Using AI Appropriately

I had the pleasure of helping develop the PlayStation 5 video-game console when I worked in Research and Development at Sony Interactive Entertainment. One of the advantages of the hardware is that the file system is fast enough so it is not necessary to keep multiple copies of digital assets. What does that mean? When you create a virtual world, it is made up of a number of digital assets such as trees, rocks, buildings, or any number of other things we find in the real world. Most of the time, those assets are used over and over again. For the sake of an example, a forest is made up of a lot of trees. There may be only 5 different tree models created for a game and then they are reused many times to give the illusion of a forest. With the PS4, game designers would copy those 5 trees hundreds of times. That isn't necessary on a PS5 as you can have just the 5 tree types and point back to each one on the file system any time you need it. Assuming each tree requires 4KB of memory (an arbitrary value pulled out of thin air) and you have 1000 of each tree in a game, the PS4 would require 4MB for each tree used while the PS5 only needs 4KB. Theoretically PS5 games should be significantly smaller than for other game consoles. This becomes very helpful for games like Red Dead Redemption 2 that required 2 Blu-ray disks for the game. For physical game disks, it saves a bit of money and for digital downloads, they don't take as long to put on your system.

So what does that have to do with using AI appropriately? It boils down to why game developers only make 5 tree models. Most gamers don't slow down and look at every tree in a forest to see if it is different than all the others. So why take the time to create more than 5? If you can throw the problem at a generative AI program, you can let it create hundreds of different trees. This provides a level of uniqueness currently missing in a lot of games. This totally eliminates the benefit of the PS5 over other gaming consoles as its games once again become bloated. The reality is that while the PS5 doesn't require duplication of digital assets doesn't mean game studios are using the feature. You will still find copies of digital assets spread throughout quite a few games. Why not make the games more unique?

I have been thinking about this issue for the past couple of days and came up with another area where the use of AI should be applied. I walked through my kitchen this morning to get myself some breakfast. My floor is a high-quality laminate with a simulated pine surface. While pine is great looking, it is a very soft wood and makes horrible flooring that is easily scratched and dented. Using a high-quality laminate allows it to be almost indestructible yet look beautiful. The downside to a laminate is that there are only about 5 patterns on the boards. They repeat quite often and if you look closely you notice a lot of the boards are the same. The laminate floor company could use AI to create 100 different patterns instead of just 5. This would create a much more unique floor.

Yes these two solutions for generative AI don't seem to be high priority. After all if they were, companies would spend the effort to make their products more unique. The beauty of using AI is that products can become more unique and special without humans having to spend more time making it happen. You will still need those humans to fine-tune what is generated but their time can be spent being creative and not doing repetitive and mundane tasks.

 

Video Game Review: Helldivers 2

One of the fondest memories I have is playing video games on Thursday evenings with my brothers and dad. This is when online gaming started taking off and so you didn't have to be in the same room or even the same house. We would log onto our PlayStation 2 consoles and play SOCOM 2 with each other. I have missed the online game playing and so I thought I would start something similar with my own 2 sons. I have one that lives across town and another that lives across the country. Once again we have designated Thursday evenings as our night to play and our game of choice is Helldivers 2.

I started playing the original Helldivers when I still worked at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and enjoyed the top-down shooter platform. It didn't feel natural though and took awhile to get used to. The latest version of the game is a 3rd-Person shooter very similar to SOCOM 2. It feels like so many other shooter games that it should be easy for everyone to play.

While I am no longer at SIE, I still work for Sony and have access to discounted versions of the game. I purchased 3 copies so I would have one for myself and my 2 sons. Retail price for the game is $39.99 and well worth it if you are looking for a fun online playing experience.

The game is very similar to the movie Starship Troopers from 1997 where you are part of an elite team of soldiers sent to eradicate either bugs or robots from planets throughout the area. There is a lot of propaganda shown throughout the game relating to how you are spreading freedom throughout the galaxy and it adds a level of humor to the game play.

One difference between Helldivers 2 and SOCOM 2 is that you are always on the same side as the people you play with. The bugs or robots are controlled by the game. That means that the only competition you have with your teammates is to see who has the most kills or other similar statistics. This makes for a much more friendly environment.

The game is limited to squads of 4 and so it will not accommodate larger groups. You can play as a single person, but that can be really tough as you often need others to help unlock storage garages or align communication dishes. Fortunately the game won't keep you solo too long as other players may decide to join your mission and help out. This allows you to see how others play the game and learn from their technique.

My son who lives in Ohio will be gone this evening (Thursday) and so we played Tuesday this week. After an hour or so of running around and squashing man-eating bugs, he sent his brother and me a text saying how much fun he had. I agree, we did have a great time.

Helldivers 2 has an ESRB rating of M for mature due to intense violence and blood and gore. As you can hear other players playing, you will often hear strong language as well. The original version had a rating of T and the new one does deserve that M rating. The game is somewhat limited to the PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles but is also available on the PC. Naturally I play on the PS5.

