2020game.io screenshot + Bernie

2020 is still very close in our rear view mirror, and Michael & Michael start off this episode with a fun 8bit sidescrolling game. 2020game.io lets you play through the major events of the year, from wildfires in Australia through the elections in the US.  This reminded Michael M of Ian Bogost’s work on persuasive and serious games.

Addressing the concerns for the near term future, the co-hosts discuss the ramifications of what Michael R coins “never off” mode for the Xbox, and the impact of the power consumption, as well as the potential for lab-grown plants from MIT.  Continuing on this theme, the pair discuss Amazon’s offer to help with the vaccination challenge in the United States.

Moving to the world of the new Apple silicon M1 Macs, Michael and Michael explore a couple of articles on an Ubuntu Linux port, and the blocking of sideloading iPhone apps before going much more retro with the Commodore 64 reboot.  

Visual art features as this episode winds up, with an amazing high-res detailed scan of Vermeer’s Girl with Pearl Earring, the Vatican Museum virtual tours, new Pixar shorts on Disney+ and the Bernie mittens meme showing up practically everywhere this week.  Where would you least expect to see Bernie?  

Selected Links

2020game.io — https://2020game.io 

Ian Bogost — http://bogost.com 

Games At Work episode 17, Things are Weirder Than Expected — https://gamesatwork.biz/2012/08/26/episode-17-things-are-weirder-than-expected

Ars Technica article: Report: Xbox’s “instant on” feature could consume 4 billion kWh by 2025 — https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/01/how-the-xboxs-default-instant-on-feature-could-harm-the-environment/ 

TechCrunch article: MIT develops method for lab-grown plants that eventually lead to alternatives to forestry and farming — https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/20/mit-develops-method-for-lab-grown-plants-that-eventually-lead-to-alternatives-to-forestry-and-farming/ 

The Verge article: Amazon offers to help Biden administration with vaccinations — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/20/22241031/amazon-vaccination-biden-administration 

The Verge article: Linux has been ported to run on Apple’s M1 Macs — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/21/22242107/linux-apple-m1-mac-port-corellium-ubuntu-details 

The Verge article: Apple is blocking Apple Silicon Mac users from sideloading iPhone apps — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/15/22233754/apple-blocking-m1-iphone-app-sideloading 

Amazing. Every word of what I just tweeted is wrong… I can’t get enough of these. pic.twitter.com/MCvLqxZ4Zq— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself)