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E3 Developer Interview

Wolfenstein The New Order is the only upcoming triple A game I am excited about. The shooting looks great, the story is right up "camp alley(I love that shit)" and it just looks like a hell of a lot of fun.

This developer interview is pretty awesome and shows off some of the design goals of the new Wolf game. It is a action and adventure FPS and I am very excited to see how they pull that off. The Wolfenstein 2009 reboot was great and this one looks to be even better.

Xbone does a 180 on DRM

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18rc0hnnzhrusjpg/k-bigpic.jpg

Kotaku is reporting that Microsoft is back peddling on their DRM restrictions. Original article: http://kotaku.com/microsoft-is-removing-xbox-one-drm-514390310

According to the article these are the following changes:
No more always online requirement
The console no longer has to check in every 24 hours
All game discs will work on Xbox One as they do on Xbox 360
Authentication is no longer necessary
An Internet connection is only required when initially setting up the console
All downloaded games will function the same when online or offline
No additional restrictions on trading games or loaning discs
Region locks have been dropped

Travis Admin wrote on 06/19/2013 at 09:06pm

You and vdogmr both beat me to this by a minute.

Good news, but the family sharing is now gone. I think this is better in the long run.

vdogmr25 wrote on 06/19/2013 at 09:10pm

I was just posting this! I'm glad they made this choice. I'm more of a PC/Playstation guy, but decent competition is what helps produce better systems all around, as well as better in-house titles. Until now, I didn't think the XBox One would be able to hold up.

BR Supporter wrote on 06/19/2013 at 09:28pm

Not sure how I feel about this. It's nice to know they rethought their tactics but did they do it for the right reasons? Probably not. Most likely they got rid of these restrictions for the sole reason that the Ps4 was going to outsell them if they kept the restrictions.

Now don't get me wrong, this is pretty awesome, but I will still be buying the Ps4 over the Xbone.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/19/2013 at 09:28pm

Oh man, I have been an XBox guy, but had made the choice to jump to the PS4... now the decision is back up in the air...

CapnCurry Supporter wrote on 06/20/2013 at 02:30am

I'm probably being over-cautious, but I'm still in the PS4 camp. I simply can't imagine that five months from worldwide release they can fundamentally change their delivery mechanisms, DRM, and installation process, both at the OS level and at the software level, both internally and with vendors, and have it come out anywhere near playable.

Remember, too, that this is Microsoft we're talking about - the original 360 took years of tweaking before it overcame its reputation as being a Red Ring of Death engine, and that was under what you could call optimal launch conditions.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/20/2013 at 02:46am

I'm still in the PS4 camp for many reasons, but it's not that I don't trust MS on the change. They screwed up, and they're fixing it. If they now fail to fix it, there will be hell to pay, and I think they know that.

I'm still going PS4 because the indie scene is much better with Sony, the price point is better, and so far the games shown for PS4 have been more interesting. I also really like the way they're handling game downloads (allowing you to download the single player or multiplayer parts first), and PS+ has always given me a ton of value, and that doesn't seem to be slowing down.

Plus, it has better hardware. The next gen is running on the same hardware platform so that's actually something you can tell easily. Plus, since it's on the same platform, it's more likely that the extra power will be used well, rather than the ports of this gen where they just pick a console and do straight ports. Depending on the engine they use, it could even handle that automatically.

Timogorgon Member Post Author wrote on 06/20/2013 at 04:16pm

A little part of me was sort of hoping Microsoft would stick with the DRM scheme, fail miserably, and let the Xbone's smoldering remains serve as a warning for other companies who might want to try aggressive DRM. But I also don't want Sony to be the only big dog in the yard. :)

Over all I'm glad to see Microsoft change course.

jdodson Admin wrote on 06/20/2013 at 04:53pm

I wanted them to stand their ground on these choices. Partly, because I have zero care for another XBox and partly because I really wanted to see how the sales panned out.

Just because the internet exploded over this issue the way it did, I wasn't really sure that mean't a long term drop in sales. People often complain and then purchase or purchase a bit later. Plus, really the further both consoles are from each other the starker the competition is.

I agree with the Capn' here, if the DRM systems were so integral into the XBone then this is non trivial work to remove them. Unless they were creative with the truth and they really were just tacked on, either way its a pretty major course correction.

