General Discussion [ Page 41 ]

Did Blowing on Nintendo Cartridges Actually Work?

Joe Hanson of "It's Ok To Be Smart" takes on this topic, Mythbusters style. According to Joe, blowing into your NES cart didn't work at all and in fact, hurts it. The video answers the retro-mythical question "why did we all think blowing on our carts work, when it didn't?" It's a fairly in depth look at cognitive dissonance associated with certain actions we all do.

Zach_Foster wrote on 07/14/2014 at 01:38am

I dug through a lot of things like this when i picked up a couple non functioning NES consoles a few years back. I learned that pretty much everything i did to "improve" my games playing on my cartridge consoles was actually just destroying the games. Things like blowing on them, swabbing the contacts with rubbing alcohol, and smacking them against my knee turned out to be bad ideas. They seemed pretty good when i was six though.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/14/2014 at 02:30am

I did some research into this back in the day.

http://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/posts/1541/breathe-some-new-life-into-your-nes

Travis Admin wrote on 07/14/2014 at 02:34am

And to add to that, something I should have mentioned in the linked CG post-- I noticed when I was about 12 or 13 that blowing and trying again was about as effective as just changing the position slightly. You can just power off, push the cart left or right a bit, and try again, and it will work about as well as blowing.

I've replaced the connector in one NES, and bought a backup NES with a freshly replaced connector. I recently came into possession of a third, because you can never be too safe, and I need to replace the connector on it as well, but I've been testing the blow theory on it, and I have yet to get it to work on the first post-blow attempt, but just shifting it a bit works wonders.

So, in short-- when in doubt, just give it a little nudge.

JaBo wrote on 07/14/2014 at 03:36pm

We had one that would be fuzzy or discolored or wavy screen after you powered it on. The fix, every single time was to give it a smack on the right side after you powered it on. Worked every time and the picture was messed up like 90% of the time at least if you didn't do this. Maybe Rett can chime in if he reads this.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/14/2014 at 05:45pm

I bet the smack moved the game cart OR moved some faulty wire or something.

Zach_Foster wrote on 07/17/2014 at 03:47am

Or perhaps you got the haunted ghost NES! (limited edition). I believe at one point I had a haunted ghost Sega Genesis.

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Cheerful Ghost Roundtable: S2 E10 Freedom & Explosions

It's time to celebrate freedom and in this episode we do just that by talking about some of the most freedom loving games of all time. We also discuss some awesome video game explosions as well as Half-Life 3 (confirmed).

As with every episode we start out talking a bit about what we are playing and what we are drinking.

Game Jam: Distance - http://coffee_nat.itch.io/distance

Travis Admin wrote on 07/10/2014 at 01:15pm

Oh I realized right after I said "my internet sucks tonight" that I was blaming the wrong thing. I clicked the "hang up" button instead of the "unmute" button and thought that the call had dropped. So, the infrastructure was fine, it was a PEBKAC error.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 07/10/2014 at 05:30pm

40 mins of trying to sign off. Classic Jon.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/10/2014 at 06:21pm

NEVER ENDS!

Travis Admin wrote on 07/10/2014 at 11:16pm

OK, thanks for watching everyone. But before we go let me tell you how much I love Episode I!

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/10/2014 at 11:25pm

How did that happen?? How did we let that happen!? ;)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 07/10/2014 at 11:36pm

Jon is a force of... something

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/11/2014 at 12:23am

I will not be mocked!

PS I was wondering if you all know that Episode 1 is a superior film to 2 and 3?

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/11/2014 at 12:44am

Don't engage. Do not engage...

Travis Admin wrote on 07/11/2014 at 02:10am

http://i.imgur.com/6bvx0MH.gif

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/11/2014 at 02:15am

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com

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XBox One retail units will not double as dev kits [update]

In another change of course, Microsoft has announced that retail XBox One consoles will not be capable of converting to dev kits.

During a Q&A, Martin Fuller said that the plan was abandoned in the early stages, and that he really couldn't give any details as to why. He added that he knew of no future plans to develop the program further.

http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a583173/microsoft-no-longer-plans-for-xbox-one-retail-units-to-double-as-dev-kits.html#~oJxRgD679LzzPh

Update: The story has now been updated to reflect new comments from Microsoft denying the comments from Martin Fuller, and promising more updates on the program to come in the future.

Honestly... Read All

Game/Show: Can We Ever Stop Toxic, Racist, & Abusive Gamers?

