The WAN Show: Ubisoft is trying to be cool and YouTube supports 60FPS now! - June 27th, 2014

The WAN Show episode from June 27th, 2014 covers a wide range of technology and gaming topics, anchored by the big news that YouTube has started supporting 60 frames per second, with implications for video quality, browser support, and how creators might optimize their content. The hosts discuss how 60 FPS affects both gameplay footage and traditional video, noting that higher frame rates improve motion clarity but may not automatically translate to every type of video content. They explain that for live action or camcorder footage, motion benefits exist but depend on encoding, display, and the viewer’s browser, with particular attention to how HTML5 and Firefox interact with YouTube’s 60 FPS rollout. A notable portion is dedicated to how this feature could influence popular creators like PewDiePie and how crowd-sourced captions and tip jars might shape creator revenue on the platform. The discussion then shifts to the practicality of 60 FPS for different genres, arguing that gameplay and fast action benefit most, while slower or narrative videos may not gain as much, unless paired with other enhancements like improved motion blur and slower playback. Throughout, the hosts emphasize the collaborative, community-driven evolution of YouTube features, highlighting that user feedback is guiding platform improvements rather than a purely corporate agenda. They also poke fun at browser compatibility issues, with a running thread about Firefox versus Chrome performance and the occasional crash or session restore problem, reflecting the broader ecosystem challenges of web video in 2014. The show pivots to creator-centric software, noting YouTube’s new creator-app interface and the ongoing pains of the comment system, which affect engagement and audience interaction, especially as creators try to manage large audiences. The team then delves into Ubisoft and DRM, presenting Ubisoft’s stance that DRM should not punish paying customers and that the industry needs to rethink how protection interacts with player experience, a discussion that touches on industry-wide piracy debates and the broader difficulty of balancing security with accessibility. They compare Ubisoft’s public statements with perspectives from CD Projekt Red and Bethesda on DRM, offering a nuanced view of piracy’s real-world effects on sales and the complexity of measuring impact. Android TV surfaces as a convergence point for entertainment and gaming, with discussions of Google IO announcements, Android L (Lollipop), and the evolving smart-TV landscape, including comments on hardware design, circular interfaces, and the potential for a new wave of living-room devices powered by Android. The panel also covers hardware players, such as Razer’s micro-console, NVIDIA’s chips (K1), and the broader question of whether Android TV can deliver a compelling gaming experience without alienating traditional PC and console gamers. They entertain ideas about cross-platform streaming, second-screen dynamics, and how services like game streaming could reshape living room gaming through devices like Shield, Ouya-inspired ecosystems, or TV-integrated platforms. A recurring theme is the tension between open standards and proprietary ecosystems, with the hosts arguing for greater interoperability and vendor cooperation to avoid another generation of closed, underperforming hardware. The conversation cycles back to ongoing game franchises and upcoming PC-to-console parity challenges, with specific attention to Ubisoft’s PC release timing, the Witcher 3 discussion, and how cross-platform performance issues influence consumer trust. The WAN Show crew also pepper their chat with hardware humor, amusing anecdotes about topic-related jokes, and a candid, informal style that underlines the show’s ethos of balancing deep technical detail with accessible, entertaining commentary. In closing, they tease future segments and sponsor plugs, reflecting the show’s multi-faceted format that combines news, hardware discussion, community feedback, and lively banter about the state of technology and gaming in mid-2014.

Topics · technology · gaming · video-platforms · hardware · entertainment · internet · software · streaming