Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Skyrim High Resolution Texture Pack Update

"In a continued effort to support our PC fanbase, we’ve released a Steam update to Skyrim’s (free) HD Texture Pack. In addition to high resolution textures in the main game, the update adds improved textures for Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and the newly-released Dragonborn.

Before you download, make sure your PC has the horsepower to support it. Make sure your system requirements exceed Skyrim’s recommended specs before attempting to install, and that your PC has Windows Vista/7, a minimum of 4GB of system RAM, and a DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with at least 1 GB of RAM and the latest drivers."

Its pretty crazy how large game updates are getting. I... Read All

Heart of the Swarm: Ways to Play

Blizzard released a video showing off the new UI for Heart of the Swarm and how you can go about playing the game. Starting with training, to playing with bots the game works to ease you in to getting you in the game.

Very excited to see this drop next month!

RAGE Tool Kit drops today

https://d1ys1uetzexz61.cloudfront.net/bethblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/RageSplashWindow.png

If you have the bandwidth for a whopper of a file, 35 GB, you can download the tools id used to create RAGE and its expansion, The Scorchers. What kind of mods do you hope to see?

http://www.bethblog.com/2013/02/08/rage-tool-kit-available-today-on-steam/

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/08/2013 at 07:57pm

This is totally awesome. I read the PDF they released as part of it, 35 gigs of rad.

So tempted to get this and try my hand at building a crazy level. Hmmmm.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/08/2013 at 08:50pm

Sweet, I've never even played RAGE and I think it would be fun to play around with their tools

Gary_Butterfield wrote on 02/08/2013 at 09:59pm

All I ever want for game mods is co op, online gameplay. Co op makes shooters great. Otherwise, I think they're mostly merely good.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/08/2013 at 11:30pm

The co-op in Rage is really awesome. Play it often with my friends now. Legends of the Wasteland++. Got almost no attention but its pretty dope fly.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/09/2013 at 07:01am

I didn't even know Rage had co-op. I have it for Xbox, but barely put much time into it. I'd go back for co-op, though!

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/09/2013 at 09:43pm

Yep, split-screen co-op. You have to beat the first level to go on to the next and it has varying difficulty levels. Console and PC versions are good.

da_gaymer wrote on 02/10/2013 at 01:44am

Awesome indeed! Just finished a new playthrough on Ultra Nightmare for the challenge and, of course, the Scorchers missions.
Who didn't like Rage in the first place, will probably not change his mind because of this DLC, but I really, really recommend it to everyone who enjoyed the base game. Fights are intense on Ultra Nightmare, and the new levels come once again with a tight atmosphere. From the lovely welcome by Sarah at the beginning, over a second episode of Mutant Bash TV to the heart of the Scorchers' base where they hide their mysterious construction, this was just great.
Just a bid sad when it was already over, then. However, that doesn't the mean there's a lack of additional content. Also comes with the nailgun as a new weapon (everybody loves nailguns) and two more minigames (made a couple thousand dollars in 15 minutes by playing poker). And there's even a little surprise in Wellspring for you when you finish the last mission. A very good and fair priced piece of DLC.
Hopefully, this tool kit will bring us more like this. I wouldn't expect any more official DLCs, but maybe there are some diligent fans who deliver more action in the Wasteland. :P Might even give it a shot myself I can free up 35GB and find some time.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/10/2013 at 01:59am

Are you guys mostly playing it on PC then?

da_gaymer wrote on 02/10/2013 at 03:16am

Although Rage also works well on consoles, PC all the way. :P

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/10/2013 at 06:24pm

I pre-ordered Rage on the PS3 when I was still primarily playing games on that. Its a GREAT game but a few downsides to playing it on the PS3 saw me migrate to the PC version to beat it. First off saves. Loading and saving take way too long and the game doesn't autosave for you when you enter/exit a room all the time. It only auto-saves when you go to some plot area. No quick save option on console means too much waiting.

The game is a precision shooter to its really hard to be good on the console, or at least I couldn't snipe worth a damn. With a mouse I headshot all the time. Borderlands and Borderlands 2 were better on console in this respect, I imagine they do some automagic aim or something.

The game also looks WAY more pretty on the PC. Its one of the best looking games on a console, but you are missing out if you can't play it on the PC its absolutely beautiful.

