September 1

To adapt or not to adapt, that is the question.

I started this blog to review products, events, games and the like. I have over the last few years realised that there are so many sites that do this and are better at it. I lost interest as you can see by the lack of posts.

This is not the only thing that I have lost interest in. I started to stream over 4 years ago. I loved doing it, it allowed me to escape from the things going on in my life and for some time it did. Over the last few months, I have become disenchanted due to the ugliness of people coming into my streams.

Covid has shed a very bright spotlight on the ugly of the human race. Between the US Presidential election and Covid, the amount of hate, disrespect, and intolerance has grown. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch have turned into a cesspool of ugly.

I had one person just before I took some time off streaming say to me “Have I seen you on TV? Weren’t you on How to catch a predator?” I was playing Minecraft at the time and I do have LGBTQIA+ in the description on all my streams. So it is not surprising that hatemongers were targeting me.

Let me be clear, I am proud to be a Homosexual, I do not hide it and love who I am. I will not cower in a corner because some asshat came into my channel to take a shot at me (Who is most likely a self-hating closeted Homosexual themselves). I am however struggling on whether I care enough to adapt and reinvent Talking Nerdy into something else. I do want to return to streaming and even blogging, but it will not be the same. It may not even be the same name. At this point, I am not sure exactly what the content will be. I do promise if I do return it will be adapted into a safe haven for those that want and need help in fighting the negative onslaught of hatred.

For now, I sit and ponder exactly what it could be. If I do decide to come back be on the lookout for the reinvention of Talking Nerdy.

And for all of the close-minded, hatred filled people out there… My love will outshine your ugliness. For that, I am 100% confident.

Richard aka Talking Nerdy

August 27

COD World League 2020 Update!

Call of Duty World League

As you have already heard Call of Duty league play is receiving an overhaul. Right now, it is hard to tell what the lasting effects these changes will make. I am excited about the new year and hope this transition goes smoothly. There are always bumps in the road and things to be learned in the inception year. If anything, it will be fun to watch as the Owners, GMs, and Players all work it out!

As of right now, not much is known about the structure of the 2020 season. Below you will see what we know so far.

  • Teams will be city-based.
  • The minimum pro roster the teams can have is 7 and the maximum is 10.
  • On August 26th 2019 all teams established teams (See the list below) have the ability to sign new players who were on the 2019 CWL roster.
  • On September 3rd 2019 all teams have the ability to sign new players who were on the 2019 CWL roster.
  • All signed pro player will be paid a minimum base salary of $50,000 USD per year, health care benefits, and retirement benefits.
  • Teams are required to distribute at least 50% of their prize pool earnings to players directly
  • Matches will be 5v5 multiteam play.
  • There is talk about mid-series substitutions.
  • Know teams and cities so far:
    • Atlanta – Atlanta Reign
    • Dallas – Dallas Fuel
    • New York – NY Excelsior
    • Paris – Paris Eternal (Rumored)
    • Toronto – Toronto Defiant
    • Los Angeles – LA Valiant
    • Los Angeles – LA Gladiators
    • Minnesota – (Not Known)
    • Florida – Florida Mayhem
  • CDL has stated that they will support the amateur players with competitions, both online and via open bracket tournaments around the world and will have dedicated prize pools for those events.

So that is what we know so far and will keep you updated as new information trickles in.

As always stay nerdy everyone!

March 16

Interview – Patrick Hickey Jr. “Minds Behind the Games”

It has been a long time since I have found something that inspired me to post here. That is until now, as many of you know I have a passion for games of all types (That is what makes me Nerdy right?). In June of 2018 I decided I was going to start a YouTube channel and begin streaming my game play, not to get rich or be famous but as an outlet for my creative nature.

The last few months have been an adventure of ups and downs and I do not regret a moment of it. But after being inactive for the last few months I threw my (fox) hat into the content creating ring once again and found the spark that I so carelessly dropped. I started to post videos to my YouTube channel and re-branded all my sites to reflect my re-commitment to what I know now is my therapeutic mental outlet.

The one thing I knew I must bring back to life was this blog. It was my first venue I created to share my love and passion of everything “Nerdy”. The question was where to start… Well that is where Patrick Hickey Jr. takes center stage. While I was doing my usual support of retweeting and posting things to my twitter feed I received a message for Patrick asking if I did interviews on my YouTube channel. I thought about it and even though I was unsure if I had the chops to actually do a video interview, (I did consider it) I knew I had one venue that I could us that would be great for such a venture and it was just waiting to be revived.

