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Next up, the Wizard. This one is getting a slight nerf to

http://us.media3.battle.net/cms/blog_header/YQMJ0JY8PSMN1344643110267.jpg

Next up, the Wizard.

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6939564/Patch_104_Preview_Wizard-8_15_2012

This one is getting a slight nerf to one skill, although the comments would have you believe it's the worst thing that's ever happened since the Holocaust. Honestly, it doesn't *seem* like that big a deal to me, but I have yet to play a Wizard, so I'm not sure.

It seems that every other rune that isn't the most widely used for each skill is getting major buffs though. This post seems less informative than the last, so I guess we'll have to wait for the patch notes.

A bit ago I finished watching another presentation from

A bit ago I finished watching another presentation from QuakeCon "The Game of Making Games" with Todd Howard (Bethesda Game Studios), Jens Matthies (MachineGames), Raphael Colantonio (Arkane Studios), and Ted Price (Insomniac Games).

Fun to hear about how different studios approach game development and design. A few awesome moments when the audience asked questions you should check out. At one point someone in the audience asked how it feels to have your games go to the bargain bin faster than others. I have a new sense of respect for these leads and what they do.

Kinda lost in all the Diablo III news, but the Diablo III

http://us.media5.battle.net/cms/blog_header/UXGDSU8GL3801344966729658.jpg

Kinda lost in all the Diablo III news, but the Diablo III Starter Edition is now free, just like WoW and Starcraft 2. No need for guest passes.

It's the same content as the guest pass and the beta weekend-- you can level to 13, and get all the way through the Skeleton King.

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6939568/Diablo%C2%AE_III_FREE_Starter_Edition_Now_Available-8_14_2012

Blizzard has just updated their blog with the Barbarian

http://us.media5.battle.net/cms/blog_header/84RUBV0I1VTO1344643109957.jpg

Blizzard has just updated their blog with the Barbarian changes.

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6923460

More classes coming soon.

The one major thing to take away from this-- *nothing* is getting nerfed, and tons of things are getting buffed. The Barbarian is really the best well-rounded at the moment, so there are probably fewer things to do for this class than the others.

Stay tuned for the rest of the class updates!

Next blog about the 1.0.4 patch is out. It addresses the

Next blog about the 1.0.4 patch is out. It addresses the problems they've had with legendary items, and I must say their fixes look pretty awesome.

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/6923457/

Anyone else want fire chains?angels and demons? Molten shielding?
Oh, and that axe at the end would make me consider a two-hander.

So then I got this in the mail. @chowda and I are headed to

So then I got this in the mail. @chowda and I are headed to PAX this year and I am really excited. To be able to see games exhibited with full wall art work, developers possibly answering questions and the ability to play it before launch? To experience an event in person which I only read about on blogs is a really cool thought.

PAX recently posted a schedule and speakers here if you are interested:

http://dev.paxsite.com/schedule
http://dev.paxsite.com/speakers

PAX Also dropped there will be a few tourneys and seeing people play games like League of Legends should be fun. Over the next few days I am going to digest the schedule and plan out what I want to do. I want to... Read All

The Game Genie is Magic

To celebrate Retro Tuesday today I am dialing the time machine back to awesome and talking about Galoob's magnificent Game Genie. Buckle up kids, the Game Genie allowed you to enter video game worlds you didn't know possible and often times more glitchy than before!

First time I was exposed to the Game Genie was when @WhiteboySlim showed it to me. It was a gold half cart that connected to the end of any Nintendo game. After you switched on the Nintendo a screen came up to enter a code and after the code was entered you could start the game. Game Genie came with a manual for how to essentially mod or cheat at a game. The only mod I remember was in Super Mario Brothers... Read All To celebrate Retro Tuesday today I am dialing the time machine back to awesome and talking about Galoob's magnificent Game Genie. Buckle up kids, the Game Genie allowed you to enter video game worlds you didn't know possible and often times more glitchy than before!

First time I was exposed to the Game Genie was when @WhiteboySlim showed it to me. It was a gold half cart that connected to the end of any Nintendo game. After you switched on the Nintendo a screen came up to enter a code and after the code was entered you could start the game. Game Genie came with a manual for how to essentially mod or cheat at a game. The only mod I remember was in Super Mario Brothers where Mario could jump really high. This allowed you to jump over the flag and if you did that and continued right, the map would continue without end.

Oh right, check out this awesome Game Genie commercial from the 80's. I remember this one as it was released during the Bill and Ted era and the commercial totally rides that 80's skateboard to paydirt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xi4m2qnZaY

The Game Genie manual recommended you try out random codes on games and see the effect. I remember us trying a bunch of random codes on Gradius and most of them scrambled the screen and other less awesome things. I am not sure if we hit pay dirt with any of the codes but it was fun trying things out. We always wrote them down in case we hit Genie gold so we could do it again.

