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Ali

I intitally started by writing CPU comparisons and since then have written articles of all kinds, from Wikis and How-Tos to dedicated CPU reviews. Currently, I test and review CPUs, motherboards, and sometimes, RAM.

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We all have played games that are set in some dystopian future or a medieval fantasy setting, but the frequency of games being released with a modern timeline is surprisingly low. Read along to see our reasons for why this is so!

The Exceptions

Of course, there are a few exceptions to this claim of few games being set in modern times. One of the most popular game franchises of all time, Grand Theft Auto, has been set in a time period close to its release date. 

Other games, like WatchDogs and Heavy Rain, are also set close to modern times. But that’s beside the point. What we’re claiming today is that there are few games set in current times, not none at all.

The Reasons

In this part of the article, we will explore the reasons why we believe that games set in different periods are more desirable to both market and play.

Becoming Outdated

It’s a well-known fact that games set in the modern day can become outdated within a few years as trends and changes rapidly occur. This can have both positive and negative impacts on the game.

On one hand, it can invoke nostalgia for players as they revisit a past era of their lives. On the other hand, it may alienate younger gamers who find the trends of that time cringe-worthy or embarrassing.

Games set in the distant future or a mystical past are more timeless, as the setting feels like it is showing something new and exciting to the user instead of something that people might have experienced firsthand.

Not The Focus

Even when games like Marvel’s Spiderman and It Takes Two are set in modern times, their focus is never on the time period. While games like The Order 1886 can use their historical setting as legs to stand on, modern games have to add in some mystical and engaging aspects that draw away from it.

Let’s take the game mentioned above as an example. The first Spider-Man tells the story of Peter balancing his life between being an average Joe and a superhero. 

There are some sprinkles of utilizing the period to help tell its story (MJ and Peter’s texts come to mind), but it is rare to see an integration of a game’s modern setting as well as Spiderman did for a brief scene. Most of the game is distracting from the mundanity of modern times to show fantastical superheroes brawling it out.

Less Character

Dark Souls, Skyrim, and Cyberpunk 2077, what do they all have in common? An oozing atmosphere. We have reasons to believe that this atmosphere stems from the fact that their worlds are so different from ours, yet they feel so complete.

There are countless examples where the medieval setting, a dystopian future, or the wild-west makes games feel more exciting and explorable. The same could not be said for games set in modern times.

There is something about a tavern that makes it more exciting to explore than a bar, something about a Victorian pathway that makes it feel more intriguing to peek around than a modern alleyway. I can’t put into words the charm oozing out of a game set a millennia ago compared to something that is more modern.

To put it simply, we romanticize the past and are excited by the prospect of a future, which makes the present seem more dull by comparison.

The Verdict

Games set in the future or past are more marketable because the present seems less exciting. However, media set in the present can be compelling, too. For example, “Synecdoche, New York” is a favorite of mine for its existential take on the present.

I hope a game will someday capture that same magic. Given the rapid growth of gaming, I’m confident we’ll eventually see an engaging game set in our mundane modern-day.

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Uzair Qureshi

At Tech4Gamers, I proudly wear the title of Comparisons Specialist. Focused on CPUs and GPUs, I bring forth a wealth of hands-on experience and a keen eye for detail to provide our audience with the latest insights and analyses.

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Video game piracy is often condemned as unethical, and rightfully so for most scenarios. It seems hard to justify essentially stealing a team’s product that they have worked hard on for years, but we’d argue that we can in some scenarios. 

The Harm Brough About

There is a lot of harm that comes about with video game piracy. You’d think that the developer would be paying the price of their video games being pirated, but there are some consequences for the people pirating as well.

Piracy is illegal, and if you’re caught you could be charged with fines depending on the extent of the crime, as well as the jurisdiction you’re under. There is also a chance that if somehow a gaming platform like Epic or Steam catches onto an illegal copy of a game, you’ll be banned from using it.

Pirating games discourages developers by reducing their financial incentives. Many people work hard to create these games, so it’s unfair to pirate them if you can afford to buy them.

When It’s (Potentially) Okay

With our disclaimer on the negatives, let’s look at the “acceptable” scenarios for pirating games!

Regional Pricing

Regional pricing has played a huge part in reducing piracy in less privileged areas. In some areas, the $60-$70 that a new AAA game sells for is a substantial portion of their income, but most games are priced much lower in these areas.

That being said, if games hold that price even in lower development parts of the world, the gamers of that area might look towards pirating to play those super-expensive games.

If you cannot buy a game, I feel it’s okay to experience it by pirating. I mean, you’d never be able to buy it anyway, so is pirating not the same as just not playing it?

I would like to emphasize that this only applies when you actually can not afford to buy these games. If you have the budget and you do it anyway, then it is unethical to do so.

Abandonware

There are a lot of games that are not sold anymore, and they provide no revenue for the companies that sell them. These games, and pieces in general, are called abandonware. 

If these games won’t make the company any money by “buying” them, it is completely okay to download them off a pirated site. In this scenario, buying the game wouldn’t do anyone any good, so you might as well indulge.

