InTouch24

The League to Watch Out for!

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 14:35:00 +0000

Forget the one horse race that is the Barclays Premier League what you need is some excitement in your life!

The end of the footballing year is not too far away and right about now is when special things happen that can make or break a team. I think we all know that Chelsea pretty much won the Premier League title before a ball had been kicked after expert pieces of business securing the services of both Cesc Fàbregas and Diego Costa.

So if you are one of those people that just love the thrill of the game you needed to look elsewhere this season, but where? Last season was the year of the renowned Gerrard slip, a moment both Liverpool and Manchester City fans will never forget, so this season which division will provide us with the excitement, the drama that makes football what it is? Epic.

Well there are definitely a few places to dip your feet into. If you want to keep it in England then you have to be following the Sky Bet League One where the race for the final two play off spots is about to reach fever pitch?

I believe if you are a believer of the play-off system then League One is your best bet. The prize is a place in England’s second tier of football and a chance to play against the whipping boys of the previous Premier League season (now looking likely to be Leicester, QPR and either Burnley or Sunderland).

Now this article may have a slight amount of bias placed upon it, with me being an enthusiastic Doncaster Rovers fan but I promise this league will be the one that leaves you begging for the open season to come during the summer.

The likely teams who are in with a chance of going to Wembley are Sheffield United, Barnsley, Peterborough, Chesterfield, Fleetwood, Rochdale, Bradford and Doncaster. The fact that all of the teams involved aren’t based that far away from each other and are all northern just stokes the fire even more.

I do not know what is going to happen but I cannot wait to find out. Hopefully Donny can re-ignite their fire and passion that they showed when they dramatically won the League One title and secure a place on the hallowed turf at the home of football – Wembley Stadium.

The Escapists - Game Review

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:57:00 +0000

Ever wanted to see if you could try and break out of prison undetected? Well thanks to this wonderfully quirky top-down point-and-click game about prison life, you can. Even though prison walls surround you, the game is overall fun, spunky and full of life but don’t think it comes without a challenge. The game tests your stamina and resolve as you break the rules and cause havoc among the prisoners.

“The Escapists” was developed by Mouldy Toof Studios. A beta version of the game was released on August 20, 2014 and The Escapists received a full release on February 13, 2015 as a download through Steam and Xbox Live. The goal of the game is to escape from prisons of varying difficulties.

You'll have to stick to a schedule to avoid arousing suspicion, craft the tools you'll need from stuff lying around the prison (or, instead, steal them), make use of/stay off the radar of your fellow cons and guards, and eventually create your own escape plan! You can build a tunnel, cut the fence of your prison, copy keys from the guards and cause havoc in your prison!

At the start of the game you get to choose your own character and name. Unfortunately for all the girls who want to play this – there are only male prisoners available. Hopefully in the future they decide to include a female version within the game!

This game makes you feel nervous and gets your bones shaking as you anticipate whether your plan of escape will work. For me, I felt a mixture of excitement and frustration in regards to gameplay for when you do get caught you lose the contraband within your inventory and your weapon. This is quite annoying, as you do have to recollect the items that you have lost. But! Don’t despair, the game does allow for you to reload since your last wake up! Not all progress will be lost!

Overall, I recommend that you play this game as it takes you on an exciting exploration of your success in a prison!

By Sophie

Alan Barnes Fund: Record Donations!

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:56:00 +0000

An online fund launched after the mugging of a frail Tyneside pensioner has been halted, with donations standing at more than £329,000.

Disabled mugging victim Alan Barnes has been presented with a cheque for more than £330,000, raised through online donations.

The 67-year-old was mugged and attacked by a group of thugs outside his Gateshead home on 25th January and suffered a broken collar bone.

Beautician Katie Cutler, 21, began a campaign to raise £500 but the target was quickly smashed.

He intends to use the money to buy a new home as he does not want to return to the area where he was attacked.

Mr Barnes has lived with disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant. He is visually impaired and stands 4ft 6in (1.21m) tall.

FIVE STAR ROVERS!