Video Games for Christmas

I have gotten a lot of requests for idea about video games as gifts for Christmas. As it is that time of year, I thought I would provide some ideas for those looking to get games for those who enjoy them. Instead of grouping all games into the same category, I will do a bit of categorizing as it makes things somewhat easier.

Games for Kids

I often post about how I enjoy playing video games with my grandson. I have a few granddaughters too and so that is what I am using to make this list. While I don't see my granddaughters excited right now, it won't take long before these games are appropriate.

• Knack and Knack II - I really like these games for those just starting to play video games. The story is interesting for all ages and your opponents are goblins instead of other people. The best part about the games is that if the child has a tough time navigating the map, the child is brought forward to where the couch-coop parent is on the screen. Most importantly, the games have been out awhile and you can find a copy of each for around $15. Unfortunately they are only available on the PlayStation consoles.
• Mario Party - With my last suggestion being a PlayStation exclusive, I thought I should offer an alternative to those who prefer the Nintendo Switch. Every time I go over to my grandson's house, he wants me to play Mario Party. The games end up running about a half hour but he loves it. My 4-year old granddaughter also loves to play. Nintendo has some great games which is why they have managed to remain so popular. The only downside to the game is that it is rather expensive with a cost of around $55.
• Lego Harry Potter Collection - My kids grew up playing with Lego blocks, listening to me read the Harry Potter books, and watching the Harry Potter movies. My grandkids are following in my kids' footsteps and so I started playing the Lego Harry Potter game with my grandson. He loves it and waits about 2 seconds before asking to play it when he walks into my house. I got the game for free with my PS Plus subscription but it is only $20 if you want to buy it as it has been out a while. My only complaint is that if you stop the game in the middle of a mission, you are forced to restart it instead of having frequent save points. 
• Lego Star Wars Skywalker Saga - This is a game that my grandson plays with his dad and loves it. In anticipation of having grandkids over at my house during the Holiday Season, I picked up a copy for less than $20. I am a huge fan of the movies and look forward to playing the Lego version of the game.

Games for Teenagers and Adults

I must confess that I have stopped playing video games on my own and so I am merely sharing the games that people around me have asked me to help get for those older children on their Christmas lists (adults included). Some of these recommendations will look familiar but I hope to have a well-rounded list.

• Ghost of Tsushima - This one is a game that my youngest son and I both enjoyed playing. My oldest son just can't seem to get into it though. He asked us why we like it so much and the only thing I can think of is that both of us have been to Japan where my oldest son has not. I actually took his younger brother on my older son's birthday while leaving the older son back at home for college finals. I think he might still be mad about that. The reason I like the game is that it reminds me of the very-well manicured gardens and temples in Japan. It is an older game and you can find it on the PS5 for $25. Unfortunately it is a PlayStation exclusive.
• Far Cry 3, Far Cry 4, and Far Cry 5 - I have enjoyed all 3 of those games and they are available on more than just the PlayStation consoles. You can also get all 3 games in the Far Cry Insanity Bundle for less than $20. I have spent countless hours playing the Far Cry games and think this is a great deal that will last long past the Holiday break.
• God of War Ragnarok - I have a copy of this game but have yet to play it. It is another PlayStation exclusive and have helped quite a few of my friends get a copy of the game. If you don't have someone at Sony that can help get a discounted copy, it can be found for $30 on the PS4 and $40 on the PS5. I thoroughly enjoyed the predecessor game and spent many hours entertained by it. I can only assume this version is close to the original.
• Spider-Man 2 - This is another game I have not yet played. I started playing the original but stopped halfway through because of COVID. One would think that isolation would have enabled me to complete the game but without the need to travel to the Bay Area, I had other things to occupy my evenings instead of video games. I did enjoy the original and have enjoyed watching my youngest son as he platinumed this one. This is another one of those PlayStation exclusives and as it released recently is rather pricy at $70.
• Hogwarts Legacy - This is a game available on more than just the PlayStation and is also a game that my sons' wives have enjoyed. Unfortunately I have not played it but might pick it up this Christmas because it comes so highly recommended. It has been out a while and you can find it for $30 at Walmart. Given the glowing recommendations from both of my daughters-in-law, I recommend you give it a shot if you are a fan of the Harry Potter movies and books.
• Jedi Survivor - This is a game from Electronic Arts that is cross platform and picks up where Jedi Fallen Order leaves off. Both of my sons really enjoyed the game and I am hoping it shows up under my Christmas tree. I enjoyed Fallen Order and am excited to give the sequel a try. My youngest son warned me that he thought the original to be better but still recommended this one. Game Stop has a Black-Friday special for only $30 that you should be able to find for awhile longer.