In the end, its a great console port with a few flaws that had nothing to do with the overal game perse. It was just a better experience on the PC imo. That said, the console version DOES have legends of the wasteland split-screen which is fun as hell if you have friends over. So buying it on console wasn't a total wash and its not too expensive on the used shelf if you had friends over and wanted some shooter mayhem.

Gary_Butterfield wrote on 02/11/2013 at 05:34pm

It's just couch co op or is it online as well? Split screen....

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/11/2013 at 05:35pm

Console version of Legends of the Wasteland is split-screen couch co-op. PC version is online or LAN.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/11/2013 at 05:36pm

Actually the console version does support online Legends of the Wasteland too now that I think about it.

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Interview with Trevor Longino of GOG.com

GOG.com is a cool digital games store focusing on getting great DRM free games in the hands of gamers for awesome prices. I have been a fan of the site because it really distinguishes itself as a purveyor of classic games and a sort of digital archivist of gaming culture and history. You can totally see that in the way they curate the space behind such amazing works as Baldurs Gate and Simcity 2000. Recently I dropped my friends at GOG.com a line and they were amicable enough to answer some of my questions. The interview goes into rad-territory covering the Indie Games explosion, Linux, Age of Empires 2 and Star Wars. Yeah, apparently the people GOG.com think about... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 02/08/2013 at 06:10pm

I feel like I'm alone in thinking that the Lost finale was pretty good.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/08/2013 at 06:42pm

Still need to watch Lost, its on my Nerd list of shame still. I have some friends really into Lost and they keep asking me to watch it.

:D

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/08/2013 at 08:37pm

I try to not ask too much, as I don't want to drive you away from Lost lol.

I liked the ending of the series too, you're not alone!

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/09/2013 at 06:59am

Good interview! Love me some GoG.com!

I tried to get my friends to throw down on the idea of Disney buying Lucasarts/Lucasfilms, and I got nothing but "well, we'll see...". Now with this announcement of Abrams directing, I'm personally thrilled, not because I think he's a god, but I trust that he'll take good care of it. However, I am worried that he won't be able to make it visually distinctive from his Trek movies. The only other people that I would rather have direct, at this time, are either Joss Whedon or Christopher Nolan.

On Lost, I didn't care for the ending, and not in its explanation, but in it's execution. I blame Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse for that. That was their baby, and I feel like they just gave up at the end. Probably not the case, but that's how it came across to me.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/11/2013 at 06:51am

@scrypt I think he will be able to make it stand out. Remember that in ep IV - VI it was a pretty dirty world. Star Trek has always been pretty germ free, Star Wars... well until the prequels was a pretty dingy, dirty galaxy. Since JJ is a __HUGE__ Star Wars guy I imagine he won't forget this. I don't imagine we will see much sparkle cam/shaky cam, I think/hope he will make different choices there.

Will_Owens wrote on 02/11/2013 at 03:12pm

That interview is pretty rad. I rate GoG above Steam for me because of their extras and better customer service. I guess the smaller scope helps, though.

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 02/11/2013 at 03:30pm

Glad to hear that GoG doesn't focus on their competition as an obstacle to be overcome, but instead focuses on improving their own product. I like GoG because their love for the same games I grew up with (The Tex Murphy Series, the original Unreal, Phantasmagoria) is evident in the packaging: soundtracks, manual scans, additional images bundled right alongside the binary blob of reminiscence.

Also, many of the early DOS titles utilize DOSBox, so it's not difficult to adapt them to running under Linux. The GoG team has already done most of the hard work in configuring EMS, XMS, soundcards and the like. So, the configuration for the game takes a few tweaks and works like a charm.

Travis Admin wrote on 02/11/2013 at 05:05pm

bean, not sure if you're aware of this: http://www.gogonlinux.com/

Not official, but you sign into this app, and it downloads your games and configures them for running under Linux. A meager list of supported games so far, but still interesting.

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 02/11/2013 at 11:08pm

@panickedthumb Thanks for the link! I'm going to have to check that out later.

The limited number of games supported is probably because it appears to be a one-man show for the most part. Definitely got my interested piqued.

