Microsoft's proposed takeover of Activision Blizzard is currently the black hole that is, if not all-consuming, at least altering the reality of other news in the gaming space. The event horizon that's affecting all else. Even if a news story is unrelated, its specter looms.
It feels like something has changed. The way the industry worked, the size of all the players, the divisions, the interplay between major publishers and console manufacturers, it was all reliable. Predictable.
The conversations that were had were cyclical because as much as time went on and releases came and went, the players on the board had remained in their relative positions this side of the century.
After Tuesday, it doesn't feel like that anymore. The conversation has become way bigger. These aren't just considerations about consoles or game releases, but more about companies who are trying to shape the way we experience our world.
Like a bad Pokemon metaphor, in the space of a couple of days, it feels the scale of what we talk about in games evolved.
Yet, despite the magnitude of this paradigm shift, so much of the early consumer conversation is still mired down in the old. Nowhere else is that felt more than in the trenches of the 'console war'.
It only takes a brief trip to the comments on one of the big publisher's tweets to see the vitriol that is still slung between Xbox and PlayStation devout.
The game's changed
However, the zoom of our scope feels so much wider than before. In days of old, who was selling the most consoles was the be-all and end-all of the conversation.
It's a metric that Sony still seems to place a lot of weight in with their gaming market being entirely tied to their hardware. They've experimented with putting older releases on PC recently , but it's been a very slow adoption for PlayStation becoming wider than the console they put out.
That being said, Sony's laser focus on its PlayStation hardware felt like it was all about winning in the present, within the current set of rules.
On the other side of the coin, it's felt like Xbox has been building for the future. Game Pass has become bigger and bigger. It's a model that is not only here to stay, but will likely influence how games are released, even made.
Before this week, Microsoft felt like it was building for a future. It was going to matter at some point, but it wasn't in the here and now. It always felt prospective.
This acquisition feels like a big shift between the two approaches. That future that Microsoft was building feels like the now. The conversation feels increasingly like it's moving further and further away from who is selling the most hardware, to who has the most market share and members in their ecosystem. It feels much less defined, much harder to parse, or even recognize the players on the board.
Increasingly it feels less like the competition is a battle of brands, and one more of mega-corporations. Microsoft is now taking on Tencent, Amazon, Google, and Facebook. It's not Xbox Series X/S taking on the PS5 and Nintendo Switch . It's a sentiment that Xbox boss Phil Spencer echoed in a recent interview with Washington Post . Speaking of Sony and Nintendo, he said:
"They have a long history in video games. Nintendo's not going to do anything that damages gaming in the long run because that's the business they're in. Sony is the same and I trust them. … Valve's the same way."
"When we look at the other big tech competitors for Microsoft: Google has search and Chrome, Amazon has shopping, Facebook has social, all these large-scale consumer businesses. … The discussion we’ve had internally, where those things are important to those other tech companies for how many consumers they reach, gaming can be that for us."
This isn't a big surprise either. Spencer took over the Xbox brand when it was battered after a direct conflict with Sony in the hardware space. However, since the start of his tenure, that conversation became a much friendlier one.
Starting small with well wishes to PlayStation and Nintendo at the start of E3 Press conferences, and going bigger as one of the key pushers of crossplay between all the consoles which at one point would have seemed impossible. Now, it's strange if a title doesn't offer players the ability to play with friends on other platforms.
In fact, while obviously still competitors, the fight for the space may well become one of legacy brands against the 'other'. Those that have been embedded for decades against those that might try to purchase their way into a space that then drop it after things don't work out.
There's the potential of outsider mega-corporations doing lasting damage with more volatile attitudes. It's very possible Microsoft, Nintendo, Valve, and Sony may find themselves more often on the same side than not in future struggles for the space.
They're all companies that have a strong history and large divisions in games, so have a vested interest in protecting what's already there. If the PlayStation brand fell apart tomorrow, it would be catastrophic for Sony. Yet, a company like Amazon could buy a major publisher to get a seat at the table, yet dissolve it if things don't work out as it's a small portion of their entire business.
Keeping perspective as a consumer
Now, it's important to keep in mind, none of these companies are the friend of consumers despite all the smiling messaging. There are a lot of concerns about what Microsoft's proposed purchase of Activision will mean for corporate consolidation culture.