Not everyone will want video games for Christmas and so this may not fit everyone on your list. If you do have people who like to play, I hope this gives you some ideas. It is also important to note that I enjoy action-adventure games and so I have not recommended any sports ones, which are popular with a lot of gamers. I always suggest asking about what people's favorite games are and then looking for sequels or similar games. Then you are sure to get the right gift. If you still aren't sure, a gift card may be the better choice. Then that person on your list can ensure he or she got the right game.

With Computers, Heat is Your Enemy

When it comes to computers, heat is an enemy. I recently visited my youngest son in Ohio and enjoyed an evening of watching him play Spider-Man 2. The way he has his PS5 set up is that it sits in a television stand below his TV. His stand has doors on it and so when he plays, he has to open the doors to make sure the console has enough airflow to remain cool. When he forgets to open the doors, it gets really hot and the PS5's fan sounds like a jet engine. Continuing to run the console could cause damage and render it useless.

When I worked in Research and Development at Sony Interactive Entertainment, the PlayStation 5 early development kits took many precautions to ensure they didn't overheat. I can't go into too many details because of my existing confidentiality agreement but we always worried. about heat. The consumer units have been designed to withstand a lot, but they are not designed to run in an enclosed space without proper cooling.

The PlayStation 5 is similar to high-end home computer systems. Both need to be appropriately cooled. This means ensuring there is good airflow around intake and exhaust vents. Dust needs to be cleaned from fans and airways. Basically you should constantly evaluate your computer setup and make sure nothing has changed that would create an overheating hazard.

PlayStation 5 Consoles Available

I just received an e-mail from Sony Interactive Entertainment letting me know that they have PlayStation 5 consoles available for purchase. You can go to https://direct.playstation.com and buy one without having to wait in line. It even ships to your home.

I know that COVID caused some severe supply chain interruptions but having to wait 2 years for the latest video game consoles seems a bit excessive. Knowing that there is finally enough product to meet consumer demand is encouraging. Hopefully it signals the end of supply shortages for automobiles as well.

Please remember that I used to work for PlayStation and am a fan of their product so I am not completely unbiased.

Video Game Review: Horizon Forbidden West

Friday night my wife went to dinner with her siblings. I opted to stay home and finish up Horizon Forbidden West. What a great game! Now I am probably partial as I used to work for PlayStation and this is an exclusive title that I got for free when one of my former colleagues gave me a download code as a parting gift from the company. I also played the precursor Horizon Zero Dawn all the way through and enjoyed it so much I earned every trophy in the game (also known as Platinuming).

At the end of Horizon Zero Dawn you discover there is more to the story and another cataclysmic event about to happen to earth. Horizon Forbidden West is that continuation. You continue to play as Aloy and move from the Intermountain West to the West Coast of the United States. There are new lands to explore and more people to discover that are even more bloodthirsty than the previous game. Naturally you show your excellent fighting skills and are immediately accepted by everyone except the bad guys who try to kill you. While you pretty much have combat mastered with the robot dinosaurs from the previous game, you get to meet more advanced versions as well as superior robots with an extraterrestrial origin. The only downside is you don't get to keep your invincible armor from the first game. Its batteries are dead and that became a foreshadowing of what would happen to me in a lot of battles . . . I died.

If you enjoyed the first game, you probably will the second as well. There are various quests to complete and friends to meet along the way. Not all weapons are created equal and so be sure to use your interactions to learn about what works best for you. My son ran through the game and focused on the main story at the expense of side quests. I found those extra missions added to the story and I enjoyed searching out different areas in the hopes of gaining experience. When it came time for the final battle, I did very well and sort of breezed through it. I think I enjoyed the game much more than my son.

Today I got an e-mail from PlayStation congratulating me on my accomplishment of finishing the main story of the game. They also reported that I spent 116 hours playing the game and earned 47 trophies. I still have 14 more to go to Platinum the game and will probably do that over the next week or so. My son's total hours played came in at much less than that. I guess I took my time.

Horizon Forbidden West has an ESRB rating of T for Teen because of language, mild sexual themes, and violence. To be honest I didn't notice any strong language but I am sure it was there. As for violence, there is a lot of that and the blood to go with it. The story also includes hints at same-gender relationships, hence the mild sexual theme warning.

I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a 100 hours of pure entertainment. If I had not gotten a free copy of the game, I would have had no problem paying the $65 when it first came out so I could play it on my PS5. It is also available on the PS4.

I Have a Spare PS5

Last week I received an e-mail from PlayStation letting me know I would be given the opportunity to purchase a PlayStation 5 at the manufacturer's suggested retail price. On Wednesday, I was told to log into the PlayStation Direct site on Thursday at noon using a special link to purchase the PS5. At 12:01pm on Thursday, I logged in and found myself in a virtual queue waiting to purchase the coveted console. I was told the line was about an hour long. 10 minutes later, I was let in and purchased the device. It then arrived at my house on Saturday at 1:25pm.