"Can't we all just get along? The nastiest, most hateful things are being said over voice chat, in chatrooms, and turning up in your inboxes. And while this is a problem across the internet, it seems particularly acute in the online gaming realm. Will online players ever play nice? The hate speech can ruin perfectly fun experiences, and abuse and alienate innocent players. What can be done? and even if you don't participate yourself, is doing nothing adding to the problem?"

What do you think, will we ever clean up the toxicity in gaming?

Travis Admin wrote on 07/05/2014 at 03:22am

I'd counter that with "can we ever stop toxic, racist, and abusive people?"

It isn't at all unique to gaming-- it's just that in real life you might have to deal with repercussions, and gaming is when you're at your most anonymous, with the least repercussions, and with the frustration of defeat or getting carried away in victory.

To fix it, you'd have to fix human culture.

Zach_Foster wrote on 07/06/2014 at 03:09am

I agree with Travis. To change the attitudes of people you have to change people, and that's nothing that will happen soon. I think there's something to be said for in-game voice auditing, and blocking people for swearing, but it can't catch everything. Cyber bullying is becoming a terrible problem. I played Call of Duty: Ghosts the other day and was placed in a room with what sounded from their voices like a bunch of ten and twelve year olds, and they were swearing at each other like sailors. it doesn't help that it's a violent video game, but the idea that kids are playing these games, and talking to each other the way they do is disgusting.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/06/2014 at 06:43pm

Trash-talking in sports picked up momentum in the 60's and has been snowballing ever since. Now, it's actually an encouraged tactic for victory, even so far as getting the fans involved. It's gotten to the point where people don't seem to care about respect anymore. How do you give millions of these same types of people microphones in dark rooms, and expect them to behave?

When I was in school, they used to give out a trophy for good sportsmanship, and while it wasn't the most sought after award, it was at least a public recognition of competing with honor. The NBA started handing out such a trophy in the mid-90's, the NFL has a similar award that's been around since the mid-80's. I think rewarding good behavior is positive approach, and video gaming has the best environment to promote this. In-game items, achievements, titles... all can be tailored to promote good gaming behavior. Riot Games' system, mentioned in the video, is a prime example. Giving in-game badges in multiple fields to help promote helpfulness and friendliness is a start.

Personally, I use the mute button if the game has one (and most do these days), or play without a mic. I hate to say it, but I think Nintendo was the wise one in all of this. Only allowing online interaction with someone you choose to play with could be the best solution. It kills the matchmaking aspect of every online multiplayer game, but maybe that's the kind of overhaul that needs to take place?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/07/2014 at 08:01pm

Thanks for that script! Whereas sportsmanship awards are a bit odd in a social way, that kind of positive incentive is a great idea.

I think each game implementing it's own mechanism that's right for the game is best. That said, if I had to do something to handle a toxic community I'd look at Riots community tribunal model.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 07/09/2014 at 01:17am

I've been struggling a bit with Jamin's attention to the Bystander Effect, and how relevant it really is to the issue (Jamin states that it's the biggest problem that he's seen regarding this issue). How would you even know if other players were remiss in their duties as gaming citizens to take action against abuse? What are the paths of action we can actually take as gamers witnessing this type of abuse? We can report it (probably the most prominent option available), or we can actually make a stand in the chat/game space to defend the victim, or try to diffuse the situation. I don't think that anyone has a problem reporting abuse. I'll bet that most people have done it at least once, and a large chunk of people do it often. Intervening, however, can be tricky, and I'd argue that, in this situation, doing nothing could be much better than doing something that could totally backfire, and perpetuate more abuse. Regarding the abuse toward females, white-knighting it is largely looked down upon these days, and is just asking for more abuse. In the nastiest cases, I've been in chat spaces where all you have to do is open your mouth and you're a target for abuse. Again, it seems like the mute button is the best option. Jamin also mentions that witnessing positive behavior has an area effect of altruism, but I don't know how relevant that is to gaming, either. Maybe in some games it's easier than others, but in the games that are garnering the top abusers (let's face it, it's the FPSs), there isn't really a way to act as a Good Samaritan (or is there? anyone?).

Are there alternatives to abate abusers outside of muting, reporting, or stepping in?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/10/2014 at 12:14am

I think the best thing to do is to not be abusive in the game, but most people on Cheerful Ghost are not idiots so that doesn't take us too far here.

