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Nintendo has a reputation for taking unusual gambles in pursuit of new gaming experiences. While these gambles don’t always pay off – the Virtual Boy was a failed attempt at VR headset gaming that was released before it was even ready; the Wii U was an example of disastrous marketing; the promised Wii Health Monitor never materialised; and how many of you have even SEEN the Nintendo 64DD, among others? – more often than not, Nintendo’s quirkiness proves to be a stroke of genius and puts the company back on the map for many years. The Wii introduced us to the benefits of motion-control gaming and captured a casual gaming audience other consoles had alienated; and the Switch is once again breaking sales records with its gimmick of a handheld console that is equally capable of being played at home as on the move. Indeed, such is the track record of Nintendo that there is a long-held belief by fans: “Nintendo is best when it’s at its quirkiest”. So when Nintendo announced a new Switch-enabled toy range, you could almost hear the sound of eyebrows raising across the globe.
Revealed last night in an impromptu Nintendo Direct video, Nintendo’s latest product idea combines real-world props with Nintendo Switch technology to make interactive toys that also introduce young kids to the basic idea of coding. Dubbed “Nintendo Labo”, the lego-like concept revolves around stand-alone kits containing pre-cut cardboard pieces, rubber bands and other materials, along with Switch cartridges containing the Nintendo Labo software. By following instructions, children can use the pieces to make models of various toys such as a piano, handlebars for a motorbike, or even a house. Then, with the Switch software, the toys transform into interactive games – use the piano to play music through your TV! Peek inside your new house and become an interior decorator! Play a motorbike racing game!
All of these projects come as part of a $70 variety pack, which is already listed for pre-order on Nintendo’s website. A second $80 set includes an alternative set of projects, such as a wearable robot-simulating suit – potentially giving the toys (dubbed Toy-Cons by Nintendo) appeal to a wider age range. Nintendo’s clear intention, however, is for Labo to be a discovery tool for youngsters to learn and play, repurposing the Switch to augment a dynamic constructive experience.
It remains to be seen how well this will work. The cardboard nature of the toys makes them fragile and prone to both quick breakage or simply being ripped up by younger kids; although it also makes the kits cheap to produce and potentially opens the door for homebrew hacks – after all, it’s cheaper to download a cardboard design for a custom controller than 3D-print one. Nintendo have already pledged to offer cheap methods to replace components from their kits; and it’s not hard to imagine further sets in the future offering all new toys to keep kiddies interested. The question is, will kids buy into the idea of educational toys; and just how long will their attention span last?
Labo will launch first in the US on April 20th, followed by Europe a week later. As a promotional campaign for the new toys, the Nintendo UK Twitter announced today a four-day event in London scheduled for mid-February, and is looking for families to apply to take part:
Want to be among the first to experience #NintendoLabo? We're looking for families to attend the Nintendo Labo Workshop in London on 14th-17th February
Britain’s main cyber security agency on Friday warned British government agencies to avoid using anti-virus software from Russian companies, the latest in a series of moves targeting Moscow-based security software maker Kaspersky Lab.
Box art courtesy Kaspersky’s website
Who are Kaspersky?
Kaspersky Labs is a multinational corporation that provides cybersecurity services worldwide. The company does a lot of work in identifying threats to computers, the internet and governments that could damage computers or lead to information getting out that shouldn't be made public; and helps to find solutions. As well as internet security, password management and many other security tools, one of the products Kaspersky is most well-known for developing and selling is its own Antivirus product, Kaspersky Anti-Virus (and also Kaspersky Internet Security), which is used by governments and individuals alike to help protect computers from being compromised or damaged by malicious attacks.
Kaspersky Labs is headquartered in Moscow, Russia – a country known to have strict laws over control of data in and out of its borders. Russia lately has been in a lot of hot water with the United States over longstanding allegations that the country attempted to rig the 2016 Presidential Election and has too close ties to current president Donald Trump; and may be secretly attempting to influence America.
What's going on?