I am not sure in the end if this is a win though. I mean, consumers were heard and major company changes course but it just seems so insubstantial to me. Plus it seems many people were excited about the DRM and now they get less DRM and are upset. I read a few articles by people with "big important gaming press sites" that say we can't have nice things because Microsoft did what people wanted. Uh, sure, I guess.

People cite Steam and say "well hey look, you know Steam does what Microsoft wanted to do and now they are reversing course so we can't have nice things and gamers are hypocrites." I am forumlating my thoughts in specific response to that because they are comparing things I don't think make sense to.

Other people seem upset because people are not flocking back to the XBone and bowing down thanking Microsoft for being benevolent.

People are strange and what Microsoft is doing is even stranger. Personally, I think they should have stood their ground and doubled down on their ol' strategy because it would have been more fun to watch.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/20/2013 at 06:58pm

"well hey look, you know Steam does what Microsoft wanted to do and now they are reversing course so we can't have nice things and gamers are hypocrites."

It is painfully easy to pirate PC games. Steam's method is basically necessary for there to be any hope of the publishers/developers getting money these days. It's less easy with console games, requiring some real effort and sometimes physical modifications to the console.

CapnCurry Supporter wrote on 06/20/2013 at 07:16pm

There's also a different value proposition for console games. I'm not sure whether or where I've expressed this sentiment before, so forgive me if I repeat myself or if I repeat myself (ha), but I can't remember the last PC game I paid $60 for. Because of the historically minimal used-PC-game market and a commonly enforced "no returns on software" policy, I've become accustomed to paying about $20 and knowing I'll never get that money back. When I pay $60 for a console game, I expect to have some equity in the title - I can enjoy it forever for $60, or I can recoup part of my investment later via trade or resale. It's much more like owning property than licensing an experience, and it's that feeling of ownership that's warranted the higher price of console games for me - even though I know that most of that higher price is *actually* going toward development cost, so regardless of the delivery mechanism / rights conferral, the price of a console title is probably going to remain about the same.

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Mobile Games: What Are You Playing?

The other day I picked up Junk Jack on iOS after hearing it was a good Terraria clone for the iPhone. After playing it a bit I didn't really see the appeal. The last mobile game I played quite a bit of was Spaceward Ho on the iPhone.

I am interested in checking out interesting Mobile games but don't find the iTunes top rated games to be interesting enough to warrant an install, even the free ones. Because of that, I am wondering if you have been playing anything you might recommend?

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/18/2013 at 08:15pm

Really the only mobile game I'm playing right now is Candy Crush Saga (just beat level 155).

Travis Admin wrote on 06/18/2013 at 08:25pm

NOOOOO ADYM! NOT YOU TOO! We've lost a lot of good people to the Candy Crush menace.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/18/2013 at 09:29pm

Hmmm maybe I should start that up. I tried once and tossed it not knowing what the craze was about.

Ok, installing.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/18/2013 at 09:43pm

Yeah, I'm a goner. Waiting for FB friends to give me tickets so I continue lol.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/18/2013 at 09:44pm

Jon, the first few levels are Bejeweled Blitzy, but once you get past those, it becomes an addictive puzzle game.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/18/2013 at 09:46pm

I'll give it a shot and report back.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/19/2013 at 02:36am

It starts asking you for either money, or for you to share it with your Facebook friends to get more turns. You are locked out of playing the game for a limited amount of time before you pay them or spam people. I can't support that kind of evil.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/19/2013 at 02:45am

Well you either charge people for the game or go freemium. I dont agree w those methods but it pays the bills. That said "waiting games" are fairly boring for the most part, I think anyway.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/19/2013 at 02:49am

I have a friend who would seriously stop a conversation because he got more Candy Crush moves.

In other news, to answer the question at hand: Ridiculous Fishing on iOS. This game is seriously amazing. Way more fun than I would ever expect from a fishing game. http://www.ridiculousfishing.com/

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/19/2013 at 03:11am

Oh yeah, i heard about that one. Checking it out.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 06/19/2013 at 05:22pm

I actually picked up tiny tower again recently. My iPod touch died, and so I switched to using my wife's old iPhone and was surprised to see the game remembered my tower when I installed it again.

