Blizzard just opened up its new Battle.net client into open beta for anyone to test. I tried it out on my Mac and found the download and install to be a very simple process. The Battle.net client has a slick layout and is fantastic to use. I hope over time they keep the simplicity of it all.

"The new single sign-on functionality allows players to log in once to access World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Diablo III, and the upcoming PC and Mac versions of Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, and stay logged in for up to 30 days.

Players can also install games directly through the app and, if you choose to leave the app running on your desktop, keep them up-to-date automatically even while you’re away from your computer. Please note that it’s entirely up to you whether you wish to leave the app running—you can exit it at any time, and it will automatically re-launch whenever your standard launchers would. "

If you want to read more, check out the Blizzard post:

http://us.battle.net//d3/en/blog/10626946#best

If you just want to download the new client for testing:

https://us.battle.net/account/download/index.xml?show=bnetapp

After news that Phil Fish decided to halt Fez 2 development, in a fit of angsty sorrow, I decided to play Fez for the first time. From the intro screen to the first swaths of gameplay and score, Fez is magic. So magical that if video games can be art, Fez pushes that discussion forward. How much higher praise can a game get than it gave me genuine feelings of joy and exploration?

I am not sure what I can say more about a game that was featured in Indie Game: The Movie as well as reviewed and Let's Played as much as Fez. The rotating camera gameplay coupled with gorgeous retro graphics are a delight. Each new area offers new rich visuals and the unique gameplay Phil Fish crams in each zone is incredible. And nothing beats experiencing it all for the first time.

So far, I have kept my play through spoiler and game guide free and have completed somewhere around 75% according to the game itself. I am not certain how to beat Fez, but I am sure when I come to it, i'll know. I am in no rush to beat the game but do plan on "getting gold" on each area I come to because somehow, it seems like an awesome thing to do.

Jens Matthies of Machinegames gave a pretty interesting interview at QuakeCon about the upcoming Wolfenstein: The New Order. The video showcases some of the stuff we can expect from the game. Some of the video footage shows off BJ scaling a wall to the top of a building one hand on a rope while the other is spent killin' Nazis. As BJ scales the building a plane epically crashes into it and since nothing seems to stop him, he just keeps climbing.

The video also shows off a cool new stealth takedown mechanic new to Wolfenstein. Wolfenstein: The New Order will allow both a run and gun and stealth style of gameplay.

The difficulty modes in The New Order will mirror those in Wolfenstein 3D. So get ready to select from "Can I play, Daddy?", "Don't hurt me.", "Bring 'em on!" or "I am Death incarnate!" It seems many people really enjoyed the challenging 1999 mode in BioShock Infinite so heres to hoping "I am Death incarnate!" ups the ante!

As to the million dollar question of if Hitler will make an appearance Jens noted that "Hitler is not in this game.... That's all i'll say on this topic I think." I wonder if that means there will be a sequel or DLC or Hitler's head on a robot as with Wolfenstein 3D?

I am a huge fan of Wolfenstein and can't wait for Machinegames epic take on this universe to drop in 2014. Are you interested in killing some Nazis or will you skip this one?

"In 1977 the video game market was flooded with clones of the game 'Pong.' 'Pong' released in 1972 had been such a huge hit that many other game companies had tried to produce there own versions of the game."

To celebrate today's retro Tuesday I decided to share a video about the history of Space Invaders. Space Invaders is a classic game I mostly played on the Atari 2600. It was re-imagined by the people that made it in 2006 as Space Raiders which was a pretty fun take on the formula.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Raiders_(video_game)

Hey everyone.

I recently contacted Romino Games to interview them about Awesomenauts and all manner of awesomery and they agreed to do it. If you have any questions you want to submit for the interview toss em' into this post. I am going to close submissions the evening of August 14th to ship them to Romino, so ensure you get them in before then.

Happy 'nauting!

"Guthrie and his band drove 18 hours round-trip from Ontario just to perform three songs behind the desk of NPR Music's Bob Boilen. Watch them perform some of the wistful and infectious highlights from Guthrie's new album, Takes Time."

Its a great 3 song set featuring "A Difference a Day Makes," "Before and After" & "Like a Lake."

Jim Guthrie is the composer behind the music of Sword & Sworcery, Indie Game: The Movie and the upcoming game Below. He also recently released his entire catalog on the Humble Weekly sale and his new album "Takes Time" was part of that.

http://www.npr.org/event/music/210523884/jim-guthrie-tiny-desk-concert

With the recent news of Phil Fish closing down development of Fez 2 and quitting gaming we focus our Roundtable on "The Internet Hate Factory." Is it ok for people to actively act against others online or should cooler heads prevail? Do people need to develop a thicker skin or should be all be more nice?