Emulation

If you’re a fan of emulating old game consoles, there is almost no way to legally get those games, at least if you want to play them on a PC. Downloading games off pirating sites for emulation purposes is fine, as they also fall into the abandonware we discussed a moment ago.

It is important to point out real-world examples of doing this the wrong way, like how Nintendo sued two people because of Switch emulation/piracy(essentially making it popular on the platform).

The Switch is a recent console, and if you want to play Switch games, you should buy a Switch, but emulating GameBoy, N64, or PS2 games is mostly fine and consequence-free, both legally and ethically.

Does NOT Always Apply

Because of the controversial nature of this article, I have to be explicit in saying that piracy is nothing that I condone or support, nor am I encouraging anyone to pirate games. That being said, some circumstances do make it more justifiable than others. 

That being said, the people who buy games will continue buying them legally, and the people who pirate games will continue to do so, with very little changing either side over. Things like regional pricing have made gaming more accessible to people who wouldn’t be able to buy them, but both communities are more or less set in stone.

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Moiz Banoori

At Tech4Gamers, he is recognized for his insightful features and opinion pieces, where he blends his passion for gaming with a keen understanding of technological trends. His work, marked by depth and accessibility, makes him a respected voice in the tech and gaming community.

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Celeste is one of the most beloved indie platformers of the last decade, and for good reason. It combines excellent gameplay with a gripping story, but its difficulty is one of the game’s most notorious features. Stay with us as we explore why this difficulty is justified and elevates Celeste’s gameplay experience!

Development

Maddy Thorson, the visionary behind the story of Celeste, has admitted outright that making the game challenging was a core part of the development:

“In Celeste, we try to gently push the player to do things that they thought was impossible for them” -From Vice

However, along with difficulty, fairness was also a key part of the development. The game developers recognized that every player’s capability is different, which is why they have many systems like the Assist Mode that help players play the game.

Why It Works

The subsequent sections will explore how Celeste integrates its difficulty well into its gameplay to garner engagement and make the narrative more realistic.

Narrative

Celeste’s narrative is straightforward: Madeline, driven by a need for change, aims to climb Celeste Mountain. Throughout her journey, she battles self-doubt, with a part of her insisting she’s not capable of achieving her goal.

Climbing Celeste Mountain is also supposed to be an extraordinary feat in the game’s story, which is why it is filled with tricky platforming. 

The game wants to translate these hardships from Madeline to you, the player. It wants you to feel the struggle that she’s feeling, where sometimes it feels like the task at hand is unsurmountable, but sooner or later, you have to do it.

The game dealing with the anxiety and borderline depression of Madeline and the hardships that come with it translates well to the gameplay.

Engagement

Celeste’s fast-paced gameplay is complimented by its difficulty. You need to always be on the move to avoid platforms collapsing or colliding with something you don’t want to touch, and most people have to lose a couple of times at each level to know what’s next.

The gameplay loop of traversing half a level, losing because of something unexpected, and starting over with the knowledge is very entertaining, especially with how small each level is.

It is also important to notice how Celeste has no loading screens; as soon as you die, you’re almost instantaneously placed at the start of the level, which allows you to try again instantly instead of being deterred by a loading screen that takes a few seconds.

As an enjoyer of hard games like the Souls series, I’m often frustrated with how discouraging the games feel at times, with a load screen followed by an elevator followed by a long walk to reach the boss again, but Celeste’s approach makes me want to jump in again immediately.

Encouragement

One of the best moments in the game is right at the start when Madeline is traversing a bridge that is falling from under her feet. No matter how fast you go, the end of the bridge collapses, leaving you falling to your doom.

When you think you’ve lost, a character comes and tells you how to dash, allowing you to get to safety. After this encounter, both you and Madeline are shaking, but the game pans to the sky at that moment and tells you:

“You Can Do This.“

If the game was easy and the challenges were achievable, the game’s encouragement would feel worthless, but it doesn’t. The encouragement drives you forward to overcome these challenges, and that feeling, compounded by the story, drives home how this game is so special.

Celeste Wants You To Win

Celeste encourages players to win, with the developers and characters supporting you throughout. Despite its difficulty, Celeste’s story of triumph over adversity is uniquely powerful. The fairness of the difficulty drove me to an experience like no other, and I would recommend everyone playing it to give it a try.

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Arsalan Shakil

As a Hardware Expert at Tech4Gamers, I bring my decade-long expertise in electronics design, embedded solutions, and prototyping. My knack for exposing misconceptions in the tech world finds a perfect outlet here.

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Most people think there’s nothing glamorous about power supplies and love bragging about their CPUs, GPUs, and motherboards. But you know what? Power supplies are one of the most essential parts of your PC build. If your power supply isn’t working well, your system will perform terribly and, in some cases, might even blow up your system.

Most of us go a long time without checking the PSU and without thinking about whether to upgrade or replace it. If you want to upgrade your PC or are satisfied with your current setup, you must know when to upgrade your power supply.