The United States have expressed concerns that Kaspersky have "close ties to intelligence agencies in Moscow and that its software could be used to enable Russian spying". In response, Kaspersky has offered to share source code showing how parts of their software works, in order to supposedly prove that Kaspersky does not hand any data over to Russia. This hasn't alleviated the US Government's concerns, however, and Kaspersky’s anti-virus software was banned from US government networks earlier this year.
Now, the UK has decided to follow suit.
In the United Kingdom, the government organisation responsible for computer security is the UK National Cyber Security Centre. On Friday, its director, Ciaran Martin, penned a letter to departmental permanent secretaries asking them to stop using Kaspersky software, saying that Russian-made software should "not be used in systems containing information that would harm national security if it was accessed by the Russian government."
The wording of the letter makes clear that the UK agrees with the US that there are significant concerns that Kaspersky software could be leaking data to Russian governments that would be dangerous if it got out. Martin added that his agency is "in talks with Kaspersky Lab to develop a system for reviewing its products for use in Britain."
”We are in discussions with Kaspersky Lab … about whether we can develop a framework that we and others can independently verify,” Martin said in the letter, which was publicly released.
What is Kaspersky's reaction?
Kaspersky Labs allege their organisation has become a scapegoat in the midst of the rising tensions between America and Russia; and say that it looked forward to working with the NCSC on the issue in a statement released following the NCSC announcement.
Should I be worried?
At this point in time, there is no real proof that Kaspersky DOES send data that passes through its systems on to the Russian government; or what that data entails. However, the fact the company does dealings with government, corporate and military organisations worldwide, and is itself based in Moscow, makes the possibility impossible to ignore.
The NCSC's statement only refers to matters of "national security", saying that Kaspersky software should only be avoided if the possibility of Russians getting ahold of it "poses a significant risk". For most at-home users, therefore, there is nothing to worry about. However, if you are a user of Kaspersky Antivirus, Internet Security or any of their other products; and you find the revelations discomforting or are concerned for your privacy, it may well be worth looking into alternative products just for your own peace of mind.
Wolfenstein® II: The New Colossus™ is the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed, Wolfenstein®: The New Order™ developed by the award-winning studio MachineGames.
An exhilarating adventure brought to life by the industry-leading id Tech® 6, Wolfenstein® II sends players to Nazi-controlled America on a mission to recruit the boldest resistance leaders left. Fight the Nazis in iconic American locations, equip an arsenal of badass guns, and unleash new abilities to blast your way through legions of Nazi soldiers in this definitive first-person shooter.
STORY:
America, 1961. Your assassination of Nazi General Deathshead was a short-lived victory. Despite the setback, the Nazis maintain their stranglehold on the world. You are BJ Blazkowicz, aka “Terror-Billy,” member of the Resistance, scourge of the Nazi empire, and humanity’s last hope for liberty. Only you have the guts, guns, and gumption to return stateside, kill every Nazi in sight, and spark the second American Revolution.
It’s always an interesting conflict of events when a virtual product manages to resonate with current events. This was especially true in the advertising leading up to the release of Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, in which plays of presidential tag-lines were used to full effect: the desire to “Make America Nazi Free Again” by being a part of the revolution. Of course, this territory is nothing new for the Wolfenstein series, which made its mark by letting you shoot Nazis and take down Mecha-Hitler from as early as 1981 – so one could argue it’s nothing new, but holding a mirror to real life whether on purpose or just by the nature of the theme of their game series certainly helped create Wolfenstein 2 hype.
The reboot of Wolfenstein that came around in 2014 is still one of my favourite titles to revisit. It is, at its core, a hard-going tale of a soldier’s desire for revenge in a world that is falling apart. The gameplay is smooth in its combat – if not a little dull – but it had some genuinely amazing sequences and an ending that, coupled with great soundtrack choices, made me pretty emotional. We were also treated to The Old Blood as a DLC excerpt that was good, if not a little clunky with the way it transitioned from chapter to chapter.
