Google unveiled its next gen video game streaming service Stadia today at the Game Developers Conference. The response on social media was pretty standard, lots of jokes about lag and a general "meh" attitude. The "who cares" attitude makes a lot of sense with just some basic information in hand, that said after I watched the above Digital Foundry Stadia spec explanation and comparison of it alongside current generation consoles it seems much more compelling.
Stadia First Generation Machine Specs
The first thing that's compelling to me about Stadia is that Google is focusing the first generation offering on a cloud system spec that blows current consoles out of the... Read All
Google unveiled its next gen video game streaming service Stadia today at the Game Developers Conference. The response on social media was pretty standard, lots of jokes about lag and a general "meh" attitude. The "who cares" attitude makes a lot of sense with just some basic information in hand, that said after I watched the above Digital Foundry Stadia spec explanation and comparison of it alongside current generation consoles it seems much more compelling.
Stadia First Generation Machine Specs
The first thing that's compelling to me about Stadia is that Google is focusing the first generation offering on a cloud system spec that blows current consoles out of the water. Whereas it's not hard to get a PC to beat an XBox One getting that to run seamlessly in the cloud is and if Google ties all of it together well, Stadia could be very interesting. According to Digital Foundry the base Stadia specs are 2.7GHZ Hyper-threaded CPU, Customer AMD 10.7 Teraflop / 1495 MHz GPU, 16G RAM & practically unlimited SSD storage.
Stadia Will Stream Through YouTube
Google has said that you can watch a video of Assassin's Creed and immediately click a button to play it in Stadia. Apparently Stadia games will be easy to share and embedded just like YouTube and just as easy to watch on all your devices. It's an interesting concept that you could buy a TV with Stadia embedded in it and play triple A games streaming right to it without any updates right out of the box.
The Stadia Controller Connects over Wifi
The Google Stadia controller doesn't connect to your device over Bluetooth but Wifi so you can play games on devices that don't support controller connectivity such as Google's Chromecast. I've never heard of a controller connecting over WiFi which would impose some lag but also make connectivity as easy as connecting to Wifi.
The Final Countdown & Questions
Simply streaming video games isn't enough to get people to use Stadia but the way Google is approaching it will. After this announcement I was solidly moved from the "meh" camp to eagerly interested in Stadia. That's a big movement considering I love owning video games, films and music and have quite a collection already. I view Stadia a lot like I view Netflix in that the films and games I love i'll still buy but Stadia might offer a great alternative to ownership when you just want to play something for a handful of hours or don't want to invest in expensive hardware.
My only question at this point is how Stadia be monetized? Will you buy games on Stadia just like any other store and then Google streams that game to you for all time? Will Stadia be a Netflix like service where you pay Google monthly fee for all the games you can play?
I'm kinda all over the place on this. I don't know what to think. In terms of utility I don't see this being significantly different *for me* than PS Now (which I've played around with, and it works very well, but the cost put me off a bit). Now that said, people without gaming hardware or gaming-capable PCs could find a lot of utility in this, especially if it's a monthly fee.
On the tech side, though, I'm very interested. I can't wait for the inevitable comparison videos of all the different game streaming services. At minimum, a new major competitor will drive others to improve their services. Can you imagine paying a small monthly fee to Valve to be able to stream anything you own over the internet? That would be a different way to do it.
The service pricing and/or game cost is going to be the big thing here, plus controller performance. Streaming already introduces some lag and the Wifi controller will a bit too.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/21/2019 at 12:46am
When I heard what Google Stadia is and that itâs gonna be based on Linux and Vulcan I immediately realize why Valve might be working in that arena. Imagine a world where Linux and Vulcan powers the Valve game cloud and they use their fresh new Wine to emulate all your other games.
If Valve launched that with the ability to play all you existing games, it might be game over for everything else.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/21/2019 at 12:47am
Plus Steam can stream games around your house already. Step 2 might be out of their data centers.
It's that time again, Cheerful Ghost Games Club is back with Super Mario Bros. 3!
In season 3 of Cheerful Ghost Radio, we are starting our NES Classic reviews with Super Mario Bros. 1-3. We're finishing things off with Super Mario Bros. 3! Come play the game and discuss it with us, and weâll include your thoughts in the episode!
And it's not like you need an excuse to play this incredible game, right!?
