Problems with the Cloud

Microsoft used to run an ad where a woman at home had a problem to solve. She then says, "To the cloud," like it is a miracle solution that will solve all problems. I remember thinking how stupid the response seemed to me. She just needed to know how to use some of the software she probably already had on her computer. Since the ad first appeared, we have seen a number of software and services transition to Internet servers and I some of it doesn't make sense.

Last night I turned on the nightly news and saw a story about how 911 services went down around the state. The disruption caused the FCC to get involved as emergency calls are rather important. It turns out that Microsoft had an issue with their cloud authentication for several hours making it so people couldn't log into e-mail, Azure, Sharepoint, One-Drive, and a number of other services. I have to admit that I am a bit concerned when I see that Microsoft's cloud is running such important things as 911 services. I have never trusted Microsoft products for critical systems as I have had too many crashes and lost a significant amount of work throughout the years. That is one of the reasons I am writing this on a Mac and have my blog hosted by Google.

The Microsoft crash effected two of my tasks yesterday as Sony uses a number of Microsoft cloud products such as Sharepoint and Exchange (e-mail). Fortunately I had other things I could do and so I just moved onto those tasks until this morning. Now everything seems to be running smoothly.

So what went wrong? I did a quick Internet search this morning as I assumed there would be plenty of information about the outage. I was not wrong as a number of news sources felt the outage worth reporting. Ultimately they all use Microsoft as the source for the problem. Some speculated that this might be caused by some sort of Distributed Denial of Surface (DDoS) attack. Microsoft came and said that it wasn't. Their explanation revealed a "code issue" that kept their servers from processing login information appropriately. Does that concern anyone as much as it does me?

There are a number of services that benefit from moving from people's local computers up into the Internet cloud. Then there are some others that are best left to local hardware. Hopefully we are not all blinded by the promises of the cloud to be stupid about it.

Video Game Console Fanboys

With only a little over a month until the next video game consoles are released, there is a lot of opinions being shared online. There are several camps of people: PlayStation fanboys, XBox fanboys, and the undecided group trying to decide which console to buy. As someone who works for PlayStation, I am probably biased and so I will refrain from discussing the technical merits of either console. For me the big deciding factors are what I am used to and where I can get the cheapest games. You may agree with me yet still end up getting a different console than I will. That's just fine.

As I read through the various reviews and comments, I enjoy reading some good-natured ribbing  but some of the remarks are just plain mean. I don't like that at all, regardless of the product being discredited. It is also interesting to view how some people can read the same information and use it to argue against each other. Ultimately we should all agree to disagree with one another and not take it personally.

The most recent comments I have read deal with how Microsoft and Sony both handled the pre-order situation. Sony said that pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 would be available the day after their price and availability announcement. Unfortunately that is not what happened. As soon as the announcement finished, retailers made the consoles available and they quickly sold out. Those who waited for the day after missed out. Microsoft saw Sony's mistake and ensured that retailers didn't start selling before the agreed upon date and time. Then they sold out minutes after the consoles became available. So who had the better strategy?

Those in the Sony camp (remember, that is where I work but I am trying to be fair and impartial) defend what happen by saying things about how the unplanned release kept the bot authors from buying up all of the stock at the appointed time. Those in the Microsoft camp argue that at least they knew when to be in front of their computer or when to go stand in line at a retail outlet. So who is right? Ultimately it doesn't matter because both console makers underestimated how many people wanted to purchase the machines. This is my personal opinion but if my college Economics teacher taught me anything it is that if both Sony and Microsoft knew there was such pent up demand for the new consoles, they would have priced them higher.

I will admit that I am not a fan of rivalries. I think our sports culture does us a huge disservice by encouraging this hatred for the other team and it has started spilling out into other parts of our society. I would like to see it stop and this post is my attempt to enlighten everyone with my point of view from inside one of the major console vendors. Competition is good and companies rise to the challenge of trying to create better products because of it. If Microsoft decided to stop producing consoles and pushed all gaming onto the PC, tablets, or mobile devices, it would not be a win for Sony. The whole console segment of the video game market would suffer in the long run.

