Author: Jackie

PAX East 2016 – The Real Future of Virtual Reality Has Arrived, 3D Scanning and I never knew a keyboard could do that

Just as important as the games on display is the technology that helps our favorite titles run. At PAX East 2016, many of the new and trendy technology was on display for us to get our hands on.

If you were a product of the 80s and early 90s you may have remembered Virtual Reality, or at least the huge bulky and expensive machines at arcades (remember those?). Nintendo even attempted to get in on the game with the ill-fated Virtual Boy console.

With the Oculus Rift (who was also at the show) making waves from their Kickstarter, other manufacturers have gotten in on the game such as Sony with the PS4 VR headset and the HTC Vive. Less expensive alternatives exist that make use of the mobile phones you already have, like the Google Cardboard.

I had the opportunity to check out the PS4 VR setup when I demoed Thumper, a title billed as “rhythm violence” built by Drool, a studio started by two Harmonix alumni, Brian Gibson and Marc Flury.

Most of the VR action takes place on the headset while the game is controlled by the controller and streamed from the PS4. You’re a metallic space beetle fighting an evolving entity. As you progress, you navigate an increasingly complex series of patterns. If you fail, the stakes are a bit higher as this will quickly wear down your armor and lead to your demise.

The patterns do resemble their Harmonix roots, so if you’re a fan of Rock Band or other titles in the genre, this will be an easy experience to pick up.

The game has already generated a lot of buzz and was one of several titles that were on display at the show for PS4. The headset itself will be available for the general public in October 2016.

Newegg also offered private demos of the HTC Vive, which is a headset with two Wiimote-like controllers that streams content from a PC. This provided more of the traditional VR experience where you are in a 360 degree environment and you are the controller. The game selected did a very good job of displaying the capabilities of the VR system and gave me a bit of a workout.

If you’re salivating at that prospect, prepare for the dream crushing reality – the HTC Vive currently has a list price of $799.99.

Their main booth on the Expo floor also gave showgoers the chance to play with the latest in PC gaming technology and some other fun peripherals to support their “Game like a Pro” campaign. The goal is to make you think of Newegg when you’re getting ready to build or upgrade your equipment so you don’t experience lag, performance issues or overall frustration with your hardware.

And while we’re on the topic of PC gaming technology, both Intel and Logitech had a presence at the show with some rather interesting tech I’d never seen in the wild before.

Intel offered “digital swag” in the form of doing a 3D scan of your likeness. In a week, I’ll be able to use the file to import my image into Fallout 4, Skyrim, FIFA and potentially other games so that my protagonist can look just like me. Cool huh?

Logitech unveiled a wall of keyboards that were programmed to show a video. Their keyboards had an impressive array of functions, the most compelling of which was the game profiles that can be imported to support your favorite titles.

The intention of this feature is to highlight only the hotkeys and in some games, even blink so you can quickly reload, heal up or perform some other function.

We’ll be looking forward to how the new VR evolves and I’m eager to get my hands on my 3D scan and a new Logitech keyboard.

As cool as the VR is, I’ll also be waiting for that to get a bit cheaper but it won’t stop me from longingly gazing at what can be done on it.

Thank you to Drool, Newegg, Logitech and Intel for sharing these experiences with us.

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The Pick Six – April 15, 2016 – Anheuser-Busch InBev Takes Another Victim, Perry’s Chocolate Stout Ice Cream Taste Test and Beer Does Good

Brews:

Perry’s Chocolate Stout Ice Cream – Last week we let you know that this magical unicorn of an ice cream existed and Jackie got her hands on it. It’s very creamy but still light with lots of chocolate flavor. As the creation contains no actual alcohol, adults and children can enjoy it just the same, but with all things, moderation is key. The ice cream is available in premium pints at scoop shops and grocery stores in New York State and Western Pennsylvania.

Everyone else can use their imaginations.

Great Lakes Turntable Pils – Czech-Style Pilsner, 5.3% ABV – There’s nothing retro about this flavorful pilsner from one of our favorite nearby breweries. Light in color but not flavor, this hoppy beer packs a bit of a punch. We hope it’ll stay for the summer and it’s worth getting your hands on if you’re #blessed to live within their distribution range.

 

Games:

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture Comes to PC – Yesterday, the PC Master race scored another victory as the much lauded Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture indie game from The Chinese Room came out on Steam. The title was previously a PS4 exclusive which made me salivate and quietly contemplate buying a PS4 to play it. Now I don’t! Expect a more thorough review soon if I ever resurface.

