BitPunch and YouTube, a Love Tale
So it turns out, Rich and I are loving making gaming content. We are in the middle of several different full game playthroughs and are still recording small snippets of games we call BitPunch Plays. Moving forward, you will see fewer BitPunch Plays and more full playthroughs of games. We are both just connecting with that format much more than the smaller bite-size videos. Turns out we like playing video games all the way through and would rather focus on that. We currently are recording four different full playthroughs and have many more in our backlog to cover. Below are links to each playlist within our YouTube channel. Thanks to everyone who is watching and sharing!
Resident Evil 7 (Rich and Michael) - Ongoing
Yakuza Kiwami (Michael) - Ongoing
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Fraud (Michael) - Completed in June
The Outer Worlds (Rich) - Ongoing
All BitPunch Plays (6 videos)
Our E3 2021 Thoughts
E3 came and went. We covered our initial thoughts on E3 during our latest podcast and think while the show may have been less enthusiastic compared to other years, there are still some great games to talk about. We wanted to go a little more in detail on what our overall thoughts were of E3 and deep dive into a few games that were exciting to see. Full disclosure we don’t care about the difference between E3 and Summer Games Fest, they may as well partner up and be a couple.
Michael’s Thoughts
The clear winner for the 26th E3 was Game Pass. The sheer value of that service blows everything else away in terms of the amount of content vs. dollars spent. Everything first party will be coming to Game Pass on Day One and will include the ability to stream them to multiple devices. Rumors are that Microsoft is already upgrading its streaming platforms to match the Series X specs. Microsoft announced they are working with TV manufacturers to include Game Pass Apps so you can pair a controller to your TV and stream the massive library of games available. It’s quite bizarre but seems to be paying off where Microsoft has millions of subscribers to their service. The latest rumor was more than 20 million people subscribe. As of this writing though you have Bethesda’s catalog, EA Play catalog, among one hundred other games you could play found on Xbox hardware. Then there is the PC, which contains its own number of games. It’s a marvelous thing that I’m always looking into for what’s coming and leaving the service.
WarioWare: Get It Together | Sept. 10th | Switch
The original WarioWare was a fun collection of wild minigames to twitch your way through. The sequels had their own gimmicks they would tack on like touch or waggle controls. This entry introduces co-op and I couldn’t be more excited about that. This game seems to be the perfect fit for families or for streaming purposes. It doesn’t appear to have been announced if this is couch co-op only or work through their Online service. Either way, I’m excited to play this one and hope it will be a fun party game.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster | TBA | Steam/Mobile
Complete hype over the announcement of this. I’m hoping they get the pricing right and cannot wait to play through these games again. The 2.5D remakes were hard to look at and I’m glad to see they are planning on retaining the sprite look that makes these characters and settings so iconic. Just bundle these up and sell them as-is and most fans will be happy. Out of the bunch, I think I had the best time with FFV. IV and VI may have better stories but I clicked with the Job system of V a lot! If they include a fast-forward option to get through the random encounters quicker, I may end up recording some playthroughs of these.
Death Trash | TBA | Steam/Xbox/PS4/Switch
I’m not jiving with the name of this game but everything else surrounding it looks really cool. Getting strong Children of Morta vibes visually with the grungy but gorgeous pixel art aesthetic. Their Website describes it as “A post-apocalyptic world where cosmic horrors crave humanity but meet punks with shotguns. Influenced by cyberpunk, science fiction, horror, the grotesque and black humor.” They also say the game includes stealth, which you can see from the trailer that enemies have vision cones. I’m not the biggest fan of stealth games so I’m hoping it’s not a core mechanic. There is a demo on Steam which is the first couple hours of the game to play. Check it out!
Starfield | Nov. 2022 | Xbox/Game Pass
We finally have a date and a small teaser trailer for the game. Todd Howard has boiled this game down to “Skyrim in Space” which I’d imagine most fans such as myself wanted to hear. He also mentions this game will have more customization options in terms of how you spec your character’s backstory which could influence the game. Take all the time you need to ensure we have a great experience with this new IP.
Rich’s Thoughts
It was very evident by all of the 2022 releases we saw at this year’s E3 that COVID and the pandemic had a large effect on the development process in the games industry. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if some of these games push even further out as the release schedule is packed for 2022. With the botched release of Cyberpunk 2077 last year, developers and publishers have to be wary of rushing games to market. Xbox clearly had a strong show with Game Pass. Nintendo seemed to be a little light on new content this year in my opinion. Sony has been very quiet this year, I look forward to seeing what announcements they have in store later this year.
Redfall | Summer 2022 | Xbox/Game Pass/PC
Arkane Studios has made some great single-player games in the past. I loved what I played of Dishonored 2. The 2017 Prey release is another game I constantly hear people talking about. Now they are taking their style and adapting it to an open-world coop shooter. The game sets you on a small island town that has been overrun by Vampires. You play as survivors, each with their own special weapons and abilities. I can’t wait to see Arkane’s take on this genre.
Replaced | 2022 | Xbox/Game Pass/PC
Probably the most visually striking game I saw during E3 was Replaced. This 2.5D platformer is set in an alternative 1980’s dystopian past. It’s hard to describe exactly what this game looks like in motion. You should just check out their reveal trailer.
The Outer Worlds 2 | TBD | Xbox/Game Pass/PC
I am only a few hours into the original Outer Worlds, but I am really enjoying what I am playing so far. I really like the humor and systems the Outer Worlds is built on and from what I have seen and heard from other people, this game definitely deserves a sequel. The game doesn’t have a release window just yet, but I am excited to see what Obsidian has in mind for a sequel.
Electric Cars: Thoughts On Tesla Ownership After One Month
By: Rich Matney
It’s been a little over a month since I took delivery of my new Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus ($39,990). Obviously, the biggest difference between an electric car and a normal gas-powered car is no gas or emissions.
Instead of stopping at gas stations to fill up, I just plug my car into a 240v outlet that I installed in my garage. The cost to charge the car is very low, it uses roughly the same amount of electricity as a large electric appliance like a refrigerator. This 240v charger adds about 35mi of charge every hour. My daily commute is under 40 miles, this means I am charged back up after only an hour of charging each day when I get home. You can choose how much you want to charge the car on a daily basis, Tesla recommends not to charge the car over 80% for daily driving. You can of course charge it up more if you're taking a longer trip.
Speaking of trips, this is where Tesla really stands out from other electric cars. Tesla has a huge worldwide Supercharger network that allows you to drive just about anywhere. These SuperChargers can charge your car at upwards of 500mi of charge per hour. My Model 3 has an EPA range of 263 miles. So this means my car can be close to fully charged in about 30 minutes. An example would be a trip from Indianapolis to St. Louis. This is a 243-mile trip. Technically I could make this trip without stopping. If I wanted to have some extra battery when I arrive in St. Louis, I would just need to stop once for about 15 minutes. There are 2 Tesla Superchargers along this route.
I am loving the car so far and there is a ton of other features and thoughts that I plan on going more in-depth on in the coming Newsletters. I was definitely a bit nervous to buy something that is a relatively new technology in something as important and expensive as a car. One thing I know for sure is that electric cars are viable and are here to stay. There aren’t many cars that are more fun to drive!
June Episodes of BitPunch Radio
June 4th | EP022 - Vitamins, Space, and Pre E3
BitPunch is marching into video. We discuss our streaming to each other setup and the intricacies of capturing video for our YouTube channel. We also cover Andy Weir's books (spoilers on Artemis), some E3 news and rumors, and Dragon Quest XII.
June 18th | Family Lego Gambling and E3 Thoughts
This week we discuss E3 and some of the major announcements from the show. We also discuss our YouTube game coverage, a bit on Project: Hail Mary, Lego Masters, and figuring out Total War Warhammer.
News News News
Here are some interesting headlines that happened this month.
Windows 11 has been officially announced including deeper Xbox integration, visual quality improvements, Windows Store enhancements, and much more. If you are planning on upgrading, check the system requirements as they require higher quality components than years past. | Windows evolves: Windows 11, and the future of Windows 10 (msn.com)
The Steam Summer Sale has kicked off. A few times a year Steam does these yearly sales where the entire store is completely redesigned and thousands of games go on these huge discounts. Some games get into the 75%-80% off which can really pad out your Steam Library. I have my eye on four copies of Stardew Valley so I can play with my entire family. | Steam is here to take your moneys.
GameSpot has a big article outlining all the major reveals of E3. Not much to say here that hasn’t already been said but have a link that takes you to a page with tons of other links to link through. | GameSpot’s E3 2021 Recap
Walter Isaacson, the author of the famous Steve Jobs book, is in talks to write the autobiography of Elon Musk. This would completely skyrocket to the top of my must read as I thought the Steve Jobs book was very fascinating. Elon Musk, like many tech giants, is a unique person I would love to learn more about. Isaacson would be the perfect author to tackle this. | Walter Isaacson is reportedly in early talks to write Elon Musk's biography. His famous biography of Steve Jobs sold millions of copies. (msn.com)