One more thing before I finish tonight is that Sony and Microsoft benefit each other in ways that most people don't see. A lot of my colleagues came from Microsoft and I have seen Sony employees leave us and go to them. We are like those sports teams that trade players from time-to-time. Therefore it is in my best interest to never badmouth the competition. After all, I may end up working for them one day and would hate to have one of my posts cause my future employer question my loyalty. In the end we really are working towards the same objective: create the best gaming console for a price we think people are willing to pay.

Video Game Review: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Last night I had some free time and so I sat down to play one of the free games from my PS Plus subscription that came out in August: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. My son showed me the game when I visited him earlier this month. He has had a lot of fun playing it and so I thought I would give it a shot.

Normally I wouldn't write a game review until I have completed the game. With Fall Guys, it is hard to know when you are done as it is one of those games that just keeps going on and on as long as you are willing to play. The concept is that you and 59 other players join an online game where you try to get through a virtual obstacle course. The courses seem to be taken directly from the old 2008 television show called "Wipeout." Each run through an obstacle course narrows down the field. If you do well, you continue on. If not, you can watch other players or join another game. Once eliminated you receive points for your effort based on how well you did. You can then progress to higher levels which allow you to unlock clothing options to change your in-game appearance.

While playing with my son, we had a lot of fun. When one of us would die, we would pass the controller and let the other one play. When I played alone last night, I got bored rather quickly and only played for about half an hour before moving onto something else. During that 30 minute session, I racked up 6 trophies. If you are looking to quickly rack up trophies, then this is a good game for you. It is also a great game to play with others. I wish there was a couch-coop mode as I think it would be a fun group activity. Should you want to play with a friend, you will each need your own console and TV along with a copy of the game. There is a mechanism in the game for inviting friends to play with you and I imagine it would be a lot of fun and a great way to hang out with someone but also follow social distancing guidelines.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is available for the PC from Steam as well as the PlayStation 4 console. If you made the effort to add it to your game library last month through PS Plus, then you could have gotten it for free. If you missed it, then it is $19.99 from the PlayStation store. While I would like to say that it is worth the $20 price tag, I am not sure I would purchase the game had I not gotten it for free. If you are looking for a casual game to play with a group of people, then it is well worth the price.

The game has an ESRB rating of E for everyone and I wouldn't have a problem playing it with my 3-year-old grandson.

How to Get the Latest Video Game Consoles

If you are a big fan of video games then you know that the latest generation of consoles from both Sony and Microsoft recently became available for pre-order. Shortly after, the pre-order allocation sold out. Now it Seemingly looks like the only way to get one of the newest consoles is to wait in line on release day or hope that you will get lucky and more units will be made available for pre-order at the exact time to you look on some retailers online site. Fortunately there is another way to get one of the latest video game consoles.

So what is the secret to getting one of the latest video game consoles? It is really quite simple. You just have to wait. I know that sounds like blaspheme but those who are patient will win this battle. The rest of my post will focus on why this is a smart move.

The first reason to wait is to stick it to the scalpers. A lot of people purchased several consoles in the hopes of selling them for a huge profit. Those that panic and need to have a console on day 1 will end up paying extra to those scalpers. Now if we collectively decide not to pay the premium and just wait, the scalpers will be punished by their own greed and get stuck with machines they won't be able to sell. I know this advice will not be followed by everyone but think of how it will effect scalper behavior in the future if we all agreed not to give in and pay their exorbitant costs.

Now let's be honest with ourselves, is there a game worth playing on day 1 of the console launch? I remember what happened when I got my PS4 on launch day. I picked up one of the launch games and still have yet to play it. I will admit that my sons took over the console and never gave me the chance to play but the reality is that most of the really good games arrived months later. I know both companies are trying to make the consoles worth buying on day 1 but I have a nice backlog of games for the existing consoles that will keep me busy for the foreseeable future. Furthermore most launch titles seem to show up for previous game consoles as well.