We discuss that and the games we are playing as well as a few fun bits, like Travis building an Internet Hate Site focused directly at me, jdodson.

show notes:

Phil Fish closes down Fez 2 Development:

http://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/1498

Phil Fish and Jonathan Blow talk about Japanese Video Games:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD9P2uyx6fQ

Jon Carmack Responds to a question about Indie Games (start at 28.37m):

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

GeoCities, an old portal for making website:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoCities

Doom as a "murder simulator" (search for murder simulator on the page):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_(video_game)

Very pretty biome showcase video. Can't wait for this to drop.

Wolfenstein The New Order has been delayed till 2014. A few reasons they cite are porting it to the PS4 and XBox One and making sure everything is well polished.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/08/01/wolfenstein-the-new-order-delayed-until-2014/

BioShock Infinite sales pass 4 million. The name was seemingly revenue prophetic.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/30/bioshock-infinite-sales-pass-4-million/

Cliff Bleszinski, game designer extrodonaire recently posted on his blog to Phil Fish about cancelling Fez 2. Good to see rational arguments surface in this debate.

http://dudehugespeaks.tumblr.com/post/56805389679/dynamite-fishing-an-open-letter-to-phil-fish

PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate will come to Steam August 26th. Now if we could get all console exclusives ported to PC!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/243780/

I know this has nothing to do with gaming so this will be in the back channel.

I have heard VERY mixed reviews about the new Superman reboot: The Man of Steel. I want to watch it when it comes out on video but before that wanted to revisit the old Christopher Reeve Superman films. This write up isn't about the new Man of Steel film, its about the ol' Superman films and specifically the Richard Donner cut of Superman II.

I love the old Superman films. That said, some things I once loved as a wee lad don't hold up well over time. My fear was a bit displaced as, for me, the Superman I and II held up well. The original 1978 Superman film is just as good as I remember and I think I appreciate it more now. Marlon Brando as Jor-El is superb and he really creates an emotional core to the film. Christopher Reeve as Superman is a great choice as he can both pull off the nerdy Clark Kent and don the Superman outfit with ease. Reeves Superman stands on the dorky edge of Superman while retaining the dignity the character holds. Superman has awesome power but is never intimidating or threatening, he is just an unstoppable force for good and Reeve really embodies that.

I could go into detail about all the other characters, but I want to focus more on Superman II and especially a version of the film I was only recently aware of: Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. Originally, Superman and Superman II were filmed back to back by Richard Donner. Donner stopped filming about 75% of the way through Superman II to finish up Superman and get it into theaters. The original 1978 Superman was a critical success but due to Marlon Brando securing a hefty amount of the box office gross due to his contract, the studio wanted to cut him out of Superman II to save money. Richard Donner, the director of Superman was upset about this and due to this and other differences with the studio didn't return to finish Superman II. Richard Lester was brought on to finish Superman II, but due to Hollywood rules for directors, he had to shoot 51% of Superman II to be considered the films director. So Lester reshot much of the movie and what we all saw was Lesters Superman II with some Donner footage inserted. That said, the Lester Superman II was very different from what Donner originally intended.

As time moved on fans took to the internet to ask for a Donner cut of Superman II. The cut was eventually made and is a very different take on Superman II. All the campy slapstic that Lester added was removed and many scenes that Lester removed that Donner shot were added back in. After watching both films side by side I can tell you the Donner cut of Superman II is a superior film in nearly every way that matters to me.

Donner worked with Marlon Brando and intended for him to be present in both Superman films. His character was meant to help Superman along a character arc in both films and since the studio removed Brando out of Lesters Superman II, this finishing arc is missing entirely. All scenes in Lesters Superman feature other Kryptonians or Supermans Mother in place of Brando. As a child I never really thought much about it, but having Brando back in Donner's cut really solidifies both films. In fact, Brando and Reeve have a scene in Donner's Superman II that is so amazing and emotional its a shame it wasn't in the theatrical release. I don't want to spoil it, but it changes how Superman gets his powers back and is a very awesome explanation of something Lester does nothing with in his version of the film.

Donner's cut changes the entire opening to Superman II and overall the film is more foreboding and dark. A few scenes in the Donner cut were screen tests and whereas they are somewhat noticeable I prefer them to the Lester scenes. In the end Donner gave the original Superman films a sense of weight and emotion that Lester trades for humor or camp. Donner's Cut of Superman II is an entirely different film and if you are a fan of the original Reeve Superman you need to check it out.

Plus, its awesome to discover new things about movies you love.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_%28film%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_II:_The_Richard_Donner_Cut