It’s Not Really a Game But You Can Find Some Here – Casey recently told Jackie about bgr.com. Every week day they feature apps that normally cost money but are free. Get ’em while they’re hot because many of them are one-day only deals. They range anywhere from useful apps to help you make sense of your life to, you guessed it, video games. Even if you end up not liking them…they’re free!

 

 

News:

Anheuser-Busch to Acquire Devils Backbone – InBev has claimed another craft brewery, this time one of Virginia’s largest craft operations, Devils Backbone. Devils Backbone is best known for their Vienna Lager and European-style beers. The brewery will join other acquisitions as part of “The High End.” Anheuser-Busch is no stranger to the Virginia beer market, having operated a Williamsburg location for many decades. As always, the promise is there that everything that makes the craft brewery special will remain, but time will tell if this promise can be kept.

NC Brewers Using Beer to Fight H8 – Beer has been the great equalizer throughout history. In the legendary words of Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Proving that not everyone in North Carolina agrees with the “Bathroom Law” aka House Bill 2, Mystery Brewing Company and Ponysaurus Brewing Company have created “Don’t Be Mean to People: A Golden Rule Saison.” In addition to protesting a law that regulates that which is none of our business, it will take advantage  of North Carolina grain and sorghum molasses. Proceeds will benefit Equality NC and QORDS LGBT summer camp program.

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The Pick Six – April 8, 2016 – Founders KBS, Chocolate Stout Ice Cream and Mobile Games

Brews:

Founders Kentucky Bourbon Stout 2016 – April 1 saw the very limited release of Founders’ always anticipated Kentucky Bourbon Stout. The beer is brewed with chocolate and coffee and then aged in bourbon barrels until it’s ready to be rehomed with many beer enthusiasts. I preferred this year’s variant over last year’s (which was a bit heavy on the bourbon for my taste) and look forward to seeing how it develops over time.

Perry’s Ice Cream, Chocolate Stout – Western New York’s own Perry’s Ice Cream has yet another way for us to keep cool this summer. They’ve released Chocolate Stout which gives you everything you love about chocolate stouts minus the alcohol. Sold in a premium pint, it’s a chocolate stout flavored ice cream with roasted chocolate stout swirls and fudge flakes. Sadly we’ve not gotten our hands on it yet but will report back when we’ve had a chance to sample it. Good thing it’ll be available year round!

Games:

Twofold inc. is a cute puzzler to pass the time – There are a LOT of puzzlers out there to waste time on your mobile device with and Twofold Inc doesn’t do anything to break the mold necessarily, but it’s still a fun time. It’s basically a mobile version of that old puzzle where you slide the tiles to get them all to match. The big difference is that there is a robot to guide you and a somber soundtrack. Check it out on iOS and Android for Free.

Attuned is the Ouiji Board Game You Never Wanted –  I was intrigued by the idea of a supernatural puzzle game on my phone. Summoning the dark forces of beyond any time I wanted was something I couldn’t pass up. Unfortunately, Attuned, did not satiate my otherworldy desires. The basic premise is to create different shapes by swiping with your finger.

Shadow Bug – iOS, Muro Studios – Released last week, Shadow Bug has you saving your forest home from an evil factory. Some of the landscape looks eerily like a Mass Effect 2 Praetorian but the rest of the graphics have a cool artsy feel. And all you need to do to fight is tap. What more can you ask for?

News:

Hey (Moderate) Beer Drinking May Be Good For You: Compounds from hops may help prevent cancer and other conditions like Alzheimer’s. Dr. Kristopher Waynant from the University of Idaho hopes they’ll be able to soon isolate the ingredients so treatments can be developed that don’t cause harm. Previous studies have linked the tasty beverage to stopping the development of prostate cancer, lowering the chances of getting kidney stones and dark ales and stouts can reduce heart attacks. Of course, all of these benefits mean nothing if you drink too much, so it’s probably a good thing that someone is trying to figure out what gives us those benefits without us needing to drink so much. No word if the compounds will be successful in helping you get through your next family gathering, however.

Read the original, magical article here (www.foxwilmington.com).

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The Pick Six – April 1, 2016 – Blue Moon’s New Packaging, Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory Saison du Buff and Miitomo

This week there will be no beer news. Sorry.

(April Fools!)

We’ve actually got quite a lot of beer for you. Plus news. Plus some new games. Let’s get this month off to a fresh start in this week’s The Pick Six.

