Miscellaneous
Google Stadia is has been going through multiple PR missteps. Now it appears to have had its worst backlash yet. At launch, there will be numerous features missing from the service. What are those services not available at release? Let's tune in to find out. Geek News The Mandalorian is Epic Star Wars has been sub-par in recent years. However, this may be turning with properties such as the Mandalorian. It comes out the gate swing with intriguing characters, a great storyline, and a series that feels like Star Wars. We couldn't ask better people to be in charge of this series then Dave Giloni and Jon Favreau. We can only hope that they continue with the franchise. Disney Plus Disney Plus is out, and it appears to be a sold service. There are many good movies and series on the platform with more to come. Disney Plus had some stumbles and hickups right out the gate, and there could be some improvements made; however, it is at least worth the time to try the free trial. Sonic Trailer The monstrosity of the first Sonic trailer left the internet in an uproar. The studio went back to the drawing board and recently released a new trailer with a more faithful depiction of Sonic. It has been well received, and people on the internet have celebrated the studio listening and taking the request of the fans. However, the studio did increase the production cost of the movie due to the time taken to redo Sonic. It is up to people now to put their money where the mouth is. The studio should be rewarded for listening to the fans. Video Game News Pokemon Reuses Assets Pokemon has been going through a lot of controversies. Specifically, their most controversial decision was to change how they handle the National Pokedex. The most recent controversy was that they reused assets for Pokemon Sword and Shield. This discovery would go against Games Freak's statement that it would be a new Pokemon game from the ground up. Will this alienate fans, or is this a minor bump for the video game studio? We'll have to see how it develops. Anthem Getting an Overhaul Anthem appears as if the game has been left and forgotten. It has been a commercial and critical failure for EA and Bioware. However, the publisher and studio aren't finished with the franchise yet. The game is going to be put through another round of development to fix key game loop issues and create a more cohesive story. We love flying like Ironman; however, the game needs to be more then a couple of interesting mechanics. Mass Effect 5 in Development As reported by Kotaku, Bioware is in the early development of Mass Effect 5. This announcement is exciting and never racking. Mass Effect Andromeda had a compelling premise for the game but failed to execute on launch; moreover, it had ample technical issues, the graphics were seemed at times worse than Mass Effect 3, and the story never was able to grab my attention. Let us hope the Bioware can salvage their reputation with the new titles coming out. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Scores In short, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a good video game. It won't redefine the genre, but it does put the Star Wars games under EA on the right path. Here were some of the Jedi: Fallen Order scores: IGN: 90 GameSpot: 80 Easy Allies: 90 Game Rant: 90 We enjoyed playing as Cal Kestis and would enjoy seeing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order become a running franchise. Showstopper Google Stadia Dead on Arrival? Stadia has been attempting to roll out a revolutionary service; despite Stadia's lofty goal, they haven't done themselves any PR favors. Moreover, their PR blunders could leave them dead on arrival. The service won't have key features that were promised on release. A few of these features are Stream Connect, State Share, Crowd Play, Buddy Pass, and Family Sharing. Also, the services will only have Google Pixel phones and ChromeOS tablet support, and the Stadia controller can only connect to the Chromecast wirelessly. You'll have to wire in the controller to your phone, tablet, or computer to utilize the Stadia service. On top of it all, the service's highest date usage, which is their 4k visuals with 5.1 surround sound, comes in at a terrible 15.78 GB/hr. This usage will be unacceptable to most people. Let us know what will happen to Google Stadia in the comments! Thank You For Listening! If you have an idea for an episode or a person of note in the video game industry, i.e., a developer, influencer, illustrator, etc. then let us know! Email us at: contactus.armstrongsmusings@gmail.com If you love the content and want to support us, then join us on Patreon! We love to have you part of the Inner Circle! Connect with us on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram Visit us on our website: https://armstrongsmusings.com We appreciate you listening and hope to hear from you. Stay Strong!