Super Mario Bros. 3 was the last game on the NES, and it pushed the system and the series to new heights with the new feature set, improved graphics, and new elements. The third game introduced some Mario series staples, like the overworld, power-ups you could use outside... Read All
It's that time again, Cheerful Ghost Games Club is back with Super Mario Bros. 3!
In season 3 of Cheerful Ghost Radio, we are starting our NES Classic reviews with Super Mario Bros. 1-3. We're finishing things off with Super Mario Bros. 3! Come play the game and discuss it with us, and weâll include your thoughts in the episode!
And it's not like you need an excuse to play this incredible game, right!?
Super Mario Bros. 3 was the last game on the NES, and it pushed the system and the series to new heights with the new feature set, improved graphics, and new elements. The third game introduced some Mario series staples, like the overworld, power-ups you could use outside of gameplay, and bonus levels, and brought some new characters and enemies that are still around today.
Come play Super Mario Bros. 2 with us over the next couple weeks and share your thoughts about it, and we'll discuss your thoughts on air.
Avengers Endgame is coming to theaters April 26th (yeah, it's that soon!) and to keep the hype train non-dusted Marvel has dropped a brand new trailer. It's a fun journey through the MCU starting with the first Iron Man and also shows clips of Captain America over the years. The trailer also shows a brief spoiler in that Tony Stark seems to survive being adrift in space.... which makes sense as killing off Iron Man by slowly suffocating doesn't seem like a fitting end to his character. The ending of the trailer has a fun moment you have to watch fresh so I won't describe it here, but it's something you should check out.
Avengers Endgame is coming to theaters April 26th (yeah, it's that soon!) and to keep the hype train non-dusted Marvel has dropped a brand new trailer. It's a fun journey through the MCU starting with the first Iron Man and also shows clips of Captain America over the years. The trailer also shows a brief spoiler in that Tony Stark seems to survive being adrift in space.... which makes sense as killing off Iron Man by slowly suffocating doesn't seem like a fitting end to his character. The ending of the trailer has a fun moment you have to watch fresh so I won't describe it here, but it's something you should check out.
I know all these clips are supposed to be from the first 20 mins, but Marvel lies lol. In the first Avengers movie, Iron Man guides a nuke into the wormhole to save New York, and thinks it's a one way trip. What if, at the end of the movie, Iron Man makes a similar sort of sacrifice (it rhymes!) and flies something out into deep space, so as to save everyone else. Maybe he has to take the Infinity Gauntlet (or some/all of the Infinity Stones) to a new hiding location, but again, it's a one way trip?
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/17/2019 at 05:57pm
Interesting. That may or may not happen but now Iâm thinking they might do that or something else to connect the films.
Really cool thought.
If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.
To me, Dwarf Fortress is one of the most important pieces of art in our time. The level of sophistication of the game is astounding and Tarn and Zach consider it to be something they will work on... indefinitely. That kind of focus and passion is rare and because of the games lasting artistic impact Tarn is going to hand over the source code to the game to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) upon his death. I was lucky enough to meet up with him some years ago at PAX and talk to him about Dwarf Fortress as well as possibly releasing Dwarf Fortress as free software (not an idea he supported at the time, he'd rather hand it over to the MoMA). The only downside to Dwarf... Read All
To me, Dwarf Fortress is one of the most important pieces of art in our time. The level of sophistication of the game is astounding and Tarn and Zach consider it to be something they will work on... indefinitely. That kind of focus and passion is rare and because of the games lasting artistic impact Tarn is going to hand over the source code to the game to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) upon his death. I was lucky enough to meet up with him some years ago at PAX and talk to him about Dwarf Fortress as well as possibly releasing Dwarf Fortress as free software (not an idea he supported at the time, he'd rather hand it over to the MoMA). The only downside to Dwarf Fortress is that it's so rich and deep I have very little time to play it and it's a real shame. That said, it looks like it's going to get a lot more accessible to players as it's getting a formal graphical update from it's ASCII roots as well as going to be for sale on Steam and Itch.
To-date Dwarf Fortress has been available to download for free on Bay 12 Games website and this won't change. But if you want an auto-updated version, official non-ASCII 2D graphics and easily installable through Steam or Itch, this is for you. Seems like a big reason Bay 12 is doing this is to raise money to help some family with health issues and I hope this goes over well for them and the publisher they are working with, Kitfox Games.
Read the entire FAQ on Dwarf Fortress coming to Steam, Itch and on working with publisher Kitfox.
Wow that's huge! I know there have been a few frontends but it's nice to see something official.