This is my second PS5 and so I didn't purchase it for myself as I already have one. I got it for any of my family or friends that want one and didn't want to pay the scalpers for it. So far, nobody has taken me up on my offer to sell it to them for what I paid, $536.24. I used to work for Sony Interactive Entertainment and am contractually not allowed to sell it for a higher price than I paid. While I no longer work for PlayStation, I do work for Sony and am honoring the agreement just to be sure. I would hate to have Sony cut off my account, which is something they could easily do.

I sent out messages to all of my family members on Saturday and everyone declined my offer. Next I talked to a few people that have expressed interest in the past about getting a PS5. They are still thinking about it. I am reluctant to advertise too widely about my device as I don't want someone buying it only to turn around and resell it for a profit. I looked at the usual retail sites like Walmart, Gamestop, Best Buy, Target, and a few others only to confirm the console is still hard to find. It is.

If you can convince me you will keep the PS5 for your own use and not resell it for a profit, you are welcome to buy it from me for the price I paid.

Network Issues on the PlayStation 5

A few weeks ago I noticed that my PS5 kept dropping its network connection. While it wasn't a big deal for solitary gaming, it sure made watching a streaming movie tough. My WiFi access point had been having some issues and so I had spent time fixing that. Unfortunately that did not resolve the issue with the PS5. I was in a troubleshooting mood and so I spent some time searching the Internet for similar issues that others may have had.

I came across a number of posts where other PS5 owners kept having the console drop their WiFi connections. The solution was to turn off automatic frequency selection and limit the WiFi to just 2.4 GHz. The frequencies available to WiFi are either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz with the faster speeds generally found on 5 GHz. While the PS5 has the hardware to take advantage of the higher frequency, the software engineers did a poor job of implementing support for it. That just means once a patch is made available, PS5 owners will be able to go back to 5 GHz.

I gave the solution a shot and regained my stable WiFi connection. Ultimately that was not the problem though. The fix worked because my new television also has WiFi capability and it turns out that the TV and PS5 kept interfering with each other. I really would like to go back to the 5 GHz signal for the PS5 and so I looked if I could set the TV to use 2.4 GHz but cannot.

Forcing the WiFi connection on the PS5 to 2.4 GHz seems to be working for now but I look forward to the day when I can go back to 5 GHz WiFi. At least I can watch a whole movie without it pausing while the stream buffers.

Poor Sound Playing DVD on PS5

Friday night my wife and I sat down to watch a DVD with a guest and had to do some troubleshooting with my surround-sound system. The father of a friend from work was driving his motor home from Calgary to Phoenix. He had planned to spend the night in a Walmart parking lot but I offered to let him park it at our house and sleep in one of our guest bedrooms. The weather is a bit cold and while I'm sure he had a nice bed in the RV, running water and heat would be nice too. He accepted and joined us for our Friday-night movie.

For the past week or so, I have been trying to watch the 2004 version of Flight of the Phoenix. This seemed like a very appropriate movie as my friend's dad is a pilot and was headed to Phoenix on his road trip. We put the DVD into the PS5 and jumped past all of the previews. When the movie started, the speakers sounded like I had blown one of them. I knew they were fine as we have been watching a lot of movies lately. To double-check, I switched the receiver from the PS5 to a radio station and the audio came out clear. Therefore I knew it was a problem with the PS5.

Not wanting to play around too long and troubleshoot the problem, I quickly moved the disk to the PS4 and the sound had no issues. We watched the movie and my friend's dad really appreciated the audio. The powered subwoofer created a very unique experience for him, especially in that movie.

The next day, I wanted to figure out if there is a perpetual problem with DVD's playing on the PS5 and so I took the time to troubleshoot the issue. After all, if there is a problem, I could always reach out to my buddy that works on the CODECs for the PlayStation consoles and log a bug even though I no longer work there.

When I am done using my PS5, I always put it in standby mode. That allows any updates to automatically download and install. The first thing I tried is powering off the PS5 and then restarting it. I put in the DVD and it played fine. I wish I had known that the previous evening but now I do. Should you find the sound not working correctly in a movie you are playing on your PS5, just restart the device and see if the problem goes away. If not, then it is a different problem than mine.

Getting the Most out of my PlayStation 5

When I first got my PlayStation 5, I kept it on my desk in my home office as I used it for work. Now that I am no longer working for Sony Interactive Entertainment, I have moved it into my theater room. I now have it connected to my brand-new 85-inch television. Unfortunately it was not as simple as plugging it into my TV as I had to also connect it to my surround-sound system.

Yesterday I posted about the importance of refresh rates and why 120 frames per second or Hz is significant for the latest televisions. I want to preserve the high refresh rate from my PlayStation 5 and that just isn't possible if I plug it into my current television receiver which is then connected to the TV. My receiver only supports 60 Hz at 4K and I do not want to spend money replacing it right now. I probably will in the future but for now I want to keep using it. So how do I keep the high video quality and also keep the high sound quality?

