Gamez: The Open-Ear Headphones

January 29, 2016 RaShaun Eshalomi

AfterShokz, has taken bone conduction technology—originally developed for military and law enforcement use—and made it available to everyone. Known for its unconventional, open-ear headphone design, AfterShokz has taken this design and applied it to Gamez: wireless, Bluetooth headphones for PC, Mac and mobile gamers. Open-ear headphones do not sit inside the ear like earbuds or sit on top of the ear, instead they rest in front of the ear, “transmitting sound through the cheekbones to the inner ears via mini vibrations, which bypasses the eardrums completely.” This design allows users to enjoy their music or game without losing any awareness of their surroundings. So, if you’re trying to beat the last level while in a crowded living room or you want to listen to your music while hanging out with a group of friends, Gamez are perfect for those types of situations.

What makes Gamez different from AfterShokz’s other products is that they are acoustically specific for gaming. They are “the only Bluetooth(R) stereo headphones that create an immersive stereo environment without tuning out the world.”

I am a huge fan of earbuds, so when I first heard about AfterShokz I was skeptical. How good will the sound/music be if it’s sitting on the outside of my ear? Will it fit right? Isn’t being able to hear my surroundings the exact opposite of what headphones are supposed to be used for? Surprisingly, I was blown away by theses headphones. Gamez may have shown me a new and more ear-friendly way to get the same experience I have with earbuds.

The fit is odd at first. Not only do the headphones rest outside of the ears, but they also curve around the neck. This structure hinders me from bending my neck backwards without pushing the headphones out of place. However, lying down with them on is not an issue. I can even lie down on my side, which can be super uncomfortable with regular headphones. I did get a slight headache the first time I wore them, but it lasted only a few minutes once I got used to the placement. I’m sure that has something to do with the vibrations from the sound. For people with smaller heads, like myself, included in the package is a rubber, adjustable tension band that you snap into the headset, making the fit a little more snug. Once I was used to wearing them, I kept them on for about three to four hours straight, with no problems. Really comfortable and lightweight headphones.

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I have a loud family who likes to talk over the already loud TV. I could still sit in the living room with them and comfortably listen to my music while doing some work on the computer. The loud background noise is not distracting at all, and I can still interact with people without missing a beat. AfterShokz is able to balance surrounding noise and the sound from their headphones, allowing users to enjoy both at the same time.

Using the headphones is simple and uncomplicated. The buttons can be accessed easily and pairing is quick. Just slip them on as quick as any other headphones. Exercising is not an issue, either; these things will not budge.

I wouldn’t recommend open-ear headphones for every situation. Because these are open-ear headphones, sound doesn’t travel directly into your ear, which means, any people around you will also be able to hear noise from your headphones. If you plan on going to the library, a quiet coffee shop or have to take a train ride, I’d say take your regular headphones instead—unless you don’t care about bothering others.

I can’t wait to see how far AfterShokz can take this technology. Could their headphones take over the market and become the norm? I hope AfterShokz’s next task will be to create headphones for console gamers.

Until then, you can purchase a pair of Gamez for $99.95, or peruse AfterShokz for more techy goodies.

Game File, Games and Software

A Whole Bunch of Character Based Multiplayer Games

January 28, 2016 Alex McCumbers

This year looks to be a competitive year in the multiplayer space. The past few years have shown the rise of E-Sports centered on MOBAs, creating some of the most exciting and memorable moments in gaming history. Looking to cash in on this action, or looking to innovate, many large gaming companies have invested in pursuing character-based, multiplayer experiences. What has resulted is many, many games, most of which are in testing phases and are almost ready for launch. While there may be too many to note in one article, I’ll be attempting to catalog the newest fad in game design.

Paragon – Release date to be announced

Paragon comes from Epic Games, the team behind the Xbox giant Gears of War. Even with limited footage, Paragon looks like Gears if each character had special powers in a MOBA setting. Gameplay looks awesome and the characters carry that detail expected from the studio. Beta tests will roll out early this year and hopefully Giga will get a chance to try it first had. Either way, given Epic’s resume in the multiplayer space, Paragon is a game to watch.

