Verge

VERGE

INTERVIEW

Ellen Desmond catches up with Newton Faulkner

FILM New Technology & Hollywood

m a S I won’t be doing any of that booty dancing VOLUME II

y e l i a B , w o h s e h t n o e d m i n t a r , e H m u b l a r e w t e r n a C s r her M g n i t r o r supp u o t n o f l herse ISSUE 10

UCC

EXPRESS

GIG BINGE

FORTNIGHTLY FAVOURITE 4

Words: Ellen Desmond, Entertainment Editor

This editorial is going to be dedicated to the amount of amazing concerts and gigs lined up this year. I seem to be suddenly overwhelmed by an urge to buy tickets for, well, everything.

Bands and singers seem to be venturing to Ireland more frequently than ever before and what’s more, a lot of them actually seem to be making it to Cork rather than just Dublin or Belfast. For example in the next month alone, Cork sees acts as impressive as James Arthur, James Vincent McMorrow and The 1975 gracing our gig venues. The line-up for the Marquee this summer includes Biffy Clyro, Elbow and The National. The amount of acts seeing Ireland as a serious place to make money and looking for Irish publicity has definitely increased. It seems to be reflected in the amount of content we are juggling in our music section - as amazing as our music editor is, it does also seem that these acts really do want to reach out to the Irish; perhaps Ireland is simply in mode.

In this issue we speak to singers Newton Faulkner and Sam Bailey, just two of the many acts gigging in Ireland this year.

I’m going to have to add that Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys are hitting up Dublin this summer - and don’t even get me started on Longitude Fest’s phenomenal line up. But why is this so exciting? Why do we want to see live acts when we can listen to them in the comforts of home, for free, where we will no doubt experience them singing fine-tuned and in better key?

Why am I resorting to wearing the same jeans for four days long in order to save money for another concert ticket…and then another...and another? I even told my cousin I may have to skip his wedding to see Biffy in the Marquee.

Nearly every musical artist I interview mentions at some point that performing and the intimacy of gigs is their favourite part of being a musician. Indeed, I can only imagine that it must be quite flattering to have hundreds of thousands of people screaming your name. Or rather in my case I understand how flattering it is because it happens to me whenever I publish an article. That’s fair enough, but why do fans go so nuts? It’s actually pretty weird to scream someone’s name when you think about it; it’s verging on “a bit Nazi Rally - ish” at best.

However, there is no escaping the fact that there is something special about hearing a song you love first hand. I’ll never forget seeing Green Day in Marley Park a few years back (a very good few years back) and though it had been a beautiful sunny day for most of the concert, it grew dark and started raining when they sang ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’. It was chilling and genuinely one of the most moving experiences of my life to see how much emotion the bad put into my favourite song. They were so honest and sincerely giving it socks, it made me believe the lyrics weren’t just rubbish churned out for radio time and 99 cent song downloads.

I guess music was never originally meant to be downloaded on Spotify or bought in Golden Discs, it’s an art form and to experience it live makes it real, not just background music on your bus ride home.

04

2013

-Robert

@theCircleGuy

Don Giovanni

-Eoghan

@EoghanLyng

With the Golden Globes behind us and the Oscars looming, I used my good fortune of winning cinema tickets in a quiz to experience some of the frontrunners for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. First up was Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.

Clocking in at around 2 hours and 59 minutes, you’d think it’d be a bit of a marathon but it really isn’t. Marty Scorsese and I haven’t seen eye-to-eye since that lacklustre George Harrison documentary a while back, but he really redeemed himself in my eyes here. A twisted combination of two 80s classics, Wall St. and Ferris Bueller, Wolf of Wall Street tells the story of Jordan Belfort, a morally and legally corrupt stockbroker who actually existed in reality. The soundtrack is amazing and works well with the title and motifs of the film (it features two songs from blues legend Howlin’ Wolf that are about excess). As far as performances go, Leo is sublime as always, and Jonah Hill is really distancing himself from the “fat kid with an afro from Superbad” image, with a series of truly great performances. Next up: 12 Years A Slave.

The Arts and Lit section has covered all sorts of art forms throughout the last few weeks, with only one noticeable omission: opera. It`s a powerful art form, clouded by an unfortunate high class label but it is a palatable form of theatre none the less. Mozart`s Don Giovanni is musically dexterous, thematically rich and characteristically engaging; Don Giovanni is Mozart`s masterpiece. It`s darker than The Marriage of Figaro, deeper than The Magic Fluteand more ambitious than Il Seraglio. The tale of a lecherous sadist brought to the irreparability of his tormented soul, Don Giovanni is one of the world`s most popular operas - it`s Mozart`s third most performed work, after Flute and Figaro.

The final scene, between the titular character and Il Commendatore, is a profound piece that delves into realms that reach far beyond good and evil. The concluding coda ‘Questo è il fin di chi fa mal, e de’ perfidi la mortealla vita è sempreugual’ (“Such is the end of the evildoer: the death of a sinner always reflects his life”) may be the most intellectually ambitious lyric ever committed to musical theatre. A triumph of a piece!

The Clash – London Calling

-Meadhbh

@meadhbh_crowley

You’ll never guess where I was this week - London. It only felt appropriate that the perfect accompaniment for my trip would be the classic hit from The Clash. The simple melody, repetitive guitar riff and the occasional banging (or whatever the technical term is) on the drums perfectly capture the essence of the city. I did awkwardly sing it aloud on the Tube so - warning - it is catchy and you will end up singing it in your sleep. If you aren’t a fan of The Clash then maybe listen to the Bruce Springsteen version instead; The Boss does a great job and puts his own spin on it.

Hearthstone

EDITORIAL TEAM

Entertainment Editor: Ellen Desmond

February

The Wolf of Wall Street

@ellen_desmond

Music Editor: Méadhbh Crowley

Arts & Literature Editor: Eoghan Lyng

Film & TV Editor: Robert O’ Sullivan

Gaming Editor: Brian Conmy

Design: Cathal O’ Gara

2 VERGE EDIT

VERGE

-Brian

@aerach71

The Hearthstone open beta expanded to Europe lately and whatever time I have where I’m not watching Battlestar Galactica (which is very little) is spent on the game. It’s a free-to-play, card battling game and the option to put money into the game to buy certain cards so far seems pretty fair. I’ve yet to come across an opponent who destroyed me for having cards they purchased rather than earned - for now at least. As soon as I see that happen I may be liable to immediately stop paying. If you’re interested in jumping into the game, the practice modes and ability to play a matched or random opponent make it so that you’re never in over your head. The systems the game works on are also surprisingly easy to pick up even if they are hard to explain in any way other than through practice. Apart from that my Candy Crush addiction continues unabated. Someday I’ll finish it - someday.

CONTRIBUTOR LIST

Daniel Sheehan

Luke Luby

Laura Hussey

Aoife Gleeson

Blaithnid Treacy Martha Ewence

Entertainment Editor Ellen Desmond talks to singer-songwriter supreme, Newton Faulkner ith the release of his fourth solo album Studio Zoo and just hours to the launch of his new tour, Newton Faulkner was an excited man talking to Verge.

“First gig of the tour is tonight!” he exclaimed enthusiastically, as soon as our conversation began. Speaking from Scotland, Faulkner explained that the recording of Studio Zoo was completely an experiment; with no guarantee for success and a lot of public witnesses should it go wrong. Fans of Faulkner were kept intimately involved in the recording process, as they could log on and see the album being compiled at all times for five weeks, from Faulkner’s home studio. The live stream even had guest appearances from Mumford & Sons’ Ted Dwane and X Factor’s Janet Devlin.

