General Discussion [ Page 83 ]

New Site Design Live

As you can now see, the new site design is now live! I have been at it for the last few weeks working on getting things just so and I am happy with the results.

I am going to look for a replacement color for the notification menu purple in the upper right for when you have outstanding notifications. There may be a few other things I fix over the next few days as well.

I hope you like the new design and let me know what you think of it!

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 11/25/2012 at 10:52pm

Looks great on my Samsung Galaxy!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/25/2012 at 10:57pm

Great. I tested it a lot on Mobile! Well the iPhone I do t have an Android.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/26/2012 at 03:56am

Dig it. With the design conforming to screen size, I have HUUUUGE youtube videos, but that's kinda cool.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/26/2012 at 04:14am

Yep they take up the maximum width they can :D

If It is distracting I can dial it down some.

BR Supporter wrote on 11/26/2012 at 04:36am

Mobile version works great. I love the new design. I'm using a galaxy s2 by the way.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/26/2012 at 05:12am

Awesome, good to know thanks!

Jacob_Richardson wrote on 11/27/2012 at 03:35am

I love it as well. As I am using a laptop I don't normally use when browsing the site I can't determine if this is a new change or if this is this particular computers fault. I will confirm when I go home in a few days.

The issue is that the box you type in is incredibly small I can't read what i'm writing or what it looks like. Very hard to scroll as well.

Keep up the awesome work on the site though.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/27/2012 at 03:48am

The comment box was quite small. I just increased it to a good height for mobile and desktop just now :D

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/27/2012 at 03:50am

I also make the Ghost in the header a bit larger as well as a few other tweaks here and there.

Jacob_Richardson wrote on 11/27/2012 at 08:53am

It's perfect thanks for fixing it.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/27/2012 at 03:44pm

No problem.

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Let's Play: Steam Big Picture Mode

With all the Steam on Linux news Valve is pushing pretty hard into to break into your living room. I know most of us have heard of the new Steam Big Picture Mode but we might not have all seen it in action. Recently it showed up on my Mac Steam client so I took a few minutes to make a video showing off what it looks like.

Overall, Steam Big Picture Mode is beautifully usable. Its so well designed for a first effort it really showcases the huge difference between Valve and the traditional console makers: Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony. Sony just pushed a pretty large update to the Sony Online Marketplace and its better, but doesn't come close to the first version of... Read All

Even Cheaper Games

Just wanted to let yall know about a few great deals happening in video games this Thanksgiving holiday and the blackest Friday of the year. If you have anything to add, post it in the comments and ill keep this post updated with the goods as I find new ones.

Starcraft 2 digital is marked down to $20 on battle.net: http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100001122

Diablo 3 digital is $40 marked down from $60: http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100002016

Inflatable Personality Cores over at Think Geek. Not really on sale, but pretty awesome at $20. http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f128/

The Steam Autumn Sale is in effect. Check back every so often for new... Read All

New Episode of Game Shop: "Pokemon is for Babies"

The episode sort of ups the writing ante and the results are good. I am one of those gamers that doesn't ingest every shooter that comes out so I think there is some truth to certain kinds of gamer stereotypes.

Plus its fun to laugh at game culture.

Double Fine Amnesia Fortnight

A new Humble Thingy was dropped today in "Double Fine Amnesia Fortnight." Clipped from the site:

"Tim Schafer is revealing Double Fine’s never-before-seen game jam process!
Contribute and vote for your favorite game ideas to be prototyped (week 1).

Then, Double Fine will create prototypes of the top four ideas and live stream the process (weeks 2-3).

Contributors get to download the finished prototypes for Windows (Steam keys too!) Plus, you get two protoypes from past jams right away."

Sounds like a cool way to contribute to the next steps of Double Fine's internal demo process. If you want to vote on any of the games they could prototype, head over donate and vote!

... Read All

Torchlight Devs confirm a Thanksgiving Steam Sale

http://bigfootnetworks.com/fragmore/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Steam-Autum-Sale-300x193.png

I think we all assumed it was coming, but Runic has confirmed that a Thanksgiving sale will be happening, and that Torchlight 2 will be on sale! No dates have been spilled, but I'm excited to get TL2 for cheap.

http://www.torchlight2game.com/news/2012/11/16/happy-thanksgiving/

What are you hoping to snag?

Valve give hints of something to be excited about.

Because I run Ubuntu primarily and don't have winders around it's exciting to watch the ever changing Valve foray into GNU/Linux support.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/16/3652756/valve-big-picture-mode-steam-os-linux-game-console
If they release a spec, I'd build a Steam Box.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/18/2012 at 07:05pm

They keep denying that they're working toward a Steam Box, but they keep doing things that make it look more likely. Who knows whether they will or not, but I'd certainly pre-order one. :)

jdodson Admin wrote on 11/18/2012 at 10:11pm

With big picture mode, Linux support and some hardware rumors coming from Valve a console seems very likely. I hope they have success with big picture and Linux too because I would love moving from a Playstation to a Steam box. :D

Robert_Lount Post Author wrote on 11/19/2012 at 04:40am

Or to get a Steam client on a LinuxMCE type box plugged into a nice TV. I might get to join the modern world!

Jacob_Richardson wrote on 11/19/2012 at 05:42am

Honestly instead of steams own system I would be much more happy if steam was linked between all consoles and pc. That way if I buy something on console or pc I can still play it on the opposite. I'd also buy more console games because there would be the amazing steam sales.

Jacob_Richardson wrote on 11/19/2012 at 05:44am

Actually I just had a thought even better. What if we could load a game on our pc and use the console to play on it. That way you could use the controllers the game was meant to have. Without having to pay for extra controllers for your pc for every ported console game.

jdodson Admin wrote on 11/19/2012 at 05:55am

One of the reasons I though Portal 2 was so cool. If you got the PS3 version you got a Steam code for a PC copy. I played single player on PS3 then later made some levels on the PC version. I want this for everything.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/19/2012 at 03:14pm

Jacob, for what it's worth, I use my PS3 and 360 controllers on my PC to play games. Haven't bought a PC controller in years.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/19/2012 at 03:16pm

And Jon, yes. I thought it was amazing to start up Portal 2 and sign into Steam... ON MY PS3! I wish other games had taken that route-- buy it on PS3, get it on PC for free. Even better, with Steam cloud sync, saves and stuff could transfer between the two. Want to max out your settings and get harcore? Play it on PC. Get tired of sitting in an office chair and want to lounge on the couch? Continue where you left off on PS3.

This is what I hope Steam can achieve with whatever future products they work on, whether it's a Steam Box or something we haven't thought up yet.

jdodson Admin wrote on 11/19/2012 at 05:36pm

You can us le your PS3 controllers on your PC? Whoa, going to look into that!

Jacob_Richardson wrote on 11/19/2012 at 10:59pm

Panicked to be fair though didn't you have to buy something extra to use those controllers on your PC? They don't just work by default. Which is what I was referring. If that is not the case I would love if you could share how you did that.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/20/2012 at 04:17am

No they do work by default. Well, the 360 one does if it's wired. The ps3 controller just requires some software.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/20/2012 at 04:26am

Further info. The wired 360 controller just needs a driver download on older versions of Windows, but is just plug and play with newer versions. For the wireless controller, you'll need one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HZFCT2?ie=UTF8&tag=brihub02-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000HZFCT2

The PS3 controller is a bit trickier, and requires a third party program, but it works smooth as silk once you install it: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/45610/how-to-use-your-ps-3-controllers-as-a-joystick-for-your-windows-pc/

Benefit to the PS3 controller, if you have a bluetooth receiver in your PC you can do it wireless or wired. If you don't have a Bluetooth receiver, just use a standard mini-USB cable.

Travis Admin wrote on 11/20/2012 at 04:28am

I'm not sure about the Mac situation, but for Linux the 360 controller (even if you're using the wireless dongle) is built in to the kernel. No hacking required.

The PS3 controller is only a little bit of a chore. Here are some Ubuntu examples:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7729420_use-ps3-controller-ubuntu.html

Maybe this whole thing is deserving of its own post?

Travis Admin wrote on 11/20/2012 at 04:37am

One important caveat. A wireless 360 controller with a charging cable is not the same as a wired 360 controller. For some reason they didn't make it work like that. Annoying, but there you go.

