Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

End of an Era

http://gdmag.com/img/covers/1304_181x246=small.jpg

I just received the following email. Game Developer magazine is shutting down... That's the end of an era for me.

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Dear Subscriber,

After over 19 years of disseminating the best strategies around the art, science and business of video games, our hearts are heavy to announce that, as of July 2013, Game Developer magazine will stop printing its print and digital editions, and transition to become a section on
Gamasutra.com. (We plan to gradually reprint many of the best magazine articles there, and hope to continue posting new columns from some of our regular writers.)

The final issue sent to print/digital subscribers will be the June/July 2013 issue. We plan to close... Read All

PAX Prime 2013 - Tickets on Sale (Going Fast!)

http://blog.bioware.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/paxlogo.jpg

Tickets are going fast. Four-day passes are gone, but individual days are still available. Get in line, virtually, on their site, but be prepared to wait. It's a process...

http://prime.paxsite.com/

Northern Lion Interviews Edmund McMillen

Awesome new Northern Lion with Edmund McMillen about The Binding of Isaac and its upcoming sequel Rebirth.

A few awesome bits:

Rebirth is being made by the VVVVVVV guys and is in a very early staged programming wise. The game is being made to work on all manner of handhelds, Steam, Windows and Mac. Edmund really wants to support Linux.

Rebirth will include all of the Isaac content and some balancing changes. Many features could not be included in the game due to limitations of Flash and they will be including many of those missing features.

Edmund talks about how he feels people should play Isaac by going in blind and experiencing how things work without any kind of... Read All

God Mode Giveaway, events!

God Mode is releasing on Friday and I wanted to bring the crazy shooting mayhem to one of you. This isn't a big contest like we have done in the past, just a very simple giveaway as a sign of appreciation to the awesome people already here. If you want to enter just say so in the comments. I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner tomorrow night at 10PM Eastern, which will get you access as soon as it releases.

In addition, we have a couple of events. Friday night at 9PM EST we will be meeting to play some God Mode co-op. Hopefully whoever wins the contest will be able to join us!

If there's interest, we'll keep it going next Tuesday night at 8PM EST.

So hit... Read All

vdogmr25 wrote on 04/17/2013 at 05:59pm

It'd be awesome to get in on this. I can't guarantee I'd able to play Friday night due to homework, but I'd do what I can.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/17/2013 at 07:30pm

Dude, I'd love to get this. Throw my name in the hat!

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/17/2013 at 07:32pm

Im in for Friday and Tuesday.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/19/2013 at 02:13am

So there were two entries. vdogmr25 was assigned 1, Adym was assigned 2, and random.org gave me 2!

Congrats Adym!

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/19/2013 at 02:14am

YAY ADYM!

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/19/2013 at 02:14am

Additionally, Adym, your Steam profile link is broken so hit me up on Steam and I'll give it to you.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/20/2013 at 12:02am

Oh man, first, thank you and rock on! Second, I'll figure out my steam account :)

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/20/2013 at 02:25am

Not sure what happened. It looks like Jon, Adym, and I all had Steam issues all at the same time. Not sure about Scrypt. I can't connect to Steam from any PC, even after rebooting my network equipment.

But this game is fun! It was just the kind of mayhem I had expected. There are some flaws, but I'm impressed for $10.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/20/2013 at 03:06am

Total blast! I hope I didn't cause your Steam issues, as I'm still connected :(

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/20/2013 at 03:08am

This might sound a little weird, but it reminds me a of co-op play in Too Human.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/20/2013 at 05:06am

I played the demo for Too Human and was really unimpressed. I think it was the control scheme mostly, but it just seemed like a bunch of interesting ideas that were thrown into a pot to stew but were taken off the stove before they were done.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/20/2013 at 06:08am

Once I got the hang of the design of the flow of combat, it quickly became one of my favorite games. It's seems sloppy at first, but it really is a pretty fluid system. I think God Mode reminds me of Too Human mostly in spirit, as opposed to actual game play. The frenetic movement and dispatching of enemies forces you to move in a sort of massacre ballet. Plus, I can't stop saying "God Mode."