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 15:17:00 +0000

Crawley Town 0
Doncaster Rovers 5 (Butler 38, Wellens 56, Tyson 63, Forrester 74, Main 90)

Sky Bet League One
Tuesday 10th February

Checkatrade.com Stadium
Attendance: 2,581 (217 Away fans)

Doncaster Rovers recorded their biggest win in five years on Tuesday night when they demolished a sorry Crawley Town an almighty 5-0. It was also a significant achievement for Rovers boss Paul Dickov, who recorded his biggest win ever as manager of Doncaster Rovers. The game started off and continued from start to finish with Rovers in the driving seat.

The games first real chance fell to Rovers in the eleventh minute when Nathan Tyson did well to get a cross into the path of South Africa’s skipper Dean Furman but his headed attempt fell straight into the goalkeepers gloves.

Crawley goalkeeper Lewis Price was again tested when Nathan Tyson broke down the left win and tried his luck but was denied by a great save. Tyson then came knocking at the door again when his swerving shot could only be palmed away for Crawley’s defence to clear to safety.

It was seven minutes from the end of the first half when Rovers finally broke down Town. Harry Forrester crossed in from a free kick and Crawley new-boy Mathias Pogba could only clear as far as Andy Butler. The Doncaster born boy then stabbed home from six yards, recording his third goal for Rovers.

Rovers maintained their persistent attack upon Crawley’s defence after the break and were rewarded with another goal when Rovers winger, Kyle Bennett found Richie Wellens terrifically for an easy tap in to extend their lead.

Rovers were showing their supremacy over Town by now and just after the hour mark Tyson got his reward after he beat Price in a one-on-one dual by skilfully lobbing the Crawley keeper to make it 3-0.

The game then took a turn for the worse when Crawley defender Joe Walsh appeared to strike both Dean Furman and Nathan Tyson before the man in the middle Lee Collins sent him on his way.

Harry Forrester looked to turn from provider to scorer but was denied by another Price save. However, the Town keeper could not keep the playmaker out when a 28 passing move culminated in Forrester smashing his team into a four goal lead.

It was then substitute Curtis Main’s chance to kill of the already dead game when he scored a tasty curling goal to give Rovers the three points and their biggest win of the season so far.

The Last of Us - Game Review

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 15:09:00 +0000

A classic post-apocalyptic survival horror video game that received over 200 Game of the Year awards, making it the most awarded game in history. With over 1.2 million sales in the first week of public release (June 14th 2013), its no surprise that by August 2014, approximately 7 million players on the PlayStation 3 and 1 million owning the remastered version on PlayStation 4.

The game in itself is third person perspective and everything aside from physical pausing of the game is executed in real time forcing the player to use their time effectively, especially during combat. For the majority of The Last Of Us, the player controls Joel, a single father, living in Texas when the outbreak begins. The virus known as Cordyceps fungus turns hosts into cannibalistic violent beings whom players have to defeat in order to progress in most situations. Some levels implement the escape from other humans rather than Cordyceps, which can be just as difficult, some players consider more so.

A wide range of weapons are available to a player to find and craft during gameplay, from Shotguns to bows and knives to Molotov cocktails. The bow as well as the large variety of guns in the game are originally found and can be improved at several points in the story. Smaller weapons such as shivs and Molotov cocktails can be crafted in a menu to help player’s progress easier and take out certain evolved Cordyceps that can only be killed by with certain tools. Not only can the weapons be upgraded, but also Joel’s skills. Features such as maximum health and listening distance can be improved to be better and last longer. All of this boils down to the players choices of what is more important as supplies are extremely scarce, and so have to be used sparingly and with careful thought.

With Ashley Johnson voicing the character of Ellie and Joel being voiced and motion-captured by Troy Baker, its not surprise that The Last Of Us is credited numerous times by critics for the superiority and ‘magnificence’ of the physical graphics of the game as well as the gipping storyline. Even though the game has received blisteringly high ratings from multiple high-end gaming sources (Eurogamer – 10/10 and Game Informer 9.5/10), the game does not come without a few hindrances, as with all games.