 

Brews:

Saranac Summer Pils – 5.2% ABV, German Pilsener, Seasonal – Summer will soon be upon us (once the weather makes up its mind) and its seasonals are starting to pop up. Saranac’s contribution to the party is a hoppy German Pilsener. It’s light, refreshing and just enough hops to keep it interesting. Now if only drinking it would bring on the warm sunny days we’re all looking forward to.

Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory Saison du Buff – 6.8% ABV, Saison, Limited Release – Stone’s been collaborating with some of their craft beer peers (last year they created North by South IPA with Sierra Nevada) and they’ve adopted “the more the merrier” with their newest release, Saison du Buff. This three-way collaboration with Dogfish Head and Victory is a Limited Release in the Saison style. The bottle describes it as “A farmhouse style ale brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary & lemon thyme,” which may make you think of an Italian dinner but it actually works well. There’s more hops and less effervescence than I’ve experienced in other Saisons but it is very tasty. So pick some up before it’s too late and decide for yourself.

 

Games:

Nintendo Miitomo Invades North America – iOS/Android – We get to join those lucky, lucky Japanese in Nintendo’s first mobile app Miitomo. If you’re ready to waste a lot of your future life with the rest of us, you’ll get the most out of it by creating a Nintendo Account and linking your Facebook and Twitter profiles. The game is still in its infancy so we’ll see how it evolves (and how long we’ll be able to go until we get bored).

The Star Wars game that I can’t stop playing – Yes, I’m well aware that Battlefront is the Star Wars game of choice for most gamers out there, but the one that keeps me coming back is Galaxy of Heroes. A turn based Roleplaying game, a la Final Fantasy; it boasts an endless amount of different characters, a fantastic leveling up system, and tons of different battle modes. It doesn’t take a huge time commitment and even with the Level 70 cap, there’s still more things to do after that. Lots of fun for Star Wars and video games fans alike.

 

News:

Blue Moon’s Packaging Is Getting an Update – Is it putting lipstick on the pig? A clever marketing ploy? The MillerCoors “craft” brand is releasing new packaging, set to start appearing on shelves today.  The goal is “celebrating the notion that creativity is always brewing,” says Ryan Hemsing, director of marketing for Blue Moon.

The company hopes to establish itself as a “gateway beer” to craft beer. If Blue Moon is the gateway, what should be the brand consumers pick once they’re ready to upgrade?

Virginia is for (Craft Beer) Lovers – Deschutes Announces Plans to Open a Facility in Roanoke, Va. – After vetting “hundreds” of potential cities for the East Coast operation, they settled on Roanoke, Va. The project is expected to cost around $85 million, $3 million of which comes from Virginia’s “Commonwealth Opportunity Fund.” The strategic location will enable them to better distribute beyond the Mississippi and becomes the second big craft brewery to establish a base in The Old Dominion after Stone Brewing opened a Richmond-based brewery earlier this month.

 

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The Pick Six – March 20th, 2016 – Alberta Clipper, Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island and New Belgium Brewing

Brews:

Great Lakes Brewing Company Alberta Clipper – 7.8% ABV, Porter – Great Lakes releases this brew around February every year. It’s worth hunting down when available because it was Jackie’s Beer of the Year for 2015. This beer is super dark but almost oddly refreshing as it has very, very prominent raspberry notes. It’s also more tarte than sweet considering the chocolate notes in it. It’s like a dark chocolate raspberry truffle but with alcohol and without the extraneous sugaryness.

Games:

Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island – In the same vein as a Jack & Dexter or a Ratchet & Clank, the duo of Skylar & Plux are on their way to your action-platforming heart later in 2016. The game features jetpacks, powerful upgrades to your weapons, and beautiful landscapes. Check out the trailer HERE from the Grip Digital, the people behind The Solus Project.

Dragon Land – Take your mind back to the first time you played Spyro on the Playstation. You’re a tiny dragon that doesn’t quite know how to fly, but breathing fire is becoming second nature to you. You jump along in a 3D platformer and you’re having a ton of fun. Dragon Land is pretty much the same thing, but for your mobile device. It’s free-to-play, but costs to keep going if you run out of lives and hearts…unless you want to wait for them to regenerate. Lots of fun, great controls, and looks good too!