Does this open the flood gates? Will the industry continue to look more and more oligarchic?
While in the short term, Spencer anecdotally and publicly presents as a positive force for the industry, and even if he is everything fans say, what happens in twenty years when he's gone? Microsoft is massive, and should any consumer trust they have their best long-term interest at heart?
The answer to that last one is no.
That gets at the heart of what made the 'console war' always baffling and pitiful. Leagues of internet commentators, throwing themselves on the swords of companies. Absorbing technology brands into their identity so much that tribalism kicked in against others who did the same but for a competitor.
Even to those still fighting that fight, the idea of there being an Amazon/Google/Tencent/Facebook warrior is probably a strange one. Hopefully, it provides a self-perspective as to why their fighting has seemed so weird to anyone not calling people 'Ponies' or 'Xbots' on Twitter all day long.
At this point though, it feels like any lingering 'console wars' discussion is archaic on top of being as silly as it always was. It's always been asinine, but now it feels outdated, especially as the companies it focused on will more likely find themselves on the same side of future industry shifts than not.
OnePlus Nord 3: what we want to see
While the OnePlus 10 Pro has recently landed, we're also looking forward to the next addition to the company's mid-range line at some point in mid-2022: the OnePlus Nord 2.
Nord is OnePlus' family of affordable and middle-priced Android phones, designed to offer useful features to people whose budgets don't stretch to the company's pricey powerhouses.
We've seen the original OnePlus Nord and Nord 2 joined by a whole host of spin-offs including the Nord CE , Nord N10 , Nord N100 , Nord N200 and more. But the Nord 3 is expected to be the next big addition to the range, coming likely in the middle of the year.
So far, we haven't heard many rumors about the OnePlus Nord 3, so we don't really know what to expect from it. We've got a good idea of what we'd like to see though, based on past mobiles and the current state of the Android phone market, so while we wait for more news we've shared that wish-list below.
Cut to the chase
OnePlus Nord 3 release date and price
Based on precedent, we'll likely see the OnePlus Nord 3 announced and released in the middle few months of the year. The original and second-gen models were both unveiled in July, so that seems like the obvious pick, but it could be a little earlier or later too.
When we get nearer to July, we'll likely hear some rumors regarding specific dates.
In terms of price, we also have to wait until nearer the time for some leaks, but we can look at past performance for a good idea.
The Nord and Nord 2 launched for £379 (around $480, AU$680) and £399 (about $550, AU$750) respectively, so a price in that ballpark is very likely.
The previous phones in the family haven't launched in the US or Australia though, so don't hold your breath for launches in those regions.
News and leaks
We haven't heard much about the OnePlus Nord 3 yet but one leak has revealed many of the possible specs , including a 6.7-inch 1080 x 2412 screen, an upper mid-range Dimensity 8100 chipset, 12GB of RAM, a 4,500mAh battery with 150W charging, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, a triple-lens rear camera, with 50MP, 8MP and 2MP sensors, and a 16MP front camera.
OnePlus itself has also said that it's launching a phone with 150W charging , so that aspect is looking likely - though this would be by far the fastest charging OnePlus phone.
What we want to see
1. A higher display refresh rate
Display refresh rate refers to how many times per second a smartphone's display updates - while 60Hz (or 60 times per second) used to be used in basically all phones, the last few years has seen a move up to 120Hz, or even 144Hz for a select few mobiles.
When a refresh rate is higher, motion looks smoother, which is beneficial for streaming content or playing games, but even just for swiping between menus and home pages.
Now, many budget and most mid-range and premium phones use at least 120Hz, but the previous OnePlus Nord phones have been outliers, sticking with 90Hz.
We'd like to see the OnePlus Nord 3 make the jump to 120Hz, to match other mobiles at the same price point - and just so the mobile feels better to use.
2. Some Hasselblad camera tricks
For its flagship series, OnePlus has partnered with camera company Hasselblad, so these phones have optimized cameras with extra features that make them fantastic for photography. We'd like to see the fruits of this relationship come to the Nord series too.
