Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Cheerful Ghost Will Publish It's First Game By Years End

I started Cheerful Ghost because I wanted to create a place where I could talk about video games with my friends. When the site shipped it needed to do three things: hold my video games to my list, allow me to write about any game in my list and share that conversation on the everyone on the web. As the site marched on we started interviewing people in gaming, the Cheerful Ghost Roundtable started & the event system was built. Over the last year I have been involved in the Portland Indie game scene and in our last Roundtable episode, was able to get Will Lewis, the founder of PIGSquad to join us.

As Cheerful Ghost has evolved as a community we have become much... Read All

scrypt Supporter wrote on 06/03/2014 at 01:51am

Interesting. I could see a bit of a conflict of interest, and ambiguity where a review from a community member might be mistaken as advertising. Will the community arm and the publishing arm fall under the same "Cheerful Ghost" name? That sounds... challenging.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 06/03/2014 at 01:52am

I do think it's a cool idea, the publishing!

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/03/2014 at 01:56am

Thanks for the input.

Cheerful Ghost is a great community site that will also be publishing games. The trick in that no video game site, to my knowledge has ever done this. Can we do it right? I am confident we can and am open to ideas people have on it.

The site will get a few changes to support the games better and before I do anything i'll run them by a few people. If you want to be on that list i'd love to discuss them with you.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/03/2014 at 02:17am

This is interesting news, indeed! I'm curious as to what this entails and I may need to do some research on my own about video game publishing so that I can better understand this news. I'm looking forward to seeing more about this new aspect of Cheerful Ghost and I'd be glad to help out.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/03/2014 at 03:04am

Exciting stuff! I can think of few things in gaming more rewarding than bringing awesome stuff to gamers.

Side-note: do we use the word "awesome" too much? :D

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/03/2014 at 03:08am

@Travis: Cut down on the awesome's per minute in the release. And yeah, I do use that word to much.

Sungorth wrote on 06/03/2014 at 05:19pm

hopefully i didnt skim too much - whats the game? Genre, developer ..

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/03/2014 at 05:31pm

@Sungorth we aren't talking about the game yet, but don't worry.. we will.

That said, I can say that it's fun and will ship on Windows, Mac and Linux.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/03/2014 at 06:05pm

This is great! I really can't wait to see what happens!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/03/2014 at 07:10pm

What parts of video game publishing will CG be participating in (licensing, marketing, financing, etc.)?

scrypt Supporter wrote on 06/03/2014 at 07:14pm

It really is a cool thing, and I hope it really takes off! Sorry to be an initial naysayer. It was a rather unexpected post :D. I guess we aren't like most other video game sites, not strictly 'journalists', per se, nor bound by any such creed. I think you can make it happen, and the bit about clarity would be a good thing. Exciting times! :)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/03/2014 at 08:08pm

@scrypt Conflict of interest was one of the first things I asked about to Jon in person. It's a totally legitimate question :)

Timogorgon Member wrote on 06/04/2014 at 01:35am

Say whaaaaaaaaat? That's crazy, and awesome, and awesomely crazy. Damn it, I think I used awesome too many times...

Does this mean you can go to E3? Or maybe send a CG representative? Like someone who already loves games and lives in California? :D

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/04/2014 at 01:44am

Yeah it was a bit unexpected. Honestly as I was writing it and then thinking about it after I posted, it was surprising to me to. Surprising in that it's so odd for a game site to publish games. Because of the kind of community Cheerful Ghost is, it makes more sense but it still kind of loops me sometimes.

That said, lets keep talking and if anyone has any ideas to make it better, let me know.

GregoPeck: What we are doing is partnering with people making games to help them get the word out. So i'll help them get it on digital game stores, figure out pricing and the like. Also figure out how to talk about the game, make some videos of it, help them refine it some and take care of a ton of other hard to see details. Basically help them such that they can focus on making the game great.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/04/2014 at 01:46am

WhiteboySlim: I imagine after we publish a few games it will open up for us to go to events we didn't go to before. As to which, no idea but if E3 presents itself and I can't go, i'll think of you.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/04/2014 at 02:22am

That's cool, Jon. It sounds like you're focusing on the marketing aspect of it. I think it's a cool idea! I'm not familiar with many digital game stores and don't know how many there are, but I imagine Steam is one of the big ones to consider.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/04/2014 at 04:04am

Steam is on my list for sure.

