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

"However, because of the way the game was announced & discussed in the press, there was naturally a little bit of confusion after the dust settled. And that confusion stuck around. So, to clear things up, we wanted to take a quick second and answer your number one question:

Like many games on stage at E3, Below will be available on the Xbox One first. Then, after a period of time, CAPY can bring it elsewhere. It’s always been this way."

I am happy to see Capy make this clarification about how they publish games. You never know what publishers plan on doing with a game, so its great to hear that Capy will follow the same plan for Below and Super Time Force they did with Sword & Sworcery.

Oh and check out that new trailer, just watching the character smoke a pipe over the game visuals and Jim Guthrie's track makes me want to play it. I wonder if hanging out in fields smoking pipes is a big aspect of Below? Kind of hope Below becomes the new go to game for pipe smoking.

http://www.capybaragames.com/2013/08/pause/

"Back in the 90's when you bought a new system,
It was basically ready to go!
But those days are gone by, so buddy, don't be that guy
You wanna be the first in line, but I say no, no, no, no, no!
They won't have near enough games, no matter how great they seem,
It takes at least a year or two before they're runnin' full steam,
Yes it's a dirty little trick, so you gotta be staunch, kid:
Don't ever buy a console at launch,
I'm bein' serious!"

Heed the warning of this song and don't buy a console at launch! I waited to pick up my Wii and PS3 and by the time I got them most of the bugs had been ironed out and they had lots of games. I actually picked up a PS3 earlier, but they had few games and I returned it because it just didn't make sense then.

That said, even the consoles in the 90's didn't have the largest lineup at launch either. According to Wikipedia the US Super Nintendo launch lineup had Super Mario World, F-Zero, Pilotwings, Gradius III and SimCity.

Regardless, its a very fun video and I totally agree, holding off a bit on the newest consoles nets you much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_console_launch_games#Super_Famicom.2FSNES

"In anticipation of next week’s release of DuckTales: Remastered on PSN, Nintendo eShop, and Steam, and next month’s release on XBLA, Capcom sent a special package out to remind some of us of those great childhood memories we might’ve had playing the game.

Upon opening it, to our joyful surprise, we found the contents of the box were possibly as valuable as the whole of Scrooge’s moneybin. The lunchbox had been holding a limited edition golden NES cartridge for DuckTales (ours was numbered 107 of 150). Now, we don’t know if the cartridge is actually a legitimate, playable cartridge, but it has contacts and is well put together enough that we at least vow to bring an NES into the office tomorrow to try it out."

So it seems Capcom has released 150 numbered limited edition DuckTales NES Carts. First off, this is amazing, second off I am kind of upset I won't get one. I wonder how much these will eventually sell for on EBay? Oh well, maybe i'll see one at a future retro gaming expo or something.

http://gamester81.com/new-limited-edition-gold-ducktales-nes-cart/

John Carmack has joined Oculus VR as its new CTO. Carmack explained on Twitter how his duties will be split from Oculus, iD and Armadillo Airspace:

"My time division is now Oculus over Id over Armadillo. Busy busy busy!"

This is great news for Oculus as they are getting an amazing CTO. As an iD fan I am not entirely sure what to make of this. On one hand, iD has a great set of tools and engines with iD tech 5 but many people have already left the company and as an iD fan, I am a bit concerned.

That said, Carmack mentioned Oculus in his recent QuakeCon Keynote and I imagine some of what he wanted to see the platform handle, they may now do. He also noted that the Oculus was the first step to the final destination of augmented reality.

Form the press release Carmack had this to say about his new gig:

“I have fond memories of the development work that led to a lot of great things in modern gaming – the intensity of the first person experience, LAN and internet play, game mods, and so on. Duct taping a strap and hot gluing sensors onto Palmer’s early prototype Rift and writing the code to drive it ranks right up there. Now is a special time. I believe that VR will have a huge impact in the coming years, but everyone working today is a pioneer. The paradigms that everyone will take for granted in the future are being figured out today; probably by people reading this message. It’s certainly not there yet. There is a lot more work to do, and there are problems we don’t even know about that will need to be solved, but I am eager to work on them. It’s going to be awesome!”

https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/statuses/365126783290445824
http://www.oculusvr.com/blog/john-carmack-joins-oculus-as-cto/

"EverQuest Next is a complete reimagining of the EverQuest Franchise.....

Everything in EverQuest Next can be destroyed. Crush the ground beneath an enemy's feet — or bury him under an avalanche you created. The world is your weapon.

The land of Norrath changes every day, based on the actions of all players… including you. Cities rise and fall, kings live and die, even the gods may change. You won't want to miss a moment of it!"

EverQuest was one of the first MMO's to start the current craze that is still the dominant game type in the MMO scene. Makes sense that Sony would look to pull in more modern game elements to make a much more fresh experience than the typical grind. What I am not look for? Another subscription based MMO grind fest with throw away quests. What I am looking for? An open game that allows me to make a mark on the world, such that I care about it and want to return.

So far, EverQuest Next looks like it incorporates some of those elements in a way that could be very fun. I am still wondering if people want a new entrant into the MMO space? It's something I want, but do players want more of the same or something that breaks many conventions we have come to expect for so long?

Oh right, and it will ship under the free to play model.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/08/03/everquest-next-interview/
http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/08/02/everquest-next-landmark-announced/
http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/everquest-next-preview/

"We want to create a game where you manage a sentai tv studio, hire actors, record episodes and use awesome special effects!

Chroma Squad: sentai heroes, manager, tactical turn-based, meta-game, pixel art fun! Everything you want in a fresh indie game! In this game you become responsible for managing and recording episodes for a sentai TV show.

So, what is Sentai? Our game is based on 90′s Tokusatsu TV series, like “Power Rangers”, “Changeman” or… “Captain Planet And The Planeteers”. Yep, any group of 3 or 5, each with different powers, whose union makes a special weapon appear to defeat their enemies. In this case, Captain Planet himself. =)"

It's a great thing that Indie Developers can explore awesome genres like this. I wouldn't expect a sim game where you control a TV studio making a Power Rangers like show to come from a big studio so it's great smaller scale developers can create them.

Behold Studios has already funded the project and is strongly moving to the stretch goals. If you want in on this Kickstarter, head over and check it out. While you are doing that vote for it on Steam Greenlight.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=164906415

I haven't seen the Thor used a lot in the games i've played. A cool unit for sure but does anyone use this typically as Terran?

Keep your animal happy (and maximize production) like so:

• Pet once a day


• Make sure she has enough food


• Let her outside if the weather is warm


• Make sure she is secure at night


• Purchase a heater to counteract the unhappiness of being inside all winter

As always, the updates that keep coming to Stardew Valley look great. Very excited to jump in and try in what looks like to be the most involved farming sim RPG i've ever seen.

As always, when a release date drops you will be the first to know.

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-9/

If you are looking for a collection of the other dev updates, check the CG Stardew Valley page for easy viewing:

http://cheerfulghost.com/game/24035

Every year John Carmack gives a Quakecon keynote and I tune in. This year it streamed live over Twitch.tv and as luck would have it I watched the majority of it over 3G on my Phone. In this keynote Carmack gives no details about Doom 4(he was asked and said he couldn't say anything) and spartan details about any iD game specifics but does talk about game tech and the industry, graphics technology, the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft and Armadillo Airspace.