jdodson | Cheerful Ghost

Heroes of the Storm: Lets Play Diablo, Starcraft & Warcraft

A few weeks ago I was let in to Blizzard's latest game to make it to beta, Heroes of the Storm. Blizzard calls Heroes of the Storm a team brawler that at first glance seems to be yet another MOBA like DoTA or League of Legends. While the similarities abound there are some really huge differences and at the end of the day, for me, Heroes of the Storm is more my style.

Heroes of the Storm is part of Blizzards latest push into the Free to Play game genre. Starting with Hearthstone and now Heroes of the Storm, free to play is a pretty big push. Heroes of the Storm takes a page from League of Legends in that there are a few heroes that randomly unlock for you to play from week to week and if you want to use them permanently you have to buy them. You can buy them straight up with money or earn in game gold to do it. As with League of Legends and DoTA 2, Heroes of the Storm allows you to purchase skins to give your Heroes a unique flavor. Heroes of the Storm takes it a step further and also allows you the ability to purchase in game mounts.

Whereas DoTA 2 or League of Legends allows you to only play on one map, Heroes of the Storm ships with 4. Each map has a unique flavor and different objective to give your team a winning advantage. On one pirate themed level, beyond pushing to destroy the enemy teams base, you can collect gold coins to give to a pirate and if you collect enough he will bombard the enemy base.

One of the things that has kept me away from embracing League of Legends or DoTA 2 is how flippin' hard the game is to learn. Blizzard has stripped down the gameplay of Heroes of the Storm to it's basics and forgoes any kind of in game item purchasing. All you have is your hero and with each level you make choices about what skills to focus on. I really like the simplified gameplay and as such had no problem figuring things out. As someone that loves playing video games but doesn't have a zillion hours to master it, Heroes of the Storm is great.

I was skeptical Blizzard could bring another MOBA to the table that offered anything new but after playing Heroes of the Storm I can say, this isn't DoTA 2 or League of Legends, this is very different and it's good.

Oh right, the game is also beautiful. After turning up everything to the max the game looks incredible. The game didn't suffer from much lag either, but all the matches I played were against bots so that may be why.

I think it goes without saying that as a pretty big Blizzard fan, playing a game with Diablo, Starcraft and Warcraft characters in it all fighting together is pretty awesome. It's also pretty strange to have Jim Raynor deal a killing blow to Kerrigan and and then Diablo in the same game. Each of the different universes characters fit really well in the game and it didn't ever seem strange to have them together for a minute.

Heroes of the Storm seems really polished to me and I hope they unleash the beta to more players soon so you can check it out. If you have tried it out, i'd love to hear what you think of the game.

The Firehose: Mario Kart Toys & The History of Cheat Codes

It looks like Nintendo will be partnering with McDonalds to bring us Mario Kart 8 happy meal toys. Now I haven't set foot in a McDonalds in years but this might be thing that gets me to head back.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/06/mario_kart_8_toys_boosting_into_mcdonalds_happy_meals

Redbull has an interesting article on the history of the video game cheat code. Some of this information is well known and some isn't but it's still neat to see it laid out well.

http://www.redbull.com/en/games/stories/1331660993180/the-history-of-the-cheat-code

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 does. At first I simply thought that I all I needed to do was focus on writing great original content and that alone would incentivize Google to give us a great search ranking. Whereas it's awesome to focus on great original content like we do, it's not quite the silver bullet I thought it would be.

So I started the long process of a ton of little improvements that have improved our SEO.

Unique Post Titles Make Google Happy

Cheerful Ghost requires everyone to select a game from their list when they post to the site. When the site first launched we didn't allow people the ability to add titles to posts so all games contained a heading like "Travis's Post on Terraria" or "Adym's Post on Skyrim." Because of this requirement each post about Skyrim or Terraria effectively had the same title. So if Travis wrote about Terraria 25 times each of his posts were titled in the exact same way. Originally I thought this was a good idea because I didn't think anyone would care about customizing their post heading. Come to find out this was not right from a user perspective as people really wanted to personalize the post by providing a title, but this also sucked for Google too. Google thought a lot of our content was spammy because it contained the same title and as such our SEO score was pretty bad.

After enough people asked to create custom post titles I decided to change this. Initially I was skeptical as I thought people were simply asking for something they wouldn't really use. Apparently I was wrong because they added them to each post. Not only that but Google started scoring us better and as such, we got more hits per month.

This is So Meta

When Google crawls Cheerful Ghost it checks the HTML and embedded in that HTML are two meta properties that Google uses for search results. One is the title tag, which in Cheerful Ghost's case is populated with the post title and the META Description which is populated with the post body. These show up in Google as the page title and description, but don't take my word for it. In Google Chrome you can check this out by clicking "View / Developer / View Source" on the following page:

http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/2021/interview-w-alex-preston-creator-of-hyper-light-drifter

Search engines love titles and descriptions that naturally flow from the content of the page as do people searching for content as they can use them to find the content they want.

Human Readable URL's Are Magic

Another SEO trick I have heard about for quite some time and got around to implementing recently are user readable URL's. It's easier to show it off so i'll paste one below.

http://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/posts/2106/terraria-the-animated-series-episode-1

Basically, we put the post title in the URL. Not only does this allow the user to know what they can expect by looking at the URL before they click, Google also seems to love it too. When I created Cheerful Ghost I wanted our URL's to be meaningful by design to allow the user to know something about the content. By visually parsing that URL you know that Travis wrote it, it's post 2106 and now, what the post is about.