Aging Is A Critical Factor

PSUs come with a warranty period, usually 5-10 years. Once the warranty period is over, it is often time to consider a replacement or upgrade. I don’t mean to say that you should immediately upgrade your PSU because PSUs can usually last longer than their warranty periods if correctly cared for, avoiding overloads, keeping it clean, and preventing physical harm.

If your PSU is over 5 years old and you notice your system randomly shutting down or restarting, it’s a clear sign that it might fail. Upgrading to a new, reliable PSU can restore stability and protect your components from damage.

Failing PSU Might Need Upgradation

Following are some clear indications that you need to upgrade your power supply as your current power supply is failing to meet the power demands of your PC components.

1. Suppose you notice blue screens on your monitor start to appear more often while you are gaming or doing intensive work on your PC.
2. You start to hear noises from your PSU.
3. Performance dips in your gaming or other experiences.

Failure of components inside the PSU should also trigger you to buy a new PSU. This failure usually occurs due to the usage of cheap power supplies. A cheap power supply may not blow up your PC components, but its components, like rectifiers or capacitors, can fail earlier, failing your PSU.

Insufficient Power For New Components

After a PC is upgraded or new components are added, your power supply may not provide enough wattage to power all the components in your computer effectively. To test your power supply, load up a CPU/GPU-intensive program while simultaneously powering on as many devices as possible in your PC. If everything works correctly and no errors occur, your current power supply is likely fine for your current power draw needs. If you encounter problems under high load with multiple devices running, it might be time for a power supply upgrade.

Given the number of CPU and GPU combinations, calculating the exact wattage you might require is challenging; however, I’d recommend using our PSU Calculator tool to check whether an upgrade is necessary for your current specifications.

For instance, if you have a Ryzen 7 7700X with a 105-watt TDP and an RTX 2080 Ti with a 250-watt TDP, then a 600-watt PSU is good enough for you. Now, if you want to upgrade your GPU to, let’s say, NVIDIA RTX 4090 with a power rating of 450watts, then you will need to upgrade from your 600-watt PSU to almost an 800-watt plus PSU like Corsair RM850e Gold ATX 3.0 to compensate for this power demand. However, if you replace your RTX 2080 Ti with RTX 3080 Ti (having a TDP rating of 250 watts), your 600-watt PSU will be sufficient for your setup.

So When Should You Actually Upgrade?

At the end of the day, it’s better to be safe than sorry. While a PSU has a longer life than other PC components, that doesn’t mean you should take your eyes off it. You don’t want your PSU to fail while you are gaming or whatever else you are doing.

Your PSU is the source of power for all your PC components; therefore, no matter how expensive and high-tech equipment you possess, your PC will not perform well if you don’t have a good PSU with enough power supply rating for your PSU. So, stay proactive and upgrade your PSU when required.

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Awais Khan

At Tech4Gamers, I proudly hold the role of a Hardware Reviewer. Here, I leverage my expertise to provide readers with in-depth insights into PC hardware, ensuring they have the information needed to make informed decisions.

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Have you ever been electrocuted while building your PC or simply while touching your PC case? Me too. While the amount of shock may be something you can ignore, it can be life-threatening to your PC and you, so it’s best to get to the bottom of it and fix it. Of course, you need to understand how it happens, so let’s get into it. 

Why Your Computer Shocks You

Most likely, it’s one of two reasons that your PC is electrocuting you.

Static Discharge

While building your PC, you may encounter static discharge. This happens when the positive and negative charges around you are not balanced, creating a net charge in your environment. This charge can travel from your body to a component, like the RAM, and that’s when you feel a sudden shock.

A static discharge like this could kill your components (albeit rarely) but is harmless to you. 

Improper Grounding

In the case of improper grounding, you might feel a continuous tingle when you touch your computer while it’s running. The problem could be a bad power outlet (in which case you want to try a different outlet) or a bad power cable (try a new cable). If these two don’t fix it, then the problem is an internal wiring issue in your home, meaning that any excessive current is not effectively reaching the ground where it can be displaced.

In that case, you should immediately contact your electrician since this will cause current leakage into your chassis, which can be dangerous for you and your components.

How To Protect Yourself 

Although a typical static discharge cannot harm you, it can harm your components. Thus, it’s best to use a wired. You can also occasionally touch a metal (like the metal part of your case) to remove the charge safely. 

As for a grounding problem, you’ll need to contact your electrician and have them take a look. A leaking current needs somewhere to go, which could be your PC (or any other appliance in your home), potentially frying all your components in the process. 

A Static Discharge Is Common, But Watch Out For Improper Grounding! 

Static discharges are a common occurrence, but you can lower the amount of static electricity by increasing humidity in your environment. It’s also best not to build your PC while standing on a carpet, as carpets build up static electricity. The most convenient fix is to use an antistatic wristband, though. 

Improper grounding can be highly dangerous, though. It can leak excessive current into your PC, which can kill your system and is dangerous for you, too. If it’s a bad outlet, replacing it or using a different cable will do the job. But if that doesn’t fix it, the problem could be with the internal wiring in your home. In case of voltage surges or thunderstorms, your PC and electrical appliances can die in a heartbeat, so contact an electrician at the first sign!