I'd say after that, yeah, reporting as much as possible. Stepping in can be useful, but I wouldn't recommend telling the griefers to stop, i'd focus on the person being abused. I'd maybe just say they are doing fine and to ignore the haters(or something to that effect given the circumstance).

The worst thing good people can do in a bad situation is nothing, but it's not entirely obvious what the good thing to do is. I can't stop people from being dicks on the internet, but banning, reporting and saying a kind word to something is something.

Largely it's up to the game developers to act on the data they collect.

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Various Website SEO Information You Might Find Boring

This post is pretty technical and if you are not interested in learning more about the specifics of web applications, pass it by.

Making a website like Cheerful Ghost isn't too hard but it does takes time. When I first launched it I was proud of it and over the last few years I have improved it. Two ways the site lacked at launch was in terms of SEO(Search Engine Optimization) and social site sharing. SEO or Search Engine Optimization is basically the art of engineering your website in such a way that it is more attractive to search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo. The more search results you show up in the more people come to your site and the better your site... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/28/2014 at 11:54pm

Maybe you can forgive me for my proof-reading eye, but I just found an error; "we have seen a very significant jump in the pages Google google now holds.." Do you see "Google google?" Oh, there's another; "It's hard to say how significant right now..." Do you mean "how significant that is right now?" =)

Well, you've created an awesome website and I think you've done a wonderful job with it! I think it's cool, too, that you're sharing this kind of information with us. One phrase I saw often in this post was that "Google loves it." I'm glad for that, I love Google! I'm also glad to see that the site is attracting more positive attention.

Recently, you posted on Facebook about how the site is getting targeted by hackers. I thought about posting a video of the song, "It Wasn't Me," by Shaggy. Hahahaha. Anyway, I hope those hackers have laid off of their attempts to bring this great site down. Although, I'm into computer technology and many aspects of it, I don't really know what you could do to prevent hackers from messing up this site. I do wonder what the status of that is though, if you've thought about things you can do to make this site less susceptible to hackers.

Keep up the good work and thanks again for an awesome website! =)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/30/2014 at 02:16am

Thanks Greg, an eye to editing isn't a bad thing.

I also don't think you are hacking us :D

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/30/2014 at 05:16am

=) I kind of hate pointing things out that I see because I'm afraid someone would take it personally or think that my intentions are to make one look stupid and myself smart. That's definitely not the case. I guess I feel like a natural proofreader. That said, Facebook is so damn annoying because people really seem to have no knowledge of the proper usage of the English language, including grammar and spelling. I think it's a bit ironic that many Americans will say, "you live in our country, you should speak our language," yet at the same time those people who say such things don't seem to have ever taken any elementary or remedial English courses in their life time. I recently saw a picture on Facebook of one person who had a sign that read something like, "you live in are country, speak English." Here in Virginia, a lot of people say "I seen," which gets on my nerves! Which reminds me of another Facebook post I read that said something like, "if you say 'I seen," then I assume you have never seen the inside of a book." HAHAHAHAHA. Anyway, I think typos and minor things such as I pointed out to you are just a part of the writing process. It happens and doesn't mean someone is stupid. Hahaha. After a while of posting on this site, I decided to re-read everything that I've written before posting so that what I've written makes sense and is free of error. I think it's just the part of me that's always been a writer.

Thanks again for an awesome website! Keep up the good work!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/30/2014 at 10:06pm

Yeah, no problem Greg!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/03/2014 at 05:37pm

I just had an idea that will perhaps change the way I create headings in my future posts. I noticed that the URL for my Fallout 3 post included the original heading I created. Neither the original heading nor the current heading contains the game's name and therefore is not reflected in the "friendly" URL. So I was thinking, what if the post's URL included the name of the game. Although, I also realize that it might be more simple for you if we included the name of the game in our headings, so you don't have to re-work the "friendly" URL. I think that will also help generate some results on a search engine.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/03/2014 at 07:37pm

Unless it makes sense to include it, I wouldn't add the game name to the post title. Again, unless it makes sense to add it.

Reason why is because I already add the game name to the HTML meta tags on the page. So Google Search, sharing on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ include it in the title(try it and see). ALSO we list the game name on the post page itself too.

Occasionally I put the post title in the header when it makes sense too(for interviews) but otherwise, i'd leave it out.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 07/03/2014 at 09:04pm

Ok, that's cool. I was just looking at the friendly URL.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/04/2014 at 04:33am

Right. I'd leave it our of the friendly URL as if we do it all the time it might give us a less awesome google SEO score.

