Free to Play is great movie (my thoughts)

Free to play is a documentary made by Valve, that has been released on 19th of March 2014. The title of the movie is a bit misleading, because the movie itself doesn't focus on free to play games or anything related, instead it actually follows a story of 3 professional Dota 2 players and their's competition on The International 2011.

The International is one of the biggest Dota 2 tournaments and it's organized by Valve Corporation. It is an annual event that was already held 3 times (started in 2011 in Cologne, Germany). Sixteen teams are personally invited to compete, eliminate other teams and win a huge prize money. More about it can be read on Wikipedia or official site.

In 2011 prize for the winner was 1.000.000 $ (biggest prize at that time). Secnd place was awarded with 250.00$ and third with 150.000$ (I don't want to spoil you who won, although you might already know it).

As said, movie explores life of three professional gamers:

  • Benedict "Hyhy" Lim (Singapore)
  • Danil "Dendi" Ishutin (Ukraine)
  • Clinton "Fear" Loomis (USA)

It shows their passion to the game, their dedication and all the problems of being a professional gamer - unstable income, struggle with social life, parents, family, school ... It also gives us an overview of thier lives and things that made them who they are today.

The documentary is very well made. It combines quality footage from their home cities, from the tournament itself as well as in-game footage and animations. Everything is wrapped in 75 minutes of visually appealing movie with very interesting story.

This movie was something unique and I hope we'll see more movies like this in the future. If you're Dota player or even a casual gamer, then this movie is something you don't want to miss.

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Are Gunnar glasses worth it?

My gunnars
Gunnar glasses I've been using for a year
For those that don't know what Gunnar glasses are: They are glasses that are made for being worn when dealing with computer (looking on screen). They increase contrast of what you're looking on screen, enhance detail, decrease eye fatigue, improves focus and improve visual endurance (for long gaming sessions or long work with computer).
That is what the producer states. But is it true and does it make them worth their money (prices vary from around 60$+)?

Before keep on talking let me say that I've been having gunnars for about a year. I got them as a present and they still serve me well. They cost around 100$ + shipment (I am not entirely sure, because I didn't buy them, but I think it was something like that).

Back to the question.
From my own experience I can say that when you put them on you literally see the difference, because of the slightly yellow lenses. Although they don't make a ground breaking difference in things such as gaming, they definitely make you look cooler and they do enhance your vision a bit.

If I am having long game sessions (rarely, though) they do make a difference so I wear them, but I don't put them on for a quick facebook check or something like that.

If you are gamer that uses computer a lot (few hours a day) then I would recommend you checking their website for additional info (http://www.gunnars.com/)
I also got Logitech G35 headset and they fit well with it, so no problem with that :)

I can't say much about improving focus, because I can see (if I focus my look) single pixels on my laptop (with or without gunnars), but statement that they improve contrast is, from my experience, true.

So, as said, if you use computer quite a lot I would recommend them to you. On the other hand, if you use computer just for watching movies, checking facebook etc. they still do their job, but their purpose is, in my opinion, not fulfilled. You can also consider gunnars as a gift for someone you know that will be more than happy to wear them (maybe as a christmas gift).

Price? You can get gaming models for around 60$ and up (depends whether there are sales going on or not). Decide for yourself but it is one time purchase for glasses you can wear "until you broke them", so I don't think it is too much.

Note:

 No matter if you wear your gunnars or not you can follow these steps for "not ruining your eyes so much" while using computer:

  • Look into object around 6 meters (20 feet) away every 20 minutes for 20 seconds
  • Keep your screen clean so your eyes don't need to try hard to focus things on it
  • Adjust the contrast and brightness that fits your eyes best
  • Room you're working in shouldn't be too dark or too bright

If you still have any question regarding gunnar glasses and my experience with them, leave me a comment.

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