in the UK after the inclusion of VAT.

A lot later than originally expected, earlier this week Nintendo of America finally unveiled the details of Nintendo Switch Online, the paid online service for their popular Nintendo Switch console.

In case you missed it, a little background. Around the time Nintendo launched the Nintendo Switch console, it was announced that the console would receive a paid online service which would enable online play in supported games, as well as voice chat and a slew of other features. Nintendo had originally suggested this service would be ready within the first year of the console’s life; and pledged that Switch owners would be able to play online for free until the service launched. Things obviously took a lot longer, however; but now, thanks to the official Switch page on Nintendo of America’s website, we have all the details for the planned service, which launches in September 2018

First of all, remember the special version of Street Fighter II Nintendo launched for the Switch, which was modified to include support for Online Play? Turns out, that’s not a one-off. As part of the upcoming Nintendo Switch Online service, Nintendo has announced Nintendo Entertainment System™ – Nintendo Switch Online, a special perk for paid subscribers which promises a selection of “20 NES games with added online play for the first time ever, and more games added regularly.” These launch titles include:

• Soccer
• Tennis
• Donkey Kong™
• Mario Bros.™
• Super Mario Bros.™
• Balloon Fight™
• Ice Climber™
• Dr. Mario™
• The Legend of Zelda™
• Super Mario Bros.™ 3
• …And more to be revealed!

With online play added to every classic game, you can compete (or cooperate) online with friends, share your screen, or pass the controller, depending on the game. With the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app, you can also voice chat during your play sessions.

— Nintendo

Another piece of news that will likely delight Switch owners: Nintendo is finally planning to implement Save Data Cloud Backups to the Switch – though again, this will be a subscriber-only feature. Though Nintendo has yet to reveal exact details, the website promises more details will be made available “before the paid service launches in September.”

Of course, the real point of online services on a modern console is modern online play; and here’s where the disappointing news begins. As Nintendo had already announced, while Online Play will remain free for now, once Nintendo Switch Online launches in September, paid subscriptions will be required to play online in many first- and second-party Nintendo Switch titles – with a confirmed list so far of Splatoon™ 2, ARMS™, Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe, Mario Tennis™ Aces, and Sushi Striker™: The Way of Sushido. To their credit, Nintendo do state that the service may not apply to all Switch games – third-party developers are free to choose how they wish to implement their online features. Also going behind Nintendo’s paywall is the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app, which will also be required for voice chat.

Nintendo have been careful to state, however, that not subscribing to Nintendo Switch Online will not cripple the capabilities of your Switch console. Non-subscribers will still receive console and software updates as usual; and will also retain access to the Nintendo eShop, Friends List (including registering and managing friends), and Parental Controls; and will still be able to share in-game screenshots to their social media.

So what’s the cost? Nintendo have unveiled four pricing tiers for the Nintendo Online Service, which you will be able to purchase through their website, in-console via the Nintendo eShop, or through select retailers once the service launches. The first three cover individuals. Each Nintendo Account holder can purchase a month of Individual membership to the Nintendo Online Service for $3.99 USD; or lengthen their subscriptions to 3 or 12 months for the reduced prices of $7.99 USD or $19.99 USD respectively. Each Individual membership is valid for one account only.

The other option, called “Family membership”, is tailored specifically for larger families with individual accounts for each person. For $34.99 USD, a household can purchase a 12-month subscription for a maximum of eight Nintendo Network accounts, by first activating the subscription on one account and then inviting the others to a family group.

There’s one last perk that might swing a few of you still on the fence about purchasing Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo have promised that subscribers will also be entitled to future special offers from Nintendo that will not be available to non-subcribers, with details “to be revealed”. It remains to be seen how tempting these offers will be, but it’s fair to say – Nintendo is really trying hard to make paid online attractive to as many Switch owners as it can.

Enter the Aperture Science Enrichment Center and experience Bridge Constructor Portal – the unique merging of the classic Portal™ and Bridge Constructor™ games.

Deep within the test chambers of Aperture Science, a new branch of research and development is initiated. Welcome, Trainee, to Bridge Constructor: Portal.

From developers, ClockStone Studio, and published by HeadUp Games, comes a new addition to the puzzle-based universe of Portal.

The task is simple enough. Build a bridge to guide forklifts, transporting obviously important Aperture Science Sciencing Materials, from a starting position, to an end position.

The challenge comes from an increasingly abstract level layout, alternating start and end positions, adversarial gun turrets, and of course, the iconic portals.

The level progression moves at a comfortable pace, which provides a good opportunity to practice each time a new element is added to the game.

There are 60 test chambers to work your way through, with two levels of challenge; build a construct that will handle a single truck, or put your engineering abilities to the test, and successfully help a convoy of trucks traverse the chamber!

A vaguely wobbly bridge might suffice for a single truck, but that wobble might throw off the trajectory of the third driver of the convoy, or there might be insufficient support in your build, and the whole thing might come crashing down; sending you straight back to the drawing board!

Aesthetically, the game takes much of it’s style from the Aperture Science infomercials that introduced new mechanics in Portal 2, and it adds a unique charm to the game that instantly makes you feel like you’re back in the Aperture testing chambers.

Tutorial assistance, and comments from GLaDOS further add to the game’s appeal.

The user interface is minimalistic, yet incredibly functional, with controls that are easy to master, and in the main menu, there is a section for additional tips to improve your constructions.

Available on Steam, Mac, PS4, XBox One, Switch, and Mobile devices; Bridge Constructor: Portal is a well-designed, easily accessible, and ingenious little game, full of charm, and challenge, that is well worth checking out if you enjoy physics puzzles, or are a fan of the games that preceded this one.

It’s a perfect blend of the Bridge Constructor series, and the unique sci-fi world of Portal!

Bridge Constructor: Portal is available now on –

STEAM

– https://store.steampowered.com/app/684410/Bridge_Constructor_Portal/

Playstation 4

– https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0825-CUSA09729_00-BRIDPORPS4SCEA00

XBox One

– https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/bridge-constructor-portal/bnrx1dn6gxm6

Switch

– https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Bridge-Constructor-Portal-1342894.html

Just remember that the cake, and the bridge, is a lie.

8.5/10 ~Captain Meatshield