This made Wolfenstein 2 a release day purchase for me. The Special Edition, no less – and regardless of any opinion I have formed on Wolfenstein 2, I can happily say I own a BJ Blazkowicz action man now. But gimmicks aside, I was most excited for the game itself. You are immediately treated to a recap of the events of the first game (sans The Old Blood, as it was a prelude) before diving into the current one. Where The New Order treated us to a jumble of flashforwards and time-skips, the second title manages to give us not only time-skips forward, but flashbacks as well. You hit the shock factor almost straight away with an introduction to BJ’s abusive Texan father and his caring Polish mother.
While not wholly unexpected of a game that centres around kicking the daylights out of Nazis, Wolfenstein 2 is not afraid of the shock factor. We are immediately set up to hate BJ’s father for the racist epithet throwing, domestic abuser that he is. We learn that BJ has obviously taken on more of his mother’s sentiments about life, but that the harsh treatment by his father is what pushed him to be resilient. It is also what sent him off to the army, ironically starting off the chain of events through the games series. It seems like a strange inclusion at the start of the game, though there are few loaded guns in this game that don’t go off eventually; your father does, eventually, get what’s coming to him, and the setup makes it worth it.
This is something I find Wolfenstein 2 succeeds at greater than its predecessor with only few exceptions. It is fantastic at build up, and at surprising you. There are some strong twists in the story, and unlike The New Order, the plot moves at a greater pace, allowing it to feel like more of a rollercoaster and less of a log flume. It certainly lacks in some of the huge set piece boss fights of The New Order or, to compare it to its sister title, DOOM. But the spectacle is made up for in some equally impressive visual sequences. To not say too much of spoilers: this is a game that you get to control robots; fly into space; and fall from the sky. You also get to shoot Nazis while wheelchair bound, and – as someone with limited mobility – I found that bit particularly gratifying.
It does miss the mark in some parts. We get to know the characters that BJ works with more, and they seem to have become caricatures of themselves since The New Order. This isn’t necessarily bad, either, as it fits with the changing tone of the game. You find yourself in the midst of an underground rebellion that is finding its purpose and is driven on by loss early on in the story. It has gone from being a story about one man’s revenge to BJ becoming a figurehead of revolution. You want a cast of NPCs that you remember the personalities of. There are some great new additions to the cast, too.
From this is one of my greatest criticisms of the game: you need to play the first one. You might say that’s not a real criticism, but you may have noticed that I am greatly comparing the two titles to one another. It’s fairly necessary, in my eyes, because to understand why Frau Engel (the main villain of Wolfenstein 2) hates BJ quite so much, you need to see what happened in The New Order. To fathom why Anya, his partner, is so important, you need to see what happened to the pair of them in the first title to fathom the bond between them both. While the recap at the start of the game is efficient enough in laying out baseline events it doesn’t help grasp the emotional side of the storyline.
One of my other gripes is connected to this, and is in the form of the “Wyatt or Fergus” dilemma. In The New Order, you have to make a very crushing decision about one of your team-mates early on in the campaign. It shapes who you have around you for the rest of the game; devices you can learn; weapons you can use and even one of the boss fights. It is a decision that shapes the narrative. In Wolfenstein 2, you have to choose again through a flashback of Deathshead – a villain is criminally missing in references in the newer game otherwise – so there can be a chronological order to things. You are given back the gun relevant to whichever team-mate you choose, and that’s more or less it. There are some minor story points relating to either Fergus or Wyatt, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
All in all, I would definitely recommend picking up a copy of Wolfenstein: The New Colossus. It has faults, but they are compensated for by the flow of combat, an effective storyline and the additional content. There is more to do after the plot ends, as you begin to build your revolution on the back of your pains and your triumphs. And, being true to Wolfenstein as a series, there is a ton of stuff to collect, giving it appeal to any of you out there with a desire for completion. However, if you haven’t picked up the first title, or its DLC yet, I would put Wolfenstein 2 to one side until you get to do so.