“We streamed the whole making of the album from start to finish so you can actually watch it from the first guitar take to the end of mixing…and you know what; it’s never been done before, so we had no idea what the implications of it would be or how it would work.”

Faulkner, other than his characteristic red dreadlocks, is often recognised for the sincere consideration he gives to his fans.

Since the tour began, he has been uploading photos to Facebook of himself with crowds of fans and telling them to start tagging themselves. As our conversation ended he even reminded me to “come say hi” at the end of his Cork Opera House gig. He is a musical artist of the kind that is rare today; he’s completely enthralled by the creative process and committed to a good, professional deliverance of his music to the people. With three successive successes under his belt, the dream-pop strummer must have been under serious pressure when producing Studio Zoo but his bravery in live streaming it just strives to illustrate the level of natural talent this Surrey man truly has. Studio Zoo has since gone on to satisfy once again and it sees his acoustics taken to a whole new level, with seemingly effortless skill put into creating some remarkably original tracks. “…well the main criticism I’ve had in the past has been that people really got into my live stuff but the records had too much going on. With that in mind I just wanted to strip it right back, do something that’s pretty much just guitar and vocals. I wanted to try to do as much with that as possible.”

And it’s hard to imagine an album that could do more with solely guitar and vocals than Studio Zoo does. It’s the type of album one can listen to right through while humming along, all the way from “Where to Start” to the finale “Can’t Give It

Studio Zoo

Away”. To put it simply, it’s easy listening, though Faulkner told Verge that he feels it’s probably the darkest album he’s done so fair. Indeed, Faulkner’s lyrics do appear to have matured considerably since the up-beat, warm compilation that was Write It On Your Skin, which is - in Faulkner’s own words “unbelievably positive!” Studio Zoo is arguably the deepest, most educated compilation in his career to date but the muchaccepted idea that his music is innately “feel-good” doesn’t bother Faulkner, who believes that “even when it’s like really depressing, there’s this thread of hope.”

Faulkner’s personality is much the same as one would expect from a man behind such laidback-sounding compilations. It was an approachable and humble voice indeed who said that the highlight of his career thus far has been “just having one.”

For a multi-platinum selling singer song writer to take a few moments during an interview to appreciate how lucky he has been is amiable, to say the least, and the hardworking Faulkner put his success down to his fans. “… it’s really hard even getting started [in the modern music industry] - that’s just one massive hurdle - but then to stick around is also really hard and I’m just really lucky that I’ve got this incredibly loyal fan base to keep me around, and I keep

Even when it’s like really depressing, there’s this thread of hope coming back - it’s been amazing” His large fan base stems from that fact that when it comes to the music of this acoustic genius, nearly everyone seems to appreciate or relate to it in some shape or form. The formula for this is something many an aspiring musician may be eager to know and beyond letting himself be open to everything and not blocking off any avenues of inspiration, Faulkner seems to have concocted his recipe for success purely from doing his own thing.

“I don’t think there are any rules at all to any of this! I think it’s just whatever feels right. Personally, I have never learned a guitar piece in my life. Even the piece on guitar that got me into learning guitar, I didn’t even finish learning that! What I did is I took all the techniques that made up that song and then reapplied them to my own stuff and that’s kind of what I’ve done the whole time. I went along and I picked up little bits of

techniques here and there …”

Other than his intensely original and creative approach to music making, the hard-working Faulkner is also known for his charming good humour and told Verge that if he could give his younger self one piece of advice that it would be to “stop being so serious!” He explained that he was a very serious child “… but I’ve become a completely ridiculous adult. I probably could have done with balancing it out a little bit more.” It is more than apparent that he wants his musical career to be as enjoyable as possible for both himself and everyone else affected by it; for everyone involved to have a positive experience is definitely a chief concern of Faulkner’s. This was also evident when questioned about what artist he would most like to record a track with as he replied “I’m trying to think who would be really fun…” before laughing and adding “…Louis Armstrong always looked like he was having a really good time and I’ve only ever had trumpets on one track so far…but I love brass! I need to do more with brass!”

The upcoming Studio Zoo tour looks to be a unique and memorable one and the eagerness to get started could be heard in Faulkner’s voice as he admitted that for the first time ever, this tour has had “proper rehearsals” - something he’s apparently never done for a tour before. The gigs will also see Faulkner joined by other people on stage, for the first time in seven years and he pointed out how he has constructively taken any criticisms he has heard about his past performances and tried to remedy them.

“I’m kind of trying to mix things up a bit. We’re segwaying a lot of songs into each other. It’s almost like an acoustic DJ set, at times. It’s just going to be fun, I’m going to make it a lot of fun.”

In relation to what he plans to do after the tour he claimed to have absolutely no idea. While he did mention that he may someday consider doing an instrumental album because it could improve his playing “dramatically” he was quick to add he feels he needs to do a bit more singing first and that a chief priority for him is always going to be doing his own stuff. “…kind of planning to let everything just run its course and these four albums have done what they’ve done and the whole time I just had no idea what was going to happen next.”

Whatever the future brings for Faulkner, the reaction to Studio Zoo looks like his fan base is going to do nothing but happily grow; he is definitely set to be sticking around for a good while more.

Faulkner’s Studio Zoo tour hits Cork Opera House on the 7th of February. Tickets are available now.

VERGE ENTERTAINMENT 3

Ron Stays Classy

Anchorman fanatic Laura Hussey describes why she wasn’t disappointed with the sequel After seeing Ron Burgundy’s face on everything from bottles of fizzy orange to facebook; after countless YouTube videos and TV interviews, the moment had finally arrived; Anchorman 2 was in cinemas now! To say the release of Anchorman 2 was a highly anticipated event for me was an understatement. Having spent years quoting the notorious film as an icebreaker and watching clips of Ron in ‘a glass cage of emotion’ when I needed cheering up, I can honestly say I was not disappointed by the second instalment of the 2004 comedy. The first Anchorman was a massive success; while Anchorman 2 did not surpass the ‘instant classic’, it certainly fulfilled the expectations for a fantastic comedy sequel. Similar to The Hangover 2, the sequel cleverly makes sure to replicate some of the unforgettable moments from the first film; so while there is a new setting and talented new additions to the cast; we also have classic moments revived such as Brian revealing his condom collection in typical sex panther fashion and another epic news team fight with a reappearance from Ron’s arch nemesis, Wes Mantooth (played by Vince Vaughn). The cameos in Anchorman 2 were very impressive; everyone from Harrison Ford to Kanye West appeared in the highly anticipated film.

So where do we find Ron Burgundy a few years down the road? After losing his current job to his wife Veronica (former smelly pirate hooker), Ron Burgundy reunites with the Channel Four News Team; admittedly not an easy task at first, when Ron has to attend the funeral of his former colleague, Brick - only to discover that Brickis a mourner at his own funeral. So after a few hilarious minutes of convincing Brick (played by Steve Carell) that he is in fact still alive, the gang head to New York City for a new job with GNN, the first 24 hour news channel.

After an experimental phase of ‘normal’ news on their graveyard shift of the news channel, the gang decide to give the audience ‘what they need’ instead of what they want. So the team embark on a series of diverse news items. Everything from Brian Fantana’s ‘professional’ opinion of silicone breast implants to a rather informative experiment on the latest drug craze in which the cast smoke crack on live TV, to quote Ron, ‘it’s just refreshing!’There was one thing in particular I considered necessary for Anchorman 2 to be a suitable sequel and that is quotes! Once again, the cast did not disappoint with their talent in individual scenes. Probably Will Ferrell’s character’s most ‘quotable moments’ would be (spoiler alert), when the news anchor becomes temporarily blind, unsurprisingly, Ron has a few bumps along the way towards adjusting to life as a blind man; most notably when he tells us he tried to brush his teeth with a live lobster!

