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- Is 'Assassin's Creed Odyssey' Too Long?
- Woot has 12-inch MacBooks for $799, 15-inch MacBook Pros for $1749 today only
- Nokia 7.1 to hit US at $350: Here's why it's raising the bar for mid-range phones
| Is 'Assassin's Creed Odyssey' Too Long? Posted: 05 Oct 2018 08:01 AM PDT  'Assassin's Creed Odyssey'Credit: Ubisoft A number of reviews have taken Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to task for being too long and Paul Tassi here at Forbes has presented several cogent reasons why one might agree. When it comes to games, I think length, like beauty, lies in the eye of the beholder, and I’d like to suggest that the people who review games have reason to view length quite differently from the people who play them for enjoyment. Long games can make reviewers cry.Credit: Ubisoft Length and the reviewer Game reviewers are often given complimentary codes for new games so they can play the game and write a review that’s timed to coincide with the game’s release. The code is provided under an embargo that stipulates the review cannot appear before a specified date and time. It’s widely perceived that the earliest reviews get the most web traffic, and the traffic pays the bills for the website hosting the review. This is why a flood of reviews for high-profile games all appear within seconds of each other the minute the embargo lifts. This system can put a great deal of pressure on the reviewer. Reviewers are generally expected, or in some cases required, to finish the game before they write the review. Sometimes the time between when the code is received and when the embargo lifts is sufficient to give the game a fair play through and sometimes it isn’t. However, the reviewer is expected to get the review out when the embargo lifts whether or not they had enough time with the game. This is especially true for high-profile games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. 'Assassin's Creed Odyssey'Credit: Ubisoft It’s easy to see why the length of a game can be a problem for the reviewer in a system like this. All games are repetitive. Game designers strive to ensure the repetitive elements in their games are ones the players enjoy. However, when games are long and time is short, repetition that was an enjoyable challenge can become a tedious chore. The pressure to publish a review when the embargo lifts can suck the fun out of a game in other ways. For example, reviewers may begin to play a game on normal or hard difficulty settings but switch to easy mode in order to finish the game on time. Combat oriented games like Odyssey can be significantly less enjoyable when combat isn’t challenging and intelligent character building is unnecessary. You don’t have to think, just button mash and move on. Jamming through a long game on its easiest setting can be spending a lot of time doing something that’s not a lot of fun. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a very big game that undoubtedly put a lot of reviewers under pressure to finish and write their review before the embargo lifted. These reviewers have good reasons to be unhappy about the length of the game. However, many of those reasons stem from how they were forced to play Odyssey, not from the game itself. 'Assassin's Creed Odyssey'Credit: Ubisoft Length and the player Players have none of the time constraints that beset reviewers struggling to finish before a deadline. They can take as long as they like to finish a game. If they’re having fun, players will spend weeks, months and sometimes years with a game, not the days given to the reviewer. They can play the entire game through on the hardest difficulty settings if they enjoy the challenge. If you’re enjoying playing a game and you’re not playing under time constraints, having more of it to play isn’t a problem, it’s a bonus. An argument can be made that from the player’s point of view a game can’t be too long. I don’t finish most of the games I play. Does that mean the game is too long? I don’t think so. It means I didn’t find the game interesting or challenging enough to spend more time playing. But it’s not all about me. Other players may have loved the game and been sad when they finally finished 10, 50 or 100 hours after I quit. For me, the game was as long as it needed to be to reach the point where it was time to quit because it was no longer fun; for the others, the game was too short. Sometimes I find myself mindlessly grinding through content to get to the next bit and the one after that. I’m not having fun and when it happens I set the game aside and play something else. Does this mean the game is too long? I don’t think so. It usually means I’ve played too much in too short a period of time. If I was really having fun before I fell into the grind groove, I’ll come back to the game later and be captured by its magic all over again. There’s no such thing as “too long” for a game like this. 'Assassin's Creed Odyssey'Credit: Ubisoft Is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey too long? Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is an enormous game that stressed a lot of reviewers who had to meet a deadline. I understand why these reviewers complain the game is too long. They have to finish the game. They can’t take a break and come back to it later. There’s too much of it to do in the time they have to do it and finishing in time to meet the embargo may force them to play in ways that engender tedium rather than enjoyment. Reviewers have many reasons to think Odyssey is too long. Is Odyssey too long for players? Some people need to finish the games they start. There aren’t many players like this as evidenced by consistent reports that the overwhelming majority of games are never finished. However, for the players that need to finish, Odyssey will be too long if they stop having fun long before they wrap up the game’s main story. For everyone else, Odyssey might be too short, but it’s hard to see how it could be too long. Odyssey would be too short for players who decide it’s no fun and not worth the cost after a playing for a brief time. That’s a problem, but it’s not a problem about how long the game is. Odyssey would also be too short for players who enjoy the game so much they do everything there is to do, or at least all the things they like doing, finish the game and want more. Ubisoft’s ambitious plans for post-launch content should make these players happy. For those who play until it’s no longer fun, interesting or challenging, Odyssey is as long as it needs to be for them to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Getting as much enjoyment as you can from something isn't a problem. The question to ask about Assassin's Creed Odyssey or any other game isn't "is it too long?" but rather "is it long enough to give most people enough time to max out their enjoyment?" If you're interested in video games, here are some articles you might enjoy. |