One of the most popular criticisms from players and critics is the programmed AI. During the play through, you ally with many other human fighting the Cordyceps and it has been claimed that on several occasions, the AI of your allies as well as enemies has been so flawed, it was deemed as funny. This has been brought on by the fact that enemies will sometimes only see the player’s character and completely block allied AI, leading to AI running directly in front of enemies, and not getting noticed whatsoever. Of course, this is evidently considered by many as a minor technicality within a game of extreme beauty and equally jaw-dropping storyline.

The mystery of the mysterious school wall symbols - SOLVED?

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:56:00 +0000

At the beginning of this project, we tried out best to figure out what our readers would be interested in finding out. We then concluded to the decision of creating an article about the mysteries of the school.

Our first investigation was based on the design built within the wall at the front of the school. We asked a number of senior members of staff who simply said that it was “just a design.” However, we knew that there was more to this than met the eye…

The first option we had was to ask members of the staff but then, by chance, we came across the Site Manager’s office and therefore, decided to confront him.

We questioned him about the meaning behind the unexplainable wall. At first, disappointingly, he also said “it’s just a design.” With further inquiry, he revealed the true meaning behind this peculiar design!

It is all to do with the history of the school… The Hayfield School was built in 1969 and was opened in 1971. The pattern on the wall represents the year the school was built! If you look closely at the picture, you can see the year: 1969 hidden within it!

Preparing for Exam Success

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:47:00 +0000

Many people will introduce you to false ways of preparing for your exams, so here is a guide on how to power through them feeling great and with as much energy as possible!

Of course, you have to revise or there is no way you can get the results you want, but studying for hours and hours will not do you any good, and will only bring your stress levels up, ruin your concentration and leave you tired. Even though stress is a completely natural feeling which (in small doses) will push you to do that little bit more studying, you do not need to get to the point where you think that your entire life is over just because of some intense revision.

This can easily be avoided by setting yourself breaks every 45-60 minutes where you can do something relaxing that can clear your mind, such as taking a quick 15 minute stroll down the nearest forest trail or public walkway. When you're not revising, try to do something physical. Exercise is good for taking your mind of stress and keeping you positive while it is also able to help you sleep better.

As much as you hate people saying it, eating healthier is a great way to improve your alertness; in turn this means it is a great way to aid you in revision. Feeling a loss of appetite? This is not down to your body not wanting food; it is due to stress and the nerves it will cause. Always make sure to eat, your brain needs the energy to work efficiently, helping your metal focus stay on exams and not stray to how impossibly hungry you feel. If you feel like you really can't stomach a meal, try a protein shake or a smoothie. If you can stomach a meal, make sure to fill your plate up with some of these brain-boosting foods; protein-rich foods which increases mental alertness, eggs, nuts, yoghurts and (weirdly enough) cottage cheese. There are such things as 'healthy fats' and as our brains are made up of 60% fats, we need these because low levels could potentially cause depression, Alzheimer's, dementia and learning difficulties. You can find these things in peanut butter; maybe for breakfast you could try one of the following combinations.

Whole grain cereal with low fat milk, soya milk or yoghurt
Eggs with toast and jam
Porridge/ oatmeal/ sugar-free muesli

Try to avoid 'brain-blocking foods' such as products that contain white flour, high refined sugar and (weirdly enough) turkey as it contains amino acids that make you feel sleepy. Opt for some whole meal bread instead of white and some food that is overall generally healthier than your typical junk food.

As much as this is important for food, the same goes for drink. Brain-boosting drink include water, cranberry juice, orange juice, tea (with no sugar) and different kinds of smoothies (blueberry is know to be a great smoothie due to it dilating blood vessels and increases blood flow as well as becoming a antioxidant powerhouse to remove all the potential bad bacteria). Again, avoid brain-blocking drinks like alcohol, sugary colas and sodas and caffeine.

Follow these guidelines and will a bit of determination and revision we're sure you'll succeed!

Maddy and Loren

Can Evans get on with his life?