However, for me, there was one actor who truly blew me away with his performance and that is actor is Steve Carell. He is arguably one of the finest comedic actors of his profession and his portrayal of half-witted; Brick Tamland is one of his standout roles. The introduction of a love interest for Brick’s character (played by Bridesmaids’Kristin Wig) was an addition to the film that I was initially sceptical about. However, when introduced to the simple secretary, any doubts I had were assailed by laughter at the painfully awkward sexual tension of this office romance and the undeniable fact that Brick’s romantic interests had piqued beyond carpets and ‘lamps’.

So with a remarkable cast; fantastic dialogue and impressive direction (by Adam McKay), Anchorman 2 was admittedly worth the incessant PR and the almost ten year wait!

4 VERGE FILM & TV

New Technology & Hollywood

Why The Voice Falls on Deaf Ears

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Daniel Sheehan gives an overview of The Voice

Robert O’Sullivan discusses the movement of film to new mediums

And here we go: a new year, a new series of The Voice hits our screens (actually two new series, we are spoiled aren’t we?) Every weekend for the next several weeks we’ll get the chance to see if a great voice really can make up for a lack of stage presence, showmanship and you know, any real marketable qualities that would come in handy if they were hoping to actually have careers as pop stars. “Coaches” (ie. judges) Will.i.am and Tom Jones are joined by newcomers Kylie Minogue and that guy from that one band, as they go in search of The Voice (here’s hoping it’s third time lucky).

You may think I’m being a bit harsh on Will and co. but honestly, The Voice is a concept that is flawed from the ground up. While it has good intentions, the show doesn’t seem to quite understand what it takes to make a star, claiming that the voice is all that really matters but how often is that the case? Can we really say that the likes of Rihanna, Katy Perry and even (ironically) Kylie and Will.i.am have found such massive success based solely on their singing ability? Even former “coach” Danny O’Donoghue has admitted the show’s entire premise is complete nonsense, telling The Sun “There are some amazing singers on the show. But although they have a great skill, that’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s about how well-rounded they are. We only get to sing for about 5% of our careers. The rest of it is how you conduct yourself, your plans.” So really it’s not actually all about the voice, it’s “about 5%” about the voice. The show is so desperate to make people believe it’s a gimmick free, credible version of The X Factor- despite one of its biggest attractions being the rather sizeable gimmick of the spinning chairs (which are also the highlight of the show). The entire show is a contradiction in itself.

Since the show has failed before it’s even begun, the contestants (including the winners) don’t stand much of a chance either. While The X Factor has launched several success stories over the years, from Leona Lewis to One Direction, The Voice series one winner Leanne Mitchell’s (remember her?) debut album failed to chart in the Top 100 of the UK Album Chart. The Voice may have set out to be the credible version of The X Factor but all it has really achieved (if anything) is legitimizing X Factor’s philosophy. Maybe it’s time for BBC to call it quits now and put the show out of its misery before they do something crazy like, I don’t know, renew it for a fourth series.

You may have noticed that I didn’t talk about The Voice of Ireland but, in my defence, who on earth is talking about The Voice of Ireland?

Hollywood has always been weird when it came to new technologies. It was slow to accept the home video market (and easily available video recorders), yet overzealous to try processes like colourisation. As noted in a previous issue of this publication, the cinema as we know it has begun its fall from grace, as prices rise to exorbitant levels. You could say this isn’t anything new, that this began in the 40s with the decline of the studio system but that shows Hollywood’s reluctance to notice and react to trends in its own industry.

As ticket prices for your local picturehouse soar, one alternative looks better and better: Netflix. It would be wrong to call Netflix the new kid on the block, as the online streaming service launched in 1999, although a lot more limited in both price model and selection. In the 15 or so years that it’s been going, the movie industry has yet to really respond.

As a result, Netflix has had very little opposition as it captured the entire rental market, replacing the local Blockbusters or Xtra Visions. The only roadblock that’s been thrown up in front of them has been a rapid increase of licensing costs for the films and TV shows on Netflix, which is why Netflix recently began producing their own original content, most of which have either been nominated or won several awards. The potential for Netflix to become the destination for new movies, particularly indie films, is huge. One could see them becoming the new Miramax, funding the new wave of directors. Let’s just hope Netflix doesn’t also become bought by Disney…

Netflix is an obvious thing to have such an influence on the film

industry but a new take on an old medium shows that video did not necessarily kill the radio star: podcasts.

Director Kevin Smith was one of the first members of mainstream Hollywood to take to podcasts and it’s paid off in creative spades for him (in addition to the monetary spades). Following the release of his film Red State, an excellently gory film about a Westboro Baptist Church-esque cult, Smith announced his retirement following the release of the third and final part of his Clerks series.

Fast forward a few months and Smith has added at least 3 film projects to his plate, all coming from ideas discussed on his various podcasts. The first of these, Tusk,is an exploitation film about a man who answers an ad about renting a room and ends up being slowly sewed into a real walrus suit. Smith wrote the film while waiting on approval on the script of Clerks 3 and has actually shot and edited the film in the meantime.

The idea came from an episode of his premier podcast, SModcast, in which he and his co-host Scott Mosier joked about a Gumtree post that offered free rent if the lodger would wear a walrus costume at all times. Encouraged by the popularity and fun of the project, Smith dug into the archives of his podcasts and came up with Helena Handbag: Jesus has come back to bring about the rapture, and humanity and hell must team up to stop him. The final project is a Creepshowesque series of horror shorts based on the Dutch/German tradition of Krampus, a demon who steals bad children away at Christmastime. Just shows you that inspiration can come from pretty much anywhere.

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OSCAR FILM FACTS Wolf of Wall Street Gravity The actors snorted crushed B vitamins for scenes involving cocaine.

Though the film itself depicts space as a silent void, sound effects were added to the trailers.

American Hustle

Christian Bale achieved the physical traits of his character by gaining over 40 pounds, getting a comb-over and slouching his posture - he ended up herniating two of his disks in the process.

Her

Director Spike Jonze would lock Amy Adams and Joaquin Phoenix in a room together for an hour or two every other day while shooting and make them talk to each other. Jonze did this so that the actors could get to know each other better.

Dallas Captain Buyers Club Phillips Matthew McConaughey lost 47 pounds in assuming his role as an AIDS patient.

Newspapers reported his new looks as “terribly gaunt” and “wasting away to skin and bones”.

Jared Leto lost 30 pounds for his role

Tom Hanks has claimed that all the interior lifeboat scenes were filmed inside a scale model that was actually on water at all times, resulting in him being vomited on by crew members in the cramped space.

12 Years Philomena A Slave There are flashbacks which are done with “home movies”.

Some of these were created for the film but some of them are from actual footage of her real son.

Michael Fassbender momentarily passed out after filming the rape scene.

Nebraska

The movie begins and ends with the 50s and 60s Paramount logo.

VERGE FILM & TV 5

60 Seconds

with the Rubberbandits

month into 2014 and it feels a lifetime has passed since the X Factor graced our screens in December 2013 but it seems like only yesterday for Sam Bailey.