Game Genie lives on in PC gaming now in that some games offer a console mode to change things if you desire. Proliferation of mods allow you take your game to a level Game Genie didn't, Skyrim being one modern example. That said, the ghost of Game Genie lives on in most emulators as all the major emulators support game genie codes.

Game Genie is one of those awesome things from the past that I don't see make the transition into the modern console era. In a world where console manufacturers are making systems more closed, a system to allow you to mod your game sanctioned by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo seems unlikely. The openess of the PC system allows this but not as retroly awesome or one stop as the Game Genie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Genie
http://gamehacking.org/w/images/2/2a/Game_genie_nes_screen.png (the code screen)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/14/2012 at 03:40pm

! comment I saw on the Game Genie commercial "For rich kids who sucked at video games

Travis Admin wrote on 08/14/2012 at 04:50pm

I hit paydirt with one. I managed to edit a known code for Ninja Gaiden to basically plow through everything without trying. Essentially, you stand next to something, and it's dead.

I loved the Game Genie. Not for the cheat factor, but because I felt like I was doing something that I shouldn't be able to. I WAS HACKING THE GAME.

Tungsten wrote on 08/14/2012 at 08:47pm

I loved it for the weird stuff: playing as the bad guys, replacing all of one sprite with another etc. You were able to actually make Shining Force II (my favorite game) a two player game, although with real intelligence, the enemy pretty much always won.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/15/2012 at 12:36am

I agree, the Game Genie was game modding / hacking! Never hit as much pay dirt as your guys, then again I never owned one just played it at other peoples houses.

Playing as bad guys sounds awesome, that kind of rings a bell but nothing comes to mind immediately. Would be kind of interesting to play Mario as a Goomba!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/25/2014 at 01:10am

I loved the Game Genie! I'm happy that I can still use one in an emulator, that and Pro Action Replay. I always found it more fun to play a game where I can't die, I know it sounds lame, but I just enjoyed many games much better that way.

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New Borderlands 2 trailer dropped this morning. This one

New Borderlands 2 trailer dropped this morning. This one features the villain Handsome Jack and showcases a little of the four playable classes.

Can't wait to head back to Pandora. Thinking of playing the Gunzerker or Assassin at launch. What class will you roll?

Decided to treat myself to playing more Skyrim this evening.

Decided to treat myself to playing more Skyrim this evening. As I was walking around I noticed a Dragon flying around and breathing fire on something so I decided to investigate. I snuck up on the Dragon and started attacking it and then I was dead. Apparently something one hit killed me and as my death animation was happening I noticed the club of a Giant. Apparently the Dragon was fighting a Giant. I had saved right before I came up on the Dragon so I held back and watched the fight. I snapped a few screen shots and the Dragon was easily bested by the Giant. Not wanting to waste the Dragon's death, I snuck up and nabbed the Dragon's scales, bones and then nabbed its... Read All

jaelte wrote on 08/13/2012 at 08:21am

Yes. You can stash gear in your houses. Once you buy a house, you can also purchase upgrades for various rooms, which sometimes include weapon/armor racks for display purposes. Those are great when you have gear that looks cool/ridiculous that's no longer worth wearing.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/13/2012 at 02:13pm

The first house you get will almost definitely be Whiterun, and you only get one chest by default (if I recall correctly). You'll definitely want to purchase upgrades for it so you can segment things out into different containers.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/13/2012 at 02:21pm

With house upgrades you can smith and do alchemy (alchemize?) along with stashing your stuff. It's also handy for stashing a spouse.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/13/2012 at 02:22pm

I didn't read the previous comments thoroughly, but oh well :)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/13/2012 at 03:06pm

Thanks everyone, I have 3.5k gold now and I need 5k for the house. I am going to save up in the next few sessions for it so hopefully I can get it soon.

Looking forward to stashing a spouse in the house.... with a mouse. In Skyrim.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/13/2012 at 08:11pm

Before you know it, you'll have hundreds of thousands of gold with very little to do with it. I just started thinking of it as another progress indicator, like level.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/14/2012 at 05:11am

Awesome. Hopefully I can find a way to have that spill over IRL! I wonder, could I hook up a 3D printer to Skyrim to transfer my in game gold to real life?

Wait no, all 3D printers do is make sweet statues right now.

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In the didyoueverplaythat category: Little Big Adventure

http://holyfile.com/upload/screenshot2621-2.gif

In the didyoueverplaythat category: Little Big Adventure 2

I asked for this for Christmas at some point before the age of 16, having played the original Little Big Adventure. Originally a french game I believe, it never got much exposure here in the states. My father had to go to three or four stores to find it, but I'm glad he did.

The game is a true action adventure, kind of like a semi-isometric zelda with more humor and story elements, along with a few Monkey-Island esque puzzles. It's on GoG.com if you have $6 to kill and don't mind a game from the very early 3D era.

So... didyoueverplaythat?