The Blog
Lesson’s from the Cyberpunk 2077 Launch
Cyberpunk 2077 was possibly the most hyped game ever just a few months ago, but a disastrous bug riddled launch has all but ended the luster it promised. While gamers on newer hardware are experiencing an acceptable title, many are having the opposite experience. What lessons can this launch bring gamers and developers alike?
Don’t Count Out the Xbox
After an extremely long summer game of chicken between Microsoft and Sony, just less than 2 months away from launch, we finally get details on said launch for 2020’s next gen consoles. Not only that, but NVIDIA decided to get in on the action in the form of new GPUs, albeit more on the heavy enthusiast side, but makes things interesting nonetheless. However, outside of the internet clash of console warring from fans, here at The DMGT, we don’t think it’s a matter of which is “winning” or “better”, but who’s buying and the market competition that is ultimately best for consumers.
Festival Acts That Would Have Slapped in 2020
Let’s get something out of the way...everything is terrible all the time now, and we’re bored in the house. Before the end times, one of the most exciting parts of the summer season was the announcement of that year’s collection of music festivals. You’d wake up, log in to your mid level tech job, and realize the muted #music channel of your company's slack or slack equivalent seems all sorts of poppin’ off.
Back to School Tech: 2020 Budget Edition
While Summer technically runs through most of September, you probably consider the true end of Summer when class is back in session. At least, that’s how I used to treat it, and typically Labor Day weekend was the last hurrah. These days are different, however, and most of you now start classes in August (I had no idea that’s when most colleges started back when I was kicking it on Chicago’s South Side). Yet, as bittersweet as Summer’s end is, there’s still some excitement to a new academic year. Maybe it’s time for a new backpack, maybe you want to show off the shiny new iPhone, or more challenging courses mean you need new computer hardware. Let’s do that on a budget.
The Retro Gaming Revival
Nostalgia has always been a driving force in pretty much any form of media. Movies get rebooted or adapted, music gets new renditions, fashion goes in cycles with modernized twists but retain the aesthetic of yesteryear. Some of it works out great, others, not so much. Sure, there’s also the rose tinted glasses phenomenon of “back in my day” music was better, movies were better, yada yada. The difference, however, is that generational music, TV, & film has been digitized and made relatively easily accessible. I literally just pulled up a 1920’s swing playlist, and it sounds great. Remastering old media has worked out great for those looking to go back in time.
Why Vinyl is Cool
A little over a month ago I decided to make a video on consuming music digitally and via vinyl. I really just wanted something as a bit of a gateway into the format, mainly keeping a high level comparison of the 2 and why vinyl is making a resurgence. As a newer adopter of the format myself, it was nice to get some thoughts out that doesn’t get too deep into the details and stay relatively surface level to hopefully get some people to connect and maybe pick it up as well.
Being a Latino Ally to Black Lives Matter
Black lives matter. End statement.
2020 has been a strange, difficult, stressful, but very necessary year. The Australian wildfires, the sudden and tragic death of Kobe & Gianna Bryant, along with the other passengers on that helicopter. COVID-19 continues and highlights how unprepared, or even unwilling (see the swift militarization of police further below) this country is to deal with a serious pandemic. In New York, Amy Cooper knew, be it consciously or subconsciously, that she could weaponize the blackness of Christian Cooper, as more eloquently stated by Trevor Noah.
A Brief Introduction to the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen Cinematic Universe
Unless you live under a rock (or are blissfully ignorant of viral internet things, in which case, please teach me your ways), you’ve probably heard about the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen YouTube channel. The BA YouTube channel has 5.9+ million subscribers and 1.2+ billion views (and a dedicated meme account with 421k+ Instagram followers — hi Will and Harry!).
On a cooking channel? Aren’t these just fancier, longer Tasty videos?
Here’s the thing: They aren’t.
This post is the primer you need to get into the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen cinematic universe, including totally unqualified opinions on the best test kitchen chefs.
Story Telling in Gaming
I don’t think video games always need to tell a compelling story to its audience (the players). A great story isn’t a prerequisite to make a good or successful video game. In fact, you can have both a good, successful game with practically no story at all beyond gameplay objectives. Look at Minecraft, Fortnite, League of Legends, Call of Duty, just to list a few. Hell, there are even great games where you can skip the majority of it’s story and still have a good experience (Breath of the Wild, no Divine Beasts, anyone?)
Yet, video games present an entirely unique mechanism to story telling not accessible to its media counter parts (movies, books, music, art). It all starts with the players hands.