The former prison officer dazzled us every week with powerful ballads and soulful music. After twelve tough and demanding weeks of live shows, she was finally crowned the winner and given a £1 million recording contract and the opportunity to support Beyoncé on her UK leg of the Mrs Carter World Tour.

You would think that such over whelming success in such a short space of time would make anyone big headed but not Sam. The interview starts like many with artists from abroad; explaining how to pronounce and spell my name. Although annoying sometimes, it proves to be a great ice breaker with Sam. I begin asking how fame has affected her so far and Sam replies “I’m in a bar at the minute, because I’m off to the studio after this, but people are gasping that I’m here… maybe it’s because I’m wearing jeans and Ugg boots, with no makeup on and my hair tied back. But you know what? I’m as happy as Larry”. It’s this laid back and relatable attitude that really won the hearts of audiences across the UK and Ireland and has helped Sam achieved her dream - one which she has spent the last 20 years chasing.

During her time on the X Factor Sam both shone and struggled with her singing. She explained that there is a lot more work on the X Factor than meets the eye.

“Before the show we have hours of makeup and hair to do and the styling team are in stitching you into dresses, and as my weight fluctuated so much during the show it was always done last minute and… lots of filming for the Xtra Factor as well as the main show. There was some naughtiness as well, lots of practical jokes and running around. Nicky (McDonald) was a bad influence on me; as soon as he had an idea for a practical joke I was involved in it”.

Sam’s mentor on the show was Sharon Osborne, who when you watch the show

6 VERGE MUSIC

seems heavily involved but as Sam describes, she was actually a long distance coach.

“She would generally fly back to LA during the week but I literally would spend all weekend with her. I would go to her house, go out to dinner, we went to a spa; I would hang out in her dressing room. I was quite happy with that, I’m 37 years old I really didn’t need a babysitter”.

Her debut single Skyscraper, originally

by Demi Lovato, shot up the charts in the UK and took the coveted Christmas number one position away from Lily Allen. When asked if she was happy that her first release would be a cover not an original, she told Vergethat “…for me it was kind of an original song as I hadn’t heard it before, so I put my own little spin on it. I went into study and listened to every single word and made it my own. I know all the work that went into making the record so I’m very pleased with the song”.

When asked what her biggest regret of her time on the X Factorwas, surprisingly enough she didn’t say singing the Lady Gaga track Edge of Glory, which she claimed was the one song she just couldn’t connect to. Her biggest regret was not having her phone or camera with her all the time, as she tells us “I learned in the end to take my camera with me everywhere. At the beginning of the show I didn’t have my camera so I wasn’t able to take any selfies with all the famous people who would be on the show. If I had had it then instead of five weeks in, I would have had so many more.

My favourite ones in the end were with Michael Bublé and Elton John.”

Due to scheduling conflicts in the recent days with the X Factor tour Sam was informed that she would only be supporting Beyoncé at one of her UK dates but being the optimistic person that she is, Sam is still relishing the chance to be the opening act for the Queen of Pop. “I won’t be doing any of that booty dancing. I might try the Running Man though, might bring that one back. I just want to go out there and sing. I’ll have to remember my camera - selfie with Beyoncé”.

“

You know what; I think it’s going to be amazing.

I don’t think people will expect what they hear on it

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Music Editor Méadhbh Crowley chats to X Factor winner Sam Bailey on her time on the show, her new album and supporting Mrs Carter herself on tour

Sam had barely recovered from her win before being dragged straight away into the studio to record her debut album, which will be called The Power of Love. She reveals what exactly we can expect to hear on the album: “There’s a mixture of songs on there, there’s some new songs and some real old songs. You know what; I think it’s going to be amazing. I don’t think people will expect what they hear on it, they’ll be expecting the obvious X Factor stuff, but it’s nowhere near that. I’m very proud of it”.

Writing and recording the album has been a rollercoaster of emotions for Sam, and during the final weeks of recording she discloses that it wasn’t always easy.

“Some of the songs that I have recorded have made me cry. I’ve had to close the curtains so they [the producers] couldn’t see me singing, as I got really upset. It was raw and that’s what I want people to hear from this album, literally tears have gone into it and that should be the way with every album.”

Sam also makes quite clear that she is not a fan of releasing albums and singles for the sake of it and there should be meaning behind every song like those by “…singers who sing with so much emotion, like Adele, people who sing and write about life experiences, and mean every single word…

It could be a slow, fast happy or sad song, but as long as there is some meaning behind it and grabs you by the heart and you can feel the emotion of the singer with it.”

As a parting word, Sam gives her advice for the students of UCC wanting to pursue a career in the music industry “Practice hard, lock yourself in a room and find yourself musically and as a person, find out what makes you tick. As an artist there’s no point singing a song and not knowing what it means.

You need to listen to the lyrics and find out what the song truly means and by doing that you could be the next Adele… or me.”

The X Factor tour comes to the O2 in Dublin on the 17th and 18th of February, tickets start at €42.05. Sam Bailey’s album The Power of Love will be released 30th of March 2014.

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“I won’t be doing any of that booty dancing”

Q. Horse Outside was a big hit for you, who was the biggest influence in your music?

A. We are influenced by Tupac, UB40, Dancing Diarmuid and the Craptones and Barry White.

Q. Who would you most like to perform with?

A. The sick and the needy and Paul Daniels.

Q. What was the best moment of your career to date?

A. That time our manager Coco brought us to the zoo and the man gave out to him for giving a sausage roll to a gibbon.

Q. Who has the most annoying habit in the band?

A. The other fella is always sneaking off to 12th century forts and never inviting anyone else.

That’s annoying.

Q. What’s your favourite song to perform live?

A. UP THE RA or Moon River Q. Where’s your favourite place in Ireland?

A. The place in cork where Michael Collins was shot, ‘cause now there's a theme park there. I think.

Q. What’s the weirdest thing a fan has sent you?

A. Gwyneth Paltrow's pretty head.

Q. When was the last time you got nervous?

A. The Junior Cert, but only cos I was on acid at the time.

Q. The Wanted or One Direction?

A. Everybody wants to be wanted, but then again the only way is up so, fuck both of them I suppose.

A. And finally, Natalie Portman or Scarlett Johansson?

Q. Scarlet Johansson. I'd love to take her out for a lamb lunch, then a trip To a bowling alley.

The Battle of the BRITs h

British Male Solo Artist

Méadhbh: There’s one clear winner here for me and that’s without a doubt Tom Odell. His music and voice are enchanting and I can only hope the judges feel the same.

Blathnaid: It will probably be David Bowie, mainly because well, it’s David Bowie, but I have to say I am a tad obsessed with Jake Bugg. I saw him at Longitude and he was unreal. I love his voice, reminds me of Bob Dylan.

Ellen: Jake Bugg. He definitely deserves it, though he may well be overlooked.

British Female Solo Artist

M: This is not an easy category, if I have to pick its Ellie Goulding for me; her album is phenomenal and has been number 1 in the charts for weeks.

B: This is a hard one, it’s been a MASSIVE year for all of them but I’d love if Laura Mvula won, she’s a very strong woman and you can’t help but move when you hear her tunes!

E:I hope it goes to Laura Marling.

It'll definitely be Ellie Goulding, who admittedly has been fantastic this past year, but I just prefer Marling.

We’ve put music aficionados, Méadhbh Crowley (Music Editor), Ellen Desmond (Entertainment Editor) and Two Tube presenter Blathnaid Treacy to the test; as they try to predict who will win these coveted awards.

