Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Free Software, Free Society: Richard Stallman At TEDxGeneva

I respect and enjoy listening to Richard Stallman talk about technology and found his recent TED talk in Geneva worth sharing. This talk slips a bit outside the realm of gaming, but with Steam coming to Linux I think these kinds of discussions are important.

Richard's talk is essentially about the principles of free software and why they are critically important for a free society. I agree with many of his points, but like any philosophy or religion, I don't adhere to every component of it. A few years ago I did, going so far as to run a system that was nearly all free software save a few drivers. Over time, my thoughts changed as I enjoyed running certain non-free... Read All

Shovel Knight out on Mac, Linux soon!

Mac users, you're in luck: If you have the game on Steam, you're ready to go. Humble Store and GOG.com will be ready soon.

If you are a Linux user, there's still no confirmed date, but the game should hit soon for you.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yachtclubgames/shovel-knight/posts/984296

GTAV release dates for PS4, Xbox One, and PC announced

November 18, those who have jumped to the current generation will be able to enjoy the newly polished GTAV. The PC master race must wait until January 27 of next year.

In addition to making the game way shinier, Rockstar is adding a few new things:

- New weapons, vehicles and activities
- Additional wildlife
- Denser traffic
- New foliage system
- Enhanced damage and weather effects, and much more
- Over 100 new songs. Perhaps El Sondito will play less often. That beeping. OMG. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x47NYUbtYb0

For the full story and a look at some very pretty screenshots, see the official announcement: ... Read All

Timogorgon Member wrote on 09/12/2014 at 08:42pm

And yet, still no heists. Sigh....

Would now be a good time to remind everyone we have an official CheerfulGhost GTA V crew? :P http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/crew/cheerful_ghosts

Wow, I don't think I've ever heard El Sondito before. That got annoying REAL fast. Then again, I was fairly unimpressed with the radio stations in GTA this time around, and turned the music volume down all the way pretty early on. I usually play on-line and I'm talking to people on Skype and the music usually just gets in the way.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 09/12/2014 at 09:22pm

Awesome! I remember this time last year waiting ever so impatiently for GTAV to come out. That sucks that it won't be on PC until January, but I guess I can wait.

Thanks for the reminder and link, Tim. I have hopefully successfully accepted the crew invite. I haven't played the game in a long time.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 10/04/2014 at 02:54am

Ok, I watched a video comparing the PS3 version to the PS4 version and it looks a lot better. I thought the game looked great on the PS3, but the PS4 version looks even better and I'm glad the video pointed out the differences. Sadly, however, I'm unable to find a comparison between the PS3 (or older console versions) and the PC version. Hopefully, in due time one will be released. It'd also be nice to see how the PC version compares to the new console versions.

What do you guys think? Are you going to get the PC or new console versions? If you don't already have a new console (I don't) are you going to get one for GTA V? I'm thinking I might get the PC version. I still see no need (for me) to get a newer console, although this game could be a good reason to get one. What are your thoughts?

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 10/04/2014 at 04:20am

The PC version is coming much later, and it is significantly dependent on what kind of hardware you have. I'd say that (without modding) the PS4 version is probably about what the PC version will look like.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 10/04/2014 at 05:41am

Yeah, it's supposed to be coming out in January, I think Yes, I agree that it would depend on the hardware. I've shared my new specs. and I'm sure it would look great on my new PC. I think I can also agree that the PC version would be similar to the PS4 (or XBox One even).

Are you going to get the new version?

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 10/04/2014 at 04:14pm

Yes, but not for a while I imagine. I don't want to play through it again but when I decide to (which I'm sure I will) I'll get the new version.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 10/04/2014 at 04:45pm

For PC?

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 10/05/2014 at 05:29am

For whatever platform I prefer the next time I want to play it :)

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 10/05/2014 at 06:43am

Hahaha. Do you have a PS4 or XBox One or want either? I'm interested in the PS4, but don't want to get one yet. While I'm not aware of many games for it, I don't know of any games I want for it, so I guess I'm waiting for something to come out for it that I'll want (like a new Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts). Although getting one for GTA V doesn't seem like a bad idea either. As for the XBox, I'm not at all interested.

jdodson Admin wrote on 10/06/2014 at 05:25pm

I'm not interested in either console right now. If I was pressed to buy a next gen console i'd buy a Wii U. That said, I am still holding out for a reasonably powered Steam Machine. The Alienware Alpha looks interesting but I want to wait a bit until SteamOS is released.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 10/06/2014 at 06:18pm

Cool. I bet the Alienware one will be awesome, seeing as how awesome my Alienware PC is. =)

jdodson Admin wrote on 10/06/2014 at 06:38pm

That's the brand of Steam Machine i'd prefer to buy. I might skip the alpha and go to the one with SteamOS on it. Been considering putting together a low cost PC for under the TV too. Not sure which approach is best but i'll doing something next year for a Steam console for sure. So many great options good thing I have time to think about it

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Payday 2 is getting Hotline Miami DLC

Over-the-top violent gameplay with an extra dose of over-the-top violent gameplay? Yes please.