Possibly.

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Cheerful Ghost Roundtable: S2 E9 Steam Summer Sale & E3 2014

In this thrilling episode of the Cheerful Ghost Roundtable we talk about the 2014 Steam Summer Sale, E3 and PC gaming. We start everything fresh talking a bit about what we are drinking and what we've been playing.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 06/26/2014 at 04:16pm

a.k.a. The Tim found the sound effects episode. :P

I promise not to abuse my power in future episodes.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/26/2014 at 05:44pm

They actually worked out pretty well. I'll just put a permanent ban on any fart sounds or anything else that resembles something you'd hear from a 90s radio soundboard.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 06/26/2014 at 07:47pm

Yeah, Tim, I thought it was a brave and victorious move. You've taken us to a new level. Like, we could be ready for endorsements and shit. I wish you would have jumped in sooner, when I was drowning in my own beverage ;).

Timogorgon Member wrote on 06/26/2014 at 09:53pm

I'd hate to steal the lime light from you during your special moment. :P

scrypt Supporter wrote on 06/26/2014 at 10:46pm

Such a special moment :)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/27/2014 at 04:46pm

That wizard came from the moon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlOYatDYC40

scrypt Supporter wrote on 06/27/2014 at 07:47pm

"That wizard came from the moon."

That's why it's so difficult to work as an artist, with someone looking over your shoulder, or in this case, show a small sample of your unfinished project. You have to expect that the viewer/player will go off the rails from time to time, and lose a bit of perspective. I'm glad that Bungie took it in stride :).

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/27/2014 at 08:32pm

Absolutely

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/28/2014 at 04:51pm

I honestly don't understand, that line sounded fine. A bit one note, but it wasn't the worst thing i've ever heard in video game voice acting by far.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/28/2014 at 06:43pm

I think it was more the content on fhe line, mixed with the context of the scene, plus the flat delivery (without filters and effects) that made the community have a WTF moment hearing that. It definitely wasn't terrible, but this is PETER DINKLAGE!!!!111

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Waiting For Steam Machines: Try Ubuntu Linux 14.04

http://cdn-static.zdnet.com/i/r/story/70/00/028578/ubuntu1404-620x465.png

If you were like me then when you heard Valve was delaying Steam Machines to 2015 you were bummed. We might not be able to buy our shiny new hardware yet BUT that doesn't mean you can't play around with the next best thing. Valve's Steam Machines will run on top of SteamOS, a modified version of Linux. Valve has made SteamOS publicly available BUT it's not the easiest thing to install yet. In the meantime you can get your feet wet with Linux using the next best thing, Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is a Linux distribution that has been around for a few years and as it currently sits, i'd argue it's the easiest way to run a Linux Desktop. It also has the added benefit of being... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 06/25/2014 at 02:18am

As far as dual booting goes, I will say that I've never had an issue with setting up dual boot. However, when you're ready to partition your drive for Ubuntu, it's very easy to click a button and wipe out everything. So, while it's easy to set up dual-boot, be sure you know what you're doing.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/25/2014 at 03:18am

Oh! And for that Steam Machine feel, you can also do this:
http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/11/how-to-login-to-steam-big-picture-mode-in-ubuntu

The system will start up in Steam Big Picture.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/25/2014 at 03:27am

"For Dat Steam Machine feels..."

Travis Admin wrote on 06/29/2014 at 10:00pm

So in the past on Ubuntu you've installed Gnome and used that. Are you sticking with Unity this time?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/30/2014 at 02:21am

I think I am. I moved away from it before because it wasn't great but I have no problems with this particular version. It's much snappier than before and as I think about it more I can't remember what my problem with the old one was, but whatever it was I don't seem to have it anymore.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/30/2014 at 03:21am

It's interesting, because in the past the reason I stuck with Unity was because Gnome 3 sucked, but it's gotten better and I'm thinking of using it.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/30/2014 at 03:23am

Gnome 3 is really great after you make a few tweaks to it. With Unity or Gnome 3 on the latest versions I don't really have a problem with either.

To be honest they really do just about the same thing except Gnome 3 doesn't ship with a dock by default(it really should).

Travis Admin wrote on 06/30/2014 at 03:29am

Well, it has a dock but it's hidden in the activities menu, which is an odd choice. Overall my problem with Gnome 3 has been the bizarre defaults that take an act of congress to change. That's still an issue, but it's gotten better.