Collapse Simulator – Ubisoft – A companion tool to Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s The Division, it takes you through the collapse of civilization due to a virus that is 3x more deadly than smallpox. The simulator gives you choices to make, from the pharmacy where you attempt to get medicine, to the international destination you go to in order to escape the plague. It’s a fun mini game that you can play while working and no one will be the wiser. If you like playing the architect of the apocalypse, you may also want to consider playing Plague, Inc. which is available for both computer and mobile operating systems and was conveniently reviewed on a previous episode of the Brewelist Podcast.

News:

Gray water translates to Great beer? – Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is making small batches of it’s Mavericks Tunnel Vision IPA with recycled waste water. You heard it right. Your sink, shower, dishwasher, and washing machine water is being converted into beer for your drinking pleasure. The San Francisco beer maker is brewing up the perfect solution for California’s water shortage. Dirty water has never tasted so refreshing.

Thanks to FoxNews for the info.

New Belgium Has a Doctor In the House – New Belgium Brewing has added an on-site doctor’s office to their newly renovated facilities in Colorado. CEO Christine Perich wanted her employees to have access to a doctor so they would not be reliant on emergency services or an urgent care facility and hopes the addition to the staff will have a positive impact on employee health. Dr. Patti Palagi has been with the company since March of 2015. If the program works well, New Belgium may provide similar services to their Asheville, NC brewery, set to open in April 2016.

Kudos to Brewbound.com for the info.

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Opinion: Craft Beer and Female Fans

An article was brought to my attention by a friend “How Craft Beer Fails its Female Fan Base” and I thought I’d give my two cents on the topic based on the Stereotypes that are brought up in the article:

1. WOMEN HATE BITTER, AND LOVE SWEET AND FRUITY.

I do know women who want a sweet beer, or a fruity beer, or a light beer and because I know them pretty well, know it’s because they want to get into craft beer and are nervous because they’re used to wine and cocktails and are overwhelmed by options. To be perfectly honest, it was a fruity, sweet beer that got me into craft beer in the first place. I’m happy to recommend these when asked but am also very, very open with other stuff I like that may not fit into these categories that they may also like.

I’ve since embraced other flavors and do like the occasional refreshing fruit beer but I don’t drink them exclusively. I like porters, stouts, sours, gose-style and (gasp) IPA beers. I don’t dig most Bourbon-Aged beers though but that’s just a general distaste for bourbon in general.

Just like with everything else where women are not included or considered because there is a perception, which may or may not be based in fact or actual evidence, I’d say presume the person who’s asking you knows what they’re talking about and are actually very interested in your opinion.

Good rule of thumb: If a woman asks for your opinion, your next question should be “Sure, what do you normally like to drink?” And go from there.

2. ALL WOMEN GET INTO CRAFT BEER THROUGH THEIR BOYFRIEND, HUSBAND, BROTHER, ETC.

My husband likes hard liquor and IPAs. I assure you that it’s more me dragging him into Craft Beer than the other way around.

And I’ve probably dragged other friends down the rabbit hole too. I’m not ashamed.

3. WOMEN CAN’T BE BREWERY OWNERS OR BREWMASTERS.

Women can be whatever they want to be. I wanted to be a video game writer, so I did it. I then wanted to be a craft beer reviewer, did that too. And I’m in good company in the craft beer world.

4. WOMEN NEED BEER “MANSPLAINED” TO THEM WHEN ORDERING.

I’ve not experienced this when I’m out and I’m typically the person who’s making recommendations on beer before someone actually goes up to order.

In the times where I have inquired about a specific beer or asked for a recommendation, the men behind the bar have been very polite and very informative. Anything less is just poor customer service and unnecessary condescension.

Gentlemen in craft beer are really excited to talk to someone who also loves craft beer regardless of gender. If they feel it’s necessary to mansplain they’re probably just d*cks in general.

Again, to repeat what I said before: If a woman asks for your opinion, your next question should be “Sure, what do you normally like to drink?” And go from there.

In Conclusion:

Do I feel like marketing that is man-centric is annoying and sometimes inappropriate? Yep. It’s not isolated to craft beer. Yes, it’s a problem that plagues the craft beer community. It’s also still a huge problem in gaming (see also the backlash from Xbox’s GDC party and subsequent apology) and in marketing in general.

Am I concerned that beers like Clown Shoes’ Trampstamp use suggestive imaging that might be misinterpreted? Not really. If you understand the tongue-in-cheek nature of most craft breweries, it’s not as bothersome. I have bigger bones to pick with other industries’ portrayals of women.