I can't take full credit for this as my oldest son helped me figure it out. The solution is to use the audio return channel or eARC HDMI output from the television. The high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) has been around for over 15 years and has evolved to allow for various scenarios like this. When I set up my PlayStation 5, I plugged it directly into my new television using one of it's two HDMI 2.1 interfaces. The second is used to connect the TV to the receiver. Now what happens is the picture and sound are sent to the television from the PS5. The sound is then sent back to the receiver for that shake-the-neighbors experience. HDMI works both ways so that any devices connected to the receiver use that same HDMI interface into the television.

One would think that with a PS5 I wouldn't need to connect any other device. It streams video, has a DVD drive, a Blu-ray drive, and can play 4K Blu-ray disks. I also have a PS4 Pro connected to a PlayStation VR as well as an old VHS video cassette player, from Sony, of course. The moment you connect your PS VR to your PS4, you lose the ability to play games in 4K without having to swap cables. Rather than deal with that, I just kept my PS4 Pro and use it with my PS VR. I also use it to play video games with my grandson and keep a healthy mix of age-appropriate games loaded on it. As for the VHS tapes, their quality is really horrible even with 4K upscaling. You never know when you may need to watch an old video though.

My son and I connected everything and then started watching Return of the Jedi on Disney+. While we enjoy the movie, we wanted to make sure the sound and picture were in sync. After all, nothing ruins the experience of a movie when you hear an explosion before you see it. The lip movement not matching the dialog can also be really annoying, which is why I prefer subtitles to dubbing for non-English movies. Fortunately both the TV and the receiver have mechanisms for delaying one or the other. In my case, the sound led the picture. I went into the receiver settings and added a 10ms delay. That improved things somewhat but wasn't perfect. I upped the delay to 20ms and everything synced perfectly. If it had been the other way around and the picture led the sound, I would have added the delay to the television.

Once we got the timing worked out on the PS5, I had to go in and check it on the PS4 and VHS cassette player. The PS4 is in sync but there is a 20ms delay on the VHS. I can turn off the delay setting in the receiver when I play video tapes to solve that problem. As I doubt I will watch a lot of VHS tapes, I'm fine not worrying about it. I can probably set custom parameters for each device and save them to the receiver but am fine with how things are set up now.

Should you find yourself with a new PS5 and an older receiver, just connect it directly to the television. Then use eARC to pull in your surround-sound receiver. You may have to adjust some settings but once you get it set up, you will be amazed at the quality.

Time For a New Television

Monday was my last day working at Sony PlayStation and I wanted to maximize my discount on Sony items before I left. So on Monday last week I ordered a new 85-inch 4K television. It arrived today. My previous one was only 60 inches and so I am now doing a lot of rearranging to make room for the new toy. Getting a much larger television requires a lot of work.

I waited around this morning for the television to arrive. Once it did, I just moved it into the house so I could plan out the next course of events. My old TV stand fit the 60-inch model perfectly but won't work for the 85-incher. I did an online search and found a stand that I liked at Ikea for a reasonable price. I drove down there and picked it up. Then I brought it home and put it in my home theater room and waited for some help to arrive before assembling it.

My oldest son came over after work and we moved the old TV into my bedroom so it is out of the way. Then we removed the old stand so we could build the new one. The build process went amazingly fast as we made sure to follow the instructions carefully. That is the trick behind assembling Ikea furniture: carefully following the instructions. Next we put the new television on the stand. Boy is 85 inches a lot of screen real-estate. It took awhile to plug in the PS4, the PS5, and the audio system. Once we had everything put together we tested it by logging into Disney+ on the PS5 and watching the first 8 minutes of "Return of the Jedi" in 4K.

There are still a few bugs to work out but I will take care of that tomorrow. My PS5 runs 4K video at 120 frames per second but my audio receiver can't handle that. To get around the shortcoming, we connected the PS5 directly to the TV and then run the sound back to the receiver. There is a bit of a delay between the picture and the sound but it should be fairly easy to fix with some setting adjustments. I'll work on that tomorrow.

So far I am very impressed with the new television. For the past few years I have felt that my 60-inch TV has gotten too small. I also like the added definition of 4K as the picture looks incredible. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the old stuff. Let me rephrase that: I need to figure out how to make my old television fit in my bedroom without upsetting my wife or buying any  more furniture. I'll be sure to report on the outcome.

Sometimes You Can Get a PS5

My youngest son sent me a text message saying that PlayStation Direct sent him an e-mail with an exclusive code to get a PlayStation 5. It is because he is a PlayStation Plus member and opted in for the chance to buy one as soon as it became available. I told him he should get it the moment he could as PS5's are still very hard to get. He didn't think he would and so I told him I would buy it off him if he didn't want it as I have a large number of people that are trying to get one but can't. I told him I wouldn't make any money off the deal but would do it as a service for someone.