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Retro Game Challenge 2 fan translation completed

I just dusted off my Nintendo DS and made sure it still worked.

Retro Game Challenge (the western title for Game Center CX: Arino no Chōsenjō), was one of the best games I played for the Nintendo DS. There was a sequel, only released in Japan, that I've been longing for ever since.

The game series is based on the TV show Game Center CX, or Retro Game Master in Kotaku's translation. It's a charming show that is hard to find in the US, unless you know Japanese. Arino, the host, interviews people in the gaming world, and plays through classic games. You can check out the first episode here-- definitely not the best but the easiest to find with subtitles:
... Read All

Prison Architect Alpha 21: Prisoner Drug Addition & Reform

"Prisoners can now take drugs (typically smuggled in through visitation), and develop addictions. Addiction gets stronger with each use of a drug, and prisoners go into withdrawal if they do not get their drugs fix quick enough. Some prisoners arrive with existing addictions, other prisoners try drugs when bored or dissatisfied. All drugs have a chance to cause an overdose, which is lethal unless immediately treated by a Doctor.

Two new Reform programs have been added to help combat drug addiction:
- Methodone program, a chemical suppliment that helps remove the craving of addicted prisoners
- Alchoholics anonymous meeting, a group therapy session aimed at reducing the... Read All

Transistor - See You in the Country

"Transistor is a sci-fi themed action RPG that invites players to wield an extraordinary weapon of unknown origin as they fight through a stunning futuristic city."

Transistor is richly decorated, savory/sweet, ear, eye and soul candy. It even tastes good. Yeah, I licked my screen. It hurt a little, but it was delicious.

No, I didn’t really lick my screen. But I want to. I want to immerse into Transistor with as many senses as I have. For how barren the world is, Transistor absolutely drips with life. A world of death, where everything is alive. Lonely, but not alone. You don't really quite know what's going on at the start, but you get the feeling that you are caught... Read All "Transistor is a sci-fi themed action RPG that invites players to wield an extraordinary weapon of unknown origin as they fight through a stunning futuristic city."

Transistor is richly decorated, savory/sweet, ear, eye and soul candy. It even tastes good. Yeah, I licked my screen. It hurt a little, but it was delicious.

No, I didn’t really lick my screen. But I want to. I want to immerse into Transistor with as many senses as I have. For how barren the world is, Transistor absolutely drips with life. A world of death, where everything is alive. Lonely, but not alone. You don't really quite know what's going on at the start, but you get the feeling that you are caught up in the middle of something. Something big. You see a man lying on the street with an odd weapon stuck in his chest. The Transistor. It calls you Red, tells you to pull it from him. When it speaks to you, it seems to know you. You take to the streets to try to find answers. There are interactive kiosks scattered about, offering news updates, citizen polling, weather predictions... Sometimes Red will interact by posting a comment for the city to read, which can give keen insight into what she's going through, emotionally. A pseudo-multiplayer experience exists, somewhat similar to Dark Souls, where you see the ghosts of other players skittering through the streets. There are also in-games statistics that seem to represent global activity in certain polls or weapon use percentages, but I wasn’t able to verify whether this is actually tied to global statistics, or just made to represent such a thing. Either way, even an echo of life can be reassuring when you’re fighting alone. Story information is fed to you from the environment, from Functions you equip - offensive and defensive executable actions - and even from the enemies. They all join together, in a very synergetic way, to flesh out the mystery of this ghost town known as Cloudbank. This is one of the things I love most about Transistor, how it unravels it’s mysteries.

Style plays just as much a part in telling the story, too. Since there aren’t really many people around town, to speak of, the change in tone and color, in the design of the layout, can go to significant lengths to convey poignant emotion. Music and other sound cues are also masterfully designed. Logan Cunningham, known for his voice work in Bastion, developer Supergiant Games’ previous debut hit, returns as the voice of the Transistor, giving sometimes cryptic, but often specifically contextual, commentary on what transpires here. This voice reminds me of all the good things about Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite. Very little to do with impacting your direct gameplay, but a constant presence with significant influence on how you participate with the game. The Voice is very much the soul of the experience.

