E3 2021 Cancelled

Well it’s official, E3 has been cancelled for the second time in a row due to the coronavirus. While it was cancelled in 2020 physically and digitally they had plans to host a digital even this summer for E3 which has now also been cancelled. This doesn’t bode well for the yearly event held in Los Angeles as it has slowly been losing developers to showcase at the event with PlayStation not attending in 2019 which in turn lead to fewer attendees for the event. PlayStation instead has been focusing on it’s own digital events called State of Play which showcases their upcoming games to audiences online. E3 is still planning to host the yearly event in some capacity for 2022 and 2023. Hopefully the big three game developers like Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo will attend. These companies have all been hosting their own digital events to big turn out with less money spent than attending E3, so only time will tell.

Published 03/04/2021 10:12PM EST

How Gaming Has Helped People Stay Connected During The Pandemic

In March 2020 the United States went into lock down and stay at home order were put into place across the country. This was the beginning of a long hardship filled year. With this people weren’t able to hangout as normal and had to find ways to stay connected virtually. Luckily this was able to be done through video chat, texting and finally video games.

Video game sales rose to an all time high during 2020 even though many had lost their jobs. This hobby/pastime was an easy and fun way to stay connected with friends. One of the biggest games to take hold was Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Switch. In this game you are able to build your own island chalked full of island visitor for you to make your neighbors. The online component made so players could visit each other and hangout on each others island simulating the feeling of being in person. It was the prefect game for the pandemic and lead to Animal Crossing being the 3rd best selling game of 2020. Thanks to video game people were able to spend time with each other virtually and make the horrible year of 2020 just a little bit better.

Published 03/05/2021 5:44PM EST

Gaming an Escape for 2020

With the pandemic occurring in 2020 many people escaped to another world through the means of gaming. This helped people escape for just a brief moment from the terrifying and uncertain future. Currently the pandemic is still going in 2021 and gaming has still been there during this time. Games sale went up by 27% according to NPD (National Purchase Diary Panel Inc.) even though unemployment was at an all time low. With the extra time at home, video games became a highly sought after at home hobby in 2020.

I asked several people how video games helped them through the pandemic and this were their responses. “Gaming helped me by giving me an escape from quarantine. I could be free in a different world and for a few hours things weren’t so bad.” said Zack Dillon an employee at Best Buy. Another person Dylan Vaughn said, “Video games have been on e of the most important sources of enjoyment during the pandemic and have been a huge stress relief. Not to mention I’ve bee able to play with new friends and stay connected with my homies.” It’s evident that gaming helped people find some sort of relief during the pandemic and according to the sales numbers it’s not going anywhere.

Published 03/08/2021 9:38PM EST

EA sports recently announced in a tweet the NCAA football will finally return in video games. This means the ability to play as the Tennessee Vols on the latest console generation. The last NCAA football game to come out was NCAA Football 14 in July 2013 and was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Since the release there have been two new console generations with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X coming out last year in November. After nearly a decade without these games fans are hungry for the return of this series.

For those who never stopped believing…#EASPORTSCollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/2vDUYnbXEJ

— EA SPORTS (@EASPORTS) February 2, 2021

The NCAA games published by EA SPORTS originally stopped producing the games after there was massive pushback from the players and a lawsuit ensued as the players received no compensation for their likeness. Although EA didn’t use the names of the players they did use the same numbers and likeness of the players.

The lawsuit in question was O’Bannon v. NCAA. In the lawsuit former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon filed against the NCAA for using the likeness, numbers and names of players past graduation with no compensation. The lawsuit was settled on August 08, 2014 in O’Bannon’s favor as the NCAA was ruled to have been violating the antitrust laws and now has to provide student athletes with additional aid up to $5000 more a year as included with their scholarship packages.

The new EA Sports College Football game announced it will not use any likeness of the current players, so for people that attend the University of Tennessee Knoxville, you won’t see current players such as Harrison Bailey and Josh Palmer. The game will how ever feature the stadiums, uniforms and over 100 different NCAA-affiliated sports teams through the Collegiate Licensing Company. This means we will see the Neyland Stadium in all its glory

No information has been received if other sports in the NCAA will receive the same treatment and come back. EA Sports College Football is expected to release in 2023 on home consoles and pc.

This is Turn 1 Gaming a local card hobby/gaming shop in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They hold events every week from Pokemon, Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh. Turn 1 Gaming has fostered and enriched a community of gamers while supply a safe and friendly environment for all ages.

The manager Travis is a kind and friendly man who helps run the Pokemon tournaments every Sunday. He is always willing to teach others any games they are interested and helps to keep the store a family friendly environment. The store which is a part of Level Up Games and Hobbies a local Knoxville store.

Turn 1 Gaming is a recently new store as it opened in August 2018. They have been building a big following shortly after with daily events and games to be played. There are prizes readily available to those who win and the buy in is completely optional. Experience isn’t need to join as the people are friendly and always open to teach individuals how to play.

To get into the hobby of these card games the price to start is relatively cheap with the option to buy a starter deck. These are generally around the $20 range and is a low cost to learn if you will enjoy the game. The main aspect that Turn 1 Gaming provides is an outlet for individuals to nurture friendships with a similar passion.

There are also cool and inventive ways to play these games for longtime fans looking to switch up their game and learn new strategies. This is known as a draft where new packs of cards are opened right on the spot and individuals take turns choosing cards to build a deck right there. This opens up a large amount of strategy that is need to succeed in the game.

The store isn’t just about card and board games though as they also provide a plethora of used games and movies available to purchase. These range from classics such as the Super Nintendo all the way to modern consoles and games such as the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.

So come on down to Turn 1 Gaming and have fun learning a new and exciting hobby or just come and make a few new friends. As Travis said, “The main thing is to have fun.”