Dominic Celica

Stories By Dominic Celica

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  News

  News By Dominic Celica

  Bitcoin: The Best-Performing Currency of 2016

  With various world currencies currently undergoing a major evolution into the realms of virtual and 'crypto', it is fitting that The Financial Times announced that Bitcoin was the best-performing currency of 2016. To cap off a great 12 months after 3 years of up and downs, the world's highest profile cyptocurrency exceeded $1000 at the start of January. This constitutes its highest level in 3 years. The facts The value of Bitcoin rose by 125% over the course of last year. These extreme gains led many to believe that it would soon reach its all-time high of $1163, a peak it hit back in 2013. Yet at the time of writing on 31st January 2017, Bitcoin stands at a very healthy $933.36 on Coindesk. Previous Volatility With these fluctuations in mind, it is understandable that some investors stay wary of the notoriously volatile Bitcoin. Back in 2013, Bitcoin was subject to a ten-fold increase in value in just 60 days. It then lost much of its value due a string of crashes. It sunk to around $200 in January 2015, before recovering over the course of two years. Signs of stability Despite a dip in value of around $150 during the course of the first two weeks in January alone, Bitcoin has been relatively stable. Some economists believe this stability is due to the devaluation of the Chinese yuan. The yuan fell by 7% over the course of 2016, which constitutes its worst performance in more than 20 years. Chinese investors are now looking to exchange their currency for something that their government doesn't have the power to devalue. As a result, it seems highly unlikely that Bitcoin will return to a high level of volatility any time soon. Controversy In many ways, the advantages of Bitcoin also translate indirectly to disadvantages. Its attractiveness to investors lies in the lack of fees. Meanwhile, its anonymous nature creates the ease with which one can move it between countries. Unfortunately, this also makes Bitcoin popular on the dark web. The story of Silk Road is surely the most notorious example of its use for illegal purposes. The controversy led to widespread reluctance to accept the new currency, which in turn hindered its growth. Promise of Bitcoin amid uncertainty The success of Bitcoin in 2016 has much to do with the fact that global markets are extremely sensitive to political events. Brexit and Donald Trump's election win are prime examples of this. As a decentralised currency, Bitcoin isn't affected by such events in quite the same way. This great uncertainty could make Bitcoin extremely lucrative. Much like gold, it has the potential to act as a kind of economic safe haven. The case of Chinese investors mentioned above shows that many already see Bitcoin in this way. While many news outlets have proclaimed the death of Bitcoin at different times, the currency's profile continues to rise. Prior to the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, some economists suggested the country make Bitcoin its official currency, amid concerns about its relationship with the pound. Yet while it is still way too early for any nation to adopt it in this way, the future of Bitcoin looks bright for 2017 and beyond.

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  Gaming

  Gaming By Dominic Celica

  Battlefield One Beta Blues: Why I can't wait until launch

  Ever since last Thursday, life hasn't been the same. The beta for Battlefield One ended and now I have nothing to play. Just like looking through a wardrobe full of clothes but seeing nothing to wear, there are plenty of games I could play but none of them entice me in. After all, with such a unique setting and with such exciting new gameplay mechanics, where else am I supposed to get my fix of WW1 multiplayer action and more importantly, where else will I be able to fly around in my Gotha G.IV Bomber dropping bombs on unsuspecting enemies? Below I cover the top 5 reasons why I can't wait for Launch day. Air to Ground combat With a strong interest in Drones and aviation, flying combat aircraft in competitive multiplayer environments has always appealed to me. With the air to ground combat in StarWars Battlefront a huge blast, I had hopes Battlefield One would be equally as fun, and thankfully that is indeed the case. With a choice of 3 aircraft to choose from, all with unique abilities, taking out ground enemies from above has never been more satisfying. Whether you decide to drop a few bombs from the Gotha G.IV bomber or go in for a Kamikaze kill with the attack plane, Battlefield One has nailed the airborne combat. It is just as fun firing back from the ground too, courtesy of the anti-aircraft cannons. War Horses In the First Person Shooter (FPS) multiplayer market, I can't think of any other game that allows you to run around horseback shooting off rifles and wielding very sharp swords. This feature in game is huge fun and can lead to some to serious pain being dished out. With the horses seemingly graduates from the parkour school of Assassins Creed, they are indeed a great way to travel around the combat area and make for some blockbuster action movie set pieces. Power-ups Going back to StarWars Battlefront, there was a lot of controversy around the whole power-up pickup system whereby high-powered weapons, perks and vehicles were obtained by those lucky enough to spot them in the field. However, the way the pickup system has been implemented in Battlefield One is a lot sleeker, with the ugly arcade-like coins removed in favour of subtle crates of goods with discreet class logos. The power-ups themselves are powerful but not overly so, forcing the player to be more tactical with their movements. For example, If you have the flame thrower and are in close quarters with enemies, you definitely have the advantage but at longer range you are, pardon the pun, toast. I couldn't quite get to grips with the sniper class - you have to be prone for the gun to work, which makes it's use rather limited - but it's addition into the game is welcome and adds to character variety. Ground Vehicle gameplay As a staple of the Battlefield franchise, being able to go solo or team up in buggies and tanks has always been one of the funnest things to do in game. In Battlefield One, the situation is no different. Whether you decide to go for road-kills, hop into the back of the tank to save yourself from the opposition or spam the gun-turret while at an objective, the ground vehicle gameplay is varied and huge fun. There have been complaints that the tanks are a little overpowered, and having gone on long kill streaks myself and being on the receiving end of others, I can sympathise. However, it's important to remember that not every weapon was present in the beta and as long as you have anti-tank grenades and the rocket gun equipped you can easily give the enemy a fair fight. I just don't want to see the tanks made as weak as they were in Battlefield: 4. Setting Finally, the main reason why I can't wait for launch day: the setting. As the reaction to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare illustrates, gamers (myself included) have very quickly grown tired of the futuristic shooter. The fantasy sci-fi weapon upgrades and the fast-paced game mechanics of wall-running, jet pack jumping and ground-boosting is exhausting and makes matches too chaotic. Indeed, there is a desire amongst gamers to go back to the days when things were simpler and Battlefield One, in a good way delivers that. The fact that the game is set in an era never really explored before in a triple A game, adds to the intrigue and uniqueness of the title. By going in back in time, EA and Dice have unearthed era themed gameplay mechanics that even further add to the title's uniqueness. The charge mechanic of running at enemies before brutally impaling them with your bayonet, the mask that you carry in case an enemy soldier unleashes a mustard gas bomb and the aforementioned horses that you can oh so majestically ride in to battle all come together to create a thrilling, fun and special multiplayer shooter. I can't wait for late October.

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