Some of the OnePlus 10 camera modes include a Hasselblad Pro Mode, like your normal smartphone camera Pro Mode, but which captures in a higher color profile, and saves in a version of RAW which is more space-efficient. Another mode is a Pro equivalent for video which lets you tweak settings while you're shooting.
Even if the mid-range Nord 3 can't handle flashy and intensive camera tricks, we'd like to see some camera features which elevate the phone over same-price competitors.
3. No app throttling
OnePlus found itself in hot water in mid-2021 when users discovered that the OxygenOS software used by its phones secretly throttled popular apps (this means it reduced how much of the processing power they could access).
Some of the few apps not throttled were benchmarking apps (that tells you how much processing power a phone has), and the company didn't admit this was happening until it had already been discovered, which obviously wasn't a good look for the brand.
The eventual resolution of the furore was that a toggle was introduced in the settings so you can turn off throttling if you like, but it's still turned on by default, so most people won't ever notice and will just think they have a slow phone.
We'd like the company to remove this throttling feature, or at the very least have it off by default (OnePlus says having it on saves battery life, something disputed by user reports).
4. An easier-to-buy range of colors
You could buy the OnePlus Nord 2 in blue, gray or green (as well as in a weird Pac-Man design ) but there was a catch - not all versions were available in all regions.
Green was exclusive to India, while blue is only available for certain memory configurations of the phone, at least in the UK. And that's on top of the fact that both the gray and blue options are a little boring, at least in this writer's opinion.
We'd like to see OnePlus embrace the bright, colorful and energetic, like what Samsung did for the Galaxy S20 FE with its huge range of vibrant hues. Let's see reds and oranges and yellows, or maybe something a little weird like the color-changing gold and blue of the Vivo V23 from OnePlus' sister company.
5. Another crossover
As we mentioned, the OnePlus Nord 2 was available in a Pac-Man edition with a dot-patterned rear which glowed in the dark, as well as software full of Easter eggs for the popular vintage game.
That's not the only crossover OnePlus has enjoyed either, with multiple Cyberpunk 2077 devices and McLaren editions of some of its phones too.
We'd like to see the Nord 3 get something fun too, and maybe more recent than the ancient Pac-Man or maligned CyberPunk 2077. What about Starfield ? Or The Witcher ?
This new Microsoft Excel feature is so obvious we can't believe it didn't already exist
Microsoft is preparing an update for spreadsheet software Excel that rectifies an obvious shortcoming dating back a number of years.
According to a new entry in the company’s product roadmap, Excel will soon allow users to drop hyperlinks into comments added to spreadsheets. Currently, links can only be added to comments in plaintext, so must be pasted manually into a web browser .
The feature is currently under development, but should roll out to all Microsoft 365 users by the end of next month.
Hyperlinks in Excel comments
Given the simplicity and obvious utility of the new Excel feature, we found it difficult to believe it didn’t already exist. But lo and behold, a brief investigation revealed the current version will not allow the user to click through a link embedded in a comment thread, which adds unnecessary friction to the experience.
A quick search online reveals this is a problem Excel users have faced for years. Until now, people have had to rely on a rough-and-ready workaround to sidestep the issue.
As various online tutorials demonstrate, it is possible to add a hyperlink to a note (which is distinct from a comment) and pin that note to the sheet so it doesn’t disappear when the user mouses away from the associated cell. Microsoft Excel will then launch that URL in the default browser when someone clicks through via the note.
However, this method is neither particularly straightforward (it demands all existing formatting and any additional characters are removed from the note) nor particularly pretty, so the ability to simply drop a hyperlink into a comment thread will be welcome.
The update can be considered part of the wider campaign to optimize Microsoft 365 apps for live collaboration , in a world in which many people expect to either remain remote or adopt a hybrid working model.
In December, for example, Microsoft rolled out a series of improvements for the Excel web client, which can now support a wider range of files. Microsoft Outlook, meanwhile, received a feature that lets users specify whether they will attend a meeting in-person or through video conferencing software.
The company has even launched an entirely new collaboration app, called Loop , which allows users to create portable components that move freely and stay in-sync across all Microsoft apps.
The new hyperlink facility for Excel is yet another piece of this same puzzle.