That said, it's started crashing a lot. I've barely used this new version but these crashes are not a good sign.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/30/2014 at 03:30am

Are you using the latest version of Ubuntu and some Gnome 3 PPA?

Travis Admin wrote on 06/30/2014 at 04:22pm

I'm actually talking about the latest version of Gnome that's available for Ubuntu by default. I don't want to mess around with PPAs to get Gnome 3.12 because that breaks Unity.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/30/2014 at 10:03pm

I didn't know there was a native Ubuntu Gnome version. I might have to check that out at some point.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/30/2014 at 10:34pm

Yeah it's just the one in the Debian repositories.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/30/2014 at 11:02pm

Cool. In earlier versions Ubuntu had removed Gnome 3 so it's nice to hear they left it in from the Debian sources.

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Is Net Neutrality Good For Gaming?

"Should gamers care about net neutrality? If you're someone who uses the internet on a regular basis (and I'm betting you are), you should make yourself aware of the current Net Neutrality debate. The FCC is considering new rules in which internet providers could charge companies (like Steam, Sony or Microsoft) for a "fast lane", the costs of which could be passed on to the consumer (YOU). With so many gamers downloading, playing, streaming online, what could this "fast lane" environment do to gaming as we know it?"

In the latest Game/Show Jamin makes a really good point about net neutrality and gaming. One of my biggest "gaming fears" is a bandwidth cap in a world... Read All

scrypt Supporter wrote on 06/24/2014 at 03:39am

If I understand it correctly, the net is already operating under the free market, and the fear is the FCC won't intervene to keep giant mergers from happening, thus turning the free market into one monopolized by TimeCast WarZoner, or whoever.

Must watch: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - http://youtu.be/fpbOEoRrHyU

Ars Technica: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/01/drop-regulatory-hammer-on-internet-providers-says-former-fcc-commish/

The FCC: http://www.fcc.gov/openinternet (a link on that page allows comments to be sent to the FCC on the matter)

It looks like the job is up to us now, or the net is doomed.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/24/2014 at 04:17am

John, I think your title is the opposite of what you're asking. The END of net neutrality is bad for gaming.

But yeah, we're already seeing the problem manifest with Netflix. Verizon, Comcast, and some other ISPs are capping Netflix bandwidth, even though they basically forced Netflix into paying them. Think about how much it would suck if they started doing that with Steam.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/24/2014 at 11:07pm

Travis: Good catch. That said, maybe it could work as a... dumb question.

scrypt: You are correct, and so far things seem to be fine but who knows for how long. So strange that out of all the things to de-regulate, the Internet seemed the easiest to do it to. A few other things I could think of that might actually benefit from that treatment as opposed to the Internet.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 06/25/2014 at 02:44am

Net neutrality is totally bad for gaming. Just imagine how awesome it'll be when WoW pays Comcast so your can connect at BLAZING FAST SPEEDS. Or when Steam pays Time Warner so your downloads are ROAD RUNNER FAST!

And don't worry about this speculated "abuse". Telcoms exist in a free market, with plenty of "competition" which will hold them accountable!

Now excuse me while I go cash this check Comcast gave me.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/25/2014 at 03:24am

THAT FIVE CENTS WILL GET YOU A SALT PACKET AND STRAW!

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Would You Buy a Steam Based Handheld? Steamboy is Coming.

Even though SteamOS and the Steam Controller is being pushed to 2015 it seems some companies are still moving forward to design products built around the Steam ecosystem. Intro the Steamboy, a new project meant to bring all the amazing awesomery of your Steam catalog to a handheld device.

They've released a trailer and it's fairly impressive. That said, after I watched it I was a bit skeptical. Valve has pushed back it's Steam Machines till 2015 and now we hear about a Steam based handheld? Not to say I don't want one, but i'll hold off on my excitement until I hear a few more details.

http://www.steamboymachine.com/

Travis Admin wrote on 06/16/2014 at 02:09pm

It isn't a Valve project, so I don't factor any Steam Machines delays into this. It's a third-party who wanted to make a handheld gaming PC, basically.

And unfortunately there isn't enough data here. Does it run them natively or stream like the NVIDIA Shield? They say it can play "most" Steam games, but does that mean most current or most of the library... because a PC that's way outdated can still play most of the library, since there's such a major back-catalog.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/16/2014 at 04:50pm

For sure. That said, if they want to use the "Steam Machine" brand or controller they have to sign a contract with Valve which means they are on "Valve time." That's why the Alienware Alpha isn't a "Steam Machine."

