Happenings

My views on the happenings around the World

Last of The PS4 Games

PS4 Games: Final Releases Before The Big Launch

July 22, 2020 Happenings

Without further ado, the announcement of the PS5 launch has meant that I’ve to say farewell to the PS4 games which have seen the last of its 2 major releases in successive months. Since it’s the end of a fruitful and glorious journey before the big launch of PS5, to say the least, it made complete sense therefore to get the special editions of The Last of Us Part II and the Ghost of Tsushima, but I will come to that in a bit.

Although launched in 2013 I caught up with PS4 gaming only a few years down the line after it was announced that the ‘Uncharted – A Thief’s End’ would be the final instalment with Nathan Drake’s adventures. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of treasure hunting and adventure games, including the Tomb Raider series. But back then I was still finishing up with my PS3 game catalogue and such titles like Sleeping Dogs, Spec Ops: The Line, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, Burnout Paradise, Guacamelee, The Last of Us, just to name a few from a long list keep me busy — it’s a different discussion on why I couldn’t complete most of them after experiencing the game graphics that PS4 had to offer!

My most fundamental memory of the PS4 games would be the design of the DualShock 4 controller, and the innovation of the TouchPad, etc. It’s most striking example was inFamous – Second Son where you could use the controller to draw graffiti on the buildings or emulate a DNA test by putting your finger on a certain corner of the touch-pad. Just brilliant!

Why Sucker Punch added touch controls to Infamous: Second Son

PS4 Games Have Its Own Aura

I’ll always be a fan of the action/adventure genre and without a doubt, some of my favourite titles on the PS4 will always be, the Tomb Raider trilogy — Definitive Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of Tomb Raider, the Uncharted franchise that includes the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, Uncharted: A Thief’s End, and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (I can’t wait for the next Uncharted title on PS5). Then comes the remastered versions of Burnout Paradise and The Last of Us, and last but not the least, the 19th-century sci-fi adventure of The Order 1886. To say the least, I’ve mostly played exclusive titles (check below), and to that coveted list, I will now add the final PS4 games of The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima.

Some notable PS4 Releases over the years.

There wasn’t a dull moment ever during any of those immersive gameplays, except for that one boss fight in inFamous – Second Son that made me abandon the game completely. Admittedly, I’ve only played a handful of titles on my PS4, mostly exclusives like I said, and persisted with some franchises that I’ve carried forward from my PS3 experiences. For instance, the expansive landscapes and the treasure hunt of the Uncharted series, the stealth gameplay and the gruesome puzzles of Tomb Raider, or even the sheer joy of racing a Renault Cleo through the rainy environs of the Bandipur sanctuary in India in Driveclub. Now with rumours abound of PS5’s backwards compatibility with PS4 games I’m definitely playing some of them again. For now, I will enjoy the last exclusive titles on PS4.

Quite Different Special Editions!

Speaking of which, I was disappointed with the Ghost of Tsushima Special Edition straight up. For example, the special edition pack for The Last of Us Part II bough just a month apart was loaded with goodies such as the artbook by Dark Horse Comics; a treat for art & illustration lovers, then there are double discs which include the soundtrack of the game.

Basically, when you buy the Special Edition (SE) of any PS4 game it shouldn’t feel like you missed out on a whole lot of stuff simply because the high-end Collector’s Editions have tons to offer but are always sold out no matter what! The SE is a way of rewarding the customer with stuff that’s really worth cherishing.

Coming from that experience I had a lot of expectations from the Ghost of Tsushima special edition pack but I was totally misled. There was no book included with it – it comes only with the Collector’s Edition which is always hoarded, and the rest of the items were a digital-only download. Going forward, my only wish is that Sony/PlayStation defines standards for what constitutes a ‘Collector’s Edition’ versus a ‘Special Edition’, and give it’s content a uniform structure across its marketing strategy.