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:24:00 +0000

Ched Evans, a name that has caused an intense debate between people of the footballing world and also the general public. On the 20th April 2012 he was convicted for rape and sentenced to serve five years imprisonment. After serving half of his sentence he was released on 17th October 2014. On that date he became a free man after having served his sentence, which was handed to him. I must stress at this point, I do not condone rape it is one of the worst crimes ever in my eyes but I do condone an ex-convict who has served their sentence being allowed to get back into their job and create a positive influence on society, not a negative one.

Ched Evans was brought into Manchester City’s football academy at the age of 14 and was developed there for five years. Let me paint the picture, you are a young person of maybe 16 and you will have the pressure of GCSE’s and many other things. Add the fact that you play for a premier league football teams youth academy and the worries that all ‘ordinary’ kids experience go out of the window. I can’t say for certain but I imagine Evans qualifications will definitely not be those of employable ones, unless you are a football team of course. Therefore, to someone who is low on qualifications with limited options do we not feel he should be given his job that he has done with aplomb for over 10 years back and get on with it?

It is well worth noting that there is a growing list of players who have served prison sentences and then later returned to the field. One player who tops this list due to the severity of his crime is striker, Lee Hughes. Whilst playing for his then club West Bromwich Albion in 2004, Hughes was sentenced to serve six years for causing death by dangerous driving. Initially, West Brom sacked the player but in August 2007 after only serving three years of his sentence he was handed a lifeline back into the professional game by none other than Oldham Athletic a team who were rumoured to be in talks to sign Evans at the beginning of January. It is the fact that Hughes was allowed to continue with his career and Evans has (so far) not. For me, this is ludicrous.

I have heard the argument from some that Evans should not return to football because players are role models to the rest of society. Role models, excuse me? Is Lee Hughes a role model? Is the notorious Joey Barton? Is the former England captain John Terry? The list goes on! Why are we so naive as to think footballers that are exposed to more money than they know what to do with are role models and should be looked up to? This is what I can’t understand. A footballer isn’t a role model! They are in the limelight for everyone to see but as long as people understand what these players did was wrong and that they were punished for it, then why can’t Evans continue with his career?

A prison sentence is done to punish the offender for the crime that they have committed; they should not be punished after they have served their time. He has served his time for the crime he was sentenced for. That should be the end of the saga. Let him get on with his life, which is football.

Josh.

Je Suis Charlie

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:01:00 +0000

Many people will have heard of the attacks on a Parisian newspaper, Charlie Hebdo by religious extremists on the 7th January. These attacks caused the death of 12 people and a slogan, "Je Suis Charlie" was eagerly adopted in a way of respect for those who were killed but also to seek justice and peace after the events.

Since then the term “Je Suis Charlie” has been tweeted about over 5 million times and the number of tweets about this topic are rising still. It is clear that a large number of people are supporting this call for a truce between the religions of the world. On the 11th January, over 3.7 million people gathered in the streets of Paris against terrorism to make it the largest in French History. World leaders joined the rally as they peacefully marched through Paris to plead for unity and harmony between different religions.

Since the harrowing week in Paris, there has been a lot of celebrity hype surrounding both the attacks and the reactions. With George Clooney's speech at the Golden Globes [YouTube] to the Simpson's tribute picturing Maggie flying a flag stating the popular slogan. [External Image Link]

Celebrities have been tweeting ferociously about the subject as well as ordinary people with stars like J.K. Rowling paying her respects as well as defending the unnecessary attacks on the Muslim religion as a whole. Charlie Hebdo have reacted to the attacks straight away with their latest cover depicting the Prophet Muhammad holding a sign saying Je Suis Charlie with the words "tout est pardonne", "all is forgiven" above the illustration. [External Image Link]

One of the most popular symbols of all was the use of a pencil being the symbol of the attacks. A drawing by Lucille Clerk shows a pencil being broken and then turning into two pencils. This is what started the movement encouraging the idea of perseverance, justice and peace. [External Image Link]

However, not all reactions to the events have been positive. A number rallies have appeared recently around the world and some comedians have inappropriately commented on the events and the people surrounding it.