That said, the idea of a Steam handheld is great might be worth waiting for. To this date I haven't picked up a handheld gaming machine because i've been waiting for the right one. That said, this may be it?

Travis Admin wrote on 06/16/2014 at 05:12pm

If it will let me play something like Wolfenstein: The New Order on the go (i.e. not tied to my home network) then yeah, this will be one to get, for sure!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/16/2014 at 05:17pm

If it's Steam proper, then they will allow in home streaming. Which is fairly similar to what the Wii U or Vita offers!

scrypt Supporter wrote on 06/18/2014 at 09:16pm

I don't know. Unless you have kids, and only one TV/monitor in the house, in-home streaming to a portable seems really excessive. I tried it on the Vita, and it was cool for all of two seconds. Then, I sold my Vita. For me to enjoy mobile games, they have to be designed to be played on mobile systems. Playing a console, or PC, title on that small of a screen is like watching the Avengers on an iPhone. It might do in a pinch, but not desirable. If Steam actually opened up to market native handheld games, that would be one thing. This... I don't know.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/18/2014 at 09:50pm

I agree native handheld games are the best option. But there are cases where I'd maybe want to play a PC only game on the couch in a pinch and the wife is using the TV. Realistically it's not a huge use case at all.

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The Alienware Alpha Coming This Holiday 2014 Season

If you follow Cheerful Ghost news, it's no surprise that I am looking forward to buying a Steam Machine. Alienware just dropped the details of it's Alienware Alpha that is shipping this holiday season.

"The Alienware Alpha console will ship with Windows 8.1 which, through a custom software interface exclusive to Alienware, can be easily navigated with the included Xbox 360 controller — no mouse or keyboard required. The Alpha console is also SteamOS and Steam Controller READY, and designed to easily integrate with the highly anticipated launch of each.

The Alienware Alpha console will start at $549, and will begin shipping in time for the 2014 Holiday Season."

Well,... Read All If you follow Cheerful Ghost news, it's no surprise that I am looking forward to buying a Steam Machine. Alienware just dropped the details of it's Alienware Alpha that is shipping this holiday season.

"The Alienware Alpha console will ship with Windows 8.1 which, through a custom software interface exclusive to Alienware, can be easily navigated with the included Xbox 360 controller — no mouse or keyboard required. The Alpha console is also SteamOS and Steam Controller READY, and designed to easily integrate with the highly anticipated launch of each.

The Alienware Alpha console will start at $549, and will begin shipping in time for the 2014 Holiday Season."

Well, yeah, it makes sense that Alienware has decided to continue on with it's console efforts even though Valve has put off the official launch of SteamOS and it's Steam Controller till 2015. In the meantime, it seems Alienware is moving full speed ahead on it's console and has decided to replace SteamOS with Windows 8.1 and a XBox 360 controller.

You might think Alienware might be ditching SteamOS or the Steam controller and according to them, that is absolutely not the case and according to a recent Forbes interview with Alienware they said...

“Steam Machines aren’t dead, they are absolutely pursuing SteamOS and the controller 100%,” my Alienware rep explained. “They refuse to release something that is not ready, and we commend them for that. But we want similar things: For the PC gamer to choose what the hell they want and play how they want to play.”

Alienware has also talked a bit about the internals of the Alpha in that it will consist of user replaceable components and a custom build nvidia GPU. I imagine the reason for a custom GPU is to make it fit in the small case and for this reason it doesn't seem replaceable. That said, the Alpha will also ship with an Intel CPU, 4GB DDR3 memory & 500GB hard drive.

All told I was pretty bummed when I heard Valve was pushing back it's Steam Machine efforts a year but it seems Alienware is still moving forward and I think that's a good idea. Alienware has said the hardware will ship SteamOS and Steam Controller ready so if you want to go ahead and get it, you can use it as a proper Steam Machine later. The launch price for the Alienware Alpha will be $549.

http://www.alienware.com/landings/alpha/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2014/06/11/alienwares-alpha-is-a-gaming-pc-with-the-dna-of-a-console-and-its-the-real-deal/

General Discussion

Did Blowing on Nintendo Cartridges Actually Work?

Cheerful Ghost Roundtable: S2 E10 Freedom & Explosions

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