The other day I also dusted off my Gameboy DS and picked up a Chrono Trigger save file that was near the end of the game but still had several side missions to complete. It was nice revisiting some familiar places.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/20/2013 at 03:08am

I have been playing Candy Crush and I will say it has a bit more depth than a vanilla Bejewled. I can see where people drop money on this but i have zero desire to do so. Wouldnt have a problem laying them $5 for the game though but i cant justify .99 cents 5,000 times for extra turns.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/20/2013 at 04:13am

I've never put money into Candy Crush. I just wait when I run out of lives. Throttles my addiction I suppose.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/20/2013 at 04:15am

Yeah, it sort of stops when I have been playing a bit "too long."

adktz wrote on 07/10/2013 at 12:08am

Stickets for iOS!

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GOGcom No DRM Summer Sale + Free Torchlight

GOGcom is launching is summer sale with a pretty impressive lineup including giving away Torchlight for free for the next 48 hours.

http://www.gog.com/news/nodrm_summer_get_torchlight_free_for_48_hours

Lots of retro and indie titles marked down and worth checking out.

http://www.gog.com/NoDRMSummer

**UPDATE**

A few games you should nab while you can:

RollerCoaster Tycoon Deluxe

RollerCoaster Tycoon plus both expansions and the game score. Only $2.99 with no DRM. Holee shit this is a great deal.

http://www.gog.com/gamecard/rollercoaster_tycoon_deluxe

Capsized: Shipwrecked With An Amazing Score

Many of us picked up Capsized with the recent Humble Bundle 8. After crushing pretty hard on Awesomenauts and completing Hotline Miami I decided to play Capsized next. From the Humble Bundle 8 video I was very interested in playing it as it reminded me of a moment in Super Metroid where you find the crashed alien space craft. That said, the game was a quick download and I had it up and running on my Windows PC in a few minutes.

Capsized starts off with a story board intro that conveying the games premise. You are a crew member in a ship traveling across the stars and your ship crashes on an alien planet. The first mission is a good primer to how to play the game and... Read All Many of us picked up Capsized with the recent Humble Bundle 8. After crushing pretty hard on Awesomenauts and completing Hotline Miami I decided to play Capsized next. From the Humble Bundle 8 video I was very interested in playing it as it reminded me of a moment in Super Metroid where you find the crashed alien space craft. That said, the game was a quick download and I had it up and running on my Windows PC in a few minutes.

Capsized starts off with a story board intro that conveying the games premise. You are a crew member in a ship traveling across the stars and your ship crashes on an alien planet. The first mission is a good primer to how to play the game and uses a kind of way point system to teach you. Capsized is similar in style to Metroid but is different in that you start the game with a full compliment of awesome gear. You start the game with: A Jetpack, Basic lazer weapon, Gravity Force Gun, Energy Hookshot/Gravity Gun and the ability to wall jump. Over the course of the first few missions you get access to more weaponry to make you even more powerful.

The basic gameplay of Capsized is straightforward in that you must complete the objective of each level. In one such objective I had to find a stranded crew member. Each level is comprised of things that want you dead and things you need to move or get around to complete a level. The energy beam/gravity gun is really useful to reach locations your couldn't otherwise or move a rock or stone to form a bridge or clear something in your path.

The play control takes a bit to get used to but it never felt awkward. Compared to other more tightly controlled side-scrollers Capsized is fairly loose. This is often nice but sometimes my ingrained 2d sidescrolling reflex burned in from Mario games came to bear in unfortunate ways. That said, its nice to play something that approaches this genre differently.

One really impressive aspect of Capsized is how well the score works in the game. Sporting an amazing electronic and etherial score, Capsized really brings you into the games feel like few games can. From your first steps on this very alien world, the music really helps ratchet up the wonder I felt exploring this VERY strange and beautiful planet.

I have only played a few missions of Capsized and I am really enjoying myself. I recommend you check it out and let me know what you think. I might post further as I continue on with the game as I am only a few levels in so far.

Deep Down: A Half-Life Episode 2 Mod

"Firmly sticking to the Half Life 2 formula, Deep Down is a new entry in the story of Alyx and Gordon as they continue the hunt for Combine Advisors in the area surrounding White Forest.

Combine Forces, Zombies and Antlions lay between them and the brooding menace deep below the earth that will test both their skills further than ever before.

If you miss the Half Life 2 formula and are tired of waiting patiently for Episode 3 then this mod is for you. Featuring new gameplay elements, fiendish puzzles and blistering action, Deep Down will provide your Half Life 2 fix (well some of it at least)."