British Group

International Male Solo Artist

British Single of the Year

International Female Solo Artist

M: All the artists in this category have had such a successful year in 2013 but honestly I’d hate to see One Direction win, so I think I’ll go for Bastille.

B: Disclosure has had a brilliant year and have worked with so many other great artists including London Grammar.

E: No doubt it’ll go to One Direction but I’d personally give it to Arctic Monkeys.

M: I think Mr Slim Shady himself could pull this one out of the bag, I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t like him.

B: It’s got to be Mr J.T. He’s made such an incredible come back to the music scene the last year and a half or so. Plus he’s a hottie!

E: I’ll be stunned if it’s not Justin Timberlake, he’s already won all the other awards, so he’ll probably get this too.

M: I love every song on this except One Direction. But I think I’ll go with Passenger and his beautiful song Let Her Go. B: Rudimental – Waiting All Night.

Mainly because it’s an absolute tune!

I interviewed the guys a couple of months ago and they were very sound, really talented guys!

E: Bastille – Pompeii. It’s been everywhere this year and I’m not sick of it yet. It is an unavoidable winner.

M: Lorde, who at 16 had a number one in every country practically… did I mention she’s only 16.

B: This is a hard one, but out of all five, I think I’d want to see Katy Perry live in concert the most, so that’s why I’m picking Ms Perry.

E: I honestly can't decide between Katy Perry and Lorde.

International Group

M: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis for sure, sure isn’t he part Irish? Got to support your own.

B: Daft Punk are amazing but Get Lucky and Lose Yourself to Dance kind do my head in, too much radio play, so I’m going to have to go with Kings of Leon, I’m yet to see them live!

E: Arcade Fire definitely come out on top for me here but I’d be pretty surprised if they are chosen.

MasterCard British Album of the Year M: Bastille easily had the best album; every song on this is a hit.

B: Rudimental 100%. Every song on that album gets stuck in your head!

E: So many great albums this year but I have to go with Arctic Monkeys – AM.

Ian Twohig tells Verge what it’s really like to party with the Oscar Award Winner, Glen Hansard

SINGLE OF THE WEEK Shakira ft. Rihanna – Can’t Remember to Forget You The Hips Don’t Lie singer has recently released her new single with Rihanna and it has shot up the charts worldwide. The song initially has a reggae feel and compliments both singers beautifully. Definitely worth a download this week.

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Once Upon A Time

This is a simple tale, but one that will always stand out for me when I look back at my lonesome travels across South Africa and Australia. Have you seen these ‘border control’ TV shows? Well that’s exactly what happened me when I flew into sunny Sydney. I was not impressed. Anyhow, after finally been granted permission to enter the country I checked into the hostel and began exploring the city streets.

It was then that I saw the ginger bearded musician walk past me on George Street.

First thing I did, call my father back home in Cork. It was 5am there. He was not happy but if I didn’t call him I wouldn’t have followed Glen for half a mile into Starbucks.

Yes I followed him, and I stood alongside him in Starbucks, ordered a coffee and asked him was he Glen Hansard, which in fact he was. I told him that I had recognized the Irish accent. I cannot believe I lied to Glen Hansard.

Glen asked me how long I was here and I told him all my stories. It was very much on the style of anX Factor sob-story. With that Glen asked did I want to go to the gig that night. I was there in a heartbeat. The

plan was for me to go to the gig and that we would go for pints afterwards but he ended up going to a Leonard Cohen gig instead.

However, he was kind enough to invite me to their final gig the following night. I couldn’t say no.

The following night worked out better for me. I watched the gig, went up to Glen and the band afterwards to thank them for their generosity and before I knew I was on their tour bus jamming with them all the way back to their hotel. They had a lot of equipment with them so I offered to give them a hand.

It was the least I could do. The remainder of the night consisted of me taking photographs with everyone, drinking strange beer and chatting to them about music in every aspect of the craft. It was perfect.

I’ve been to a few of his gigs over the years, but I last saw him play at Cyprus Avenue in October. I spoke to Glen afterwards and to my amazement he remembered me and those gigs in Sydney back in 2009. Not only is Glen Hansard one of the most influential and creative musicians to come out of Irish soil, he is humble, passionate, a true gent, and a credit to the Irish music Industry.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK London Grammar- If You Wait As the trio make their debut on American TV this week, their album, If You Wait, has shot up the charts. With amazing tracks such as Waiting My Young Years and Strong, the album speaks wonders for the band and the trip hop genre.

CPlealyelbist

This week’s playlist comes from UCC band Paper Planes The Strokes – Heart in a Cage Arctic Monkeys – Arabella Kings of Leon – Don’t Matter Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Dani California Artic Monkeys – R U Mine Foo Fighters – Monkey Wrench The Black Keys – Thickfreakness Kings of Leon – Knocked Up Kodaline – All I Want Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Suck My Kiss

You can listen to this playlist at:

ARTIST OF THE WEEK Sam Smith Since his music career began in 2012 by featuring on Disclosure’s track Launch, Sam Smith has been making a name for himself in the music industry. Now in 2014 has already won two awards: BBC Sound of 2014 and Critic’s Choice at the BRITs. He is also nominated for La La La for best single at the BRITs and Brand New for 2014 with MTV.

VERGE MUSIC 7

the game of thrones you WIN or you DIE

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y a l p u o y n e h W

Entertainment Editor Ellen Desmond discusses the appeal and popularity of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin’s acclaimed fantasy series egardless of whether or not you’ve read Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, no one can avoid having heard plenty about it. Be it be catching an episode of the HBO adaptation Game of Thrones or reading countless Tweets about the Red Wedding, let’s face it; this fantasy saga is everywhere right now. A Song of Ice and Fire, first published in 1996, has to date sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. So, what exactly is it that has secured such a huge following for Martin’s lengthy novels?

So far, this saga of Westeros consists of five books published over a series of seven volumes, with at least two more books to come. The years-long gaps between publications should be off putting but in fact, seems to be serving as extra time to recruit more fans and release new TV seasons. It’s not written with much respect for chronology and, to quote Martin himself, “some chapters cover a day, some only an hour; others might span a fortnight, a month, half a year.” The narrative follows not so much a plot or sequence, but a series of sub-plots told in each chapter by a different character, some of whom are geographically miles away from each other, and nearly all of whom are opposed to each other. In sum, the narrative structure and sheer verbiage of this series seems like a recipe for disaster. But it’s not; it’s a delicious dish of devious schemes, colourful characters and cliff-hanger havoc.

One of the most critically debated elements of A Song of Ice and Fire is Martin’s constant indulgence in brutally murdering his much loved characters and he threatens to kill a Stark every time someone asks him when the next book is set for release. When reading the books, I found myself often flicking back a few pages to reread what I’d just learned - in the hope that it simply could not be true. There’s always unexpectedly

8 VERGE ARTS & LITERATURE

another character who has lost his head or who has overheard something they shouldn’t have. Someone might have been poisoned but will then survive against all odds to divulge someone else’s secret. Be it that the dead are walking again or that the young princes have been murdered, Martin does not shy away from shocking you, and often toying with you by very suddenly disproving what you had believed for hundreds of pages.