Battleborn – May 3rd, 2016

Created by Gearbox Software, Battleborn looks to be bringing its chaotic style to the MOBA market. The art style is stylized using similar character designs to its hit Borderlands franchise, but with more accentuated limbs and body types. Characters range from a fungal ninja to a penguin in a mech suit to provide a hilarious spin to gameplay. Battleborn looks to be a game with tons of variety in characters, but will its final version be able to stay afloat in the market? We’ll find out in May.

Overwatch – June 21st, 2016

Sporting a visual style comparable to a Pixar film, Blizzard‘s Overwatch has recently seen positive praise in closed beta. While that same beta is currently taking a break for improvements, it should be returning early this year with a full release coming in June. Blizzard’s excellent design creates a fun blast-fest with each character teeming with personality. As of yet, this game doesn’t sport the MOBA-style gameplay as the games I mentioned earlier, but it does have some solid modes that are familiar to anyone who’s played Team Fortress 2. Blizzard’s track record and knack for continued support could make Overwatch a must play, not just for this year, but for years to come.

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Paladins – Release date to be announced

Paladins is a game from one of my favorite studios, Hi-Rez the same team behind Smite, an awesome MOBA with mythological characters. Its newest project, Paladins, seeks to shake up the arena FPS genre with its card system. While I’ve already went in depth with Paladins, its important to note that its being made by a much smaller studio by comparison. That said, Paladins is shaping up to be an awesome game, as its updated frequently with help by its players. Even in its early stages, there is tons of potential in this one.

Final Thoughts

What is there to take from this movement in game design? Following major success, many game companies try their hand in similar styles. It’s nothing new for the industry. When Street Fighter 2 became insanely popular, there were tons of fighting games to come out soon after like TMNT: Tournament Fighters and King of Fighters. That’s just a small example as it’s happened several times over each generation of video games.

Taking a step back and looking at this similarity in the market is a bit disconcerting and comical. Yet, these games need to be made to explore the genre. Who knows which of the games above will truly blow its players out of the water? Each explore similar concepts in different ways. It’s a necessary part of the evolution of gaming as a whole.

What’s important is that even if these games succeed or fail, gamers win. These shooters could release to a trumpet of praise, standing on their own merit and creating awesome experiences and communities. Each of these character-based games, while similar, will provide another world for gamers to explore.

Nothing is wrong with more worlds to visit, but all of them seem to have a blue sky.

Fighting, Game File, Games and Software

Street Fighter V Cinematic Story Mode Coming This Summer!

January 28, 2016 Nathan Joseph Sitton Marchand

Great news, Street Fighters! Capcom announced recently in a new press release that the PS4 exclusive Street Fighter V will have a “cinematic story mode” as a free update this summer. Not only that, but each character’s individual stories—i.e. the stories for each one in the arcade mode, most likely—will serve as prologues to this larger tale.

“Players will have the opportunity to play through individual character stories that provide important background information on each of the characters, their roles in the game, and their relationships with other fighters. The character stories have a recognizable throwback art style created by Bengus, a famous Japanese illustrator who has worked on a variety of past Street Fighter projects,” Capcom said.

Then in June 2016, all SFV players will receive the cinematic story mode for free. Capcom says it takes place between Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter III (the former is actually a prequel to the latter, which, admittedly, is a bit confusing), and they promise it will bridge the gap between the two games. “This is the first time in franchise history that fans will be able to play through this type of cinematic-story experience in a Street Fighter game.”

Here’s a teaser trailer for the upcoming mode:

Capcom went on saying players will be able to earn in-game money called “Zenny” to purchase DLC characters (no word yet on if it can be used to buy other DLC items like costumes), by playing through individual character stories and other single-player modes.

Finally, Capcom announced that the final SFV beta will run January 30-31.