I hope this gets more people playing it (like me maybe) because the vanilla is incredibly opaque (not necessarily saying that's bad) and finding up-to-date addons is frustrating.
If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.
Microsoft announced that the Halo Master Chief Collection is coming to PC via the Windows Store and Steam later this year. Frankly, this is very exciting news but nothing I actually thought they would do. Halo is one of the reasons to get an XBox and now that seems to have lessened a bit. All that to say, is this something you are looking to get? I played mostly the original Halo but not many of the other entries, the Master Chief Collection remastered the original games and brought new life to the multiplayer modes which is something I bet PC gamers will love!
"Later this year, these classic Halo experiences will start to arrive on PC via the Microsoft Store and, for... Read All
Microsoft announced that the Halo Master Chief Collection is coming to PC via the Windows Store and Steam later this year. Frankly, this is very exciting news but nothing I actually thought they would do. Halo is one of the reasons to get an XBox and now that seems to have lessened a bit. All that to say, is this something you are looking to get? I played mostly the original Halo but not many of the other entries, the Master Chief Collection remastered the original games and brought new life to the multiplayer modes which is something I bet PC gamers will love!
"Later this year, these classic Halo experiences will start to arrive on PC via the Microsoft Store and, for the first time in the series - on Steam. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us to bring the Halo Universe and Master Chiefâs story to a new audience and to offer PC gamers a chance to step into the franchise on the PC platform of their choice.
The Master Chiefâs arrival on PC will happen in stages with each title releasing one by one over time - giving the development teams the ability to ensure each one is right, while giving players a chance to jump in right away, rather than having to wait for the entire suite of games to be completed. Our current plan is for this journey to begin with the launch of Halo: Reach â the fictional beginnings of Master Chiefâs saga â with the rest of the titles following in chronological order thereafter. Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST (Campaign), and Halo 4 will each be available for individual purchase within MCC as they become available. And each game will evolve and grow over time with community input.
For the team at 343 Industries, the most important and critical element of this project is ensuring that MCC delivers a true âfirst classâ experience on PC. Weâre embarking on a journey with our community to build a real PC experience that delivers on PC gamer expectations. The team is passionately committed to ensuring that all the features, bells, and whistles expected in a modern PC title are included with MCC. These features may vary somewhat by title, and we wonât get everything in there all at once â this is a product and an experience that will grow and evolve over time. We are laying the groundwork for PC native features such as excellent mouse and keyboard controls, support for multiple resolutions and aspect ratios, field-of-view sliders, and adjustable framerates, to name but a few. And yes, there will be support for Xbox gamepads and other PC controllers."
It *was* but these are all older games now. The only Halo that's been released on XBO is this collection of older games, so they probably thought it was safe from losing them XBO sales at this point. They'll probably release a new one for Xbox One soon and hope this tantalizes people into getting one.
This is very interesting news, I haven't played much of the series at all, really just Halo and a bit of Halo 3, so this intrigues me. It would be a great way to get into the series.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/13/2019 at 11:03pm
Agreed. And there was a time where Iâd have played each game in this pack on PC but I wonder if Iâll have time to make for this?
If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.
Well, I did not see this coming, but the original Diablo is up for sale over at GoG.com, DRM free! I missed Diablo during it's first run, is it worth looking into now?
Edit: It appears there are two versions available through GoG.
"Travelers looking for the authentic Diablo experience can play the game as it was in 1996, with period-appropriate 20 FPS SVGA graphics, and the ability to matchmaker through the classic version of Blizzardâs Battle.net online-gaming service. For those wanting something a bit more modern, Blizzard and GOG.COM have collaborated on an updated version of the game tuned for todayâs gaming PCs, which includes out-of-the-box Windows 10 compatibility,... Read All
Well, I did not see this coming, but the original Diablo is up for sale over at GoG.com, DRM free! I missed Diablo during it's first run, is it worth looking into now?
Edit: It appears there are two versions available through GoG.
"Travelers looking for the authentic Diablo experience can play the game as it was in 1996, with period-appropriate 20 FPS SVGA graphics, and the ability to matchmaker through the classic version of Blizzardâs Battle.netÂŽ online-gaming service. For those wanting something a bit more modern, Blizzard and GOG.COM have collaborated on an updated version of the game tuned for todayâs gaming PCs, which includes out-of-the-box Windows 10 compatibility, a host of bug fixes and high-resolution support." https://www.gog.com/game/diablo
"I missed Diablo during it's first run, is it worth looking into now?"