SignalWarden wrote on 02/11/2013 at 11:12pm

GoG is really fantastic, but I think they have a serious struggle to deal with on the indie front. On the one hand there is the aforementioned Steam. If you look through GoG's indie catalog you'll see the majority of the games have been on Steam for quite some time and gone through many of the renowned "Steam Sales". As an example, I have almost all the games on their list and got them all for pennies on the dollar. Also, you have games that are obtaining exposure through Greenlight (which GabeN says is going to be made less restrictive and more alluring for indie devs very soon) meaning when they release on Steam, whether before or after a GoG release, they will have a built in audience there.

On the other hand you have the obscure indie games that never had a chance to shine on Steam. Those are usually games that got a community start on IndieDB which is directly tied to Desura. As a result most of the people who have been creating and/or catching the buzz from those games, are already in the Desura network, and smaller devs tend to focus more time there than anywhere else, especially since it will be more cost effective for them.

I think what GoG really needs to do here is essentially create a new ecosystem for the general gamer. Those that rely on Steam as a third console option and have never heard of Desura. As such they need to actively assist in the development of games that are stable, polished and away from the fringe. If they can cultivate enough of a library in that area, and find a way to make the purchase of the games through their system more appealing then I think they can carve a permanent place in the market. It will definitely be a challenge though.

SignalWarden wrote on 02/11/2013 at 11:13pm

Also, Lost finale was great as far as I was concerned and JJ can make the next trilogy with sock puppets and it will be better than anything Lucas would develop.

Will_Owens wrote on 02/12/2013 at 03:21am

I think MIasmata is one of those games that made much more of a splash on GoG than Steam. Even though it's been out on Steam for a while, I hadn't heard of it until GoG put it on their front page making it look pretty cool. I think they have a slower release schedule and easier to manage storefront on their side. I'm up to date with literally every game they've hosted while I have no idea probably 80% of the games on Steam even exist. It's a weird thing, but I check GoG's store pages more than Steam because it's just easier for me to get through.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/12/2013 at 03:35am

Another thing to keep in mind with GoG, is that their game offerings are all DRM-free, something not many (if any) other services can claim. I have a large Steam library, and yet I've picked up quite a few games that Steam hasn't included in their library (Syndicate, Icewind Dale, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, and many others), or that GoG was first to offer. I have a Desura account, but haven't used it in ages. I prefer Steam's interface, and I didn't want to have to deal with two exclusive game library environments.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/12/2013 at 06:13pm

@scrypt +1. Its also very different from Steam in that GOG.com is a digital locker. You download the .exe files from the web app, which is totally rad. I don't personally mind have different people in the market because really, Steam and GOG.com are very different.

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The Scythian Steppes Remix Album Review

Sword & Sworcery made a few waves when it was released as it blended Adventure gaming with a fantastic score. As Sword & Sworcery made its way to be localized for Japan, Jim Guthrie released a remix album called "The Scythian Steppes: Seven #Sworcery Songs Localized for Japan." I picked up the album on Jim's Bandcamp page and wanted to toss out a few words about it.

I recommend downloading this album if you enjoy listening to Jim Guthrie's music because these remixes take his work and bring it a unique voice. Jim Guthrie's music is already very eclectic and the first remixes seen in Little Furnace and The Ballad of the Space Babies really bring a certain modern... Read All

"A View on Next Steps" Gabe's DICE 2013 Keynote

Awesome video where he discusses the new Steambox price point, how Steam adds value to gaming and economics. A total must watch and I hope Valve does well going forward with brining Steam to the living room!

Thought it was interesting when Gabe said Linux was the industries "get out of jail free card."

His talk doesn't start right away but you can skip ahead.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/08/2013 at 05:47am

Interesting perspectives he puts out there. I like the idea of free-to-use productivity software, although it might cause a bigger problem with ownership of distributed assets if you follow through with the shared revenue idea (i.e. who's licensing to whom). I also love the idea of local streaming of game collections to the living room, and have been begging for this for years. It's the retail cost of console games that has kept this from happening. There's no reason we shouldn't already be playing games off of our own local servers, without having to verify ownership by inserting a disc into the system. I'm really excited that Valve is pushing this.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/08/2013 at 05:11pm

I agree. Gabe is spot on when he says that people don't like to scap everything when the move to a new system. The next round of consoles should be really interesting!

Still wondering what Apple will do and like Gabe I think they are the biggest player to look out for.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/09/2013 at 06:27am

Apple already has the framework, they just haven't breathed any life into it. Why they haven't turned the Apple TV into exactly what Gabe is talking about, I don't know. I mean, I do know (Steve Jobs didn't care much for games), but still. I don't know when/if that motivation will change for them.