The apathy is probably pretty heavy with me since I’ve come across much, much worse but I’d *love* for Craft Beer to lead the charge and be a shining example of how we can include women in marketing without reducing it to gimmicks or pink labels.

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The Pick Six – March 13th, 2016

Welcome to the latest member of the Brewelist family – “The Pick Six.”

Inspired by those craft-your-own packs you can get of craft brews, we’ll review a combination of beers, games and news each week.

Brews:

Smartmouth Brewing Company Murphy’s Law Amber Ale – A mellow brew from my homeland, this amber ale, to me, has a little bit of apple to it. It’s light and tasty and easy to drink at 5.8% ABV. This is a year round beer, if you’re lucky enough to live within distribution range.

Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter – Tall, dark and hoppy, this porter is another beer that is light on alcohol but not on flavor. You’re in for some smooth sipping all year long. It’s 6% alcohol and 100% yum and dark, like my soul.

Games:

Wordbubbles – Too proud to admit that Scrabble isn’t your thing? Pretty good with words? Try out Wordbubbles. It’s free to play and download but your first purchase gets rid of ads (it’s worth it). Daily challenges give you free hints, which are sometimes more necessary than you’re willing to admit.
Faily Brakes – Have you ever wanted to get the feeling of driving your vehicle, at high speed, while barreling down a mountain, with the brake lines cut? If so, then this is the game for you. It’s free-to-play, but you can pay for different looking cars in which to crash into trees and rocks and jettison your passenger from the car. The further you go and the more damage you take, the more points you rack up!

News:

Cigar City Acquisition – Tampa, FL based Cigar City has been purchased by Fireman Capital Partners, a firm that has united multiple craft breweries under the United Craft Brews LLC banner.  Previously it was rumored that In-Bev was looking to acquire Cigar City, much to the dismay of craft beer lovers.

This is the latest in several acquisitions over the last year, one of the most recent being the 1 Billion dollar acquisition of Ballast Point by Constellation Brands.

Does Oil and Barley Mix? – Oil giant Sunoco is planning on opening up a Malt House in Central New York to the tune of $9.1 million dollars. No word as to when this will be happening, but this facility will have the capacity to to process 100,000 bushels of malted barley each year and the company will look to supply most of that to the beer craft sector.

If you’re a craft brewer in the NYS area, look no further than your local gas station to get your hands on some malts. Most Sunocos locations have craft beer on tap, so gas up, fill up, and enjoy those malty brews!

JackieLeave a comment

Drinking Quest: Journey into Draught Brings the Party Back to Kickstarter

You may recall that dontforgetatowel.com reviewed the Drinking Quest Trilogy, which was funded to fruition in 2014. This hybrid of a drinking game and tabletop RPG has taken the indie gaming world by storm and continues to grow.

Anarchy’s most recent Kickstarter success is the more Zen card game Haiku Warrior. This game expands the Drinking Quest Universe and brings back many of our old friends from the original Trilogy.

As of this writing, the game has hit its funding goal and has 28 days remaining for us to hit all the luscious stretch goals I’m sure he has planned. (Such as stylish and hilarious coasters of our favorite colleagues).

sexy-stretch-goals

Backers can choose many tiers, some of which also give you discounted access to previous games by Jason Anarchy. I can vouch personally for the quality and hilarity of the games and if you and yours are good at RPGs, it’s a fun addition to any get together.

I mean…there are cards with Sexy Cthulu and Earl Grey Hot.

Check out the campaign on Kickstarter here.

JackieLeave a comment

Brewelist Advent Calendar Day 25: DuClaw Brewing Company Sweet Baby Jesus

Here we are, on the final day of the Brewelist Advent Calendar! It’s been a full twenty-five days of games, beer and sharing, which is what the season is all about.

The beer that inspired this entire project is about to be reviewed – Sweet Baby Jesus from DuClaw Brewing Company. So steal a few seconds, grab a cold one and read on.

Where to find it: Mid Atlantic Region Supermarkets, Beer Shops, Gas Stations, etc.

ABV: 6.2%

Style: Porter

Availability: Year-Round

Taste/Smell: The beer smells and tastes like dark chocolate. If you remember the dark chocolate Reese’s cups, that’s pretty much what it’s like. The beer is thick and dark and offers both flavors without being sweet at all. You may be left with some bitter notes but they do not detract from the overall flavor.

Rating (out of 10): 9/10

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from the Brewelist Crew!

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