Not your typical RPG, Supergiant has successfully combined party management, ability management, and ability modification, all within the same mechanic. That is to say, your abilities (Functions) are imbued by the spirits (called Traces) of the party member that hosts it, and when you combine said abilities, you not only kick a little more ass, but also learn more about your party members situation. It plays out in a more simplified fashion, but I found it clever, and it works really well. If you want the full story, you have to accept the challenge of trying out different Function combinations. You’ll unlock most Functions as you level up, but some will come in other, more story-driven ways. While I’m on the topic, if you fall to zero health in battle, rather than die, you’ll temporarily lose an assigned Function, and then your life bar is filled back to full, and then the process continues (pun intended). Now you finish the fight, but with less of a punch. Oh, and the Functions are lost by priority of most powerful. Makes for interesting challenges when assembling your arsenal. Go with one heavy hitter and a few light backups, and you’ll find yourself quite underpowered should you take a fall. All ability assignment and modification is managed at save points, which are, thankfully, abundant. Your lost Functions will eventually be recovered here as well. You’ll also unlock Limiters, which are fancy trinkets that allow you to modify the combat challenge.

I highly recommend Transistor to anyone looking for a soulful, strategic, action combat adventure. If you do pick it up, words of advice: Soak it all in. Pay attention to the voice(s). Play with headphones. Play with a controller (if you get it on Steam, like I did). Play in the evening, and if you’re lucky, when it’s raining. Sea Monster is really the only option. Read between the lines. Play with Luna. Stick around after the credits. Play it twice (the Recourse allows continued use of retained Functions, and leveling up, as well as subtle story changes). This isn’t Bastion, and it doesn’t try to be. This is a good thing. Don’t be sad. This is a good thing.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/30/2014 at 02:00pm

I didn't realize this was out! I need to get this. After Bastion I have a lot of trust in SuperGiant Games.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 05/30/2014 at 03:02pm

This sounds really cool. I only read about half your post, as I want to get into the game knowing nothing about it. But I will definitely have to check this one out!

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 05/30/2014 at 04:41pm

@Adym: I tried to be vague, or intentionally cryptic, with things that had to do with actual story, and anything that is specific happens literally within the first minute of the game. Figuring everything out, even the mechanics, is part of the fun, too, so I respect that :).

Travis Admin wrote on 05/31/2014 at 01:37am

Also it's worth noting, this game will be coming to Mac and Linux later on, if you swing that way.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/31/2014 at 05:01am

I'm a little over an hour in, and loving it. It's nice to have Logan Cunningham back as a kind of narrator, though in a very different way, and a very different character.

The game is absolutely beautiful, and the soundtrack just blows me away.

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 05/31/2014 at 03:23pm

I was thinking of springing for the soundtrack, but for some reason it didn't sound as good to me outside of the game. I'm assuming I was just in a mood, or something, because it really is an amazing set of songs. You can listen completely, and repeatedly, to the whole thing for free on Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/3vrhY9tG4lA8Z16LVGqok5

jdodson Admin wrote on 06/03/2014 at 12:39am

Really interested in picking up something after Wolfenstein and this looks like a great candidate. Super Giant seems to always drop their games for Mac & Linux a bit later so I imagine they will port it at some point.

That said, this seems like a couch laptop game.

Does it work with a controller?

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 06/03/2014 at 01:43am

My opinion, it works best with a controller.

jdodson Admin wrote on 06/03/2014 at 01:51am

That's great. The game seems to be suited best for it too.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/03/2014 at 02:23am

Jon, see my comment from a few days ago-- they have announced that it's coming out for Mac and Linux, it's just not ready yet.

jdodson Admin wrote on 06/03/2014 at 02:24am

NICE! Maybe i'll wait till it comes native then.