Personally, this has me more excited than ever to play the game. Heck, it’s the big reason why I’m using a portion of my tax refund to buy a PS4. While I’m sad that certain characters like Sagat don’t appear to be returning for this game (at least as playable characters), hearing about this in-depth story mode makes me think this could be the best Street Fighter game yet, especially for longtime fans like myself.
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In previous games, the Street Fighter mythos was mostly developed by piecemeal with each character’s ending (and sometimes prologue) in the arcade mode. These formed semi-coherent though simple plotlines. Instruction manuals for most of these classic games also included some biographical information on each character, which fed into the narrative. However, as time went on, things did start to get a bit confusing—like who the heck is Gill? Street Fighter V promises to deliver on what appears to be an epic story, which could also be dangerous. As I mentioned, most of the cast of Street Fighter II—and Street Fighter IV, for that matter—are absent in Street Fighter III. Capcom could be crazy and kill off some characters. I don’t know if they would, and it would have to be done carefully to avoid an abundant backlash from fans.

It’s refreshing to see Capcom continuing the trend of story-driven fighting games. For years the genre lagged behind most others, which have steadily increased the amount of narrative in their games to keep players interested. Just as games like the new Killer Instinct and Mortal Kombat X have borrowed gameplay elements from Street Fighter, Capcom is following suit on adding more story. Interestingly, while most think this started with NeatherRealm’s 2011 reboot of Mortal Kombat, they actually did it first in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Before that, cult classic games like Guilty Gear X2 and, to a lesser extent, the King of Fighters series featured in-depth story modes. The difference is these older games utilize still artwork and Japanese dialogue with subtitles to detail their plotlines. It doesn’t help that these stories are convoluted and, honestly, insane. Street Fighter may be comic book-y, what with its supervillains bent on taking over the world…

via GIPHY

…among other things in its minimal storylines, but it still makes more sense than most of what goes on in those other games’ complicated narratives.

At the moment, plot details remain scarce. I’d daresay, “Mum’s the word,” with Capcom as to what might be going on in SFV’s cinematic story. There’s no word yet on if players will cycle through playable characters like in Injustice: Gods Among Us or sit back and watch like in Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign-. If Capcom is smart, it’ll follow NeatherRealm’s example with the former. It looks like M. Bison may once again be the final boss, which hasn’t happened since the Street Fighter Alpha games. Considering that other than Necalli no other characters seemed like they fill that role, it’s a welcome throwback to the series’ roots.

For now, players can be excited that Street Fighter V is only a few weeks away. It will be released February 16. (I’m getting the special edition).

Get those fight pads and arcade sticks ready!

Indie Pennant, Movies/TV, Pop Culture

Fan-Powered He-Man Documentary Hits Kickstarter

January 19, 2016 Alex McCumbers

Recently, Giga bore witness to the majesty that is Nintendo Quest, an excellent documentary detailing the story of one man seeking to collect every retail NES game. Rob McCallum and the gang will be working with the makers of another 80s pop-culture-fueled documentary, Turtle Power, a piece on the history and influence of the Ninja Turtles. Led by Randall Lobb, this influential team of film makers and fans seeks to bring the story behind He-Man, She-Ra and the rest of the Masters of the Universe in their newest project Power of Grayskull.

Power of Grayskull seeks to be the definitive source for the history of the iconic franchise including the vintage series, She-Ra, The New Adventures of He-Man, the 200x series and beyond. Not to mention everything that fans have created over the years, such as artwork, custom toys or viral internet sensations. He-Man and the Masters have been around since the 80s; there’s a ton of content out there to cover.

Wanting to find those behind the magic, the team seeks to learn from the top minds behind the franchise, those who brought the live action series to life and the former president of Mattel. An epic list of people set to help out in the film can be found on the project page on Kickstarter. Given the previous work in Nintendo Quest and Turtle Power, Power of Grayskull will dig deep into what makes He-Man special, with rare and exclusive content pulled into light whenever possible.

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As shown by the awesome teaser trailer, this is a documentary project filled to the brim with love for the Masters of the Universe. It’s filmed and produced by fans for the fans, and with the crowd funding model it can be a reality from fan support. Provided the film reaches it goals, which looks likely, release is anticipated for 2017.

There’s no doubt that Power of Grayskull will be the ultimate documentary for the Masters of the Universe. Now, the project is left in the hands of the fans. You have the power.