But we don't just do it for posts, we do it for events too.

http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/events/58/steam-summer-sale

And games.

http://cheerfulghost.com/game/24017/monsters-ate-my-birthday-cake

So not only can a user visually understand what is going on, but Google loves it too.

After adding relevant text for the content at the end of the URL and updating the Cheerful Ghost sitemap to reflect this we have seen a very significant jump in the pages Google now holds in it's search index for Cheerful Ghost but also a jump in search listings and clicks. It's hard to say how significant right now, but the numbers keep going up so in a few months i'll know with greater detail.

Incremental Improvements Over Time

There is no silver bullet to making a website that does well online. I think it's a bunch of things starting with a simple design, awesome content, a great community and a solid set of technology. If I hear about a new thing that I add to the site that makes things better, I do a bit of research on it and if it makes sense I incorporate it into what we do. After that I use analytics to determine how effective it was. If it works, I keep doing it and if it doesn't I rip it out.

As I learn more about what works i'll let you know.

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 one of the easiest ways to install Steam on Linux as Valve directly supports it.

So if you want to try Steam on Ubuntu to get a feel Linux and what SteamOS might look like, head over to the Ubuntu site and download an install DVD image.

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

I recommend installing Ubuntu on a computer that you don't mind wiping. You can run a dual boot setup, but unless you want to possibly screw up your machine, I wouldn't recommend it. If you have the extra hardware use that. The install process is pretty painless and all told I find installing Ubuntu much simpler than Windows.

After installing Ubuntu you will need to install the proper video card driver. Ubuntu has a nice wiki outlining the steps you need to take.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto

After your video card drivers are setup all you need to do is install Steam. Under Ubuntu it's a very similar process to Windows, go to the Steam website click download and install the file from the Steam website. After you do that, the Steam icon will appear in the doc and click to run it. After the updates, you authenticate into Steam and pick your game to install and play.

If you don't have a spare machine lying around you can also choose to install Ubuntu inside a virtual machine. A virtual machine is a program that lets you run a "guest Operating System" inside your current one. So you could run Ubuntu inside your Windows Desktop using a Virtual Machine. If you are interested in going this route there are a few things to consider. First off you will need space on your hard drive for the guest OS. So if you wanted to use 20 gigs for Ubuntu, you would need 20 gigs of spare space on your hard drive. Also, Virtualization isn't as fast as running a native Operating System so performance suffers some. Also, the guest OS must share the resources of the parent computer so games don't run very well. Some 2D and 3D games can work OK, but you will __NOT__ be pulling 60 FPS on Call of Duty.

If you are interested in Virtualization, I recommend downloading Virtual Box.

https://www.virtualbox.org/

I have recently updated my Ubuntu install to the latest version 14.04 and to date, it is the most polished Linux Desktop i've ever used. It handles everything I can throw at it from listening to music, watching videos and now playing a ton of games through Steam. Linux really does just about everything anyone could need except running Windows only applications like Photoshop and certain Video Editing applications(That said you can use Wine to get a ton of Windows applications to work). That said, I don't do a ton of that stuff, so for me, it's totally fine.

When I look at PC gaming and it's future and see how Microsoft is changing what Windows is, I am not impressed. Valve putting it's weight behind Linux as a viable gaming platform is a great thing and sooner or later it will be viable for many to switch to using Linux exclusively. It's already a great option for some and if you are interested in checking it out, I seriously recommend you do because it's a good time to try it out.

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 where games like Wolfenstein: The New Order are 40 gigs to download on Steam. I don't mind downloading stuff all day, but I would mind if Comcast started charging me more if I went over a bandwith cap.

What do you think, does gaming need net neutrality or should "the free market" decide our fate?

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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Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake Trailer And Release Date Drops

Hold on to your butts, Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake is coming to mobile on June 26th and Steam July 1st. It will run you $3.99 on iOS and Android and $14.99 on Steam for all your PC HD needs.

I took a test drive of the Monsters Kickstarter backer beta a few months ago so if you are interested in that clicky, click.

http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/1938/monsters-ate-my-birthday-cake-early-preview-is-fantastic

And we also did a few interviews with them over the last year that you might fill your cake hole for the next few weeks.

http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/919/interview-w-sleep-ninja-games-justin-baldwin
http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/1887/monsters-ate-my-birthday-cake-min-terview-w-justin-baldwin

A New Super Mario 1-up Secret Found

Seems hack free and also contains a strange set of actions to achieve. I wish we have the source for these old games so I could find out what game state triggers this bug.

That said, 2014 and the game community is still discovering more about Super Mario Brothers.

Video Game of Thrones: The Legend of Zelda

Game of Thrones intro done with the art of Link to the Past? Apparently it happened and you can watch it.

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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jdodson1

2746 Posts

Heroes of the Storm: Lets Play Diablo, Starcraft & Warcraft

The Firehose: Mario Kart Toys & The History of Cheat Codes

Various Website SEO Information You Might Find Boring

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

Waiting For Steam Machines: Try Ubuntu Linux 14.04

Is Net Neutrality Good For Gaming?

Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake Trailer And Release Date Drops

A New Super Mario 1-up Secret Found

Video Game of Thrones: The Legend of Zelda

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