It may be said that by the time you make it to the fourth or fifth book, you’re wondering why there’s so much padding and lack of pace; it is indeed widely rumoured that A Song of Ice and Fire was only ever meant to be a trilogy. Critiques of Martin have claimed that he’s fallen into the temptation of producing more books solely because he A Game of Thrones, first knows it will make money but Martin published in 1996, is the first himself claims he is simply trying to novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, a make the series as best as he can. Should series of high fantasy novels by A Song of Ice and Fire has all the you make this journey past the first American author George R. R. politics, gritty glamour and sexual three more impressive instalments, Martin. tension of The Tudors and all the fantasy, you will make it without many of the war and imagination of Lord of the Rings characters you befriended and loved but with the added development at the outset. Further of independent female characters of ts en negative criticisms claim em cally debated el iti cr t os m that Tolkien never managed. You’ll e th that Martin is getting of ne O be hooked from the moment you “stuck” when developing finish the first chapter and despite the plot because he A Song of Ice and Fire is Martin ’s consta nt indulg ence an obvious amount of typos and is running out of the confusing prologues, you’ll be characters that fans have in brutally murdering his much loved characters and tied to this lovable ball and chain developed empathy for until you crawl through to the and is replacing them other end, grasping for more. I’m with too many, hastily e someone tim ry eve rk recommending it to the fullest but Sta a l kil drawn up, replacements. to s ten ea he thr you’re probably going to need to As an enthusiast of book about seven months’ vacation the series I both agree asks him when the next to get through it. The saying goes and disagree with that that “when you play the game of criticism, but I think the thrones you win or you die” and so book is set for release expectation of danger has far Martin’s winning the game, well, all fans ultimately drawn unless he inevitably kills off Tyrion or in, in a dedicated desire to know what Arya. In which case I reckon Martin will becomes of the remaining prominent be found dead in his bed. figures.

Comedy Cop Out

An Ideal Husband: Everyman Theatre

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In tandem with the 50th anniversary of the Everyman Theatre, the Everyman Theatre Company presented Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, a revival of the earliest shows the theatre produced upon opening. Written in 1895, AIH is arguably one of Wilde’s greatest comedies. One of his more popular plays, perhaps second only to The Importance of Being Earnest, AIH is centred on the paradox that is the human condition. It is a piece that delves into the idea that we all have flaws, from the most self-righteous character to the most comical. This production principally starred Shirley McCarthy and Ian McGuirk. Ronnie O’Shaughnessy, Conor Dwane, Vanessa Hyde, and many others also featured in this adaptation.

The plot is chiefly engineered by the domineering force of Ms Cheveley, played by the beautiful Shirley McCarthy. It is through her plotting that the general weakness of the other characters is exposed. The result is a hot bed of hypocrisy dogged with regret. Perhaps it is the principled Mr Chiltern that suffers most as he struggles to resist the subtle blackmail placed before him. His cause is not helped by the fact that his wife is a golden example of a “modern woman” yet is blameless beyond belief.

Some of the most comical and honest exchanges came from the pretty ingénue, Miss Chiltern and the wayward flirt Mr. Goring, as she shamefully attempts to train his wandering eye.

Mr Goring played by Ian McGuirk gave a very self-assured performance. Not only did he act as a mouth piece for many of Wilde’s more capacious epigrams, he also presented to the audience an idea of a “man of leisure” and his place in society.

His father’s disdain for Goring’s inability to settle down and put his mind to something, though comical, are a stark reminder of societal change and seem to reflect Wilde’s own existence in some ways. Despite this, I will remember this production for its female characters. Not only were there considerably more women on stage than men, their foibles and small hypocrisies provided much of the humour. The actions of Ms Cheveley and Mrs Chiltern drove the plot and both used their ability to adopt different fronts in a way the men in the play could not.

This lack of fidelity on their part is what makes the play so intriguing. Even Mabel is often more perceptive than her male counterparts, who seem simply to wallow in their own distress or fail to realise what’s going on around them. Wilde truly was ahead of his time as a writer, in many respects; it is a testament to a play when it works brilliantly in the twenty first century, despite its initial publication in the nineteenth.

The Everyman is always a beautiful venue for theatre going but never did it look so well. Jim McQuaid`s set was incredible to look at and went a long way to recreating the grandeur of a London penthouse. In all, this production was successful in showcasing the comedy of the play and succeeded in part in drawing on ideas about the institution of marriage and the idea of fidelity and truth, not only in marriage, but in all human interaction. By in large, the acting was of quality across the board. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Wilde won’t fail to get you laughing!

David Attenborough.

Michael Palin. Charlie Connelly. Richard Arthur? As travel writers go, Arthur is an allusive name in this list.

Following the release of his recent novel ‘I of the Sun’, Arthur has a tough job ahead of him, following in the footsteps of the three aforementioned giants. How does he succeed?

Short answer: not very well. Arthur`s book delves too much into intellectual psyche to truly stand out as a palatable travel book.

Arthur is certainly a capable writer but if ‘I of the Sun’ is anything judge by, he ought to write psychological thrillers, more in the style of Joseph Conrad`s ‘Heart of Darkness’ or Alex Garland`s ‘The Beach’ than anything published as a piece of travel writing.

Casing point is undoubtedly the novel`s opening line: “We drift into life slowly as if waking from a long dream. Memories appear like broken fragments of an unwritten

Luke Luby expresses (forgive the pun) his views on the modern state of stand-up comedy As Frankie Boyle once noted, most comedians lose their focus once they hit 40. I’d agree but I’d also go one step further and suggest that comedians not only lose their focus, but they also lose whatever edge that they had in the years beforehand. Take Boyle for example; when was the last time he made headlines for an edgy joke that a lot of people took offense to? The only one that springs to my mind would be a joke on his show Talladega Nights about Katie Price’s son Harvey and even then, it seemed like a man grasping at straws trying to remain relevant and keep the edginess that made him so famous in the first place. Since then there have been very, very few times Boyle has been in the news, or even on a show.

Have a think about the majority of stand up comedians still going. How many of them can you honestly say are edgy, or at the very least retained some of their edginess from previous years?

None. Or, at least, next to none. Boyle’s lost his edginess. So has Tommy Tiernan - which reminds me, where is he these days? The same can be said for Billy Connolly, Sarah Silverman and Jim Jeffries. Hell, Ben Elton used to be a left wing radical, now he writes West End Musicals!

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that these funny makers aren’t funny anymore. What I’m saying is that they’ve lost the vital ingredient that got them to their peak and now that it’s gone, it seems like they’re going the way of the dinosaur; they’re

a dying breed. That vital ingredient, their edginess, is what made them so acclaimed in the first place, regardless of how many times their jokes were labelled as distasteful, which happened for many of the comedians mentioned above. But they were still loved by those who were uncomfortably in love with the comedians’ willingness to push the boundaries.

Sure, they’ll all get a few laughs here and there, as they deserve but many of the comedians now can be labelled laughable, but not in the way they’re looking or hoping for. The distinct lack of edginess, in other words, their fear of threading the line, has left them planting themselves firmly in the centre of the box, gently screaming the same one liners and monologues as the rest of their competition. Even Louis CK, one of the greats of the comedy business, is starting to wane; most of his best work is far behind him.

So, while many comedians try to firmly root themselves in the halls of the comedy greats, we can all sit back, grab a bowl of popcorn and think to ourselves ‘This is a rip off of...’, or, depending on the hack onstage, ‘This guy should have given it all up a couple years back’, or, which seems to be more and more the case, ‘Why’d he change so much? He used to be f’cking great.’ While the dozens crave stardom spouting the same stuff as the rest of the flock, throw on an old Bill Hicks DVD and be amazed at what comedy used to be about.