| Woot has 12-inch MacBooks for $799, 15-inch MacBook Pros for $1749 today only Posted: 05 Oct 2018 07:32 AM PDT Woot is knocking $400 to $500 off Apple 12-inch MacBooks today only, and $950 off 15-inch MacBook Pros. With prices starting at $799, these are the lowest prices available for the cheap Macs. Since Woot is owned by Amazon, Prime members can also snag free shipping on the discounted laptops.  $400 to $500 off 12-inch MacBooks2016 12" MacBook (1.1GHz, 8GB, 256GB) in Gold or Rose Gold Woot is back at it with one-day only deals on Apple's 12-inch MacBook. Pick up the standard 2016 model (1.1GHz, 8GB, 256GB) in Gold or Rose Gold for just $799.99 today only. This represents a $500 discount off original MSRP, making it the lowest price available. Prefer Apple's current model? The Mid 2017 1.2GHz, 8GB, 256GB configuration in your choice of Silver, Space Gray or Rose Gold is also on sale for $899.99, a discount of $400 off MSRP. And since Woot is an Amazon owned company, shipping is free for Prime members. According to Woot, these MacBooks are in new condition, but come with a Woot warranty. They were originally held by Apple as warranty replacements, which is why Woot can offer them at an aggressive discount. In comparison, it would cost $300 to 400 more to buy Apple's standard 2017 12-inch MacBook from an Apple authorized reseller, according to our 12-inch MacBook Price Guide. This deal is valid today only while supplies last. Woot's Apple deals have been known to sell out early, so don't delay. Upgraded 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro on sale for $1,749 2016 15" MacBook Pro (2.9GHz, 16GB, 256GB, Radeon 450) in Space Gray Those wanting the more robust MacBook Pro can also snap up a Late 2016 model with a faster processer for $1,749.99 today only, a discount of $950 off MSRP. This system in Space Gray has Apple's upgraded 2.9GHz Core i7 processor and is in new condition with Apple's one-year warranty. Like the 12-inch MacBooks above, these laptops are fulfilled by Amazon with free standard shipping for Prime members. To put the discount in perspective, it would cost at least $350 more to buy a 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro, according to our 15-inch MacBook Pro Price Guide . Quantities are limited at the reduced price, and other models have already sold out this morning. Additional Apple Deals AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running a handful of additional exclusive promotions this month on Apple hardware that will not only deliver the lowest prices on many of the items, but also throw in discounts on AppleCare, software and accessories. These deals are as follows: |
| Nokia 7.1 to hit US at $350: Here's why it's raising the bar for mid-range phones Posted: 05 Oct 2018 04:49 AM PDT HMD Global, the licensee of the Nokia phone brand, has announced the Nokia 7.1, a pure Android phone that raises the bar for the mid-range market with an appealing price. Unlike last year's $400 China-only Nokia 7, the Nokia 7.1 is coming to the US and Europe for around $350. Like many Android phones, the Nokia 7.1 has a notch, but the device's 5.84-inch full HD screen isn't edge-to-edge due a small bezel on the bottom. It's the latest addition to the Nokia Android One family, which includes the mid-range Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 7 Plus, and the high-end Nokia 8 Sirocco. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 and features dual Zeiss Optics rear cameras with 12-megapixel and five-megapixel sensors, which support the bokeh effect. SEE: IT pro's guide to the evolution and impact of 5G technology (free PDF) It also has an eight-megapixel front-facing camera and features Nokia's 'bothie' pictures, which use front and rear cameras with a new slider to adjust the split screen. The Nokia 7.1 is shipping with Android Oreo but HMD said it is ready to receive the Android Pie 9.0 update. The phone has a 3,060mAh battery, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Despite keeping the headphone jack, HMD Global also launched a pair of wireless earphones: the Nokia True Wireless Earbuds and the Nokia Pro Wireless Earphones. In the UK, it's throwing in the True Wireless Earbuds for free with pre-orders of the Nokia 7.1. The True Wireless Earbuds have a 3.5-hour battery life, while the cylindrical charging case holds enough charge to give up to 16 hours of battery life, according to HMD. They connect via Universal Bluetooth 5.0 and are splash resistant. The Pro Wireless earphones are wired to a neck band. It offers up to 10 hours of playback time on a single charge, features vibration alerts, and connects via Bluetooth 4.2. According to Android Authority, the earphones will cost about €69 (£61) while the earbuds will cost €129 (£114). They'll be available in the UK in November and will be available elsewhere in Europe by the end of the year. HMD Global says global average prices for the Nokia 7.1 will be €319 ($367, £282) for the 3GB RAM with 32GB model while the 4GB RAM with 64GB model will cost €349 ($402, £308). Presales of Nokia 7.1 kick off today in the US, UK, and Europe. In the US it will be available on October 28 at Amazon, Best Buy's website, and B&H. It will be available from Best Buy stores on November 4.  The Nokia 7.1 is the latest addition to Nokia's Android One family, which includes the mid-range Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 7 Plus, and the high-end Nokia 8 Sirocco. Image: Josh Miller/CNETPrevious and related coverageNokia 8110 4G, First Take: The 'banana phone' reborn Nokia's 1996 curved slider phone has been reimagined as a 4G dual-SIM feature phone with a 2.45-inch colour screen and impressive battery life. Nokia 8 Sirocco review: A flawed flagship Nokia's otherwise solidly specified 5.5-inch flagship smartphone is let down by its curved 16:9 aspect-ratio screen. Nokia 7.1 is a 'pure,' cheap Android phone with two cameras CNET It comes in two colors, with shiny accents. Nokia's new 5.1, 3.1, 2.1 Android phones: You get bigger screens for mid-range prices HMD Global refreshes its mid-range Nokia Android phones for price-conscious buyers. Nokia 2, First Take: Lack of performance is a compromise too far This affordable 5-inch Android smartphone offers decent build quality and impressive battery life, but the CPU/RAM combination is underpowered and it's short on internal storage. Nokia and Windows Phone back from the dead with new models at MWC 2018 TechRepublic HMD announced five new Nokia phones and the Lumia 950 briefly returned to Microsoft's online store during Mobile World Congress. |
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