Cheerful Ghost is proud to join the Internet Slowdown

https://www.battleforthenet.com/images/share_images/anigif.gif

Today we--and many other sites and organizations-- stand up against cable company dickery. If cable companies get their way websites across the net (like Cheerful Ghost) could be slowed to a crawl unless they pay the cable companies arbitrary fees to to reach their users. Don’t let Team Cable destroy the internet! Stand with us in support of net neutrality!

Find out how you can help by going to www.battleforthenet.com.

Not sure what net neutrality is? Here are some great videos to help explain things:
For an all around informative break down check out CGP Grey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtt2aSV8wdw
For a hilarious take on the issue see John Oliver: ... Read All

Humble Indie Bundle 12 launches

In this tasty Humble bundle, pay what you want for SteamWorld Dig, Hammerwatch, and Gunpoint. Beat the average for Papers, Please, LUFTRAUSERS, Gone Home, and more to come. Pay $10 or more for Prison Architect!

But this time there's something new. Pay $65 or more to unlock the Humble Indie Bundle 12 Entertainment System.

This power pack gives you the complete bundle experience with a special issue of HIB Informer Magazine, 30-pages of tips and tricks for those radical games you just bought. You will also get a HIB 12 Super Shirt and a set of pins with the Humble Bundle logo and Arstotzka Crest to match. After showing off the new gear at school, kick back at home with... Read All

Apple Announces the iPhone 6, and could make gaming harder

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus look fantastic, but with them come some issues for mobile games on Apple's platform. This comes from the fact that developers can no longer target a general device form factor. The iPhone has many games that play in portrait mode, including some of my favorites, but those will be harder to play on a larger phone where you can't comfortably reach the whole screen with your thumb when playing with one hand.

Due to the widely varying screen sizes in Android land, this has been the case with Android for a while now. Portrait games are few and far between on the Play store, but they're fairly popular on Apple's App Store.

Ultimately, this is... Read All

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/14/2014 at 07:45pm

After watching the video I am pretty stoked about the new set of iPhones and Apple Watch. That said, more than likely, I won't be picking either one up but I am really happy to see the direction Apple is headed.

iPhone 6: It seems most people like bigger phones and Apple is giving people what they want. Personally, I really enjoy the form factor of my iPhone 5S but a bit larger phone wouldn't be a problem. It would be slightly inconvenient in that I will have a larger indentation in my pocket with a bigger phone, but that's not a huge deal. I use my smartphone for a ton of stuff and have up to this point avoided getting a tablet because I just use my phone for everything. That said, a bigger phone would be even less of a reason to buy a tablet.

I am curious if the 5S form factor is now totally gone or if the iPhone 7 will feature 3 different screen sizes?

About people having a hard time making games it seems to me that people can target Android devices and whereas having one size makes things easier, it seems developers are doing fine. There are a zillion different screen resolutions on PC and it seems people have dealt with that even though it does complicate things some. Since I like diversity in devices, I see the new Apple phones adding to that.

Travis, when you upgrade are you going (size wise) 6 or 6 plus? The next time I will have the chance to upgrade will be around the 6S if I keep to my current carrier upgrade path.

Oh and I love the fact that the storage is 16G, 64G and 128G!

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 09/15/2014 at 02:38am

I'll also be upgrading around the 6S timeframe. No way am I going plus, that is just too big. The few portrait games I've tried to play on my Galaxy S4 (work phone) have been pretty bad unless I use two hands, and I use one hand for my shopping list app all the time. I'm a little bummed that the 5/5S form factor is going away. Jobs mandated early on that you should easily be able to touch the whole screen with your thumb on which ever hand you were using, and I wish they'd at least kept that option around.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/15/2014 at 02:36pm

They may but it seems likely that we will have only the two sizes going forward.