I of the Sun Arts and Literature editor Eoghan Lyng explores Richard Arthur`s travel book

book, gradually taking form as we emerge from the darkness.” For most novels, such a loquacious opener would prove perfect; for a travel novel, it is too flowery, too erudite and, dare I say it, a little too pretentious. It lacks the humility that made Julia Blackburn`s ‘Thin Paths: Journeys in and around an Italian Mountain Village’ and John Gimlette`s ‘Wild Coast: Travels on South America's Untamed Edge’ the enjoyable reads that they were.

Elsewhere, Arthur`s escapades seem a little boring. A lot of time is spent describing Arthur`s conversations with other (largely nameless- somewhat unforgiveable for such an intimate piece of writing as a travel book!) characters, rather than his own personal experiences in Thailand and Cambodia. Whenever any events of substantial interest are brought up, they too seem somewhat vague and disjointed.

There are references to nameless Indian restaurants, indiscernible curries and clichéd leitmotifs about the ferocity of the sun, all

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Words: Martha Ewence

of which just seems boring. Actions regarding a posse of “drunk kids with UV paint and mopeds” neither give personal enough information about such activity to merit this book an intimate read, nor is it interesting enough to warrant it being anything more than extraneous detail. Again, in most other literary genres, such decorous writing would be very well appreciated but in a piece of travel writing, such pieces simply seems unnecessary.

If the book proclaimed itself anything other than a travel book, it could be enjoyed as a piece of Post-Modernism. Hunter S. Thompson certainly did not adhere to the rigidness of travel writing guidelines when writing his works. But Thompson never claimed that his writing were not experimental. Quite the contrary, in fact.

‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ is a wonderful piece of absurdism, even if its roots were based in journalism (although to claim that the concept ‘Gonzo Journalism’

was for media purposes is at best arguable and at worst rubbish). Arthur`s piece seems to be more heavily grounded in traditional travel writing, which is why the book seems a little tired and laborious.

It`s not entirely terrible. There are interesting points here and there.

The last two pages, in particular, give an interesting perspective on Arthur`s travels in Asia. His primary question throughout the book, (‘what are you doing now?’), is an interesting point that readers can ask for days and days on end. It`s a development that sadly does not permeate throughout the rest of this somewhat sluggish book.

Credit where credit`s due. Arthur could make a very strong successor to Joseph Conrad. But he simply is no Attenborough; no Blackburn. Perhaps he should consider leaving travel writing to those who can deliver and leave his style of writing to other genres!

VERGE ARTS & LITERATURE 9

Debate

o d n e t n i N Aoife Gleeson (@AoifeGlees)

Things are not looking great for Nintendo. Everyone’s been aware for a long time now that the WiiU is a flop, failing to capture the attention of gamers or a casual market that moved on long ago. But Nintendo has finally come out and said it. A revised sales forecast downgraded a projected profit of 100 billion yen (700 million euro) to a loss of 35 billion yen (250 million euro).

The forecast unfortunately hits around the same time as Microsoft and Sony announce the runaway success of their respective consoles. Now investors are running and Nintendo is scrambling for a means of staying relevant. Many have even called for the resignation of Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s President of over a decade. So the question is: is this once great colossus of the video game industry on death’s door?

It’s no secret that the Wii U is a failure. While it has a small crop of quality games it’s abysmally behind its competitors in terms of processing, graphics, online infrastructure, etc.

It’s objectively technologically inferior but that’s not the problem - as we saw before with the Wii, technological superiority isn’t everything. The problem is twofold. First of all, the Wii U confuses the average consumer. The console itself looks almost identical to the Wii, with the gamepad being the only distinguishing feature (which can be mistaken for one of the Wii’s plethora of peripherals).

The console is interpreted as an expensive iteration on old hardware. It’s confusing, and it’s old news. The other problem is that the mainstream casual market has moved on to mobile and smartphone gaming, which satisfies the desire for small, fun, digestible gaming in a convenient and inexpensive manner.

The original lovers of the Wii have moved on and gamers have the PS4 and Xbox One. The Wii U, in other words, has no market and it’s tanking. The 3DS, comparatively, is much more successful but not enough to stem the company’s haemorrhaging of money. A recent loss in court, due to patent infringement

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NintenDON’T!

of 3D technology, also means that for every 3DS sold they will have to pay a percentage to the original creator of the glasses-less 3D. For a company that now needs to hold on to every cent it can, that hurts. Not to mention the fact that few utilise the 3D and it can’t even be used by young children, the primary demographic for the DS brand. The 2DS aims to remedy this, but it has failed to catch consumer attention, as it isn’t very well marketed.

It’s looking increasingly likely that Nintendo is going to be pushed out of the hardware market. The home console market is far from dead, which many predicted during the rise of the smartphone. In fact it’s clearly on the rise, with the PS4 and Xbox One surpassing all expectations and becoming resounding successes.

However, power, visuals and online infrastructure are now the most sought after features in home consoles, features which Nintendo has sadly trailed behind in for years. Now it’s being left in the dust. Their consoles have always been underpowered, and it’s looking like bringing out a quality Mario or Zelda game every few years is no longer going to be enough.

Despite all the failings of its hardware, Nintendo undoubtedly still makes great games. A Link Between Worlds and Mario Super 3D Land proved that last year. Third party support is close to non-existent for them. Maybe, and it’s sad to say this, it’s time that Nintendo stopped producing hardware. Many have suggested that they move to the mobile platform, but that platform is overcrowded and the games generally over-simplified. They need to swallow

With the right strategy, the losses they have experienced can easily be recouped

They need to swallow their pride and put their games on the competitor’s consoles, without question.

10 VERGE GAMING

their pride and put their games on the competitor’s consoles, without question.

Think about it - how many of you have ever said ‘I’d play that if it were on Playstation or Xbox?’ Ironically, Nintendo will likely end up like its old rival Sega, who once famously said that Sega ‘does what NintenDON’T’, hocking its wares on the competitor’s console.

Existing in some way is better than not existing at all, which is very likely to happen if Nintendo stays the course. The ship is sinking – it’s time to jump.

NintenDO!

2013, not all of them saw iterations on both of Nintendo’s platforms. The likes of Zelda, Animal Crossing and Stephen Barry (@StphnBarry) Pokémon could very easily enhance Wii U’s sales, and on the other side, a new 2D, or 2.5D Metroid on the 3DS would likely enthral and enthuse fans. Each of Nintendo’s intellectual Nintendo is going through some difficult times, this is true. Following a properties has a name that can instantly sizable decrease in their fiscal year sales be recognised and thus could instantly and profit targets, as well as an eighteen help their struggling sales figures. These franchises and brands must be nurtured percent drop in share price, I wouldn’t and the House of Mario must stray from blame you for assuming that Nintendo their unwritten rules when it comes to are slowly sinking into the depths of imminent bankruptcy. I’m here to show their release...I’m looking at Pokémon not having a true home console release you that this isn’t entirely the case.

Nintendo.

Nintendo is a strong company with Now to Nintendo’s two current many strong intellectual properties, and many solid bases that it simply needs to platforms – the Wii U and 3DS. Both consoles have had their struggles, yes, but neither of them is a bad platform in any sense of the phrase. The 3DS almost crumbled under its price point and lack of blockbuster first-party titles; a problem build upon in order to get themselves out of the rut that they are currently in. which the Wii U is currently feeling With the likes of Mario, Metroid, Zelda the pain of. However, all is not lost, and Donkey Kong in their catalogue, as we must only look to recent history well as two solid platforms in the Wii U for hope for the future. While the 3DS struggled when it prematurely began and Nintendo 3DS, all they need to do the sprint from the starting line, with is utilise them properly. an unrealistic cost to the consumer First off, let’s chat about Nintendo’s and lack of launch titles, it regained current release schedule for 2014. its stamina with the launches of Obviously, this is subject to change, various important Nintendo published especially with the likes of E3 not even games and a reduced price point. It being in the near future. Currently, has quickly become a stellar console, the key franchises that are seeing which outshines its competition, the releases this year are Donkey Kong, Playstation Vita, with little or no effort.