TLOU_Special Edition

Basic Income for Canadians

Basic Income Plan For Canadians

April 13, 2020 Happenings

A fringe economic theory which proposes a minimum income guarantee for the society is finally becoming a mainstream discussion due to the COVID crisis. The idea of long-term economic support to low-income groups in times of uncertainty otherwise referred to as the Universal Basic Income (UBI) has gained rapid popularity & support in this global pandemic of COVID-19. For a start, UBI provides for a basic minimum allowance to everyone in the society (hence, universal) regardless of the circumstances or income. These benefits are especially needed

The main advantage is that ensures a minimum standard of income for everyone – without any costs and bureaucracy of means-tested benefits. Also, it avoids the disincentive to work that can occur with means-tested benefits. In times of crisis, a UBI can also provide a social safety net with minimum admin costs.

Universal Basic Income — Pros and Cons

A recent Gallup and Northeastern University survey found resonance for the UBI amongst 75% Canadians and 77% in the UK for workers who lose their jobs owing to AI advancements in the field. Sadly only 43% in the United States supported the call for a “government-instituted program that would provide every adult with a specific amount of money each year” despite Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang advocating a UBI plan during his campaign run. AI’s imminent threat to livelihoods and the inevitable rise in class inequality isn’t out of question in the future, however, millions have been left unemployed today due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and more would follow as long as establishments remain under strict lockdown policy. Canada’s economy lost more than a million jobs in March alone, pushing the unemployment rate to a whopping 7.8% from 5.6% in February. According to Statistics Canada, 19.2 million Canadians had paid work in February before the coronavirus hit Canada with full force. A month later, barely 18 million still had jobs. The Federal government launched the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to help businesses and workers who have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak — $2,000 a month for up to four months for workers who lose their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CERB would cover Canadians who have lost their job, are sick, quarantined, or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19, as well as working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children who are sick or at home because of school and daycare closures. The CERB would apply to wage earners, as well as contract workers and self-employed individuals who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI).

Government introduces Canada Emergency Response Benefit to help workers and businesses
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We’re Together In Our Fight Against COVID-19!

March 24, 2020 Happenings
COVID-19

It’s been a week since Ontario declared an emergency facing increasing COVID-19 cases in the province, and largely to prevent people from gathering in large numbers. In other words, practicing ‘social distancing’ to avoid contact with infected persons, even if it’s business as usual for some of them. The tremors from the Coronavirus blowout are being felt everywhere even as I’m writing this piece. It all seems like the world has being pounded by an army of invisible invaders while it was napping, but while the governments are doing everything in their power to pushback COVID-19 the residents are clearly losing the plot. The objective to decrease the infections cannot be achieved without everyone deciding to isolate themselves voluntarily and by maintaining a strict personal hygiene routine considering that the virus has the potential to survive on various kinds of materials for days.

Since it’s a new virus our immune systems are being compromised — there is no sign of an infection for days, and moreover, there’s no vaccine or treatment which is currently available. The only way to safeguard ourselves from this brutal threat and that of our society is through preventive measures of self-isolation during infection, and through ‘social distancing’. By not following these precautionary measures, we’re only adding to the risk of an unprecedented and a catastrophic scale that could push our nations into turmoil and affect our livelihoods for several decades. We’re already seeing the economic impacts, so far – the value of gold has plummeted, oil and gas prices are at is lowest since June 2001, the global travel industry has been crippled by cancellations and nationwide lockdowns, and there have been large scale layoffs in almost every major industry worldwide as a domino effect. Besides the official postponement of the biggest event of all, the Tokyo Olympics. It’d be completely appropriate to say, that as a global community, we’re going through our worst nightmares arising out of an inconspicuous element of danger.

Heart of the matter is, we all should be committed in our struggle against COVID-19 with the rules of our involvement pretty straightforward. Get yourself informed and share the info, maintain strict personal hygiene, and avoid contact with the outside world unless if it’s absolutely, positively, necessary.

What’s ‘Social Distancing‘?

– avoiding crowded places and non-essential gatherings
– avoiding common greetings, such as handshakes
– limiting contact with people at higher risk like older adults and those in poor health
– keeping a distance of at least 2 arms-length (approximately 2 metres) from others

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Prevention and risks

Super Over, Last Ball, Maximum Excitement!!