Microsoft's consoles will be in stores on November 10th and Sony's on the 12th. Those are both in the middle of the week (Tuesday and Thursday respectively). I have to go to work. If I did get the console on one of those days, I would have to wait until the weekend to start playing. Ideally I would pick up the console right before Thanksgiving so I could keep myself entertained during the long break . . . if I am not skiing. Looking at historical data from previous console launches, new inventory arrives at stores weekly. All you need to do is ask your local stores nicely when the next shipment will arrive and plan to be at the store early on those days. That gives you around 6 weeks to get lucky if you are looking to put one of the consoles under the Christmas tree.

Now for the big reveal. I actually work for one of the two video game console makers and it is company policy that I disclose this information so as not to mislead anyone. It is probably no secret that I work for PlayStation as I have always been a fan since my older brother worked for them and have the most experience with Sony products. So the next question is if I will be getting a PlayStation 5 on launch day? When the PlayStation 4 came out, all employees had the option of pre-ordering one that actually arrived 2 days early. Naturally I got one. We are still waiting for details on what will happen for employees with the PlayStation 5 but I imagine it will be similar to the PS4 launch with one or two minor differences. I plan to pick one up. Unfortunately I won't be able to use it until the weekend as I do have to go to work and have other projects that will keep me from playing games. However if I am not able to get one from work, I will follow my own advice and wait patiently for stores to have them restocked.

Oh, one last thing. While I work for Sony Interactive Entertainment (or PlayStation), I don't speak for the company and am very restricted in what I can say. All opinions represented are my own.

 

Video Game Review: Battlefield V

Recently I finished playing Battlefield V from Electronic Arts or EA on my PS4. I enjoyed playing both Battlefield 3 on the PS3 and Battlefield I on the PS4. Interestingly enough, you cannot rely on the ending number to figure out which game comes before others as the number one in Battlefield I refers to the World War I experience and came out after Battlefield 4.

I started playing Battlefield V several times for various research projects at work. When PlayStation Plus released Call of Duty: WWII, I became interested in the history of World War II. After completing the game, I headed back and restarted Battlefield V. While both games are fiction, they do have ties to actual events in the war and I enjoyed the historical aspects of both games.

While earlier versions of EA's Battlefield games focused on a single-player campaign, Battlefield I and Battlefield V have a relatively short campaign with an emphasis on online play. I didn't mind as I don't have as much time at home to play video games and didn't want to spend months on the same game. Battlefield V is only a 9-hour game to complete all of the campaign missions. There are 5 of them and the last one you play as a German tank commander towards the end of the war. All of the campaign battles take place in the European theater and so if you are looking for anything in the Pacific, you will have to try one of the online experiences.

I used to be a huge online player but had too many negative experiences where I would go online and get continually annihilated before I could fire my first shot. Since then I haven't really bothered except in the rare case where I want to get the platinum trophy for a particular game that requires an online trophy or two. The online experience for Battlefield V looks pretty good and so you will want to look at another review to get a complete picture of the game.

I have a work associate that used to work at EA who picked me up the game for only $20. Best Buy has the game for only $18 right now and I think it is well worth the price even if you only play the single-player campaign part of the game. If you are looking for a WWII-genre game and have not yet played Battlefield V, I recommend giving it a try. 

The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature because of violence and language. War is never pretty and one thing playing war-related video games has taught me is that I never want to fight in a real war.

Video Conferencing Suggestions

I am finishing up my sixth month of working from home and last night found myself trying to decide between 2 different video conference calls. Actually there was a third one I could also have attended but opted not to long before last night. Video conference calls are not just for work either. One of the calls I didn't bother attending was for a personal hobby. I know that families are also holding them in place of getting together and risking the spread of COVID-19.