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/20/2013 at 06:41am

That was epic after I figured out the controls. Running, zoom to shoot and your special attack are all very useful :)

Looking forward to playing it again!

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/20/2013 at 07:47am

That was pretty rad. And I've played more by myself tonight!

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/23/2013 at 10:37pm

Is there interest for tonight? I may not be able to make it on time but I can join in when I get in.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/23/2013 at 10:42pm

Yes, but I can only play a few games tonight. I want to knock out some stuff on the site tonight and want to start it soon. :D

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/23/2013 at 11:22pm

I'm down, but won't be on until later. :(

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/24/2013 at 12:12am

I would love to, but have to go on one of those "date" things women always talk about ;)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/24/2013 at 12:13am

I have been playing it on my own with the first 4 Oaths on (in Bronze) to build up my gold and xp :)

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Nintendo's Plans for the Year

Nintendo Direct has revealed a lot of new information. Some of it quite interesting. To be honest, I was pretty uninterested in the Wii U and 3DS until hearing some of this news, and now I'm pretty excited. I think based on these announcements I may make the jump on at least a 3DS.

First, most importantly to me, a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is coming to the 3DS this year! A Link to the Past is my favorite entry in the series, though that may be pure nostalgia. I haven't played it since the SNES was still considered current-gen. Still, this sequel looks interesting and I hope to get my hands on it.

A new Yoshi's Island will also be coming to... Read All

Hearthstone Showcased in New Gameplay Video

After watching this Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft narrated battle play out I am much more interested in this games release. Since it will be free to play, the barrier to entry is pretty low and I am curious to see how this will play on the PC and iPad.

I really likens the back and forth between the players and its different enough from Magic The Gathering to be compelling. I wasn't sure based on that video when its ok to target minions VS players though. Hopefully the game comes with a fairly length tutorial.

Will you check out Heroes of Warcraft when it launches?

Bethesda Is Teasing Us Via Vine

Some barbed wire, an old document, a spinning record, some geiger-counter or record scratching sounds. What does it all mean?

This is probably the first time a game has been teased via a 6-second video loop on a hip new social network.

https://vine.co/v/bFPjjheVnau

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/16/2013 at 08:08pm

The record is Bach's Air on G String. What does it mean?!

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/16/2013 at 08:20pm

Two records, apparently...

The first is The Moonbeam Trio : http://www.worldcat.org/title/moonbeam-trio-program-no-506/oclc/047738845

The second is a close-up of Bach's Air on G String.

BR Supporter wrote on 04/16/2013 at 09:31pm

what could it mean? WHAT COULD IT MEAN?!?! D:

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/16/2013 at 10:13pm

https://twitter.com/DCDeacon/status/324192731721265153

Apparently not Fallout 4.

BR Supporter wrote on 04/17/2013 at 02:16am

Why did you provide me with this dreadful information? I'm just going to act like I never saw it and be excited for a new fallout...

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/17/2013 at 03:05am

Hahaha, yeah... sorry.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/17/2013 at 03:46am

Well BR, you can be happy with the knowledge that they've apparently scouted MIT. Remember all the stuff from Fallout 3 about "The Institute" with the android?

BR Supporter wrote on 04/17/2013 at 12:39pm

Uh kinda...it's been awhile since I've played but it sounds familiar.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/17/2013 at 12:45pm

Yeah that's the rumor, that Fallout 4 will take place in and around MIT. Boston would be awesome.

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/17/2013 at 04:23pm

I really wish it was a Fallout game though. I wonder if its a new Elder Scrolls game? Might not make sense considering Elder Scrolls Online is coming out this year.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/17/2013 at 04:54pm

I would highly doubt they're ready to announce a new Elder Scrolls. There's been around five years between each one since Daggerfall. They definitely take their time.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/18/2013 at 03:30pm

Should have updated my earlier post, as the correct link for the recording of The Moonbeam Trio shown in the video is:

http://www.worldcat.org/title/planned-program-service-program-no-416/oclc/49738276&referer=brief_results

Still have no clue what this is, but I'm curious why the loop begins and ends with the barbed wire. Why not just end the clip at the shots of Bach, then let it loop?

scrypt Supporter wrote on 04/18/2013 at 03:42pm

We're behind!! (or, I'm behind!)