Games and Software

Top Japanese Gods that Deserve a Spot in Smite

January 19, 2016 Alex McCumbers 8 Comments

Smite‘s newest addition of Amaterasu to the playable roster is not only interesting from a player’s perspective, but also for the potential additions that Japanese mythology could bring. The ritualistic Shinto religion has some truly awesome entities, adding a multitude of possible designs and game mechanics.

To celebrate the new Pantheon, I’ve compiled a list of candidates that need to be in my favorite MOBA. These choices are in no particular order. I’ll also add my thoughts on what class they could be categorized by in the game.

Fujin and Raijin – Mage

Heroes of the Storm introduced an interesting cooperative character this year in the form of Cho’gall, adding an interesting layer to the MOBA scene. What better way for Hi-Rez to experiment with this than with Fujin and Raijin.

Fujin and Raijin are gods of wind and thunder respectively, being some of the oldest deities in Japanese culture. It’s also odd to not see them together both in myth and in pop culture, so it makes sense to attempt a cooperative character. Together with two players, these demons could bring about truly terrible storms that would leave even might Zeus scared.

Kappa – Mage

Aside from the hilarious comparison to one of the famous emoticons of Twitch, Kappa would make for an interesting comedic character for the Japanese Pantheon. Kappa are devious little creatures that try to pull their victims into rivers. Their downfall lies in their bowl-like heads full of water for if this becomes empty, they die.

As a Mage, Kappa could lay down tricky spells, spraying water all about. His ultimate could pull enemies into a river, similar to Sobek’s ultimate, but one that could isolate opponents for damage.

Hotei – Guardian

Every pantheon needs a few hefty Guardians to distract opponents and be the pillars of team fights. Hotei is prominently seen as a god of luck and wealth. Many statues can be found in Japanese homes, hopefully bringing prosperity to those who leave offerings.

Hotei could make for an interesting character in Smite, especially if Hi-Rez decided to add a way for Hotei to spread wealth and prosperity to the team. Doing so without upsetting balance could prove challenging, but it would be interesting to see a much more passive Guardian on the roster.

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Susanoo – Warrior

Sure, Amaterasu is already a bad ass samurai, but why not open up the roster with even more katana wielders. Susanoo would make for an interesting Warrior, able to dish out damage or stay in the fight. Known for his battle against Orochi, there are few warriors more deserving than this guy.

Hi-Rez could certainly work into Susanoo’s design Orochi as well, either as a cool passive involving the many heads or an ultimate using this deadly dragon in some way.

Hare of Inaba – Assassin

The Norse Pantheon recieved a tiny, but mighty Assassin when Ratatoskr was released. Hi-Rez definitely had a blast designing the messenger squirrel, so it would make sense for them to do similar treatment for the Japanese rabbit. The Hare of Inaba also has connection to Amaterasu, once guiding her to a sacred mountain.

As a character, the Hare could also guide her allies into battle with plenty of buffs and heals. For damage, she could lead enemies away with a hypnosis like attack to pull them away and then follow up with a line dash. There’s also room for more cute characters in the roster.

Komainu – Warrior

Smite is particularly interesting with its non-human characters, such as Kukulkhan. Adding to that mix, the Komainu have an iconic design found guarding many Shinto shrines in Japan. Komainu are the guardians of special places, showing nobility or sacredness. They are usually fierce, warding off evil from these places.

Playing on the fact that these lion-like monsters are usually made of stone, Hi-Rez could add in a protective stone form that adds defense. Couple this with a pounce and a stun, would make for an interesting beast character.

Wow, the possibilities that the Japanese culture brings to Smite are staggering. There are so many creatures and deities I would love to see in the game.

What Japanese entities deserve a spot in Smite? Let us know, Giga Bytes.

GIGA: GeekMagazine

Monthly Archives: January 2016

Gamez: The Open-Ear Headphones

A Whole Bunch of Character Based Multiplayer Games

Street Fighter V Cinematic Story Mode Coming This Summer!

Fan-Powered He-Man Documentary Hits Kickstarter

Top Japanese Gods that Deserve a Spot in Smite