Whereas I am not as crazy about Half-Life 3 as some, I am more than ready for... Read All

The Firehose: Duck Tales Remastered, WoW Film ++

More information is coming to light about Duck Tales Remastered with E3 game footage. The game will be released on Steam, 360, PS3 later this year, "Woo oooh!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuckTales_(video_game)#DuckTales:_Remastered

This just in the "hmmmm" category, it seems the World of Warcraft Movie has started filming. I am curious to see how Thrall and company translate to the big screen.

http://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/13/06/04/1257241/world-of-warcraft-film-shooting-begins-early-2014

If you are a game developer and are having a hard time coming up with a game name, let this website do all the work for you. Because "Star Wars Manlove of the Blood God"... Read All

Timogorgon Member wrote on 06/16/2013 at 01:26am

I got "Dangerous Badminton Rangers." I'll be filing my trademark for it soon.

CapnCurry Supporter wrote on 06/16/2013 at 04:39am

In re: the video game name generator, I would totally play Ghetto Hippo School! I would not, however, play Throbbing Ninja Conflict.

jaelte wrote on 06/16/2013 at 07:14am

I think I rented Duck Tales for NES back in the day. I don't recall getting very far in it, but I may be intrigued enough to pick it up on Steam if the price is right.

A WoW movie, eh? I wonder if they can pull it off.

Man, I really want to play Wandering Unicorn: Total War now.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/16/2013 at 05:00pm

Wandering Unicorn: Total War... :D I wonder if you could make a Video Game name generator that created names that could work. I remember an Android name generator a while back that was so good it was funny because Android phone names are so long.

"Ghetto Hippo School" NOW I KNOW WHAT IM DOING WHEN I GO INDIE!

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 06/17/2013 at 02:59pm

Flipping through the name generator, I was amused by all, but had to stop at one that really moved me:

Creepy Hardware Co-op

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RollerCoaster Tycoon: A Game I Will Play Forever

RollerCoaster Tycoon was released about 14 years ago but it still lives strong on my modern gaming computer. My wife bought the game and both the expansion packs at a garage sale for me many years ago on a lark. She generally doesn't do that so it was a nice surprise. At first I set aside the game because it looked like a game for pre-school kids. After a few months of it kicking around the house I decided to install it and was immediately hooked on it.

RollerCoaster Tycoon takes the Sim concept and mixes it with the awesome mechanism of running a theme park. The game consists of scenarios, each you must complete to unlock the next. I believe on of the latter Tycoon... Read All

The Cheerful Ghost Pack

After launching Cheerful Ghost over a year ago I have been very happy with how the site has taken shape, most notably with how awesome it is to play and talk about video games with everyone. The site focuses on the games we love so we can talk about and schedule events with our friends.

One thing I wanted to do soon after I launched site Memberships is design and print some cool Cheerful Ghost swag to hand out to Members as a thank you for supporting the site. It may have happened much later than I anticipated but I am happy to finally announce..

The Cheerful Ghost Pack

The Cheerful Ghost Pack is a collection of all new Cheerful Ghost swag that will be shipped for free... Read All

Terraria Coming to Mobile

Gamespot got a showcase of Terraria mobile shown by David Welch of Re-Logic Games. The video shows off how the mobile version is setup and a few changes they made to make it feel better on mobile.

Fairly certain this is a day one purchase for me because Terraria is one of my most beloved games of the last few years and I would enjoy just a "fairly decent" version on mobile. From the video it looks like this might be a fun game to play on your phone but we will see how well it translates.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/14/2013 at 02:47pm

I'm definitely getting this when it launches. It may just go into the group of apps that are basically random timewasters, since when I really want to play I'll play on PC, but I'd love to be able to mess with build ideas on the go.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/25/2014 at 05:44am

Has anyone played the mobile version of Terraria? I noticed that there seems to be a demo of it in the Google Play store, but I can't access Google Play on my Kindle Fire HDX without rooting it, which I did to my original Kindle Fire, but hesitate to do it on the HDX. I'm interesting in seeing what someone else who's played the mobile version of Terraria has to say about it.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/25/2014 at 02:33pm

It's kinda clunky. The controls are serviceable but not great. The best you can do with a touchscreen I'm sure, though.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/25/2014 at 04:02pm

Yeah, it's ok. Nice to have it on a non Windows platform. Like Travis said the controls are odd but they don't have the 1.2 update. Hopefully someday.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/25/2014 at 04:04pm

Not only that, they don't even have hardmode. You can fight the Wall of Flesh and then you're basically done.

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