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Winners and losers from the E3 video-game show

By WTOP Staff

LOU KESTEN
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo wasn’t as dramatic as last year’s, when Sony and Microsoft were battling for attention in advance of the fall debuts of their new game consoles, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

This year, the focus was on new games to play on those machines, so those of us who attended E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center this week had a lot more fun. And the competition is far from over. Here are some winners and losers from the video-game industry’s biggest convention.

— PLAYSTATION VS. XBOX: Consumers have bought a few million more PS4s than Xbox Ones, but that doesn’t mean Sony can rest on its laurels. Upcoming PS4 games include the steampunk thriller “The Order: 1886,” new installments of the popular “Uncharted” and “LittleBigPlanet” franchises, and a promising batch of games from smaller studios, like the psychedelic journey “Entwined” and the sci-fi exploration game “No Man’s Sky.” The Xbox One countered with the goofy “Sunset Overdrive,” the haunting “Ori and the Blind Forest” and new chapters of the “Halo,” ”Forza Horizon” and “Crackdown” series. WINNER: Xbox, by a very slim margin.

— NINTENDO VS. THE SKEPTICS: The Wii U has had a rough time in the market, but Nintendo rewarded its diehard fans this year. There’s a new “Legend of Zelda” game (finally!) on the way. “Splatoon” brings Nintendo-style whimsy to the online shooter. “Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker” is a delightful puzzle game. And the Amiibo line, which connects real-world toys of Mario, Donkey Kong and the rest of Nintendo’s heroes to their digital counterparts, has collectors psyched. WINNER: Nintendo.

— OCULUS VS. MORPHEUS: The most heavily hyped technology at E3 involved strapping on a headset and immersing your senses in 3-D virtual reality. Sony showed a few simple demos for its Project Morpheus device, letting you swing swords at a dummy or luge down a busy highway. The Oculus Rift inserts you right into Sega’s terrifying “Alien: Isolation,” a Mario-style platform game called “Lucky’s Tale” and the time-bending shooter “SuperHot.” I’m still skeptical about VR’s viability — neither headset is particularly comfortable — but Oculus is clearly further along. WINNER: Oculus.

— MULTIPLAYER VS. SOLO: The buzziest demos at E3 were 2K Games’ four-versus-one monster hunt “Evolve,” Ubisoft’s five-on-five SWAT team drama “Rainbow Six: Siege” and Nintendo’s four-on-four paintball competition “Splatoon.” There were a few solo acts like Sony’s “The Order” on the floor, but if you want to play the hottest games this year and next, you had better find some friends. WINNER: multiplayer.

— MOVING VS. SITTING: Motion-detecting game devices that force you to get off the sofa were all the rage a few years ago, thanks to Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft’s Kinect. But now that you can buy an Xbox One without Kinect, you can sit down. I saw just one new Kinect game — Harmonix’s “Dance Central Spotlight” — and nothing in the Wii U lineup will burn any calories. WINNER: sitting.

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Follow Lou Kesten on Twitter @lkesten.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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