Super Smash Bros., Yoshi, Professor To save the Wii U, Nintendo need only Layton and of course, the be all end repeat the strategy that brought their all – Mario Kart. As you can see, this dual-screen son back from the brink. is far from the sparse schedule, and If they were to cut the price of the Wii could see the install base of the Wii U U and shower it with support, it could and 3DS bolstered in the coming year. very easily recover its past losses. Oh, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart and they should probably reinvest in have sold tens of millions in the past third-party support. That would help and with both titles being released on Nintendo’s black sheep console, the Wii too.

Nintendo isn’t dying, not by a long U, we could see the struggling platform shot. A few mistakes do not mean that become yet another prized success in Nintendo’s trophy case. That is truly the Satoru Iwata’s coffin is sealed. With power of Nintendo’s franchises; one title the right strategy, the losses they have experienced can easily be recouped but has the capability of selling a system. they first must realise that their current On the note of Nintendo’s powerful trajectory must be altered. If they do, franchises, let’s talk about the IPs that the House of Mario may yet reclaim its are not yet getting attention in 2014. spot as a shining beacon of hope in a These include Metroid, Pokémon cynical games industry.

(Which typically sees some sort of release every year), Star Fox, The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing.

While three of these saw entries in

Hearthstone enters public beta -There were no survivors h

Words: Brian Conmy

Cards are the basic pieces that make up the game of Hearthstone. Each card represents an action that the player can take by playing that card.

One of the strangest gaming success stories of 2013 was Hearthstone. You’d be forgiven for not having heard of the game, it having spent 2013 in closed beta with only games press and a select few others being able to play it. A few weeks ago however, Blizzard, the company behind the card battling game, announced that it was entering open beta in North America before being rolled out to the rest of the world shortly after. As such you are free to download the game client, set up an account and begin to spend far too much time in the game.

What’s odd about Hearthstone and what has ultimately drawn me in, is how simplistic it seems. Card battling games over the years, which have gained notoriety, namely Yu-GiOh and Magic: The Gathering, can seem simple enough to start but quickly grow into bloated messes of contradictions and confusion.

Hearthstone though, seems to counter this bloated style of gameplay by being easy to grasp but it also seems hard to master, so don’t let the stigma of other games mire your choice to try this one.

What’s also odd but surprisingly fascinating, in the particular context of a card collecting or battling game, is the fact that Hearthstone is completely free to play. While that has certainly become a dirty word as of late, Blizzard seem to have taken the high road with their free to play strategy. Cards in the game can be

purchased with within game, or real world money. However, everything you do in the game can generally earn you game currency, at a seemingly reasonable rate. If you keep playing the game you can certainly grind your way to any card you desire, if you don’t pick it up in a randomized “expert card” pack.

As such, if you come across an opponent online who seems to have a lot of very good cards, you can’t be certain if they’ve simply put more time into the game to get these cards or outright purchased them with real world money. What does show though is how much time a person has really put into the game through character based progression.

Hearthstone features nine playable classes who utilize different card types and have special character based abilities, meaning once you unlock them all and find an affinity for one or two characters you can specialize in them and level them to prove your skill as a player.

What you may notice is that while I’ve talked about the auxiliary functions of the game such as the in game store, I haven’t mentioned how the game actually works at its core. Honestly there’s a simple reason for that, the game does a fantastic job of breaking you in to its rules and gameplay. A simple yet fun and charming introductory set of battles serves to break you in to Hearthstone and that tutorial will do a better job of getting you to play the game than my praise or instruction ever could. Currently the practice, play and arena modes of the game are all open and functioning; play being ranked or

random online games. While I haven’t dabbled in arena mode yet I’m excited to jump in once I hone my skills and build a better deck.

While still in open beta Blizzard have said that the game won’t be seeing any more wipes of card collections or character progressions, as such now may be the best time to jump into the game and see if it’s for you. There’s every likelihood that as time goes on more more features could be added to the game to make it an even better experience but as it stands, I can recommend Hearthstone sincerely to anyone.

Words: Brian Conmy We’re not that far into 2014 and Microsoft has already hit the headlines negatively. Again.

Recently a copy of a business agreement between the Youtube channel Machinima and Microsoft surfaced, detailing a program being offered by Microsoft. The deal basically broke down to say that for every 1000 views Machinima got on a video that positively mentioned the Xbox One, the channel would receive $3. As little as this may seem these videos can often receive millions of views and multiple videos can easily be made in quick succession, whether they be editorial based/ review/preview or any other number of video types. This can mean pretty big money.

The leak was met with a lot of criticism from the gaming public but honestly, very few seemed surprised. I know I wasn’t surprised.

Some people have retroactively called bias on a number of videos Machinima have released

The leak was met with a lot of criticism from the gaming public but honestly, very few seemed surprised

which discuss Sony and Microsoft’s new consoles and while I don’t know if this business agreement necessarily coloured the channels opinions that much, I know that I now question the motives behind some opinions more than I did. In reality, this questioning is bad news for the channel but also for a lot of people and groups in similar situations. The real oddity of this leak though is that the deal is only valid as long as it’s kept secret. It really couldn’t look sketchier on Microsoft’s part.

For years, certain people have called certain sites or individuals in the gaming industry money hats, people who will gladly take money to positively review a game. IGN is a common target of these accusations. In fact, any bigger site in the gaming industry has had these insinuations lobbied at them. In certain, very limited, situations these allegations have turned out to be true and credibility once lost, is very hard to regain. In this situation though, specifically looking at Youtube personalities, credibility is often all they have and the existence of questions in the audience’s head that these people could be being paid off could be ruinous.

The situation for Youtube personalities in the gaming field is already difficult with recent rule changes that disallow the use of in game footage that should realistically be covered under fair use policies.

What’s yet to happen is the fallout from the leaked business agreement; nobody else has come forward to say that Microsoft has offered

them similar deals. More importantly, nobody else has come forward to say that any other company, hardware developer or otherwise, has offered similar incentivitisation programs.

While it’s unlikely that Nintendo have the presence of mind to attempt to advertise their Wii U console this way, as desperately as it needs it, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that companies like Sony, EA, Ubisoft or a number of others are attempting to utilize similar strategies to sell hardware or software.

The real problem here is though: is this right?

Certainly people need to earn a living and if these agreements help make a channel profitable then it’s understandable why someone would accept such an offer. However, the channel really has to question if this deal is unfairly altering what the truth of their message should be. Coming out and saying that the Xbox One is the second coming of Christ is fine, if you believe it. If you like the console but fairly have criticisms to share and can’t for fear of risking a business agreement that’s keeping you afloat, then what can you do?

I realize posing ponderous moral questions here is odd; after all does this deal even really affect you if you’re not a fan of these types of channels and Youtube as a gaming news/ information site? Even if it doesn’t directly, the indirect consequences could be bigger than we realize. Keep an eye on this story; it’s one that’s sure to develop.

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Scandal or business as usual?

For every 1000 views Machinima got on a video that positively mentioned the Xbox One, the channel would receive $3

VERGE GAMING 11

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