Jacob_Richardson wrote on 11/20/2012 at 11:29am

Ya we have wireless. Thanks for all the info on it. The usb cable is the thing that I was talking about that I know you needed. We don't have one of those. The program though I didn't know about thanks for the link.

Jacob_Richardson wrote on 11/20/2012 at 11:31am

Strange. Clicked the ps3 link a few times with no connection then wrote a post saying so and clicked it again and it worked fine.

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New Video Game Web Series "Game Shop"

YouTube channel START has a new comedy web series called Game Shop. I have been watching it for a few episodes and thought this episode was worth sharing. The first few episodes delve into some fairly well covered territory but I enjoy that its about people in a Game Store. I like that the episodes are somewhat threaded and over time they revel more about certain characters.

You can go back and watch all 3 previous episodes of Game Shop. They contain people I have seen in other things, like episode 2 had one of the kids from JJ Abrams last film Super 8.

After watching it what did you think?

Nintendo Cereal System: So Awesome It Hurt

To celebrate today's retro Tuesday I won't be talking about a game. The Nintendo Cereal System was a thing released in Nintendo's golden age when they released branded products for everything. The Nintendo Cereal System came with two options, Mario cereal and Zelda cereal. The Zelda Cereal was my personal favourite not because it tasted better but because I liked Zelda more. Oh and being able to eat Octoroks for breakfast is bad-ass.

I never actually convinced my parents to buy it for me(at least that I can remember) but I did get to have a few bowls at my cousins.

Were you lucky enough to have tried this as a kid? What other Nintendo products do you remember loving in... Read All

Timogorgon Member wrote on 11/14/2012 at 01:58am

YES! Oh man, that commercial is such cheese-tastic goodness. I remember the cereals too (I was the aforementioned cousin). Zelda was indeed much better, if for no other reason than it was Zelda. :D

As far as other failed Nintendo products go there was also a Super Mario brand of soda's (http://www.smbhq.com/soda.htm). They were pretty good from what I remember, but the cans were smaller than a typical can of soda, so it was kind of a rip off. Shocking right?

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 11/14/2012 at 02:06am

Loved the Zelda cereal! For the exact same reasons.

And now I'm in an old Nintendo commercial vortex on youtube...

Travis Admin wrote on 11/14/2012 at 02:44am

I loved the NES cereals. I'm not sure if it was good or I just wanted it to be good because of the branding. TMNT cereal was also goo.

I used to get sticker packs all the time. I had a Mario backpack at one point. Nintendo had me hook, line, and sinker.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/14/2012 at 05:09pm

@WhiteboySlim: I sort of remember something about Mario soda. It seems like this time Luigi got the better end of the deal.

@Adym: Any of those old commercials worth sharing? I think I remember one about kids yelling all over the world... For Mario 3?

@panickedthumb: I don't remember having the TMNT cereal. Jealous you had the backpack, I had a Mario lunchbox but lost it over time somehow. Still have my Dukes of Hazzard lunchbox somewhere though. Less awesome than my Mario one.... *sniff*

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 11/14/2012 at 05:10pm

I just realized, the kids have boxes around their heads like they are TV's. Only in the 90's...

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 11/14/2012 at 08:36pm

@jdodson http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v02WFh_Kdl0 Here's a compliation of 17 Nintendo commercials from the 80's and 90's.

I think I remember the Dr. Mario Witchdoctor commercial. There's a commercial for Metroid, and the Mike Tyson's Punch Out commercial is cool.

There's a "rad" Legend of Zelda rap. And there's a Zelda II commercial that actually makes me want to go back and play it again!

Travis Admin wrote on 11/15/2012 at 01:02am

Speaking of lunchboxes, I have a hand-me-down Hulk lunchbox from the mid 70's. I remember feeling like a dork for having it in elementary school, but that thing is probably worth a ton of money.

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Groupees Build-a-Bundle 4 is live!

Occasionally Groupees abandons the standard bundle formula from their BeMine bundles and gives you a choose-your-own-adventure bundle. You pay what you want and get to pick more games the more you pay.

In this bundle, the games without Steam keys all have Desura keys, but they are all on Steam Greenlight and Steam keys will be given out if they make it through the Greenlight process.

The big title in this bundle is Velvet Assassin, a game that was critically panned when it came out a few years back, but some people like it.

Snag it here. http://groupees.com/bab4