Nevertheless, the support for Muslim’s and the surge for peace from a large population of the world have overwhelmed this negative reaction to the events, making it unifying subject for the many religions of the world.

The awe-inspiring reaction to a tragic incident proves, more than ever, that freedom of speech is important and that when the people of Paris, and even the world, combine, the solution can be peace. [External Image Link]

Games Review: theHunter

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:51:00 +0000

Released in March 2009, the Hunter was produced primarily by Emote Games, with Avalanche studios and Expansive Worlds as developers of the free-to-play, first person hunting simulator. The open world minor RPG simulator recreates the hunting of wild animals such as Mule Deer and Cottontail Rabbit in re-created locations around the globe, the default being islands and forests surrounding Washington State in the USA.

The AI is very advanced for 2009 production and needs to be to produce a realistic simulation of hunting wild animals as the gameplay revolves solely around tracking and harvesting creatures with the weapons a player is provided with. Animal tracks can also be identified and followed; enhancing the realistic experience of learning how different AI will react to a player’s presence and how to overcome the challenges each animal faces to hunt.

The game itself uses advanced engine techniques to be able to produce graphics, which are rated as very impressive for the time of release. The graphic techniques include natural and realistic weather effects and subtle light shading, in consequence, the game is undeniably beautiful. As of June 2013, a multiplayer instalment of the game was added due to popular demand of players around the world wanting to interact with mutual games players.

One of the main downsides of this game that surfaced during the first few months of public release was complaints from players that, unless you buy a subscription from the official theHunter website, you are extremely restricted. It has been argued that the game cannot be classed as ‘open-world’ unless a player buys a subscription. Not only that, a player without a subscription can only hunt with one singular default weapon of a shotgun and can only hunt 2 animals (Mule Deer and Cottontail Rabbit) during the whole play time.

Another, less major, downside of the simulator, is a common glitch of losing sight when using a scope on a weapon. Although this glitch is small, it does occur to happen fairly often and could cost a player a kill.

However, overall this game is enjoyable and is very undoubtedly crafted well and immerses the player in a very beautiful Washington landscape. Some compromisation may have to be conducted in the future to fix the subscription issues, however for the time being, theHunter remains one of the best hunting simulators out there.

Five Nights At Freddy's Review

noreply@blogger.com (InTouch24 News Feed) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:48:00 +0000

This is the game that has stormed the gaming industry with incredibly new and inspiring ideas for the horror community. Five Night's At Freddy's (FNAF) is a mid-2014 indie point-and-click horror video game that was successfully developed by Scott Cawthon.

If you didn't already know, the game is based on a fictional pizzeria restaurant named Freddy Fazbear's Pizza where you, as the player, have recently been hired as a night security guard. You are told via a recorded voicemail that the animatronic animal mascots of the restaurant chain are free-to-roam and quite dangerous. You must defend yourself by tracking their movement's, keeping the doors closed to protect yourself and, most important of all, not running out of power!

As a whole this game is quite entertaining; may it be you are playing alone at night or facing the horrors with a group of friends. There is never one moment where you don't feel the terror of the creative characters imagined by this game. It is truly terrifying as you try and forbade the audible and visual jump-scares that end your game.

FNAF was first released via Desura on August 8 2014. It was also released via Steam on August 20, 2014. But also the game is available on Android, iOS and Windows Phones. I have played not only on the computer platform but also on the smaller size-screen of an iPad mini. Both give you feel of being in a small cramped office space even if you are waiting for a bus on the high street.

But the game, once played, can become quite repetitive if mastered. Although the custom level at the end does have the ability to change the cycle of the animatronics, the jump-scares become less scary and more frustrating as you try to beat the dreaded 20/20/20/20 mode.

Overall, the game received positive reviews from critics and players alike. This spawned the demand for a sequel to be released and this produced even similar successful results. I recommend playing this game for its frightful experience and also playing the sequel to stop yourself from becoming another mindless robot in a Freddie Fazbear’s cycle.

By Sophie