Logo for Byte Magazine at Ball State University

Hot Takes




Here's The Tea S2E1 - Jake and Tana's Divorce

Welcome back to Here’s The Tea! This week, we’re discussing the recent mayhem between the divorce of Tana and Jake Paul. Also, there is conflict with Priyanka Chopra serving as an ambassador for the UN. Find out all of this and more on this week’s episode of Here’s the Tea!



Predicting the new Smash characters

Arguably the biggest crossover event in all of gaming, many people are excited to see which of their favorite video game characters will make their way into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While there are some people who get way too heated over which characters make it in or not, there’s something incredibly fun about trying to guess which beloved gaming icons will make the cut while also seeing what kind of unexpected fighters Sakurai and his team will throw at us next. With the first two DLC fighters of Smash Ultimate being candidates that nobody would’ve expected, Piranha Plant and Persona 5’s Joker, it seems like just about anything goes when it comes to who could be potential candidates.


EVO 2019 player guide

The fighting game community has become one of the most prolific in all of esports. Year after year thousands of combatants flock to tournaments and test their strength in the pursuit of both impressive monetary prize pools as well as global recognition. As we head straight into the group stages let me give you a quick player guide and some useful predictions of who might be sitting on the main stage in top 8.



Behind the redesign of 'Sonic the Hedgehog'

I’m sure by now you’ve already heard about the backlash the Sonic the Hedgehog movie has been receiving lately, most notably for Sonic’s uncanny design. Ever since the design was initially leaked, everyone and their mother has been tearing this naked man-hog apart. The mockery only increased when the trailer dropped just a few days ago and we finally saw Sonic with realistic human teeth and the proportions of a weird toddler-adult hybrid. Even Byte’s own Tanner Kinney couldn’t help but join in on the Roast of Sonic, and we’ll be following up on his thoughts with this feature.


An Open Letter to ‘Minecraft’: Thank you for 10 years

The world of video games has gone through a plethora of innovation and evolution. The jump from pixels to polygons, the advent of online play, and all the warfare between console and pc loyalists are just a few examples. All of these stories and more have only added to the history of the most expressive and interactive entertainment medium the world has ever known. When looking back on the most impactful moments in gaming that have come during my lifetime, I can not help but think of Minecraft. The memories and hours spent building my own world have impacted me in more ways than I may ever realize. As we pass over the first 10 years of this monumental game, it seems best that I reflect on my own experiences that made this game so special to me and millions of others across the world.



History of: Queer Media

From The Symposium to queer pulp novels of the 50s and 60s, it’s easy to say that queer media has come a long way. We no longer have to know a person who knows a person who has a secret gay book that we can borrow, nor do we have to suffer through the terrible writing and plotlines of those pulp novels.