Two new Vine videos have been release by Bethesda, with promise of a reveal tomorrow:

https://vine.co/v/bFldAQgTIr6
https://vine.co/v/bUqveJ2uFeZ

Freaky!

Most people are thinking it's Zwei, new survival horror game from Tango Gameworks & Bethesda:

http://www.tangogameworks.com/project/index_en.html

I guess we'll know tomorrow :)

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/18/2013 at 03:45pm

Thanks for updating us scrypt. The sunflower video is pretty awesome.

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An Awesome Old Coat: Link To the Past Playthrough

On a lark yesterday I decided to start a game of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I was kind of deciding between games and picked out a classic. At first I thought I might really only play it for a few minutes of nostalgia, but after I beat the intro I decided I was up for more.

As I have been playing more modern indie titles that use pixel-art or try and riff the Zelda motif I have noticed they do quite a good job of harnessing that tone and style. After playing the first bits of Link to the Past these games seem a bit further away from the absolute amazingness of this game in particular. I am not saying modern indie takes on the retro 2D games are bad, far... Read All On a lark yesterday I decided to start a game of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I was kind of deciding between games and picked out a classic. At first I thought I might really only play it for a few minutes of nostalgia, but after I beat the intro I decided I was up for more.

As I have been playing more modern indie titles that use pixel-art or try and riff the Zelda motif I have noticed they do quite a good job of harnessing that tone and style. After playing the first bits of Link to the Past these games seem a bit further away from the absolute amazingness of this game in particular. I am not saying modern indie takes on the retro 2D games are bad, far from it. But there is a level of polish with this game that few games achieve and its worth noting that even 22 years later that still comes across strongly.

I never noticed this before, but as I first entered Kakariko Village, the game gives you waypoints of sorts. Zelda didn't invent this perhaps, but I can't remember a ton of games that did this before Zelda and they are super useful. Not that I need them, so far I have completed much on pure reflex memory alone, but they are interesting to see and compare to games made now.

The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past was one of the triple A releases of the day and as such the level of polish and game design is superb. Blowing the game up on my widescreen TV(but in fullscreen aspect ratio of course) I can see more detail than I otherwise did on my ol CRT. Since I am not a barbarian, I don't set the pixels to smooth out and experience the game in all its blocky pixel glory.

The superior game design comes across right at the start of the game in how it guides you along and teaches you the gameplay as you go. Feeding you easy puzzles that teach you the basics as it slightly changes them is a really nice touch. As a kid I flew through the dialog and now find myself reading it more now and taking it in at level I didn't really appreciate as a youngster. Not that the writing is very good, its passable, but I want to soak in more of the game and its interesting to take in the words in a way I haven't before.

My one complaint about the game, if its even a complaint, is the game isn't as deep in lore and story and I would like a bit more. Opting instead to have the player mostly piece the story together based on what they do, the game delivers you a great couch and popcorn experience but I am finding I want a little bit more "Hyrule by campfire."

Before I started the first light world dungeon I had already collected 5 hearts, 2 bottles, the net, bag of magic, bombs and the lantern. As I was coming up to the first dungeon I realized Link was moving rather slowly and one of the things you get after the first dungeon is the boots that allow you to sprint. Again, more absolutely awesome polish here because just as you start to realize you move slowly you get the ability to sprint.

I plan on posting more of my thoughts as I continue my quest through Hyrule. As I was considering what to screenshot for this post I decided to do the flute boy. I couldn't snap the picture with all the animals around the trunk, but got him as he was fading from view. By the end of my first playthrough I completed the first dungeon and just nabbed the icerod. I also am nearly maxxed out on Rupees, those really were fairly plentiful in Link to the Past.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/16/2013 at 06:57pm

You really should mark this as containing spoilers! Sprinting boots?!? Way to ruin the surprise man.