I private messaged Patrick and asked if he would be willing to allow me to interview him for my blog instead. I was pleasantly surprised that he agreed.

Patrick Hickey Jr.

Below you will find my interview about his book “Minds Behind the Games”. This tomb is filled with interviews of the creators of 36 popular video games of the past and their stories of how they overcame obstacles and challenges to fulfill their passion and produce some of the most classic games titles of our time.

As with anything in life sometimes we need to look back at our past so our path to our future is clearer. And that is what the reading of this book and interview has done for me, and is what I believe his book does for the game developers of today.

Nerdy:  What was your inspiration in writing this book?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  I was 33 and had a pregnant wife. I had been writing for newspapers, websites, blogs and magazines for over a decade at that point and was super hungry to try something new. I sat in my manacle one night and realized I didn’t want to be one of those parents with regrets. So, I started emailing developers I had interviewed over the years and contacting new ones. Within a few days, the pieces started coming together and a month later, I had a book deal. That notion that it was so “easy” pisses off a lot of people I know, but truth be told, I wasn’t exactly a first-time author. I paid my journalistic dues in blood and have taught the subject for over a decade, too. This, if anything, was my coming out party. For me to show the world what I was capable of if I had more time, more space and a chance to create my own vision.

Nerdy:  What do wish to achieve with the writing of this book?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  I want there to be far more transparency in retelling and history of the art of game development. Gamers think they know so much about the history of the medium, but there are so many untold stories out there. I want there to be no reason for a gamer to ever go on Wikipedia to find out sexy stories on their favorite games. As a result, it’s my quest to get to as many developers to share their stories so readers get to see how much, time, energy, passion and fortitude is needed in order to create a game.

Nerdy:  How many Games / Developers do you feature in this undertaking?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  36 games are featured in the first book, but dozens more are mentioned and alluded too. As far as sources, over 50 on the record and almost just as many off-the-record for background and color.

Nerdy:  Being International Women’s month how many of them were women? Have you noticed a decrease/increase of women developers in the industry?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  About five-seven developers featured are women and that was mainly because most of the games featured in the book are at least 20-years-old. As far as a rise in female developers, absolutely, and I think that’s great.

Nerdy:  How has the social media culture improved/hindered the gaming industry? Is there a way to use it as a benefit and or is there a way to push through that mountain of information it has created?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  Mountains of information is absolutely correct, but you have to understand that there was once a time when games got zero publicity. You can’t have it either way. There’s no middle ground right now. But just give it time- the industry is still in its infancy compared to music, film and literature.

Nerdy:  Who are the top three developers that you feel have best kept the passion in their game creating in your opinion?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  Super tough question. I think all developers have a plethora of passion. You can’t be one without it. However, if I had to pick three, that I’ve interviewed for the first book and my next two books in the series, I’d probably tell you, Michael Brook, who did a host of sports games for EA and Sega in the ‘90s and played a huge role in the development of the genre. He also was a producer and designer on NHLPA 93 and NHL 94, my two favorite hockey games away from NHL Face-Off 99 and NHL 2008. Howard Scott Warshaw, the creator of Yar’s Revenge is super charismatic and has this deep, thought-provoking mind that understands how games are supposed to make people feel. Every time we speak is like a learning lesson for me. The last would be Tony Barnes. He’s been in video games for over 30 years and he’s the industry’s best kept secret in my opinion. So many great stories. So energetic. But in the end, that’s not really fair. Over the course of writing this book and the next two editions, I’ve learned something from every developer I’ve spoken to. Not one jerk in the lot. That says a lot about the people involved in this industry.

Nerdy:  Do you think publishers (Activision, EA, etc.) have hindered the creative inspiration/passion in gaming development?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  Now, possibly. But in the ‘80s and ‘90s? Absolutely not. EA was a magical place back then. They made dream concepts a reality. The same thing goes for Activision. They put the developer first and tried to make them the marketable entities they deserve to be. Without the contributions of these companies, there may not be an industry today.

Nerdy:  Currently most developers/publishers release unfinished games under the guise of betas/demos, how has this effected industry? Is this necessary in the current fast paced digital landscape? Does this culture lay at the feet of the developer or publishers?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  I’m not a fan of things like Steam Early Access and Betas, but they do serve a wonderful purpose in connecting players to games and developers before they are released. Some games never make it out of Beta- and for that reason. Think of it as another version of quality control. One the industry desperately needs.