This is a game that is best experienced when you know BJ as he has come to be now, along with his comrades at arms against the Nazi menace. It is best experienced knowing why you are fighting and what you’re fighting for. While the hype train was strong with its brilliant and topical viral advertising, Wolfenstein 2 has its story at its core. The New Order taught us about revenge; The New Colossus sings of revolution. It would be easy to get swept up on Nazi killing alone – and that is important within the game, obviously – but this is a title that needs to be known to really hit home.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus gets a facist bashing 4 out of 5
~Vamp
Claeya is one of our regulars here at Sanitarium.FM and in September, won our monthly chat giveaway. After asking for a copy of the DLC instead of the usual prizes, she kindly wrote up a quick DLC review, because she’s awesome!
~Lone
It’s been almost 8 months since Horizon Zero Dawn graced our tv screens on the ps4, and it’s been just over 7 since I completed it.
It took me a little while to get back into the play style which wasn’t a big deal at all, what did grate me slightly was that I had finished the game’s main campaign and the first thing you hear when you start the Frozen Wilds DLC is Sylens complaining that you’re not focused and off track from the “mission”. I did that mission; and like some other games before it Horizon Zero Dawn opted to push you back to just before the last chapter afterwards.
This all correlates to having forgotten some intricate details which get fleshed out and the small feeling that this story would have fit nicely in the game without the need to buy and add it on top of what’s already happened.
Aside from these things however the Frozen Wilds is just as engaging as Horizon has always been. Beautiful scenery and captivating gameplay continuing to move you forward and keeping you exploring every area. In this Aloy finally has full contact with the Banuk, a socially outcast tribe made up of many smaller tribes who would rather live in the almost uninhabitable snow tops of Yellowstone than anywhere else.
You have to help them sort their troubles out and stop Hephaestus, a program that was part of the GAIA project originally that we heard of during the main campaign, whose been working tirelessly to create these strong machines called Daemons that really want you dead. If you thought going up against a Thunderjaw sucked just wait until you have to fight a Daemonic Fireclaw! Boy oh boy.
It didn’t take long to finish and they threw the usual find valuables quest’s in to bulk it out along with a few side quests. I’m most certainly hoping that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Horizon Zero Dawn even if there’s no more to add here, in this game.
A solid 8.8/10 for me with this DLC.
Again, a HUGE thank you to Claeya for writing this guest review, if you’d like to review or even join us as a DJ or video editor, join us on Discord!
~Lone
Horizon Zero Dawn – Frozen Wilds DLC is available to buy for Playstation 4 here
Atari raised a number of eyebrows earlier this year when it suddenly announced it was getting back into the hardware game and working on a brand new console, called the Steambox. Teaser trailers, a preview of the console’s planned appearance, and a statement from the company – emphasising that they were “taking things slowly” and revealing information gradually to ensure they get everything right – soon followed; but it’s fair to say that we still don’t know much about exactly WHAT the Ataribox is… that is, until today.
In a newsletter to subscribers, Atari has finally let loose some information on exactly what the Ataribox is planned to be. The console will be based on PC hardware and offer “a full PC experience for the TV, bringing you streaming, applications, social, browsing, music, and more”, as well as the games. The system will run a customised, lightweight Linux distribution “with a customized, easy-to-use user interface”, not unlike a Steambox. Atari explained the decision to use Linux with the following statement:
Most TV devices have closed systems and content stores. Linux lets us be more open; you can access & customise the OS, & you can access games you’ve bought from other content platforms (if compatible with the OS and HW).
On the topic of games, Atari have confirmed that the console will come preloaded both with classic Atari titles, and with current-generation titles “from a range of studios”. The company hopes to reveal information on the titles in the coming weeks.
Atari’s announcement also put heavy emphasis on the company’s desire to have the Atari community “be part of this launch. We want you to have early access, grab special editions (& pricing) and to have you as active partners in the rollout of Ataribox.” To this extent, the company has announced that the console will undergo an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign, planned to launch “very soon”. Atari claim that the Ataribox is currently planned to retail for an expected price range of $249-$299, depending on “specific editions and memory configurations”. Fans fawning over the previously-announced Atari 2600-homaging wood-based design will also be pleased to hear that this edition of the console will be made with “real wood”.
The Ataribox is planned to ship in late Spring 2018. We’ll have more news as it gets revealed.