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Broforce Double Bro Impact Update Looks Bro-tacular

So Broforce looks great. Shooting, killing, pixel art, tons of bad-ass characters to play as. What's not to love? Honestly the game looks really awesome and I want to pick it up, I just have this new aversion to games on Steam Greenlight. That said, I played a few minutes of Broforce at a friends house and it was fun for the few minutes I played. My friend mentioned that the game needed more Bros as well as levels which fits a common complaint on Steam in the game is too short. This update adds 3 new bros as well as new game mechanics, levels and an update to Indiana Brones. Oh and the new mech? Awesome.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/30/2014 at 03:53am

I'll echo your new aversion. Greenlight and Early Access are showing their flaws lately.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/30/2014 at 03:55am

More to the point, this game looks awesome. Like Metal Slug with more action and worse/better graphics. Depending on how you feel about graphics.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 05/30/2014 at 04:25am

I really like the Broforce graphics quite a bit. People said they need an update but I don't see it, I like the chunky pixels.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/31/2014 at 05:04am

I agree. I think it's charming as hell. Which may be an odd adjective to use with this kind of game, but there you go.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 05/31/2014 at 04:51pm

Yeah, that sounds right. I wonder what the people that don't like the graphics would replace them with?

Travis Admin wrote on 06/01/2014 at 03:45am

Gritty, brown realism?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/01/2014 at 05:47am

Huh. I think the comical nature and simplicity of the graphics plays into the bro-nature of the game.

But yeah, more realistic and gritty would be pretty interesting!

Travis Admin wrote on 06/01/2014 at 05:55am

I mean I don't agree with wanting gritty, brown realism. I was making a tongue-in-cheek jab at the modern realistic shooters.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/01/2014 at 05:57am

Hahaha yeah. That genre is pretty well served.

Sungorth wrote on 06/03/2014 at 05:17pm

What are the flaws with greenlight and early access?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/03/2014 at 09:36pm

Basically that the game I bought is really disappointing. Some games are so bad it's frankly disturbing they want to sell it. Some are just at the state where you get a bad dose of what the promise of the game is.

When I started with early access I thought it was a bunch of games mostly finished with some cleanup to do. Yeah, not really.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/03/2014 at 09:36pm

So it's cool it exists for the people that love it, but I haven't bought an early access game since a few big dissapointments I had.

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Sadly, Steam Machines Will Be Delayed Till 2015

http://media.steampowered.com/img/steamuniverse/SteamControllerNotes.jpg

Valves news to delay the launch of Steam Machines until 2015 makes sense when you think about it. The Steam Controller has received some pretty mixed reviews so far and seems to have taken quite a bit longer to perfect than Valve originally may have thought.

"We’re now using wireless prototype controllers to conduct live playtests, with everyone from industry professionals to die-hard gamers to casual gamers. It's generating a ton of useful feedback, and it means we'll be able to make the controller a lot better. Of course, it's also keeping us pretty busy making all those improvements. Realistically, we're now looking at a release window of 2015, not 2014.

Obviously... Read All

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 05/29/2014 at 04:10pm

This is disappointing, but I trust them that it'll make for a better experience in the future. Maybe I'll just build my own :)

scrypt Supporter wrote on 05/29/2014 at 04:31pm

I'm becoming more and more a fan of delayed production of technology. Let it simmer, perfect it, and then maybe it will be something worth buying. Rather than just enter the console market, what Valve is attempting is more along the lines of a revolution.

"But our number one priority is making sure that when you do, you'll be getting the best gaming experience possible."

I want that more than I want a Steam Machine, and I really want a Steam Machine.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/29/2014 at 08:24pm

I'm ok with this. I want that thing to be as close to perfect as possible.

Sungorth wrote on 06/03/2014 at 05:18pm

I dont expect this controller to make much of an impact, but I am not really a believer in the steam OS

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/03/2014 at 09:38pm

Fair point. Because it's so different, Valve has a lot of ways to go to make the new controller great. I hope it works out for them but I am thinking I may have to buy a bunch of controllers to make my steam machine work right.

But either way, it should be awesome anyway.

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Watch 15 Minutes of Borderlands Pre-Sequel Character Athena

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is the new game from Gearbox that is a prequel to Borderlands 2. Featuring a playable Claptrap, the pre-sequel looks to be an interesting version of Borderlands. If you need more Borderlands, this is something you should take a look at.

Are you interested in picking up Borderlands the Pre-Sequel?

Fast Facts About Borderlands 2

Did you know that Handsome Jack was just a placeholder name but since 2K loved it so much they kept it in? Now we are both smarter.