But really, this was such an amazing game! I've been meaning to play through it again as well. I think you're right about the polish vs today's retro games. Back in the day, the paradigm was "How can we make this look as amazing as possible?" They weren't constrained by anything but technology. These days we have so much more potential, limiting ourselves to a "retro" look is quite limiting, and that comes across in some retro style games.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/16/2013 at 09:18pm

I can be limiting I suppose depending on the game. I think some are just using that style, but Nintendo has certainly moved on for sure.

Spoilers, yeah I guess for some it totally is. Not everyone played this for sure. Especially new gamers.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/17/2013 at 12:19am

lol, I really don't think you should put a spoiler alert for sprint shoes ;)

What I meant about it being limiting is that when creating Zelda, the artists could say "We can use this color *and* this color!" whereas a developer today would say "We can use this color and this color." It's self limiting, which could stifle some creativity. But that's just my theory. I could be totally wrong.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/17/2013 at 02:05am

I agree. Many of the retro 2D games now days go beyond the original limitations of the SNES and I think that's totally fine. Its the vibe the graphics produce for me, not the limitations of the platform. Then again, art through adversity and all that.

krcDeuce Supporter wrote on 04/17/2013 at 09:45pm

I think there are many good reasons why this was #1 on Nintendo Power's list for years.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 04/18/2013 at 02:48am

Agreed.

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PC 1.2 PVP & Cannon Update Preview

In this latest Terraria Talk video they are given an exclusive screenshot of the new content coming in Terraria 1.2. What it includes:

Sandstone bricks, backdrop and furniture.

Cannons

Jungle Trees can be harvested for Mahogany wood

New banner designs

New armor and vanity sets including an Eskimo Suit

Cactus building sets w tables and chairs

Steampunk armor/vanity set

More I may have missed

Really looking for this update to drop. Right now there is no ETA on release but when I hear something you will be the first to know about it.

Bethesda has stopped development on Skyrim

http://cdnstatic.bethsoft.com/bethblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/teamphoto_new_3-1024x643.jpg

The Bethesda team has announced today that they're moving on from Skyrim, with the exception of minor updates as needed. There's a new big project (I'm hoping for Fallout 4) that's gotten to the point where it needs the team's full attention.

I was personally hoping for at least one more kickass DLC, but I can't complain. I've put hundreds of hours into Skyrim, and I've certainly gotten my money's worth.

It's sad though, that there won't be any more content for what may be my favorite game of all time.

Ah well, time to start a new character!

http://www.bethblog.com/2013/04/15/moving-to-our-next-adventure/

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/15/2013 at 07:09pm

I wish the team well on their next endeavor! They shipped a good game here and supported it for a long time. Looking forward to the GoTY wrapping up all the extra bits :D

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/15/2013 at 07:31pm

Oh Travis, this:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/04/10/bethesda-will-be-announcing-new-stuff-later-in-2013/

BR Supporter wrote on 04/15/2013 at 07:56pm

Oh man...I hope its fallout 4. I LOVE the fallout games! I might have to give up on the rest of my life if its fallout 4 in order to get max playtime in.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 04/16/2013 at 02:52am

I KNOW. I SAW THAT. MY BODY IS READY.

BR Supporter wrote on 04/16/2013 at 03:15am

I'M FREAKING OUT, MAN! I'M FREAKING OUT!

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/16/2013 at 04:45am

Spoiler Alert! FALLOUT 5000! Beth is skipping 4996 versions to make the most epic game ever!

/this comment may not actually contain facts

Blue_Element wrote on 04/16/2013 at 05:04am

I'm not hinting at anything, but I really wish I could like/favorite/+1 comments right now.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 04/16/2013 at 07:02pm

+1 @Blue_Element

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/16/2013 at 09:35pm

Ill add that to the list.

Blue_Element wrote on 04/17/2013 at 12:17am

+1 @jdodson :P

jdodson Admin wrote on 04/17/2013 at 02:05am

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