It's like all of this technology is hovering around something great, and nobody has really figured it out. Microsoft is going nowhere with the Xbox. Sony is coming around, and I guess we'll see in a couple of weeks what the "Ps4" will bring to the table. Nintendo is at least trying to be innovative, despite their reluctance to truly enter the online space. I tell you, I'm most excited about Valve and Ouya, at the moment. They just seem to get it.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/09/2013 at 09:42pm

Ouya looks really interesting and I dig the price point. Did you get one?

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/10/2013 at 12:27am

I did, through the Kickstarter, so it should be here in about a month or so. I'll post a review when it arrives.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/10/2013 at 12:59am

Awesome! Look forward to it.

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bit Dungeon is Free on iOS Today

bit Dungeon is an addicting Browser and iOS Hack-N-Slash that you must play. The game strips itself down to work really well by simply clicking your mouse or tapping. The game takes this stripped down element and ratchets it up to create something really special.

As someone that is not too amazed by mobile games, bit Dungeon stands out for me as a must play. I appreciate the retro art and the score is also very memorable. As you advance through the dungeon levels you find chests that give you better armor and weapons. As you swap out your gear for the next greatest thing, the look of your player also changes. The game is chalked full of little fun art bits like when you... Read All

Dat Firehose: Valve @ The Movies & Next-Box Rumors

Gabe Newell and JJ Abrams recently made a few waves at a DICE keynote with dropping a few words about a Portal or Half-Life film. I love JJ and Gabe, how could this be bad?

"Newell: What we are actually doing here, we are recapitulating a series of conversations going on. We reached the point that we decided to do more than talk.

Abrams: There’s an idea we have for a game that we’d like to work with Valve on.

Newell: We’re super excited about that and we’re going to figure out if we can make a Portal movie or Half-Life movie together."

http://www.slashfilm.com/j-j-abrams-and-gabe-newell-to-develop-portal-and-half-life-films-is-something-bigger-than-mere-movies-in-mind/

A... Read All

Blue_Element wrote on 02/07/2013 at 04:51pm

Oh my god, a Portal movie would be like the best thing ever. But if they made even a small mistake in the the movie, I would hate them forever.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/07/2013 at 05:09pm

What kind of mistake?

Blue_Element wrote on 02/07/2013 at 07:47pm

A mistake like maybe the story isn't good or just bad things about the movie.

Blue_Element wrote on 02/07/2013 at 07:51pm

BTW, it would be really cool if eventually sometime in the future you made a cheerfulghost app for iOS. Which would basically be just like the mobile version of the website but it would notify you on your phone when you get a notification on the site.

Blue_Element wrote on 02/07/2013 at 07:52pm

But it would probably take a lot of effort and be really hard to make.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/08/2013 at 02:07am

That's a really great idea! My first priority is to make a really bitchin' web app and have that work really well. One thing people have mentioned is they would like email notifications when stuff happens on the site and thats just a matter of when it gets added in.

As for a proper app, I have no immediate plans to do that. It takes some time to do and if I push all my time into the web app it can be used in so many places it makes sense to sort of put all my time here for now. At some point ill add an API and then anyone can build what they want atop Cheerful Ghost, including an app or whatever.

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 02/09/2013 at 08:06pm

Not 100% sure why, but the idea of J.J. Abrams working on a game for Valve excites me more than J.J. Abrams making a movie about Valve games.

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Playstation Network Adds Free to Play

These days I typically use my PS3 for Netflix, Bluray and the occasional split-screen game with a friend. That sai sometimes I download a demo, install it and sooner or later get around to playing it. PC gaming has really eaten away my console ambitions. Recently I was checking out the PSN Store for no particular reason when I noticed a new section for Free to Play games. Right now they only have a handful of games, but I imagine over time that number to grow quite a bit. Free to Play is an already pretty big on mobile and PC, makes sense it come to console but I wasn't really expecting to see it happen this generation.

Right now the Free to Play games they have are:

... Read All

Ghostbuster Brothers

Our favorite plumbers cross streams with the Ghostbusters in this incredibly-made fan film. I expected to be annoyed by this, truth be told, but was left grinning.