Stardew Valley Shaping Up To Be A Beautifully Unique Game

http://stardewvalley.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Fest3.png

In the last roundtable I mentioned that Stardew Valley is one of my most anticipated Indie games of 2014. I have been following the games development since I first heard about it and have been really happy with the progress it's made. It's a long time coming, but with the recent bout of disappointments i've had with super early access games, I appreciate the long brew Stardew Valley has taken.

Stardew Valley music is shaping up well. The songs seem to fit the game well and I especially liked the theme song.

https://soundcloud.com/concernedape/stardew-valley-theme

One of the unique features of Stardew Valley is that it is a country life game that features the ability to... Read All In the last roundtable I mentioned that Stardew Valley is one of my most anticipated Indie games of 2014. I have been following the games development since I first heard about it and have been really happy with the progress it's made. It's a long time coming, but with the recent bout of disappointments i've had with super early access games, I appreciate the long brew Stardew Valley has taken.

Stardew Valley music is shaping up well. The songs seem to fit the game well and I especially liked the theme song.

https://soundcloud.com/concernedape/stardew-valley-theme

One of the unique features of Stardew Valley is that it is a country life game that features the ability to partake in county festivals like...

"Egg Festival - Everyone gathers in town for a celebration of new life after a long winter. The festival concludes with an egg hunt.

Flower Dance - The townsfolk congregate in a secret meadow to feast and socialize. The young people pair up and participate in a time-honored tradition, the “Flower Dance”. It’s your chance to show a special someone that you care… just hope that you don’t get rejected!

Luau - The summer luau is one of Stardew Valley’s most beloved events. The beach is decked out with tropical adornments and a huge buffet is provided for everyone to enjoy. The Regional Governor makes a special trip each year to see what the valley has to offer… something that Mayor Lewis takes very seriously. The highlight of the luau has to be the potluck soup… a huge, simmering cauldron full of ingredients provided by the community. (screen shot above)

Dance of the Midnight Jellies - On a warm summer night every year, the midnight jellies pass through Stardew Valley on their long migration home.

Harvest Fair - A celebration of the harvest season. Artisans, farmers, and craftspeople alike prepare exhibits to show off their hard work from throughout the year. A panel of judges awards medals to those with the most compelling displays."

ConcernedApe recently spent some time working on another project, but is back to working on the game full time. I appreciate that he is taking the time to stop and enjoy life, yet focus on the game at the same time. I think i'd rather have Stardew Valley released a bit later and have him be happy and not-stressed than see the game ship tomorrow.

Can't wait to play the final version and hopefully, we can all play it this year!

If you want to listen to all the music for Stardew Valley composed so far:

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-16/

Even more updates:

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-17/

Happy Memorial Day: A Few Thoughts

Today, the United States celebrates Memorial Day. It's a holiday that remembers the people that died serving in our armed forces. I just want to say thanks to anyone that serves in government that contributes to making the country I live in so much fun to be a part of. It isn't always perfect, but lots of people that work in government make this country great to be part of and for your time and dedication, I thank you.

I also wanted to say thank you to everyone that comes to Cheerful Ghost to read an article, watch a video, add a game to your list, post an awesome bit of news, watches or joins in a Roundtable and joins in the site conversation in the comments. Cheerful... Read All

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 05/26/2014 at 07:11pm

Thank you, again, for creating this site. I've been enjoying it as well. I also agree that the people we have here are awesome. I love how active we are here. As I told you, I always have an open tab for GMail, but I've been keeping an open tab here as well. I like how many games there are that many of us are playing. I also like how we are also playing different games and learning from each other about games we haven't played before. This site has definitely had a positive impact on my gaming. If it wasn't for this site I might never have played or known about games like Terraria, FTL, Starbound, and Diablo III.

As a life-long (self-proclaimed) writer, I really enjoy having a place I can go to write about the games that I'm enjoying. I also enjoy reading about what others are playing as well.

Thanks again, Jon, and thank you, my fellow Cheerful Ghosts.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 05/26/2014 at 07:45pm

Happy Memorial Day! I like to think that our country is more than the sum of it's parts. I'm thankful to be here, for the people that lay down their lives for me to be here, and I have hope for where we're going.

I'm also thankful for the community here at Cheerful Ghost. I'm grateful for all the different voices that come together and share this passion of video games. Something I look forward to week after week.

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