My son decided to go for it and buy it knowing he wouldn't lose any money. He got in the queue at exactly the time he needed and ended up only waiting 20 minutes before being able to purchase the PS5. Two days later it arrived at his front door. I then got another text from him saying that I could have it when I come to see him in two weeks if he couldn't sell his current PS4. With the backwards compatibility of the PS5 he doesn't really need the PS4 any more and that can help offset the cost of the new console.

Only 5 minutes after that text I got another one saying that he had already sold his PS4. I asked him how much he got for it and he told me. Now he didn't pay anything for his PS4 as I gave it to him as a gift and so he really had no idea how much I paid for it. He ended up selling it for $100 more than I paid. Now I get a significant discount for them because I work for PlayStation, but that amazed me. He said he could justify the premium as he threw in his second controller and a few games. I'm still amazed.

On Thursday I saw an article saying that because of shipping delays you will want to start your Christmas shopping early. Fortunately my son got a special invitation and now has some of that shopping done. He also proved to me that it is possible to get one of the latest video game consoles.

Video Game Review: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Saturday morning I woke up early as I couldn't sleep. I got some breakfast and then headed into my office to finish up my latest video game: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. I knew I was close to the end as the game told me so. I got the message that once I started the next section of the game, I wouldn't be able to stop until I completed the game. With a whole Saturday before me, I started the final battle and finished the game in about 30 to 45 minutes. I actually expected it to take longer.

Unfortunately the latest Ratchet & Clank game is only available on the PlayStation 5 console and not everyone that wants one can get one. The only reason I have one is because I work for PlayStation and had the chance to get one on launch. I also received a copy of Rift Apart for free as it came from Insomniac which is part of my company. While I try not to let that influence my review, it probably does. My hope is that should some of you finally get your hands on a PS5 and look for games to play, you will be able to decide if the game is for you.

My two sons love the Ratchet & Clank games. They have ever since the PlayStation 2 days. Needless to say we have every Ratchet & Clank game. This is actually the first Ratchet & Clank game I have ever played all the way through. I have watched my sons play them but never really played more than a few hours. There was the one Christmas I played with my daughter but I never really completed any games. I have to say I enjoyed it a lot and am glad I finally played one of the titles to completion.

Ratchet & Clank games are fun for the whole family. Yes there is cartoon violence and so this game has an ESRB rating of E-10+, meaning it is for everyone but players should be at least 10 years old. Most of the violence is against robots and they are obviously bad guys. I would have no problem playing this with my 4-year-old grandson. In fact, my son did play it with him watching.

One of the things that used to confuse me watching my sons play the Ratchet & Clank games is the large number of weapons to choose from. By the end of Rift Apart, I had collected something like 20 different weapons. Each has their own strengths as well as stash of ammunition. The more you use a particular weapon, the more you can upgrade it. Ultimately it becomes an exercise in trying to find the merits of each weapon and use it appropriately. When you go to select a new weapon, all action stops. That allows you to take your time selecting the best tool for the job. It also allows you to let your pulse slow back to somewhat normal levels.

The story line for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a lot of fun. While there is a natural progression to things, you have the option of going back and finishing the task of finding collectibles in other parts of the story. I made sure to have everything collected and all parts of the story completed before beginning the final battle Saturday morning. I am also close to collecting every trophy from the game but am not yet sure if I will go back to try and platinum the game.

If you are looking for a fun game to play because you are a kid or want to play it with your kids, I highly recommend Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. I consider myself to be a big kid which is why I enjoyed it so much. I can't really comment on the price of the game other than to say that I have a huge backlog of games to play and I prioritized it over a number of other great titles and am glad I did. If you can get your hands on a PS5, it is the favorite of all the PS5 games I have played so far.

Internet in Hawaii

We have a unique opportunity in time right now. Those of us that can work from home can actually work from anywhere. Rather than stay in Utah and endure a blistering heatwave, my wife and I rented a place in Hawaii for 5 weeks this summer. We have been here almost 2 weeks and have enjoyed every minute of it. Don't worry, we have someone staying in our home back in Utah. We have to keep the lawn mowed and make sure the place doesn't burn to the ground on the 4th of July because of negligent neighbors.

In order for me to be able to work from Hawaii, I need a good Internet connection. So far I have not been disappointed. One of the first things I did when I got here was set up a PS4 and use it to remote into my PS5 at home. The PS4 is much easier to travel with and I actually did have a spare one that I could bring with me. The two consoles connected easily and I could play games easily.

A decade or so ago, the State of Hawaii wanted to reduce its economic reliance on tourism and so they helped build out their digital infrastructure. My Internet connection on the island of Kauai is significantly better than mine back in Utah. I don't have nearly the number of slow-downs that I do back home nor do I have the same latency issues. Basically things are working very well.

If you decide you also want to work from the Islands, rest assured that the Internet works very well over here.

Video Game Review: Astro's Playroom

My grandson has been spending a lot of time at my house this week and whenever he shows up, he wants to play Astro's Playroom. He calls it the "Robot Game." He'll come down in my office, which is where I have my PlayStation 5 set up, and we will play for an hour before we are asked to come join the rest of the family. That is fine though as you really don't want to play video games for more than an hour a day.

Astro's Playroom is a game that comes installed on all PlayStation 5 consoles. When I first saw the game, it didn't interest me that much. I actually didn't want to play it until my grandson wanted to spend time with me and I knew it would be a fun and safe game for him. We tried it out a bit and he really likes most of the game. There are certain levels that are a bit too intense and he doesn't like them. He also gets bored of watching me fail on a number of the challenges. Overall though, we have a lot of fun.

One of the purposes of the game is to get PlayStation 5 owners familiar with the DualSense wireless controller. If you are familiar with the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 wireless controller, it is the next step in the evolution of input. It has all the bells and whistles of the previous controller and also includes haptic feedback. That means you feel things like recoil in the triggers when firing a gun. It adds a new level of sensing to the gaming experience and needs to be felt to be understood. This brings us back to Astro's Playroom and how it shows you all of the features of the DualSense wireless controller.

I encourage everyone to run through the game just to see what the new platform is capable of doing. The game only took me about 5 or so hours to complete and that includes explaining things to my grandson. It has an ESRB rating of E for Everyone and truly is a game that everyone can play and will enjoy.

It is important that I let everyone know that I do work in research and development at Sony Interactive Entertainment, which is the company responsible for the PlayStation 5 console. The game is free and didn't cost me anything, nor will it cost you as long as you own a PS5.

Playing Video Games with a 3 Year Old

A few days ago my 3-year-old grandson came over and wanted to play video games with me. He loves cars and so I gave him a PS3 controller while I played a racing game on the PS4. He didn't know that he wasn't really controlling the car on the TV and enjoyed our short time together playing the game. I would tell him to hold one of the triggers down to make the car go faster. Then I would look at what he did and made sure to match his actions. We both cheered when we won the game and received a trophy for our accomplishment.

A few days later he came over and wanted to play a new game on the PS5. I sat him on my lap and gave him a 2nd controller while I controlled the game. Every so often I would tell him to press the square button and then matched his movement to coincide. The game requires the player to move the controller around and it makes me smile as my grandson mimics my actions. We gather coins and collected PlayStation artifacts in "Astro's Playroom." Since we play as a robot, my grandson calls it "the robot game." Now every time he comes over he wants to play the robot game.

"Astro's Playroom" is the free game included with all PlayStation 5 consoles. I have to say that I enjoy playing it with him. While I could easily finish the game, I wait for him to come over before trying new areas in the game. He is also getting pretty good at hitting the square button to punch the bad robots and pressing the X button to jump. I have to pay close attention to him but if I do it right, he really thinks he is playing. My favorite is when a bad robot jumps out and surprises him. He gets excited and squeals anxiously.

Unfortunately it won't take my grandson long to figure out he isn't controlling the video game and he will want to play for real. My hope is that I have given him enough training so that he will be able to pick up the game movements and not get frustrated. Until then we are having fun playing games together and plan to do a lot of that during the Thanksgiving holiday. I imagine he will take over and be better than me by Christmas.

PS5 is Cheap Compared to Skiing

My youngest daughter is a ski instructor at Alta Ski Resort here in Utah. Before lunch I talked with her a bit and she looked into how much she makes per lesson compared with how much the resort makes. It is important this season as there won't be group lessons because of COVID-19. That means she will be giving private lessons all winter long. For an all-day private lesson, Alta Ski School charges $700. Let's not worry about how much of that my daughter will see (not much, if you are wondering). That figure startled her as it did me. I decided that if I was just getting into skiing, I couldn't afford it.

That $700 figure doesn't include ski equipment rentals, lift tickets, or food. So basically, if you need help learning how to ski, plan on dropping $1000 for a single day of skiing. All I can say is, "Wow!"

Now Alta is known as a relatively inexpensive place to ski. When I was in college, I liked Alta because a lift ticket cost so much less than other resorts in the area. Naturally my daughter and I became curious and looked at how much private lessons are at Park City. You can plan on dropping $900 there. We also looked at the most expensive resort in Utah and that is Deer Valley. During peak season, expect to spend over $1100 for private lessons there.

When the PlayStation 5 price was announced, I thought it a bit pricey. Now I realize that I can afford to play video games a lot easier than I can afford to go skiing. For the price of one day of skiing, I can get a PS5 and an XBox Series X. The only problem is finding a store with the new video game consoles.