I'm going to answer this with another question. Did you play Diablo 2? If you haven't then I'd say skip Diablo and when the Diablo 2 remake comes out, get that.
Two reasons.
1. You move painfully slow in the original Diablo. It wasn't a problem at the time because Diablo was such a unique and fresh game but compared to anything more modern the movement speed is painful for many. 2. Diablo 2 improves on it in nearly every way and the remake will come out in the next couple years.
If you want to play a slice of gaming history OR you played Diablo a ton and want to relive it then i'd say it's an easy pickup. For me, Diablo is a classically incredible game and the $10 price tag is very cheap but certain aspects of it might not make for the most smooth play through. I never owned the original but had the demo and I played the HELL of out that demo.
Diablo sets a great dark tone and because you move so slowly the dread of having monsters swarm your is felt when you are caught off-guard.
Timogorgon gives this a solid "Rad" on the Ghost Scale
This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.
Timogorgon gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale
This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.
A love letter to the 16-bit era of JRPGs.
Octopath Traveler is a single player RPG developed by Square Enix and Aquire Corp. and released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Set in the world of Orsterra the game follows 8 protagonists through their own personal stories which eventually intertwine and form a larger overarching plot. Each character has a unique job with unique combat abilities. Each protagonist also has a âPath Abilityâ which can be used outside of battle to help the party complete side quests, access secret items/paths, or recruit NPCs to help the party.
The first thing you probably notice about Octopath Traveler is its âHD-2Dâ (as dubbed by Square... Read AllA love letter to the 16-bit era of JRPGs.
Octopath Traveler is a single player RPG developed by Square Enix and Aquire Corp. and released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Set in the world of Orsterra the game follows 8 protagonists through their own personal stories which eventually intertwine and form a larger overarching plot. Each character has a unique job with unique combat abilities. Each protagonist also has a âPath Abilityâ which can be used outside of battle to help the party complete side quests, access secret items/paths, or recruit NPCs to help the party.
The first thing you probably notice about Octopath Traveler is its âHD-2Dâ (as dubbed by Square Enix) graphical style which combines traditional sprites with high definition effects and environments. The results are absolutely stunning. Octopath Traveler is a beautiful game. One of my only complaints is that the depth of field seems a little too shallow at times, obscuring some of the backgrounds. The 8 heroes are beautifully animated and the sprites for enemies are big and highly detailed.
Many Square Enix games are known for having amazing soundtracks and Octopath Traveler doesnât disappoint. Composer Yasunori Nishiki doesnât have many games under his belt, but if this game is any indication then his will be a career to pay attention too. (For an example, see: https://youtu.be/se4WxWXMBwE)
In terms of gameplay this is a very traditional JRPG with turn based battles and menu based combat. There are a few new twists to mix things up, such as each enemy having a defense (indicated by a shield with a number on it) that can be broken by attacking the enemy with weapons or elements they are weak to. Once their defense is broken the enemy is stunned for a turn and takes extra damage from all attacks during that round. Every turn your party members also gain a Boost Point which can be stored (up to 5) and used to boost the power of spells, abilities, or to attack multiple times in a row. These minor tweaks to an old formula keep the battles fresh and allow you to form strategies about when itâs best to burn through your boost points to quickly break an enemies defenses or store them up so you can drop massive amounts of damage when theyâre weak.
Much like the JRPGs of yore this game is fairly difficult and there are times when you need to slow down and grind out a few levels before taking on the next boss or advancing to the next area. HP and MP are not restored between battles without items, using an ability or spell, or staying at an Inn. You will need to plan ahead and make sure you stock up on items whenever youâre about to leave a town. Characters level independently and only those in your group earn XP. So if you want to have a variety of characters available youâll need to switch them out periodically. In time you will unlock the ability to assign each character a subjob based on one of the other protagonists, allowing you to mix-and-match their abilities.
JRPGs are also known for their plots and Octopath Traveler is no exception. Although I have yet to finish the storyline (Iâm about 30 hours in) the plot so far is interesting and all the characters are likeable enough. The writing is acceptable for the most part. There is one area where all the characters speak in an exaggerated âYe Olde Englishâ that I found particularly annoying, but your mileage may vary. The voice acting is also hit and miss. Dialogue for the main story is fully voice acted, but side quests and minor plot areas only have an occasional gasp or âOk!â which I could have done without.