In the first few weeks of working from home, people tried to continue holding meetings as usual. It didn't take long for insightful organizations to realize one or two changes needed to be made. My company put out some specific guidelines for video conferencing and I think many of them are worth sharing.

One of the benefits of face-to-face meetings is that you get up from your desk and walk to a conference room. If you need to stop and use the restroom, you have the option. You also get a minor change of scenery. With video calls you can schedule them back-to-back all day long and never have to leave your desk. An early suggestion we received is to cut back on the length of meetings. Instead of a 30-minute meeting, make it 25. If it is usually an hour, make it 50 minutes. This will allow people time to gather thoughts between meetings, grab a drink or snack, and take a bio-break if needed. My personal preference is to start meetings on the hour or half-hour and end early. Starting 5 or 10 minutes late is a bit tougher for me as I find myself waiting at my desk for the appointed start time.

Another suggestion we received is to see if we can cut down on the number of meetings being held. Some days are so full of meetings that people don't have the chance to do actual real work. What I have done with my team is remove one of our daily stand-ups each week. For those that don't know, daily stand-ups are short meetings where the team quickly reviews progress of daily work. We have them Monday through Thursday but not on Friday. Should something come up and we need to cancel one of the meetings, we reserve Friday for a make-up, just in case.

Cutting down on the number of meetings also goes along with another suggestion: setting aside one day a week with no meetings, if possible. Unfortunately this is a tough one for some people. My boss has multiple meetings every day and so even though we don't have stand-ups on Friday, he still has meetings. I am one of the fortunate ones that has no meetings on Friday and so I don't have to worry about making sure I am at my desk during specific times throughout the day. I generally use this freedom to actually get stuff done. So far this morning I have taken care of a load of paperwork I haven't had time to get to during the week. I am also making sure to put together this posting during my lunch hour so it doesn't distract from the time I am at work.

There are many other suggestions ranging from what to wear (you don't have to wear pants as long as nobody can see your legs), how to make sure you pay attention (taking notes helps me), and always making sure you are muted unless speaking in the meeting. For those that find themselves attending way too many meetings, you can put together an avatar that will attend your meetings for you. It is a funny read and should put a smile on your face even if it does have one or two issues. Good luck with your next meeting.

What Will Work Look Like after COVID-19?

We had a group weekly meeting today at work and the question came about what the office environment will look like after COVID-19. A year ago I worked for a company that felt it important to show up at the office every day. My being able to work from home one day per week was considered a very special circumstance. Now that everyone is working from home, people are questioning the old corporate culture. Furthermore a lot of people are much more effective working from home.

Recently we hired a new project manager and while some of us are effectively working from home, on-boarding a new team member is less than ideal. It takes a lot more mentoring and hand holding to get the new person up to speed. So how will this effect work after COVID-19?

 The meeting at work today was held over Microsoft Teams, which is a relatively new video conferencing application. With the large number of people using the service, there is a lot of innovation happening with the tool. Furthermore there are a number of other similar services that are advancing at an equally rapid pace. Some of the new features being offered are making video conferencing a much more viable option as a replacement for in-person meetings. So how will this effect work after COVID-19?

My wife and I went for a walk this evening and the topic of our cancelled vacation came up. This led to the discussion of whether or not I will need to travel as much for work. I had one year where I went to Japan something like 7 times. We don't think it will be necessary to ever fly that much in the future but are not quite sure. Will other people want to be travelling as much as they have in?

Unfortunately I don't have any answers. I could make a prediction but will most likely be wrong. I would like to believe that I will be able to work from home most days of the week. That would really help me rack up the ski days in winter. I would like to believe that I will still get all of those wonderful trips to the exotic country of Japan. Unfortunately that doesn't work with the scenario of working from home more often. Ultimately the current work environment is evolving and we are not done yet. Hopefully we can all look forward to those changes. While many people are filing for unemployment, I sincerely hope there is a place for everyone and think there will be. Of all the things I want to be right about the last one is the most important.