Getting My PlayStation 5

Yesterday I received my PlayStation 5 at 10:10am thanks to next-day service from UPS. I have to say that it was a bitter-sweet moment. I am happy to have the latest generation video game console but I also see all of the problems people are going through to try and get one. I had a neighbor text me asking if I had a way of working magic so he could help his boss get one. I had to respond that I couldn't help my sons get any. I even tried.

My oldest son found out that Walmart would be making stock available throughout the day at specific times. In an effort to help him get one, I logged onto the Walmart site at 3 different times. On multiple occasions I got a PS5 in the shopping cart only to have them all sold out before I could finish paying for the device. I found the experience disappointing.

Today my youngest son wanted to log into my PS5 and remote play it. I have several new games loaded on my PS5 and told him to give one of them a try. He has been eagerly anticipating the new Spider-Man and really wanted to give it a go. Unfortunately his wife has made him promise he won't play it until he finishes his first semester of grad school. He did get a kick out playing with the new user interface (UI) all the way in Ohio while the physical machine is located with me in Utah.

For those that have yet to purchase the PlayStation 5, all I can say is that Sony is working hard to make more stock available as quickly as possible. While I work for the company I don't have any insight into how many units are being produced nor which stores have stock available right now. The only reason I have my console is that the company set aside enough units so that the employees could get them on day 1 if they wished. I sincerely appreciate that they did that for us.

Smartphone Camera to the Rescue

Tomorrow the PlayStation 5 will be made available in the United States and I will slowly start migrating all of my game play from the PS4 to the PS5. The PlayStation VR will work with the PS5 but you need an adapter. It is free but you must to request it from Sony. I went through that process this afternoon and discovered I required the serial number of the PSVR. The website does a great job explaining where it is and so I pulled out my reading glasses and headed to get the information.

Unfortunately the older I get, the worse my vision becomes. While I used to be able to read such tiny writing there is no way I could make out the serial numbers even with my glasses. Fortunately I had my phone with me and so I just took a picture of those tiny little numbers on the back of the PSVR control box. Then I zoomed in on the picture and could easily read the numbers. Now my adapter is on the way.

When phones first started getting cameras I thought they were a joke and wouldn't really be that useful. Then I started taking more pictures of spectacular sites simply because I have a camera with me all the time. Now the camera is my go-to device when I need to fill out warranty cards and other services that require serial numbers. Manufacturers always seem to hide them in difficult-to-read places. Just grabbing my phone and snapping a picture is so much easier. No need to hunt down a pen and paper to write the number down. Then when I am done with the picture, I can delete the photo.

Imagined Perks of Working at PlayStation

When people find out I work for Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) which is the part of Sony responsible for the PlayStation product, they always ask if I can get them a free console. If I know the person really well I respond with something polite like, "No but that would be nice wouldn't it?" If it is a total stranger I might respond with something a little more cheeky like, "I only get one free one per year and I keep them for myself." The real answer is that employees get a minimal discount on console hardware, especially after a new product launch like the PlayStation 5. The discount, if anything will only be around $5 to $15. Towards the middle of the console's lifespan we are given the ability to purchase refurbished machines at a significant discount but are limited in how many we can purchase.

My son had a neighbor who failed to get a PlayStation 5 pre-order and was asking if anyone knew how to get one as her son's birthday is quickly approaching. My son replied, "My Dad works at PlayStation and can't even get me a PS5." It is a true statement and I appreciate him not setting me up for failure. I have seriously looked for ways to get each of my own children PS 5's but have come up short. Looks like I have to come up with some other idea for Christmas gifts.

One of the best perks of being an employee at SIE is that we do get a discount on games. Once again we are limited to only 2 copies of the same game per year but the price has been $15 per game. I imagine the price will go up for PS5 games as the retail price for video games has also gone up. I am also limited to games published by SIE. That means I can't help you with anything from Electronic Arts or Activision. One Christmas I had a neighbor come to my house and go through whatever games I still could purchase and buy them. After that, I put a limit on how much I help others with their Christmas gifts.

There are strings attached to the perks at working for a video game company. If I purchase the disk version of a game, it comes with the barcode scratched out so I can't return the game to a store or resell it as a new game. That means when I help someone get a game, he or she also has to abide by those same rules.

Finally there are the peripherals. I don't know why but every time I play any of the "God of War" games, I completely destroy a controller. It happened with the original 3 games remastered for the PS3 and again with the latest title on the PS4. So when I purchase any "God of War" game, I also pick up another controller as I know my current one will not make it through the end of the game. We get a nice discount on controllers, headsets, and other console peripherals. Once again, we do have some restrictions on how many we can get but each color counts as a separate product. That means I may only be able to get 2 black controllers per year but I also can get 2 red ones, 2 white ones, etc.

Now if you run into me at the airport or in public you know that I can't get you a free PlayStation console. Please don't ask for one. I wonder if people who work at Ferrari get asked if they get free cars?