January 30, 2020 Happenings
India & New Zealand Team Logos

Today’s exciting T20 match between India and New Zealand literally went down to the wire (or over the wire), when India beat New Zealand in a last-ball sixer to take an unassailable lead of 3-0 and win the series. The highlight of the game was Rohit Sharma’s successive 6s in the last two deliveries of the Super Over. This accomplishment also refreshed memories of yet another T20I, the 2018 Nidahas Trophy Finals held in Colombo wherein Dinesh Karthik hit the maximum on the last delivery to lift the cup against Bangladesh. Mind you India on that day was on the backfoot needing 34 off the last 12 deliveries when Karthik came on to the crease. But on the last ball of the match, India needed 5 runs and it was a nerve-wracking moment whereby Karthik held on to his nerves with the boisterous Lankan crowd backing the Indian team to lift the cup. More on that later.

Cutting to the chase, losing the toss at Hamilton and batting first India made 179 for 5 on the back of Rohit Sharma’s 65 off just 40 balls (the first Indian to hit a half-century inside the Powerplay in a T20I) and the target didn’t seem steep and at one stage of the game, it almost seemed as if New Zealand had pocketed this match easily to keep their hopes alive in the 5-match series. But then Mohammed Shami bowled a splendid last over to get the in-form Kane Williamson (95 off just 48 deliveries) and uprooted Ross Taylor’s wickets. The match tied on the levelled scores moving the game into an exciting 6-ball Super Over. Batting first the Kiwis made 17 in their quota and India needed 10 runs in the last two deliveries. However with Southee bowling so accurately it seemed like New Zealand had their foot in the door until Rohit Sharma changed the script to hit 2 sixes in successive balls (2, 1, 4, 1, 6, 6).

Judging both these stupendous innings from an audience perspective, I’d pick Karthik’s as the better of the two purely on the factors of the flat batting pitch of Colombo plus the finals of a tri-series. Also, India was playing their T20I arch-rivals Bangladesh with the Sri Lankan team already out of the tournament, and the home crowd itching for revenge. A last ball 5-run target was required and then you flat-bat a Soumya Sarkar delivery over the extra-cover ropes in which Karthik also blasted 22 runs of a penultimate Ruben Hossain over (6, 4, 6, 0, 2, 4) to get the target down from 34 in 12 balls to 12 of the last 6 (1w, 0, 1, 1, 4, W, 6). But regardless, both these innings were the most exciting and significant in their own ways — while Dinesh Karthik’s blitzkrieg grabbed the Nidahas Trophy, six-hitter Rohit Sharma handed India its first T20I series in New Zealand. Such exciting times for both these hard-hitting players and with the T20 World Cup next year being held in India, I can’t wait to see them back in action.

Photo: © Tony Luong

Revisiting Clayton Christensen’s ‘Jobs to be Done’ Theory

January 29, 2020 Happenings

On January 23, we lost one of our finest innovation thinkers and scholars, and an icon whom I have revered and admired deeply. I’m referring to the passing away of Prof. Clayton M. Christensen, 67, Harvard Business School professor and the father of the theory of “disruptive innovation” from complications of leukemia. The closest that I’d come to associate myself with the legendary business consultant was during my rather prolonged tenure at Tata Consultancy Services he was serving as an Independent Director enabling the company to achieve greater success globally 1, a position which he held from January 2006 until September 2018. It’s a terrible loss no doubt, but I wanted to personally pay a tribute to “Clay” and remember him through one of his famous theories on “Jobs to be Done” which not only has roots in innovation but also consists of insights for customer experience strategy.

To begin with, in 2007, Christensen popularized the phrase “Jobs to be Done”. In an MIT-Sloan Management Review article, he summarized the peculiar nature of innovation that is steeped in demographical data in the following words:

Most companies segment their markets by customer demographics or product characteristics and differentiate their offerings by adding features and functions. But the consumer has a different view of the marketplace. He simply has a job to be done and is seeking to “hire” the best product or service to do it. Marketers must adopt that perspective. 2

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