Nerdy:  What are your thoughts on DLCs content? Is this a product of developers/publishers releasing a game too early due to the current culture or a way to prolong the viability of their titles?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  DLC have existed in other forms, dating as far back as the late ‘80s when companies the likes of EA would release “data disks” to update their Earl Weaver Baseball series. Big difference between patches and DLC BTW. DLC add existing content, patches fix and correct issues. Not a fan of the Patch Nation the industry is now, but DLC are cool.

Nerdy:  Have microtransactions effected the gaming culture? Are they needed in the current climate in your opinion?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  Yes they have and as you know, in the case of The Star Wars franchise, nearly ruined it. I don’t think they are needed, at all. And the issue is, you create a situation where someone has to pay to be able to advance in a game or get a character, they wouldn’t be able to access otherwise. I am all for paying for all of the game’s content upfront over playing a free game I have to invest in.

Nerdy:  What are your top 5 games you have fond memories of? Which ones would you love to see reborn to harness the power of current consoles and PCs?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  Super tough question, but here we go. Pokémon Blue, Super Contra, Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap, NHL 94 and probably Final Fantasy VII. As far as remakes go, not a fan of games being remade. I want to remember the initial experiences I had and have new ones, with new IPs.

Nerdy:  If you had a time machine what would your words of wisdom be to game developers as a whole? Who would you seek out first?

Patrick Hickey Jr.:  I think that’s the reason why I’m writing these books. I don’t want to go back in time, I want to talk to these people now, before it’s too late. The things I’ve gleaned from all of these experiences is that passion isn’t always contagious, and these developers and their works of art are worthy of discussion from both an entertainment and more importantly a scholarly perspective. If I had to go back in time, I’d tell all of these developers not to give up- the world needs you.

About Patrick Hickey Jr.

Hickey is a full-time Lecturer of English and Assistant Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He’s also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports.

He is now diving into voice acting, Hickey is now starring as the voice of the main character of the upcoming Shotgun with Glitters Survival Horror video game, “The Padre.” Dedicated and passionate, Hickey is eager to share his unique vocal talents on interesting projects. Add in his experiences as a journalist and educator and he’s a unique talent ready to make a great project, greater.

I want to thank Patrick for taking time from his busy schedule to answer my questions. This was super fun!

If you are interested in reading this awesome book you can purchase it here! http://patrickhickeyjr.com/minds-behind-games/

Stay Nerdy my friends!
Nerdy – aka Richard Keen Jr.

July 15

Review – Elgato Stream Deck

When I started streaming over a month ago I researched everything I could. I wanted to make sure I had the tools to make myself a good streamer from the beginning. I already owned a Elgato Capture Card HD60 for my Xbox One so I had that covered, but what I found on Elgato’s website was even more intriguing. It is called a Elgato Stream Deck and it is a pretty neat piece of hardware. What is it you ask? Well to put it in the most simple of terms it is a personal broadcasters board, and does everything a streamer could need to make their stream run smoothly and efficiently.  At a press of one it’s buttons it can do a slew of things for you! One of it’s most amazing functions came with their latest update, they added “Multi Action” and “Timer (delay)” commands that allows you to hit one button and runs several commands one right after another! Let me give you an example.

When I click my Starting button it does the following with a 1 second delay command in between.

  • Switches to my scene in Stream Labs OBS software to “Stream Starting!” Then…
  • Opens my Chat software. Then…
  • Changes my name on Twitter to “[🔴Live] Talking Nerdy on Mixer and Twitch!”. Then…
  • Then sends a tweet letting everyone one know I am about to stream. Then…
  • Begins my broadcast to Mixer and Twitch. Then…
  • Begins recording to my local hard drive. Then…
  • Un-mutes my audio in Stream Labs OBS.

All I have left to do after that is turn on my mic and switch to my scene that I want to stream.

There are way so many great commands the stream deck can do for you as a streamer. For instance.

  • Open Programs.
  • Open Websites.
  • Run a hotkey command.
  • Control your audio software.
  • Not to mention control you OBS and Xsplit software.

Another cool feature is the fact you can actually create your own icons so you can make it fit your style! They even have a Key creation website to help you with that as well. The wallpaper function will actually take a image and break it up into 15 icons!