If you are a fan of the genre then I would highly recommend giving Octopath Traveler a try. For one thing there is a demo available, so why not give it a go? If youâre new to RPGs and especially to JRPGs then there are more accessible titles you may want to try first. Overall I rate this game a Rad on the Ghost Scale.
We took some recent gaming news, put it in a pot, and let it simmer for a while. Come hear our early thoughts about Apex Legends and our favorite news from the most recent Nintendo Direct, Tetris 99, Super Mario Maker 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake!
We took some recent gaming news, put it in a pot, and let it simmer for a while. Come hear our early thoughts about Apex Legends and our favorite news from the most recent Nintendo Direct, Tetris 99, Super Mario Maker 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake!
Even if entirely impractical, I have a special place in my heart for R.O.B. the Robot Operating Buddy. I knew people that had one yet it was so slow and clunky to use we didn't even try to play Gyromite with it. The Gaming Historian makes the case that Nintendo created R.O.B. to get into stores after the video game crash but that they might have been successful without it. It's hard to say ultimately what would have happened if they didn't create R.O.B. but there's not denying how big Robots were at the time and including one with the Nintendo was a huge attractor for young kids.
Even if entirely impractical, I have a special place in my heart for R.O.B. the Robot Operating Buddy. I knew people that had one yet it was so slow and clunky to use we didn't even try to play Gyromite with it. The Gaming Historian makes the case that Nintendo created R.O.B. to get into stores after the video game crash but that they might have been successful without it. It's hard to say ultimately what would have happened if they didn't create R.O.B. but there's not denying how big Robots were at the time and including one with the Nintendo was a huge attractor for young kids.
No, even a broken ROB is great for sitting on a shelf and looking fabulous.
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 03/11/2019 at 12:03am
I'm not sure a working R.O.B. would mean i'd actually plug it in and use it. For instance I have the Power Glove but... it's so bad I haven't actually plugged it in to use it.
Humble is back with their 20th numbered bundle! For a measly buck, you get The First Tree, Tangledeep, and Among the Sleep.
Beat the average for Getting Over It, Tooth and Tail, and... wait what? Dream Daddy Dadrector's Cut. I'm not shocked by the premise of this game, but the name is something. Is this the first foray into romance games for Humble Bundles?
For $10 you can get all of the above games, as well as Overgrowth.
I'm so out of the loop on indie releases, none of these was even on my radar. From what I've read, however, Tangledeep is well worth the price of entry, more so if you're only spending a buck.
I've honestly been out of the bundle game for a while now,... Read All
Humble is back with their 20th numbered bundle! For a measly buck, you get The First Tree, Tangledeep, and Among the Sleep.
Beat the average for Getting Over It, Tooth and Tail, and... wait what? Dream Daddy Dadrector's Cut. I'm not shocked by the premise of this game, but the name is something. Is this the first foray into romance games for Humble Bundles?
For $10 you can get all of the above games, as well as Overgrowth.
I'm so out of the loop on indie releases, none of these was even on my radar. From what I've read, however, Tangledeep is well worth the price of entry, more so if you're only spending a buck.
I've honestly been out of the bundle game for a while now, and haven't snagged one in a while. What about you? Have you bought bundles as much recently? Is this one piquing your interest?
I'm kinda all over the place on this. I don't know what to think. In terms of utility I don't see this being significantly different *for me* than PS Now (which I've played around with, and it works very well, but the cost put me off a bit). Now that said, people without gaming hardware or gaming-capable PCs could find a lot of utility in this, especially if it's a monthly fee.
On the tech side, though, I'm very interested. I can't wait for the inevitable comparison videos of all the different game streaming services. At minimum, a new major competitor will drive others to improve their services. Can you imagine paying a small monthly fee to Valve to be able to stream anything you own over the internet? That would be a different way to do it.
The service pricing and/or game cost is going to be the big thing here, plus controller performance. Streaming already introduces some lag and the Wifi controller will a bit too.
When I heard what Google Stadia is and that itâs gonna be based on Linux and Vulcan I immediately realize why Valve might be working in that arena. Imagine a world where Linux and Vulcan powers the Valve game cloud and they use their fresh new Wine to emulate all your other games.
If Valve launched that with the ability to play all you existing games, it might be game over for everything else.
Plus Steam can stream games around your house already. Step 2 might be out of their data centers.
Yes, that would pretty much be game over man. I'm drooling at the thought.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/03/googles-multiyear-quest-to-overcome-ids-stadia-streaming-skepticism/