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Binding of Issac Rebirth Will Launch Nov 4th

Heading to the PS4, Vita and Steam November 4th The Binding of Isaac Rebirth is everyone's favoriate religious insanity rogue like SNES de-make. Getting a ton of new features including a form of local co-op, The Binding of Isaac Rebirth looks to be an interesting continuation of the original game that doesn't suffer from many of the core issues the original flash game suffered.

Interested in heading back to the basement to confront Mom?

Dead Space 3... Best or worst?

http://www.onlinegames.cat/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/dead-space-3-screenshot-3.jpg

I have now played all three Dead Space games, and have decided to make my voice heard about the third game in the series. Most of what I have to say is positive. However, there are quite a few things that were changed in the third game that i feel really take away from not only the series, but the genre. Before you dive in, this is mostly about the differences between the games, not the plot. Not quite as exciting, but please feel free to keep reading if you're interested.

First I'd like to say that Dead Space is considered a "Survival Horror" game, and you see this in bounds in the first game. You start off with a plasma welder as your only weapon, and you struggle... Read All I have now played all three Dead Space games, and have decided to make my voice heard about the third game in the series. Most of what I have to say is positive. However, there are quite a few things that were changed in the third game that i feel really take away from not only the series, but the genre. Before you dive in, this is mostly about the differences between the games, not the plot. Not quite as exciting, but please feel free to keep reading if you're interested.

First I'd like to say that Dead Space is considered a "Survival Horror" game, and you see this in bounds in the first game. You start off with a plasma welder as your only weapon, and you struggle through the game scavenging for health packs, weapon-specific ammunition, and save points. The game is truly frightening, not only because of the nearly sickening graphic pop-out violence, but also because of how desperately sparse your resources are sometimes. The game is constantly dark, and lacks a solid soundtrack, which leaves a lot of room for flashing lights to catch you off guard, and horrific sounds to jar you to the bone, whether someone is coming or not. Simply put, the game is like a very well designed interactive horror film.

The second game is nearly identical to the first with a couple well placed upgrades, like the ability to "run," which is really no more than a fast paced walk. Also, the main character Isaac has a voice in the second game. The gameplay is almost exactly the same, the story line is quite a bit deeper, and its maybe a bit harder overall.

The third game is so different it could almost be a standalone. The story is a continuation of the first two, and most aspects of the game are very similar, but there are so many differences in the game that I felt it necessary to tell the internet about it. To start, the game looks very different. The basics are the same, but interactive objects are different, the monsters look a lot different (mostly due to upgraded graphics i think, but they really look completely different), and the atmosphere is much different. Surprisingly, the game is still just as linear as the first two. This is definitely a game series that is solidly sticking to the linear video game instead of branching out to free reign. I am glad about this because I believe that being linear keeps the focus solely on the game instead of exploring, and in a horror based game, it doesn’t do much good to branch out anyway, it would just get you into trouble.

The store in the game is completely gone, and the upgrade system has been wiped and replaced. Instead of entering the store and buying ammunition, weapons, suits, you go to the suit kiosk and pick the suit your want which you get from purchasing them as DLC. In the kiosk you also use resources you pick up laying around (scrap metal, semiconductors, transducers, etc) to upgrade your suit instead of purchasing the upgrades with credits. Similarly, you go to the bench where you would before add power nodes to upgrade suit and weapons, and you craft your weapons out of scavenged parts and use the resources to make your own med kits and ammunition. Ammunition is now universal, and the amount of shots you get out of an ammunition pack depends on your weapon and how you upgrade it. You still have power nodes, but they are only for weapons, and they are specific. Reload speed, damage, rate of fire, and clip size.

The biggest difference to me is Autosave. In the first two games you could not save unless you found a save point which made the game even more intense because when you got into a stressful situation if you turn the console off and start later you start at the save point, which may be very far behind where you stopped when you turned the game off. I feel this strongly takes away from the game, as it takes away the stress factor, which is important in a survival horror game.

Well anyway, i'm done ranting now. I'd love to hear your opinions. Which game is your favorite, and how do you feel about the changes?

Borderlands 2 Coming To Linux

Recently Gaming on Linux contacted Aspyr about Borderlands 2 coming to Linux after someone detected some Linux builds in Steam.

"Michael Blair, Aspyr Media: Yes! BL2 Linux is absolutely real! We've been working hard on it for months and will talk about a release date as soon as possible."

This is great news as whenever 2K has been asked about this they have been pretty cagy about it. So the question for me isn't "when will Linux get it's gaming chance" I am not curious if it will remain as a viable platform. I guess the answer to that lies in the popularity of SteamOS and other unannounced platforms.

... Read All