If you are a streamer the Stream Deck will streamline everything so you can concentrate on what you do best, Entertain!

Stay Nerdy my friends!

June 17

Game – 8-bit of fun!

As many of you know by now I am streaming live on Mixer, Twitch, and YouTube. I have noticed that many of my fellow streamers go for games that are the current craze. I do not blame them that is what everyone wants to watch…  right? The problem I have with this, beside my lack of ability to be competent in them, is the fact that the sites are saturated with the same content. I know, I know that is how it is done but I have never been one to follow the herd.

The question was what to play right? I pondered on it a bit and I always found myself thinking back to when I started playing PC games in the 90s. I have very fond memories of playing with my gaming friends and the ones that stood out the most were the WestWood/SSI Dungeon & Dragon games. I decided that this was what I wanted to play on my streams at least part of the time. They gave me so much joy and allowed me to escape from the mundane and figured that there are more people out there that remember these game as fondly as I do.

The first in the long line of games by TSR was the Eye of the Beholder. The question was are these games even around anymore and where can I find them if they were. So I did what any person would do and did a Google search for them and to my delight I found out that gog.com had rescued them. What was even more exciting was they had what seems to be all of the games that TSR had made for them. Not only including Forgotten Realms but Dark Sun, Krynn (Dragonlance) just to name a few.

Yes these games by our current standards are very rudimentary but who cares as long as you have fun right? The Eye of the Beholder is a classic dungeon crawl where you start off with four heros and explore the bowels of Waterdeep. The game play is as you would expect is very simple… well once you figure them out (see my first video on YouTube).

There are hours upon hours of game play in these games alone, not to mention all of the other games gog.com has to offer. So stop by one of my channels on Thursday nights over at Mixer, Twitch, or YouTube and check it out and if it awakens that nostalgic bug then head on over to gog.com and purchase them yourself!

Find your childhood and fond memories of why you love gaming by playing those older games and as always stay Nerdy!

 

Category: Games, PC, RPG | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 7

Mixing up your Stream!

Welcome nerds and nerdettes!

Today I want to direct your attention to a 1 year old streaming platform Mixer.com! Mixer.com (formally know as Beam) was purchased in August of 2016 by Microsoft and shortly thereafter was integrated into Windows 10 and Xbox One. On May 25th Beam was relaunched with its new name Mixer.

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way…

So, I am sure many of you are asking yourself why in the heck do I care about a streaming service. Well because this nerd right here is about to embark on an epic journey of nerdiness by throwing his jester hat into the ring of streaming. I have been playing around with this idea for some time and last week started to stream live on twitch.tv and uploading those streams to my YouTube channel.

As I delved deeper in to streaming I found another site I could stream to and it was called Mixer. I decided to check it out and created an account and what I found was a very welcoming and tight knit community that is supportive of new comers.

I decided to start streaming to Mixer, Like my Mom always told me “Never put all your eggs in one basket.” so what the heck right?  I still wanted to stream to Twitch.tv  so I started digging around to see what it would take to stream to both platforms and found a website that allows me to stream to multiple sites at the same time called restream.io. I quickly setup an account and configured my streaming software so I could do just that. On June 2nd I streamed my Aion Online game play live to both sites without a glitch.

By this time, I started watching more and more streamers on Mixer than the other guys… what was their name… oh yeah Twitch. I started asking Mixer streamers on how to build my base and the majority of them said I need to concentrate on one platform. When I asked them why they choose Mixer they all said they felt more at home, that the community was awesome, and more room for follower growth. After I digested all their feedback I decided to concentrate my efforts and build up my following on Mixer and YouTube but still stream to Twitch just to keep that account active.

If you are interested in watching me live-stream here are my links on Mixer as well as my YouTube and Twitch account!

Mixer
Twitch
YouTube
Twitter
Facebook

Stay nerdy everyone!

May 18

Game – E3 2018 – Stranded on the edge of death at E3 2018!

Death Stranding

First thank you PythonSelkanHD for posting this information on YouTube for one of the most anticipated games for PlayStation 4!

I have been following this game since it was announced and the trailers grabbed me hook, line, and sinker. And for the record I have not played any of the Metal Gear franchise. I know, I know shame on me.

One of my attractions to the title is Norman Reedus.

Norman Reedus

I mean who does not think this man is hot as hell?! I fell in love with him when he played Murphy MacManus in Boondock Saints in 1999! To make this more intriguing Mads Mikkelsen and Guillermo del Toro are also featured in at least one of the three trailers that have been released for this game to date.

As many of you know we have had some awesome trailers for this Death Stranding by Kojima Productions which is being published exclusively by Sony Interactive Entertainment for Playstation 4.

OK , OK, OK on to why I posted this blog, PythonSelkanHD posted on his YouTube channel that we will see a 4th trailer for this game at 2018 E3! And as proof of he shared a image from a post by Hideo Kojima himself! As you can clearly see in the pic below Kojima is/was working on a trailer at the E3 2018 conference!

The question still remains whether or not we will see in-game footage or just more video footage showing us a more cinematic view of the game! Either way I can assure you that I will be on the edge of my seat when it is finally released at E3 2018!

Stay Nerdy my friends!

May 17

Game – Rise, Conquer, and Rule the Underworld!

 

Court of the Dead

The team at Project Raygun currently has a campaign on Kickstarter called Court of the Dead: Mourners Call. This is more than your average tabletop game and promises to deliver an immersive in-world experience of the Underworld, using detailed cards and ornate miniatures.

The starting goal for this campaign was $75,000 and at the time of this post it has raised over $351,000 with 4000 backers. What is even more impressive is it was fully funded in only 5 hours of it going live! The buy in for this game is $90 dollars and includes all the Stretch Goals and Kickstarter Exclusives. Looking at the campaign you can see the buy in is worth it by how much detail and love is being put into the artwork and miniatures!

What is in the box?

This is a description straight from their Kickstarter campaign.

Court of the Dead: Mourners Call is a 2-5 player, highly competitive board game that calls upon players to balance cooperative needs against their own ulterior motives. There are many paths to uniting the Underworld, but only one Mourner will realize his or her vision. The player who wields his or her power and faction influence the best will gain the most points to win.

You and your fellow mourners must work together to bring balance to the Underworld, but… only one of you can truly Rise, Conquer, Rule!”

So do you have the cunning to balance working with your fellow mourners and achieving your true motive of being the one true ruler of the Underworld?

Stay Nerdy my friends!

August 17

Game – A Burning Desire for Dragons

The folks at Burning Games have a new kick-starter starting in November for their RPG Dragons Conquer America, I mean how can you not be excited by that title! If that did not grab your attention then how about this straight from their kick-starter campaign?

Dragons Conquer America is a new fantasy roleplaying setting that will transport you back to the 16th Century, when European invaders reached American soil with a host of warriors… and Dragons.”

Not only are there dragons, European, and Native Americans, but it is set in the 16th century Americas!  This month they released a introductory adventure that will help shape the kick-starter campaign itself! They promise that it will be filled with action, magic, mystique, mythological beast and intrigue. The Mayan calendar like border around the title has me chomping at the bit to know how that all fits in.

If you are wondering about their quality of work you can check out the download section and peruse the Rulebook, Lore, Character Creation, and Introductory Adventure for their Sci-Fi RPG Faith.

Stay Nerdy my friends!

March 22

Review – Breathe it is just your soul!

I have always been a fan of Indie films. There is always a sense of honesty in them because the makers and actors have poured their heart and soul into them. The folks over at Tycho Pictures are trying to raise the funds to release their first film What Waits in the Red based on a upcoming novel by bestselling author David Ince of the same name. If you a supernatural thriller this might just ring your bell!

SYNOPSIS: 

Corinne and Ryan are homeless and desperate. Driven by frustration and a sense of entitlement, they start down a dangerous, criminal path.

Life has also been hard for Amelia Knight. Lonely, isolated, and convinced she is powerless, Amelia is ripe for temptation.

When her mother falls victim to Corinne and Ryan, Amelia receives a mysterious Bell, accompanied by a brief and ambiguous warning: ‘Ring for service. Be careful what you wish for.’ The Bell gives Amelia access to an ancient scheme, where Jabez, a snake-oil salesman, offers her the power to take control of her life. The price, of course, is her soul.

When Amelia learns that her life is in danger, that Corinne and Ryan are coming for the Bell, the choice she must make becomes even more acute: Will she sell her soul to save her life?

Why not head over to their Indiegogo page and check out the trailer and help in getting this finished film released!

Stay Nerdy!